Tag: behaviour

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

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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behavioural ecology

The effects of temperature can influence the movement of green algae individuals across multiple generations

Hannah S. Meier, Isaac J. Schuman, Tamara J. Layden, Anna Ritz, Colin T. Kremer, Samuel B. Fey This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. The goal of this project was to gain a better understanding of how the environmental conditions experienced by past generations influences an individual’s behaviour in their current environment. Behaviour is important … Continue reading The effects of temperature can influence the movement of green algae individuals across multiple generations

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behavioural ecology

Coexisting finch species change where they go and what they eat when food resources decline

Sydney J. Collett, Tara L. Crewe, Ian J. Radford, Stephen T. Garnett and Hamish A. Campbell This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article that can be found here. How similar species co-exist has long intrigued ecologists. Gouldian, masked and long-tailed finches, three finches from the tropical Australian savannas, are similar in size and feed together through most of the year. … Continue reading Coexisting finch species change where they go and what they eat when food resources decline

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behavioural ecology

Perception of the dead increases reproduction in fruit flies

Quentin Corbel, Pau Carazo This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article that can be found here Animals that perceive a threat to their survival can increase their immediate reproductive effort in order to compensate for the consequences of early death on their lifetime reproduction. This strategy is called terminal investment, and it has been documented in response to various environmental … Continue reading Perception of the dead increases reproduction in fruit flies

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behavioural ecology

Radiation exposure alters bumblebee feeding and metabolism

Jessica E. Burrows, David Copplestone, Katherine E. Raines, Nicholas A. Beresford, Matthew C. Tinsley This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which is published here. Whilst low level radiation exposure is a natural part of our ecosystem, in some locations organisms are exposed to much higher doses, such as following nuclear disasters. The Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986 is perhaps … Continue reading Radiation exposure alters bumblebee feeding and metabolism

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behavioural ecology

Two polar seabirds adjust their timing of breeding to climate, but it doesn’t match up with their changing world

Shannon Whelan, Scott A. Hatch, Anthony J. Gaston, H. Grant Gilchrist, Kyle H. Elliott This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which is published here. Polar regions of our planet have experienced rapid climate change in recent decades. Wildlife in these places slowly adapted to the short summers over long evolutionary timescales, but more recent climate change may be too … Continue reading Two polar seabirds adjust their timing of breeding to climate, but it doesn’t match up with their changing world

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behavioural ecology

Costly parasites that malform beaks early in life can have long-term ecological consequences in their avian hosts

Sonia Kleindorfer, Diane Colombelli-Négrel, Lauren K. Common, Jody A. O’Connor, Katharina J. Peters, Andrew C. Katsis, Rachael Y. Dudaniec, Frank J. Sulloway, Nicolas M. Adreani This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which is published here. Darwin’s finches on the Galapagos Islands are being fed upon by larvae of the avian vampire fly, a parasite that causes beak malformation. The … Continue reading Costly parasites that malform beaks early in life can have long-term ecological consequences in their avian hosts

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behavioural ecology

Reduced food availability and predictability promote competition and decrease social cohesion

Patrícia Beltrão, Ana Cristina R. Gomes, Gonçalo C. Cardoso This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which is published here. Searching for food in groups allows the sharing of information on food locations between individuals, which is most beneficial when those locations are scarce or unpredictable. Therefore, animals might choose to explore food sources in groups during challenging or changing … Continue reading Reduced food availability and predictability promote competition and decrease social cohesion

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