2009 Spring publications in Department of Ecology and Evolution
Updated 09.21.2009 (Sorted by first author's last name)
Author:
Akcakaya, H.R. and B.W. Brook. 2008.
Title:
Methods for determining viability of wildlife populations in large landscapes. Pages 449-471 in: Models for Planning Wildlife Conservation in Large Landscapes.
Journal:
J.J. Millspaugh and F.R. Thompson, III (editors). Elsevier/Academic Press, Burlington, MA.
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
We review methods of population viability analysis (PVA) as applied to
wildlife populations in large landscapes. For these populations,
viability analysis requires careful consideration of the issues of
spatial heterogeneity and scaling of ecological processes, habitat
connectedness (including "permeability of the intervening matrix",
and temporal dynamics of the landscape. Spatially structured models
used for large-scale PVA include occupancy models, grid-based lattice
models, demographically structured metapopulation models, and
individual-based models. We discussed the assumptions and limitations
of model types and the context within which each is more appropriate.
Population viability analyses in large landscapes often require the
definition of distinct subpopulations, which in turn depend critically
on the spatial scale of, and barriers to, dispersal in relation to the
distribution of suitable habitat. Another important factor is the
effect of landscape dynamics on the temporal variability of the
habitat, and hence on the dynamics of the wildlife populations.
Viability of species in dynamic landscapes depends on the interaction
between landscape change (the pattern, scale, rate, and direction of
landscape changes in size, structure, and quality) and the species?
ecology (its ability to disperse between and grow in the habitat
patches or make use of the matrix). Spatial separation of populations
can also provide the opportunity to validate the generality and
applicability of model predictions in the absence of long-term monitoring data.
Author:
Akcakaya, H.R., J. D. Stark, and T. S. Bridges (editors). 2008.
Title:
Demographic Toxicity: Methods in Ecological Risk Assessment.
Journal:
Oxford University Press, New York.
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
Demographic toxicity is the ecological impact of a pollutant or
toxicant on the population(s) of a plant or animal species. Such
toxicity is measured in terms of population-level endpoints, such as
risk of decline and population growth rate, rather than
individual-level endpoints. In recent years, use of these methods has
become increasingly popular in gauging the ecological consequences of
various chemicals. Yet despite a growing emphasis on the study of
living populations, there exist relatively few case studies or
applications of models for such assessments, leaving less experienced
researchers with no real guidelines with which to develop their own
models. This contributed volume offers population and metapopulation
models for a wide variety of species, focusing on the use of models to
evaluate the risks faced by these species due to a variety of
toxicants. Each chapter describes the application of a population
model to one species, with the aim of demonstrating how various life
history characteristics of that species are incorporated, how
ecotoxicological impacts are modeled, and how the results have been or
can be used in risk assessment. The accompanying CD-ROM includes data
files for each species modeled in the book, along with a demo version
of the RAMAS software used to create the models.
URL
Author:
Anderson, B., H.R. Akcakaya, M. Araujo, D. Fordham, E. Martinez-Meyer, W. Thuiller, B.W. Brook. 2009.
Title:
Dynamics of range margins for metapopulations under climate change.
Journal:
Proceedings of the Royal Society B 276:1415-1420.
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
We link spatially explicit climate change predictions to a dynamic
metapopulation model. Predictions of species' responses to climate
change incorporating metapopulation dynamics and elements of dispersal
allow us to explore the range margin dynamics for two lagomorphs of
conservation concern. Although the lagomorphs have very different
distribution patterns in both cases, shifts at the edge of the range
were more pronounced than shifts in the overall metapopulation. For
Romerolagus diazi (volcano rabbit), the lower elevation range limit
shifted upslope by approximately 700 m. This reduced the area occupied
by the metapopulation, as the mountain peak currently lacks suitable
vegetation. For Lepus timidus (European mountain hare), we modelled
the British metapopulation. Increasing the dispersive estimate caused
the metapopulation to shift faster on the northern range margin
(leading edge). By contrast, it caused the metapopulation to respond
to climate change slower, rather than faster, on the southern range
margin (trailing edge). The differential response of the leading and
trailing range margins and the relative sensitivity of range limits to
the climate change compared with that of the metapopulation centroid
have important implications for where conservation monitoring should
be targeted. Our study demonstrates the importance and possibility of
moving from simple bioclimatic envelope models to second-generation
models that incorporate both dynamic climate change and metapopulation dynamics.
Author:
Baillie, J.E.M., B. Collen, R. Amin, H.R. Akcakaya, S.H.M. Butchart, N. Brummitt, T.R. Meagher, M. Ram, C. Hilton-Taylor, and G.M. Mace. 2008.
Title:
Towards monitoring global biodiversity.
Journal:
Conservation Letters 1:18-26.
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
The world's governments have identified reducing the rate of
biodiversity loss as a global priority. However, we lack robust
measures of progress toward this target. Developing indicators that
are generally representative of trends in global biodiversity has
presented the scientific community with a significant challenge. Here
we discuss the development and implementation of the IUCN Red List
Index with a new sampled approach, permitting the assessment of the
conservation status and trends of large, speciose taxonomic groups.
This approach is based on the IUCN Red List and measures trends in
extinction risk through time. The challenges in developing this new
approach are addressed, including determining the species groups to be
included in the index, identifying the minimum adequate samples size,
and aggregating and weighting the index. Implementing this approach
will greatly increase understanding of the status of the world's
biodiversity by 2010, enabling the first assessment of a number of key groups.
URL
Author:
E.H. Battley. 2009.
Title:
Is electronic equivalence between substrate and product preferable to C-mol equivalence in representations of microbial anabolism applicable to "origin of life" environmental conditions?
Journal:
J. Theoret. Biol., (submitted).
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
N/A
Author:
Bourdeau, PE. 2009.
Title:
Prioritized phenotypic responses to combined predators in a marine snail.
Journal:
Ecology. (in press).
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
N/A
Author:
Burger, O. and Ginzburg, L.R. 2009.
Title:
Of size and extinction: A random walk model predicts the body size of lowest risk for mammals.
Journal:
Evolutionary Ecology Research (submitted).
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
N/A
Author:
Colyvan, M. and Ginzburg, L.R., 2009.
Title:
Analogical Thinking in Ecology.
Journal:
Quarterly Review of Biology (submitted).
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
N/A
Author:
Doall, M.H., Padilla, D.K., Lobue, C.P., Clapp, C., Webb, A.R., Hornstein, J. 2008.
Title:
Evaluating northern quahog (= hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria L.) restoration: are transplanted clams spawning and reconditioning?
Journal:
Journal of Shellfish Research 27(5):1069-1080.
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
N/A
Author:
Ginzburg, L.R. and Ferson, S., 2009.
Title:
Citations, anonymous ideas, and ecological engineering.
Journal:
Evolutionary Ecology Research (in press).
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
N/A
Author:
Ginzburg, L.R., Burger, O., and Damuth, J., 2009.
Title:
The May Threshold: size invariance of lifetime reproduction reflects adaptation against unstable population dynamics.
Journal:
Nature (submitted).
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
N/A
Author:
Catherine H. Graham and Paul V. A. Fine. 2008.
Title:
Phylogenetic beta diversity: linking ecological and evolutionary processes across space in time.
Journal:
Ecology Lteers, 11:1265-1277.
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
A key challenge in ecological research is to integrate data from different
scales to evaluate the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that influence
current patterns of biological diversity. We build on recent attempts to
incorporate phylogenetic information into traditional diversity analyses and
on existing research on beta diversity and phylogenetic community ecology.
Phylogenetic beta diversity (phylobetadiversity) measures the phylogenetic
distance among communities and as such allows us to connect local processes,
such as biotic interactions and environmental filtering, with more regional
processes including trait evolution and speciation. When combined with
traditional measures of beta diversity, environmental gradient analyses or
ecological niche modelling, phylobetadiversity can provide significant and
novel insights into the mechanisms underlying current patterns of biological
diversity.
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Author:
L.D. Hansen, R.S. Criddle, and E.H. Battley. 2009.
Title:
Biological calorimetry and the thermodynamics of the origination and evolution of life.
Journal:
Pure Appl. Chem., (in press).
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
N/A
Author:
J. Matthew Hoch and Brian Yuen. 2009.
Title:
AN INDIVIDUAL BARNACLE, SEMIBALANUS BALANOIDES, WITH TWO PENISES
Journal:
JOURNAL OF CRUSTACEAN BIOLOGY, 29(1):135-136.
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
During the late fall and early winter of 2007, we collected intertidal barnacles and
bserved reproductive activity. Among these, we found an otherwise normal barnacle that
had two penises. At least one of these penises is inferred to have retained normal
function and to have fertilized the egg brood of the barnacle's neighbor.
Author:
Inchausti, P. and Ginzburg, L.R. 2009.
Title:
Maternal effects mechanism of population cycling: a formidable competitor to the traditional predator-prey view.
Journal:
Phil. Tran. R. Soc. B. 364:1117-1124.
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
N/A
Author:
Karatayev, A.Y., L. E. Burlakova, V.A. Karatayev and D. K. Padilla. 2009.
Title:
Introduction, distribution, spread, and impacts of exotic freshwater gastropods in Texas.
Journal:
Hydrobiologia 619:181-194.
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
N/A
Author:
Keith, D.A, H.R. Akcakaya, W. Thuiller, G.F. Midgley, R.G. Pearson, S.J. Phillips, H.M. Regan, M.B. Araujo, T.G. Rebelo. 2008.
Title:
Predicting extinction risks under climate change: coupling stochastic population models with dynamic bioclimatic habitat models.
Journal:
Biology Letters 4:560-563.
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
Species responses to climate change may be influenced by changes in
available habitat, as well as population processes, species
interactions and interactions between demographic and landscape
dynamics. Current methods for assessing these responses fail to
provide an integrated view of these influences because they deal with
habitat change or population dynamics, but rarely both. In this study,
we linked a time series of habitat suitability models with spatially
explicit stochastic population models to explore factors that
influence the viability of plant species populations under stable and
changing climate scenarios in South African fynbos, a global
biodiversity hot spot. Results indicate that complex interactions
between life history, disturbance regime and distribution pattern
mediate species extinction risks under climate change. Our novel
mechanistic approach allows more complete and direct appraisal of
future biotic responses than do static bioclimatic habitat modelling
approaches, and will ultimately support development of more effective
conservation strategies to mitigate biodiversity losses due to climate change.
Author:
Levinton, J.S. 2009.
Title:
Marine Biology: Function, Biodiversity, Ecology, 3rd edition.
Journal:
New York, Oxford University Press, 588 pp.
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
N/A
Author:
Mace, G.M., N. Collar, K.J. Gaston, C. Hilton-Taylor, H.R. Akcakaya, N. Leader-Williams, E.J. Milner-Gulland and S.N. Stuart. 2008.
Title:
Quantification of extinction risk: IUCN's system for classifying threatened species.
Journal:
Conservation Biology 22:1424-1442.
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of
Threatened Species was increasingly used during the 1980s for
assessing the conservation status of species for policy and planning
purposes. This use stimulated the development of a new set of
quantitative criteria for listing species in the categories of threat:
Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable. These criteria,
which were intended to be applicable to all species except
microorganisms, were part of a broader system for classifying
threatened species, fully implemented by IUCN in 2000. The system and
the criteria have been widely used by conservation practitioners and
scientists and now underpin one indicator being used to assess the
Convention on Biological Diversity 2010 biodiversity target. We
describe the process and the technical background to the IUCN Red List
system. The criteria refer to fundamental biological processes
underlying population decline and extinction. But given major
differences between species, the threatening processes affecting them,
and the paucity of knowledge relating to most species, the IUCN system
had to be both broad and flexible to be applicable to the majority of
described species. The system was designed to measure the symptoms of
extinction risk, and uses 5 independent criteria relating to aspects
of population loss and range size decline. A species is assigned to a
threat category if it meets the quantitative threshold for at least
one criterion. The criteria and the accompanying rules and guidelines
used by IUCN are intended to increase the consistency, transparency,
and validity of its categorization system, but it necessitates some
compromises that affect the applicability of the system and the
species lists that result. In particular, choices were made over the
assessment of uncertainty, poorly known species, depleted species,
population decline, restricted ranges, and rarity; all of these affect
the way that red lists should be viewed and used. Processes related to
priority setting and the development of national red lists need to
take account of some assumptions in the formulation of the criteria.
Author:
Moen, D. S., and J. J. Wiens. 2009.
Title:
Phylogenetic evidence for competitively-driven divergence: body-size evolution in Caribbean treefrogs (Hylidae: Osteopilus).
Journal:
Evolution 63:195-214.
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
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Author:
Perino L.L., Padilla D.K., Doall M.H. 2008.
Title:
Testing the accuracy of morphological identification of northern quahog larvae.
Journal:
Journal of Shellfish Research 27:1081-1085.
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
N/A
Author:
Przeslawski R., Bourdeau P.E., Doall M.H.,, Pan J., Perino L., Padilla D.K. 2008.
Title:
The effects of a harmful alga on bivalve larval lipid stores.
Journal:
Harmful Algae 7:802-807.
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
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Author:
Fredric V. Vencl, Nelida E. Gomez, Kerstin Ploss, Wilhelm Boland. 2009.
Title:
The Chlorophyll Catabolite, Pheophorbide a, Confers Predation Resistance in a Larval Tortoise Beetle Shield Defense.
Journal:
J. Chem. Ecol., 35:281-288.
Abstract: <= click to show/hide
N/A
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