Covariation of diet and gut microbiome in African megafauna

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Год журнала: 2019, Номер 116(47), С. 23588 - 23593

Опубликована: Ноя. 4, 2019

A major challenge in biology is to understand how phylogeny, diet, and environment shape the mammalian gut microbiome. Yet most studies of nonhuman microbiomes have relied on relatively coarse dietary categorizations focused either individual wild populations or captive animals that are sheltered from environmental pressures, which may obscure effects variation microbiome composition diverse natural communities. We analyzed plant bacterial DNA fecal samples an assemblage 33 sympatric large-herbivore species (27 native, 6 domesticated) a semiarid East African savanna, enabled high-resolution assessment seasonal both diet composition. Phylogenetic relatedness strongly predicted (r = 0.91) was weakly but significantly correlated with 0.20). Dietary diversity did not predict across within any except kudu; however, species. found spectrum sensitivity at diet-microbiome nexus: Seasonal changes explained 25% Species' positions (and deviations from) this were obviously driven by body size, digestive strategy, composition; domesticated tended exhibit greater turnover than wildlife. Our results reveal marked differences influence degree covariation free-ranging megafauna, well canonical predictors nutritional ecology.

Язык: Английский

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Dynamic landscapes of fear: understanding spatiotemporal risk

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 37(10), С. 911 - 925

Опубликована: Июль 8, 2022

Язык: Английский

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Cascading extinctions as a hidden driver of insect decline

Ecological Entomology, Год журнала: 2020, Номер 46(4), С. 743 - 756

Опубликована: Ноя. 30, 2020

1. The decline in insect abundance and diversity observed many ecosystems is of major concern because the long‐term consequences for ecosystem function stability. 2. Species ecological communities are connected through interactions forming complex networks. Therefore, initial extinctions can cause further species losses co‐extinctions extinction cascades, where single lead to waves secondary extinctions. Such knock‐on effects multiply impact disturbances, thereby largely adding erosion biodiversity. However, our knowledge their importance current hampered challenging both detect predict. 3. In this review, we bring together theory about light main drivers decline. We evaluate potential evidence cascading different identify pathways. By providing selected examples discuss how habitat loss, pollution, invasions, climate change overexploitation argue that loss pollution particular have largest such by changing community structure, physical environment, robustness. 4. Overall, part an ecosystems' response anthropogenic but so far not explicitly measured contribution when evaluating biodiversity loss. This necessary predict find strategies buffer against devastating change.

Язык: Английский

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Resolving Food-Web Structure

Annual Review of Ecology Evolution and Systematics, Год журнала: 2020, Номер 51(1), С. 55 - 80

Опубликована: Июль 31, 2020

Food webs are a major focus and organizing theme of ecology, but the data used to assemble them deficient. Early debates over food-web focused on taxonomic resolution completeness, lack which had produced spurious inferences. Recent widely believed be much better extensively in theoretical meta-analytic research network ecology. Confidence these rests assumptions ( a) that empiricists correctly identified consumers their foods b) sampling methods were adequate detect near-comprehensive fraction trophic interactions between species. Abundant evidence indicates often invalid, suggesting most topological may remain unreliable for inferences about structure underlying ecological evolutionary processes. Morphologically cryptic species ubiquitous across taxa regions, many routinely evade detection by conventional methods. Molecular have diagnosed severity problems necessary part cure.

Язык: Английский

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The generality of cryptic dietary niche differences in diverse large-herbivore assemblages

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 119(35)

Опубликована: Авг. 22, 2022

Ecological niche differences are necessary for stable species coexistence but often difficult to discern. Models of dietary differentiation in large mammalian herbivores invoke the quality, quantity, and spatiotemporal distribution plant tissues growth forms agnostic toward food identity. Empirical support these models is variable, suggesting that additional mechanisms resource partitioning may be important sustaining large-herbivore diversity African savannas. We used DNA metabarcoding conduct a taxonomically explicit analysis diets across southeastern Africa, analyzing ∼4,000 fecal samples 30 from 10 sites seven countries over 6 y. detected 893 taxa 124 families, just two families—grasses legumes—accounted majority herbivore diets. Nonetheless, almost invariably partitioned taxa; diet composition differed significantly 97% pairwise comparisons between sympatric species, dissimilarity was pronounced even strictest grazers (grass eaters), browsers (nongrass closest relatives at each site. Niche weakest an ecosystem recovering catastrophic defaunation, indicating driven by interactions, stronger low rainfall, as expected if interspecific competition predominant driver. Diets more than grazers, which predictably shaped community organization: Grazer-dominated trophic networks had higher nestedness lower modularity. That structured along taxonomic lines complements prior work on how partition parts patches suggests common govern assembly

Язык: Английский

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Biotic responses to climate extremes in terrestrial ecosystems

iScience, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 25(7), С. 104559 - 104559

Опубликована: Июнь 9, 2022

Anthropogenic climate change is increasing the incidence of extremes. Consequences extremes on biodiversity can be highly detrimental, yet few studies also suggest beneficial effects certain organisms. To obtain a general understanding ecological responses to extremes, we present review how 16 major taxonomic/functional groups (including microorganisms, plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates) respond during extreme drought, precipitation, temperature. Most negatively events, whereas such as mosses, legumes, trees, vertebrate predators most We further highlight that recovery after challenging predict purely based or immediately By accounting for characteristics recovering species, resource availability, species interactions with neighboring competitors facilitators, mutualists, enemies, outline conceptual framework better in terrestrial ecosystems.

Язык: Английский

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Ecology and Neurobiology of Fear in Free-Living Wildlife

Annual Review of Ecology Evolution and Systematics, Год журнала: 2020, Номер 51(1), С. 297 - 318

Опубликована: Ноя. 2, 2020

The ecology of fear concerns the population-, community-, and ecosystem-level consequences behavioral interactions between predators prey, i.e., aggregate impacts individual responses to life-threatening events. We review new experiments demonstrating that itself is powerful enough affect population growth rate in free-living wild birds mammals, large carnivores—or human super predator—can cause trophic cascades affecting plant invertebrate abundance. Life-threatening events like escaping a predator can have enduring, even lifelong, effects on brain, interdisciplinary research neurobiology animals both providing insights into post-traumatic stress (PTSD) reinforcing likely commonality population- community-level nature. Failing consider thus risks dramatically underestimating total impact prey populations critical role predator-prey play shaping ecosystems.

Язык: Английский

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Multiple dimensions of dietary diversity in large mammalian herbivores

Journal of Animal Ecology, Год журнала: 2020, Номер 89(6), С. 1482 - 1496

Опубликована: Март 12, 2020

Theory predicts that trophic specialization (i.e. low dietary diversity) should make consumer populations sensitive to environmental disturbances. Yet diagnosing is complicated both by the difficulty of precisely quantifying diet composition and definitional ambiguity: what makes a 'diverse'? We sought characterize relationship between taxonomic diversity (TDD) phylogenetic (PDD) in species-rich community large mammalian herbivores semi-arid East African savanna. hypothesized TDD PDD would be positively correlated within among species, because taxonomically diverse diets are likely include plants from many lineages. By using DNA metabarcoding analyse 1,281 faecal samples collected across multiple seasons, we compiled high-resolution profiles for 25 sympatric large-herbivore species. For each these populations, calculated with reference library local plants. Contrary our hypothesis, measures were either uncorrelated or negatively other. Thus, metrics reflect distinct dimensions In general, grazers ruminants exhibited greater TDD, but lower PDD, than did browsers non-ruminants. found significant seasonal variation and/or all four species (Grevy's zebra, buffalo, elephant, Grant's gazelle); however, was consistent seasons one 12 best-sampled (plains zebra). Our results show generalists can specialists, vice versa. These two suggest contrasting implications efforts predict how consumers will respond climate change other perturbations. example, may phylogenetically 'random' losses food whereas comparatively more changes disadvantage entire plant lineages-and most vulnerable all.

Язык: Английский

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Private Equity and Physician Medical Practices — Navigating a Changing Ecosystem

New England Journal of Medicine, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 384(11), С. 981 - 983

Опубликована: Март 13, 2021

Interview with Dr. Jane Zhu on the growth of private-equity investment in medical practices. (08:03)Download In recent years, firms have emerged as influential players health care market, offering a lifeline to smaller groups needing competitive edge. The has generated intense interest potential adverse effects.

Язык: Английский

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The precautionary principle and dietary DNA metabarcoding: Commonly used abundance thresholds change ecological interpretation

Molecular Ecology, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 31(6), С. 1615 - 1626

Опубликована: Янв. 19, 2022

Dietary DNA metabarcoding enables researchers to identify and characterize trophic interactions with a high degree of taxonomic precision. It is also sensitive sources bias contamination in the field laboratory. One earliest most common strategies for dealing such sensitivities has been remove all low-abundance sequences conduct ecological analyses based on presence or absence food taxa. Although this step now often perceived be necessary, evidence its sufficiency lacking more attention risk introducing other errors needed. Using computer simulations, we demonstrate that can erroneously eliminate true dietary ways impact downstream inferences. real data from well-studied wildlife populations Yellowstone National Park, further show how these markedly alter composition profiles scale-up obscure interpretations about generalism, specialism, composition. practice removing may continue useful strategy address research questions focus subset relatively abundant foods, continued widespread use risks generating misleading perceptions structure networks. Researchers working data-or similar as environmental DNA, microbiomes, pathobiomes-should aware drawbacks consider alternative bioinformatic, experimental, statistical solutions.

Язык: Английский

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