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Currier SA, Whitt JG, Reyna KS. Biological validation of faecal corticosterone metabolites as a non-invasive stress assessment in translocated California valley quail ( Callipepla californica). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 12:coae012. [PMID: 38616893 PMCID: PMC11015821 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coae012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
US quail species are vulnerable to population declines as a result of climate change, habitat loss and habitat fragmentation, all of which can result in physiological stress. Additionally, population restoration techniques (PRTs), like translocations, also induce stress. Traditional assessments of avian stress hormone levels include capturing and handling birds to extract blood, methods that are inherently stressful and can compound stress analyses. However, the stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) is metabolized from the blood and excreted in faeces as faecal corticosterone metabolites (FCMs). FCMs have been used as a non-invasive measurement of stress hormone levels in a variety of species, but must be validated for each species. The objective of this study was to biologically validate the use of FCMs as a non-invasive measurement of CORT levels in California valley quail (Callipepla californica). Reference and treatment quail were acclimated for 3 weeks in an outdoor aviary. Subsequently, treatment quail were subjected to a simulated 48-h translocation, a common and stress hormone-inducing PRT. Faecal samples were collected every 4 h and processed using an enzyme immunoassay. Mean FCM concentrations of treatment quail (41.50 ± 16.13 ng/g) were higher than reference FCM concentrations (24.07 ± 10.4 ng/g). These results biologically validate the use of FCMs as a non-invasive method to assess CORT levels in California valley quail, demonstrate diurnal variation in quail CORT levels, and confirm that quail translocations are a stress-inducing PRT. Ultimately, this research validates a new non-invasive tool for stress response measurement to advance quail research, management and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Currier
- The Quail Research Laboratory, Ted and Donna Lyon Center for Gamebird Research, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce, TX, 75429, USA
| | - Jeffrey G Whitt
- The Quail Research Laboratory, Ted and Donna Lyon Center for Gamebird Research, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce, TX, 75429, USA
| | - Kelly S Reyna
- The Quail Research Laboratory, Ted and Donna Lyon Center for Gamebird Research, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce, TX, 75429, USA
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2
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Leach J, Suber HN, Conley K, Rivera R, Surles J, Hames B, Kendall RJ. Validation of an enzyme immunoassay for the detection of corticosterone metabolites from northern bobwhite ( Colinus virginianus) feces. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 12:coad098. [PMID: 38293636 PMCID: PMC10823320 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Interest in the effects of stressors on wildlife has grown substantially over the past few decades. As this interest has grown, so has the need for minimally invasive and reliable methods for estimating differences in the levels of stress hormones. An enzyme immunoassay using standardized methods was validated for detecting concentrations of corticosterone (cort) metabolites from northern bobwhite fecal samples. Two physiological challenges and one biological challenge were applied to 18 northern bobwhites (nine males and nine females), and the fecal cort metabolite concentrations were compared to baseline levels. The interactions of sex and treatment, treatment and time and sex and time were all significant. Thus, the methods and tools used here were sensitive enough to detect expected changes to the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis of northern bobwhite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremiah Leach
- Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory, Texas Tech University, 1234 Davis Drive, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Hannah N Suber
- Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory, Texas Tech University, 1234 Davis Drive, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Katelyn Conley
- Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory, Texas Tech University, 1234 Davis Drive, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Regan Rivera
- Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory, Texas Tech University, 1234 Davis Drive, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - James Surles
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Texas Tech University, 1108 Memorial Circle, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Benjamin Hames
- Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory, Texas Tech University, 1234 Davis Drive, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Ronald J Kendall
- Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory, Texas Tech University, 1234 Davis Drive, Lubbock, TX, USA
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3
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Xing X, Zhang Y, Li X, Jiang G. Decomposing the Spatial and Temporal Effects of Climate and Habitat on a Hazel Grouse ( Tetrastes bonasia) Population in Northeastern Chinese Mountains. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2025. [PMID: 37370535 DOI: 10.3390/ani13122025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Habitat, climate, and human disturbances have important effects on wildlife, and these are especially critical for threatened species. In this study, we used infrared camera traps to monitor the population dynamics of the hazel grouse (Tetrastes bonasia) from 2012 to 2021 in northeast China and explore the effects of habitat, climate, and human disturbance on their distribution. We analyzed 16 environmental variables related to significant differences between presence recordings and absence recordings within and between seasons. Temperatures and roads influenced the distribution of the hazel grouse, but topography and vegetation types did not. The hazel grouse preferred deciduous forest and oak forest from spring to autumn. This study provides ecological information to help guide the mountain habitat management of the hazel grouse in national parks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Xing
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Yuesen Zhang
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Xiang Li
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Guangshun Jiang
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Harbin 150040, China
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4
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Gonnerman M, Shea SA, Sullivan K, Kamath P, Overturf K, Blomberg E. Dynamic winter weather moderates movement and resource selection of wild turkeys at high-latitude range limits. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2734. [PMID: 36057107 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
For wide-ranging species in temperate environments, populations at high-latitude range limits are subject to more extreme conditions, colder temperatures, and greater snow accumulation compared with their core range. As climate change progresses, these bounding pressures may become more moderate on average, while extreme weather occurs more frequently. Individuals can mitigate temporarily extreme conditions by changing daily activity budgets and exhibiting plasticity in resource selection, both of which facilitate existence at and expansion of high-latitude range boundaries. However, relatively little work has explored how animals moderate movement and vary resource selection with changing weather, and a general framework for such investigations is lacking. We applied hidden Markov models and step selection functions to GPS data from wintering wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) near their northern range limit to identify how weather influenced transition among discrete movement states, as well as state-specific resource selection. We found that turkeys were more likely to spend time in a stationary state as wind chill temperatures decreased and snow depth increased. Both stationary and roosting turkeys selected conifer forests and avoided land covers associated with foraging, such as agriculture and residential areas, while shifting their strength of selection for these features during poor weather. In contrast, mobile turkeys showed relatively weak resource selection, with less response in selection coefficients during poor weather. Our findings illustrate that behavioral plasticity in response to weather was context dependent, but movement behaviors most associated with poor weather were also those in which resource selection was most plastic. Given our results, the potential for wild turkey range expansion will partly be determined by the availability of habitat that allows them to withstand periodic inclement weather. Combining hidden Markov models with step selection functions is broadly applicable for evaluating plasticity in animal behavior and dynamic resource selection in response to changing weather. We studied turkeys at northern range limits, but this approach is applicable for any system expected to experience significant changes in the coming decade, and may be particularly relevant to populations existing at range peripheries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Gonnerman
- Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Stephanie A Shea
- School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Kelsey Sullivan
- Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Bangor, Maine, USA
| | - Pauline Kamath
- School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Kaj Overturf
- Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Erik Blomberg
- Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
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5
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Reinking AK, Højlund Pedersen S, Elder K, Boelman NT, Glass TW, Oates BA, Bergen S, Roberts S, Prugh LR, Brinkman TJ, Coughenour MB, Feltner JA, Barker KJ, Bentzen TW, Pedersen ÅØ, Schmidt NM, Liston GE. Collaborative wildlife–snow science: Integrating wildlife and snow expertise to improve research and management. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Adele K. Reinking
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - Stine Højlund Pedersen
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage Alaska USA
| | - Kelly Elder
- US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - Natalie T. Boelman
- Lamont‐Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University Palisades New York USA
| | - Thomas W. Glass
- Wildlife Conservation Society Fairbanks Alaska USA
- Department of Biology and Wildlife University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks Alaska USA
| | - Brendan A. Oates
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Ellensburg Washington USA
| | - Scott Bergen
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game Pocatello Idaho USA
| | - Shane Roberts
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game Pocatello Idaho USA
| | - Laura R. Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - Todd J. Brinkman
- Institute of Arctic Biology University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks Alaska USA
| | - Michael B. Coughenour
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | | | - Kristin J. Barker
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
| | | | | | - Niels M. Schmidt
- Department of Bioscience and Arctic Research Centre Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
| | - Glen E. Liston
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
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6
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Rudolf MF, Wilson EC, Pauli JN. Anomalous snow events increase mortality for a winter-adapted species. CAN J ZOOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2022-0035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Winter is a costly time for animals, requiring individuals to adapt to increased energetic costs, and reduced resources. Porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum Linnaeus, 1758) confront winter by storing and catabolizing somatic stores. Increasing temperatures and attenuated snow conditions due to climate change increase porcupine survival, but impacts of greater weather variability has not been explored. In April of 2018, an anomalously heavy and late snowstorm occurred at our long-term study site in central Wisconsin followed by multiple mortalities among adult porcupines. We assessed cause of mortality and determined nutritional condition by extracting bone marrow, and quantifying lipid content. Porcupines that died following the snow event had lower fat stores than the fall 2019 group, and likely died of starvation. We estimated survival of female porcupines during the winters 2012 & 2015-2018 to assess the effects of snow conditions and nutritional condition on survival. Survival declined with increased snow depth but increased with improved nutritional condition. The mass starvation event we observed in 2018 appeared to have resulted from deep snow increasing locomotive costs and reducing nutritional condition. As climate change increases the frequency of extreme weather events, including extreme snowfalls, we predict that the frequency of such clustered mortalities will increase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Floren Rudolf
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
| | - Evan Costello Wilson
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
- University of Michigan, 1259, School of Environment and Sustainability, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States,
| | - Jonathan N Pauli
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
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7
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Remotely Sensed Winter Habitat Indices Improve the Explanation of Broad-Scale Patterns of Mammal and Bird Species Richness in China. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14030794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is transforming winter environmental conditions rapidly. Shifts in snow regimes and freeze/thaw cycles that are unique to the harsh winter season can strongly influence ecological processes and biodiversity patterns of mammals and birds. However, the role of the winter environment in structuring a species richness pattern is generally downplayed, especially in temperate regions. Here we developed a suite of winter habitat indices at 500 m spatial resolution by fusing MODIS snow products and NASA MEaSUREs daily freeze/thaw records from passive microwave sensors and tested how these indices could improve the explanation of species richness patterns across China. We found that the winter habitat indices provided unique and mutually complementary environmental information compared to the commonly used Dynamic Habitat Indices (DHIs). Winter habitat indices significantly increased the explanatory power for species richness of all mammal and bird groups. Particularly, winter habitat indices contributed more to the explanation of bird species than mammals. Regarding the independent contribution, winter season length made the largest contributions to the explained variance of winter birds (30%), resident birds (27%), and mammals (18%), while the frequency of snow-free frozen ground contributed the most to the explanation of species richness for summer birds (23%). Our research provides new insights into the interpretation of broad-scale species diversity, which has great implications for biodiversity assessment and conservation.
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8
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Wilson EC, Zuckerberg B, Peery MZ, Pauli JN. Experimental repatriation of snowshoe hares along a southern range boundary reveals historical community interactions. ECOL MONOGR 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Evan C. Wilson
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Benjamin Zuckerberg
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - M. Zachariah Peery
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Jonathan N. Pauli
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin Madison Wisconsin USA
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9
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Pal R, Panwar A, Goyal SP, Sathyakumar S. Space Use by Woolly Wolf Canis lupus chanco in Gangotri National Park, Western Himalaya, India. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.782339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The woolly wolf Canis lupus chanco is increasingly being accepted as a unique taxon that needs immediate protection and management; however, information on its ecology remains limited across its range. We used camera trapping data set of 4 years (2015–2019) to investigate seasonal activity patterns and space use and assessed woolly wolf food habits in the Gangotri National Park, western Himalaya, India. We used generalized linear mixed models to assess the distribution of the wolf about prey, seasonal livestock grazing, human presence, habitat, and seasons. We observed a positive association with elevation and a negative response to an increase in ruggedness. The capture of wolves increased in winters, indicating a possible effect of snow on the ranging pattern. Spatial avoidance to anthropogenic pressure was not evident in our study; however, temporal avoidance was observed. The activity pattern of the wolf varied among seasons. Wolves were mostly active in the morning and late evening hours in summer and showed a diurnal activity pattern in winter. A less diverse diet was observed where the mean percentage frequency of occurrence and relative biomass was highest for bharal, followed by livestock. Himalayan marmot Marmota himalayana, birds, and rodents also form minor constituents to the diet. Synthesizing all three factors (space, diet, and activity), it may be stated that the wolf presence in the region is influenced by both wild prey availability and seasonality. Therefore, conservation of woolly wolves would require securing a vast landscape with optimal wild prey.
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10
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OUP accepted manuscript. Behav Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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11
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Rabon J, Nuñez C, Coates P, Ricca M, Johnson T. Ecological correlates of fecal corticosterone metabolites in female Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2020-0258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Measurement of physiological responses can reveal effects of ecological conditions on an animal and correlate with demographic parameters. Ecological conditions for many animal species have deteriorated as a function of invasive plants and habitat fragmentation. Expansion of juniper (genus Juniperus L.) trees and invasion of annual grasses into sagebrush (genus Artemisia L.) ecosystems have contributed to habitat degradation for Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus (Bonaparte, 1827); hereinafter Sage-Grouse), a species of conservation concern throughout its range. We evaluated relationships between habitat use in a landscape modified by juniper expansion and annual grasses and corticosterone metabolite levels (stress responses) in feces (FCORTm) of female Sage-Grouse. We used remotely sensed data to estimate vegetation cover within the home ranges of hens and accounted for factors that influence FCORTm in other vertebrates, such as age and weather. We collected 35 fecal samples from 22 radio-collared hens during the 2017–2018 brood-rearing season (24 May–26 July) in southwestern Idaho (USA). Concentrations of corticosterone increased with home range size but decreased with reproductive effort and temperature. The importance of home range size suggests that maintaining or improving habitats that promote smaller home ranges would likely facilitate a lower stress response by hens, which should benefit Sage-Grouse survival and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- J.C. Rabon
- University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 1136, Moscow, ID 83844-1136, USA
| | - C.M.V. Nuñez
- University of Memphis, 3774 Walker Avenue, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - P.S. Coates
- Western Ecological Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 800 Business Park Drive, Dixon, CA 95620, USA
| | - M.A. Ricca
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 777 Northwest Ninth Street #400, Corvallis, OR 97330, USA
| | - T.N. Johnson
- University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 1136, Moscow, ID 83844-1136, USA
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12
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Habibzadeh N, Ghoddousi A, Bleyhl B, Kuemmerle T. Rear‐edge populations are important for understanding climate change risk and adaptation potential of threatened species. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nader Habibzadeh
- Department of Environmental Science Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University Tabriz Iran
| | - Arash Ghoddousi
- Geography Department Humboldt‐University Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Benjamin Bleyhl
- Geography Department Humboldt‐University Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Tobias Kuemmerle
- Geography Department Humboldt‐University Berlin Berlin Germany
- Integrative Research Institute on Transformations in Human‐Environment Systems (IRI THESys), Humboldt‐University Berlin Berlin Germany
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13
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Ruuskanen S, Hsu BY, Nord A. Endocrinology of thermoregulation in birds in a changing climate. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021; 519:111088. [PMID: 33227349 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.111088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The ability to maintain a (relatively) stable body temperature in a wide range of thermal environments by use of endogenous heat production is a unique feature of endotherms such as birds. Endothermy is acquired and regulated via various endocrine and molecular pathways, and ultimately allows wide aerial, aquatic, and terrestrial distribution in variable environments. However, due to our changing climate, birds are faced with potential new challenges for thermoregulation, such as more frequent extreme weather events, lower predictability of climate, and increasing mean temperature. We provide an overview on thermoregulation in birds and its endocrine and molecular mechanisms, pinpointing gaps in current knowledge and recent developments, focusing especially on non-model species to understand the generality of, and variation in, mechanisms. We highlight plasticity of thermoregulation and underlying endocrine regulation, because thorough understanding of plasticity is key to predicting responses to changing environmental conditions. To this end, we discuss how changing climate is likely to affect avian thermoregulation and associated endocrine traits, and how the interplay between these physiological processes may play a role in facilitating or constraining adaptation to a changing climate. We conclude that while the general patterns of endocrine regulation of thermogenesis are quite well understood, at least in poultry, the molecular and endocrine mechanisms that regulate, e.g. mitochondrial function and plasticity of thermoregulation over different time scales (from transgenerational to daily variation), need to be unveiled. Plasticity may ameliorate climate change effects on thermoregulation to some extent, but the increased frequency of extreme weather events, and associated changes in resource availability, may be beyond the scope and/or speed for plastic responses. This could lead to selection for more tolerant phenotypes, if the underlying physiological traits harbour genetic and individual variation for selection to act on - a key question for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bin-Yan Hsu
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland
| | - Andreas Nord
- Lund University, Department of Biology, Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Ecology Building, Sölvegatan 37, SE-22362, Lund, Sweden
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14
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Kumar AV, Zimova M, Sparks JR, Mills LS. Snow-mediated plasticity does not prevent camouflage mismatch. Oecologia 2020; 194:301-310. [PMID: 32583125 PMCID: PMC7644448 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04680-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Global reduction in snow cover duration is one of the most consistent and widespread climate change outcomes. Declining snow duration has severe negative consequences for diverse taxa including seasonally color molting species, which rely on snow for camouflage. However, phenotypic plasticity may facilitate adaptation to reduced snow duration. Plastic responses could occur in the color molt phenology or through behavior that minimizes coat color mismatch or its consequences. We quantified molt phenology of 200 wild snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), and measured microhabitat choice and local snow cover. Similar to other studies, we found that hares did not show behavioral plasticity to minimize coat color mismatch via background matching; instead they preferred colder, snow free areas regardless of their coat color. Furthermore, hares did not behaviorally mitigate the negative consequences of mismatch by choosing resting sites with denser vegetation cover when mismatched. Importantly, we demonstrated plasticity in the initiation and the rate of the molt and established the direct effect of snow on molt phenology; greater snow cover was associated with whiter hares and this association was not due to whiter hares preferring snowier areas. However, despite the observed snow-mediated plasticity in molt phenology, camouflage mismatch with white hares on brown snowless ground persisted and was more frequent during early snowmelt. Thus, we find no evidence that phenotypic plasticity in snowshoe hares is sufficient to facilitate adaptive rescue to camouflage mismatch under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander V Kumar
- Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA.
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, Program in Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7617, USA.
| | - Marketa Zimova
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 49109, USA
| | - James R Sparks
- Missoula Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, Missoula, MT, 59804, USA
| | - L Scott Mills
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, Program in Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7617, USA
- Wildlife Biology Program and Office of the Vice President for Research and Creative Scholarship, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
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15
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Shipley AA, Cruz J, Zuckerberg B. Personality differences in the selection of dynamic refugia have demographic consequences for a winter-adapted bird. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200609. [PMID: 32900309 PMCID: PMC7542783 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
For overwintering species, individuals' ability to find refugia from inclement weather and predators probably confers strong fitness benefits. How animals use their environment can be mediated by their personality (e.g. risk-taking), but does personality mediate how overwintering species select refugia? Snow cover is a dynamic winter characteristic that can influence crypsis or provide below-the-snow refugia. We explored how wintering ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) selected snow roosting sites, a behaviour that reduces stress and cold exposure. We linked selection for approximately 700 roosts with survival of 42 grouse, and showed that grouse generally selected deeper snow and warmer areas. Grouse found in shallow snow were less likely to survive winter. However, individuals that selected deep snow improved their survival, suggesting that demographic consequences of selecting winter refugia are mediated by differences in personality. Our study provides a crucial, and seldom addressed, link between personality in resource selection and resulting demographic consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy A. Shipley
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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16
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Winder LA, White SA, Nord A, Helm B, McCafferty DJ. Body surface temperature responses to food restriction in wild and captive great tits. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 223:223/8/jeb220046. [PMID: 32312718 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.220046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
During winter at temperate and high latitudes, the low ambient temperatures, limited food supplies and short foraging periods mean small passerines show behavioural, morphological and physiological adaptations to reduce the risk of facing energy shortages. Peripheral tissues vasoconstrict in low ambient temperatures to reduce heat loss and cold injury. Peripheral vasoconstriction has been observed with food restriction in captivity but has yet to be explored in free-ranging animals. We experimentally food restricted both wild and captive great tits (Parus major) during winter months and measured surface temperatures of the bill and eye region using thermal imaging, to investigate whether birds show rapid local heterothermic responses, which may reduce their thermoregulatory costs when facing a perceived imminent food shortage. Our results of a continuously filmed wild population showed that bill temperature was immediately reduced in response to food restriction compared with when food was available ad libitum, an apparent autonomic response. Such immediacy implies a 'pre-emptive' response before the bird experiences any shortfalls in energy reserves. We also demonstrate temporal variation in vasoconstriction of the bill, with bill temperature gradually rising throughout the food restriction after the initial drop. Eye-region temperature in the wild birds remained at similar levels throughout food restriction compared with unrestricted birds, possibly reflecting the need to maintain steady circulation to the central nervous and visual systems. Our findings provide evidence that birds selectively allow the bill to cool when a predictable food supply is suddenly disrupted, probably as a means of minimising depletion of body reserves for a perceived future shortage in energy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy A Winder
- Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Rowardennan G63 0AW, UK .,Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Stewart A White
- Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Rowardennan G63 0AW, UK
| | - Andreas Nord
- Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Rowardennan G63 0AW, UK.,Department of Biology, Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Lund University, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Barbara Helm
- Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Rowardennan G63 0AW, UK.,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Dominic J McCafferty
- Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Rowardennan G63 0AW, UK
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Mohlman JL, Navara KJ, Sheriff MJ, Terhune TM, Martin JA. Validation of a noninvasive technique to quantify stress in northern bobwhite ( Colinus virginianus). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coaa026. [PMID: 32308982 PMCID: PMC7154183 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Examination of the endocrine system through non-invasive fecal sampling may improve population management more than using demographic indicators alone. By addressing the physiological mechanisms that are influencing fitness, management actions can be proactively developed to alleviate stressors. Proactive determination of vulnerable populations is critical for species of concern, such as the Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), which have suffered decades of population decline. We validated an assay to noninvasively measure the adrenocortical response of captive reared bobwhite through fecal corticosterone metabolites (FCM). All individuals received three sequential 48-hour treatments in which samples were collected every 4 hours, including a reference period, an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge and a biological stressor (exposure to a hunting dog). Reference FCM values had a mean concentration of 16.75 pg/mg (95% CrI: 13.68, 19.91) with adrenocortical activity increasing by 73% for the duration of the ACTH challenge (29.00 pg/mg; CrI: 25.01, 33.78). FCM concentrations remained similar to that of the reference levels during the biological stressor (16.56 pg/mg; CrI: 13.33, 19.92). Our study validates the use of feces to detect changes in FCM levels in our subject species but also demonstrates the complexity of FCM and the importance of both physiological and biological validation prior to field implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Mohlman
- D. B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Kristen J Navara
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Michael J Sheriff
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA, 02747, USA
| | | | - James A Martin
- D. B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
- Savannah River Ecology Lab, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
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