9 documents found, page 1 of 1
Local and regional rarity in a diverse tropical fish assemblage
Hercos, A. P.; Sobansky, M.; Queiroz, Helder Lima de; Magurran, Anne E.Because most species in an ecological assemblage are rare, much of the species richness we value is due to taxa with few individuals or a restricted distribution. It has been apparent since the time of ecological pioneers such as Bates and Darwin that tropical systems have disproportionately large numbers of rare species, yet the distribution and abundance patterns of these species remain largely unknown. Here,...
BioTIME: A database of biodiversity time series for the Anthropocene
Dornelas, Maria; Antão, Laura H.; Moyes, Faye; Bates, Amanda E.; Magurran, Anne E.; Adam, Dušan; Akhmetzhanova, Asem A.; Appeltans, WardMotivation The BioTIME database contains raw data on species identities and abundances in ecological assemblages through time. These data enable users to calculate temporal trends in biodiversity within and amongst assemblages using a broad range of metrics. BioTIME is being developed as a community-led open-source database of biodiversity time series. Our goal is to accelerate and facilitate quantitative analy...
Forced monogamy in a multiply mating species does not impede colonisation success
Deacon, Amy E.; Barbosa, Miguel; Magurran, Anne E.BACKGROUND: The guppy (Poecilia reticulata) is a successful invasive species. It is also a species that mates multiply; previous studies have demonstrated that this strategy carries fitness benefits. Guppies are routinely introduced to tanks and troughs in regions outside their native range for mosquito-control purposes, and often spread beyond these initial confines into natural water bodies with negative ecol...
Courtship display persists despite early social deprivation
Barbosa, Miguel; Ojanguren, Alfredo F.; Magurran, Anne E.Early experience is known to be important in the development of mating behaviour. The behavioural and chemical stimuli obtained by observing adults interacting are thought to operate as template by which young acquire the ability to sexually display when appropriate. But, while the importance of early social interactions for the development of mating behaviour is well accepted, how social deprivation at differe...
Diversity is maintained by seasonal variation in species abundance
Shimadzu, Hideyasu; Dornelas, Maria; Henderson, Peter A.; Magurran, Anne E.BACKGROUND: Some of the most marked temporal fluctuations in species abundances are linked to seasons. In theory, multispecies assemblages can persist if species use shared resources at different times, thereby minimizing interspecific competition. However, there is scant empirical evidence supporting these predictions and, to the best of our knowledge, seasonal variation has never been explored in the context ...
Quantifying temporal change in biodiversity: challenges and opportunities
Dornelas, Maria; Magurran, Anne E.; Buckland, Stephen T.; Chao, Anne; Chazdon, Robin L.; Colwell, Robert K.; Curtis, Tom; Gaston, Kevin J.Growing concern about biodiversity loss underscores the need to quantify and understand temporal change. Here, we review the opportunities presented by biodiversity time series, and address three related issues: (i) recognizing the characteristics of temporal data; (ii) selecting appropriate statistical procedures for analysing temporal data; and (iii) inferring and forecasting biodiversity change. With regard ...
Fitness consequences of female multiple mating: a direct test of indirect benefits
Barbosa, Miguel; Connolly, Sean R.; Hisano, Mizue; Dornelas, Maria; Magurran, Anne E.The observation that females mate multiply when males provide nothing but sperm - which sexual selection theory suggests is unlikely to be limiting - continues to puzzle evolutionary biologists. Here we test the hypothesis that multiple mating is prevalent under such circumstances because it enhances female fitness. We do this by allowing female Trinidadian guppies to mate with either a single male or with mult...
Abundance and dominance become less predictable as species richness decreases
Dornelas, Maria; Phillip, Dawn A. T.; Magurran, Anne E.Aim To test the hypothesis that communities with higher diversity have more predictable properties by examining patterns of community structure along a species richness gradient. Location Trinidad and Tobago (11°00 N, 61°00 W), on the South American continental shelf, opposite the Orinoco River delta, north-east Venezuela. Methods We used quantile regressions to investigate how three total abundance, absolute a...
Biological diversity in a changing world
Magurran, Anne E.; Dornelas, MariaFrom the pioneering explorations of Joseph Banks (later a President of the Royal Society), to the present day, a great deal has been learnt about the extent, distribution and stability of biological diversity in the world. We now know that diverse life can be found even in the most inhospitable places. We have also learned that biological diversity changes through time over both large and small temporal scales....