Positive effects of an invasive shrub on aggregation and abundance of a native small rodent

Malo, Aurelio F.; Godsall, Ben; Prebble, Clare E. M.; Grange, Zoë; McCandless, Samantha; Taylor, Andrew D.; Coulson, Tim

doi:10.1093/beheco/ars202

Cited by 47 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…), and the density of individuals is higher within patches of Rhododendron (Malo et al . ), it could be the case that the negative effect of cover seen here is an effect of population density.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…First, we have found higher densities of individuals in habitat patches providing cover at our study site (Malo et al . ). During the breeding period, females select patches high in Rhododendron or bamboo cover to establish breeding territories, which reduce predation risk, maximizing their reproductive success (Wolff & Peterson ; Bond & Wolff ; Ecuyer‐Dab & Robert ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…This is likely to be due to a relaxation of territoriality as competition was reduced with the end of breeding (Montgomery & Gurnell ; Wolton & Flowerdew ; Malo et al . ). No significant relationship was found between HRR size and the proportion of fallen trees in any season.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…We have previously shown that larger males force smaller individuals out of Rhododendron areas early in the breeding season (Malo et al . ) where female density is higher. Females, on the other hand, seek to control small, good‐quality territories, which are easier to defend from potential infanticide and invading female conspecifics (Wolton & Flowerdew ; Maestripieri ; Palanza & Parmigiani ; Wolff & Peterson ; Wolff ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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From physiology to space use: energy reserves and androgenization explain home‐range size variation in a woodland rodent

Godsall

Coulson

Malo

2013

Journal of Animal Ecology

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Summary1. This study tested the relationships between both individual-level and predation-risk factors and the size of two home-range regions (HRR), defined as areas of different intensities of use. 2. We have expanded on previous home-range studies by testing the effects of two previously ignored individual-level factors: androgenization and energy reserves (body fat). 3. Location data were collected for wild individuals of Apodemus sylvaticus using the novel method of implanted PIT tags and mobile recording stations. A total of 68 home ranges were estimated using kernel density estimation. Home ranges were split into two regions (HRR): the 'core', representing the most intensively used areas, and 'periphery' regions. Body mass, body fat, sex, anogenital distance (AGD) (a proxy for androgenization) and the proportion of HRR, covered by antipredatory features (shrubs and fallen trees), were tested for their relationship with the size of core and periphery HRRs. Models were constructed for each HRR for three seasons: nonbreeding season (NBS), early and late breeding seasons (LBSs), to account for seasonal variation in behaviour associated with changes in food abundance and reproductive cycles. 4. Body fat had a negative relationship with periphery size and an interaction with sex on core size in the early breeding season (EBS). Body mass also had a significant interaction with sex on core size in the EBS. Androgenization has a strong effect on home range size in both sexes: AGD had a positive relationship with both HRRs for males in the LBS and females in the NBS. Males had larger peripheries than females in both early and LBSs. Habitat features that reduce predation risk explain HRR size throughout the breeding period. 5. This study emphasizes the importance of embracing natural complexity to gain insight into the drivers of space use behaviour; the consideration of individual and ecological factors, the recognition of the species-specific selective pressures that seasonal change presents for each sex and the identification of biologically meaningful home range areas will help advance the field.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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From physiology to space use: energy reserves and androgenization explain home‐range size variation in a woodland rodent

Godsall

Coulson

Malo

2013

Journal of Animal Ecology

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“…However, Peromyscus leucopus are polygamous, and males will aggressively exclude other males from home ranges that overlap those of up to several females [44]. In an ecologically equivalent woodland rodent species [45], variance in reproductive success was over two times higher in males than in females (B. Godsall, T. Coulson, A. F. Malo 2015, unpublished results).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A father effect explains sex-ratio bias

et al. 2017

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Sex ratio allocation has important fitness consequences, and theory predicts that parents should adjust offspring sex ratio in cases where the fitness returns of producing male and female offspring vary. The ability of fathers to bias offspring sex ratios has traditionally been dismissed given the expectation of an equal proportion of X-and Y-chromosome-bearing sperm (CBS) in ejaculates due to segregation of sex chromosomes at meiosis. This expectation has been recently refuted. Here we used Peromyscus leucopus to demonstrate that sex ratio is explained by an exclusive effect of the father, and suggest a likely mechanism by which male-driven sex-ratio bias is attained. We identified a male sperm morphological marker that is associated with the mechanism leading to sex ratio bias; differences among males in the sperm nucleus area (a proxy for the sex chromosome that the sperm contains) explain 22% variation in litter sex ratio. We further show the role played by the sperm nucleus area as a mediator in the relationship between individual genetic variation and sexratio bias. Fathers with high levels of genetic variation had ejaculates with a higher proportion of sperm with small nuclei area. This, in turn, led to siring a higher proportion of sons (25% increase in sons per 0.1 decrease in the inbreeding coefficient). Our results reveal a plausible mechanism underlying unexplored male-driven sex-ratio biases. We also discuss why this pattern of paternal bias can be adaptive. This research puts to rest the idea that father contribution to sex ratio variation should be disregarded in vertebrates, and will stimulate research on evolutionary constraints to sex ratios-for example, whether fathers and mothers have divergent, coinciding, or neutral sex allocation interests. Finally, these results offer a potential explanation for those intriguing cases in which there are sex ratio biases, such as in humans.

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Invasive grass (Microstegium vimineum) indirectly benefits spider community by subsidizing available prey

Landsman

Burghardt

Bowman

2020

Ecology and Evolution

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Invasive plant species cause a suite of direct, negative ecological impacts, but subsequent, indirect effects are more complex and difficult to detect. Where identified, indirect effects to other taxa can be wide‐ranging and include ecological benefits in certain habitats or locations. Here, we simultaneously examine the direct and indirect effects of a common, invasive grass species ( Microstegium vimineum ) on the invertebrate communities of understory deciduous forests in the eastern United States. To do this, we use two complementary analytic approaches to compare invaded and reference plots: (a) community composition analysis of understory arthropod taxa and (b) analysis of isotopic carbon and nitrogen ratios of a representative predatory spider species. Invaded plots contained a significantly greater abundance of nearly all taxa, including predators, herbivores, and detritivores. Spider communities contained over seven times more individuals and exhibited greater species diversity and richness in invaded plots. Surprisingly, however, the abundant invertebrate community is not nutritionally supported by the invasive plant, despite 100% ground cover of M. vimineum . Instead, spider isotopic carbon ratios showed that the invertebrate prey community found within invaded plots was deriving energy from the plant tissue of C 3 plants and not the prevalent, aboveground M. vimineum . Synthesis and applications . We demonstrate that invasive M. vimineum can create non‐nutritional ecological benefits for some invertebrate taxa, with potential impacts to the nutritional dynamics of invertebrate–vertebrate food webs. These positive impacts, however, may be restricted to habitats that experience high levels of ungulate herbivory or reduced vegetative structural complexity. Our results highlight the importance of fully understanding taxon‐ and habitat‐specific effects of invading plant species when prioritizing invasive species removal or management efforts.

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Positive effects of an invasive shrub on aggregation and abundance of a native small rodent

Cited by 47 publications

References 69 publications

From physiology to space use: energy reserves and androgenization explain home‐range size variation in a woodland rodent

From physiology to space use: energy reserves and androgenization explain home‐range size variation in a woodland rodent

A father effect explains sex-ratio bias

Invasive grass (Microstegium vimineum) indirectly benefits spider community by subsidizing available prey

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