BACKGROUND AND AIMS Organismal evolution tends to be closely associated with ecological conditions. However, the extent to which this association constrains adaptation or diversification into new habitats remains unclear. We studied habitat evolution in the hyper-diverse angiosperm clade Saxifragales. METHODS We used species-level phylogenies for approx. 950 species to analyse the evolution o...

Future development and climate change pose potentially serious threats to estuarine fish populations around the world. We examined how habitat suitability for delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), a state and federally protected species, might be affected by changes in outflow in the San Francisco Estuary due to future development and climate change. Forty years of sampling data collected dur...

Consumer responses to altered resource conditions can vary depending on dietary preference, resource characteristics and secondary resource features such as shelter. These can have cascading effects, especially if the consumed resource impacts on overall ecological functioning. In this study, we assessed the dietary composition of grazer communities following seasonal changes in the characteris...

Despite the dynamic nature of habitat selection, temporal variation as arising from factors such as weather are rarely quantified in species-habitat relationships. We analysed habitat use and selection (use/availability) of foraging, radio-tagged little owls (Athene noctua), a nocturnal, year-round resident generalist predator, to see how this varied as a function of weather, season and availab...

Classical ecological studies discussing specialization usually focus on species' performance along one niche axis. This approach may overlook niche differentiation evident in another dimension which could explain species co-occurrence. The present research exemplifies a comprehensive approach to examining local adaptation. Specifically, we examined multiple niche axes by subjecting a model orga...

Habitat selection is a complex process, which involves behavioural decisions guided by the multiple needs and constraints faced by individuals. Climate-induced changes in environmental conditions may alter those trade-offs and resulting habitat use patterns. In this study, we investigated the effect of sea temperature on habitat selection and habitat use of acoustically tagged Atlantic cod (Gad...

In the summer of 1998 and 1999, watersheds in western Oregon were randomly sampled for stream habitat conditions. Sites were selected using a random tessellation stratified design. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Aquatic Inventories methods were used to quantify indicators of sediment supply and quality, riparian forest connectivity and health, habitat structure, in-stream complexity, an...

Smirnovia iranica (Sabeti) synonym: Smirnovia turkestana (Bunge) is a deciduous perennial bushy species of the Fabaceae (Papilionaceae) family. The species grow on sand dunes of desert areas, having a deep vertical root and very long horizontal or lateral roots. They have an important role in natural vegetation of desert and sand dune stabilization. Limited growing areas, grazing due to good pa...