Manning, P. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2018

Towards an Ecological Trait-data Standard

O_LITrait-based approaches are widespread throughout ecological research, offering great potential for trait data to deliver general and mechanistic conclusions. Accordingly,a wealth of trait data is available for many organism groups, but, due to a lack of standardisation, these data come in heterogeneous formats.\nC_LIO_LIWe review current initiatives and infrastructures for standardising trait data and discuss the importance of standardisation for trait data hosted in distributed open-access repositories.\nC_LIO_LIIn order to facilitate the standardisation and harmonisation of distributed trait datasets, we propose a general and simple vocabulary as well as a simple data structure for storing and sharing ecological trait data.\nC_LIO_LIAdditionally, we provide an R-package that enables the transformation of any tabular dataset into the proposed format. This also allows trait datasets from heterogeneous sources to be harmonised and merged, thus facilitating data compilation for any particular research focus.\nC_LIO_LIWith these decentralised tools for trait-data harmonisation, we intend to facilitate the exchange and analysis of trait data within ecological research and enable global syntheses of traits across a wide range of taxa and ecosystems.\nC_LI

ecology↗

bioRxiv2017

Effects of the veterinary anthelmintic moxidectin on dung beetle survival and ecosystem functioning

O_LIMacrocyclic lactones (MLs) are a class of chemical compounds administered to livestock for parasite control. These compounds are poorly metabolized and are predominately excreted in dung.\nC_LIO_LIWhen coprophagous insects such as dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) are exposed to ML residues, lethal and sublethal effects are often observed. Indirectly this can lead to ML residues impairing ecosystem functions that underpin production. A strategy to reduce these negative effects involves selecting compounds that offer lower risk to non-target invertebrates such as the ML moxidectin.\nC_LIO_LIConsidering two dung beetle species with differing sensitivities to agricultural intensification, we asked whether exposure to moxidectin residues influenced survival, reproductive output, and functioning (short- and long-term estimates of dung removal).\nC_LIO_LIWhen exposed to moxidectin, adults of the sensitive species (Geotrupes spiniger Marsham) experienced a 43% reduction in survival. In contrast, survival of the non-sensitive species (Aphodius rufipes L.) was unaffected. We were unable to determine whether exposure affected reproductive output of either species.\nC_LIO_LIWe found little evidence to suggest moxidectin impaired dung removal. We found however, that high densities of a species with relatively low functional importance (A. rufipes) can compensate for the loss of a functionally dominant species (G. spiniger). Over a longer timeframe, earthworms fully decomposed dung irrespective of moxidectin residues.\nC_LI

ecology↗