A5018495124- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Marine and fisheries research
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Advanced Software Engineering Methodologies
- Environmental Conservation and Management
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies
- Ichthyology and Marine Biology
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Ecosystem dynamics and resilience
- Model-Driven Software Engineering Techniques
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Software Engineering Research
- Marine animal studies overview
- Turtle Biology and Conservation
- Service-Oriented Architecture and Web Services
Trinity College Dublin
2015-2024
The University of Queensland
2024
Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier
2019
Station d’Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale
2019
University College Dublin
2018
Jackson Memorial Hospital
2016
Kaneka (United States)
2016
ORCID
2016
Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne
2014
MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit
2010
1. The use of stable isotope data to infer characteristics community structure and niche width members has become increasingly common. Although these developments have provided ecologists with new perspectives, their full impact been hampered by an inability statistically compare individual communities using descriptive metrics. 2. We solve issues reformulating the metrics in a Bayesian framework. This reformulation takes account uncertainty sampled naturally incorporates error arising from...
Stable isotope analysis is increasingly being utilised across broad areas of ecology and biology. Key to much this work the use mixing models estimate proportion sources contributing a mixture such as in diet estimation.By accurately reflecting natural variation uncertainty generate robust probability estimates source proportions, application Bayesian methods stable promises enable researchers address an array new questions, approach current questions with greater insight honesty.We outline...
Stable isotope mixing models are increasingly used to quantify consumer diets, but may be misused and misinterpreted. We address major challenges their effective application. Mixing have increased rapidly in sophistication. Current estimate probability distributions of source contributions, user-friendly interfaces, incorporate complexities such as variability signatures, discrimination factors, hierarchical variance structure, covariates, concentration dependence. For proper implementation...
The ongoing evolution of tracer mixing models has resulted in a confusing array software tools that differ terms data inputs, model assumptions, and associated analytic products. Here we introduce MixSIAR, an inclusive, rich, flexible Bayesian (e.g., stable isotope) framework implemented as open-source R package. Using MixSIAR foundation, provide guidance for the implementation analyses. We begin by outlining practical differences between mixture error structure formulations relate these...
In this paper, we review recent advances in stable isotope mixing models (SIMMs) and place them into an overarching Bayesian statistical framework, which allows for several useful extensions. SIMMs are used to quantify the proportional contributions of various sources a mixture. The most widely application is quantifying diet organisms based on food they have been observed consume. At centre multivariate model propose compositional mixture corrected metabolic factors. component our isometric...
Abstract Ecological stability is touted as a complex and multifaceted concept, including components such variability, resistance, resilience, persistence robustness. Even though complete appreciation of the effects perturbations on ecosystems requires simultaneous measurement these multiple stability, most ecological research has focused one or few those analysed in isolation. Here, we present new view that recognises explicitly non‐independence stability. This provides an approach for...
Biological invasions are a significant driver of human-induced global change and many ecosystems sustain sympatric invaders. Interactions occurring among these invaders have important implications for ecosystem structure functioning, yet they poorly understood. Here we apply newly developed metrics derived from stable isotope data to provide quantitative measures trophic diversity within populations or species. We then use test the hypothesis that belonging same functional feeding group...
Colonial breeding is widespread among animals. Some, such as eusocial insects, may use agonistic behavior to partition available foraging habitat into mutually exclusive territories; others, seabirds, do not. We found that northern gannets, satellite-tracked from 12 neighboring colonies, nonetheless forage in largely areas and these colony-specific home ranges are determined by density-dependent competition. This segregation be enhanced individual-level public information transfer, leading...
Maximum lifespan in birds and mammals varies strongly with body mass such that large species tend to live longer than smaller species. However, many far expected given their mass. This may reflect interspecific variation extrinsic mortality, as life-history theory predicts investment long-term survival is under positive selection when mortality reduced. Here, we investigate how multiple ecological mode-of-life traits should reduce (including volancy (flight capability), activity period,...
Abstract Stable isotope analysis provides a powerful tool to identify the energy sources which fuel consumers, understand trophic interactions and infer consumer position (TP), an important concept that describes ecological role of consumers in food webs. However, current methods for estimating TP using stable isotopes are limited do not fulfil complete potential isotopic approach. For instance, researchers typically use point estimates key parameters including discrimination factors...
The compositional heterogeneity of biotic assemblages among sites, or β‐diversity, regulates the relationship between local and regional species diversity across scales. Recent work has suggested that increased harshness environmental conditions tends to reduce β‐diversity by decreasing importance stochastic processes in structuring assemblages. We investigated effect nutrient enrichment on lake benthic invertebrate Ireland at both (within‐lake) (among‐lake) At scales, we found was related...
Body size and metabolic rate both fundamentally constrain how species interact with their environment, hence ultimately affect niche. While many mechanisms leading to these constraints have been explored, effects on the resolution at which temporal information is perceived largely overlooked. The visual system acts as a gateway dynamic environment relative organisms are able acquire process likely restrict ability events around them. As smaller higher rates should facilitate rapid...
The status of many Gyps vulture populations are acute conservation concern as several show marked and rapid decline. Vultures rely heavily on cues from conspecifics to locate carcasses via local enhancement. A simulation model is developed explore the roles carcass densities play in this system, where information transfer plays a key role locating food. We find sigmoid relationship describing probability vultures finding food function density habitat. This suggests threshold below which...
Individual foraging specialisation has important ecological implications, but its causes in group-living species are unclear. One of the major consequences group living is increased intragroup competition for resources. Foraging theory predicts that with competition, individuals should add new prey items to their diet, widening niche ('optimal hypothesis'). However, classic suggests opposite: leads partitioning and greater individual ('niche We tested these opposing predictions wild, banded...
Stable isotope mixing models (SIMMs) are an important tool used to study species' trophic ecology. These dependent on, and sensitive to, the choice of discrimination factors (TDF) representing offset in stable delta values between a consumer their food source when they at equilibrium. Ideally, controlled feeding trials should be conducted determine appropriate TDF for each consumer, tissue type, source, combination study. In reality however, this is often not feasible nor practical. absence...
ABSTRACT Aim To examine the exploitation, recovery and current status of green turtles ( Chelonia mydas ) nesting at Ascension Island. Location Island (UK) (7°57′ S, 14°22′ W), South Atlantic Ocean. Methods We analysed records harvest between 1822 1935, illustrating decline in numbers over this period. Using a deterministic age‐class structured model we predict initial number breeding females present population prior to recorded compare our estimate based upon recent annual surveys...
Summary Individual variability in prey preferences can have marked effects on many demographic parameters from individual survival and fecundity to the vital rates of entire populations. A population level response is ultimately determined by choices; however, effect dietary choice often overlooked. We consumers, light‐bellied Brent geese Branta bernicla , during overwintering period. Two hundred eighty‐one individuals were sampled at distinct temporal points over two winters. Stable...
Vultures are recognized as the scroungers of natural world, owing to their ecological role obligate scavengers. While it is well known that vultures use intraspecific social information they forage, possibility inter-guild transfer and resulting multi-species dilemmas has not been explored. Here, we data on arrival times at carcasses show such occurs, with raptors acting producers information. We develop a game-theoretic model competitive asymmetry, whereby dominate carcasses, predicts this...
The high levels of intelligence seen in humans, other primates, certain cetaceans and birds remain a major puzzle for evolutionary biologists, anthropologists psychologists. It has long been held that social interactions provide the selection pressures necessary evolution advanced cognitive abilities (the ‘social hypothesis’), recent years decision-making context cooperative conjectured to be particular importance. Here we use an artificial neural network model show efficient dilemmas can...