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McDermott MT, Madden SA, Laubach ZM, Ayala MJ, Safran RJ. Females with Increased Costs Maintain Reproductive Output: A Field Experiment in a Common Songbird. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:23-33. [PMID: 37253622 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Reproduction and self-maintenance are energetically costly activities involved in classic life history trade-offs. However, few studies have measured the responses of wild organisms to simultaneous changes in reproductive and self-maintenance costs, which may have interactive effects. In free-living female Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica), we simultaneously manipulated reproductive costs (by adding or removing two nestlings) and self-maintenance costs (by attaching a ∼1 g weight in the form of a GPS tag to half of our study birds) and measured mass, immune status, blood glucose, feather growth, and reproductive output (likelihood of a second clutch, number of eggs, and time between clutches). GPS tags allowed us to analyze how movement range size affected response to brood size manipulation. Tagging altered females' immune function as evidenced by an elevated heterophil to lymphocyte (H:L) ratio, but all females were equally likely to lay more eggs. There was no evidence of interactive effects of the tagging and brood size treatment. Range size was highly variable, and birds with large ranges grew feathers more slowly, but analyzing the effect of brood size manipulation while accounting for variation in range size did not result in any physiological response. Our results support the theoretical prediction that short-lived vertebrates do face a trade-off between reproduction and self-maintenance and, when faced with increased costs, tend to preserve investment in reproduction at the expense of parental condition. This experiment also helps us to understand how movement patterns may be relevant to life history trade-offs in wild birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly T McDermott
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder 334 UCB, 1900 Pleasant Street, CO 80309, USA
| | - Sage A Madden
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder 334 UCB, 1900 Pleasant Street, CO 80309, USA
- Graduate Group in Ecology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Zachary M Laubach
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder 334 UCB, 1900 Pleasant Street, CO 80309, USA
| | - Marina J Ayala
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder 334 UCB, 1900 Pleasant Street, CO 80309, USA
| | - Rebecca J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder 334 UCB, 1900 Pleasant Street, CO 80309, USA
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2
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Numerical Response of Owls to the Dampening of Small Mammal Population Cycles in Latvia. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13020572. [PMID: 36836929 PMCID: PMC9965252 DOI: 10.3390/life13020572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Strong numerical and functional responses of owls to voles in cyclic environments are well known. However, there is insufficient knowledge from the boreonemoral region in particular, with depleted populations of small mammals. In this study, we describe the dynamics of the small mammal population in Latvia from 1991 to 2016 and link them to owl population characteristics. We used food niche breadth, number of fledglings, and population trends to lay out the numerical response of six owl species to dampened small mammal population cycles. We found temporarily increasing food niche breadth in tawny and Ural owls. There were no other responses in the tawny owl, whereas the breeding performance of three forest specialist species-pygmy, Tengmalm's, and Ural owls-corresponded to the vole crash years in Fennoscandia. Moreover, the populations of forest specialist owls decreased, and the change in the Ural owl population can be attributed to the depletion of small mammal populations. We found evidence of a carry-over effect in the eagle owl arising from a strong correlation of declining breeding performance with the small mammal abundance indices in the previous autumn. We conclude that dampening of the small mammal population cycles is an important covariate of the likely effects of habitat destruction that needs to be investigated further, with stronger responses in more specialized (to prey or habitat) species.
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3
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Environmental Niche Modelling Predicts a Contraction in the Potential Distribution of Two Boreal Owl Species under Different Climate Scenarios. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12223226. [PMID: 36428454 PMCID: PMC9686532 DOI: 10.3390/ani12223226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying current and future geographic distribution is essential for conserving endangered species such as the Boreal Owl and Eurasian Pygmy Owl. The main aim of this study was to determine the potential distribution of both species in the Balkan Peninsula by using spatial distribution models (SDMs) in MaxEnt. We used data from field surveys, the scientific and grey literature, and an online database. We considered the current time and two future periods, 2041-2060 and 2061-2080. For future periods, we included different climate scenarios (SSP 126, 245, 370, and 585) in studying the potential geographic distribution of both species. We identified two types of potential future refugia for species: in situ and ex situ. Our study shows the highly suitable area for the Boreal Owl increased during the 2041-2060 period compared with the current area in all scenarios, except in SSP 585. However, during the 2061-2080 period, the highly suitable areas contracted. For the Eurasian Pygmy Owl, highly suitable areas decreased during 2041-2060, but during the 2061-2080 period, it was larger than the current area. Our study is of importance for conservation and preserving areas of potential distribution and refugia for Boreal and Eurasian Pygmy Owls in the face of climate change.
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4
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Home range size and habitat quality affect breeding success but not parental investment in barn owl males. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6516. [PMID: 35444196 PMCID: PMC9021228 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10324-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Life-history theory predicts that parents should balance their limited resources to maximize lifetime fitness, limiting their investment in current reproduction when the fitness value of current progeny is lower than that gained by producing offspring in the future. Here, we examined whether male barn owls (Tyto alba) breeding in low-quality habitats increased their parental effort to successfully complete offspring rearing or limited their investment by paying a fitness cost while saving energy for the future. We equipped 128 males with GPS devices between 2016 and 2020 to collect information on home range size, habitat composition, food provisioning rate to the brood and nightly distances covered. We also recorded nestlings’ growth and survival, as well as males’ body mass variation and future reproductive success. Males living in lower-quality habitats exploited bigger home ranges compared to individuals whose nests were settled in prey-rich habitats. They fed their brood less frequently, while covering longer nightly distance, resulting in a slower growth of late-hatched nestlings and ultimately in a lower fledging success. As males did not differ in body mass variation or future reproductive success our findings suggest that males hunting in home ranges with less prey-rich structures do not jeopardize future reproduction by investing disproportionately larger resources to compensate for their current low home range quality.
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5
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Nathan R, Monk CT, Arlinghaus R, Adam T, Alós J, Assaf M, Baktoft H, Beardsworth CE, Bertram MG, Bijleveld AI, Brodin T, Brooks JL, Campos-Candela A, Cooke SJ, Gjelland KØ, Gupte PR, Harel R, Hellström G, Jeltsch F, Killen SS, Klefoth T, Langrock R, Lennox RJ, Lourie E, Madden JR, Orchan Y, Pauwels IS, Říha M, Roeleke M, Schlägel UE, Shohami D, Signer J, Toledo S, Vilk O, Westrelin S, Whiteside MA, Jarić I. Big-data approaches lead to an increased understanding of the ecology of animal movement. Science 2022; 375:eabg1780. [PMID: 35175823 DOI: 10.1126/science.abg1780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Understanding animal movement is essential to elucidate how animals interact, survive, and thrive in a changing world. Recent technological advances in data collection and management have transformed our understanding of animal "movement ecology" (the integrated study of organismal movement), creating a big-data discipline that benefits from rapid, cost-effective generation of large amounts of data on movements of animals in the wild. These high-throughput wildlife tracking systems now allow more thorough investigation of variation among individuals and species across space and time, the nature of biological interactions, and behavioral responses to the environment. Movement ecology is rapidly expanding scientific frontiers through large interdisciplinary and collaborative frameworks, providing improved opportunities for conservation and insights into the movements of wild animals, and their causes and consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Nathan
- Movement Ecology Lab, A. Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Minerva Center for Movement Ecology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Christopher T Monk
- Institute of Marine Research, His, Norway.,Centre for Coastal Research (CCR), Department of Natural Sciences, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway.,Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Arlinghaus
- Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.,Division of Integrative Fisheries Management, Faculty of Life Sciences and Integrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Timo Adam
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Josep Alós
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Michael Assaf
- Racah Institute of Physics, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Henrik Baktoft
- National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Section for Freshwater Fisheries and Ecology, Technical University of Denmark, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Christine E Beardsworth
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems, Den Burg, The Netherlands.,Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Michael G Bertram
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Allert I Bijleveld
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Tomas Brodin
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jill L Brooks
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Andrea Campos-Candela
- Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.,Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Pratik R Gupte
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems, Den Burg, The Netherlands.,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Roi Harel
- Movement Ecology Lab, A. Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Minerva Center for Movement Ecology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Gustav Hellström
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Florian Jeltsch
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Shaun S Killen
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow UK
| | - Thomas Klefoth
- Ecology and Conservation, Faculty of Nature and Engineering, Hochschule Bremen, City University of Applied Sciences, Bremen, Germany
| | - Roland Langrock
- Department of Business Administration and Economics, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Robert J Lennox
- NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, Laboratory for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Bergen, Norway
| | - Emmanuel Lourie
- Movement Ecology Lab, A. Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Minerva Center for Movement Ecology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Joah R Madden
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Yotam Orchan
- Movement Ecology Lab, A. Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Minerva Center for Movement Ecology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ine S Pauwels
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Milan Říha
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Manuel Roeleke
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ulrike E Schlägel
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - David Shohami
- Movement Ecology Lab, A. Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Minerva Center for Movement Ecology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Johannes Signer
- Wildlife Sciences, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sivan Toledo
- Minerva Center for Movement Ecology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Blavatnik School of Computer Science, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Ohad Vilk
- Movement Ecology Lab, A. Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Minerva Center for Movement Ecology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Racah Institute of Physics, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Samuel Westrelin
- INRAE, Aix Marseille Univ, Pôle R&D ECLA, RECOVER, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Mark A Whiteside
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.,School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, UK
| | - Ivan Jarić
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecosystem Biology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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6
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7
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Wagner B, Baker PJ, Nitschke CR. The influence of spatial patterns in foraging habitat on the abundance and home range size of a vulnerable arboreal marsupial in southeast Australia. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Wagner
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences The University of Melbourne Richmond Victoria Australia
| | - Patrick J. Baker
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences The University of Melbourne Richmond Victoria Australia
| | - Craig R. Nitschke
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences The University of Melbourne Richmond Victoria Australia
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8
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Kouba M, Bartoš L, Bartošová J, Hongisto K, Korpimäki E. Long-term trends in the body condition of parents and offspring of Tengmalm's owls under fluctuating food conditions and climate change. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18893. [PMID: 34556766 PMCID: PMC8460639 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98447-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Physical condition is important for the ability to resist various parasites and diseases as well as in escaping predators thus contributing to reproductive success, over-winter survival and possible declines in wildlife populations. However, in-depth research on trends in body condition is rare because decades-long datasets are not available for a majority of species. We analysed the long-term dataset of offspring covering 34 years, male parents (40 years) and female parents (42 years) to find out whether the decline of Tengmalm's owl population in western Finland is attributable to either decreased adult and/or juvenile body condition in interaction with changing weather conditions and density estimates of main foods. We found that body condition of parent owl males and females declined throughout the 40-year study period whereas the body condition of owlets at the fledging stage very slightly increased. The body condition of parent owls increased with augmenting depth of snow cover in late winter (January to March), and that of offspring improved with increasing precipitation in late spring (May to June). We conclude that the decreasing trend of body condition of parent owl males and females is important factor probably inducing reduced adult survival and reduced reproduction success thus contributing to the long-term decline of the Tengmalm's owl study population. The very slightly increasing trend of body condition of offspring is obviously not able to compensate the overall decline of Tengmalm's owl population, because the number of offspring in turn simultaneously decreased considerably in the long-term. The ongoing climate change appeared to work in opposite ways in this case because declining depth of snow cover will make the situation worse but increased precipitation will improve. We suggest that the main reasons for long-term decline of body condition of parent owls are interactive or additive effects of reduced food resources and increased overall predation risk due to habitat degradation (loss and fragmentation of mature and old-growth forests due to clear-felling) subsequently leading to decline of Tengmalm's owl study population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Kouba
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
- Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Luděk Bartoš
- Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Bartošová
- Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Erkki Korpimäki
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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9
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Brood sex ratio modulates the effects of extra food on parental effort and sibling competition in a sexually dimorphic raptor. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-02970-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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10
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Kouba M, Bartoš L, Bartošová J, Hongisto K, Korpimäki E. Interactive influences of fluctuations of main food resources and climate change on long-term population decline of Tengmalm's owls in the boreal forest. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20429. [PMID: 33235236 PMCID: PMC7687899 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77531-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent wildlife population declines are usually attributed to multiple sources such as global climate change and habitat loss and degradation inducing decreased food supply. However, interactive effects of fluctuations in abundance of main foods and weather conditions on population densities and reproductive success have been studied rarely. We analysed long-term (1973-2018) data on Tengmalm's owl (Aegolius funereus) and the influence of prey abundance and weather on breeding densities and reproductive success in western Finland. We found that fledgling production per breeding attempt declined and laying date of the owl population delayed during the period between 1973 and 2018. The breeding density of the owl population decreased with increasing temperature in winter (October-March), fledgling production increased with increasing temperature and precipitation in spring (April-June), whereas the initiation of egg-laying was delayed with increasing depth of snow cover in late winter (January-March). The decreasing trend of fledgling production, which was mainly due to starvation of offspring, was an important factor contributing to the long-term decline of the Tengmalm's owl study population. Milder and more humid spring and early summer temperatures due to global warming were not able to compensate for lowered offspring production of owls. The main reason for low productivity is probably loss and degradation of mature and old-growth forests due to clear-felling which results in loss of coverage of prime habitat for main (bank voles) and alternative foods (small birds) of owls inducing lack of food, and refuges against predators of Tengmalm's owls. This interpretation was also supported by the delayed start of egg-laying during the study period although ambient temperatures increased prior to and during the egg-laying period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Kouba
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
- Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Luděk Bartoš
- Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Bartošová
- Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Erkki Korpimäki
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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11
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Liu T, Xu Y, Mo B, Shi J, Cheng Y, Zhang W, Lei F. Home range size and habitat use of the blue-crowned laughingthrush during the breeding season. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8785. [PMID: 32341888 PMCID: PMC7182022 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The home range size and habitat use of the blue-crowned laughingthrush (Garrulax courtoisi, hereafter BCLT), a critically endangered, subtropical, cooperative-breeding bird species in southeast China, were studied during its breeding period using radio telemetry at different sites during 3 consecutive years (2016-18, from May to June of each year). A total of 17 birds (12 males, four females, and one of unknown sex) were tagged, and a total 1515 locations (mean ± se = 89.12 ± 11.42) were obtained over 54 days of tracking. The average 100% minimum convex polygon (MCP) home range size was 10.05 ± 1.17 ha, and the estimated KDE core area (fiexed kernel density estimator, KDE) size was 7.84 ± 1.18 ha. According to the Wilcoxon rank sum tests, both the 100% MCP and KDE core area size of males did not significantly differ from those of females. There were no significant differences in the 100% MCP or KDE core area sizes of the three breeding sites. The available habitats in the breeding sites included water areas, shrubs, grass plots, woodland, residential areas, vegetable field, farmland, and sandy beaches; among them, only woodland was significantly preferred by BCLTs. Woodland (average use ratio was 45.86 ± 1.74%) was strongly preferred by BCLTs for nesting, foraging and roosting. Shrubs/grass plots (24.72 ± 3.39%) and vegetable plots (11.80 ± 1.83%) were used relatively more often than the other habitats, except woodland, since shrubs were always used as perches, and vegetable plots were rich in food resources. Vertically, the canopy layer was used most often from April to June, but it was used most in May when the birds were hatching and brooding. This result indicates that BCLT is predominantly active in the upper strata during the breeding season. In addition, broadleaved trees within or adjacent to villages were important activity areas for the breeding birds; protection and management measures should be increased in these areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Liu
- College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yongtao Xu
- College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Bai Mo
- College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Jinze Shi
- College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yachang Cheng
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany.,University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Weiwei Zhang
- College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Fumin Lei
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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12
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Hair cortisol concentration in Siberian flying squirrels is unrelated to landscape and social factors. Naturwissenschaften 2019; 106:29. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-019-1624-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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13
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Synergistic effect of land-use and vegetation greenness on vulture nestling body condition in arid ecosystems. Sci Rep 2018; 8:13027. [PMID: 30158660 PMCID: PMC6115393 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31344-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate-driven environmental change and land-use change often interact in their impact on biodiversity, but these interactions have received little scientific attention. Here we study the effects of climate-driven environmental variation (i.e. vegetation greenness) and land-use (protected versus unprotected areas) on body condition of vulture nestlings in savannah landscapes. We combine ringing data on nestling measurements of two vultures (lappet-faced and African white-backed vulture) with land-use and environmental variables. We show that body condition of white-backed vulture nestlings decreased through the study period and was lowest inside protected areas. For the lappet-faced vulture, nestling condition was improved during harsh years with lower than average vegetation greenness assumed to result in increased ungulate mortality, but only within protected areas. Such interaction was not tested for the white-backed vulture due to collinearity. The species-specific effects of land-use and vegetation greenness on nestling condition of the two sympatric vulture species likely stem from their different life-histories, diet preferences and foraging behaviour. While translation of current findings on nestling conditions to their possible influence on population demography and species persistence require further studies, our findings demonstrate how environmental change may trigger selective bottom-up ecosystem responses in arid environments under global change.
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14
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Grüebler MU, Müller M, Michel VT, Perrig M, Keil H, Naef-Daenzer B, Korner-Nievergelt F. Brood provisioning and reproductive benefits in relation to habitat quality: a food supplementation experiment. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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15
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Proximity of breeding and foraging areas affects foraging effort of a crepuscular, insectivorous bird. Sci Rep 2018; 8:3008. [PMID: 29445120 PMCID: PMC5813100 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-21321-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
When complementary resources are required for an optimal life cycle, most animals need to move between different habitats. However, the level of connectivity between resources can vary and, hence, influence individuals’ behaviour. We show that landscape composition and configuration affect the connectivity between breeding (heathlands) and foraging habitats (extensively-grazed grasslands) of the European Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus), a crepuscular insectivorous bird. On a daily basis, nightjars connect breeding and foraging sites by rapidly crossing unsuitable habitats in order to exploit a higher prey biomass in foraging sites. However, low availability of foraging habitat near breeding sites and clustered landscapes greatly increase foraging distance. Birds occupying these sub-optimal breeding areas compensate for longer travels by increasing foraging duration, and their physiology shows increased stress levels. All findings suggest that landscape heterogeneity can affect population dynamics of nightjars. Therefore, we recommend an integrated management approach for this EU-protected bird species.
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Kouba M, Bartoš L, Tomášek V, Popelková A, Šťastný K, Zárybnická M. Home range size of Tengmalm's owl during breeding in Central Europe is determined by prey abundance. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177314. [PMID: 28545112 PMCID: PMC5436666 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal home ranges typically characterized by their size, shape and a given time interval can be affected by many different biotic and abiotic factors. However, despite the fact that many studies have addressed home ranges, our knowledge of the factors influencing the size of area occupied by different animals is, in many cases, still quite poor, especially among raptors. Using radio-telemetry (VHF; 2.1 g tail-mounted tags) we studied movements of 20 Tengmalm’s owl (Aegolius funereus) males during the breeding season in a mountain area of Central Europe (the Czech Republic, the Ore Mountains: 50° 40’ N, 13° 35’ E) between years 2006–2010, determined their average hunting home range size and explored what factors affected the size of home range utilised. The mean breeding home range size calculated according to 95% fixed kernel density estimator was 190.7 ± 65.7 ha (± SD) with a median value of 187.1 ha. Home range size was affected by prey abundance, presence or absence of polygyny, the number of fledglings, and weather conditions. Home range size increased with decreasing prey abundance. Polygynously mated males had overall larger home range than those mated monogamously, and individuals with more fledged young possessed larger home range compared to those with fewer raised fledglings. Finally, we found that home ranges recorded during harsh weather (nights with strong wind speed and/or heavy rain) were smaller in size than those registered during better weather. Overall, the results provide novel insights into what factors may influence home range size and emphasize the prey abundance as a key factor for breeding dynamics in Tengmalm’s owl.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Kouba
- Department of Animal Science and Ethology, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- * E-mail:
| | - Luděk Bartoš
- Department of Animal Science and Ethology, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Tomášek
- Department of Animal Science and Ethology, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alena Popelková
- Department of Animal Science and Ethology, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Šťastný
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Markéta Zárybnická
- Department of Applied Geoinformatics and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
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Morosinotto C, Villers A, Thomson RL, Varjonen R, Korpimäki E. Competitors and predators alter settlement patterns and reproductive success of an intraguild prey. ECOL MONOGR 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Morosinotto
- Department of Biology; Section of Ecology; University of Turku; FI-20014 Turku Finland
| | - Alexandre Villers
- Department of Biology; Section of Ecology; University of Turku; FI-20014 Turku Finland
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé; UMR7372; CNRS - Université de la Rochelle; 79360 Villiers en Bois France
| | - Robert L. Thomson
- Department of Biology; Section of Ecology; University of Turku; FI-20014 Turku Finland
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology; DST-NRF Centre of Excellence; University of Cape Town; Rondebosch 7701 Cape Town South Africa
| | - Rauno Varjonen
- Department of Biology; Section of Ecology; University of Turku; FI-20014 Turku Finland
| | - Erkki Korpimäki
- Department of Biology; Section of Ecology; University of Turku; FI-20014 Turku Finland
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Khalil H, Ecke F, Evander M, Hörnfeldt B. Selective predation on hantavirus-infected voles by owls and confounding effects from landscape properties. Oecologia 2016; 181:597-606. [PMID: 26873607 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3580-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
It has been suggested that predators may protect human health through reducing disease-host densities or selectively preying on infected individuals from the population. However, this has not been tested empirically. We hypothesized that Tengmalm's owl (Aegolius funereus) selectively preys on hantavirus-infected individuals of its staple prey, the bank vole (Myodes glareolus). Bank voles are hosts of Puumala hantavirus, which causes a form of hemorrhagic fever in humans. Selective predation by owls on infected voles may reduce human disease risk. We compared the prevalence of anti-Puumala hantavirus antibodies (seroprevalence), in bank voles cached by owls in nest boxes to seroprevalence in voles trapped in closed-canopy forest around each nest box. We found no general difference in seroprevalence. Forest landscape structure could partly account for the observed patterns in seroprevalence. Only in more connected forest patches was seroprevalence in bank voles cached in nest boxes higher than seroprevalence in trapped voles. This effect disappeared with increasing forest patch isolation, as seroprevalence in trapped voles increased with forest patch isolation, but did not in cached voles. Our results suggest a complex relationship between zoonotic disease prevalence in hosts, their predators, and landscape structure. Some mechanisms that may have caused the seroprevalence patterns in our results include higher bank vole density in isolated forest patches. This study offers future research potential to shed further light on the contribution of predators and landscape properties to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussein Khalil
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Skogsmarksgränd, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Frauke Ecke
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Skogsmarksgränd, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Magnus Evander
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Virology, Umeå University, 901 85, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Birger Hörnfeldt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Skogsmarksgränd, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
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Zárybnická M, Riegert J, Brejšková L, Šindelář J, Kouba M, Hanel J, Popelková A, Menclová P, Tomášek V, Šťastný K. Factors Affecting Growth of Tengmalm's Owl (Aegolius funereus) Nestlings: Prey Abundance, Sex and Hatching Order. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0138177. [PMID: 26444564 PMCID: PMC4596578 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In altricial birds, energy supply during growth is a major predictor of the physical condition and survival prospects of fledglings. A number of experimental studies have shown that nestling body mass and wing length can vary with particular extrinsic factors, but between-year observational data on this topic are scarce. Based on a seven-year observational study in a central European Tengmalm's owl population we examine the effect of year, brood size, hatching order, and sex on nestling body mass and wing length, as well as the effect of prey abundance on parameters of growth curve. We found that nestling body mass varied among years, and parameters of growth curve, i.e. growth rate and inflection point in particular, increased with increasing abundance of the owl's main prey (Apodemus mice, Microtus voles), and pooled prey abundance (Apodemus mice, Microtus voles, and Sorex shrews). Furthermore, nestling body mass varied with hatching order and between sexes being larger for females and for the first-hatched brood mates. Brood size had no effect on nestling body mass. Simultaneously, we found no effect of year, brood size, hatching order, or sex on the wing length of nestlings. Our findings suggest that in this temperate owl population, nestling body mass is more sensitive to prey abundance than is wing length. The latter is probably more limited by the physiology of the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markéta Zárybnická
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- * E-mail:
| | - Jan Riegert
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Brejšková
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Šindelář
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Kouba
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Hanel
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alena Popelková
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Menclová
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Tomášek
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Šťastný
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
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20
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Evaluating the influence of diet-related variables on breeding performance and home range behaviour of a top predator. POPUL ECOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10144-015-0506-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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21
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Paquet M, Covas R, Doutrelant C. A cross-fostering experiment reveals that prenatal environment affects begging behaviour in a cooperative breeder. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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22
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Bowers EK, Thompson CF, Sakaluk SK. Persistent sex-by-environment effects on offspring fitness and sex-ratio adjustment in a wild bird population. J Anim Ecol 2015; 84:473-86. [PMID: 25266087 PMCID: PMC4377307 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2014] [Accepted: 09/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
A major component of sex-allocation theory, the Trivers-Willard model (TWM), posits that sons and daughters are differentially affected by variation in the rearing environment. In many species, the amount of parental care received is expected to have differing effects on the fitness of males and females. When this occurs, the TWM predicts that selection should favour adjustment of the offspring sex ratio in relation to the expected fitness return from offspring. However, evidence for sex-by-environment effects is mixed, and little is known about the adaptive significance of producing either sex. Here, we test whether offspring sex ratios vary according to predictions of the TWM in the house wren (Troglodytes aedon, Vieillot). We also test the assumption of a sex-by-environment effect on offspring using two experiments, one in which we manipulated age differences among nestlings within broods, and another in which we held nestling age constant but manipulated brood size. As predicted, females with high investment ability overproduced sons relative to those with lower ability. Males were also overproduced early within breeding seasons. In our experiments, the body mass of sons was more strongly affected by the sibling-competitive environment and resource availability than that of daughters: males grew heavier than females when reared in good conditions but were lighter than females when in poor conditions. Parents rearing broods with 1:1 sex ratios were more productive than parents rearing broods biased more strongly towards sons or daughters, suggesting that selection favours the production of mixed-sex broods. However, differences in the condition of offspring as neonates persisted to adulthood, and their reproductive success as adults varied with the body mass of sons, but not daughters, prior to independence from parental care. Thus, selection should favour slight but predictable variations in the sex ratio in relation to the quality of offspring that parents are able to produce. Offspring sex interacts with the neonatal environment to influence offspring fitness, thus favouring sex-ratio adjustment by parents. However, increased sensitivity of males to environmental conditions, such as sibling rivalry and resource availability, reduces the fitness returns from highly male-biased broods.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Keith Bowers
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120 USA
| | - Charles F. Thompson
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120 USA
| | - Scott K. Sakaluk
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120 USA
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23
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Sakaluk SK, Wilson AJ, Bowers EK, Johnson LS, Masters BS, Johnson BGP, Vogel LA, Forsman AM, Thompson CF. Genetic and environmental variation in condition, cutaneous immunity, and haematocrit in house wrens. BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:242. [PMID: 25471117 PMCID: PMC4272546 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-014-0242-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Accepted: 11/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Life-history studies of wild bird populations often focus on the relationship between an individual's condition and its capacity to mount an immune response, as measured by a commonly-employed assay of cutaneous immunity, the PHA skin test. In addition, haematocrit, the packed cell volume in relation to total blood volume, is often measured as an indicator of physiological performance. A multi-year study of a wild population of house wrens has recently revealed that those exhibiting the highest condition and strongest PHA responses as nestlings are most likely to be recruited to the breeding population and to breed through two years of age; in contrast, intermediate haematocrit values result in the highest recruitment to the population. Selection theory would predict, therefore, that most of the underlying genetic variation in these traits should be exhausted resulting in low heritability, although such traits may also exhibit low heritability because of increased residual variance. Here, we examine the genetic and environmental variation in condition, cutaneous immunity, and haematocrit using an animal model based on a pedigree of approximately 2,800 house wrens. RESULTS Environmental effects played a paramount role in shaping the expression of the fitness-related traits measured in this wild population, but two of them, condition and haematocrit, retained significant heritable variation. Condition was also positively correlated with both the PHA response and haematocrit, but in the absence of any significant genetic correlations, it appears that this covariance arises through parallel effects of the environment acting on this suite of traits. CONCLUSIONS The maintenance of genetic variation in different measures of condition appears to be a pervasive feature of wild bird populations, in contradiction of conventional selection theory. A major challenge in future studies will be to explain how such variation persists in the face of the directional selection acting on condition in house wrens and other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott K Sakaluk
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA.
| | - Alastair J Wilson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK.
| | - E Keith Bowers
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA.
| | | | | | | | - Laura A Vogel
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA.
| | - Anna M Forsman
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA. .,Now at Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Charles F Thompson
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA.
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Markman S. Parental self-feeding effects on parental care levels and time allocation in Palestine sunbirds. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113890. [PMID: 25474620 PMCID: PMC4256214 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2014] [Accepted: 10/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The trade-off between parents feeding themselves and their young is an important life history problem that can be considered in terms of optimal behavioral strategies. Recent studies on birds have tested how parents allocate the food between themselves and their young. Until now the effect of food consumption by parent birds on their food delivery to their young as well as other parental activities has rarely been studied. I have previously shown that parent Palestine sunbirds (Nectarinia osea) will consume nectar and liquidized arthropods from artificial feeders. However, they will only feed their young with whole arthropods. This provided a unique opportunity to experimentally manipulate the food eaten by parents independent of that fed to their offspring. Here, I hypothesized that parents invest in their current young according to the quality of food that they themselves consume. Breeding pairs with two or three nestlings were provided with feeders containing water (control), sucrose solution (0.75 mol) or liquidized mealworms mixed with sucrose solution (0.75 mol). As food quality in feeders increased (from water up to liquidized mealworms mixed with sucrose solution): 1) Parents (especially females) increased their food delivery of whole arthropod prey to their young. 2) Only males increased their nest guarding effort. Nestling food intake and growth rate increased with increasing food quality of parents and decreasing brood size. These results imply that increasing the nutrient content of foods consumed by parent sunbirds allow them to increase the rate at which other foods are delivered to their young and to increase the time spent on other parental care activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shai Markman
- Department of Biology and Environment, University of Haifa - Oranim, Tivon, Israel
- * E-mail:
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Thomson RL, Griesser M, Laaksonen T, Korpimäki E. Brood size manipulations in a spatially and temporally varying environment: male Tengmalm’s owls pass increased reproductive costs to offspring. Oecologia 2014; 176:423-30. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3020-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2013] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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26
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Zárybnická M, Vojar J. Effect of male provisioning on the parental behavior of female Boreal Owls Aegolius funereus. Zool Stud 2013. [DOI: 10.1186/1810-522x-52-36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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27
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Dark or short nights: differential latitudinal constraints in nestling provisioning patterns of a nocturnally hunting bird species. PLoS One 2012; 7:e36932. [PMID: 22615850 PMCID: PMC3353992 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0036932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2011] [Accepted: 04/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In diurnal bird species, individuals breeding at high latitudes have larger broods than at lower latitudes, which has been linked to differences in the daily time available for foraging. However, it remains unclear how latitude is linked with parental investment in nocturnal species. Here, we investigate nestling provisioning rates of male Tengmalm's owls in two populations at different latitudes (Czech Republic 50°N; Finland 63°N) with the help of cameras integrated into nest boxes. Clutch sizes were smaller in the Czech population (CZ: 5.1±0.1; FIN: 6.6±0.1), but given the higher nestling mortality in the Finnish population, the number of fledglings did not differ between the two populations (CZ: 3.5±0.3; FIN: 3.9±0.2). Nestling provisioning patterns varied within days, over the reproductive season and between the two sites. Males delivered most food at dusk and dawn, having peak delivery rates at sun angles of −11° to −15° at both sites, and males increased the prey delivery rates with higher nestling requirements. Given the longer nights during summer in the Czech Republic compared to Finland, Czech males only showed a small shift in their delivery peak during the night from −17° in April to −14° in July. In contrast, Finnish males shifted their peak of prey delivery from −11° in April to −1° in July. Consequently, Czech males had a longer hunting time per night around midsummer when feeding young (360 min) than Finnish males (270 min). This suggests that nocturnal owl species in northern populations are constrained by the short nights during the breeding season, which can limit the number of young they can raise. Moreover, owls in northern populations are additionally constrained through the unpredictable changes in food availability between years, and both these factors are likely to influence the reproductive investment between populations.
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