Precipitation alters interactions in a grassland ecological community

Deguines, Nicolas; Brashares, Justin S.; Prugh, Laura R.

doi:10.1111/1365-2656.12614

Cited by 36 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 61 publications

(115 reference statements)

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“…Our findings contradict the general assumption that precipitation is the overall driver framing the ecology of species in arid ecosystems (McCluney et al 2012, Deguines et al 2017. We even observed some unexpected results through indirect interdependencies.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…While direct relations among climatic conditions, invertebrates, vegetation, or reptiles have been frequently explored, to our knowledge, the multiple pathways along which climatic and biotic relations interact have rarely been examined. Results of studies simultaneously considering the effects from multiple pathways may differ fundamentally from those analyzing isolated climatic or biotic factors since single factors could be enhanced by synergistic or diminished by antagonistic pathways (Deguines et al 2017). Therefore, Ockendon (2014) recently advocated monitoring of multiple trophic levels to understand the overall effects of drivers of global change on single species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Functional traits determine the different effects of prey, predators, and climatic extremes on desert reptiles

2019

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Terrestrial reptiles are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Their highest density and diversity can be found in hot drylands, ecosystems which demonstrate extreme climatic conditions. However, reptiles are not isolated systems but part of a large species assemblage with many trophic dependencies. While direct relations among climatic conditions, invertebrates, vegetation, or reptiles have already been explored, to our knowledge, species’ responses to direct and indirect pathways of multiple climatic and biotic factors and their interactions have rarely been examined comprehensively. We investigated direct and indirect effects of climatic and biotic parameters on the individual (body condition) and population level (occupancy) of eight abundant lizard species with different functional traits in an arid Australian lizard community using a 30‐yr multi‐trophic monitoring study. We used structural equation modeling to disentangle single and interactive effects. We then assessed whether species could be grouped into functional groups according to their functional traits and their responses to different parameters. We found that lizard species differed strongly in how they responded to climatic and biotic factors. However, the factors to which they responded seemed to be determined by their functional traits. While responses on body condition were determined by habitat, activity time, and prey, responses on occupancy were determined by habitat specialization, body size, and longevity. Our findings highlight the importance of indirect pathways through climatic and biotic interactions, which should be included into predictive models to increase accuracy when predicting species’ responses to climate change. Since one might never obtain all mechanistic pathways at the species level, we propose an approach of identifying relevant species traits that help grouping species into functional groups at different ecological levels, which could then be used for predictive modeling.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional traits determine the different effects of prey, predators, and climatic extremes on desert reptiles

2019

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“…The effect that rainfall can have over a species biotic potential in arid ecosystems is well known [25,26]; however, the effect of short term fluctuations on anuran egg survival is less known. This is particularly important for frogs from African savannahs, as rainfall patterns are projected to change throughout the twenty-first century [6].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Natural Egg Mortality of the African Grey Tree Frog, Chiromantis xerampelina (Amphibia: Rhacophoridae)

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2017

Journal of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry

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Rainfall patterns are recognised as important for normal ecosystem functioning in arid environments. Most attempts made to understand the effect of rainfall on amphibian ecology have focused on long-term rather than short-term trends. Here, factors effecting embryonic mortality and clutch size of the African foam nesting frog Chiromantis xerampelina were examined at two ponds from April -June in 2011-2012 in Malawi. A total of 73 foam nests were monitored following spawning. On average 29% of eggs in 2011 and 26% in 2012 suffered mortality from both ponds and this mortality significantly varied between nests. Linear regression showed that the date of spawning had a significant effect on mortality due to moisture requirements of the eggs. The height of nests over the water surface had a negative impact on clutch size and increased rainfall decreased egg mortality in both years at both ponds. In a changing climate, with rainfall projected to become more infrequent in this region, organisms may not be able to rely on rainfall patterns as cues for reproduction, which may have a negative impact on amphibian populations. Keywords: Chiromantis; Foam nests; Embryonic mortality; Climate patternsKnowledge on egg and larval survival is essential to understand the population dynamics of amphibians; however, due to the difficulties associated with assessing the survival rate of amphibian embryos and larvae under natural conditions, detailed knowledge of natural survivorship is limited to a few species and populations [1]. Rainfall, oxygen, ultraviolet radiation and temperature can also interact with biotic factors and influence mortality and hatching rate [2][3][4]. Embryos from amphibian egg clutches are surrounded by a protective perivitelline membrane containing perivitelline fluid and a jelly envelope composed of a variable number of layers [5]. Ambient moisture can influence the physical properties and structure of the embryos and the surrounding protective layers and can potentially alter the ability of embryos to hatch. This is particularly important for the many tropical species known to lay their eggs out of the water, thereby exposing their eggs to variable environmental conditions. Annual and seasonal levels of rainfall are projected to change throughout the twenty-first century [6,7] and as a result, mortality of terrestrial amphibian eggs is predicted to increase in the tropics [8,9]. Most studies considering the effect of rainfall on seasonal growth and survival have focused on seasonal or annual weather patterns [10][11][12]; but whereas such large-scale rainfall trends can be useful in explaining community level dynamics [13], they may not reveal the specific mechanisms driving individual mortality. In order to elucidate the effect of short term environmental fluctuations on growth and development, rainfall patterns should be considered on a much shorter timescale [2,14].The African grey tree frog, Chiromantis xerampelina, is a large species of the family Rhacophoridae. Males usually reach 43-75mm and...

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“…, Deguines et al. ). Desert rodents can irrupt following productivity pulses and then greatly affect vegetation and ecosystem processes via selective herbivory, biopedturbation, and ecosystem engineering (Brown and Heske , Whitford and Bestelmeyer , Kelt ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Primary and secondary consumers in drylands can be controlled by precipitation events that trigger productivity pulses (Reynolds et al 2004) that cause strong population fluctuations over time via direct and indirect mechanisms (B aez et al 2006, Holmgren et al 2006, Meserve et al 2011, Deguines et al 2017. Desert rodents can irrupt following productivity pulses and then greatly affect vegetation and ecosystem processes via selective herbivory, biopedturbation, and ecosystem engineering (Brown and Heske 1990, Whitford and Bestelmeyer 2006, Kelt 2011.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shrub encroachment, productivity pulses, and core‐transient dynamics of Chihuahuan Desert rodents

2018

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Drylands worldwide are experiencing shrub encroachment into grasslands with potential consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem services. Climate change could increase the rate of shrub encroachment, amplify precipitation variability, and thus alter bottom‐up processes for animal communities. Desert rodents are important biodiversity elements of arid grasslands and shrublands that exert strong effects on soil, vegetation, and other animal species. We used long‐term data from the Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research site in the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico to ask whether bottom‐up control of desert rodents changes across shrub encroachment gradients. Our design included spatial blocks with replicated ecological states representing transitions from black grama (Bouteloua eriopoda) to honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa). Grassland‐to‐shrubland transitions did not produce degraded ecosystems, on average, with reduced net primary production or decreased rodent biomass. However, more rodent biomass was supported on unencroached grasslands following droughts whose frequency and severity may increase in southwestern United States. Hence, the observed evenness in rodent biomass across ecological states should be sensitive to climate change. The best predictors of rodent biomass also differed markedly for two trophic groups. This outcome was explained by considering core‐transient dynamics. Granivores were mostly core species that regularly occurred on sites and responded to lagged net primary production at local scales, whereas folivores included transient species (especially Sigmodon hispidus) that responded to lagged precipitation at broader scales via spillover dynamics. Bottom‐up processes for desert rodents across shrub invasion gradients were understood by integrating lagged responses to productivity pulses with core‐transient structuring of communities.

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Precipitation alters interactions in a grassland ecological community

Cited by 36 publications

References 61 publications

Functional traits determine the different effects of prey, predators, and climatic extremes on desert reptiles

Functional traits determine the different effects of prey, predators, and climatic extremes on desert reptiles

Natural Egg Mortality of the African Grey Tree Frog, Chiromantis xerampelina (Amphibia: Rhacophoridae)

Shrub encroachment, productivity pulses, and core‐transient dynamics of Chihuahuan Desert rodents

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