DEBBIES. A database to compare life history strategies across ectotherms.

Smallegange IM, Lucas S. 2023. DEBBIES to compare life history strategies across ectotherms. <i>Preprint</i>. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.08.22.554265Demographic models are used to explore how life history traits structure life history strategies across species. This study presents the DEBBIES dataset that contains estimates of eight life history traits (length at birth, puberty and maximum length, maximum reproduction rate, fraction energy allocated to respiration versus reproduction, von Bertalanffy growth rate, mortality rates) for 185 ectotherm species. The dataset can be used to parameterise dynamic energy budget integral projection models (DEB-IPMs) to calculate key demographic quantities like population growth rate and demographic resilience, but also link to conservation status or biogeographical characteristics. Our technical validation shows a satisfactory agreement between observed and predicted longevity, generation time, age at maturity across all species. Compared to existing datasets, DEBBIES accommodates (i) easy cross-taxonomical comparisons, (ii) many data-deficient species, and (iii) population forecasts to novel conditions because DEB-IPMs include a mechanistic description of the trade-off between growth and reproduction. This dataset has the potential for biologists to unlock general predictions on ectotherm population responses from only a few key life history traits.

Smallegange IM、Lucas S. 于2023年发布预印本研究：DEBBIES数据集用于比较外温动物（ectotherm）的生活史策略，DOI为10.1101/2023.08.22.554265。
种群统计模型常用于探究不同物种的生活史性状如何塑造其生活史策略。本研究构建的DEBBIES数据集，涵盖185种外温动物的8项生活史性状估算值，具体包括：出生体长、性成熟体长、最大体长、最大繁殖率、呼吸与繁殖的能量分配比例、冯·贝塔朗菲（von Bertalanffy）生长率以及死亡率。
该数据集可用于参数化动态能量预算积分投影模型（dynamic energy budget integral projection models，DEB-IPMs），以此计算种群增长率、种群恢复力等关键种群统计量，还可与物种保护状况或生物地理特征建立关联。本研究的技术验证结果表明，所有物种的观测值与预测的寿命、世代时间、成熟年龄之间均具有令人满意的一致性。
相较于现有同类数据集，DEBBIES具备三项突出优势：其一，支持便捷的跨类群比较；其二，覆盖大量数据缺乏物种；其三，可针对全新环境条件开展种群预测——这得益于DEB-IPMs对生长与繁殖间的权衡关系进行了机制性描述。
本数据集有望助力生物学家仅通过少量关键生活史性状，即可推导外温动物种群响应的一般性预测结论。