Biology subjects

Fidino, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Fidino, M..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Foraging behavior, not prey identity, facilitates niche packing in a tropical montane avifauna

Understanding the mechanisms of key ecological and evolutionary patterns and the restructuring of biodiversity in the Anthropocene is contingent on filling knowledge gaps about resource consumption across trophic levels and how resource use is limited by factors intrinsic to organisms and extrinsic aspects of the environment across deep and shallow timespans. We quantified diet composition and foraging behavior across a community of invertivorous birds in the Ecuadorian Andes to explore how resource use facilitates the packing and expansion of niche space across an elevational gradient, contributing the tropical Andes status as the most species-rich region on earth. We found evidence that niche packing of morphologically similar species may be offset by greater behavioral plasticity in foraging behavior at species-rich lower elevations where competition is likely more intense and invertebrate prey more diverse. We also tested the extent to which the breadth and similarity of birds foraging and dietary niches are shaped by the environmental and competitive gradient across elevation versus species identity and phylogenetic similarity. The specific behaviors and substrates that birds used were far more strongly associated with species identity than elevation, particularly for behaviors requiring specialized morphology that is phylogenetically conserved. In contrast, species identity had little effect on prey selection, which was more strongly associated with elevation. Our findings suggest that elevational range dynamics and niche packing of tropical montane birds are more strongly shaped by phylogenetic constraints on foraging behavior than by specializing on specific prey taxa, highlighting the importance of maintaining structural integrity in tropical forests for preserving functional diversity.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2024

How reliably can species co-occurrence be inferred from occupancy models?

Interspecific interactions, such as predation, competition, and mutualism, are fundamental to the structure and function of any biotic community. Understanding these interactions provides valuable insights into community dynamics and informs conservation efforts. One common approach to studying these interactions is through co-occurrence patterns, which remain essential for understanding species relationships. Occupancy models have emerged as powerful tools to investigate these patterns, offering a flexible framework for ecological questions. Among these models, the co-occurrence framework developed by Rota et al. (2016) has seen widespread applications across various species and habitats. In this study, we used simulations to evaluate the performance of the Rota et al. (2016) co-occurrence model under different study designs and species interaction scenarios. Specifically, we examined how the bias and precision of species occupancy estimates are influenced by the presence or absence of another species, varying the number of sampling units surveyed and the number of temporal replicates per unit. Additionally, we compared the co-occurrence models performance with a simpler model that does not account for species interactions to determine when statistically significant co-occurrence patterns emerge. We observed that occupancy parameters become more precise as the intensity of species avoidance increased, and while the number of sampling sites significantly influenced precision, the number of temporal replicates did not. Notably, the co-occurrence model outperformed the non-interaction model only when species avoidance was strong and at least 150 sites were sampled. Based on these results, we recommend a minimum of 150 sampling sites when applying the Rota et al. (2016) model to evaluate co-occurrence between two potentially interacting species. Our study emphasizes the need for further development of methods capable of detecting interaction signals, even at low to moderate interaction levels, and in studies with fewer sampling sites.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2023

A model-based hypothesis framework to define and estimate the diel niche via the 'Diel.Niche' R package

O_LIHow animals use the diel period (24-hour light-dark cycle) is of fundamental importance to understand their niche. While ecological and evolutionary literature abound with discussion of diel phenotypes (e.g., diurnal, nocturnal, crepuscular, cathemeral), they lack clear and explicit quantitative definitions. As such, inference can be confounded when evaluating hypotheses of animal diel niche switching or plasticity across studies because researchers may be operating under different definitions of diel phenotypes. C_LIO_LIWe propose quantitative definitions of diel phenotypes using four alternative hypotheses sets (Maximizing, Traditional, General, and Selection) aimed at achieving different objectives. Each hypothesis set is composed of mutually exclusive hypotheses defined based on the activity probabilities in the three fundamental periods of light availability (twilight, daytime, and nighttime). C_LIO_LIWe develop a Bayesian modeling framework that compares diel phenotype hypotheses using Bayes factors and estimates model parameters using a multinomial model with linear inequality constraints. Model comparison, parameter estimation, and visualizing results can be done in the Diel.Niche R package. A simplified R Shiny web application is also available. C_LIO_LIWe provide extensive simulation results to guide researchers on the power to discriminate among hypotheses for a range of sample sizes (10 to 1280). We also work through several examples of using data to make inferences on diel activity, and include online vignettes on how to use the Diel.Niche package. We demonstrate how our modeling framework complements analyses that are commonly used to investigate diel activity, such as circular kernel density estimators. C_LIO_LIOur aim is to encourage standardization of the language of diel activity and bridge conceptual frameworks and hypotheses in diel research with data and models. Lastly, we hope more research focuses on the ecological and conservation importance of understanding how animals use diel time. C_LI

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2021

Mammals adjust diel activity across gradients of urbanization

Time is a fundamental component of ecological processes. How animal behavior changes over time has been explored through well-known ecological theories like niche partitioning and predator-prey dynamics. Yet, changes in animal behavior within the shorter 24-hour light-dark cycle have largely gone unstudied. Understanding if an animal can adjust their temporal activity to mitigate or adapt to environmental change has become a recent topic of discussion and is important for effective wildlife management and conservation. While spatial habitat is a fundamental consideration in wildlife management and conservation, temporal habitat is often ignored. We formulated a temporal resource selection model to quantify the diel behavior of eight mammal species across ten U.S. cities. We found high variability in diel activity patterns within and among species and species-specific correlations between diel activity and human population density, impervious land cover, available greenspace, vegetation cover, and mean daily temperature. We also found that some species may modulate temporal behaviors to manage both natural and anthropogenic risks. Our results highlight the complexity with which temporal activity patterns interact with local environmental characteristics, and suggest that urban mammals may use time along the 24-hour cycle to reduce risk, adapt, and therefore persist in human-dominated ecosystems.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2021

Rethinking habitat occupancy modeling and the role of diel activity in an anthropogenic world

Current methods to model species habitat use through space and diel time are limited. Development of such models is critical when considering rapidly changing habitats where species are forced to adapt to anthropogenic change, often by shifting their diel activity across space. We use an occupancy modeling framework to develop a new model, the multi-state diel occupancy model (MSDOM), which can evaluate species diel activity against continuous response variables which may impact diel activity within and across seasons or years. We used two case studies, fosa in Madagascar and coyote in Chicago, USA, to conceptualize the application of this model and to quantify the impacts of human activity on species spatial use in diel time. We found support that both species varied their habitat use by diel states--in and across years, and by human disturbance. Our results exemplify the importance of understanding animal diel activity patterns and how human disturbance can lead to temporal habitat loss. The MSDOM will allow more focused attention in ecology and evolution studies on the importance of the short temporal scale of diel time in animal-habitat relationships and lead to improved habitat conservation and management.

ecology↗