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Cunningham SA, Schafer TLJ, Wikle CK, VonBank JA, Ballard BM, Cao L, Bearhop S, Fox AD, Hilton GM, Walsh AJ, Griffin LR, Weegman MD. Time-varying effects of local weather on behavior and probability of breeding deferral in two Arctic-nesting goose populations. Oecologia 2023; 201:369-383. [PMID: 36576527 PMCID: PMC9944342 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05300-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Arctic-nesting geese face energetic challenges during spring migration, including ecological barriers and weather conditions (e.g., precipitation and temperature), which in long-lived species can lead to a trade-off to defer reproduction in favor of greater survival. We used GPS location and acceleration data collected from 35 greater white-fronted geese of the North American midcontinent and Greenland populations at spring migration stopovers, and novel applications of Bayesian dynamic linear models to test daily effects of minimum temperature and precipitation on energy expenditure (i.e., overall dynamic body acceleration, ODBA) and proportion of time spent feeding (PTF), then examined the daily and additive importance of ODBA and PTF on probability of breeding deferral using stochastic antecedent models. We expected distinct responses in behavior and probability of breeding deferral between and within populations due to differences in stopover area availability. Time-varying coefficients of weather conditions were variable between ODBA and PTF, and often did not show consistent patterns among birds, indicating plasticity in how individuals respond to conditions. An increase in antecedent ODBA was associated with a slightly increased probability of deferral in midcontinent geese but not Greenland geese. Probability of deferral decreased with increased PTF in both populations. We did not detect any differentially important time periods. These results suggest either that movements and behavior throughout spring migration do not explain breeding deferral or that ecological linkages between bird decisions during spring and subsequent breeding deferral were different between populations and across migration but occurred at different time scales than those we examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A Cunningham
- School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.
- Department of Environmental Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA.
| | - Toryn L J Schafer
- Department of Statistics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
- Department of Statistics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | | | - Jay A VonBank
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX, 78363, USA
| | - Bart M Ballard
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX, 78363, USA
| | - Lei Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Stuart Bearhop
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Anthony D Fox
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, C.F. Møllers Allé 4-8, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Geoff M Hilton
- Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, GL2 7BT, Gloucester, UK
| | - Alyn J Walsh
- National Parks and Wildlife Service, Wexford Wildfowl Reserve, North Slob, Wexford, Ireland
| | - Larry R Griffin
- Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, GL2 7BT, Gloucester, UK
- ECO-LG Limited, Crooks House, Mabie, DG2 8EY, Dumfries, UK
| | - Mitch D Weegman
- School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
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Careau V, Lecomte N, Bêty J, Giroux JF, Gauthier G, Berteaux D. Hoarding of pulsed resources: Temporal variations in egg-caching by arctic fox. ECOSCIENCE 2015. [DOI: 10.2980/15-2-3097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Careau
- Groupe de recherche en écologie comportementale et animale, Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, P.O. Box 8888, Stn Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Nicolas Lecomte
- Département de biologie and Centre d'études nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Joël Bêty
- Centre d'études nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, Québec G5L 3A1, Canada
| | - Jean-François Giroux
- Groupe de recherche en écologie comportementale et animale, Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, P.O. Box 8888, Stn Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Gilles Gauthier
- Département de biologie and Centre d'études nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Dominique Berteaux
- Chaire de recherche du Canada en conservation des écosystèmes nordiques and Centre d'études nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, Québec G5L 3A1, Canada
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Anderson HB, Madsen J, Fuglei E, Jensen GH, Woodin SJ, van der Wal R. The dilemma of where to nest: influence of spring snow cover, food proximity and predator abundance on reproductive success of an arctic-breeding migratory herbivore is dependent on nesting habitat choice. Polar Biol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-014-1574-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Stokes AN, Cook DG, Hanifin CT, Brodie ED, Brodie ED. Sex-biased Predation on Newts of the Genus Taricha by a Novel Predator and its Relationship with Tetrodotoxin Toxicity. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2011. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031-165.2.389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Lima SL. Predators and the breeding bird: behavioral and reproductive flexibility under the risk of predation. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2009; 84:485-513. [PMID: 19659887 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2009.00085.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 342] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of work suggests that breeding birds have a significant capacity to assess and respond, over ecological time, to changes in the risk of predation to both themselves and their eggs or nestlings. This review investigates the nature of this flexibility in the face of predation from both behavioural and reproductive perspectives, and also explores several directions for future research. Most available work addresses different aspects of nest predation. A substantial change in breeding location is perhaps the best documented response to nest predation, but such changes are not always observed and not necessarily the best strategy. Changes in nesting microhabitat (to more concealed locations) following predation are known to occur. Surprisingly little work addresses the proactive avoidance of areas with many nest predators, but such avoidance is probably widespread. Individual birds could conceivably adopt anti-predator strategies based on the nest predators actually present in an area, but such effects have yet to be demonstrated. In fact, the ways in which birds assess the risk of nest predation is unclear. Nest defence in birds has historically received much attention, but little is known about how it interacts with other aspects of decision-making by parents. Other studies concentrate on predation risk to adults. Some findings suggest that risk to adults themselves influences territory location, especially relative to raptor nests. An almost completely unexplored area concerns the sorts of social protection from predators that might exist during the breeding season. Flocking typical of the non-breeding season appears unusual while breeding, but a mated pair may sometimes act as a "flock of two". Opportunistic heterospecific sociality may exist, with heterospecific protector species associations more prevalent than currently appreciated. The dynamics of singing during the breeding season may also respond to variation in predation risk, but empirical research on this subject is limited. Furthermore, a few theoretical and empirical studies suggest that changes in predation risk also influence the behaviour of lekking males. The major influence of predators on avian life histories is undoubtedly expressed at a broad phylogenetic scale, but several studies hint at much flexibility on an ecological time scale. Some species may forgo breeding completely if the risk of nest predation is too high, and a few studies document smaller clutch sizes in response to an increase in nest predation. Recent evidence suggests that a female may produce smaller eggs rather than smaller clutches following an increase in nest predation risk. Such an increase may also influence decisions about intraspecific brood parasitism. There are no clear examples of changes in clutch/egg size with changes in risk experienced by adults, but parental responses to predators have clear consequences for offspring fitness. Changes in risk to adults may also influence body mass changes across the breeding season, although research here is sparse. The topics highlighted herein are all in need more empirical attention, and more experimental field work whenever feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven L Lima
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana 47809, USA.
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Samelius G, Alisauskas RT, Hobson KA, Larivière S. Prolonging the arctic pulse: long-term exploitation of cached eggs by arctic foxes when lemmings are scarce. J Anim Ecol 2007; 76:873-80. [PMID: 17714265 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2007.01278.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
1. Many ecosystems are characterized by pulses of dramatically higher than normal levels of foods (pulsed resources) to which animals often respond by caching foods for future use. However, the extent to which animals use cached foods and how this varies in relation to fluctuations in other foods is poorly understood in most animals. 2. Arctic foxes Alopex lagopus (L.) cache thousands of eggs annually at large goose colonies where eggs are often superabundant during the nesting period by geese. We estimated the contribution of cached eggs to arctic fox diets in spring and autumn, when geese were not present in the study area, by comparing stable isotope ratios (delta(13)C and delta(15)N) of fox tissues with those of their foods using a multisource mixing model in Program IsoSource. 3. The contribution of cached eggs to arctic fox diets was inversely related to collared lemming Dicrostonyx groenlandicus (Traill) abundance; the contribution of cached eggs to overall fox diets increased from < 28% in years when collared lemmings were abundant to 30-74% in years when collared lemmings were scarce. 4. Further, arctic foxes used cached eggs well into the following spring (almost 1 year after eggs were acquired) - a pattern that differs from that of carnivores generally storing foods for only a few days before consumption. 5. This study showed that long-term use of eggs that were cached when geese were superabundant at the colony in summer varied with fluctuations in collared lemming abundance (a key component in arctic fox diets throughout most of their range) and suggests that cached eggs functioned as a buffer when collared lemmings were scarce.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustaf Samelius
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada.
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