Biology subjects

Pozsgai, G.

Publications and source records attributed to Pozsgai, G..

16 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Ecosystem disservices are underrepresented in literature on annual crop agroecosystems

Maximising ecosystem service (ES) benefits while minimising ecosystem disservices (EDS) is essential for ecological intensification in annual crop systems. Yet ecosystem disservices are often underreported in the scientific literature, potentially biasing how agroecosystem functioning is understood. To test this, we built a predicted network of plausible links between ecosystem service providers (taxa or functional groups that can deliver ecosystem services or disservices), and the ES or EDS they may provide. We then compared this with a realised network based on systematic Scopus searches of annual crop literature. The predicted network contained 47 nodes and 103 links, whereas the realised network contained 33 nodes and 58 links, representing declines of 29.8% in nodes and 43.7% in links. Overall connectivity declined, especially for highly connected nodes, and four of the nine predicted disservice nodes were absent from the literature. ES links were more likely to be documented than EDS links, and EDS links were three times more likely to be absent. Across all links, ES were reported in 6.6 times more papers than EDS. Projected networks, which map indirect connections by linking ES directly to EDS if they share common providers, showed that these bundled interactions were strongly reduced, obscuring multifunctionality and trade-offs. This systematic underrepresentation of EDS, reflecting a cognitive bias, can inflate perceived benefits, distort the evaluation of key taxa and interactions, and create unrealistic expectations about intervention outcomes in biological crop protection. Addressing EDS alongside ES is therefore essential for more balanced assessments of crop-system management and better-informed decisions.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2024

Anthropogenic noise can decrease tomato reproductive success by hindering bumblebee-mediated pollination

Anthropogenic noise is a little-studied type of pollution that negatively affects the physiology, nervous function and development of insects, thereby it has the potential to disrupt even key ecological services such as pollination. Here, we investigate the effects of anthropogenic noise on the pollination success of the Bombus terrestris on tomatoes in controlled conditions. We expect that bumblebees avoid flowers exposed to noise more than flowers in non-noisy environments, leading to less efficient pollination and lower fruit quality. The experiment was conducted in Hungary, in 2023. Three treatments were applied to randomly chosen flowers: noisy (with played traffic noise); and two non-noisy, one allowing bumblebees and one excluding them. The flowers were enclosed with nets before maturity to avoid pollination, opened exclusively during treatment, and re-enclosed for three more days post-treatment. We recorded the marketing value of the fruits and the number of seeds they produced. We found no significant differences in the marketing value of fruits among treatments, but the number of seeds differed significantly suggesting that anthropogenic noise has a substantial effects on bumblebee-mediated pollination. Although these effects may be mitigated by habituation, loud external noise of various machines (e.g. irrigation systems) within polytunnels is still likely to contribute to the everyday noise exposure of bumblebees and could thus potentially lead to hidden economic losses in production. Therefore, further research is needed to understand the behavioural effects of both direct and indirect noise pollution on bumblebees.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2024

Improving biodiversity in Central and Eastern European domestic gardens needs regionally scaled strategies

Amid ongoing urbanisation and increasing anthropogenic activities, domestic gardens, while they cannot replace undisturbed habitats, play a valuable role in enhancing urban biodiversity by supplementing green areas and improving landscape connectivity. Moreover, biodiversity-friendly gardens also improve human well-being and foster connections between nature and people. To study these benefits, we distributed an online questionnaire between 2022 and 2023, and used a scoring system to evaluate the ecological value of gardens, garden owners motivations, and pesticide use habits. We used machine learning to explore how these indices interact and what sociodemographic factors drive them across nine Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. Additionally, we explored the differences and similarities between the ecological values of gardens and gardening practices in building high biodiversity. Our findings reveal significant variability both between and within countries, across all three indices with Romania faring low and Czechia reaching high scores in all three indices. Domestic pesticide use was ubiquitous across all CEE and largely unaffected by sociodemographic factors. However, increased time spent with gardening was associated with reduced pesticide use and a greater potential for fostering high biodiversity. Garden owners over 55 tended to follow and uphold longstanding conventional practices and thus lowered both pesticide and garden index scores. The local-scale differences we observed emphasise the need for regionally tailored guidelines for biodiversity-friendly gardening over standardized regulations across Europe. Optimal strategies for effective environmental educational and community programs can be developed based on local biodiversity and the three indices used in this study. To maximize their impact and meet local needs, these programs should educate garden owners about the environmental and health effects of pesticides and offer comprehensive biodiversity-related information across all regions and social strata. This is particularly crucial in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), where such initiatives are currently underrepresented. HighlightsO_LIDomestic gardens can enhance biodiversity and support human well-being. C_LIO_LIStudy conducted across nine Central and Eastern European countries. C_LIO_LISignificant variability both between and within countries in gardening practices. C_LIO_LIImproving biodiversity in domestic gardens needs regionally scaled strategies. C_LIO_LIReducing pesticide use and increasing awareness are key. C_LI

ecology↗

bioRxiv2024

Flower visitation through the lens: Exploring the foraging behaviour of Bombus terrestris with a computer vision-based application

To understand the processes behind pollinator declines, and thus to maintain pollination efficiency, we also have to understand fundamental drivers influencing pollinator behaviour. In this study, we aim to explore the foraging behaviour of wild bumblebees, recognizing its importance from economic and conservation perspectives. We recorded Bombus terrestris on Lotus creticus, Persicaria capitata, and Trifolium pratense patches in five-minute-long slots in urban areas of Terceira (Azores, Portugal). For the automated bumblebee detection, we created computer vision models based on a deep learning algorithm, with custom datasets. We achieved high F1 scores of 0.88 for Lotus and Persicaria, and 0.95 for Trifolium, indicating accurate bumblebee detection. We found that flower cover per cent, but not plant species, influenced the attractiveness of flower patches, with a significant positive effect. There were no differences between plant species in the attractiveness of the flower heads. The handling time was longer on the large-headed Trifolium than those on the smaller-headed Lotus and Persicaria. However, our result did not indicate significant differences in the time bumblebees spent on flowers among the three plant species. Here, we also justify computer vision-based analysis as a reliable tool for studying pollinator behavioural ecology.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2023

Bridging biodiversity and gardening: unravelling the interplay of socio-demographic factors, garden practices, and garden characteristics

The expansion of urban areas threatens biodiversity, disrupts essential ecological relationships and jeopardises fragile ecological networks, thereby impedes key ecosystem services. To avert irreversible consequences, there is a focus on improving the biodiversity value of domestic gardens for both human well-being and conservation and a global imperative for well-planned and sustainable urban environments. Here, we employ machine learning and network analysis and examine gardening practices and garden owners environmental consciousness in Hungary through a questionnaire-based study to untangle the interplay among socio-demographic factors, garden management, and garden characteristics. We found that the activities determined as biodiversity-positive were widespread among respondents, but a lack of undisturbed areas (n = 624, 49.52%), mowing several times a month (n = 404, 32.06%) and ubiquitous pesticide use (n = 783, 62.14%) were also present. Middle-aged respondents demonstrated more biodiversity-supporting activities than those over 55, who had long-term gardening experience and were predominantly conventional gardeners. Residents of towns showed the least biodiversity-positive activities, whereas those living in cities and the countryside fared better. Additionally, multiple interconnected garden characteristics revealed various types of gardens distinguished by care practices and use, such as gardens for food self-provisioning, ornamental gardens, or those prioritizing biodiversity support. Our results show that garden owners use pesticides, and within them herbicides, independently of socio-demographic parameters, gardening practices, or garden characteristics, suggesting a widespread pesticide use in Hungary. Our findings suggest that strategies, to promote biodiversity-friendly gardening practices may not be equally suitable for all European countries with different cultural backgrounds, environmental consciousness and pesticide use. In particular, factors like differences between societal groups underscore the preference for in-person programs over online information transfer in several cases, for instance, among the elderly and those living in the countryside. This study offers fresh perspectives on the intricate connections between garden diversity, characteristics, and practices, and it lays the groundwork for future research into the sociological drivers of gardening practices in Eastern Europe. Our work also emphasises that optimizing gardens for multiple ecosystem services, including biodiversity conservation and enhancing well-being across diverse societal groups, requires a nuanced understanding of both ecological and socio-demographic factors. HighlightsO_LIBiodiversity-friendly domestic gardens are key for urban sustainability C_LIO_LIGardening practices of Hungarian gardeners varied with socio-demographic factors C_LIO_LILack of undisturbed areas, frequent mowing and pesticide use were the most harmful C_LIO_LIElderly gardeners showed less biodiversity support and environmental awareness C_LIO_LITailored strategies are crucial for enhancing Eastern European garden biodiversity C_LI

ecology↗

bioRxiv2022

Gut microbiota assemblages of generalist predators are driven by local- and landscape-scale factors

The gut microbiomes of arthropods are reported to have significant impact on key physiological functions such as nutrition, reproduction, behavior, and health. Spiders are diverse and numerically dominant predators in crop fields where they are potentially important regulators of pests. The taxonomic structure of spider gut microbiomes, and environmental drivers of composition are unknown. Harnessing spiders to support agricultural productivity is likely to be supported by an understanding of the gut microbiomes of these predators. This study aimed to deciphering the gut microbiome assembly of predators as well as elucidating the potential implications of key environmental constraints in this process. Here, we used high-throughput sequencing to examine for the first time how the assemblages of bacteria in the gut of spiders are shaped by diverse environmental variables. A total of 27 bacterial phyla were detected with Proteobacteria and Firmicutes dominant. The core bacterial communities included the families Enterobacteriaceae, Chloroplast, Lactobacillaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Leuconostocaceae and Ruminococcaceae. Local drivers of microbiome composition were the globally-relevant input use system (organic production versus conventional practice), and crop identity (Chinese cabbage versus cauliflower). Landscape-scale factors, proportion of forest and grassland, compositional diversity, and habitat edge density, also strongly affected gut microbiota. Specific bacterial taxa were enriched in the gut of spiders sampled from different settings and seasons. These findings provide a comprehensive insight into the composition and plasticity of spider gut microbiota. Understanding the temporal responses of specific microbiota could lead to innovative strategies development for boosting biological control services of predators.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2022

Edge effects constraint endemic but not introduced arthropod species in a pristine forest on Terceira (Azores, Portugal)

Pristine Azorean forests have been deeply fragmented since human colonization. Fragmentation increases the length of edges and it therefore promotes edge habitats. Studying the impact of edge habitat on species assemblages is crucial to highlight the importance of forest connectivity and guide management strategies. This study explores the impact of forest edges on arthropod assemblages, and particularly investigates the differences of arthropod communities between three habitats, along a distance gradient from the forest edge near a pasture matrix to the core forest. We also compare patterns of arthropod communities with different biogeographic status (endemic, native non-endemic, and introduced species). We sampled in a pristine forest on Terceira island bordered by semi-natural pastures, using flight interception traps. Traps were established along the ecological gradient of three habitats: the forest edge, an intermediate habitat at 100 m from the border, and the core forest at 300 m deep from the border. We took a multi-taxon approach and used both univariate and multivariate techniques to understand the variation in arthropods species abundance, richness and composition between the three habitats in the native forest. Overall, endemic species dominated arthropod abundances whereas species richness and diversity were similar between the three biogeographic categories. We found evidence of a strong edge effect on arthropod assemblages, adjusted both by biogeographic categories and seasonality. Indigenous (endemic and native non-endemic) species abundances were higher in the forest interior than at the edges or intermediate habitats, suggesting that indigenous arthropod assemblages were sensitive to the distance from the edge, whereas introduced species abundances did no show an edge effect. Species diversity and richness did not differ between the three habitats either, regardless of the biogeographic categories. The composition of arthropods between the three habitats differed significantly when we considered all species or endemic species only, but not with native non-endemic or introduced species. However, the difference got obscured when seasonality was included in the analyses, suggesting that even though edges impact species composition, this impact varies seasonally and endemic species are particularly affected in early summer. Our results indicate that forest edges impact arthropods assemblages but endemic species are more likely to be constrained by the increase of edges than introduced species. Since most of these endemic species are of conservation concern, we urge to avoid forest management strategies that increase fragmentation and call for action to increase the size of native forest habitat. HighlightsO_LIEdge effects constraint the abundance and composition of endemic species but not of introduced ones C_LIO_LIBoth biogeographical categories and temporal dynamics play a role in forming assemblage patterns C_LIO_LIEndemics are the most abundant but richness is similar for all three biogeographic categories C_LIO_LIThe edge can affect the abundance of indigenous species up to100 m into the forest interior C_LI

ecology↗

bioRxiv2022

Contrasting roles of landscape compositions in shaping functional traits of arthropod community in subtropical vegetable fields

Agricultural intensification and land use transformation are among the main driving forces of the unprecedented decline of biodiversity and ecosystem services in croplands. Trait-based approaches provide a unique framework to detect the potential mechanisms of how this intensification affects biodiversity and alter ecosystem services. However, the potential relationship between arthropod traits and various types of habitats is still poorly understood, especially in subtropical vegetable agroecosystems. Here, we conducted a trait-based approach to evaluate the variable roles of different habitats on functional trait diversity and the structure of the arthropod community in brassica vegetable crops. Twenty-three conventional cruciferous vegetables fields were sampled over two years in three regions in Fujian, China. We found that the increasing proportion of non-brassica vegetable plantations and water bodies negatively affected the functional diversity of arthropods, whereas forest and grassland habitats showed a positive correlation, indicating habitat filtering for certain traits or trait combinations. This study demonstrates the importance of landscape composition as an ecological filter for vegetable arthropod community, and identifies how the proportion of different habitats selected for or against specific functional traits. Our findings support that increasing forest and grassland areas adjacent to vegetable fields can play a vital role in promoting the functional diversity of arthropod communities. Since the natural enemy assemblages supported by these habitats bear combinations of diverse traits adapted to disturbance, they have the potential to enhance pest suppression in the highly variable environment of vegetable crops.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2022

DNA metabarcoding of gut contents reveals key habitat and seasonal drivers of trophic networks involving generalist predators in agricultural landscapes

BACKGROUNDUnderstanding the networks of trophic interactions into which generalist predators are embedded is key to assessing their ecological role of in trophic networks and the biological control services they provide. The advent of affordable DNA metabarcoding approaches greatly facilitates quantitative understanding of trophic networks and their response to environmental drivers. Here, we examine how key environmental gradients interact to shape predation by Lycosidae in highly dynamic vegetable growing systems in China. RESULTSFor the sampled Lycosidae, crop identity, pesticide use, and seasons shape the abundance of preydetected in spider guts. For the taxonomic richness of prey, local- and landscape-scale factors gradients were more influential. Multivariate ordinations confirm that these crop-abundant spiders dynamically adjust their diet to reflect environmental constraints and seasonal availability to prey. CONCLUSIONThe plasticity in the diet composition is likely to account for the persistence of spiders in relatively ephemeral brassica crops. Our findings provide further insights into the optimization of habitat management for predator-based biological control practices.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2022

The influence of biotic and abiotic drivers on arthropod co-occurrence network topology in native forest remnants in the Azores

Island biota are in imminent threat from anthropogenic impacts. Of these impacts the negative effects of exotic species on the taxonomic and functional diversity of the local fauna are of particularly major concern. Aside from their impact on the diversity of native fauna, exotics may also have a detrimental effect on native interactions which, in turn, can destabilise ecological networks. Species co-occurrence networks are used to predict ecological interaction networks and utilised as tools to assess environmental impacts on community structure. Here, we investigate the topological differences of the arthropod co-occurrence networks among native forest fragments from seven Azorean islands and reveal the influence of the abiotic environment and exotic species on these networks. We found that co-occurrence networks were sensitive to environmental and community dissimilarities, showing a clear separation between islands and pinpointed differences between indigenous and exotic networks. Most exotics are little connected and exotic networks have a large proportion of unconnected species. The resulting decreased connectance and the increased modularity with the increase of the proportions of exotics in the networks suggests that most exotics have too low prevalence to show associations with other species, and only a few dominants drive co-occurrences. Moreover, the proportion of negative links, as indicators of competition, did not increase with the increase of exotics in the habitats, suggesting that exotics occupied empty niches when they colonised native forest remnants. However, when the theoretical networks consisting of only indigenous species were investigated both the number of negative associations and modularity increased with the increase of exotics, suggesting obscure competition and processes of network degradation. Since our study provides ample evidence for the usefulness of co-occurrence network analysis in studying island ecosystems, we recommend the use of this tool for ecosystem assessments, early warning systems and decision making in island biodiversity conservation. Significance statementGlobal anthropogenic biodiversity decline affects islands to a disproportionately greater extent than other ecosystems. One major cause of declining island biodiversity is the spread of exotic species which may overcompete and replace native biota. In this study, we show, by using arthropod species co-occurrence networks from the Azorean archipelago, that species association patterns reflect both abiotic and biotic impacts and that the increasing proportion of exotics in an ecosystem seemingly has little impact on association networks at large. However, when the effects on the association network of solely indigenous species were scrutinised, signs of network degradation were observed, suggesting an obscure, and most likely slow, negative impact of exotics on native arthropod assemblages. This disintegration of the co-occurrence networks can be the first sign of disappearing interaction links which, in turn, may jeopardise ecosystem function and can lead to regime shifts. In this work, we used a unique long-term dataset collected across the islands of the Azorean archipelago with standardised methodology. We built on the deep knowledge gathered over two decades on the ecology of species, as well as on the ongoing processes shaping the islands arthropod fauna, yet took a novel methodological approach and disentangled hidden ecological processes of great ecological and conservation concern.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2022

Plant protection habits among Hungarian farmers and garden owners and their implications for pollinator protection

BACKGROUNDPesticides are one of the most important anthropogenic-related stressors. In times of global pollinator decline, the role of integrated farming and that of urban gardens in supporting wild pollinators is becoming increasingly important. We circulated an online questionnaire to survey the plant protection practices among Hungarian farmers and garden owners with a particular emphasis on pollinator protection. RESULTSWe found that plant growers heavily rely on pesticide use, and pesticides are widely used in otherwise pollinator-friendly gardens. Whether pesticide use practices were driven by expert opinion and the respondents gender were the best predictors of pesticide use. Although most respondents supported pollinators, pesticides are also widely used among home garden owners, which can pose a non-evident ecological trap for pollinator populations in the gardens. CONCLUSIONSpecial attention should be paid to implementing measures to reduce pesticide, use not only in farmlands but also in home gardens. Environmental education and financial support through agroecological schemes could efficiently promote the transition. However, whereas farmers can be encouraged to reduce pesticide use mostly by expert advice, garden owners are likely to rely on more conventional information channels. The attitude of Hungarian plant growers can provide an insight into pesticide use practices of Central and Eastern European countries, but similar surveys are needed across Europe for a complete understanding of broad-scale processes. This work lays the foundations for similar studies which can inform and facilitate the transformation processes to pesticide-free farming and gardening.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2021

Effects of cover crops on beetle assemblages in tea plantations

Beetles are visible members of food webs in tea plantations, with high species richness and abundance. Many tea pests, as well as natural enemies, are members of this order, so a knowledge of how groundcovers affect beetles can aid pest management. We collected beetles in a replicated field experiment in the Wuyi Mountains, Fujian Province China. Tea was intercropped with Paspalum notatum or Chamaecrista rotundifolia, or rows were cleared to bare ground, or in the control they were left unmanaged to allow weeds to grow naturally. Sampling, done by sweep netting and vegetation beating, was conducted monthly, between May 2006 and April 2008, and Coleoptera abundance, biomass, species richness and assemblage structures were compared between groundcover treatments. Total beetle abundance and species richness were significantly higher in tea intercropped with C. rotundifolia and bare ground than in naturally grown weedy control. Whilst there was no difference between predator assemblages among treatments for any measure, herbivores were more abundant, weighed more, and were more diverse in C. rotundifolia treatments than in weedy control. Biomass and species richness were also greater in plots with P. notatum groundcover than those in weedy control. We found that beetle assemblages varied both seasonally and with ground cover treatment, but the potential pest control impact of more species-rich beetle assemblages was mixed, and further work is needed to gain information on trophic groups with potential benefits for use in non-insecticidal pest management.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2021

Landscape composition mediates suppression of major pests by natural enemies in conventional cruciferous vegetables

BackgroundConservation biological control provides an environment-friendly approach to improve the efficacy of natural enemies. Although numerous studies have demonstrated the potential of semi-natural habitats in promoting biological control in organic or unsprayed agroecosystems, few studies were conducted in conventional agricultural fields. In this study, we investigated the effects of landscape composition on the major pests of cruciferous vegetables and on the assemblages of their natural enemies in southeastern China. ResultsHabitat diversity, particularly increasing grassland proportion in the landscape, had a positive impact in controlling both small-sized pests (aphids, leaf miners, thrips and flea beetles) and Plutella xylostella. This increasing proportion also promoted greater abundance and diversity of canopy-dwelling predators, more forests supported a higher diversity of airborne enemies (parasitoids and canopy-dwelling predators) as well as a higher abundance of ground-dwelling predators. A general increase in habitat diversity was beneficial to parasitoids and ground-dwelling predators. Additionally, the proportion of forest, grassland, and non-cruciferous vegetable area, as well as habitat diversity, affected the compositions of natural enemy communities. Moreover, inconsistent effects of non-cruciferous and grassland habitats were found between sampling regions for small-sized pests and canopy-dwelling predators. Moreover, the scale at which pests and natural enemies abundance and richness responded most to landscape composition varied with their feeding range and dispersal ability. ConclusionOur study provides evidence that increasing the amount of semi-natural habitats and habitat diversity can result in lower pest and higher natural enemy abundance in conventional cruciferous agroecosystems. Regional conditions and spatial scales also should be considered in designing the agricultural landscape mosaic.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2020

Grazing impacts on ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) abundance and diversity on a semi-natural grassland

Semi-natural grasslands are commonly managed as a grazing resource for domestic livestock but, due to their unique biodiversity, they are also of conservation interest. Numerous drivers have impacted on the status of these grasslands in recent decades, most importantly changing grazing management strategies. These changes have the potential to affect the biodiversity associated with these habitats, including on some rich invertebrate assemblages. Responses, however, are often dissimilar between different invertebrate taxa. We investigated the responses of ground beetles to different grazing regimes within a long-term grazing experiment on upland semi-natural grassland in Scotland. Although there was substantial overlap between ground beetle assemblages in different grazing treatments, species richness, mean abundance and Shannon diversity of ground beetles were significantly lower in ungrazed plots than in plots subject to high- or low-intensity sheep grazing. Ground beetle abundance (but not species richness or diversity) were lower in ungrazed plots compared to those with low-intensity mixed grazing by sheep and cattle. However, no differences were identified in abundance, species richness or diversity between the three grazed treatments. Our results suggest that ground beetles may show different responses to grazing compared to responses of some other invertebrate groups and demonstrates the difficulty of carrying out management for a multi-taxon benefit.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2020

A comparative analysis reveals irreproducibility in searches of scientific literature

Repeatability is the cornerstone of science and it is particularly important for systematic reviews. However, little is known on how database and search engine choices influence replicability. Here, we present a comparative analysis of time-synchronized searches at different locations in the world, revealing a large variation among the hits obtained within each of the several search terms using different search engines. We found that PubMed and Scopus returned geographically consistent results to identical search strings, Google Scholar and Web of Science varied substantially both in the number of returned hits and in the list of individual articles depending on the search location and computing environment. To maintain scientific integrity and consistency, especially in systematic reviews, action is needed from both the scientific community and scientific search platforms to increase search consistency. Researchers are encouraged to report the search location, and database providers should make search algorithms transparent and revise access rules to titles behind paywalls.View Full Text

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2018

Does voluntary wheel running exist in Neotropical wild mammals?

Running wheels are frequently used to improve the welfare of captive animals, increase environmental enrichment, and, by doing so, reduce stereotypic behaviors. It is, however, still debated whether or not wheel running itself is a stereotypy. New evidence emerged when Meijer and Robbers (2014, Proc. Royal Soc. B) reported voluntary wheel running of wild animals in the Netherlands. Since stereotypic behaviors are exclusively attributed to captive animals, the occurrence of wheel running in the wild suggests that this behavior is non-stereotypic. Our study explores that same line of investigation, examining whether wild animals will voluntarily use running wheels in a natural area in Paraguay in comparison to the urban and semi-urban settings in the Netherlands. Of the 1857 small mammal visits we recorded, only two occasions showed evidence of what could be considered as wheel running behavior; over hundredfold fewer than previously reported. The potential reasons for the observed difference in wheel running activity, such as different species pool or seasonality, are discussed. The difference, however, is likely to be due to the much lower probability of Neotropical mammals in a remote natural site encountering man-made objects and experiencing urbanization-related behavioral patterns. Additionally, in the light of our findings, we review the definition of wheel running as a stereotypic behavior.

animal behavior and cognition↗