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Behavioral and physiological ecology

Section edited by David Hughes

This section considers studies into the physiological processes underlying an organism’s interactions with its environment as well as all aspects of behavioral ecology.

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  1. Earlier breeding is one of the strongest responses to global change in birds and is a key factor determining reproductive success. In most studies of climate effects, the focus has been on large-scale environm...

    Authors: Anna L. K. Nilsson, Thomas Skaugen, Trond Reitan, Jan Henning L’Abée-Lund, Marlène Gamelon, Kurt Jerstad, Ole Wiggo Røstad, Tore Slagsvold, Nils C. Stenseth, L. Asbjørn Vøllestad and Bjørn Walseng

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2020 20:70

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  2. Fast growing invasive alien species are highly efficient with little investment in their tissues. They often outcompete slower growing species with severe consequences for diversity and community composition. ...

    Authors: Claudia Colesie, Zsofia Reka Stangl and Vaughan Hurry

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2020 20:63

    Content type: Research article

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  4. The thermal plasticity of life-history traits receives wide attention in the recent biological literature. Of all the temperature-dependent traits studied, developmental rates of ectotherms are especially ofte...

    Authors: Dmitry Kutcherov

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2020 20:50

    Content type: Research article

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  5. Salvia is a large, diverse, and polymorphous genus of the family Lamiaceae, comprising about 900 ornamentals, medicinal species with almost cosmopolitan distribution in the world. The success of Salvia limbata se...

    Authors: Maryam Saffariha, Ali Jahani and Daniel Potter

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2020 20:48

    Content type: Research article

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  6. The breeding time of many species has changed over the past 2–3 decades in response to climate change. Yet it is a key reproductive trait that affects individual's parturition time and reproductive success, an...

    Authors: Amélie Paoli, Robert B. Weladji, Øystein Holand and Jouko Kumpula

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2020 20:44

    Content type: Research article

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  7. The ability of a prey species to assess the risk that a predator poses can have important fitness advantages for the prey species. To better understand predator–prey interactions, more species need to be obser...

    Authors: Wanrong Wei, Qiaoyan Zhen, Zhongmin Tang and Maria K. Oosthuizen

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2020 20:41

    Content type: Research article

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  9. Migrant birds travel between their breeding areas and wintering grounds by alternating energetically and physiologically demanding flights with periods of rest and fuelling, so-called stopovers. An important i...

    Authors: Heiko Schmaljohann and Thomas Klinner

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2020 20:36

    Content type: Research article

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  11. In species with complex life cycles, size at metamorphosis is a key life-history trait which reflects the complex interactions between costs and benefits of life in the aquatic and terrestrial environments. Wh...

    Authors: Diana Székely, Dan Cogălniceanu, Paul Székely, Diego Armijos-Ojeda, Valentina Espinosa-Mogrovejo and Mathieu Denoël

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2020 20:24

    Content type: Research article

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  12. Alpine alder vegetation acts upon the nearby grass and dwarf shrub vegetation by the nitrogen supply from the symbiotic bacteria Frankia alni of Alnus viridis. This has been studied in two transects concerning pl...

    Authors: Rexha Kaltrina, Bego Kristi, Zyruku Dea, Shuka Lulezim, Husi René, Schneller Jakob and Bachofen Reinhard

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2020 20:23

    Content type: Research article

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  14. The most severe bacterial disease of honeybees is American foulbrood (AFB). The epidemiology of AFB is driven by the extreme spore resilience, the difficulty of bees to remove these spores, and the considerabl...

    Authors: Jörg G. Stephan, Joachim R. de Miranda and Eva Forsgren

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2020 20:15

    Content type: Research article

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    The Publisher Correction to this article has been published in BMC Ecology 2020 20:16

  15. Glucocorticoids mediate responses to perceived stressors, thereby restoring homeostasis. However, prolonged glucocorticoid elevation may cause homeostatic overload. Using extensive field investigations of band...

    Authors: Pete N. Laver, André Ganswindt, Stefanie B. Ganswindt and Kathleen A. Alexander

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2020 20:12

    Content type: Research article

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  16. Optimal foraging theory explains how animals make foraging decisions based on the availability, nutritional content, and handling times of different food types. Generalists solve this problem by consuming a va...

    Authors: Kristen Petrov, Ricky-John Spencer, Natasha Malkiewicz, Jessica Lewis, Claudia Keitel and James U. Van Dyke

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2020 20:11

    Content type: Research article

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  18. Wild boars (Sus scrofa L.) are globally widely distributed, and their populations have increased in Europe during recent decades. Encounters between humans and wild boars are rare because of the predominantly noc...

    Authors: Franz Johann, Markus Handschuh, Peter Linderoth, Carsten F. Dormann and Janosch Arnold

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2020 20:4

    Content type: Research article

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  19. Some pathogenic bacteria have been developing as a part of terrestrial and aquatic microbial ecosystems. Bacteria are consumed by bacteriovorous protists which are readily consumed by larger organisms. Being n...

    Authors: Valentina I. Pushkareva, Julia I. Podlipaeva, Andrew V. Goodkov and Svetlana A. Ermolaeva

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2019 19:47

    Content type: Research article

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  21. To understand and predict the distribution of foragers, it is crucial to identify the factors that affect individual movement decisions at different scales. Individuals are expected to adjust their foraging mo...

    Authors: Mia Wege, P. J. Nico de Bruyn, Mark A. Hindell, Mary-Anne Lea and Marthán N. Bester

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2019 19:36

    Content type: Research article

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  22. In Japan, invasive raccoons cause severe ecological and social problems by transmitting pathogens to humans, livestock, and native species, causing substantial crop damage, and competing with native species. P...

    Authors: Aya Osaki, Mariko Sashika, Go Abe, Kohei Shinjo, Ayako Fujimoto, Mariko Nakai, Michito Shimozuru and Toshio Tsubota

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2019 19:35

    Content type: Research article

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  23. Circular data are gathered in diverse fields of science where measured traits are cyclical in nature: such as compass directions or times of day. The most common statistical question asked of a sample of circu...

    Authors: Lukas Landler, Graeme D. Ruxton and E. Pascal Malkemper

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2019 19:30

    Content type: Methodology article

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  24. Self-incompatible plants require simultaneous flowering mates for crosspollination and reproduction. Though the presence of flowering conspecifics and pollination agents are important for reproductive success,...

    Authors: Ute Fricke, Dani Lucas-Barbosa and Jacob C. Douma

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2019 19:29

    Content type: Research article

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  25. Anurans largely rely on acoustic communication for sexual selection and reproduction. While multiple studies have focused on the calling activity patterns of prolonged breeding assemblages, species that concen...

    Authors: Juan Sebastian Ulloa, Thierry Aubin, Diego Llusia, Élodie A. Courtois, Antoine Fouquet, Philippe Gaucher, Sandrine Pavoine and Jérôme Sueur

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2019 19:28

    Content type: Research article

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  27. Consumers should show strong spatial preferences when foraging in environments where food availability is highly heterogeneous and predictable. Postdispersal granivores face this scenario in most arid areas, w...

    Authors: Fernando A. Milesi, Javier Lopez de Casenave and Víctor R. Cueto

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2019 19:25

    Content type: Research article

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  29. Social tolerance strongly influences the patterns of affiliation and aggression in animal societies. However, not much is known about the variation of social tolerance in species living in dispersed social sys...

    Authors: Mamy Rina Evasoa, Elke Zimmermann, Alida Frankline Hasiniaina, Solofonirina Rasoloharijaona, Blanchard Randrianambinina and Ute Radespiel

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2019 19:20

    Content type: Research article

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  30. The sixth BMC Ecology Image Competition received more than 145 photographs from talented ecologists around the world, showcasing the amazing biodiversity, natural beauty and biological interactions found in natur...

    Authors: Alison L. Cuff, Ying Lou, Jiang Zhigang, Michel Baguette, Simon Blanchet, Jean Clobert, Luke M. Jacobus, Dominique Mazzi and Josef Settele

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2019 19:11

    Content type: Editorial

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  31. Ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM) play a central role in nutrient cycling in boreal and temperate forests, but their role in the soil food web remains little understood. One of the groups assumed to live as speciali...

    Authors: Sarah L. Bluhm, Anton M. Potapov, Julia Shrubovych, Silke Ammerschubert, Andrea Polle and Stefan Scheu

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2019 19:10

    Content type: Research article

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  33. Copepods make up the largest zooplankton biomass in coastal areas and estuaries and are pivotal for the normal development of fish larva of countless species. During spring in neritic boreal waters, the copepo...

    Authors: Tue Sparholt Jørgensen, Per Meyer Jepsen, H. Cecilie B. Petersen, Dennis Steven Friis and Benni Winding Hansen

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2019 19:1

    Content type: Research article

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  34. Our picture of behavioral management of risk by prey remains fragmentary. This partly stems from a lack of studies jointly analyzing different behavioral responses developed by prey, such as habitat use and fi...

    Authors: Pierrick Blanchard, Christine Lauzeral, Simon Chamaillé-Jammes, Clément Brunet, Arnaud Lec’hvien, Guillaume Péron and Dominique Pontier

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2018 18:60

    Content type: Research article

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  35. Identifying the factors that affect ranging behavior of animals is a central issue to ecology and an essential tool for designing effective conservation policies. This knowledge provides the information needed...

    Authors: Francesc Cuscó, Laura Cardador, Gerard Bota, Manuel B. Morales and Santi Mañosa

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2018 18:56

    Content type: Research article

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  36. Fishing activities can influence foraging behaviour of many seabird species worldwide. Seabirds are attracted by fishing vessels which can facilitate access to demersal fish as a novel food resource that other...

    Authors: M. Cianchetti-Benedetti, G. Dell’Omo, T. Russo, C. Catoni and P. Quillfeldt

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2018 18:54

    Content type: Research article

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  37. Courtship and spawning behaviors of coral reef fishes are very complex, and sufficient sampling effort and proper methods are required to draw informed conclusions on their mating systems that are grounded in ...

    Authors: Brad E. Erisman, João P. Barreiros, Kevin L. Rhodes and Robert R. Warner

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2018 18:48

    Content type: Correspondence

    Published on:

  41. Wetlands are habitats where variation in soil moisture content and associated environmental conditions can strongly affect the survival of herbivorous insects by changing host plant quality and natural enemy d...

    Authors: Thomas A. Verschut and Peter A. Hambäck

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2018 18:33

    Content type: Research article

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  42. Ecological research often involves sampling and manipulating non-model organisms that reside in heterogeneous environments. As such, ecologists often adapt techniques and ideas from industry and other scientif...

    Authors: Jocelyn E. Behm, Brenna R. Waite, S. Tonia Hsieh and Matthew R. Helmus

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2018 18:32

    Content type: Methodology article

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  43. During electricity generation of nuclear power plant, heat energy cannot be completely converted into electrical energy, and a part of it is lost in the form of thermal discharge into the environment. The ther...

    Authors: Zhi-guo Dong, Yi-hua Chen, Hong-xing Ge, Xiao-ying Li, Hai-long Wu, Chen-he Wang, Zhe Hu, Yang-jian Wu, Guang-hui Fu, Ji-kun Lu and Hua Che

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2018 18:31

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  45. Various factors, such as climate, body size and sociality are often linked to parasitism. This constrains the identification of other determinants driving parasite infections. Here, we investigate for the firs...

    Authors: May Hokan, Elke Zimmermann, Ute Radespiel, Bertrand Andriatsitohaina, Solofonirina Rasoloharijaona and Christina Strube

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2018 18:22

    Content type: Research article

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  46. The spatial distribution of mangrove crabs has been commonly associated with tree zonation and abiotic factors such as ground temperature and soil granulometry. Conversely, no studies were designed to investig...

    Authors: Stefano Cannicci, Marco Fusi, Filippo Cimó, Farid Dahdouh-Guebas and Sara Fratini

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2018 18:8

    Content type: Research Article

    Published on:

  47. For many fish species, retinal function changes between life history stages as part of an encoded developmental program. Retinal change is also known to exhibit plasticity because retinal form and function can...

    Authors: Lorian E. Schweikert and Michael S. Grace

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2018 18:1

    Content type: Research Article

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  48. Figs are widely distributed key resources to many tropical-subtropical animals, and flying-foxes are major consumers and seed dispersers of figs. Bat-fig interrelationships, however, may vary among species dif...

    Authors: Ya-Fu Lee, Yen-Min Kuo, Hsin-Yi Chang, Chi-Feng Tsai and Shigeyuki Baba

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2017 17:35

    Content type: Research Article

    Published on:

  49. Conditions experienced by a female during early life may affect her reproductive strategies and maternal investment later in life. This effect of early environmental conditions is a potentially important mecha...

    Authors: Sin-Yeon Kim, Neil B. Metcalfe, Alberto da Silva and Alberto Velando

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2017 17:34

    Content type: Research Article

    Published on:

  50. Glucocorticoid hormones are known to play a key role in mediating a cascade of physiological responses to social and ecological stressors and can therefore influence animals’ behaviour and ultimately fitness. ...

    Authors: Josué H. Rakotoniaina, Peter M. Kappeler, Eva Kaesler, Anni M. Hämäläinen, Clemens Kirschbaum and Cornelia Kraus

    Citation: BMC Ecology 2017 17:30

    Content type: Research Article

    Published on:

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