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Smiley RA, Wagler BL, Edwards WH, Jennings-Gaines J, Luukkonen K, Robbins K, Johnson M, Courtemanch AB, Mong TW, Lutz D, McWhirter D, Malmberg JL, Lowrey B, Monteith KL. Infection-nutrition feedbacks: fat supports pathogen clearance but pathogens reduce fat in a wild mammal. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240636. [PMID: 39013423 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Though far less obvious than direct effects (clinical disease or mortality), the indirect influences of pathogens are difficult to estimate but may hold fitness consequences. Here, we disentangle the directional relationships between infection and energetic reserves, evaluating the hypotheses that energetic reserves influence infection status of the host and that infection elicits costs to energetic reserves. Using repeated measures of fat reserves and infection status in individual bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, we documented that fat influenced ability to clear pathogens (Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae) and infection with respiratory pathogens was costly to fat reserves. Costs of infection approached, and in some instances exceeded, costs of rearing offspring to independence in terms of reductions to fat reserves. Fat influenced probability of clearing pathogens, pregnancy and over-winter survival; from an energetic perspective, an animal could survive for up to 23 days on the amount of fat that was lost to high levels of infection. Cost of pathogens may amplify trade-offs between reproduction and survival. In the absence of an active outbreak, the influence of resident pathogens often is overlooked. Nevertheless, the energetic burden of pathogens likely has consequences for fitness and population dynamics, especially when food resources are insufficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Smiley
- Haub School of the Environment and Natural Resources, 804 E Fremont Street, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Wyoming, 1000 University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Brittany L Wagler
- Haub School of the Environment and Natural Resources, 804 E Fremont Street, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - William H Edwards
- Department of Wyoming Game and Fish, Wildlife Health Laboratory,1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, WY 82072, USA
| | - Jessica Jennings-Gaines
- Department of Wyoming Game and Fish, Wildlife Health Laboratory,1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, WY 82072, USA
| | - Katie Luukkonen
- Department of Wyoming Game and Fish, Wildlife Health Laboratory,1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, WY 82072, USA
| | - Kara Robbins
- Department of Wyoming Game and Fish, Wildlife Health Laboratory,1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, WY 82072, USA
| | - Marguerite Johnson
- Department of Wyoming Game and Fish, Wildlife Health Laboratory,1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, WY 82072, USA
| | | | - Tony W Mong
- Department of Wyoming Game and Fish, 2820 WY-120, Cody, WY 82414, USA
| | - Daryl Lutz
- Department of Wyoming Game and Fish, 260 Buena Vista Drive, Lander, WY 82520, USA
| | - Doug McWhirter
- Department of Wyoming Game and Fish, 420 N Cache Street, Jackson, WY 83001, USA
| | - Jennifer L Malmberg
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Wyoming, 1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, WY 82070, USA
| | - Blake Lowrey
- US Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, 2327 University Way, Bozeman, MT 59715, USA
| | - Kevin L Monteith
- Haub School of the Environment and Natural Resources, 804 E Fremont Street, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Wyoming, 1000 University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
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Denryter K, Stephenson TR, Monteith KL. Migratory behaviours are risk-sensitive to physiological state in an elevational migrant. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 12:coae029. [PMID: 38779433 PMCID: PMC11109817 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coae029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Accretion of body fat by animals is an important physiological adaptation that may underpin seasonal behaviours, especially where it modulates risk associated with a particular behaviour. Using movement data from male Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis sierrae), we tested the hypothesis that migratory behaviours were risk-sensitive to physiological state (indexed by body fat). Sierra bighorn face severe winter conditions at high elevations and higher predation risk at lower elevations. Given that large body fat stores ameliorate starvation risk, we predicted that having small body fat stores would force animals to migrate to lower elevations with more abundant food supplies. We also predicted that body fat stores would influence how far animals migrate, with the skinniest animals migrating the furthest down in elevation (to access the most abundant food supplies at that time of year). Lastly, we predicted that population-level rates of switching between migratory tactics would be inversely related to body fat levels because as body fat levels decrease, animals exhibiting migratory plasticity should modulate their risk of starvation by switching migratory tactics. Consistent with our predictions, probability of migration and elevational distance migrated increased with decreasing body fat, but effects differed amongst metapopulations. Population-level switching rates also were inversely related to population-level measures of body fat prior to migration. Collectively, our findings suggest migration was risk-sensitive to physiological state, and failure to accrete adequate fat may force animals to make trade-offs between starvation and predation risk. In complex seasonal environments, risk-sensitive migration yields a layer of flexibility that should aid long-term persistence of animals that can best modulate their risk by attuning behaviour to physiological state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Denryter
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Bim Kendall House 804 E Fremont St, Laramie, WY 82072, USA
| | - Thomas R. Stephenson
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program, 787 N Main St., Bishop, CA 93514, USA
| | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Bim Kendall House 804 E Fremont St, Laramie, WY 82072, USA
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Malmberg JL, Allen SE, Jennings-Gaines JE, Johnson M, Luukkonen KL, Robbins KM, Cornish TE, Smiley RA, Wagler BL, Gregory Z, Lutz D, Hnilicka P, Monteith KL, Edwards WH. Pathology of Chronic Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae Carriers in a Declining Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) Population. J Wildl Dis 2024; 60:448-460. [PMID: 38329742 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-23-00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) across North America commonly experience population-limiting epizootics of respiratory disease. Although many cases of bighorn sheep pneumonia are polymicrobial, Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae is most frequently associated with all-age mortality events followed by years of low recruitment. Chronic carriage of M. ovipneumoniae by adult females serves as a source of exposure of naïve juveniles; relatively few ewes may be responsible for maintenance of infection within a herd. Test-and-remove strategies focused on removal of adult females with evidence of persistent or intermittent shedding (hereafter chronic carriers) may reduce prevalence and mitigate mortality. Postmortem confirmation of pneumonia in chronic carriers has been inadequately reported and the pathology has not been thoroughly characterized, limiting our understanding of important processes shaping the epidemiology of pneumonia in bighorn sheep. Here we document postmortem findings and characterize the lesions of seven ewes removed from a declining bighorn sheep population in Wyoming, USA, following at least two antemortem detections of M. ovipneumoniae within a 14-mo period. We confirmed that 6/7 (85.7%) had variable degrees of chronic pneumonia. Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae was detected in the lung of 4/7 (57.1%) animals postmortem. Four (57.1%) had paranasal sinus masses, all of which were classified as inflammatory, hyperplastic lesions. Pasteurella multocida was detected in all seven (100%) animals, while Trueperella pyogenes was detected in 5/7 (71.4%). Our findings indicate that not all chronic carriers have pneumonia, nor do all have detectable M. ovipneumoniae in the lung. Further, paranasal sinus masses are a common but inconsistent finding, and whether sinus lesions predispose to persistence or result from chronic carriage remains unclear. Our findings indicate that disease is variable in chronic M. ovipneumoniae carriers, underscoring the need for further efforts to characterize pathologic processes and underlying mechanisms in this system to inform management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Malmberg
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Wyoming, 1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, Wyoming 82070, USA
- Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory, 1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, Wyoming 82070
- Current affiliation and address: National Wildlife Research Center, Wildlife Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, USA
| | - Samantha E Allen
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Veterinary Services, 1212 South Adams Street, Laramie, Wyoming 82070, USA
| | - Jessica E Jennings-Gaines
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Veterinary Services, Wildlife Health Laboratory, 1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, Wyoming 82070, USA
| | - Marguerite Johnson
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Veterinary Services, Wildlife Health Laboratory, 1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, Wyoming 82070, USA
| | - Katie L Luukkonen
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Veterinary Services, Wildlife Health Laboratory, 1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, Wyoming 82070, USA
| | - Kara M Robbins
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Veterinary Services, Wildlife Health Laboratory, 1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, Wyoming 82070, USA
| | - Todd E Cornish
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Lab, University of California-Davis, 18760 Road 112, Tulare, California 93274, USA
| | - Rachel A Smiley
- University of Wyoming, Haub School of the Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, 804 East Fremont Street, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA
| | - Brittany L Wagler
- University of Wyoming, Haub School of the Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, 804 East Fremont Street, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA
| | - Zach Gregory
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, 260 Buena Vista Drive, Lander, Wyoming 82520, USA
| | - Daryl Lutz
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, 260 Buena Vista Drive, Lander, Wyoming 82520, USA
| | - Pat Hnilicka
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, 170 North First Street, Lander, Wyoming 82520, USA
| | - Kevin L Monteith
- University of Wyoming, Haub School of the Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, 804 East Fremont Street, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA
| | - William H Edwards
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Veterinary Services, Wildlife Health Laboratory, 1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, Wyoming 82070, USA
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LaSharr TN, Jakopak RP, Dwinnell SPH, Rafferty RT, Thonhoff M, Kaiser RC, Fralick GL, Monteith KL. Maternal effects and the legacy of extreme environmental events for wild mammals. Ecology 2023; 104:e3953. [PMID: 36484728 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tayler N LaSharr
- Haub School of the Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA.,Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Rhiannon P Jakopak
- Haub School of the Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Samantha P H Dwinnell
- Haub School of the Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Rebekah T Rafferty
- Haub School of the Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA.,Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Mark Thonhoff
- Bureau of Land Management, Pinedale Field Office, Pinedale, Wyoming, USA
| | - Rusty C Kaiser
- United States Forest Service, Big Piney Ranger District, Big Piney, Wyoming, USA
| | - Gary L Fralick
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Jackson Regional Office, Jackson, Wyoming, USA
| | - Kevin L Monteith
- Haub School of the Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA.,Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
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Denryter K, Conner MM, Stephenson TR, German DW, Monteith KL. Survival of the fattest: how body fat and migration influence survival in highly seasonal environments. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Denryter
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Wyoming, 804 East Fremont Laramie WY USA
| | - Mary M. Conner
- Utah State University Department of Wildland Resources, 5320 Old Main Hill Logan UT USA
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 787 North Main Street, Suite 220 Bishop CA USA
| | - Thomas R. Stephenson
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program, 787 North Main Street, Suite 220 Bishop CA USA
| | - David W. German
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program, 787 North Main Street, Suite 220 Bishop CA USA
| | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 804 East Fremont Laramie WY USA
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