1
|
Castañeda I, Forin-Wiart MA, Pisanu B, de Bouillane de Lacoste N. Spatiotemporal and Individual Patterns of Domestic Cat ( Felis catus) Hunting Behaviour in France. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3507. [PMID: 38003125 PMCID: PMC10668736 DOI: 10.3390/ani13223507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Domestic cats (Felis catus), one of the most popular pets, are widespread worldwide. This medium-sized carnivore has well-known negative effects on biodiversity, but there is still a need to better understand the approximate causes of their predation. Based on a citizen science project, we assessed the role of spatiotemporal (i.e., latitude, longitude, and seasons), climatic (i.e., rainfall), anthropogenic (i.e., human footprint, HFI), and individual (i.e., sex and age) variables on the number of preys returned home by cats in metropolitan France. Over the 5048 cats monitored between 2015 and 2022, prey from 12 different classes (n = 36,568) were returned home: 68% mammals, 21% birds, and 8% squamates. Shrews brought home by cats peaked during summer, while rodents were recorded during summer-autumn. Birds brought home by cats peaked in spring-summer and in autumn, and lizards peaked in spring and in late summer. Lower HFI was associated with more voles and mice brought home, and the opposite trend was observed for lizards and birds. Younger cats were more prone to bring home shrews, birds, and reptiles. Although environmental factors play a minor role in prey brought home by cats, some geographical characteristics of prey species distribution partly explains the hunting behaviour of cats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irene Castañeda
- Ecology and Genetics of Conservation and Restoration, UMR INRAE 1202 BIOGECO, Université de Bordeaux, 33615 Pessac, France
| | | | - Benoît Pisanu
- UAR Patrimoine Naturel (Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB/MNHN)), 36 rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, CP41, 75005 Paris, France
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Carscadden KA, Batstone RT, Hauser FE. Origins and evolution of biological novelty. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1472-1491. [PMID: 37056155 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12963] [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: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the origins and impacts of novel traits has been a perennial interest in many realms of ecology and evolutionary biology. Here, we build on previous evolutionary and philosophical treatments of this subject to encompass novelties across biological scales and eco-evolutionary perspectives. By defining novelties as new features at one biological scale that have emergent effects at other biological scales, we incorporate many forms of novelty that have previously been treated in isolation (such as novelty from genetic mutations, new developmental pathways, new morphological features, and new species). Our perspective is based on the fundamental idea that the emergence of a novelty, at any biological scale, depends on its environmental and genetic context. Through this lens, we outline a broad array of generative mechanisms underlying novelty and highlight how genomic tools are transforming our understanding of the origins of novelty. Lastly, we present several case studies to illustrate how novelties across biological scales and systems can be understood based on common mechanisms of change and their environmental and genetic contexts. Specifically, we highlight how gene duplication contributes to the evolution of new complex structures in visual systems; how genetic exchange in symbiosis alters functions of both host and symbiont, resulting in a novel organism; and how hybridisation between species can generate new species with new niches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly A Carscadden
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, 1900 Pleasant St, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Rebecca T Batstone
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Frances E Hauser
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Dalpasso A, Seglie D, Eusebio Bergò P, Ciracì A, Compostella M, Laddaga L, Manica M, Marino G, Pandolfo I, Soldato G, Falaschi M. Effects of temperature and precipitation changes on shifts in breeding phenology of an endangered toad. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14573. [PMID: 37666849 PMCID: PMC10477230 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40568-w] [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: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last century, a plethora of species have shown rapid phenological changes in response to climate change. Among animals, amphibians exhibit some of the greatest responses since their activity strongly depends on temperature and rainfall regimes. These shifts in phenology can have negative consequences for amphibian fitness. Thus, understanding phenological changes in amphibians is pivotal to design conservation actions to mitigate climate change effects. We used data on Common Spadefoot Toad (Pelobates fuscus) reproductive migration to wetlands over a period of 8 years in Italy to (i) identify the factors related to breeding migrations, (ii) assess potential phenological shifts in the breeding period, and (iii) determine which climatic factors are related to the observed phenological shifts. Our results showed that toads migrate to spawning sites preferably in early spring, on rainy days with temperatures of 9-14 °C, and with high humidity. Furthermore, despite an increase in average temperature across the study period, we observed a delay in the start of breeding migrations of 12.4 days over 8 years. This counterintuitive pattern was the result of a succession of hot and dry years that occurred in the study area, highlighting that for ephemeral pond breeders, precipitation could have a larger impact than temperature on phenology. Our results belie the strong presumption that climate change will shift amphibian phenology toward an earlier breeding migration and underline the importance of closely investigating the environmental factors related to species phenology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Dalpasso
- Department of Biology, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada.
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | | | | | - Andrea Ciracì
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Turin, Italy
| | - Mariachiara Compostella
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Turin, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Laddaga
- Società di Scienze Naturali del Verbano Cusio Ossola, Museo di Scienze Naturali, Collegio Mellerio Rosmini, 28845, Domodossola, Italy
| | - Milo Manica
- Parco Lombardo della valle del Ticino, Via Isonzo 1, 20013, Pontevecchio di Magenta, MI, Italy
| | - Gaia Marino
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Turin, Italy
| | - Irene Pandolfo
- Department of Chemical Science, Life and Environmental Sustainability, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | | | - Mattia Falaschi
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ruthsatz K, Bartels F, Stützer D, Eterovick PC. Timing of parental breeding shapes sensitivity to nitrate pollution in the common frog Rana temporaria. J Therm Biol 2022; 108:103296. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2022.103296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
5
|
Dynamic landscapes of fear: understanding spatiotemporal risk. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:911-925. [PMID: 35817684 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The landscape of fear (LOF) concept posits that prey navigate spatial heterogeneity in perceived predation risk, balancing risk mitigation against other activities necessary for survival and reproduction. These proactive behavioral responses to risk can affect individual fitness, population dynamics, species interactions, and coexistence. Yet, antipredator responses in free-ranging prey often contradict expectations, raising questions about the generality and scalability of the LOF framework and suggesting that a purely spatial, static LOF conceptualization may be inadequate. Here, we outline a 'dynamic' LOF framework that explicitly incorporates time to account for predictable spatiotemporal variation in risk-resource trade-offs. This integrated approach suggests novel predictions about predator effects on prey behaviors to refine understanding of the role predators play in ecological communities.
Collapse
|
6
|
Castañeda I, Doherty TS, Fleming PA, Stobo‐Wilson AM, Woinarski JCZ, Newsome TM. Variation in red fox
Vulpes vulpes
diet in five continents. Mamm Rev 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Irene Castañeda
- Ecology and Genetics of Conservation and Restoration, UMR INRA 1202 BIOGECO Université de Bordeaux 33615 Pessac France
| | - Tim S. Doherty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Patricia A. Fleming
- Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Harry Butler Institute Murdoch University Perth WA 6150 Australia
| | - Alyson M. Stobo‐Wilson
- NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub Charles Darwin University Casuarina NT 0909 Australia
| | - John C. Z. Woinarski
- NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub Charles Darwin University Casuarina NT 0909 Australia
| | - Thomas M. Newsome
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Rudolf VHW. Temperature and nutrient conditions modify the effects of phenological shifts in predator-prey communities. Ecology 2022; 103:e3704. [PMID: 35357008 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
While there is mounting evidence indicating that the relative timing of predator and prey phenologies shapes the outcome of trophic interactions, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of how important the environmental context (e.g. abiotic conditions) is for shaping this relationship. Environmental conditions not only frequently drive shifts in phenologies, but they can also affect the very same processes that mediate the effects of phenological shifts on species interactions. Thus, identifying how environmental conditions shape the effects of phenological shifts is key to predict community dynamics across a heterogenous landscape and how they will change with ongoing climate change in the future. Here I tested how environmental conditions shape effects of phenological shifts by experimentally manipulating temperature, nutrient availability, and relative phenologies in two predator-prey freshwater systems (mole salamander- bronze frog vs dragonfly larvae-leopard frog). This allowed me to (1) isolate the effect of phenological shifts and different environmental conditions, (2) determine how they interact, and (3) how consistent these patterns are across different species and environments. I found that delaying prey arrival dramatically increased predation rates, but these effects were contingent on environmental conditions and predator system. While both nutrient addition and warming significantly enhanced the effect of arrival time, their effect was qualitatively different across systems: Nutrient addition enhanced the positive effect of early arrival in the dragonfly-leopard frog system, while warming enhanced the negative effect of arriving late in the salamander-bronze frog system. Predator responses varied qualitatively across predator-prey systems. Only in the system with strong gape-limitation were predators (salamanders) significantly affected by prey arrival time and this effect varied with environmental context. Correlations between predator and prey demographic rates suggest that this was driven by shifts in initial predator-prey size ratios and a positive feedback between size-specific predation rates and predator growth rates. These results highlight the importance of accounting for temporal and spatial correlation of local environmental conditions and gape-limitation in predator-prey systems when predicting the effects of phenological shifts and climate change on predator-prey systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- V H W Rudolf
- BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Rousseau K, Dufour S, Sachs LM. Interdependence of Thyroid and Corticosteroid Signaling in Vertebrate Developmental Transitions. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.735487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-embryonic acute developmental processes mainly allow the transition from one life stage in a specific ecological niche to the next life stage in a different ecological niche. Metamorphosis, an emblematic type of these post-embryonic developmental processes, has occurred repeatedly and independently in various phylogenetic groups throughout metazoan evolution, such as in cnidarian, insects, molluscs, tunicates, or vertebrates. This review will focus on metamorphoses and developmental transitions in vertebrates, including typical larval metamorphosis in anuran amphibians, larval and secondary metamorphoses in teleost fishes, egg hatching in sauropsids and birth in mammals. Two neuroendocrine axes, the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal/interrenal axes, are central players in the regulation of these life transitions. The review will address the molecular and functional evolution of these axes and their interactions. Mechanisms of integration of internal and environmental cues, and activation of these neuroendocrine axes represent key questions in an “eco-evo-devo” perspective of metamorphosis. The roles played by developmental transitions in the innovation, adaptation, and plasticity of life cycles throughout vertebrates will be discussed. In the current context of global climate change and habitat destruction, the review will also address the impact of environmental factors, such as global warming and endocrine disruptors on hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal/interrenal axes, and regulation of developmental transitions.
Collapse
|
9
|
Ren C, Teng Y, Shen Y, Yao Q, Wang H. Altered temperature affect body condition and endochondral ossification in Bufo gargarizans tadpoles. J Therm Biol 2021; 99:103020. [PMID: 34420650 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.103020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Bufo gargarizans is one kind of economic animals with higher medicinal value in China. In this study, B. gargarizans (Bufo gargarizans) tadpoles were reared at three different water temperature (15, 22 and 29 °C) from Gosner stages 28-46. We investigated the effects of temperature on growth, development, survival, metamorphic duration, size and skeletal ossification at Gosner stage 40, 42, and 46, as well as thyroid tissue reached metamorphic climax (Gs42). Besides, we examined the transcription levels of endochondral ossification-related genes in hind limb at metamorphic climax (Gs42). Our results showed that the growth and development of tadpoles conform to the temperature-size rule (TSR). While warm temperature resulted in the decrease in body size and hind limb length, and shorten larval period, cold temperature led to increase in body size and hind limb length but prolonged larval period. Histological examinations revealed that warm and cold temperatures caused damage to thyroid tissue. Also, warm and cold temperatures inhibited the degree of ossification with the double staining methodology. Additionally, the real-time PCR results suggested that warm and cold temperatures significantly up-regulated Runx2, VEGF and VEGFR mRNA levels, and down-regulated TRβ, MMP9, MMP13 and Runx3 mRNA levels. The up-regulation of Dio2 level and down-regulation of Dio3 level were observed in warm temperature. TRα mRNA level was significantly increased in warm temperature, but decreased in cold temperature. Collectively, these observations demonstrated that warm and cold temperatures affected endochondral ossification in B. gargarizans tadpoles, which might influence their capacity to terrestrial locomotion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chaolu Ren
- College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, China
| | - Yiran Teng
- College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, China
| | - Yujia Shen
- College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, China
| | - Qiong Yao
- College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, China
| | - Hongyuan Wang
- College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Pintanel P, Tejedo M, Salinas-Ivanenko S, Jervis P, Merino-Viteri A. Predators like it hot: Thermal mismatch in a predator-prey system across an elevational tropical gradient. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1985-1995. [PMID: 33942306 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Climate change may have dramatic consequences for communities through both direct effects of peak temperatures upon individual species and through interspecific mismatches in thermal sensitivities of interacting organisms which mediate changes in interspecific interactions (i.e. predation). Despite this, there is a paucity of information on the patterns of spatial physiological sensitivity of interacting species (at both landscape and local scales) which could ultimately influence geographical variation in the effects of climate change on community processes. In order to assess where these impacts may occur, we first need to evaluate the spatial heterogeneity in the degree of mismatch in thermal tolerances between interacting organisms. We quantify the magnitude of interspecific mismatch in maximum (CTmax ) and minimum (CTmin ) thermal tolerances among a predator-prey system of dragonfly and anuran larvae in tropical montane (242-3,631 m) and habitat (ponds and streams) gradients. To compare thermal mismatches between predator and prey, we coined the parameters maximum and minimum predatory tolerance margins (PTMmax and PTMmin ), or difference in CTmax and CTmin of interacting organisms sampled across elevational and habitat gradients. Our analyses revealed that: (a) predators exhibit higher heat tolerances than prey (~4°C), a trend which remained stable across habitats and elevations. In contrast, we found no differences in minimum thermal tolerances between these groups. (b) Maximum and minimum thermal tolerances of both predators and prey decreased with elevation, but only maximum thermal tolerance varied across habitats, with pond species exhibiting higher heat tolerance than stream species. (c) Pond-dwelling organisms from low elevations (0-1,500 m a.s.l.) may be more susceptible to direct effects of warming than their highland counterparts because their maximum thermal tolerances are only slightly higher than their exposed maximum environmental temperatures. The greater relative thermal tolerance of dragonfly naiad predators may further increase the vulnerability of lowland tadpoles to warming due to potentially enhanced indirect effects of higher predation rates by more heat-tolerant dragonfly predators. However, further experimental work is required to establish the individual and population-level consequences of this thermal tolerance mismatch upon biotic interactions such as predator-prey. .
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pol Pintanel
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain.,Laboratorio de Ecofisiología and Museo de Zoología (QCAZ), Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.,Department for Posgraduate Studies, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.,Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel Tejedo
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Sofia Salinas-Ivanenko
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Phillip Jervis
- Laboratorio de Ecofisiología and Museo de Zoología (QCAZ), Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.,Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK.,MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.,Department of Chemistry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Andrés Merino-Viteri
- Laboratorio de Ecofisiología and Museo de Zoología (QCAZ), Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Baruah G, Clements CF, Ozgul A. Effect of habitat quality and phenotypic variation on abundance‐ and trait‐based early warning signals of population collapses. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Baruah
- Dept of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Eawag, Swiss Federal Inst. of Aquatic Science and Technology Kastanienbaum Switzerland
- Dept of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Univ. of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | | | - Arpat Ozgul
- Dept of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Univ. of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
- School of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Bristol Bristol UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Hedrick AR, Greene DU, Lewis EL, Hood AS, Iverson JB. Climate effects on nesting phenology in Nebraska turtles. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:1225-1239. [PMID: 33598126 PMCID: PMC7863389 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
A frequent response of organisms to climate change is altering the timing of reproduction, and advancement of reproductive timing has been a common reaction to warming temperatures in temperate regions. We tested whether this pattern applied to two common North American turtle species over the past three decades in Nebraska, USA. The timing of nesting (either first date or average date) of the Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) was negatively correlated with mean December maximum temperatures of the preceding year and mean May minimum and maximum temperatures in the nesting year and positively correlated with precipitation in July of the previous year. Increased temperatures during the late winter and spring likely permit earlier emergence from hibernation, increased metabolic rates and feeding opportunities, and accelerated vitellogenesis, ovulation, and egg shelling, all of which could drive earlier nesting. However, for the Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta), the timing of nesting was positively correlated with mean minimum temperatures in September, October, December of the previous year, February of the nesting year, and April precipitation. These results suggest warmer fall, and winter temperature may impose an increased metabolic cost to painted turtles that impedes fall vitellogenesis, and April rains may slow the completion of vitellogenesis through decreased basking opportunities. For both species, nest deposition was highly correlated with body size, and larger females nested earlier in the season. Although average annual ambient temperatures have increased over the last four decades of our overall fieldwork at our study site, spring temperatures have not yet increased, and hence, nesting phenology has not advanced at our site for Chelydra. While Chrysemys exhibited a weak trend toward later nesting, this response was likely due to increased recruitment of smaller females into the population due to nest protection and predator control (Procyon lotor) in the early 2000s. Should climate change result in an increase in spring temperatures, nesting phenology would presumably respond accordingly, conditional on body size variation within these populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley R. Hedrick
- Department of BiologyEarlham CollegeRichmondINUSA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal BiologyIowa State UniversityAmesIAUSA
| | | | - Erin L. Lewis
- Department of BiologyEarlham CollegeRichmondINUSA
- Department of BiologyUtah State UniversityLoganUTUSA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Rollins HB, Benard MF. Challenges in predicting the outcome of competition based on climate change-induced phenological and body size shifts. Oecologia 2020; 193:749-759. [PMID: 32654046 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04705-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is creating warmer, earlier springs, which are causing the phenology of many organisms to shift. Additionally, as temperatures increase, the body size of many ectotherms is decreasing. However, phenological and body size shifts are not occurring at the same rates across species, even in species that live in close proximity or have similar life history. Differing rates of phenological and body-size shifts may affect ecological interactions. We investigated whether shifts in phenology and body size had a predictable effect on interspecific competition. We tested three hypotheses. First, priority effects would indicate early arriving organisms gain a competitive advantage. Second, larger organisms would be competitively superior. Third, similarly sized organisms would compete more strongly. We manipulated aquatic larval conditions to create variation in wood frog (Rana sylvatica) size at and date of metamorphosis. Wood frogs were placed in terrestrial enclosures with unmanipulated juvenile American toads (Anaxyrus americanus) where we tracked amphibian growth over 3 months. Consistent with the size superiority hypothesis, initially smaller wood frogs did not compete as strongly with toads. However, the results of the phenological shift were the opposite of our priority effects prediction: early arrival by frogs increased toad mass. Our results could indicate that toads would experience fewer negative effects of competition with wood frogs that metamorphose earlier and smaller under climate change. Our study highlights the challenges of predicting how climate change will affect interspecific interactions and emphasizes the need to investigate the role of shifts in both phenology and body size.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hilary B Rollins
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
| | - Michael F Benard
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Poo S, Hinkson KM. Amphibian conservation using assisted reproductive technologies: Cryopreserved sperm affects offspring morphology, but not behavior, in a toad. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
|