Hierarchical structure in bird-habitat associations can arise from hierarchical structure in environmental variables and from the scale-dependent responses of birds to habitat. Hierarchical structure in environmental variables is expected to result from interactions between variables that differ in grain size (spatial resolution) and frequency, and should occur commonly. Birds cannot accurately...

A large number of studies have demonstrated that habitat characteristics have a huge impact on all aspects of animal life history. This hypothesis predicts a relationship between habitat structure and the main components of fitness and, consequently, also predicts a relationship between habitat structure and other traits indirectly related to fitness, such as condition or health. We tested whet...

We tested the habitat filtering hypothesis by measuring the phylogenetic structure in marine bacterial communities before and after experimentally induced stress. The habitat filtering hypothesis predicts that phylogenetic clustering (mean relatedness) should increase as the environment becomes suitable for only a subset of the original community. We show that community composition and phylogen...

1. Research on habitat selection has focused on the role of vegetative and geologic characteristics or antagonistic behavioural interactions. 2. Conspecifics can confer information about habitat quality and provide positive density-dependent effects, suggesting habitat selection in response to the presence of conspecifics can be an adaptive strategy. 3. We conducted a manipulative field experim...

We investigated the relationship between red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) reproductive success and microhabitat characteristics in a southeastern loblolly (Pinus taeda) and shortleaf (P. echinata) pine forest. From 1997 to 1999, we recorded reproductive success parameters of 41 red-cockaded woodpecker groups at the Bienville National Forest, Mississippi. Microhabitat characteristics ...

Natural habitats located in urbanized regions are increasingly being impacted by residential, commercial and agricultural development, but little is known about their biotic and abiotic characteristics. Temporary aquatic habitats are less protected by environmental regulations than permanently flooded habitats, and they have been historically understudied. We sampled temporary aquatic habitats ...