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Seed dispersal is a key process driving the structure, composition, and regeneration of tropical forests. Larger frugivores play a crucial role in community structuring by dispersing large seeds not dispersed by smaller frugivores. We assessed the hypothesis that brown howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba clamitans) provide seed dispersal services for a wide assemblage of plant species in both small and large Atlantic forest fragments. Although fruit availability often decreases in small fragments compared with large ones, we predicted that brown howlers are efficient seed dispersers in quantitative and qualitative terms in both forest types given their high dietary flexibility. After a 36-month study period and 2,962 sampling hours, we found that howlers swallowed and defecated intact the vast majority of seeds (96%-100%) they handled in all study sites. Overall, they defecated ca. 315,600 seeds belonging to 98 species distributed in eight growth forms. We estimated that each individual howler dispersed an average of 143 (SD = 49) seeds >2 mm per day or 52,052 (SD = 17,782) seeds per year. They dispersed seeds of 58% to 93% of the local assemblages of fleshy-fruit trees. In most cases, the richness and abundance of seed species dispersed was similar between small and large fragments. However, groups inhabiting small fragments tended to disperse a higher diversity of seeds from rarely consumed fruits than those living in large fragments. We conclude that brown howlers are legitimate seed dispersers for most fleshy-fruit species of the angiosperm assemblages of their habitats, and that they might favor the regeneration of Atlantic forest fragments with the plentiful amount of intact seeds that they disperse each year. Dataset_seeds_dispersedHere we provided data on seed dispersal by six wild groups of brown howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba clamitans). This research was conducted during a 36-month period in three small (<10 ha: S1, S2, and S3) and three large (>90 ha: L1,L2, and L3) Atlantic forest fragments in Rio Grande do Sul State, southern Brazil.Dataset_seed_handlingHere we provided data on seed/fruit handling by six wild groups of brown howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba clamitans). This research was conducted during a 36-month period in three small (<10 ha: S1, S2, and S3) and three large (>90 ha: L1,L2, and L3) Atlantic forest fragments in Rio Grande do Sul State, southern Brazil.

Background: Paired with satellite location telemetry, animal-borne instruments can collect spatiotemporal data describing the animal’s movement and environment at a scale relevant to its behavior. Ecologists have developed methods for identifying the area(s) used by an animal (e.g., home range) and those used most intensely (utilization distribution) based on location data. However, few have extended these models beyond their traditional roles as descriptive 2D summaries of point data. Here we demonstrate how the home range method, T-LoCoH, can be expanded to quantify collective sampling coverage by multiple instrumented animals using grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) equipped with GPS tags and acoustic transceivers on the Scotian Shelf (Atlantic Canada) as a case study. At the individual level, we illustrate how time and space-use metrics quantifying individual sampling coverage may be used to determine the rate of acoustic transmissions received. Results: Grey seals collectively sampled an area of 11,308 km 2 and intensely sampled an area of 31 km 2 from June-December. The largest area sampled was in July (2094.56 km 2 ) and the smallest area sampled occurred in August (1259.80 km 2 ), with changes in sampling coverage observed through time. Conclusions: T-LoCoH provides an effective means to quantify changes in collective sampling effort by multiple instrumented animals and to compare these changes across time. We also illustrate how time and space-use metrics of individual instrumented seal movement calculated using T-LoCoH can be used to account for differences in the amount of time a bioprobe (biological sampling platform) spends in an area. Baker L, Flemming JEM, Jonsen ID, Lidgard DC, Iverson SJ, Bowen WD (2015) A novel approach to quantifying the spatiotemporal behavior of instrumented grey seals used to sample the environment. Movement Ecology 3(1):20. doi:10.1186/s40462-015-0047-4

1. Site moisture is an important component of the forest landscape for maintaining biodiversity, including forest-floor bryophytes, but little is known about its role in shaping understory responses to harvesting. 2. We investigated the influence of site wetness, determined using a remotely-sensed, topographic depth-to-water (DTW) index, on responses of bryophyte cover, richness, diversity, and composition to variable retention harvesting (comparing: 2% [clear-cut], 20%, and 50% dispersed green tree retention and uncut controls [100% retention]) in three boreal forest cover-types (broadleaf, mixed, and conifer forests) in western Canada. The DTW index provides an approximation of depth to water at or below the soil surface, and was derived from wet-areas mapping based on discrete Airborne Laser Scanning data acquired over an experimentally harvested landscape located in northwestern Alberta, Canada. 3. The effectiveness of leaving retention (versus clear-cutting) for conserving bryophyte communities depended on site wetness, as indicated by DTW, with the specifics varying among forest types. In broadleaf forests, bryophyte cover and richness were generally low and not much affected by harvesting but drier sites had higher richness and a few more unique species. In mixed and conifer forests, leaving retention (versus clear-cutting) on wetter (versus drier) sites was more effective for conserving bryophyte cover, wetter sites had higher total species richness, and more species were exclusive to wetter sites. 4. Synthesis and applications. Site wetness, as indicated using the remotely-sensed topographic site wetness index "depth-to-water," mediates bryophyte responses to variable-retention harvests. Specifically, our results suggested that in conifer and mixed forests it would be more beneficial to target wetter sites for retention patches or dispersed retention whereas in broadleaf sites there might be a slight advantage to targeting drier sites. Our study demonstrates that this tool could be used to inform management decisions around leaving dispersed or patch retention.28-Jan-2019 Bryophyte species and depth-to-water index valuesBryophyte (mosses and liverworts) species cover data and estimation of depth-to-water index values for retention harvest sites sampled in northwestern Alberta, Canada.Bartels-et-al-2019-deposited data-Dryad.xlsx

Instructions for Matlab code and main result figures: 1- Download all data files and Matlab functions (see requirements) and ensure they are all in the same directory. 2- Open SourceCode_GroupFigures_RasmanEtAl_Elife2021.m with Matlab. 3- Make sure Matlab is currently in the folder where you put the files or add that folder to the path. 4- Run the code. All group result figures will be generated. Matlab will output warning when running the exponential fit procedure, but this is expected for the code. Instructions for LabVIEW code: 1- Download .vi file and open with compatible LabVIEW software. Download associated sampledummydata to be used with LabVIEW vi. 2- View annotated instructions in LabVIEW front panel. 3- Load sample data and run program. Requirements: Matlab toolboxes required: curve fitting toolbox, statistics and machine learning toolbox For several figures, hline and vline functions will be needed for plotting. These functions are available at https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/1039-hline-and-vline REFERENCE: Brandon Kuczenski (2021). hline and vline (https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/1039-hline-and-vline), MATLAB Central File Exchange. Retrieved August 1, 2021. For Figure 4, boxplotgroup function is needed for plotting. This function can be downloaded at https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/74437-boxplotgroup REFERENCE: Adam Danz (2021). boxplotGroup (https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/74437-boxplotgroup), MATLAB Central File Exchange. Retrieved August 1, 2021. Please reference this work using: Data and code: Rasman BG, Forbes PA, Peters RM, Ortiz O, Franks I, Inglis JT, Chua R, and Blouin JS. 2021, "Data and code for "Learning to stand with unexpected sensorimotor delays", DOI: https://doi.org/10.5683/SP2/IKX9ML, Scholars Portal Dataverse Paper: Rasman BG, Forbes PA, Peters RM, Ortiz O, Franks I, Inglis JT, Chua R, and Blouin JS. Learning to stand with unexpected sensorimotor delays. eLife. 2021: e65085. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.65085 These files consist of data and Matlab code needed to reproduce the main result figures from Experiments 1, 2 and 3 of "Learning to stand with unexpected sensorimotor delays". Additionally, LabVIEW code is provided to produce robust Bayesian fits for perceptual data. Data and results include: standing balance behavior (sway velocity variance, percent time within balancing limits) with imposed delays, vestibular-evoked muscle responses (coherence, gain, cross-covariance) when standing with imposed delays, and perceptual thresholds to detecting unexpected standing motion when standing with imposed delays. Data are provided in spreadsheets (for viewing purposes) and also in .mat matlab files (to run with source code).

Trajectories of plant communities can be described by different models of plant succession. While a Clementsian (gradual continuum model) or Gleasonian approach (relay floristics model) has traditionally been used to inform restoration outcomes, alternative succession models developed recently may better represent restoration trajectories. The threshold dynamics succession model, which predicts an abrupt species turnover after an environmental threshold is crossed, has never been used in a restoration context. This model might, however, better describe shifts in plant competitive ranking and facilitation interactions during species turnover. Fifty-three riparian zones, planted with trees 3–17 years prior to sampling, and 14 natural riparian forests were studied in two agricultural watersheds of south-eastern Québec (Canada). The cover of vegetation strata was assessed at the site scale, and the cover of plant species was estimated in a total of 784 1-m2 plots. Canopy cover was measured stereoscopically for each plot. As revealed by Principal Response Curves and broken stick models, herbaceous species composition was stable during the first 12–13 years after tree planting, but then abruptly shifted. This two-step pattern in species turnover followed the increase in canopy cover after tree planting. Once canopy cover passed a threshold of ca 40%, plant succession started and led to the re-establishment of forest communities 17 years after planting. Following herbaceous species turnover, the cover of ecological groups changed significantly towards covers of natural riparian forests: shade-tolerant species generally increased, while light-demanding and non-native species decreased. Vegetation structure was also significantly affected by tree planting: tree and shrub cover increased, while monocot cover decreased. Synthesis and applications. Tree planting efficiently restored herbaceous forest communities in riparian zones by inducing a species turnover mediated by light availability corresponding to the threshold dynamics model in plant succession. Fostering and monitoring canopy closure in tree-planted riparian zones should improve restoration success and the design of alternative strategies. The innovative statistical approach of this study aiming to identify succession patterns and their associated theoretical models can guide future restoration in any type of ecosystem around the world to bridge the gap between science and management. Data_Bourgeois_et_al_2016_JApplEcol

Simulated Raman scattering spectra produced by non-linear pumping of a single-mode optical fiber. Here the input modulation is slowed to 2 Hz so that the changes to the output spectra can be seen.

Aim: The influence of humans on large carnivores, including wolves, is a worldwide conservation concern. In addition, human‐caused changes in carnivore density and distribution might have impacts on prey and, indirectly, on vegetation. We therefore tested wolf responses to infrastructure related to natural resource development (i.e., human footprint). Location: Our study provides one of the most extensive assessments of how predators like wolves select habitat in response to various degrees of footprint across boreal ecosystems encompassing over a million square kilometers of Canada. Methods: We deployed GPS‐collars on 172 wolves, monitored movements and used a generalized functional response (GFR) model of resource selection. A functional response in habitat selection occurs when selection varies as a function of the availability of that habitat. GFRs can clarify how human‐induced habitat changes are influencing wildlife across large, diverse landscapes. Results: Wolves displayed a functional response to footprint. Wolves were more likely to select forest harvest cutblocks in regions with higher cutblock density (i.e., a positive functional response to high‐quality habitats for ungulate prey) and to select for higher road density in regions where road density was high (i.e., a positive functional response to human‐created travel routes). Wolves were more likely to use cutblocks in habitats with low road densities, and more likely to use roads in habitats with low cutblock densities, except in winter when wolves were more likely to use roads regardless of cutblock density. Main conclusions: These interactions suggest that wolves trade‐off among human‐impacted habitats, and adaptively switch from using roads to facilitate movement (while also risking encounters with humans), to using cutblocks that may have higher ungulate densities. We recommend that conservation managers consider the contextual and interacting effects of footprints when assessing impacts on carnivores. These effects likely have indirect impacts on ecosystems too, including on prey species. Functional response of wolves to human development across boreal North AmericaBoreal wolf RSF raster fileswolf_rasters.zip

The USask OMPS-LP L2 2D Ozone v1.1 product provides ozone profile retrievals performed at the University of Saskatchewan for the central slit of the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite Limb Profiler (OMPS-LP) instrument on the Suomi-NPP satellite. The two-dimensional retrieval algorithm accounts for variation in the along orbital track dimension, retrieving an entire orbit simultaneously instead of treating each image independently. Ozone is retrieved from the thermal tropopause to 59 km on a 1 km grid with a vertical resolution of approximately 2 km. Each granule contains data from the daylight portion of each orbit measured for a full month. Spatial coverage is global (-82 to +82 degrees latitude), and there are about 14.5 orbits per day, each has typically 160 profiles with an along orbital track sampling of 125 km. The files are written using NetCDF4. Global coverage

Assessing the potential for forest carbon (C) capture and storage requires accurate assessments of C in live tree tissues. In the vast majority of local, regional, and global assessments, C content has been assumed to be 50% of tree biomass; however, recent studies indicate that this assumption is not accurate, with substantial variation in C content among tree species as well as among tissue types. Here we conduct a comprehensive literature review to present a global synthesis of C content in tissues of live trees. We found a total of 253 species-specific stem wood C content records owing to 31 studies, and an additional 34 records of species with C content values of other tissues in addition to stem wood. Stem wood C content varied significantly as a function of biome (tropical, subtropical/ Mediterranean, temperate/ boreal) and species type (conifer, angiosperm). Conifer species exhibited greater wood C content than angiosperm species (50.8 ± 0.7% (95% C.I.) vs. 47.7 ± 0.3%, respectively), a trend that was consistent among all biomes. Although studies have documented differences in C content among plant tissues, interspecific differences in stem wood appear to be of greater importance overall: among species, stem wood C content explained 37, 76, 48, 81, and 63% respectively of the variation in bark, branch, twig, coarse root, and fine root C content values, respectively. In each case, these intraspecific patterns approximated 1:1 linear relationships. Most published stem wood C content values (and all values for other tree tissues) are based on dried wood samples, and so neglect volatile C constituents that constitute on average 1.3 – 2.5% of total C in live wood. Capturing this volatile C fraction is an important methodological consideration for future studies. Our review, and associated data compilation, provides empirically supported wood C fractions that can be easily incorporated into forest C accounting, and may correct systematic errors of ~1.6 – 5.8% in forest C assessments. Thomas_and_Martin_Dryad_global_wood_carbon_database

Although prey species typically respond to the most limiting factors at coarse spatiotemporal scales while addressing biological requirements at finer scales, such behaviour may become challenging for species inhabiting human altered landscapes. We investigated how woodland caribou, a threatened species inhabiting North-American boreal forests, modified their fine-scale movements when confronted with forest management features (i.e. clearcuts and roads). We used GPS telemetry data collected between 2004 and 2010 on 49 female caribou in a managed area in Québec, Canada. Movements were studied using a use – availability design contrasting observed steps (i.e. line connecting two consecutive locations) with random steps (i.e. proxy of immediate habitat availability). Although caribou mostly avoided disturbances, individuals nonetheless modulated their fine-scale response to disturbances on a daily and annual basis, potentially compromising between risk avoidance in periods of higher vulnerability (i.e. calving, early and late winter) during the day and foraging activities in periods of higher energy requirements (i.e. spring, summer and rut) during dusk/dawn and at night. The local context in which females moved was shown to influence their decision to cross clearcut edges and roads. Indeed, although females typically avoided crossing clearcut edges and roads at low densities, crossing rates were found to rapidly increase in greater disturbance densities. In some instance, however, females were less likely to cross edges and roads as densities increased. Females may then be trapped and forced to use disturbed habitats, known to be associated with higher predation risk. We believe that further increases in anthropogenic disturbances could exacerbate such behavioural responses and ultimately lead to population level consequences. Beauchesne Jaeger and St-Laurent_PLoS ONE datasetsCharacteristics of observed and random steps of female Woodland caribou inhabiting a highly disturbed landscape in eastern Canada.Beauchesne et al_datasets PLoS ONE.zip