A5051345411- Plant and animal studies
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Slime Mold and Myxomycetes Research
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Animal and Plant Science Education
- Biocrusts and Microbial Ecology
- Plant and Biological Electrophysiology Studies
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Urban Green Space and Health
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Insect Utilization and Effects
- Complex Network Analysis Techniques
- Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Ecosystem dynamics and resilience
- Chemical synthesis and alkaloids
- Insect Pest Control Strategies
The University of Sydney
2016-2025
University of Technology Sydney
2015-2016
Google (United States)
2016
University of Calgary
2006-2011
Spatial memory enhances an organism’s navigational ability. Memory typically resides within the brain, but what if organism has no brain? We show that brainless slime mold Physarum polycephalum constructs a form of spatial by avoiding areas it previously explored. This mechanism allows to solve U-shaped trap problem—a classic test autonomous ability commonly used in robotics—requiring reach chemoattractive goal behind barrier. Drawn into trap, must rely on other methods than...
Cities can host significant biological diversity. Yet, urbanisation leads to the loss of habitats, species, and functional groups. Understanding how multiple taxa respond globally is essential promote conserve biodiversity in cities. Using a dataset encompassing six terrestrial faunal (amphibians, bats, bees, birds, carabid beetles reptiles) across 379 cities on 6 continents, we show that produces taxon-specific changes trait composition, with traits related reproductive strategy showing...
Abstract Under the recently adopted Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, 196 Parties committed to reporting status of genetic diversity for all species. To facilitate reporting, three indicators were developed, two which focus on processes contributing conservation: maintaining genetically distinct populations and ensuring are large enough maintain diversity. The major advantage these is that they can be estimated with or without DNA‐based data. However, demonstrating their...
A fundamental question in nutritional biology is how distributed systems maintain an optimal supply of multiple nutrients essential for life and reproduction. In the case animals, requirements cells within body are coordinated by brain neural chemical dialogue with sensory peripheral organs. At level insect society, entire colony met foraging efforts a minority workers responding to cues emanating from brood. Both examples involve components specialized deal nutrient demand (brains organs,...
Most models of animal foraging and consumer choice assume that individuals make choices based on the absolute value items are therefore ‘economically rational’. However, frequent violations rationality by animals, including humans, suggest animals use comparative valuation rules. Are strategies a consequence way brains process information, or they an intrinsic feature biological decision-making? Here, we examine principles in organism with radically different information-processing...
Several recent studies hint at shared patterns in decision-making between taxonomically distant organisms, yet few demonstrate and dissect mechanisms of simpler organisms. We examine the unicellular slime mould Physarum polycephalum using a classical decision problem adapted from human animal studies: two-armed bandit problem. This has previously only been used to study organisms with brains, here we that brainless organism compares relative qualities multiple options, integrates over...
Bees play a key role in maintaining healthy terrestrial ecosystems by pollinating plants. Stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) are diverse clade of social (>500 species) with pantropical distribution spanning South and Central America, Africa, India, Australia Asia. They garnering increasing attention as commercially-beneficial pollinators some crops, yet their contribution to the pollination native plants tropics subtropics remains poorly understood. Here we conduct global review visited...
ABSTRACT Land use change threatens global biodiversity and compromises ecosystem functions, including pollination food production. Reduced taxonomic α‐diversity is often reported under land change, yet the impacts could be different at larger spatial scales (i.e., γ‐diversity), either due to reduced β‐diversity amplifying diversity loss or increased dampening loss. Additionally, studies focus on diversity, while other important components, phylogenetic can exhibit differential responses....
The 'social brain hypothesis' posits that the cognitive demands of sociality have driven evolution substantially enlarged brains in primates and some other mammals. Whether such reasoning can apply to all social animals is an open question. Here we examine evolutionary relationships between sociality, cognition size insects, a taxonomic group characterized by extreme sophistication behaviors relatively simple nervous systems. We discuss application hypothesis this based on comparative...
Abstract As growing urban populations have fewer chances to experience nature, i.e., ‘the extinction of experience’, the subsequent loss emotional affinities for biodiversity (biophilia) pose major challenges environmental conservation. Gardening, as an everyday nature interaction and window into invertebrate ecological functioning may offer opportunities develop biophilia. However, associations between gardening biophilia/biophobia towards invertebrates remains untested. We conducted online...
Speed–accuracy trade-offs (SATs) are thought to be a fundamental feature of biological information processing, yet most evidence SATs comes from animals. Here, we examine in the foraging decisions an acellular, amoeboid organism: slime mould Physarum polycephalum . Slime moulds were given simple discrimination task: selecting highest-quality food item set three options. We investigated effect two stressors, light exposure and hunger, on speed accuracy decision-making. also examined task...
Many biological systems use extensive networks for the transport of resources and information. Ants are no exception. How do achieve efficient transportation in absence centralized control without global knowledge environment? Here, we address this question by studying formation properties inter-nest Argentine ant ( Linepithema humile ). We find that depends on number ants involved construction process. When is sufficient form, they tend to have short total length but a low level robustness....
When searching for resources, organisms can increase the efficiency of search and exploitation behavior by using information about quality a current resource patch in their decision making. The strategy used an organism turn affect its performance different landscapes. Here we examine effect on 2 foraging decisions: how much time to allocate explore environment new resources what use during exploration. We slime mould Physarum polycephalum as our model system. is amoeboid that forages...
Many organisms avoid previously exploited patches to increase their foraging efficiency. Such avoidance behavior either requires systematic search, memorizing which have been visited, the deposition of a cue or signal that marks patches, combination these abilities. Usually we ascribe patch neurologically sophisticated organisms, but here show identical by protist—the amoeboid slime mold Physarum polycephalum. This unicellular organism uses an externalized spatial memory system depositing...
Several growth models have been proposed in the literature for scale-free complex networks, with a range of fitness-based attachment gaining prominence recently. However, processes by which such behaviour can arise are less well understood, making it difficult to compare relative merits models. This paper analyses an evolutionary mechanism that would give rise process. In particular, is proven analytical and numerical methods homogeneous minimisation maximum exposure node unfitness leads...
Abstract Understanding how increasing risk of frequent and severe fires affects biodiversity ecosystem function is important for effective conservation recovery, but large knowledge gaps exist many taxa in parts the world, especially invertebrates. After Australia's 2019–2020 catastrophic bushfire disaster, estimates loss government priorities post‐fire activities were focused on vertebrates plants because lack about Our synthesis published evidence reveals a fragmented ambiguous body...