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Shrestha N, Kolarik NE, Brandt JS. Mesic vegetation persistence: A new approach for monitoring spatial and temporal changes in water availability in dryland regions using cloud computing and the sentinel and Landsat constellations. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 917:170491. [PMID: 38301786 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Climate change and anthropogenic activity pose severe threats to water availability in drylands. A better understanding of water availability response to these threats could improve our ability to adapt and mitigate climate and anthropogenic effects. Here, we present a Mesic Vegetation Persistence (MVP) workflow that takes every usable image in the Sentinel (10-m) and Landsat (30-m) archives to generate a dense time-series of water availability that is continuously updated as new images become available in Google Earth Engine. MVP takes advantage of the fact that mesic vegetation can be used as a proxy of available water in drylands. Our MVP workflow combines a novel moisture-based index (moisture change index - MCI) with a vegetation index (Modified Chlorophyll Absorption Ratio Vegetation Index (MCARI2)). MCI is the difference in soil moisture condition between an individual pixel's state and the dry and wet reference reflectance in the image, derived using 5th and 95th percentiles of the visible and shortwave infra-red drought index (VSDI). We produced and validated our MVP products across drylands of the western U.S., covering a broad range of elevation, land use, and ecoregions. MVP outperforms NDVI, a commonly-employed index for mesic ecosystem health, in both rangeland and forested ecosystems, and in mesic habitats with particularly high and low vegetation cover. We applied our MVP product at case study sites and found that MVP more accurately characterizes differences in mesic persistence, late-season water availability, and restoration success compared to NDVI. MVP could be applied as an indicator of change in a variety of contexts to provide a greater understanding of how water availability changes as a result of climate and management. Our MVP product for the western U.S. is freely available within a Google Earth Engine Web App, and the MVP workflow is replicable for other dryland regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nawaraj Shrestha
- Human-Environment Systems, Boise State University, 1910 University Dr., Boise, ID 83725, USA; Conservation Survey Division, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA.
| | - Nicholas E Kolarik
- Human-Environment Systems, Boise State University, 1910 University Dr., Boise, ID 83725, USA
| | - Jodi S Brandt
- Human-Environment Systems, Boise State University, 1910 University Dr., Boise, ID 83725, USA
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2
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Chang T, Min KD, Cho SI, Kim Y. Associations of meteorological factors and dynamics of scrub typhus incidence in South Korea: A nationwide time-series study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 245:117994. [PMID: 38151145 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Scrub typhus, also known as Tsutsugamushi disease, is a climate-sensitive vector-borne disease that poses a growing public health threat. However, studies on the association between scrub typhus epidemics and meteorological factors in South Korea need to be complemented. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the association among ambient temperature, precipitation, and the incidence of scrub typhus in South Korea. First, we obtained data on the weekly number of scrub typhus cases and concurrent meteorological variables at the city-county level (Si-Gun) in South Korea between 2001 and 2019. Subsequently, a two-stage meta-regression analysis was conducted. In the first stage, we conducted time-series regression analyses using a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) to investigate the association between temperature, precipitation, and scrub typhus incidence at each location. In the second stage, we employed a multivariate meta-regression model to combine the association estimates from all municipalities, considering regional indicators, such as mite species distribution, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and urban-rural classification. Weekly mean temperature and weekly total precipitation exhibited a reversed U-shaped nonlinear association with the incidence of scrub typhus. The overall cumulative association with scrub typhus incidence peaked at 18.7 C° (with RRs of 9.73, 95% CI: 5.54-17.10) of ambient temperature (reference 9.7 C°) and 162.0 mm (with RRs of 1.87, 95% CI: 1.02-3.83) of precipitation (reference 2.8 mm), respectively. These findings suggest that meteorological factors contribute to scrub typhus epidemics by interacting with vectors, reservoir hosts, and human behaviors. This information serves as a reference for future public health policies and epidemiological research aimed at controlling scrub typhus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taehee Chang
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Duk Min
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Il Cho
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea; Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yoonhee Kim
- Department of Global Environmental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
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3
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Schoepf I, Pillay N. Multiple interacting factors affect seed predation in an African savanna small mammal community. J Mammal 2023. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Multiple factors affect seed predation, including seed traits, habitat type, seed predator community composition, predation risk, and seasonality. How all these factors and their interactions simultaneously influence seed predation has rarely been tested experimentally in situ. Here, we assessed the relative contribution of the factors driving seed predation in an African savanna rodent community, comprising six ecologically similar species. We first conducted seed preference tests under semicaptive conditions to determine which seed trait (size, shell hardness, nutritional content) influenced seed predation. Then we performed in situ experiments to establish whether rodent community composition (diversity and abundance), seed type, habitat type, seasonality, predation risk, and their interactions affected seed predation. Semicaptive experiments showed that rodents preferred smaller, lighter seeds, containing relatively high water content. In situ experiments showed that predation risk was an important factor influencing seed predation, with rodents removing considerably more seeds in areas where predation risk was lower. Habitat type also affected seed predation, but its effects were strongly linked to predation risk. In areas where predation risk was higher, rodents removed more seeds in more heterogeneous habitats, whereas in areas where predation risk was lower, rodents removed more seeds in less heterogeneous habitats. Seasonality was the least influential factor shaping seed predation. Rodents removed more seeds in winter compared to other seasons, but only in areas where predation risk was low. We provide experimental evidence for a multifaceted approach to understanding the relative contribution of the different factors driving variation in seed predation in natural communities and show that these factors are likely hierarchically arranged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Schoepf
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Witwatersrand , Johannesburg , South Africa
- Department of Science, University of Alberta , Augustana Campus, Camrose, Alberta , Canada
| | - Neville Pillay
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Witwatersrand , Johannesburg , South Africa
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4
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Milton SJ, Short S, Dean WRJ. Decline in whistling rat (
Parotomys brantsii
) density: Possible response to climate change in the Karoo, South Africa. Afr J Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.13063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne J. Milton
- Wolwekraal Conservation and Research Organisation Prince Albert South Africa
- South African Environmental Observation Network Kimberley South Africa
| | - Stefan Short
- Wolwekraal Conservation and Research Organisation Prince Albert South Africa
| | - W. Richard J. Dean
- Wolwekraal Conservation and Research Organisation Prince Albert South Africa
- South African Environmental Observation Network Kimberley South Africa
- FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, Department of Biological Sciences University of Cape Town Rondebosch South Africa
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5
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Sustained population decline of rodents is linked to accelerated climate warming and human disturbance. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:102. [PMID: 35989339 PMCID: PMC9394043 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02056-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background During the past three decades, sustained population decline or disappearance of cycles in small rodents have been observed. Both anthropogenic disturbance and climate warming are likely to be potential drivers of population decline, but quantitative analysis on their distinct effects is still lacking. Results Using time series monitoring of 115 populations (80 populations from 18 known rodent species, 35 mixed populations from unknown species) from 1980 in China (spanning 20–33 yrs), we analyzed association of human disturbances and climate warming with population dynamics of these rodent species. We found 54 of 115 populations showed a decreasing trend since 1980, and 16 of 115 showed an increasing trend. Human disturbances and climate warming showed significant positive associations with the population declines of most rodent species, and the population declines were more pronounced in habitats with more intensified human disturbance such as cities and farmlands or in high-latitude regions which experienced more increase of temperature. Conclusions Our results indicate that the large-scale sustained population decline of small mammals in various ecosystems driven by the rapid increase of both climate warming and human disturbance is likely a signal of ecosystem dysfunction or transition. There is an urgent need to assess the risks of accelerated climate warming and human disturbance imposes on our ecosystems. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-022-02056-z.
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6
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Gonzalez Rojas JI, Cruz Nieto MA, Guzmán Velasco A, Ruvalcaba-Ortega I, Olalla-Kerstupp A, Ruiz-Ayma G. Winter diet of Burrowing Owls in the Llano La Soledad, Galeana, Nuevo León, México. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13324. [PMID: 35502207 PMCID: PMC9056000 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The dietary niche breadth of the Burrowing Owl was determined (Athene cunicularia Molina, 1782) in Llano La Soledad, Galeana, Nuevo Leon in northern Mexico, by considering prey type, numerical percentage, weight, weight percentage, frequency of occurrence percentage, and IRI percentage. The study compared data from three winters (2002-2003, 2003-2004, 2004-2005) by analyzing 358 pellets, identifying 850 prey items. Invertebrates constituted 90% of prey items, which mostly included insects (85%); beetles were the most common insects found in pellets (70%). Vertebrates made up 84% of consumed weight, of which 83% were mammals. Most of the mammals were cricetid rodents (41%). Niche breadth based on the numerical and weight percentage confirmed the Burrowing Owl as a generalist species with mean values per year ranging between 0.65 and 0.82. Additionally, there was a strong association between the weight of rodent species in winter. This association was mainly driven by changes in composition and frequency of these prey species during the second winter, probably caused by high annual rainfall. The second season also showed a statistically significant narrower niche (Ro = 0.96) and the smallest overlap (0.45 vs. 0.76) among the three winters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose I. Gonzalez Rojas
- Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, San Nicolas de los Garza, Nuevo Leon, México
| | | | - Antonio Guzmán Velasco
- Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, San Nicolas de los Garza, Nuevo Leon, México
| | - Irene Ruvalcaba-Ortega
- Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, San Nicolas de los Garza, Nuevo Leon, México
| | - Alina Olalla-Kerstupp
- Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, San Nicolas de los Garza, Nuevo Leon, México
| | - Gabriel Ruiz-Ayma
- Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, San Nicolas de los Garza, Nuevo Leon, México
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7
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Kraus HM, Jensen WE, Houseman GR, Jameson ML, Reichenborn MM, Watson DF, Kjaer EL. Cattle grazing in CRP grasslands during the nesting season: effects on avian reproduction. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Heather M. Kraus
- Department of Biological Sciences Emporia State University 1 Kellogg Circle Emporia KS 66801 USA
| | - William E. Jensen
- Department of Biological Sciences Emporia State University 1 Kellogg Circle Emporia KS 66801 USA
| | - Gregory R. Houseman
- Department of Biological Sciences Wichita State University 1845 Fairmount Street Wichita KS 67260 USA
| | - Mary Liz Jameson
- Department of Biological Sciences Wichita State University 1845 Fairmount Street Wichita KS 67260 USA
| | - Molly M. Reichenborn
- Department of Biological Sciences Wichita State University 1845 Fairmount Street Wichita KS 67260 USA
| | - D. Fraser Watson
- Department of Biological Sciences Wichita State University 1845 Fairmount Street Wichita KS 67260 USA
| | - Esben L. Kjaer
- Department of Biological Sciences Wichita State University 1845 Fairmount Street Wichita KS 67260 USA
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8
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Maron JL, Lightfoot DC, Rodriguez‐Cabal MA, Collins SL, Rudgers JA. Climate mediates long‐term impacts of rodent exclusion on desert plant communities. ECOL MONOGR 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John L. Maron
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - David C. Lightfoot
- Museum of Southwestern Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM 87131 USA
| | - Mariano A. Rodriguez‐Cabal
- Grupo de Ecología de Invasiones INIBIOMA ‐ CONICET Universidad Nacional del Comahue Av. de los Pioneros 2350 CP. 8400 Bariloche, Rio Negro Argentina
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Vermont Burlington Vermont 05405 USA
| | - Scott L. Collins
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM 87131 USA
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9
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Timing outweighs magnitude of rainfall in shaping population dynamics of a small mammal species in steppe grassland. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2023691118. [PMID: 34649988 PMCID: PMC8545474 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2023691118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Disentangling the effects of rainfall timing and magnitude on animal and plant populations is essential to reveal the biological consequence of diverse climate change scenarios around the world. We conducted a 10-y, large-scale, manipulative experiment to examine the bottom-up effects of changes in rainfall regime on the population dynamics of Brandt’s voles in the steppe grassland of Inner Mongolia, China. We found that a moderate rainfall increase during the early growing season could produce marked increases in vole population size by increasing the biomass of preferred plant species, whereas large increases in rainfall produced no additional increase in vole population growth. Our study highlights the importance of rainfall magnitude and timing on the nonlinear population dynamics of herbivores. Climate change–induced shifts in species phenology differ widely across trophic levels, which may lead to consumer–resource mismatches with cascading population and ecosystem consequences. Here, we examined the effects of different rainfall patterns (i.e., timing and amount) on the phenological asynchrony of population of a generalist herbivore and their food sources in semiarid steppe grassland in Inner Mongolia. We conducted a 10-y (2010 to 2019) rainfall manipulation experiment in 12 0.48-ha field enclosures and found that moderate rainfall increases during the early rather than late growing season advanced the timing of peak reproduction and drove marked increases in population size through increasing the biomass of preferred plant species. By contrast, greatly increased rainfall produced no further increases in vole population growth due to the potential negative effect of the flooding of burrows. The increases in vole population size were more coupled with increased reproduction of overwintered voles and increased body mass of young-of-year than with better survival. Our results provide experimental evidence for the fitness consequences of phenological mismatches at the population level and highlight the importance of rainfall timing on the population dynamics of small herbivores in the steppe grassland environment.
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10
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Heterothermy as a mechanism to offset energetic costs of environmental and homeostatic perturbations. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19038. [PMID: 34561468 PMCID: PMC8463709 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96828-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental and biotic pressures impose homeostatic costs on all organisms. The energetic costs of maintaining high body temperatures (Tb) render endotherms sensitive to pressures that increase foraging costs. In response, some mammals become more heterothermic to conserve energy. We measured Tb in banner-tailed kangaroo rats (Dipodomys spectabilis) to test and disentangle the effects of air temperature and moonlight (a proxy for predation risk) on thermoregulatory homeostasis. We further perturbed homeostasis in some animals with chronic corticosterone (CORT) via silastic implants. Heterothermy increased across summer, consistent with the predicted effect of lunar illumination (and predation), and in the direction opposite to the predicted effect of environmental temperatures. The effect of lunar illumination was also evident within nights as animals maintained low Tb when the moon was above the horizon. The pattern was accentuated in CORT-treated animals, suggesting they adopted an even further heightened risk-avoidance strategy that might impose reduced foraging and energy intake. Still, CORT-treatment did not affect body condition over the entire study, indicating kangaroo rats offset decreases in energy intake through energy savings associated with heterothermy. Environmental conditions receive the most attention in studies of thermoregulatory homeostasis, but we demonstrated here that biotic factors can be more important and should be considered in future studies.
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11
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Cárdenas PA, Christensen E, Ernest SKM, Lightfoot DC, Schooley RL, Stapp P, Rudgers JA. Declines in rodent abundance and diversity track regional climate variability in North American drylands. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:4005-4023. [PMID: 33942467 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Regional long-term monitoring can enhance the detection of biodiversity declines associated with climate change, improving future projections by reducing reliance on space-for-time substitution and increasing scalability. Rodents are diverse and important consumers in drylands, regions defined by the scarcity of water that cover 45% of Earth's land surface and face increasingly drier and more variable climates. We analyzed abundance data for 22 rodent species across grassland, shrubland, ecotone, and woodland ecosystems in the southwestern USA. Two time series (1995-2006 and 2004-2013) coincided with phases of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), which influences drought in southwestern North America. Regionally, rodent species diversity declined 20%-35%, with greater losses during the later time period. Abundance also declined regionally, but only during 2004-2013, with losses of 5% of animals captured. During the first time series (wetter climate), plant productivity outranked climate variables as the best regional predictor of rodent abundance for 70% of taxa, whereas during the second period (drier climate), climate best explained variation in abundance for 60% of taxa. Temporal dynamics in diversity and abundance differed spatially among ecosystems, with the largest declines in woodlands and shrublands of central New Mexico and Colorado. Which species were winners or losers under increasing drought and amplified interannual variability in drought depended on ecosystem type and the phase of the PDO. Fewer taxa were significant winners (18%) than losers (30%) under drought, but the identities of winners and losers differed among ecosystems for 70% of taxa. Our results suggest that the sensitivities of rodent species to climate contributed to regional declines in diversity and abundance during 1995-2013. Whether these changes portend future declines in drought-sensitive consumers in the southwestern USA will depend on the climate during the next major PDO cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo A Cárdenas
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Erica Christensen
- Jornada Experimental Range, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - S K Morgan Ernest
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - David C Lightfoot
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Robert L Schooley
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Paul Stapp
- Department of Biological Science, California State University, Fullerton, CA, USA
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12
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Manlick PJ, Maldonado K, Newsome SD. Competition shapes individual foraging and survival in a desert rodent ensemble. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2806-2818. [PMID: 34453850 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Intraspecific variation, including individual diet variation, can structure populations and communities, but the causes and consequences of individual foraging strategies are often unclear. Interactions between competition and resources are thought to dictate foraging strategies (e.g. specialization vs. generalization), but classical paradigms such as optimal foraging and niche theory offer contrasting predictions for individual consumers. Furthermore, both paradigms assume that individual foraging strategies maximize fitness, yet this prediction is rarely tested. We used repeated stable isotope measurements (δ13 C, δ15 N; N = 3,509) and 6 years of capture-mark-recapture data to quantify the relationship between environmental variation, individual foraging and consumer fitness among four species of desert rodents. We tested the relative effects of intraspecific competition, interspecific competition, resource abundance and resource diversity on the foraging strategies of 349 individual animals, and then quantified apparent survival as function of individual foraging strategies. Consistent with niche theory, individuals contracted their trophic niches and increased foraging specialization in response to both intraspecific and interspecific competition, but this effect was offset by resource availability and individuals generalized when plant biomass was high. Nevertheless, individual specialists obtained no apparent fitness benefit from trophic niche contractions as the most specialized individuals exhibited a 10% reduction in monthly survival compared to the most generalized individuals. Ultimately, this resulted in annual survival probabilities nearly 4× higher for generalists compared to specialists. These results indicate that competition is the proximate driver of individual foraging strategies, and that diet-mediated fitness variation regulates population and community dynamics in stochastic resource environments. Furthermore, our findings show dietary generalism is a fitness maximizing strategy, suggesting that plastic foraging strategies may play a key role in species' ability to cope with environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J Manlick
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Karin Maldonado
- Departamento de Ciencias, Facultad de Artes Liberales, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Peñalolén, Chile
| | - Seth D Newsome
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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13
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Some species flourish when many do not: a pattern in data on ecological communities. COMMUNITY ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s42974-021-00045-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPatterns in species × sample tables of communities depend above all on the organisms of the data sets and the conditions involved. Patterns that surpass individual sets are of special interest. Our question, looking for a shared pattern in 12 sets, is if relative abundances among species are independent of the sample, or formulated alternatively, if species have abundances that are correlated with total abundances over samples. For exploration we study the overdispersion/aggregation of the data. A relatively high variation in the total abundances of samples is noticed, indicating an effect of environmental variation. Overdispersion imposes constraints on the accommodation of relatively high abundance values to samples with a relatively low total abundance. The null hypothesis of ‘no association’ is modelled by permutation/resampling of the data at the level of the individual. A correlation study of actual and permuted sets is performed. All actual sets contain a significant number of species that defy our question. These species flourish when many do not. The relation of our question with issues in theoretical ecology, such as the assumption of a neutral effect of environmental conditions and/or of neutral characteristics of species, is discussed.
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de Deus FF, Schuchmann KL, Marques MI. Seasonality in the Brazilian Pantanal influences avian functional diversity. STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/01650521.2020.1842043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Filipe Ferreira de Deus
- Computational Bioacoustics Research Unit (CO.BRA), National Institute for Science and Technology in Wetlands (INAU), Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT), Cuiabá, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation, Institute of Biosciences, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brazil
| | - Karl-L. Schuchmann
- Computational Bioacoustics Research Unit (CO.BRA), National Institute for Science and Technology in Wetlands (INAU), Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT), Cuiabá, Brazil
- Ornithology, Zoological Research Museum A. Koenig (ZFMK), Bonn, Germany
- Post-Graduate Program in Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brazil
| | - Marinêz Isaac Marques
- Computational Bioacoustics Research Unit (CO.BRA), National Institute for Science and Technology in Wetlands (INAU), Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT), Cuiabá, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation, Institute of Biosciences, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brazil
- Post-Graduate Program in Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brazil
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15
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Madden H, Eggermont E, Verdel K. Micro- and Macrohabitat Preferences of Invasive Rodents on St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands. CARIBB J SCI 2020. [DOI: 10.18475/cjos.v50i2.a1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Madden
- Caribbean Netherlands Science Institute (CNSI), St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
| | | | - Kevin Verdel
- University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; ;
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16
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Seasonal demography of different black rat (Rattus rattus) populations under contrasting natural habitats in Guadeloupe (Lesser Antilles, Caribbean). MAMMAL RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-020-00523-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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17
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Bovendorp RS, Heming NM, Percequillo AR. Bottom-up effect: a rodent outbreak following the bamboo blooming in a Neotropical rainforest. MAMMAL RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-020-00505-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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18
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Host-microbiota interaction helps to explain the bottom-up effects of climate change on a small rodent species. ISME JOURNAL 2020; 14:1795-1808. [PMID: 32313262 PMCID: PMC7305154 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-0646-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The population cycles of small rodents have puzzled biologists for centuries. There is a growing recognition of the cascading effects of climate change on the population dynamics of rodents. However, the ultimate cause for the bottom-up effects of precipitation is poorly understood, from a microbial perspective. Here, we conducted a precipitation manipulation experiment in the field, and three feeding trials with controlled diets in the laboratory. We found precipitation supplementation facilitated the recovery of a perennial rhizomatous grass (Leymus chinensis) species, which altered the diet composition and increase the intake of fructose and fructooligosaccharides for Brandt’s vole. Lab results showed that this nutrient shift was accompanied by the modulation of gut microbiota composition and functional pathways (especially for the degradation or biosynthesis of L-histidine). Particularly, the relative abundance of Eubacterium hallii was consistently increased after feeding voles with more L. chinensis, fructose or fructooligosaccharide. These modulations ultimately increased the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and boosted the growth of vole. This study provides evidence that the precipitation pulses cascades through the plant community to affect rodent gut microbiome. Our results highlight the importance of considering host-microbiota interaction when investigating rodent population responses to climate change.
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Shuai LY, Wang LQ, Yang YP, Zhang FS. Effects of density dependence and climatic factors on population dynamics of Cricetulus barabensis: a 25-year field study. J Mammal 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Rodents often act as keystone species in communities and play important roles in shaping structures and functions of many ecosystems. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of population fluctuation in rodents is therefore of great interest. Using the data from a 25-year field survey carried out in Inner Mongolia, China, we explored the effects of density dependence, local climatic factors, and a large-scale climatic perturbation (El Niño–Southern Oscillation) on the population dynamics of the striped hamster (Cricetulus barabensis), a rodent widely distributed in northern China. We detected a strong negative density-dependent effect on the population dynamics of C. barabensis. Rainfall had a significant positive effect on population change with a 1-year lag. The pregnancy rate of C. barabensis was negatively affected by the annual mean temperature in the current year, but positively associated with the population density in the current year and the annual Southern Oscillation Index in the previous year. Moving-window analyses suggested that, with a window length of 12 years, there was a significant interaction between rainfall and density dependence, with increasing rainfall alleviating the negative effect of density dependence. As C. barabensis often causes agricultural damage and can transmit zoonotic diseases to human beings, our results also have implications for pest and disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Ying Shuai
- School of Life Sciences, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li-Qing Wang
- Grassland Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yu-Ping Yang
- Grassland Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fu-Shun Zhang
- Grassland Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot, People’s Republic of China
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Andrade-Ponce GP, Gallina S, Gómez-Valencia B, Lira-Noriega A. Coexistencia de Vulpes macrotis y Canis latrans (Carnivora: Canidae) en la Reserva de la Biosfera de Mapimí, México. REV MEX BIODIVERS 2020. [DOI: 10.22201/ib.20078706e.2020.91.2973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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21
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Morphological and genetic characterization of Mount Kenya brush-furred rats (Lophuromys Peters 1874); relevance to taxonomy and ecology. MAMMAL RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-019-00470-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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22
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Madden H, Van Andel T, Miller J, Stech M, Verdel K, Eggermont E. Vegetation associations and relative abundance of rodents on St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands. Glob Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
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23
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Foraging strategies of individual silky pocket mice over a boom-bust cycle in a stochastic dryland ecosystem. Oecologia 2019; 190:569-578. [PMID: 31190119 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04432-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Small mammals use multiple foraging strategies to compensate for fluctuating resource quality in stochastic environments. These strategies may lead to increased dietary overlap when competition for resources is strong. To quantify temporal contributions of high (C3) versus low quality (C4) resources in diets of silky pocket mice (Perognathus flavus), we used stable carbon isotope (δ13C) analysis of 1391 plasma samples collected over 2 years. Of these, 695 samples were from 170 individuals sampled ≥ 3 times across seasons or years, allowing us to assess changes in dietary breadth at the population and individual levels across a boom-bust population cycle. In 2014, the P. flavus population increased to 412 captures compared to 8 captures in prior and subsequent years, while populations of co-occurring small mammals remained stable. As intraspecific competition increased, the population-wide dietary niche of P. flavus did not change, but individual specialization increased significantly. During this period, ~ 27% (41/151) of individuals sampled specialized on C3 resources, which were abundant during the spring and previous fall seasons. Most of the remaining individuals were C3-C4 generalists (64%) (96/151), and only 9% (14/151) specialized on C4 resources. In 2015, P. flavus population density and resource availability declined, individual dietary breadth expanded (84% generalists), no C3 specialists were found, and specialization on C4 resources increased (16%). Our results demonstrate a high degree of inter-individual plasticity in P. flavus foraging strategies, which has implications for how this species will respond to environmental change that is predicted to decrease C3 resources in the future.
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Morand S, Blasdell K, Bordes F, Buchy P, Carcy B, Chaisiri K, Chaval Y, Claude J, Cosson JF, Desquesnes M, Jittapalapong S, Jiyipong T, Karnchanabanthoen A, Pornpan P, Rolain JM, Tran A. Changing landscapes of Southeast Asia and rodent-borne diseases: decreased diversity but increased transmission risks. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 29:e01886. [PMID: 30986339 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The reduction in biodiversity from land use change due to urbanization and agricultural intensification appears to be linked to major epidemiological changes in many human diseases. Increasing disease risks and the emergence of novel pathogens result from increased contact among wildlife, domesticated animals, and humans. We investigated the relationship between human alteration of the environment and the occurrence of generalist and synanthropic rodent species in relation to the diversity and prevalence of rodent-borne pathogens in Southeast Asia, a hotspot of threatened and endangered species, and a foci of emerging infectious diseases. We used data from an extensive pathogen survey of rodents from seven sites in mainland Southeast Asia in conjunction with past and present land cover analyses. At low spatial resolutions, we found that rodent-borne pathogen richness is negatively associated with increasing urbanization, characterized by increased habitat fragmentation, agriculture cover and deforestation. However, at a finer spatial resolution, we found that some major pathogens are favored by environmental characteristics associated with human alteration including irrigation, habitat fragmentation, and increased agricultural land cover. In addition, synanthropic rodents, many of which are important pathogen reservoirs, were associated with fragmented and human-dominated landscapes, which may ultimately enhance the opportunities for zoonotic transmission and human infection by some pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge Morand
- CNRS - CIRAD, Faculty of Veterinary Technology, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Helminthology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchavithi Road, Ratchathevi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Kim Blasdell
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity Business Unit, Australian Animal Health Laboratory, 5 Portarlington Road, Geelong, Victoria, 3220, Australia
| | - Frédéric Bordes
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, UMR CNRS-IRD-UM2, Université de Montpellier, 35095, Montpellier Cedex, France
| | - Philippe Buchy
- Virology Unit, Institut Pasteur in Cambodia, 5 Monivong Boulevard, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines, Gateway West, 150 Beach Road, Singapore City, 189720, Singapore
| | - Bernard Carcy
- LBCM/EA4558 VAP, UFR Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Kittipong Chaisiri
- Department of Helminthology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchavithi Road, Ratchathevi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Yannick Chaval
- Comportement et Ecologie de la Faune Sauvage, INRA, Chemin de Borde Rouge, Auzeville, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan Cedex, France
| | - Julien Claude
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, UMR CNRS-IRD-UM2, Université de Montpellier, 35095, Montpellier Cedex, France
| | - Jean-François Cosson
- BIPAR-INRA Biologie Moléculaire et Immunologie Parasitaires et Fongiques, ENVA Maisons Alfort, 7 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94704, Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France
| | - Marc Desquesnes
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- CIRAD-Bios, UMR17 InterTryp, Montpellier, F-34000, France
| | | | - Tawisa Jiyipong
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- URMITE CNRS INSERM IRD, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Aix-Marseille Université, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385, Marseille Cedex 5, France
| | - Anamika Karnchanabanthoen
- LBCM/EA4558 VAP, UFR Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Faculty of Veterinary Technology, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pumhom Pornpan
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center for Agricultural Biotechnology, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen Campus, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Jean-Marc Rolain
- URMITE CNRS INSERM IRD, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Aix-Marseille Université, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385, Marseille Cedex 5, France
| | - Annelise Tran
- CIRAD, UMR TETIS, F-34093, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Montpellier, France
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25
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O’Connell MA, Hallett JG. Community ecology of mammals: deserts, islands, and anthropogenic impacts. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - James G Hallett
- Department of Biology, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA, USA
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26
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Bazhenov YA. Population of Small Mammals in the Vicinity of the Torey Lakes (Southeast Transbaikalia) during the Dry Climatic Phase: Dynamics and Connection with Precipitation. CONTEMP PROBL ECOL+ 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s1995425519010037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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27
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Cain JW, Karsch RC, Goldstein EJ, Rominger EM, Gould WR. Survival and cause‐specific mortality of desert bighorn sheep lambs. J Wildl Manage 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- James W. Cain
- U.S. Geological Survey, New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, New Mexico State University, Department of FishWildlife and Conservation EcologyP.O. Box 30003, MSC 4901Las CrucesNM88033USA
| | - Rebekah C. Karsch
- New Mexico State University, Department of FishWildlife and Conservation EcologyP.O. Box 30003, MSC 4901Las CrucesNM88003USA
| | | | - Eric M. Rominger
- New Mexico Department of Game and Fish1 Wildlife WaySanta FeNM87507USA
| | - William R. Gould
- New Mexico State UniversityApplied Statistics ProgramP.O. Box 30001Las CrucesNM88003USA
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28
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Kluever BM, Smith TN, Gese EM. Group effects of a non‐native plant invasion on rodent abundance. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bryan M. Kluever
- United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center Florida Field Station Gainesville Florida 32641‐6033 USA
| | - Trinity N. Smith
- Department of Wildland Resources Utah State University Logan Utah 84322‐5230 USA
| | - Eric M. Gese
- United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center Utah State University Department of Wildland Resources Logan Utah 84322‐5230 USA
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Muschetto E, Cueto GR, Cavia R, Padula PJ, Suárez OV. Long-Term Study of a Hantavirus Reservoir Population in an Urban Protected Area, Argentina. ECOHEALTH 2018; 15:804-814. [PMID: 30128613 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-018-1360-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Green spaces in urban areas can play a key role in protecting wildlife. However, the presence of wildlife in urban areas can lead to human health risks. Although the presence of the rodent species Oligoryzomys flavescens (hantavirus reservoir) has been recorded in cities of Argentina, its population dynamics in this type of habitat is still unknown. Here, we evaluated: (1) long-term spatial and temporal patterns of O. flavescens abundance and how these patterns were influenced by weather factors and (2) the seroprevalence of hantavirus and the identity of the viral lineage circulating in the population that inhabits the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, a protected area in the city of Buenos Aires. Genetic results confirmed that the pathogenic ANDES Central Lechiguanas virus is present in O. flavescens populations inhabiting this urban reserve. Abundance of O. flavescens showed interannual and seasonal fluctuations, with maximum values in winter and spring and minimum ones in summer and autumn. Summers with the highest abundances of O. flavescens were preceded by warmer winters, while winters with lower abundances were preceded by warmer summers. On the other hand, accumulated precipitations in the previous 6 months positively affected winter abundance. These results could help the authorities in charge of the green spaces of Buenos Aires to identify priority areas and times of the year for the implementation of preventive measures that minimize the contact of rodents with visitors. Such measures could be intensified when winters are warmer than normal, and summers are cooler and wetter than normal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Muschetto
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires, (IEGEBA) UBA-CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160 (Ciudad Universitaria), PB II, 4to piso, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Gerardo Rubén Cueto
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires, (IEGEBA) UBA-CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160 (Ciudad Universitaria), PB II, 4to piso, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Regino Cavia
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires, (IEGEBA) UBA-CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160 (Ciudad Universitaria), PB II, 4to piso, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Paula Julieta Padula
- CONICET, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas ANLIS "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán", Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Olga Virginia Suárez
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires, (IEGEBA) UBA-CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160 (Ciudad Universitaria), PB II, 4to piso, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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30
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Shrub encroachment, productivity pulses, and core-transient dynamics of Chihuahuan Desert rodents. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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Effects of tannins on population dynamics of sympatric seed-eating rodents: the potential role of gut tannin-degrading bacteria. Oecologia 2018; 187:667-678. [PMID: 29736862 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4151-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Chemical compounds in seeds exert negative and even lethal effects on seed-consuming animals. Tannin-degrading bacteria in the guts of small mammals have been associated with the ability to digest seeds high in tannins. At the population level, it is not known if tannins influence rodent species differently according to the composition of their gut microbiota. Here, we test the hypothesis that sympatric tree species with different tannins exert contrasting effects on population fluctuations of seed-eating rodents. We collected a 10-year dataset of seed crops and rodent population sizes and sequenced 16S rRNA of gut microbes. The abundance of Apodemus peninsulae was not correlated with seed crop of either high-tannin Quercus mongolica or low-tannin Corylus mandshurica, but positively correlated with their total seed crops. Abundance of Tamias sibiricus was negatively correlated with seed crop of Q. mongolica but positively correlated with C. mandshurica. Body masses of A. peninsulae and T. sibiricus decreased when given high-tannin food; however, only the survival of T. sibiricus was reduced. The abundance of microbial genus Lactobacillus exhibiting potential tannin-degrading activity was significantly higher in A. peninsulae than in T. sibiricus. Our results suggest that masting tree species with different tannin concentrations may differentially influence population fluctuations of seed predators hosting different gut microbial communities. Although the conclusion is based on just correlational analysis of a short time-series, seeds with different chemical composition may influence rodent populations differently. Future work should examine these questions further to understand the complex interactions among seeds, gut microbes, and animal populations.
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Wei X, Yan L, Zhao C, Zhang Y, Xu Y, Cai B, Jiang N, Huang Y. Geographic variation in body size and its relationship with environmental gradients in the Oriental Garden Lizard, Calotes versicolor. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:4443-4454. [PMID: 29760886 PMCID: PMC5938448 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Patterns of geographic variation in body size are predicted to evolve as adaptations to local environmental gradients. However, many of these clinal patterns in body size, such as Bergmann's rule, are controversial and require further investigation into ectotherms such as reptiles on a regional scale. To examine the environmental variables (temperature, precipitation, topography and primary productivity) that shaped patterns of geographic variation in body size in the reptile Calotes versicolor, we sampled 180 adult specimens (91 males and 89 females) at 40 locations across the species range in China. The MANOVA results suggest significant sexual size dimorphism in C. versicolor (F23,124 = 11.32, p < .001). Our results showed that C. versicolor failed to fit the Bergmann's rule. We found that the most important predictors of variation in body size of C. versicolor differed for males and females, but mechanisms related to heat balance and water availability hypotheses were involved in both sexes. Temperature seasonality, precipitation of the driest month, precipitation seasonality, and precipitation of the driest quarter were the most important predictors of variation in body size in males, whereas mean precipitation of the warmest quarter, mean temperature of the wettest quarter, precipitation seasonality, and precipitation of the wettest month were most important for body size variation in females. The discrepancy between patterns of association between the sexes suggested that different selection pressures may be acting in males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Wei
- Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants Nanning Guangxi China.,Guangxi Key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources Protection and Genetic Improvement Nanning Guangxi China
| | - Linmiao Yan
- Guangxi Dongli Mechanic School Nanning Guangxi China
| | - Chengjian Zhao
- Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants Nanning Guangxi China
| | - Yueyun Zhang
- Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants Nanning Guangxi China
| | - Yongli Xu
- Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants Nanning Guangxi China
| | - Bo Cai
- Department of Herpetology Chengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu Sichuan China
| | - Ni Jiang
- Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants Nanning Guangxi China
| | - Yong Huang
- Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants Nanning Guangxi China
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Hunter EA, Matocq MD, Murphy PJ, Shoemaker KT. Differential Effects of Climate on Survival Rates Drive Hybrid Zone Movement. Curr Biol 2017; 27:3898-3903.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Revised: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Jones SK, Ripplinger J, Collins SL. Species reordering, not changes in richness, drives long‐term dynamics in grassland communities. Ecol Lett 2017; 20:1556-1565. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sydney K. Jones
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM87131 USA
| | - Julie Ripplinger
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences University of California Riverside CA92521 USA
| | - Scott L. Collins
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM87131 USA
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35
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McCluney KE. Implications of animal water balance for terrestrial food webs. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2017; 23:13-21. [PMID: 29129277 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2017.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Revised: 06/10/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Recent research has documented shifts in per capita trophic interactions and food webs in response to changes in environmental moisture, from the top-down (consumers to plants), rather than solely bottom-up (plants to consumers). These responses may be predictable from effects of physiological, behavioral, and ecological traits on animal water balance, although predictions could be modified by energy or nutrient requirements, the risk of predation, population-level responses, and bottom-up effects. Relatively little work has explicitly explored food web effects of changes in animal water balance, despite the likelihood of widespread relevance, including during periodic droughts in mesic locations, where taxa may lack adaptations for water conservation. More research is needed, particularly in light of climate change and hydrological alteration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin E McCluney
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, United States.
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36
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Heidi E B, Wangshu M, Mohammed K, Clarisse T, Jian L, Daoqin T. Spatial scale in environmental risk mapping: A Valley fever case study. J Public Health Res 2017; 6:886. [PMID: 29071255 PMCID: PMC5641658 DOI: 10.4081/jphr.2017.886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Valley fever is a fungal infection occurring in desert regions of the U.S. and Central and South America. Environmental risk mapping for this disease is hampered by challenges with detection, case reporting, and diagnostics as well as challenges common to spatial data handling. Design and methods. Using 12,349 individual cases in Arizona from 2006 to 2009, we analyzed risk factors at both the individual and area levels. Results. Risk factors including elderly population, income status, soil organic carbon, and density of residential area were found to be positively associated with residence of Valley fever cases. A negative association was observed for distance to desert and pasture/hay land cover. The association between incidence and two land cover variables (shrub and cultivated crop lands) varied depending on the spatial scale of the analysis. Conclusions The consistence of age, income, population density, and proximity to natural areas supports that these are important predictors of Valley fever risk. However, the inconsistency of the land cover variables across scales highlights the importance of how scale is treated in risk mapping. Significance for public health With the increasing use of spatially explicit data in public health comes uncertainty related to spatial resolution, data compatibility at different scales, and appropriate model selection. Using soil-borne Valley fever, we quantify how risk mapping changes by scale and provide advice on how to assess and explore uncertainty within an analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brown Heidi E
- College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
| | - Mu Wangshu
- School of Geography and Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
| | - Khan Mohammed
- Office of Infectious Disease Services, Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance, Arizona Department of Health, Phoenix, AZ
| | - Tsang Clarisse
- Office of Infectious Disease Services, Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance, Arizona Department of Health, Phoenix, AZ
| | - Liu Jian
- Department of Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Tong Daoqin
- School of Geography and Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
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Pintar MR, Resetarits WJ. Prey-driven control of predator assemblages: zooplankton abundance drives aquatic beetle colonization. Ecology 2017; 98:2201-2215. [PMID: 28574151 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Revised: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Trophic interactions are critical determinants of community structure and ecosystem function. In freshwater habitats, top predators are traditionally viewed as drivers of ecosystem structure, shaping populations of consumers and primary producers. The temporary nature of small water bodies makes them dependent on colonization by many organisms, particularly insects that form highly diverse predator assemblages. We conducted mesocosm experiments with naturally colonizing populations of aquatic beetles to assess how prey (zooplankton) abundances influenced colonization and assemblages of natural populations of aquatic beetles. We experimentally demonstrate that zooplankton populations can be proximate regulators of predator populations and assemblages via prey-density-dependent predator recruitment. Our results provide support for the importance of prey populations in structuring predator populations and the role of habitat selection in structuring communities. We indicate that traditional views of predators as drivers of ecosystem structure in many systems may not provide a comprehensive picture, particularly in the context of highly disturbed or ephemeral habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Pintar
- Department of Biology and Center for Water and Wetlands Resources, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, 38677, USA
| | - William J Resetarits
- Department of Biology and Center for Water and Wetlands Resources, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, 38677, USA
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Long RA, Wambua A, Goheen JR, Palmer TM, Pringle RM. Climatic variation modulates the indirect effects of large herbivores on small-mammal habitat use. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:739-748. [PMID: 28342277 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Large mammalian herbivores (LMH) strongly shape the composition and architecture of plant communities. A growing literature shows that negative direct effects of LMH on vegetation frequently propagate to suppress the abundance of smaller consumers. Indirect effects of LMH on the behaviour of these consumers, however, have received comparatively little attention despite their potential ecological significance. We sought to understand (i) how LMH indirectly shape small-mammal habitat use by altering the density and distribution of understorey plants; (ii) how these effects vary with climatic context (here, seasonality in rainfall); and (iii) the extent to which behavioural responses of small mammals are contingent upon small-mammal density. We tested the effects of a diverse LMH community on small-mammal habitat use using 4 years of spatially explicit small-mammal trapping and vegetation data from the UHURU Experiment, a replicated set of LMH exclosures in semi-arid Kenyan savanna. Small-mammal habitat use was positively associated with tree density and negatively associated with bare (unvegetated) patches in all plots and seasons. In the presence of LMH, and especially during the dry season, small mammals consistently selected tree cover and avoided bare patches. In contrast, when LMH were excluded, small mammals were weakly associated with tree cover and did not avoid bare patches as strongly. These behavioural responses of small mammals were largely unaffected by changes in small-mammal density associated with LMH exclusion. Our results show that LMH indirectly affect small-mammal behaviour, and that these effects are influenced by climate and can arise via density-independent mechanisms. This raises the possibility that anthropogenic LMH declines might interact with changing patterns of rainfall to alter small-mammal distribution and behaviour, independent of numerical responses by small mammals to these perturbations. For example, increased rainfall in East Africa (as predicted in many recent climate-model simulations) may relax constraints on small-mammal distribution where LMH are rare or absent, whereas increased aridity and/or drought frequency may tighten them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan A Long
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Alois Wambua
- Mpala Research Centre, PO Box 555 Rumuruti Road, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Jacob R Goheen
- Mpala Research Centre, PO Box 555 Rumuruti Road, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
| | - Todd M Palmer
- Mpala Research Centre, PO Box 555 Rumuruti Road, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Robert M Pringle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA.,Mpala Research Centre, PO Box 555 Rumuruti Road, Nanyuki, Kenya
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Reynolds RT, Lambert JS, Flather CH, White GC, Bird BJ, Baggett LS, Lambert C, Bayard De Volo S. Long-term demography of the Northern Goshawk in a variable environment. WILDLIFE MONOGRAPHS 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/wmon.1023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Richard T. Reynolds
- Rocky Mountain Research Station; 240 West Prospect Road Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
| | - Jeffrey S. Lambert
- Rocky Mountain Research Station; 240 West Prospect Road Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
| | - Curtis H. Flather
- Rocky Mountain Research Station; 240 West Prospect Road Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
| | - Gary C. White
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 USA
| | - Benjamin J. Bird
- Rocky Mountain Research Station; 240 West Prospect Road Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
| | - L. Scott Baggett
- Rocky Mountain Research Station; 240 West Prospect Road Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
| | - Carrie Lambert
- Rocky Mountain Research Station; 240 West Prospect Road Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
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40
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Lonsinger RC, Gese EM, Bailey LL, Waits LP. The roles of habitat and intraguild predation by coyotes on the spatial dynamics of kit foxes. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Robert C. Lonsinger
- College of Natural Resources University of Wisconsin‐Stevens Point Stevens Point Wisconsin 54481 USA
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow Idaho 83844 USA
| | - Eric M. Gese
- Department of Wildland Resources United States Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center Utah State University Logan Utah 84322 USA
| | - Larissa L. Bailey
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
| | - Lisette P. Waits
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow Idaho 83844 USA
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41
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Hmamouch A, El Alem MM, Hakkour M, Amarir F, Daghbach H, Habbari K, Fellah H, Bekhti K, Sebti F. Circulating species of Leishmania at microclimate area of Boulemane Province, Morocco: impact of environmental and human factors. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:100. [PMID: 28228154 PMCID: PMC5322673 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2032-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is widely distributed in Morocco where its geographical range and incidence are related to environmental factors. This study aimed to examine the impact of several factors on the distribution of CL in Boulemane Province, which is characterized by several microclimates, and to identify the Leishmania species circulating in these areas. METHODS Ordinary least squares regression (OLSR) analysis was performed to study the impact of poverty, vulnerability, population density, urbanization and bioclimatic factors on the distribution of CL in this province. Molecular characterization of parasites was performed using a previously described PCR-RFLP method targeting the ITS1 of ribosomal DNA of Leishmania. RESULTS A total of 1009 cases were declared in Boulemane Province between the years 2000 and 2015 with incidences fluctuating over the years (P = 0.007). Analyzing geographical maps of the study region identified four unique microclimate areas; sub-humid, semi-arid, arid and Saharan. The geographical distribution and molecular identification of species shows that the Saharan microclimate, characterized by the presence of Leishmania major was the most affected (47.78%) followed by semi-arid area where Leishmania tropica was identified in three districts. Among several environmental factors included in the study, poverty had the greatest influence on the spatial extension of the disease in this province. CONCLUSIONS The incidence of CL in Boulemane Province varies between microclimate areas, and environmental factors partly explain this variation. However, the existence of CL in the most affected districts is mainly related to poverty, population movement and human behavior. To our knowledge, this the first study utilizing molecular techniques to confirm L. tropica and L. major as the causative agents of CL in Boulemane Province. Our findings indicate that the spatial and temporal distribution of CL in Boulemane Province is strongly related to poverty and population movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmae Hmamouch
- National Reference Laboratory of Leishmaniasis, National Institute of Hygiene, Rabat, Morocco. .,Laboratory of Microbial Biotechnology, Sciences and Techniques Faculty, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco.
| | - Mahmoud Mohamed El Alem
- National Reference Laboratory of Leishmaniasis, National Institute of Hygiene, Rabat, Morocco.,Laboratory of Zoology and General Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Maryam Hakkour
- National Reference Laboratory of Leishmaniasis, National Institute of Hygiene, Rabat, Morocco.,Laboratory of Zoology and General Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Fatima Amarir
- Institute of Nursing Professions and Health Techniques, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Hassan Daghbach
- Delegation of Ministry of health, Provincial Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, Boulemane, Morocco
| | - Khalid Habbari
- Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni Mellal, Morocco
| | - Hajiba Fellah
- National Reference Laboratory of Leishmaniasis, National Institute of Hygiene, Rabat, Morocco.,Laboratory of Zoology and General Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Khadija Bekhti
- Laboratory of Microbial Biotechnology, Sciences and Techniques Faculty, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco
| | - Faiza Sebti
- National Reference Laboratory of Leishmaniasis, National Institute of Hygiene, Rabat, Morocco.,Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni Mellal, Morocco
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42
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Lack of Evolution of Sexual Size Dimorphism in Heteromyidae (Rodentia): The Influence of Resource Defense and the Trade-Off between Pre- and Post-Copulatory Trait Investment. Evol Biol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-016-9390-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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43
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Nielson RM, Murphy RK, Millsap BA, Howe WH, Gardner G. Modeling Late-Summer Distribution of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in the Western United States. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159271. [PMID: 27556735 PMCID: PMC4996490 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing development across the western United States (USA) elevates concerns about effects on wildlife resources; the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is of special concern in this regard. Knowledge of golden eagle abundance and distribution across the western USA must be improved to help identify and conserve areas of major importance to the species. We used distance sampling and visual mark-recapture procedures to estimate golden eagle abundance from aerial line-transect surveys conducted across four Bird Conservation Regions in the western USA between 15 August and 15 September in 2006–2010, 2012, and 2013. To assess golden eagle-habitat relationships at this scale, we modeled counts of golden eagles seen during surveys in 2006–2010, adjusted for probability of detection, and used land cover and other environmental factors as predictor variables within 20-km2 sampling units randomly selected from survey transects. We found evidence of positive relationships between intensity of use by golden eagles and elevation, solar radiation, and mean wind speed, and of negative relationships with the proportion of landscape classified as forest or as developed. The model accurately predicted habitat use observed during surveys conducted in 2012 and 2013. We used the model to construct a map predicting intensity of use by golden eagles during late summer across our ~2 million-km2 study area. The map can be used to help prioritize landscapes for conservation efforts, identify areas where mitigation efforts may be most effective, and identify regions for additional research and monitoring. In addition, our map can be used to develop region-specific (e.g., state-level) density estimates based on the latest information on golden eagle abundance from a late-summer survey and aid designation of geographic management units for the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M. Nielson
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Robert K. Murphy
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Birds, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Brian A. Millsap
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Birds, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - William H. Howe
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Birds, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Grant Gardner
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States of America
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44
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McCluney KE, Sabo JL. Animal water balance drives top-down effects in a riparian forest-implications for terrestrial trophic cascades. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:20160881. [PMID: 27534953 PMCID: PMC5013762 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the clear importance of water balance to the evolution of terrestrial life, much remains unknown about the effects of animal water balance on food webs. Based on recent research suggesting animal water imbalance can increase trophic interaction strengths in cages, we hypothesized that water availability could drive top-down effects in open environments, influencing the occurrence of trophic cascades. We manipulated large spider abundance and water availability in 20 × 20 m open-air plots in a streamside forest in Arizona, USA, and measured changes in cricket and small spider abundance and leaf damage. As expected, large spiders reduced both cricket abundance and herbivory under ambient, dry conditions, but not where free water was added. When water was added (free or within moist leaves), cricket abundance was unaffected by large spiders, but spiders still altered herbivory, suggesting behavioural effects. Moreover, we found threshold-type increases in herbivory at moderately low soil moisture (between 5.5% and 7% by volume), suggesting the possibility that water balance may commonly influence top-down effects. Overall, our results point towards animal water balance as an important driver of direct and indirect species interactions and food web dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin E McCluney
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, USA
| | - John L Sabo
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, USA
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45
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Kluever BM, Gese EM, Dempsey SJ. Influence of free water availability on a desert carnivore and herbivore. Curr Zool 2016; 63:121-129. [PMID: 29491969 PMCID: PMC5804163 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic manipulation of finite resources on the landscape to benefit individual species or communities is commonly employed by conservation and management agencies. One such action in arid regions is the construction and maintenance of water developments (i.e., wildlife guzzlers) adding free water on the landscape to buttress local populations, influence animal movements, or affect distributions of certain species of interest. Despite their prevalence, the utility of wildlife guzzlers remains largely untested. We employed a before-after control-impact (BACI) design over a 4-year period on the US Army Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, USA, to determine whether water availability at wildlife guzzlers influenced relative abundance of black-tailed jackrabbits Lepus californicus and relative use of areas near that resource by coyotes Canis latrans, and whether coyote visitations to guzzlers would decrease following elimination of water. Eliminating water availability at guzzlers did not influence jackrabbit relative abundance. Coyote relative use was impacted by water availability, with elimination of water reducing use in areas associated with our treatment, but not with areas associated with our control. Visitations of radio-collared coyotes to guzzlers declined nearly 3-fold following elimination of water. Our study provides the first evidence of a potential direct effect of water sources on a mammalian carnivore in an arid environment, but the ecological relevance of our finding is debatable. Future investigations aimed at determining water effects on terrestrial mammals could expand on our findings by incorporating manipulations of water availability, obtaining absolute estimates of population parameters and vital rates and incorporating fine-scale spatiotemporal data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan M Kluever
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230, USAUnited States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230, USA
| | - Eric M Gese
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230, USAUnited States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230, USA
| | - Steven J Dempsey
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230, USAUnited States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230, USA
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46
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Spatial and temporal synchrony in reptile population dynamics in variable environments. Oecologia 2016; 182:475-85. [PMID: 27337964 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3672-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Resources are seldom distributed equally across space, but many species exhibit spatially synchronous population dynamics. Such synchrony suggests the operation of large-scale external drivers, such as rainfall or wildfire, or the influence of oasis sites that provide water, shelter, or other resources. However, testing the generality of these factors is not easy, especially in variable environments. Using a long-term dataset (13-22 years) from a large (8000 km(2)) study region in arid Central Australia, we tested firstly for regional synchrony in annual rainfall and the dynamics of six reptile species across nine widely separated sites. For species that showed synchronous spatial dynamics, we then used multivariate follow a multivariate auto-regressive state-space (MARSS) models to predict that regional rainfall would be positively associated with their populations. For asynchronous species, we used MARSS models to explore four other possible population structures: (1) populations were asynchronous, (2) differed between oasis and non-oasis sites, (3) differed between burnt and unburnt sites, or (4) differed between three sub-regions with different rainfall gradients. Only one species showed evidence of spatial population synchrony and our results provide little evidence that rainfall synchronizes reptile populations. The oasis or the wildfire hypotheses were the best-fitting models for the other five species. Thus, our six study species appear generally to be structured in space into one or two populations across the study region. Our findings suggest that for arid-dwelling reptile populations, spatial and temporal dynamics are structured by abiotic events, but individual responses to covariates at smaller spatial scales are complex and poorly understood.
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47
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Kluever BM, Gese EM, Dempsey SJ. The influence of wildlife water developments and vegetation on rodent abundance in the Great Basin Desert. J Mammal 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Rodent communities have multiple functions including comprising a majority of the mammalian diversity within an ecosystem, providing a significant portion of the available biomass consumed by predators, and contributing to ecosystem services. Despite the importance of rodent communities, few investigations have explored the effects of increasing anthropogenic modifications to the landscape on rodents. Throughout the western United States, the construction of artificial water developments to benefit game species is commonplace. While benefits for certain species have been documented, several researchers recently hypothesized that these developments may cause unintentional negative effects to desert-adapted species and communities. To test this idea, we sampled rodents near to and distant from wildlife water developments over 4 consecutive summers. We employed an asymmetrical before-after-control-impact (BACI) design with sampling over 4 summers to determine if water developments influenced total rodent abundance. We performed an additional exploratory analysis to determine if factors other than free water influenced rodent abundance. We found no evidence that water developments impacted rodent abundance. Rodent abundance was primarily driven by vegetation type and year of sampling. Our findings suggested that water developments on our study area do not represent a significant disturbance to rodent abundance and that rodent abundance was influenced by the vegetative community and temporal factors linked to precipitation and primary plant production. Our findings represent one of the 1st efforts to determine the effects of an anthropogenic activity on the rodent community utilizing a manipulation design.
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48
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Wood CM, Witham JW, Hunter ML. Climate-driven range shifts are stochastic processes at a local level: two flying squirrel species in Maine. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Connor M. Wood
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology; University of Maine; Orono Maine 04469 USA
| | - Jack W. Witham
- Holt Research Forest; University of Maine; Arrowsic Maine 04530 USA
| | - Malcolm L. Hunter
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology; University of Maine; Orono Maine 04469 USA
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49
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Cruz-McDonnell KK, Wolf BO. Rapid warming and drought negatively impact population size and reproductive dynamics of an avian predator in the arid southwest. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2016; 22:237-53. [PMID: 26367541 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/09/2015] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Avian communities of arid ecosystems may be particularly vulnerable to global climate change due to the magnitude of projected change for desert regions and the inherent challenges for species residing in resource limited ecosystems. How arid-zone birds will be affected by rapid increases in air temperature and increased drought frequency and severity is poorly understood because avian responses to climate change have primarily been studied in the relatively mesic northern temperate regions. We studied the effects of increasing air temperature and aridity on a Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) population in the southwestern United States from 1998 to 2013. Over 16 years, the breeding population declined 98.1%, from 52 pairs to 1 pair, and nest success and fledgling output also declined significantly. These trends were strongly associated with the combined effects of decreased precipitation and increased air temperature. Arrival on the breeding grounds, pair formation, nest initiation, and hatch dates all showed significant delays ranging from 9.4 to 25.1 days over 9 years, which have negative effects on reproduction. Adult and juvenile body mass decreased significantly over time, with a loss of 7.9% mass in adult males and 10.9% mass in adult females over 16 years, and a loss of 20.0% mass in nestlings over 8 years. Taken together, these population and reproductive trends have serious implications for local population persistence. The southwestern United States has been identified as a climate change hotspot, with projections of warmer temperatures, less winter precipitation, and an increase in frequency and severity of extreme events including drought and heat waves. An increasingly warm and dry climate may contribute to this species' decline and may already be a driving force of their apparent decline in the desert southwest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten K Cruz-McDonnell
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Envirological Services, Inc., Albuquerque, NM, 87120, USA
| | - Blair O Wolf
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
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50
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Xiao H, Huang R, Gao LD, Huang CR, Lin XL, Li N, Liu HN, Tong SL, Tian HY. Effects of Humidity Variation on the Hantavirus Infection and Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome Occurrence in Subtropical China. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2015; 94:420-7. [PMID: 26711521 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Infection rates of rodents have a significant influence on the transmission of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). In this study, four cities and two counties with high HFRS incidence in eastern Hunan Province in China were studied, and surveillance data of rodents, as well as HFRS cases and related environmental variables from 2007 to 2010, were collected. Results indicate that the distribution and infection rates of rodents are closely associated with environmental conditions. Hantavirus infections in rodents were positively correlated with temperature vegetation dryness index and negatively correlated with elevation. The predictive risk maps based on multivariate regression model revealed that the annual variation of infection risks is small, whereas monthly variation is large and corresponded well to the seasonal variation of human HFRS incidence. The identification of risk factors and risk prediction provides decision support for rodent surveillance and the prevention and control of HFRS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Xiao
- College of Resources and Environment Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China; Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changsha, China; School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China; Weizikeng Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China; School of Public Health and Social Work, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Ru Huang
- College of Resources and Environment Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China; Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changsha, China; School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China; Weizikeng Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China; School of Public Health and Social Work, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Li-Dong Gao
- College of Resources and Environment Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China; Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changsha, China; School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China; Weizikeng Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China; School of Public Health and Social Work, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Cun-Rui Huang
- College of Resources and Environment Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China; Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changsha, China; School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China; Weizikeng Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China; School of Public Health and Social Work, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Ling Lin
- College of Resources and Environment Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China; Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changsha, China; School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China; Weizikeng Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China; School of Public Health and Social Work, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Na Li
- College of Resources and Environment Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China; Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changsha, China; School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China; Weizikeng Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China; School of Public Health and Social Work, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Hai-Ning Liu
- College of Resources and Environment Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China; Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changsha, China; School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China; Weizikeng Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China; School of Public Health and Social Work, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Shi-Lu Tong
- College of Resources and Environment Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China; Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changsha, China; School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China; Weizikeng Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China; School of Public Health and Social Work, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Huai-Yu Tian
- College of Resources and Environment Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China; Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changsha, China; School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China; Weizikeng Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China; School of Public Health and Social Work, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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