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  • 1. Abrego, Nerea
    et al.
    Huotari, Tea
    Tack, Ayco J. M.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences.
    Lindahl, Björn D.
    Tikhonov, Gleb
    Somervuo, Panu
    Schmidt, Niels Martin
    Ovaskainen, Otso
    Roslin, Tomas
    Higher host plant specialization of root-associated endophytes than mycorrhizal fungi along an arctic elevational gradient2020In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 10, no 16, p. 8989-9002Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    How community-level specialization differs among groups of organisms, and changes along environmental gradients, is fundamental to understanding the mechanisms influencing ecological communities. In this paper, we investigate the specialization of root-associated fungi for plant species, asking whether the level of specialization varies with elevation. For this, we applied DNA barcoding based on the ITS region to root samples of five plant species equivalently sampled along an elevational gradient at a high arctic site. To assess whether the level of specialization changed with elevation and whether the observed patterns varied between mycorrhizal and endophytic fungi, we applied a joint species distribution modeling approach. Our results show that host plant specialization is not environmentally constrained in arctic root-associated fungal communities, since there was no evidence for changing specialization with elevation, even if the composition of root-associated fungal communities changed substantially. However, the level of specialization for particular plant species differed among fungal groups, root-associated endophytic fungal communities being highly specialized on particular host species, and mycorrhizal fungi showing almost no signs of specialization. Our results suggest that plant identity affects associated mycorrhizal and endophytic fungi differently, highlighting the need of considering both endophytic and mycorrhizal fungi when studying specialization in root-associated fungal communities.

  • 2.
    Ah-King, Malin
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Ethnology, History of Religions and Gender Studies. Uppsala University, Sweden; University of California, USA.
    Gowaty, Patricia Adair
    A conceptual review of mate choice: stochastic demography, within-sex phenotypic plasticity, and individual flexibility2016In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 6, no 14, p. 4607-4642Article, review/survey (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Mate choice hypotheses usually focus on trait variation of chosen individuals. Recently, mate choice studies have increasingly attended to the environmental circumstances affecting variation in choosers' behavior and choosers' traits. We reviewed the literature on phenotypic plasticity in mate choice with the goal of exploring whether phenotypic plasticity can be interpreted as individual flexibility in the context of the switch point theorem, SPT (Gowaty and Hubbell ). We found >3000 studies; 198 were empirical studies of within-sex phenotypic plasticity, and sixteen showed no evidence of mate choice plasticity. Most studies reported changes from choosy to indiscriminate behavior of subjects. Investigators attributed changes to one or more causes including operational sex ratio, adult sex ratio, potential reproductive rate, predation risk, disease risk, chooser's mating experience, chooser's age, chooser's condition, or chooser's resources. The studies together indicate that choosiness of potential mates is environmentally and socially labile, that is, induced - not fixed - in the choosy sex with results consistent with choosers' intrinsic characteristics or their ecological circumstances mattering more to mate choice than the traits of potential mates. We show that plasticity-associated variables factor into the simpler SPT variables. We propose that it is time to complete the move from questions about within-sex plasticity in the choosy sex to between- and within-individual flexibility in reproductive decision-making of both sexes simultaneously. Currently, unanswered empirical questions are about the force of alternative constraints and opportunities as inducers of individual flexibility in reproductive decision-making, and the ecological, social, and developmental sources of similarities and differences between individuals. To make progress, we need studies (1) of simultaneous and symmetric attention to individual mate preferences and subsequent behavior in both sexes, (2) controlled for within-individual variation in choice behavior as demography changes, and which (3) report effects on fitness from movement of individual's switch points.

  • 3.
    Ah-King, Malin
    et al.
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Centre for Gender Research. Dept Ecol & Evolutionary Biol, 621 Charles E Young Dr S, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA.;Stockholm Univ, Dept Ethnol Hist Relig & Gender Studies, Univ Vagen 10 E, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden..
    Gowaty, Patricia Adair
    Dept Ecol & Evolutionary Biol, 621 Charles E Young Dr S, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA.;Smithsonian Trop Res Inst, DPO, Box 0948,AA 34002-9998, Washington, DC USA.;Univ Calif Los Angeles, Inst Environm & Sustainabil, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA..
    A conceptual review of mate choice: stochastic demography, within-sex phenotypic plasticity, and individual flexibility2016In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 6, no 14, p. 4607-4642Article, review/survey (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Mate choice hypotheses usually focus on trait variation of chosen individuals. Recently, mate choice studies have increasingly attended to the environmental circumstances affecting variation in choosers' behavior and choosers' traits. We reviewed the literature on phenotypic plasticity in mate choice with the goal of exploring whether phenotypic plasticity can be interpreted as individual flexibility in the context of the switch point theorem, SPT (Gowaty and Hubbell ). We found >3000 studies; 198 were empirical studies of within-sex phenotypic plasticity, and sixteen showed no evidence of mate choice plasticity. Most studies reported changes from choosy to indiscriminate behavior of subjects. Investigators attributed changes to one or more causes including operational sex ratio, adult sex ratio, potential reproductive rate, predation risk, disease risk, chooser's mating experience, chooser's age, chooser's condition, or chooser's resources. The studies together indicate that choosiness of potential mates is environmentally and socially labile, that is, induced - not fixed - in the choosy sex with results consistent with choosers' intrinsic characteristics or their ecological circumstances mattering more to mate choice than the traits of potential mates. We show that plasticity-associated variables factor into the simpler SPT variables. We propose that it is time to complete the move from questions about within-sex plasticity in the choosy sex to between- and within-individual flexibility in reproductive decision-making of both sexes simultaneously. Currently, unanswered empirical questions are about the force of alternative constraints and opportunities as inducers of individual flexibility in reproductive decision-making, and the ecological, social, and developmental sources of similarities and differences between individuals. To make progress, we need studies (1) of simultaneous and symmetric attention to individual mate preferences and subsequent behavior in both sexes, (2) controlled for within-individual variation in choice behavior as demography changes, and which (3) report effects on fitness from movement of individual's switch points.

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  • 4.
    Alerstam, Thomas
    et al.
    Lund University.
    Bäckman, Johan
    Lund University.
    Johanna, Grönroos
    Kristianstad University, Faculty of Natural Science, Research environment Man & Biosphere Health (MABH). Kristianstad University, Faculty of Natural Science, Avdelningen för miljö- och biovetenskap.
    Olofsson, Patrik
    Heberg, Sweden.
    Strandberg, Roine
    Lund University.
    Hypotheses and tracking results about the longest migration: the case of the arctic tern2019In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The arctic tern Sterna paradisaea completes the longest known annual return migration on Earth, traveling between breeding sites in the northern arctic and temperate regions and survival/molt areas in the Antarctic pack‐ice zone. Salomonsen (1967, Biologiske Meddelelser, Copenhagen Danske Videnskabernes Selskab24, 1) put forward a hypothetical comprehensive interpretation of this global migration pattern, suggesting food distribution, wind patterns, sea ice distribution, and molt habits as key ecological and evolutionary determinants. We used light‐level geolocators to record 12 annual journeys by eight individuals of arctic terns breeding in the Baltic Sea. Migration cycles were evaluated in light of Salomonsen's hypotheses and compared with results from geolocator studies of arctic tern populations from Greenland, Netherlands, and Alaska. The Baltic terns completed a 50,000 km annual migration circuit, exploiting ocean regions of high productivity in the North Atlantic, Benguela Current, and the Indian Ocean between southern Africa and Australia (sometimes including the Tasman Sea). They arrived about 1 November in the Antarctic zone at far easterly longitudes (in one case even at the Ross Sea) subsequently moving westward across 120–220 degrees of longitude toward the Weddell Sea region. They departed from here in mid‐March on a fast spring migration up the Atlantic Ocean. The geolocator data revealed unexpected segregation in time and space between tern populations in the same flyway. Terns from the Baltic and Netherlands traveled earlier and to significantly more easterly longitudes in the Indian Ocean and Antarctic zone than terns from Greenland. We suggest an adaptive explanation for this pattern. The global migration system of the arctic tern offers an extraordinary possibility to understand adaptive values and constraints in complex pelagic life cycles, as determined by environmental conditions (marine productivity, wind patterns, low‐pressure trajectories, pack‐ice distribution), inherent factors (flight performance, molt, flocking), and effects of predation/piracy and competition.

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  • 5. Alexandre, Ana
    et al.
    Silva, Joao
    Buapet, Pimchanok
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Botany.
    Björk, Mats
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Botany.
    Santos, Rui
    Effects of CO2 enrichment on photosynthesis, growth, and nitrogen metabolism of the seagrass Zostera noltii2012In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 2, no 10, p. 2620-2630Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Seagrass ecosystems are expected to benefit from the global increase in CO2 in the ocean because the photosynthetic rate of these plants may be C-i-limited at the current CO2 level. As well, it is expected that lower external pH will facilitate the nitrate uptake of seagrasses if nitrate is cotransported with H+ across the membrane as in terrestrial plants. Here, we investigate the effects of CO2 enrichment on both carbon and nitrogen metabolism of the seagrass Zostera noltii in a mesocosm experiment where plants were exposed for 5 months to two experimental CO2 concentrations (360 and 700 ppm). Both the maximum photosynthetic rate (Pm) and photosynthetic efficiency (alpha) were higher (1.3- and 4.1-fold, respectively) in plants exposed to CO2-enriched conditions. On the other hand, no significant effects of CO2 enrichment on leaf growth rates were observed, probably due to nitrogen limitation as revealed by the low nitrogen content of leaves. The leaf ammonium uptake rate and glutamine synthetase activity were not significantly affected by increased CO2 concentrations. On the other hand, the leaf nitrate uptake rate of plants exposed to CO2-enriched conditions was fourfold lower than the uptake of plants exposed to current CO2 level, suggesting that in the seagrass Z. noltii nitrate is not cotransported with H+ as in terrestrial plants. In contrast, the activity of nitrate reductase was threefold higher in plant leaves grown at high-CO2 concentrations. Our results suggest that the global effects of CO2 on seagrass production may be spatially heterogeneous and depend on the specific nitrogen availability of each system. Under a CO2 increase scenario, the natural levels of nutrients will probably become limiting for Z. noltii. This potential limitation becomes more relevant because the expected positive effect of CO2 increase on nitrate uptake rate was not confirmed.

  • 6. Alfieri, James M.
    et al.
    Johnson, Taryn
    Linderholm, Anna
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Geological Sciences.
    Blackmon, Heath
    Athrey, Giridhar N.
    Genomic investigation refutes record of most diverged avian hybrid2023In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 13, no 1, article id e9689Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The most diverged avian hybrid that has been documented (Numida meleagris × Penelope superciliaris) was reported in 1957. This identification has yet to be confirmed, and like most contemporary studies of hybridization, the identification was based on phenotype, which can be misleading. In this study, we sequenced the specimen in question and performed analyses to validate the specimen's parentage. We extracted DNA from the specimen in a dedicated ancient DNA facility and performed whole-genome short-read sequencing. We used BLAST to find Galliformes sequences similar to the hybrid specimen reads. We found that the proportion of BLAST hits mapped overwhelmingly to two species, N. meleagris and Gallus gallus. Additionally, we constructed phylogenies using avian orthologs and parsed the species placed as sister to the hybrid. Again, the hybrid specimen was placed as a sister to N. meleagris and G. gallus. Despite not being a hybrid between N. meleagris and P. superciliaris, the hybrid still represents the most diverged avian hybrid confirmed with genetic data. In addition to correcting the “record” of the most diverged avian hybrid, these findings support recent assertions that morphological and behavioral-based identifications of avian hybrids can be error-prone. Consequently, this study serves as a cautionary tale to researchers of hybridization. 

  • 7.
    Alshwairikh, Yara A.
    et al.
    School of the Environment, Yale University, CT, New Haven, United States.
    Kroeze, Shayla L.
    Department of Biology, Western University, ON, London, Canada.
    Olsson, Jenny
    Umeå University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences.
    Stephens-Cardenas, Steve A.
    Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Latina de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.
    Swain, William L.
    Wildlife Genomics and Disease Laboratory, Program in Ecology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Wyoming, WY, Laramie, United States.
    Waits, Lisette P.
    Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, ID, Moscow, United States.
    Horn, Rebekah L.
    Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, ID, Hagerman, United States.
    Narum, Shawn R.
    Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, ID, Hagerman, United States.
    Seaborn, Travis
    Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, ID, Moscow, United States.
    Influence of environmental conditions at spawning sites and migration routes on adaptive variation and population connectivity in Chinook salmon2021In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 11, no 23, p. 16890-16908Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Many species that undergo long breeding migrations, such as anadromous fishes, face highly heterogeneous environments along their migration corridors and at their spawning sites. These environmental challenges encountered at different life stages may act as strong selective pressures and drive local adaptation. However, the relative influence of environmental conditions along the migration corridor compared with the conditions at spawning sites on driving selection is still unknown. In this study, we performed genome–environment associations (GEA) to understand the relationship between landscape and environmental conditions driving selection in seven populations of the anadromous Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)—a species of important economic, social, cultural, and ecological value—in the Columbia River basin. We extracted environmental variables for the shared migration corridors and at distinct spawning sites for each population, and used a Pool-seq approach to perform whole genome resequencing. Bayesian and univariate GEA tests with migration-specific and spawning site-specific environmental variables indicated many more candidate SNPs associated with environmental conditions at the migration corridor compared with spawning sites. Specifically, temperature, precipitation, terrain roughness, and elevation variables of the migration corridor were the most significant drivers of environmental selection. Additional analyses of neutral loci revealed two distinct clusters representing populations from different geographic regions of the drainage that also exhibit differences in adult migration timing (summer vs. fall). Tests for genomic regions under selection revealed a strong peak on chromosome 28, corresponding to the GREB1L/ROCK1 region that has been identified previously in salmonids as a region associated with adult migration timing. Our results show that environmental variation experienced throughout migration corridors imposed a greater selective pressure on Chinook salmon than environmental conditions at spawning sites.

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  • 8. Amundin, Mats
    et al.
    Carlstrom, Julia
    Thomas, Len
    Carlen, Ida
    Teilmann, Jonas
    Tougaard, Jakob
    Loisa, Olli
    Kyhn, Line A.
    Sveegaard, Signe
    Burt, M. Louise
    Pawliczka, Iwona
    Koza, Radomil
    Arciszewski, Bartlomiej
    Galatius, Anders
    Laaksonlaita, Jussi
    MacAuley, Jamie
    Wright, Andrew J.
    Gallus, Anja
    Dahne, Michael
    Acevedo-Gutierrez, Alejandro
    Benke, Harald
    Koblitz, Jens
    Tregenza, Nick
    Wennerberg, Daniel
    SMHI, Core Services.
    Brundiers, Katharina
    Kosecka, Monika
    Tiberi Ljungqvist, Cinthia
    Jussi, Ivar
    Jabbusch, Martin
    Lyytinen, Sami
    Saskov, Aleksej
    Blankett, Penina
    Estimating the abundance of the critically endangered Baltic Proper harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) population using passive acoustic monitoring2022In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 12, no 2, article id e8554Article in journal (Refereed)
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    Estimating the abundance of the critically endangered Baltic Proper harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) population using passive acoustic monitoring
  • 9. Amundin, Mats
    et al.
    Carlström, Julia
    Stockholm University.
    Thomas, Len
    Carlén, Ida
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Ethology. AquaBiota Water Research, Stockholm, Sweden.
    Teilmann, Jonas
    Tougaard, Jakob
    Loisa, Olli
    Kyhn, Line A.
    Sveegaard, Signe
    Burt, M. Louise
    Pawliczka, Iwona
    Koza, Radomil
    Arciszewski, Bartlomiej
    Galatius, Anders
    Laaksonlaita, Jussi
    MacAuley, Jamie
    Wright, Andrew J.
    Gallus, Anja
    Koblitz, Jens
    Dähne, Michael
    Acevedo‐Gutiérrez, Alejandro
    Benke, Harald
    Tregenza, Nick
    Wennerberg, Daniel
    Brundiers, Katharina
    Kosecka, Monika
    Tiberi Ljungqvist, Cinthia
    Jussi, Ivar
    Jabbusch, Martin
    Lyytinen, Sami
    Šaškov, Aleksej
    Blankett, Penina
    Estimating the abundance of the critically endangered Baltic Proper harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) population using passive acoustic monitoring2022In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 12, no 2, article id e8554Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Knowing the abundance of a population is a crucial component to assess its conservationstatus and develop effective conservation plans. For most cetaceans, abundanceestimation is difficult given their cryptic and mobile nature, especially when thepopulation is small and has a transnational distribution. In the Baltic Sea, the numberof harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) has collapsed since the mid-20thcenturyand the Baltic Proper harbour porpoise is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCNand HELCOM; however, its abundance remains unknown. Here, one of the largestever passive acoustic monitoring studies was carried out by eight Baltic Sea nationsto estimate the abundance of the Baltic Proper harbour porpoise for the first time. Bylogging porpoise echolocation signals at 298 stations during May 2011–April2013,calibrating the loggers’ spatial detection performance at sea, and measuring the clickrate of tagged individuals, we estimated an abundance of 71–1105individuals (95% CI,point estimate 491) during May–Octoberwithin the population's proposed managementborder. The small abundance estimate strongly supports that the Baltic Properharbour porpoise is facing an extremely high risk of extinction, and highlights theneed for immediate and efficient conservation actions through international cooperation.It also provides a starting point in monitoring the trend of the populationabundance to evaluate the effectiveness of management measures and determine itsinteractions with the larger neighboring Belt Sea population. Further, we offer evidencethat design-basedpassive acoustic monitoring can generate reliable estimatesof the abundance of rare and cryptic animal populations across large spatial scales.

  • 10.
    Andersson, Matilda L.
    et al.
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology.
    Scharnweber, Kristin
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology.
    Eklöv, Peter
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology.
    The interaction between metabolic rate, habitat choice, and resource use in a polymorphic freshwater species2022In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 12, no 8Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    1.      Resource polymorphism is common across taxa and can result in alternate ecotypes with specific morphologies, feeding modes, and behaviours that increase performance in a specific habitat. This can result in high intraspecific variation in the expression of specific traits and the extent to which these traits are correlated within a single population. Although metabolic rate influences resource acquisition and the overall pace of life of individuals it is not clear how metabolic rate interact with the larger suite of traits to ultimately determine individual fitness.

    2.      We examined the relationship between metabolic rates and the major differences (habitat use, morphology, and resource use) between littoral and pelagic ecotypes of European perch (Perca fluviatilis) from a single lake in Central Sweden.

    3.      Standard metabolic rate (SMR) was significantly higher in pelagic perch but did not correlate with resource use or morphology. Maximum metabolic rate (MMR) was not correlated with any of our explanatory variables or with SMR. Aerobic scope (AS) showed the same pattern as SMR, differing across habitats, but contrary to expectations was lower in pelagic perch.

    4.      This study helps to establish a framework for future experiments further exploring the drivers of intraspecific differences in metabolism. In addition, since metabolic rates scale with temperature and determine predator energy requirements, our observed differences in SMR across habitats will help determine ecotype-specific vulnerabilities to climate change and differences in top-down predation pressure across habitats.

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  • 11. Angelstam, Per
    et al.
    Manton, Michael
    Stjernquist, Ingrid
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Physical Geography.
    Gunnarsson, Tómas Grétar
    Ottvall, Richard
    Rosenberg, Mats
    Thorup, Ole
    Wedholm, Per
    Elts, Jaanus
    Gruberts, Davis
    Barriers and bridges for sustaining functional habitat networks: A macroecological system analysis of wet grassland landscapes2022In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 12, no 4, article id e8801Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This study aims at supporting the maintenance of representative functional habitat networks as green infrastructure for biodiversity conservation through transdisciplinary macroecological analyses of wet grassland landscapes and their stewardship systems. We chose ten north European wet grassland case study landscapes from Iceland and the Netherlands in the west to Lithuania and Belarus in the east. We combine expert experiences for 20–30 years, comparative studies made 2011–2017, and longitudinal analyses spanning >70 years. Wader, or shorebird, (Charadrii) assemblages were chosen as a focal species group. We used evidence-based knowledge and practical experience generated in three steps. (1) Experts from 8 wet grassland landscapes in northern Europe's west and east mapped factors linked to patterns and processes, and management and governance, in social-ecological systems that affect states and trends of wet grasslands as green infrastructures for wader birds. (2) To understand wader conservation problems and their dynamic in wet grassland landscapes, and to identify key issues for successful conservation, we applied group modeling using causal loop diagram mapping. (3) Validation was made using the historic development in two additional wet grassland landscapes. Wader conservation was dependent on ten dynamically interacting ecological and social system factors as leverage points for management. Re-wetting and grazing were common drivers for the ecological and social system, and long-term economic support for securing farmers’ interest in wader bird conservation. Financial public incentives at higher levels of governance of wetland management are needed to stimulate private income loops. Systems analysis based on contrasting landscape case studies in space and over time can support (1) understanding of complex interactions in social-ecological systems, (2) collaborative learning in individual wet grassland landscapes, and (3) formulation of priorities for conservation, management, and restoration. 

  • 12.
    Arct, Aneta
    et al.
    Jagiellonian Univ, Inst Environm Sci, Gronostajowa 7, PL-30387 Krakow, Poland.
    Drobniak, Szymon M.
    Jagiellonian Univ, Inst Environm Sci, Gronostajowa 7, PL-30387 Krakow, Poland.
    Mellinger, Samantha
    Jagiellonian Univ, Inst Environm Sci, Gronostajowa 7, PL-30387 Krakow, Poland.
    Gustafsson, Lars
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal ecology.
    Cichon, Mariusz
    Jagiellonian Univ, Inst Environm Sci, Gronostajowa 7, PL-30387 Krakow, Poland.
    Parental genetic similarity and offspring performance in blue tits in relation to brood size manipulation2019In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 9, no 18, p. 10085-10091Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    In birds, as in many other taxa, higher genetic similarity of mates has long been known to reduce offspring fitness. To date, the majority of avian studies have focused on examination whether the genetic similarity of social mates predicts hatching success. Yet, increased genetic similarity of mates may also reduce offspring fitness during later life stages, including the nestling period and beyond. Here, we investigated whether parental genetic similarity influences offspring performance using data from free-living blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) collected across three breeding seasons. Additionally, we tested whether brood size manipulation affects the magnitude and direction of the relationship between genetic similarity of mates and offspring performance. Sixteen microsatellite markers were used to measure genetic similarity between biological parents. We found that the genetic similarity of parents negatively affects offspring immune response and this effect was independent of the experimental brood size manipulation.

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  • 13.
    Ardalan, Arman
    et al.
    KTH, School of Biotechnology (BIO), Gene Technology. KTH, Centres, Science for Life Laboratory, SciLifeLab.
    Kluetsch, Cornelya F. C.
    KTH, Centres, Science for Life Laboratory, SciLifeLab. KTH, School of Biotechnology (BIO), Gene Technology.
    Zhang, Ai-bing
    KTH, School of Biotechnology (BIO), Gene Technology. KTH, Centres, Science for Life Laboratory, SciLifeLab.
    Erdogan, Metin
    Uhlén, Mathias
    KTH, School of Biotechnology (BIO), Proteomics.
    Houshmand, Massoud
    Tepeli, Cafer
    Ashtiani, Seyed Reza Miraei
    Savolainen, Peter
    KTH, School of Biotechnology (BIO), Gene Technology. KTH, Centres, Science for Life Laboratory, SciLifeLab.
    Comprehensive study of mtDNA among Southwest Asian dogs contradicts independent domestication of wolf, but implies dog–wolf hybridization2011In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 1, no 3, p. 373-385Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Studies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diversity indicate explicitly that dogs were domesticated, probably exclusively, in southern East Asia. However, Southwest Asia (SwAsia) has had poor representation and geographical coverage in these studies. Other studies based on archaeological and genome-wide SNP data have suggested an origin of dogs in SwAsia. Hence, it has been suspected that mtDNA evidence for this scenario may have remained undetected. In the first comprehensive investigation of genetic diversity among SwAsian dogs, we analyzed 582 bp of mtDNA for 345 indigenous dogs from across SwAsia, and compared with 1556 dogs across the Old World. We show that 97.4% of SwAsian dogs carry haplotypes belonging to a universal mtDNA gene pool, but that only a subset of this pool, five of the 10 principal haplogroups, is represented in SwAsia. A high frequency of haplogroup B, potentially signifying a local origin, was not paralleled with the high genetic diversity expected for a center of origin. Meanwhile, 2.6% of the SwAsian dogs carried the rare non-universal haplogroup d2. Thus, mtDNA data give no indication that dogs originated in SwAsia through independent domestication of wolf, but dog–wolf hybridization may have formed the local haplogroup d2 within this region. Southern East Asia remains the only region with virtually full extent of genetic variation, strongly indicating it to be the primary and probably sole center of wolf domestication. An origin of dogs in southern East Asia may have been overlooked by other studies due to a substantial lack of samples from this region.

  • 14. Ardehed, Angelica
    et al.
    Johansson, Daniel
    Schagerström, Ellen
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences.
    Kautsky, Lena
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences.
    Johannesson, Kerstin
    Pereyra, Ricardo T.
    Complex spatial clonal structure in the macroalgae Fucus radicans with both sexual and asexual recruitment2015In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 5, no 19, p. 4233-4245Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    In dioecious species with both sexual and asexual reproduction, the spatial distribution of individual clones affects the potential for sexual reproduction and local adaptation. The seaweed Fucus radicans, endemic to the Baltic Sea, has separate sexes, but new attached thalli may also form asexually. We mapped the spatial distribution of clones (multilocus genotypes, MLGs) over macrogeographic (>500km) and microgeographic (<100m) scales in the Baltic Sea to assess the relationship between clonal spatial structure, sexual recruitment, and the potential for natural selection. Sexual recruitment was predominant in some areas, while in others asexual recruitment dominated. Where clones of both sexes were locally intermingled, sexual recruitment was nevertheless low. In some highly clonal populations, the sex ratio was strongly skewed due to dominance of one or a few clones of the same sex. The two largest clones (one female and one male) were distributed over 100-550km of coast and accompanied by small and local MLGs formed by somatic mutations and differing by 1-2 mutations from the large clones. Rare sexual events, occasional long-distance migration, and somatic mutations contribute new genotypic variation potentially available to natural selection. However, dominance of a few very large (and presumably old) clones over extensive spatial and temporal scales suggested that either these have superior traits or natural selection has only been marginally involved in the structuring of genotypes.

  • 15.
    Arnqvist, Göran
    et al.
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal ecology.
    Sayadi, Ahmed
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal ecology. Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, Rheumatology.
    A possible genomic footprint of polygenic adaptation on population divergence in seed beetles?2022In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 12, no 10, article id e9440Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Efforts to unravel the genomic basis of incipient speciation are hampered by a mismatch between our toolkit and our understanding of the ecology and genetics of adaptation. While the former is focused on detecting selective sweeps involving few independently acting or linked speciation genes, the latter states that divergence typically occurs in polygenic traits under stabilizing selection. Here, we ask whether a role of stabilizing selection on polygenic traits in population divergence may be unveiled by using a phenotypically informed integrative approach, based on genome-wide variation segregating in divergent populations. We compare three divergent populations of seed beetles (Callosobruchus maculatus) where previous work has demonstrated a prominent role for stabilizing selection on, and population divergence in, key life history traits that reflect rate-dependent metabolic processes. We derive and assess predictions regarding the expected pattern of covariation between genetic variation segregating within populations and genetic differentiation between populations. Population differentiation was considerable (mean F-ST = 0.23-0.26) and was primarily built by genes showing high selective constraints and an imbalance in inferred selection in different populations (positive Tajima's D-NS in one and negative in one), and this set of genes was enriched with genes with a metabolic function. Repeatability of relative population differentiation was low at the level of individual genes but higher at the level of broad functional classes, again spotlighting metabolic genes. Absolute differentiation (d(XY)) showed a very different general pattern at this scale of divergence, more consistent with an important role for genetic drift. Although our exploration is consistent with stabilizing selection on polygenic metabolic phenotypes as an important engine of genome-wide relative population divergence and incipient speciation in our study system, we note that it is exceedingly difficult to firmly exclude other scenarios.

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  • 16. Astor, Tina
    et al.
    Strengbom, Joachim
    Berg, Matty P.
    Lenoir, Lisette
    Marteinsdottir, Bryndis
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences.
    Bengtsson, Jan
    Underdispersion and overdispersion of traits in terrestrial snail communities on islands2014In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 4, no 11, p. 2090-2102Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Understanding and disentangling different processes underlying the assembly and diversity of communities remains a key challenge in ecology. Species can assemble into communities either randomly or due to deterministic processes. Deterministic assembly leads to species being more similar (underdispersed) or more different (overdispersed) in certain traits than would be expected by chance. However, the relative importance of those processes is not well understood for many organisms, including terrestrial invertebrates. Based on knowledge of a broad range of species traits, we tested for the presence of trait underdispersion (indicating dispersal or environmental filtering) and trait overdispersion (indicating niche partitioning) and their relative importance in explaining land snail community composition on lake islands. The analysis of community assembly was performed using a functional diversity index (Rao's quadratic entropy) in combination with a null model approach. Regression analysis with the effect sizes of the assembly tests and environmental variables gave information on the strength of under- and overdispersion along environmental gradients. Additionally, we examined the link between community weighted mean trait values and environmental variables using a CWM-RDA. We found both trait underdispersion and trait overdispersion, but underdispersion (eight traits) was more frequently detected than overdispersion (two traits). Underdispersion was related to four environmental variables (tree cover, habitat diversity, productivity of ground vegetation, and location on an esker ridge). Our results show clear evidence for underdispersion in traits driven by environmental filtering, but no clear evidence for dispersal filtering. We did not find evidence for overdispersion of traits due to diet or body size, but overdispersion in shell shape may indicate niche differentiation between snail species driven by small-scale habitat heterogeneity. The use of species traits enabled us to identify key traits involved in snail community assembly and to detect the simultaneous occurrence of trait underdispersion and overdispersion.

  • 17.
    Audusseau, Helene
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology.
    Nylin, Sören
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology.
    Janz, Niklas
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology.
    Implications of a temperature increase for host plant range: predictions for a butterfly2013In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 3, no 9, p. 3021-3029Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Although changes in phenology and species associations are relatively well-documented responses to global warming, the potential interactions between these phenomena are less well understood. In this study, we investigate the interactions between temperature, phenology (in terms of seasonal timing of larval growth) and host plant use in the polyphagous butterfly Polygonia c-album. We found that the hierarchy of larval performance on three natural host plants was not modified by a temperature increase as such. However, larval performance on each host plant and temperature treatment was affected by rearing season. Even though larvae performed better at the higher temperature regardless of the time of the rearing, relative differences between host plants changed with the season. For larvae reared late in the season, performance was always better on the herbaceous plant than on the woody plants. In this species, it is likely that a prolonged warming will lead to a shift from univoltinism to bivoltinism. The demonstrated interaction between host plant suitability and season means that such a shift is likely to lead to a shift in selective regime, favoring specialization on the herbaceous host. Based on our result, we suggest that host range evolution in response to temperature increase would in this species be highly contingent on whether the population undergoes a predicted shift from one to two generations. We discuss the effect of global warming on species associations and the outcome of asynchrony in rates of phenological change.

  • 18.
    Backström, Niclas
    et al.
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology.
    Shipilina, Daria
    Bloom, Mozes
    Edwards, Scott
    Cis-regulatory sequence variation and association with Mycoplasma load in natural populations of the house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)2013In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 3, no 3, p. 655-666Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Characterization of the genetic basis of fitness traits in natural populations is important for understanding how organisms adapt to the changing environment and to novel events, such as epizootics. However, candidate fitness-influencing loci, such as regulatory regions, are usually unavailable in nonmodel species. Here, we analyze sequence data from targeted resequencing of the cis-regulatory regions of three candidate genes for disease resistance (CD74, HSP90α, and LCP1) in populations of the house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) historically exposed (Alabama) and naïve (Arizona) to Mycoplasma gallisepticum. Our study, the first to quantify variation in regulatory regions in wild birds, reveals that the upstream regions of CD74 and HSP90α are GC-rich, with the former exhibiting unusually low sequence variation for this species. We identified two SNPs, located in a GC-rich region immediately upstream of an inferred promoter site in the gene HSP90α, that were significantly associated with Mycoplasma pathogen load in the two populations. The SNPs are closely linked and situated in potential regulatory sequences: one in a binding site for the transcription factor nuclear NFYα and the other in a dinucleotide microsatellite ((GC)6). The genotype associated with pathogen load in the putative NFYα binding site was significantly overrepresented in the Alabama birds. However, we did not see strong effects of selection at this SNP, perhaps because selection has acted on standing genetic variation over an extremely short time in a highly recombining region. Our study is a useful starting point to explore functional relationships between sequence polymorphisms, gene expression, and phenotypic traits, such as pathogen resistance that affect fitness in the wild.

  • 19.
    Baker, Nathan Jay
    et al.
    Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany.
    Pilotto, Francesca
    Umeå University, Faculty of Arts, Department of historical, philosophical and religious studies, Environmental Archaeology Lab.
    Haubrock, Phillip Joschka
    Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany; Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Vodňany, Czech Republic.
    Beudert, Burkhard
    Department of Conservation and Research, Bavarian Forest National Park, Grafenau, Germany.
    Haase, Peter
    Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany; Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
    Multidecadal changes in functional diversity lag behind the recovery of taxonomic diversity2021In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 11, no 23, p. 17471-17484Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    While there has been increasing interest in how taxonomic diversity is changing over time, less is known about how long-term taxonomic changes may affect ecosystem functioning and resilience. Exploring long-term patterns of functional diversity can provide key insights into the capacity of a community to carry out ecological processes and the redundancy of species’ roles. We focus on a protected freshwater system located in a national park in southeast Germany. We use a high-resolution benthic macroinvertebrate dataset spanning 32 years (1983–2014) and test whether changes in functional diversity are reflected in taxonomic diversity using a multidimensional trait-based approach and regression analyses. Specifically, we asked: (i) How has functional diversity changed over time? (ii) How functionally distinct are the community's taxa? (iii) Are changes in functional diversity concurrent with taxonomic diversity? And (iv) what is the extent of community functional redundancy? Resultant from acidification mitigation, macroinvertebrate taxonomic diversity increased over the study period. Recovery of functional diversity was less pronounced, lagging behind responses of taxonomic diversity. Over multidecadal timescales, the macroinvertebrate community has become more homogenous with a high degree of functional redundancy, despite being isolated from direct anthropogenic activity. While taxonomic diversity increased over time, functional diversity has yet to catch up. These results demonstrate that anthropogenic pressures can remain a threat to biotic communities even in protected areas. The differences in taxonomic and functional recovery processes highlight the need to incorporate functional traits in assessments of biodiversity responses to global change.

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  • 20.
    Bandara, Tharindu
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences. Umeå University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Umeå Marine Sciences Centre (UMF). Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Animal Science and Export Agriculture, Uva Wellassa University, Badulla, Sri Lanka.
    Brugel, Sonia
    Umeå University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences. Umeå University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Umeå Marine Sciences Centre (UMF).
    Andersson, Agneta
    Umeå University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Umeå Marine Sciences Centre (UMF). Umeå University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences.
    Lau, Danny Chun Pong
    Umeå University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences. Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
    Retention of essential fatty acids in fish differs by species, habitat use and nutritional quality of prey2023In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 13, no 6, article id e10158Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Abstract Algae-produced long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA; with ≥20 carbon atoms) are key biomolecules for consumer production and animal health. They are transferred to higher trophic levels and accumulated in food chains. However, LC-PUFA accumulation in consumers and their trophic transfer vary with the diet quality and the physiological demand for LC-PUFA of consumers. The goal of this study was to investigate spatial and taxonomic differences in LC-PUFA retention of coastal fish predators that potentially differ in their habitat use (benthic versus pelagic) and prey quality. We analyzed the fatty acid (FA) composition of common fish species, namely roach and European perch, as well as their potential prey from benthic and pelagic habitats in three bays of the northern Baltic Sea. We then assessed whether the fish LC-PUFA retention differed between species and among the study bays with different diet quality, that is, LC-PUFA availability. Our data indicated taxon-specific differences in the retention of LC-PUFA and their precursor FA in fish (i.e., short-chain PUFA with <20 carbon atoms). Perch did not show any spatial variation in the retention of all these FA, while roach showed spatial differences in the retention of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and their precursor FA, but not eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Data suggest that diet quality and trophic reliance on benthic prey underlay the DHA retention differences in roach. Although the PUFA supply might differ among sites, the low spatial variation in LC-PUFA content of perch and roach indicates that both fishes were able to selectively retain dietary LC-PUFA. Climate change together with other existing human-caused environmental stressors are expected to alter the algal assemblages and lower their LC-PUFA supply for aquatic food webs. Our findings imply that these stressors will pose heterogeneous impacts on different fish predators. We advocate further investigations on how environmental changes would affect the nutritional quality of the basal trophic level, and their subsequent impacts on LC-PUFA retention, trophic ecology, and performance of individual fish species.

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  • 21. Barboza, Francisco R.
    et al.
    Kotta, Jonne
    Weinberger, Florian
    Jormalainen, Veijo
    Kraufvelin, Patrik
    Molis, Markus
    Schubert, Hendrik
    Pavia, Henrik
    Nylund, Göran M.
    Kautsky, Lena
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre.
    Schagerström, Ellen
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences.
    Rickert, Esther
    Saha, Mahasweta
    Fredriksen, Stein
    Martin, Georg
    Torn, Kaire
    Ruuskanen, Ari
    Wahl, Martin
    Geographic variation in fitness-related traits of the bladderwrack Fucus vesiculosus along the Baltic Sea-North Sea salinity gradient2019In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 9, no 16, p. 9225-9238Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    In the course of the ongoing global intensification and diversification of human pressures, the study of variation patterns of biological traits along environmental gradients can provide relevant information on the performance of species under shifting conditions. The pronounced salinity gradient, co-occurrence of multiple stressors, and accelerated rates of change make the Baltic Sea and its transition to North Sea a suitable region for this type of study. Focusing on the bladderwrack Fucus vesiculosus, one of the main foundation species on hard-bottoms of the Baltic Sea, we analyzed the phenotypic variation among populations occurring along 2,000 km of coasts subjected to salinities from 4 to >30 and a variety of other stressors. Morphological and biochemical traits, including palatability for grazers, were recorded at 20 stations along the Baltic Sea and four stations in the North Sea. We evaluated in a common modeling framework the relative contribution of multiple environmental drivers to the observed trait patterns. Salinity was the main and, in some cases, the only environmental driver of the geographic trait variation in F. vesiculosus. The decrease in salinity from North Sea to Baltic Sea stations was accompanied by a decline in thallus size, photosynthetic pigments, and energy storage compounds, and affected the interaction of the alga with herbivores and epibiota. For some traits, drivers that vary locally such as wave exposure, light availability or nutrient enrichment were also important. The strong genetic population structure in this macroalgae might play a role in the generation and maintenance of phenotypic patterns across geographic scales. In light of our results, the desalination process projected for the Baltic Sea could have detrimental impacts on F. vesiculosus in areas close to its tolerance limit, affecting ecosystem functions such as habitat formation, primary production, and food supply.

  • 22. Behl, Stephan
    et al.
    de Schryver, Vera
    Diehl, Sebastian
    Umeå University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences.
    Stibor, Herwig
    Trophic transfer of biodiversity effects: functional equivalence of prey diversity and enrichment?2012In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 2, no 12, p. 3110-3122Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Producer diversity is frequently assumed to be detrimental to herbivores, because less edible taxa are more likely to dominate diverse communities. Many producers are, however, complementary in their resource use, and primary production is often positively related to producer diversity. We performed an experiment with microalgae and a generalist herbivore to explore the hypothesis that such positive effects are transferred up the food chain and are functionally comparable to effects of enrichment with a limiting resource. In both absence and presence of grazers, primary production was positively affected by both light supply and producer diversity. Survival, reproduction, and biomass of herbivores were also positively affected by light supply and producer diversity, with both factors contributing equally to grazer performance. We conclude that producer diversity can indeed have similar positive effects on secondary production as enrichment with a limiting resource and discuss conditions under which such positive effects are likely to dominate over negative ones.

  • 23.
    Bengtsson, Fia
    et al.
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Plant Ecology and Evolution.
    Granath, Gustaf
    Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
    Rydin, Håkan
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Plant Ecology and Evolution.
    Photosynthesis, growth, and decay traits in Sphagnum – a multispecies comparison2016In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 6, no 10, p. 3325-3341Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Peat mosses (Sphagnum) largely govern carbon sequestration in Northern Hemisphere peatlands. We investigated functional traits related to growth and decomposition in Sphagnum species. We tested the importance of environment and phylogeny in driving species traits and investigated trade-offs among them. We selected 15 globally important Sphagnum species, representing four sections (subgenera) and a range of peatland habitats. We measured rates of photosynthesis and decomposition in standard laboratory conditions as measures of innate growth and decay potential, and related this to realized growth, production, and decomposition in their natural habitats. In general, we found support for a trade-off between measures of growth and decomposition. However, the relationships are not strong, with r ranging between 0.24 and 0.45 for different measures of growth versus decomposition. Using photosynthetic rate to predict decomposition in standard conditions yielded R2 = 0.20. Habitat and section (phylogeny) affected the traits and the trade-offs. In a wet year, species from sections Cuspidata and Sphagnum had the highest production, but in a dry year, differences among species, sections, and habitats evened out. Cuspidata species in general produced easily decomposable litter, but their decay in the field was hampered, probably due to near-surface anoxia in their wet habitats. In a principal components analysis, PCA, photosynthetic capacity, production, and laboratory decomposition acted in the same direction. The species were imperfectly clustered according to vegetation type and phylogeny, so that some species clustered with others in the same section, whereas others clustered more clearly with others from similar vegetation types. Our study includes a wider range of species and habitats than previous trait analyses in Sphagnum and shows that while the previously described growth–decay trade-off exists, it is far from perfect. We therefore suggest that our species-specific trait measures offer opportunities for improvements of peatland ecosystem models. Innate qualities measured in laboratory conditions translate differently to field responses. Most dramatically, fast-growing species could only realize their potential in a wet year. The same species decompose fast in laboratory, but their decomposition was more retarded in the field than that of other species. These relationships are crucial for understanding the long-term dynamics of peatland communities.

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  • 24.
    Bergström, Per
    et al.
    Department of Marine Sciences –Tjärnö University of Gothenburg Tjärnö Sweden.
    Thorngren, Linnea
    Department of Marine Sciences –Tjärnö University of Gothenburg Tjärnö Sweden.
    Strand, Åsa
    IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute Fiskebäckskil Sweden.
    Lindegarth, Mats
    Department of Marine Sciences –Tjärnö University of Gothenburg Tjärnö Sweden.
    Identifying high‐density areas of oysters using species distribution modeling: Lessons for conservation of the native Ostrea edulis and management of the invasive Magallana ( Crassostrea ) gigas in Sweden2021In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 11, no 10, p. 5522-5532Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    AimUnderstanding spatial patterns of the distribution of adult native oyster, Ostrea edulis, and the invasive Magallana (Crassostrea) gigas is important for management of these populations. The aim of this study was to use ensemble SDM’s to (a) identify and predict conservation hotspots, (b) assess the current level of protection for O. edulis, and (c) quantify the amount of overlap between the two species where interactions with M. gigas are most likely.

    LocationSkagerrak, Sweden.

    MethodsWe used data collected by video at depths from 0.5 to 10 m in 436 sites. Models of occurrence and densities >1 m−2 were fitted and assessed using ensemble methods (“biomod2” package). Models of high-density hotspots were used to predict, map, and quantify areal extent of the species in order to assess the degree of overlap with protected areas and the potential for interactions between the two species.

    ResultsBoth species were widely distributed in the region. Observations of high-density habitats, mainly occurring at depths of ≈3 and 0.5 m for O. edulis and M. gigas, respectively, were found in 4% and 2% of the sites. Models provided useful predictions for both species (AUC = 0.85–0.99; sensitivity = 0.74–1.0; specificity = 0.72–0.97). High-density areas occupy roughly 15 km2 each with substantial overlap between species. 50% of these are protected only by fisheries regulations, 44% are found in Natura 2000 reserves and 6% of the predicted O. edulis enjoys protection in a national park.

    Main conclusionsData collection by video in combination with SDM’s provides a realistic approach for large-scale quantification of spatial patterns of marine population and habitats. O. edulis and M. gigas are common in the area, but a large proportion of the most valuable O. edulis habitats are not found in protected areas. The overlap between species suggests that efforts to manage the invasive M. gigas need to be integrated with management actions to conserve the native O. edulis.

  • 25.
    Bianco, Giuseppe
    et al.
    Lund University, Sweden.
    Ilieva, Mihaela
    Lund University, Sweden; Bulgarian Academic Science, Bulgaria.
    Veibäck, Clas
    Linköping University, Department of Electrical Engineering, Automatic Control. Linköping University, Faculty of Science & Engineering.
    Öfjäll, Kristoffer
    Linköping University, Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Vision. Linköping University, Faculty of Science & Engineering.
    Gadomska, Alicja
    Lund University, Sweden.
    Hendeby, Gustaf
    Linköping University, Department of Electrical Engineering, Automatic Control. Linköping University, Faculty of Science & Engineering.
    Felsberg, Michael
    Linköping University, Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Vision. Linköping University, Faculty of Science & Engineering.
    Gustafsson, Fredrik
    Linköping University, Department of Electrical Engineering, Automatic Control. Linköping University, Faculty of Science & Engineering.
    Åkesson, Susanne
    Lund University, Sweden.
    Emlen funnel experiments revisited: methods update for studying compass orientation in songbirds2016In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 6, no 19, p. 6930-6942Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    1 Migratory songbirds carry an inherited capacity to migrate several thousand kilometers each year crossing continental landmasses and barriers between distant breeding sites and wintering areas. How individual songbirds manage with extreme precision to find their way is still largely unknown. The functional characteristics of biological compasses used by songbird migrants has mainly been investigated by recording the birds directed migratory activity in circular cages, so-called Emlen funnels. This method is 50 years old and has not received major updates over the past decades. The aim of this work was to compare the results from newly developed digital methods with the established manual methods to evaluate songbird migratory activity and orientation in circular cages. 2 We performed orientation experiments using the European robin (Erithacus rubecula) using modified Emlen funnels equipped with thermal paper and simultaneously recorded the songbird movements from above. We evaluated and compared the results obtained with five different methods. Two methods have been commonly used in songbirds orientation experiments; the other three methods were developed for this study and were based either on evaluation of the thermal paper using automated image analysis, or on the analysis of videos recorded during the experiment. 3 The methods used to evaluate scratches produced by the claws of birds on the thermal papers presented some differences compared with the video analyses. These differences were caused mainly by differences in scatter, as any movement of the bird along the sloping walls of the funnel was recorded on the thermal paper, whereas video evaluations allowed us to detect single takeoff attempts by the birds and to consider only this behavior in the orientation analyses. Using computer vision, we were also able to identify and separately evaluate different behaviors that were impossible to record by the thermal paper. 4 The traditional Emlen funnel is still the most used method to investigate compass orientation in songbirds under controlled conditions. However, new numerical image analysis techniques provide a much higher level of detail of songbirds migratory behavior and will provide an increasing number of possibilities to evaluate and quantify specific behaviors as new algorithms will be developed.

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  • 26. Birkhofer, Klaus
    et al.
    Bylund, Helena
    Dalin, Peter
    Ferlian, Olga
    Gagic, Vesna
    Hambäck, Peter A.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences.
    Klapwijk, Maartje
    Mestre, Laia
    Roubinet, Eve
    Schroeder, Martin
    Stenberg, Johan A.
    Porcel, Mario
    Björkman, Christer
    Jonsson, Mattias
    Methods to identify the prey of invertebrate predators in terrestrial field studies2017In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 7, no 6, p. 1942-1953Article, review/survey (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Predation is an interaction during which an organism kills and feeds on another organism. Past and current interest in studying predation in terrestrial habitats has yielded a number of methods to assess invertebrate predation events in terrestrial ecosystems. We provide a decision tree to select appropriate methods for individual studies. For each method, we then present a short introduction, key examples for applications, advantages and disadvantages, and an outlook to future refinements. Video and, to a lesser extent, live observations are recommended in studies that address behavioral aspects of predator-prey interactions or focus on per capita predation rates. Cage studies are only appropriate for small predator species, but often suffer from a bias via cage effects. The use of prey baits or analyses of prey remains are cheaper than other methods and have the potential to provide per capita predation estimates. These advantages often come at the cost of low taxonomic specificity. Molecular methods provide reliable estimates at a fine level of taxonomic resolution and are free of observer bias for predator species of any size. However, the current PCR-based methods lack the ability to estimate predation rates for individual predators and are more expensive than other methods. Molecular and stable isotope analyses are best suited to address systems that include a range of predator and prey species. Our review of methods strongly suggests that while in many cases individual methods are sufficient to study specific questions, combinations of methods hold a high potential to provide more holistic insights into predation events. This review presents an overview of methods to researchers that are new to the field or to particular aspects of predation ecology and provides recommendations toward the subset of suitable methods to identify the prey of invertebrate predators in terrestrial field research.

  • 27.
    Bischof, Richard
    et al.
    Norwegian Univ Life Sci, Dept Ecol & Nat Resource Management, Hogskoleveien 12, N-1430 As, Norway..
    Gregersen, Espen R.
    Norwegian Univ Life Sci, Dept Ecol & Nat Resource Management, Hogskoleveien 12, N-1430 As, Norway..
    Broseth, Henrik
    Norwegian Inst Nat Res, Tungasletta 2, N-7004 Trondheim, Norway..
    Ellegren, Hans
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology.
    Flagstad, Oystein
    Norwegian Inst Nat Res, Tungasletta 2, N-7004 Trondheim, Norway..
    Noninvasive genetic sampling reveals intrasex territoriality in wolverines2016In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 6, no 5, p. 1527-1536Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Due to its conspicuous manifestations and its capacity to shape the configuration and dynamics of wild populations, territorial behavior has long intrigued ecologists. Territoriality and other animal interactions in situ have traditionally been studied via direct observations and telemetry. Here, we explore whether noninvasive genetic sampling, which is increasingly supplementing traditional field methods in ecological research, can reveal territorial behavior in an elusive carnivore, the wolverine (Gulo gulo). Using the locations of genotyped wolverine scat samples collected annually over a period of 12 years in central Norway, we test three predictions: (1) male home ranges constructed from noninvasive genetic sampling data are larger than those of females, (2) individuals avoid areas used by other conspecifics of the same sex (intrasexual territoriality), and (3) avoidance of same-sex territories diminishes or disappears after the territory owner's death. Each of these predictions is substantiated by our results: sex-specific differences in home range size and intrasexual territoriality in wolverine are patently reflected in the spatial and temporal configuration of noninvasively collected genetic samples. Our study confirms that wildlife monitoring programs can utilize the spatial information in noninvasive genetic sampling data to detect and quantify home ranges and social organization.

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  • 28.
    Björklund, Mats
    et al.
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal ecology.
    Aho, Teija
    Behrmann-Godel, Jasminca
    Isolation over 35 years in a heated biotest basin causes selection on MHC class II beta genes in the European perch (Perca fluviatilis L.)2015In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 5, no 7, p. 1440-1455Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Genes that play key roles in host immunity such as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in vertebrates are expected to be major targets of selection. It is well known that environmental conditions can have an effect on host-parasite interactions and may thus influence the selection on MHC. We analyzed MHC class II ss variability over 35years in a population of perch (Perca fluviatilis) from the Baltic Sea that was split into two populations separated from each other. One population was subjected to heating from cooling water of a nuclear power plant and was isolated from the surrounding environment in an artificial lake, while the other population was not subjected to any change in water temperature (control). The isolated population experienced a change of the allelic composition and a decrease in allelic richness of MHC genes compared to the control population. The two most common MHC alleles showed cyclic patterns indicating ongoing parasite-host coevolution in both populations, but the alleles that showed a cyclic behavior differed between the two populations. No such patterns were observed at alleles from nine microsatellite loci, and no genetic differentiation was found between populations. We found no indications for a genetic bottleneck in the isolated population during the 35years. Additionally, differences in parasitism of the current perch populations suggest that a change of the parasite communities has occurred over the isolation period, although the evidence in form of in-depth knowledge of the change of the parasite community over time is lacking. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis of a selective sweep imposed by a change in the parasite community.

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  • 29.
    Björklund, Mats
    et al.
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal ecology.
    Borras, Antoni
    Cabrera, Josep
    Senar, Juan Carlos
    Increase in body size is correlated to warmer winters in a passerine bird as inferred from time series data2015In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 5, no 1, p. 59-72Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Climate change is expected to affect natural populations in many ways. One way of getting an understanding of the effects of a changing climate is to analyze time series of natural populations. Therefore, we analyzed time series of 25 and 20years, respectively, in two populations of the citril finch (Carduelis citrinella) to understand the background of a dramatic increase in wing length in this species over this period, ranging between 1.3 and 2.9 phenotypic standard deviations. We found that the increase in wing length is closely correlated to warmer winters and in one case to rain in relation to temperature in the summer. In order to understand the process of change, we implemented seven simulation models, ranging from two nonadaptive models (drift and sampling), and five adaptive models with selection and/or phenotypic plasticity involved and tested these models against the time series of males and females from the two population separately. The nonadaptive models were rejected in each case, but the results were mixed when it comes to the adaptive models. The difference in fit of the models was sometimes not significant indicating that the models were not different enough. In conclusion, the dramatic change in mean wing length can best be explained as an adaptive response to a changing climate.

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  • 30.
    Björklund, Mats
    et al.
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal ecology.
    Gustafsson, Lars
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal ecology.
    The importance of selection at the level of the pair over 25 years in a natural population of birds2013In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 3, no 13, p. 4610-4619Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Knowledge of the pattern of selection in natural populations is fundamental for our understanding of the evolutionary process. Selection at higher levels has gained considerable theoretical support in recent years, and one possible level of selection is the breeding pair where fitness is a function of the pair and cannot be reduced to single individuals. We analyzed the importance of pair-level selection over 25years in a natural population of the collared flycatcher. Pair-level selection was significant in five and probably in another 9years. The relative importance of pair-level selection varied over years and can have stronger or the same strength as directional selection. This means that selection can act on the combination of the breeding pair in addition to selection on each individual separately. Overall, the conservative estimates obtained here show that this is a potentially important form of selection.

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  • 31.
    Bodare, Sofia
    et al.
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Evolution, Genomics and Systematics, Evolutionary Functional Genomics. Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Plant Ecology and Evolution.
    Stocks, Michael
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Plant Ecology and Evolution.
    Yang, J-C
    Taiwan Forestry Research Institute.
    Lascoux, Martin
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Plant Ecology and Evolution.
    Origin and demographic history of the endemic Taiwan spruce (Picea morrisonicola)2013In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 3, no 10, p. 3320-3333Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Taiwan spruce (Picea morrisonicola) is a vulnerable conifer species endemic to the island of Taiwan. A warming climate and competition from subtropical tree species has limited the range of Taiwan spruce to the higher altitudes of the island. Using seeds sampled from an area in the central mountain range of Taiwan, 15 nuclear loci were sequenced in order to measure genetic variation and to assess the long-term genetic stability of the species. Genetic diversity is low and comparable to other spruce species with limited ranges such as Picea breweriana, Picea chihuahuana, and Picea schrenkiana. Importantly, analysis using approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) provides evidence for a drastic decline in the effective population size approximately 0.3–0.5 million years ago (mya). We used simulations to show that this is unlikely to be a false-positive result due to the limited sample used here. To investigate the phylogenetic origin of Taiwan spruce, additional sequencing was performed in the Chinese spruce Picea wilsonii and combined with previously published data for three other mainland China species, Picea purpurea, Picea likiangensis, and P. schrenkiana. Analysis of population structure revealed that P. morrisonicola clusters most closely with P. wilsonii, and coalescent analyses using the program MIMAR dated the split to 4–8 mya, coincidental to the formation of Taiwan. Considering the population decrease that occurred after the split, however, led to a much more recent origin.

  • 32.
    Bodare, Sofia
    et al.
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Plant Ecology and Evolution.
    Tsuda, Yoshiaki
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Plant Ecology and Evolution.
    Ravikanth, G
    Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment.
    Uma Shaanker, R
    Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment.
    Lascoux, Martin
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Plant Ecology and Evolution.
    Genetic structure and demographic history of the endangered tree species, Dysoxylum  malabaricum (Meliaceae) in Western Ghats, India: Implications for conservation in a  biodiversity hotspot2013In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 3, no 10, p. 3233-3248Article in journal (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    The impact of fragmentation by human activities on genetic diversity of forest trees is an important concern in forest conservation, especially in tropical forests. Dysoxylummalabaricum (white cedar) is an economically important tree species, endemic to theWestern Ghats, India, one of the world's eight most important biodiversity hotspots. As D.malabaricum is under pressure of disturbance and fragmentation together with overharvesting, conservation efforts are required in this species. In this study, range-widegenetic structure of twelve D.malabaricum populations was evaluated to assess the impact ofhuman activities on genetic diversity and infer the species' evolutionary history, using both nuclear and chloroplast (cp) DNA simple sequence repeats (SSR). As genetic diversity and population structure did not differ among seedling, juvenile and adult age classes, reproductive success among the old-growth trees and long distance seed dispersal by hornbills were suggested to contribute to maintain genetic diversity. The fixation index (F-IS) was significantly correlated with latitude, with a higher level of inbreeding in the northern populations, possibly reflecting a more severe ecosystem disturbance in those populations. Both nuclear and cpSSRs revealed northern and southern genetic groups with some discordance of their distributions; however, they did not correlate with any of the two geographic gaps known as genetic barriers to animals. Approximate Bayesian computation-based inference from nuclear SSRs suggested that population divergence occurred beforethe last glacial maximum. Finally we discussed the implications of these results, in particularthe presence of a clear pattern of historical genetic subdivision, on conservation policies.

  • 33. Brodie, Juliet
    et al.
    Williamson, Christopher J.
    Smale, Dan A.
    Kamenos, Nicholas A.
    School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
    Mieszkowska, Nova
    Santos, Rui
    Cunliffe, Michael
    Steinke, Michael
    Yesson, Christopher
    Anderson, Kathryn M.
    Asnaghi, Valentina
    Brownlee, Colin
    Burdett, Heidi L.
    Burrows, Michael T.
    Collins, Sinead
    Donohue, Penelope J. C.
    Harvey, Ben
    Foggo, Andrew
    Noisette, Fanny
    Nunes, Joana
    Ragazzola, Federica
    Raven, John A.
    Schmidt, Daniela N.
    Suggett, David
    Teichberg, Mirta
    Hall-Spencer, Jason M.
    The future of the northeast Atlantic benthic flora in a high CO2 world2014In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 4, no 13, p. 2787-2798Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Seaweed and seagrass communities in the northeast Atlantic have been profoundly impacted by humans, and the rate of change is accelerating rapidly due to runaway CO2 emissions and mounting pressures on coastlines associated with human population growth and increased consumption of finite resources. Here, we predict how rapid warming and acidification are likely to affect benthic flora and coastal ecosystems of the northeast Atlantic in this century, based on global evidence from the literature as interpreted by the collective knowledge of the authorship. We predict that warming will kill off kelp forests in the south and that ocean acidification will remove maerl habitat in the north. Seagrasses will proliferate, and associated epiphytes switch from calcified algae to diatoms and filamentous species. Invasive species will thrive in niches liberated by loss of native species and spread via exponential development of artificial marine structures. Combined impacts of seawater warming, ocean acidification, and increased storminess may replace structurally diverse seaweed canopies, with associated calcified and noncalcified flora, with simple habitats dominated by noncalcified, turf-forming seaweeds.

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  • 34. Calboli, Federico C. F.
    et al.
    Byström, Pär
    Umeå University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences.
    Merila, Juha
    A test for within-lake niche differentiation in the nine-spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius)2016In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 6, no 14, p. 4753-4760Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Specialization for the use of different resources can lead to ecological speciation. Accordingly, there are numerous examples of ecologically specialized pairs of fish species in postglacial lakes. Using a polymorphic panel of single nucleotide variants, we tested for genetic footprints of within-lake population stratification in nine-spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius) collected from three habitats (viz. littoral, benthic, and pelagic) within a northern Swedish lake. Analyses of admixture, population structure, and relatedness all supported the conclusion that the fish from this lake form a single interbreeding unit.

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  • 35. Campbell-Staton, Shane C
    et al.
    Goodman, Rachel M
    Backström, Niclas
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics.
    Edwards, Scott V
    Losos, Jonathan B
    Kolbe, Jason J
    Out of Florida: mtDNA reveals patterns of migration and Pleistocene range expansion of the Green Anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis).2012In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 2, no 9Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Anolis carolinensis is an emerging model species and the sole member of its genus native to the United States. Considerable morphological and physiological variation has been described in the species, and the recent sequencing of its genome makes it an attractive system for studies of genome variation. To inform future studies of molecular and phenotypic variation within A. carolinensis, a rigorous account of intraspecific population structure and relatedness is needed. Here, we present the most extensive phylogeographic study of this species to date. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequence data support the previous hypothesis of a western Cuban origin of the species. We found five well-supported, geographically distinct mitochondrial haplotype clades throughout the southeastern United States. Most Florida populations fall into one of three divergent clades, whereas the vast majority of populations outside Florida belong to a single, shallowly diverged clade. Genetic boundaries do not correspond to major rivers, but may reflect effects of Pleistocene glaciation events and the Appalachian Mountains on migration and expansion of the species. Phylogeographic signal should be examined using nuclear loci to complement these findings.

  • 36. Carlos Senar, Juan
    et al.
    Conroy, Michael J.
    Quesada, Javier
    Mateos-Gonzalez, Fernando
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal ecology.
    Selection based on the size of the black tie of the great tit may be reversed in urban habitats2014In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 4, no 13, p. 2625-2632Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    A standard approach to model how selection shapes phenotypic traits is the analysis of capture-recapture data relating trait variation to survival. Divergent selection, however, has never been analyzed by the capture-recapture approach. Most reported examples of differences between urban and nonurban animals reflect behavioral plasticity rather than divergent selection. The aim of this paper was to use a capture-recapture approach to test the hypothesis that divergent selection can also drive local adaptation in urban habitats. We focused on the size of the black breast stripe (i.e., tie width) of the great tit (Parus major), a sexual ornament used in mate choice. Urban great tits display smaller tie sizes than forest birds. Because tie size is mostly genetically determined, it could potentially respond to selection. We analyzed capture/recapture data of male great tits in Barcelona city (N = 171) and in a nearby (7 km) forest (N = 324) from 1992 to 2008 using MARK. When modelling recapture rate, we found it to be strongly influenced by tie width, so that both for urban and forest habitats, birds with smaller ties were more trap-shy and more cautious than their larger tied counterparts. When modelling survival, we found that survival prospects in forest great tits increased the larger their tie width (i.e., directional positive selection), but the reverse was found for urban birds, with individuals displaying smaller ties showing higher survival (i.e., directional negative selection). As melanin-based tie size seems to be related to personality, and both are heritable, results may be explained by cautious personalities being favored in urban environments. More importantly, our results show that divergent selection can be an important mechanism in local adaptation to urban habitats and that capture-recapture is a powerful tool to test it.

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  • 37. Chacón-Labella, Julia
    et al.
    Boakye, Mickey
    Enquist, Brian J.
    Farfan-Rios, William
    Gya, Ragnhild
    Halbritter, Aud H.
    Middleton, Sara L.
    von Oppen, Jonathan
    Pastor-Ploskonka, Samuel
    Strydom, Tanya
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences.
    Vandvik, Vigdis
    Geange, Sonya R.
    From a crisis to an opportunity: Eight insights for doing science in the COVID-19 era and beyond2021In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 11, no 8, p. 3588-3596Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The COVID-19 crisis has forced researchers in Ecology to change the way we work almost overnight. Nonetheless, the pandemic has provided us with several novel components for a new way of conducting science. In this perspective piece, we summarize eight central insights that are helping us, as early career researchers, navigate the uncertainties, fears, and challenges of advancing science during the COVID-19 pandemic. We highlight how innovative, collaborative, and often Open Science-driven developments that have arisen from this crisis can form a blueprint for a community reinvention in academia. Our insights include personal approaches to managing our new reality, maintaining capacity to focus and resilience in our projects, and a variety of tools that facilitate remote collaboration. We also highlight how, at a community level, we can take advantage of online communication platforms for gaining accessibility to conferences and meetings, and for maintaining research networks and community engagement while promoting a more diverse and inclusive community. Overall, we are confident that these practices can support a more inclusive and kinder scientific culture for the longer term.

  • 38.
    Chapurlat, Elodie
    et al.
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Plant Ecology and Evolution.
    Le Roncé, Iris
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Plant Ecology and Evolution. Master BioSciences, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France.
    Ågren, Jon
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Plant Ecology and Evolution.
    Sletvold, Nina
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Plant Ecology and Evolution.
    Divergent selection on flowering phenology but not on floral morphology between two closely related orchids2020In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 10, no 12, p. 5737-5747Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Closely related species often differ in traits that influence reproductive success, suggesting that divergent selection on such traits contribute to the maintenance of species boundaries. Gymnadenia conopsea ss. and Gymnadenia densiflora are two closely related, perennial orchid species that differ in (a) floral traits important for pollination, including flowering phenology, floral display, and spur length, and (b) dominant pollinators. If plant–pollinator interactions contribute to the maintenance of trait differences between these two taxa, we expect current divergent selection on flowering phenology and floral morphology between the two species. We quantified phenotypic selection via female fitness in one year on flowering start, three floral display traits (plant height, number of flowers, and corolla size) and spur length, in six populations of G. conopsea s.s. and in four populations of G. densiflora. There was indication of divergent selection on flowering start in the expected direction, with selection for earlier flowering in two populations of the early‐flowering G. conopsea s.s. and for later flowering in one population of the late‐flowering G. densiflora. No divergent selection on floral morphology was detected, and there was no significant stabilizing selection on any trait in the two species. The results suggest ongoing adaptive differentiation of flowering phenology, strengthening this premating reproductive barrier between the two species. Synthesis: This study is among the first to test whether divergent selection on floral traits contribute to the maintenance of species differences between closely related plants. Phenological isolation confers a substantial potential for reproductive isolation, and divergent selection on flowering time can thus greatly influence reproductive isolation and adaptive differentiation.

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  • 39.
    Chibeya, Doubt
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Physical Geography.
    Wood, Heather
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Physical Geography.
    Cousins, Sara
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Physical Geography.
    Carter, Kerryn
    Nyirenda, Moses Amos
    Maseka, Henry
    How do African elephants utilize the landscape during wet season? A habitat connectivity analysis for Sioma Ngwezi landscape in Zambia2021In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 11, no 21, p. 14916-14931Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]
    1. The influence of environmental factors on the distribution and persistence of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) is pertinent to policy makers and managers to formulate balanced plans for different land-use types.
    2. The study focuses on movement of elephants and how they utilize foraging areas in Sioma Ngwezi landscape in Zambia by answering the following questions: (1) Which environmental variables and land-cover class predict the movement of elephants during the wet season in Sioma Ngwezi landscape? (2) What is the wet season suitable habitat for elephants in Sioma Ngwezi landscape? (3) What are the major wet season movement corridors for elephants in Sioma Ngwezi landscape?
    3. We used GPS telemetry data from the collared elephants to assess habitat connectivity. Maximum entropy (MaxEnt) and linkage mapper were the tools used to predict habitat suitability, movement corridors, and barriers in the landscape during the wet season.
    4. The study identified elevation, land cover, and NDVI as the most important environmental predictors that modify the dispersal of elephants in the landscape during the wet season. Additionally, a total of 36 potential wet season corridors were identified connecting 15 core areas mainly used for foraging and protection from poachers in the landscape. Of these, 24 corridors were highly utilized and are suggested as priority corridors for elephant movement in the landscape.
    5. The identified wet season habitats and functional corridors may help to combat elephant poaching by patrolling areas with high relative probability of elephant presence. The findings may also help abate human–elephant conflict such as crop-raiding by managing identified corridors that run into agriculture zones in the game management area.
  • 40. Collin, Helene
    et al.
    Burri, Reto
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology.
    Comtesse, Fabien
    Fumagalli, Luca
    Combining molecular evolution and environmental genomics to unravel adaptive processes of MHC class IIB diversity in European minnows (Phoxinus phoxinus)2013In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 3, no 8, p. 2568-2585Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Host-pathogen interactions are a major evolutionary force promoting local adaptation. Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) represent unique candidates to investigate evolutionary processes driving local adaptation to parasite communities. The present study aimed at identifying the relative roles of neutral and adaptive processes driving the evolution of MHC class IIB (MHCIIB) genes in natural populations of European minnows (Phoxinus phoxinus). To this end, we isolated and genotyped exon 2 of two MHCIIB gene duplicates (DAB1 and DAB3) and 1665 amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers in nine populations, and characterized local bacterial communities by 16S rDNA barcoding using 454 amplicon sequencing. Both MHCIIB loci exhibited signs of historical balancing selection. Whereas genetic differentiation exceeded that of neutral markers at both loci, the populations' genetic diversities were positively correlated with local pathogen diversities only at DAB3. Overall, our results suggest pathogen-mediated local adaptation in European minnows at both MHCIIB loci. While at DAB1 selection appears to favor different alleles among populations, this is only partially the case in DAB3, which appears to be locally adapted to pathogen communities in terms of genetic diversity. These results provide new insights into the importance of host-pathogen interactions in driving local adaptation in the European minnow, and highlight that the importance of adaptive processes driving MHCIIB gene evolution may differ among duplicates within species, presumably as a consequence of alternative selective regimes or different genomic context.

  • 41.
    Cui, Qiao-Yu
    et al.
    Linnaeus University, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Biology and Environmental Science.
    Gaillard, Marie-José
    Linnaeus University, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Biology and Environmental Science.
    Lemdahl, Geoffrey
    Linnaeus University, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Biology and Environmental Science.
    Stenberg, Li
    Linnaeus University, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Biology and Environmental Science. Lund University.
    Sugita, Shinya
    Linnaeus University, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Biology and Environmental Science. Tallinn University, Estonia.
    Zernova, Ganna
    Linnaeus University, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Biology and Environmental Science.
    Historical land-use and landscape change in southern Sweden and implications for present and future biodiversity2014In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 4, no 18, p. 3555-3570Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The two major aims of this study are (1) To test the performance of the Landscape Reconstruction Algorithm (LRA) to quantify past landscape changes using historical maps and related written sources, and (2) to use the LRA and map reconstructions for a better understanding of the origin of landscape diversity and the recent loss of species diversity. Southern Sweden, hemiboreal vegetation zone. The LRA was applied on pollen records from three small bogs for four time windows between AD 1700 and 2010. The LRA estimates of % cover for woodland/forest, grassland, wetland, and cultivated land were compared with those extracted from historical maps within 3-km radius around each bog. Map-extracted land-use categories and pollen-based LRA estimates (in % cover) of the same land-use categories show a reasonable agreement in several cases; when they do not agree, the assumptions used in the data (maps)-model (LRA) comparison are a better explanation of the discrepancies between the two than possible biases of the LRA modeling approach. Both the LRA reconstructions and the historical maps reveal between-site differences in landscape characteristics through time, but they demonstrate comparable, profound transformations of the regional and local landscapes over time and space due to the agrarian reforms in southern Sweden during the 18th and 19th centuries. The LRA was found to be the most reasonable approach so far to reconstruct quantitatively past landscape changes from fossil pollen data. The existing landscape diversity in the region at the beginning of the 18th century had its origin in the long-term regional and local vegetation and land-use history over millennia. Agrarian reforms since the 18th century resulted in a dramatic loss of landscape diversity and evenness in both time and space over the last two centuries leading to a similarly dramatic loss of species (e.g., beetles).

  • 42.
    Cunha, Mario
    et al.
    CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.
    Macedo, Nidia
    CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.
    Wilson, Jonathan
    CIIMAR, Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
    Rosenqvist, Gunilla
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, Department of Earth Sciences, Natural Resources and Sustainable Development. Department of Biology, CBD, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.
    Berglund, Anders
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal ecology.
    Monteiro, Nuno
    CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, CEBIMED, Universidade Fernando Pessoa, Porto, Portugal.
    Reduced sexual size dimorphism in a pipefish population where males do not prefer larger females2019In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 9, no 22, p. 12826-12835Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Within a species' distribution, populations are often exposed to diverse environmentsand may thus experience different sources of both natural and sexual selection.These differences are likely to impact the balance between costs and benefits toindividuals seeking reproduction, thus entailing evolutionary repercussions. Here, welook into an unusual population (Baltic Sea) of the broadnosed pipefish, Syngnathustyphle, where males do not seem to select females based on size and hypothesizethat this pattern may derive from a reduction in direct benefits to the male. We furtherhypothesize that if larger females do not persistently secure a higher reproductivesuccess, either through pre‐ or postcopulatory sexual selection, a decrease insexual size dimorphism in the Baltic population should be apparent, especially whencontrasted with a well‐studied population, inhabiting similar latitudes (Swedish westcoast), where males prefer larger females. We found that, in the Baltic population,variation in female quality is low. We were unable to find differences in abortion ratesor protein concentration in oocytes produced by females of contrasting sizes. Directbenefits from mating with large partners seem, thus, reduced in the Baltic population.We also found no evidence of any postcopulatory mechanism that could favorlarger mothers as embryo development was unrelated to female size. While femalesize can still be selected through intrasexual competition or fecundity selection, thepressure for large female body size seems to be lower in the Baltic. Accordingly, wefound a noticeable decrease in sexual size dimorphism in the Baltic population. Weconclude that, although far from negating the significance of other selective processes,sexual selection seems to have a decisive role in supporting pipefish sexualsize asymmetries.

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  • 43.
    Dahlgren, Elin
    et al.
    Södertörn University, School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies. Swedish Environm Protect Agcy.
    Lehtilä, Kari
    Södertörn University, School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Environmental Science.
    Tolerance to apical and leaf damage of Raphanus raphanistrum in different competitive regimes2015In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 5, no 22, p. 5193-5202Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Tolerance to herbivory is an adaptation that promotes regrowth and maintains fitness in plants after herbivore damage. Here, we hypothesized that the effect of competition on tolerance can be different for different genotypes within a species and we tested how tolerance is affected by competitive regime and damage type. We inflicted apical or leaf damage in siblings of 29 families of an annual plant Raphanus raphanistrum (Brassicaceae) grown at high or low competition. There was a negative correlation of family tolerance levels between competition treatments: plant families with high tolerance to apical damage in the low competition treatment had low tolerance to apical damage in the high competition treatment and vice versa. We found no costs of tolerance, in terms of a trade-off between tolerance to apical and leaf damage or between tolerance and competitive ability, or an allocation cost in terms of reduced fitness of highly tolerant families in the undamaged state. High tolerance bound to a specific competitive regime may entail a cost in terms of low tolerance if competitive regime changes. This could act as a factor maintaining genetic variation for tolerance.

  • 44.
    Dalerum, Fredrik
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology. University of Oviedo, Spain; University of Pretoria, South Africa.
    Retief, Tarryn Anne
    Havemann, Carl Peter
    Chimimba, Christian T.
    van Rensburg, Berndt Janse
    The influence of distance to perennial surface water on ant communities in Mopane woodlands, northern Botswana2019In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 9, no 1, p. 154-165Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Studies of biodiversity along environmental gradients provide information on how ecological communities change in response to biotic and abiotic factors. For instance, distance to water is associated with several factors that shape the structure and the functioning of ecosystems at a range of spatial scales. We investigated the influence of distance to a perennial water source on ant communities in a semi-arid savanna in northern Botswana. Ant abundance, taxonomic richness, and both alpha and beta diversity were generally higher during the wet than the dry season. However, there were strong seasonal influences on the effects of distance to water, with more pronounced effects during the wet season. While both abundance and beta diversity declined with increasing distances to water during the wet season, there was a contrasting increase in alpha diversity. There was no major effect of distance to water on taxonomic richness during either season. Beta diversity was as high across as along gradients, and we found support for modular rather than nested community structures along gradients. Our study demonstrated that small-scale gradients in distance to water can influence several aspects of ant communities in semi-arid savannas. However, our results also point to strong effects of small-scale environmental variation, for instance associated with vegetation characteristics, soil properties, and plant community structure that are not directly linked to water access.

  • 45. Daňková, Klára
    et al.
    Nicholas, Sarah
    Nordström, Karin
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Cell Biology, Research Group Karin Nordström. Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
    Temperature during pupal development affects hoverfly developmental time, adult life span, and wing length2023In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 13, no 10, article id e10516Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Hoverflies (Diptera, Syrphidae) are cosmopolitan, generalist flower visitors and among the most important pollinators after bees and bumblebees. The dronefly Eristalis tenax can be found in temperate and continental climates across the globe, often synanthropically. Eristalis tenax pupae of different generations and different climate zones are thus exposed to vastly different temperatures. In many insects, the ambient temperature during the pupal stage affects development, adult size, and survival; however, the effect of developmental temperature on these traits in hoverflies is comparatively poorly understood. We here reared E. tenax pupae at different temperatures, from 10°C to 25°C, and quantified the effect on adult hoverflies. We found that pupal rearing at 17°C appeared to be optimal, with high eclosion rates, longer wings, and increased adult longevity. Rearing temperatures above or below this optimum led to decreased eclosion rates, wing size, and adult survival. Similar thermal dependence has been observed in other insects. We found that rearing temperature had no significant effect on locomotor activity, coloration or weight, despite evidence of strong sexual dimorphism for each of these traits. Our findings are important as hoverflies are key pollinators, and understanding the effects of developmental temperature could potentially be useful for horticulture.

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  • 46. de Heij, Maaike E.
    et al.
    Gustafsson, Lars
    Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Evolution. Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal ecology.
    Brommer, Jon E.
    Experimental manipulation shows that the white wing patch in collared flycatchers is a male sexual ornament2011In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 1, no 4Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Descriptive analysis suggests that a conspicuous white wing patch in dichromatic (black and white) pied and collared flycatchers is under sexual selection. Here, we use an experimental approach to test whether this trait is indeed the target of selection. We caught 100 collared flycatcher Ficedula albicollis males soon after their arrival on the breeding site. We reduced (blackened) part of the white wing patch in half of these males and recorded their mating success and within and extra-pair offspring production. Reduction of the size of the white wing patch lowered a male's probability to attract a secondary social female, but not a primary female. However, primary females paired to males with a reduced wing patch were smaller (in tarsus), suggesting that male choice of partner or female-female competition over mates occurs in this species. The probability of pairing with a primary female (but not other components of male reproductive success) declined with arrival time (proxied by the date of capture). Males with a reduced wing patch size tended to sire less extra-pair offspring, although this relationship was reversed in one of the three study plots, suggesting that mating dynamics are context dependent. While our findings show that wing patch size is the target of sexual selection, the pathways and the strength of selection on this ornament differed markedly from a previous descriptive study. Nonexperimental studies of sexual selection in the wild may overestimate its importance because male fitness and ornamentation both depend positively on environmental conditions.

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  • 47. De Luca, P. A.
    et al.
    Buchmann, S.
    Galen, C.
    Mason, A. C.
    Vallejo‐Marín, Mario
    Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
    Does body size predict the buzz-pollination frequencies used by bees?2019In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 9, no 8, p. 4875-4887Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Body size is an important trait linking pollinators and plants. Morphological matching between pollinators and plants is thought to reinforce pollinator fidelity, as the correct fit ensures that both parties benefit from the interaction. We investigated the influence of body size in a specialized pollination system (buzz-pollination) where bees vibrate flowers to release pollen concealed within poricidal stamens. Specifically, we explored how body size influences the frequency of buzz-pollination vibrations. Body size is expected to affect frequency as a result of the physical constraints it places on the indirect flight muscles that control the production of floral vibrations. Larger insects beat their wings less rapidly than smaller-bodied insects when flying, but whether similar scaling relationships exist with floral vibrations has not been widely explored. This is important because the amount of pollen ejected is determined by the frequency of the vibration and the displacement of a bee's thorax. We conducted a field study in three ecogeographic regions (alpine, desert, grassland) and recorded flight and floral vibrations from freely foraging bees from 27 species across four families. We found that floral vibration frequencies were significantly higher than flight frequencies, but never exceeded 400Hz. Also, only flight frequencies were negatively correlated with body size. As a bee's size increased, its buzz ratio (floral frequency/flight frequency) increased such that only the largest bees were capable of generating floral vibration frequencies that exceeded double that of their flight vibrations. These results indicate size affects the capacity of bees to raise floral vibration frequencies substantially above flight frequencies. This may put smaller bees at a competitive disadvantage because even at the maximum floral vibration frequency of 400Hz, their inability to achieve comparable thoracic displacements as larger bees would result in generating vibrations with lower amplitudes, and thus less total pollen ejected for the same foraging effort.

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  • 48. Delling, B.
    et al.
    Palm, S.
    Palkopoulou, E.
    Prestegaard, T.
    Genetic signs of multiple colonization events in Baltic ciscoes with radiation into sympatric spring- and autumn-spawners confined to early postglacial arrival2014In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 4Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Presence of sympatric populations may reflect local diversification or secondary contact of already distinct forms. The Baltic cisco (Coregonus albula) normally spawns in late autumn, but in a few lakes in Northern Europe sympatric autumn and spring- or winter-spawners have been described. So far, the evolutionary relationships and taxonomic status of these main life history forms have remained largely unclear. With microsatellites and mtDNA sequences, we analyzed extant and extinct spring- and autumn-spawners from a total of 23 Swedish localities, including sympatric populations. Published sequences from Baltic ciscoes in Germany and Finland, and Coregonus sardinella from North America were also included together with novel mtDNA sequences from Siberian C.sardinella. A clear genetic structure within Sweden was found that included two population assemblages markedly differentiated at microsatellites and apparently fixed for mtDNA haplotypes from two distinct clades. All sympatric Swedish populations belonged to the same assemblage, suggesting parallel evolution of spring-spawning rather than secondary contact. The pattern observed further suggests that postglacial immigration to Northern Europe occurred from at least two different refugia. Previous results showing that mtDNA in Baltic cisco is paraphyletic with respect to North American C.sardinella were confirmed. However, the inclusion of Siberian C.sardinella revealed a more complicated pattern, as these novel haplotypes were found within one of the two main C.albula clades and were clearly distinct from those in North American C.sardinella. The evolutionary history of Northern Hemisphere ciscoes thus seems to be more complex than previously recognized.

  • 49.
    Delling, Bo
    Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Zoology.
    Evolution and disappearance of sympatric Coregonus albula ina changing environment—A case study of the only remainingpopulation pair in Sweden2019In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 9, no 22, p. 12727-12753Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    During the past 50 years, Fennoscandian populations of spring‐spawning Baltic cisco

    (

    Coregonus albula), sympatric to common autumn‐spawners, have declined or disappeared;

    for example, three out of four known spring‐spawning populations in Sweden

    are regarded as extinct. Over the same period, the climate has changed and populations

    have been subject to other anthropogenic stressors. We compared historic

    (1960s) and recent (1990–000s) morphological data from the still‐existent sympatric

    cisco populations in Lake Fegen, Sweden. Phenotypic changes were found for

    spring‐spawners making them more similar to the sympatric autumn‐spawners that

    had remained virtually unchanged. Based on results for other salmoniform fishes,

    a phenotypically plastic response to increased temperature during early development

    appears unlikely. The recent material was also analyzed with microsatellite

    markers; long‐term effective population size in spring‐spawners was estimated to

    be about 20 times lower than autumn‐spawners, with signs of long‐term gene flow

    in both directions and a recent genetic bottleneck in spring‐spawners. We suggest

    the change toward a less distinct phenotype in spring‐spawners to reflect a recent

    increase in gene flow from autumn‐spawners. Time since divergence was estimated

    to only

    c. 1,900 years (95% CI: 400–5,900), but still the Fegen populations represent

    the most morphologically and genetically distinct sympatric populations studied.

    Consequently, we hypothesize that less distinct population pairs can be even

    younger and that spring‐spawning may have repeatedly evolved and disappeared in

    several lakes since the end of the last glaciation, concurrent with changed environmental

    conditions.

  • 50.
    Delling, Bo
    et al.
    Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Zoology.
    Palm, Stefan
    Palkopoulou, Eleftheria
    Prestegaard, Tore
    Genetic signs of multiple colonization events in Baltic ciscoes with radiation into sympatric spring- and autumnspawners confined to early postglacial arrival2014In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 4, no 22, p. 4346-4360Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Presence of sympatric populations may reflect local diversification or secondary contact of already distinct forms. The Baltic cisco (Coregonus albula) normally spawns in late autumn, but in a few lakes in Northern Europe sympatric autumn and spring- or winter-spawners have been described. So far, the evolutionary relationships and taxonomic status of these main life history forms have remained largely unclear. With microsatellites and mtDNA sequences, we analyzed extant and extinct spring- and autumn-spawners from a total of 23 Swedish localities, including sympatric populations. Published sequences from Baltic ciscoes in Germany and Finland, and Coregonus sardinella from North America were also included together with novel mtDNA sequences from Siberian C. sardinella. A clear genetic structure within Sweden was found that included two population assemblages markedly differentiated at microsatellites and apparently fixed for mtDNA haplotypes from two distinct clades. All sympatric Swedish populations belonged to the same assemblage, suggesting parallel evolution of spring-spawning rather than secondary contact. The pattern observed further suggests that postglacial immigration to Northern Europe occurred from at least two different refugia. Previous results showing that mtDNA in Baltic cisco is paraphyletic with respect to North American C. sardinella were confirmed. However, the inclusion of Siberian C. sardinella revealed a more complicated pattern, as these novel haplotypes were found within one of the two main C. albula clades and were clearly distinct from those in North American C. sardinella. The evolutionary history of Northern Hemisphere ciscoes thus seems to be more complex than previously recognized.

    Download full text (pdf)
    fulltext
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