Category: behavioural ecology

behavioural ecology

Hibernation timing in ground squirrels is shaped by predation risk, food availability, and reproductive opportunities

Austin Allison, Courtney Conway, Alice Morris This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Hibernation is usually assumed to be an adaptation allowing animals to survive weather extremes and food scarcity. But, some animals hibernate for long periods even when weather is suitable and food is abundant. This fact is perplexing because hibernation adversely affects vital … Continue reading Hibernation timing in ground squirrels is shaped by predation risk, food availability, and reproductive opportunities

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behavioural ecology

The moose in the willows: What’s on the menu for moose in winter? And why?

Robert Spitzer, Eric Coissac, Joris P.G.M. Cromsigt, Annika M. Felton, Christian Fohringer, Marietjie Landman, Wiebke Neumann, David Raubenheimer, Navinder J Singh, Pierre Taberlet, Fredrik Widemo This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Understanding why animals eat what they eat is no easy task. Large herbivores in particular often consume dozens of different plant species. Depending … Continue reading The moose in the willows: What’s on the menu for moose in winter? And why?

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behavioural ecology

Female mate preferences of tropical butterflies are learned and become maladaptive when temperature increases

Marie-Jeanne Holveck, Doriane Muller, Bertanne Visser, Arthur Timmermans, Lidwine Colonval, Fabrice Jan, Michel Crucifix, Caroline M. Nieberding This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Learning is increasingly acknowledged to allow short-lived, non-social animals, such as butterflies, to change their behaviour after an experience with their environment. While learning is usually assumed to increase adaptation in … Continue reading Female mate preferences of tropical butterflies are learned and become maladaptive when temperature increases

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behavioural ecology

Heat stress can increase risk taking in birds

Jorge S. Gutiérrez, Teresa Catry, María Espinosa-Colín, José A. Masero, José Pedro Granadeiro This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. The climate of the tropics is characteristically hot and still. Birds exposed to direct sunshine under these conditions, especially during exercise, may suffer heat stress. Indeed, there is evidence that migratory shorebirds (or waders) that … Continue reading Heat stress can increase risk taking in birds

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behavioural ecology, Translated Summaries

Heatwaves are harmful to survival and reproduction in the guppy Poecilia reticulata, a livebearing freshwater fish

Merel C. Breedveld, Alessandro Devigili, Oliviero Borgheresi, Clelia Gasparini This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Evidence that gradual climate change threatens biodiversity is growing. For instance, by forcing animals or plants to move to higher elevations or latitudes, global warming increases the risk of species extinction. However, the impact of climate change-driven extreme weather … Continue reading Heatwaves are harmful to survival and reproduction in the guppy Poecilia reticulata, a livebearing freshwater fish

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behavioural ecology

Dances with wolves: the invasion of a gobbling skink and the counterpunch of the native opponent

Shi-Ping Huang, Jhan-Wei Lin, Chun-Chia Chou, Chen-Pan Liao, Jung-Ya Hsu, Jing-Fu Tsai, Shao-Lun Liu, Wen-San Huang This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. It is well-known that competition from invasive species can harm the persistence of native species. But sometimes the native species fights back, dealing with the new pressure accordingly. Here we present an … Continue reading Dances with wolves: the invasion of a gobbling skink and the counterpunch of the native opponent

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behavioural ecology

Breeding or not: Experimental stress during migration reduces reproduction initiation

Thierry Grandmont, Peter Fast, Ilona Grentzmann, Gilles Gauthier, Joel Bety, Pierre Legagneux This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Perturbations, such as storms, fires and droughts, can have great impacts on animal behavior. Such effects can be direct, where the animal could search for more food or a place to hide, or indirect (body condition … Continue reading Breeding or not: Experimental stress during migration reduces reproduction initiation

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behavioural ecology

Heat waves interfere with bumble bees’ ability to gather food and pollinate an important crop

Jeremy A. Hemberger, Nick M. Rosenberger, Neal M. Williams This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. It’s no secret that the planet is getting warmer. Just this year, there have been periods of extremely hot temperatures, with records broken in both North America and Europe. Periods of extreme temperatures impact not just our comfort, but … Continue reading Heat waves interfere with bumble bees’ ability to gather food and pollinate an important crop

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behavioural ecology

Are non-breeding animals “super-spreaders” of disease?

Juliet Lamb, Jeremy Tornos, Romain Dedet, Hubert Gantelet, Nicolas Keck, Juliette Baron, Marine Bely, Augustin Clessin, Aline Flechet, Amandine Gamble, Thierry Boulinier This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Most wildlife tracking studies focus on breeders, which are easy to observe and capture at their breeding sites. In any given year, however, many individuals do … Continue reading Are non-breeding animals “super-spreaders” of disease?

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behavioural ecology

Fish Behaviors aren’t limited by Body Shape

Darien R. Satterfield, Thomas Claverie, Peter C. Wainwright This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. We often make inferences about a person’s physical skills based on their body shape. For example, tall people are regularly told they should play basketball, and we might assume that a person with broad shoulders would be a nice addition … Continue reading Fish Behaviors aren’t limited by Body Shape

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