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Pérez-Ortega B, Hendry AP. A meta-analysis of human disturbance effects on glucocorticoid hormones in free-ranging wild vertebrates. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1459-1471. [PMID: 37095625 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Free-ranging wild vertebrates need to cope with natural and anthropogenic stressors that cause short and/or long-term behavioural and physiological responses. In areas of high human disturbance, the use of glucocorticoid (GC) hormones as biomarkers to measure stress responses is an increasingly common tool for understanding how animals cope with human disturbance. We conducted a meta-analysis to investigate how human disturbances such as habitat conversion, habitat degradation, and ecotourism influence baseline GC hormones of free-ranging wild vertebrates, and we further test the role of protected areas in reducing the impact of such disturbances on these hormones. A total of 58 studies met the inclusion criteria, providing 152 data points for comparing levels of GC hormones under disturbed and undisturbed conditions. The overall effect size suggests that human disturbance does not cause a consistent increase in levels of GC hormones (Hedges' g = 0.307, 95% CI = -0.062 to 0.677). However, when the data were analysed by disturbance type, living in unprotected areas or in areas with habitat conversion were found to increase GC hormone levels compared to living in protected or undisturbed areas. By contrast, we found no evidence that ecotourism or habitat degradation generates a consistent increase in baseline GC hormone levels. Among taxonomic groups, mammals appeared more sensitive to human disturbance than birds. We advocate the use of GC hormones for inferring major human-caused contributors to the stress levels of free-ranging wild vertebrates - although such information needs to be combined with other measures of stress and interpreted in the context of an organism's life history, behaviour, and history of interactions with human disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betzi Pérez-Ortega
- McGill University, Redpath Museum and Department of Biology, 859 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0C4, Canada
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Panama, Republic of Panama
| | - Andrew P Hendry
- McGill University, Redpath Museum and Department of Biology, 859 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0C4, Canada
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2
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Is livestock husbandry more stressing than other anthropic activities to wild carnivores? Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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3
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Watson H, Monaghan P, Heidinger BJ, Bolton M. Effects of human disturbance on postnatal growth and baseline corticosterone in a long-lived bird. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab052. [PMID: 34257995 PMCID: PMC8271141 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Prolonged or repeated episodes of environmental stress could be especially detrimental for developing young, via impaired growth or development. Despite this, most studies investigating the effects of human recreational and tourism activities have focused on adults. An increasing demand for nature-based tourism in remote locations means that many seabirds, which have evolved largely in the absence of predators and humans, are being exposed to novel pressures. The slow-growing semi-precocial nestlings of the European storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus experience higher mortality rates in nests exposed to human recreational disturbance. Here, we examine whether surviving nestlings reared in disturbed areas are also affected via changes in growth trajectories and baseline circulating glucocorticoids. Nestlings reared in high-disturbance areas displayed delayed mass growth, and we found weak evidence for slower rates of mass gain and tarsus growth, compared with nestlings reared in undisturbed areas. There were no differences in wing growth, consistent with prioritization of long wings, important for post-fledging survival. A tendency for a less marked age-related decline in corticosterone (CORT) in disturbed nestlings offers limited evidence that changes in growth trajectories were mediated by baseline CORT. However, disturbed nestlings could have experienced overall higher GC exposure if the acute GC response was elevated. 'Catch-up' growth enabled high-disturbance nestlings to overcome early constraints and achieve a similar, or even larger, asymptotic body size and mass as low-disturbance nestlings. While catch-up growth has been shown to carry costs for parents and offspring, the effects of disturbance were slight and considerably smaller than growth alterations driven by variation in environmental conditions between years. Nonetheless, effects of human recreational activities could be exacerbated under higher levels of human disturbance or in the presence of multiple pressures, as imposed by present rapid rates of environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Watson
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
- Evolutionary Ecology, Lund University, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Britt J Heidinger
- Biological Sciences Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
| | - Mark Bolton
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL, UK
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Moraes RN, Laske TG, Leimgruber P, Stabach JA, Marinari PE, Horning MM, Laske NR, Rodriguez JV, Eye GN, Kordell JE, Gonzalez M, Eyring T, Lemons C, Helmick KE, Delaski KM, Ware LH, Jones JC, Songsasen N. Inside out: heart rate monitoring to advance the welfare and conservation of maned wolves ( Chrysocyon brachyurus). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab044. [PMID: 34188936 PMCID: PMC8224209 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic change is a major threat to individual species and biodiversity. Yet the behavioral and physiological responses of animals to these changes remain understudied. This is due to the technological challenges in assessing these effects in situ. Using captive maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus, n = 6) as a model, we deployed implantable biologgers and collected physiological data on heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) over a 1-year period. To test for links between HR and changes in the environment we analysed HR daily rhythms and responses to potential stressors (e.g. physical restraint, change in housing conditions, short-distance transportation and unfamiliar human presence). The 2-min HR averages ranged from 33 to 250 bpm, with an overall rest average of 73 bpm and a maximum of 296 bpm. On average, HRV was higher in females (227 ± 51 ms) than in males (151 ± 51 ms). As expected, HR increased at dusk and night when animals were more active and in response to stressors. Sudden decreases in HR were observed during transportation in three wolves, suggestive of fear bradycardia. We provide the first non-anesthetic HR values for the species and confirm that behaviour does not always reflect the shifts in autonomic tone in response to perceived threats. Because strong HR responses often were not revealed by observable changes in behaviour, our findings suggest that the number and variety of stressors in ex situ or in situ environments for maned wolves and most wildlife species may be underestimated. Our study also shows that integrating biologging with behavioral observations can provide vital information to guide captive management. Similar technology can be used to advance in situ research for developing more effective welfare, management and conservation plans for the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosana N Moraes
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
- Department of Physiology, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, PR, 81530-900, Brazil
| | - Timothy G Laske
- Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- AF Solutions, Medtronic Inc., Mounds View, MN, 55112, USA
| | - Peter Leimgruber
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Jared A Stabach
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Paul E Marinari
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Megan M Horning
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Noelle R Laske
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Juan V Rodriguez
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
- Department of Parks and Recreation, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning commission, Clinton, MD, 20735, USA
| | - Ginger N Eye
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Jessica E Kordell
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Marissa Gonzalez
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Tom Eyring
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Christopher Lemons
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Kelly E Helmick
- Department of Conservation Medicine, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Kristina M Delaski
- Department of Conservation Medicine, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Lisa H Ware
- Department of Conservation Medicine, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Julia C Jones
- Department of Conservation Medicine, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Nucharin Songsasen
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
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Iglesias-Carrasco M, Aich U, Jennions MD, Head ML. Stress in the city: meta-analysis indicates no overall evidence for stress in urban vertebrates. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201754. [PMID: 33023414 PMCID: PMC7657868 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
As cities continue to grow it is increasingly important to understand the long-term responses of wildlife to urban environments. There have been increased efforts to determine whether urbanization imposes chronic stress on wild animals, but empirical evidence is mixed. Here, we conduct a meta-analysis to test whether there is, on average, a detrimental effect of urbanization based on baseline and stress-induced glucocorticoid levels of wild vertebrates. We found no effect of urbanization on glucocorticoid levels, and none of sex, season, life stage, taxon, size of the city nor methodology accounted for variation in the observed effect sizes. At face value, our results suggest that urban areas are no more stressful for wildlife than rural or non-urban areas, but we offer a few reasons why this conclusion could be premature. We propose that refining methods of data collection will improve our understanding of how urbanization affects the health and survival of wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maider Iglesias-Carrasco
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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Hunninck L, May R, Jackson CR, Palme R, Røskaft E, Sheriff MJ. Consequences of climate-induced vegetation changes exceed those of human disturbance for wild impala in the Serengeti ecosystem. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coz117. [PMID: 32477568 PMCID: PMC7246078 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
In East Africa, climate change is predicted to reduce vegetation quality, and pervasive human disturbance has already resulted in significant declines in biodiversity. We studied the combined effects of reduced forage quality and human disturbance on faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations. We predicted that decreasing nutritional quality and increasing human disturbance would have an additive positive effect on FGM levels in wild impala (Aepyceros melampus). Employing a space-for-time approach, we used normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) as a measure of forage quality, combined with spatially explicit proxies of human disturbance across areas of different protection management strategies in the Serengeti ecosystem. We collected 639 faecal samples, spread over 4 years, including both wet and dry seasons. Impala FGM levels increased significantly with declining NDVI and, to a lesser extent, with increasing proxies for human disturbance. However, we found no interaction between the two, such that impala had elevated FGM levels with low NDVI and low FGM levels with high NDVI regardless of human disturbance levels. This implies that impala will have high FGM levels if forage quality is poor, even with significant protection and reduced human disturbance. Understanding how animals respond to and cope with changes in forage quality and human land use across different protected areas is important for conservationists and managers to better protect species at risk and predict population viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Hunninck
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and
Technology, Høgskoleringen 5, 7034 Trondheim, Norway
- Corresponding author: NTNU, Høgskoleringen 1, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
Tel: +47 474 43 361.
| | - R May
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Høgskoleringen 9, 7034
Trondheim, Norway
| | - C R Jackson
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Høgskoleringen 9, 7034
Trondheim, Norway
| | - R Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary
Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - E Røskaft
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and
Technology, Høgskoleringen 5, 7034 Trondheim, Norway
| | - M J Sheriff
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, 285 Old Westport
Road, Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA
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Jones MK, Reiter LE, Gilmore MP, Freeman EW, Songsasen N. Physiological impacts of housing maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) with female relatives or unrelated males. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 267:109-115. [PMID: 29913172 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2018] [Revised: 05/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The maned wolf is a threatened canid species native to South America. Previous studies have suggested the species exhibits induced ovulation. In captive breeding facilities, reproductive success is low while rates of neonatal mortality are high. Females that are not recommended for breeding are frequently housed together. However there has never been a systematic study of the reproductive consequences of co-housing females. This study was conducted for three purposes, to: (1) corroborate the presence of induced ovulation, (2) determine whether elevated cortisol is implicated in neonatal pup mortality, and (3) evaluate the endocrine correlates of group housed females. Using fecal hormone monitoring for estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol, 43 cycles from 33 female maned wolves were studied from 2002 to 2015. Females were categorized by their reproductive status: pregnant and successfully raised pups (PR; n = 11), pregnant with neonatal pup demise within 3 days (PL; n = 7), housed with a male but no signs of breeding or pregnancy (PP; n = 10), housed singly (S; n = 8), or housed with related females (F; n = 7). Estrogen and progestagen remained at baseline for all females not housed with a male (S, F), while elevations consistent with ovulation were seen in females housed with a male (PP, PL, PR). Compared to PR females, PL individuals showed similar cortisol levels throughout the cycle and slightly lower progesterone levels during gestation. As for the effect of co-housing related females, F females showed estrogen and progesterone levels lower even than S females while cortisol levels were elevated compared to all other groups. These findings support the previous evidence of induced ovulation in the maned wolf. Although elevated cortisol does not seem to be implicated in pup loss, a non-significant trend towards lower progesterone during gestation could be implicated. Future studies should assess depressed progesterone levels as a correlate to neonatal pup mortality. Female maned wolves housed with related females experience suppressed reproductive hormones and elevated adrenal hormones. Therefore, a more systematic study of hormonal and behavioral correlates to co-housing with related females is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke K Jones
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, United States; Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, United States.
| | - Lauren E Reiter
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, United States; Interdisciplinary Studies, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, United States
| | - Michael P Gilmore
- School of Integrative Studies, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, United States.
| | - Elizabeth W Freeman
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, United States; School of Integrative Studies, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, United States.
| | - Nucharin Songsasen
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, United States.
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Vera F, Zenuto R, Antenucci CD. Expanding the actions of cortisol and corticosterone in wild vertebrates: A necessary step to overcome the emerging challenges. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2017; 246:337-353. [PMID: 28109824 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 01/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We conducted a review of scientific articles published between 2000 and 2014 and evaluated how frequently various aspects of cortisol and corticosterone (CORT) actions have been considered in studies on wild vertebrates. Results show that (1) the notion that CORT are stress-responsive hormones is central in our theoretical frameworks and it is reflected by the fact that several articles refer to CORT as "stress hormones". (2) The large majority of studies do not contemplate the possibility of decrease and no change in CORT levels in response to chronic stressors. (3) Our ideas about CORT actions on energy balance are slanted towards the mobilization of energy, though there are several studies considering -and empirically addressing- CORT's orexigenic actions, particularly in birds. (4) The roles of CORT in mineral-water balance, though widely documented in the biomedical area, are virtually ignored in the literature about wild vertebrates, with the exception of studies in fish. (5) Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) independent regulation of CORT secretion is also very scarcely considered. (6) The preparative, permissive, suppressive and stimulatory actions of CORT, as described by Sapolsky et al. (2000), are not currently considered by the large majority of authors. We include an extension of the Preparative Hypothesis, proposing that the priming effects of baseline and stress-induced CORT levels increase the threshold of severity necessary for subsequent stimuli to become stressors. Studies on animal ecology and conservation require integration with novel aspects of CORT actions and perspectives developed in other research areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Vera
- Laboratorio de Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Roxana Zenuto
- Laboratorio de Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - C Daniel Antenucci
- Laboratorio de Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Escobar-Ibarra I, Mayagoitia-Novales L, Alcántara-Barrera A, Cerda-Molina AL, Mondragón-Ceballos R, Ramírez-Necoechea R, Alonso-Spilsbury M. Long-term quantification of faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations reveals that Mexican grey wolves may habituate to captivity. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2017.1332111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- I. Escobar-Ibarra
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Xochimilco, México, DF, Mexico
- Depto. de Producción Agrícola y Animal, Área de Investigación: Ecodesarrollo de la Producción Animal, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Xochimilco, México, DF, Mexico
| | - L. Mayagoitia-Novales
- Depto. de Etología, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Tlalpan, México, DF, Mexico
| | - A. Alcántara-Barrera
- Depto. de Producción Agrícola y Animal, Área de Investigación: Ecodesarrollo de la Producción Animal, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Xochimilco, México, DF, Mexico
| | - A. L. Cerda-Molina
- Depto. de Etología, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Tlalpan, México, DF, Mexico
| | - R. Mondragón-Ceballos
- Depto. de Etología, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Tlalpan, México, DF, Mexico
| | - R. Ramírez-Necoechea
- Depto. de Producción Agrícola y Animal, Área de Investigación: Ecodesarrollo de la Producción Animal, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Xochimilco, México, DF, Mexico
| | - M. Alonso-Spilsbury
- Depto. de Producción Agrícola y Animal, Área de Investigación: Ecodesarrollo de la Producción Animal, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Xochimilco, México, DF, Mexico
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Coelho CM, de Azevedo CS, Guimarães MADBV, Young RJ. Environmental Enrichment Effect on Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolites and Captive Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) Behavior. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2016; 19:353-62. [PMID: 27057585 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2016.1161512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment is a technique that may reduce the stress of nonhuman animals in captivity. Stress may interfere with normal behavioral expression and affect cognitive decision making. Noninvasive hormonal studies can provide important information about the stress statuses of animals. This study evaluated the effectiveness of different environmental enrichment treatments in the diminution of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (stress indicators) of three captive maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus). Correlations of the fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels with expressed behaviors were also determined. Results showed that environmental enrichment reduced fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels. Furthermore, interspecific and foraging enrichment items were most effective in reducing stress in two of the three wolves. No definite pattern was found between behavioral and physiological responses to stress. In conclusion, these behavioral and physiological data showed that maned wolves responded positively from an animal well being perspective to the enrichment items presented.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Robert John Young
- d School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford Manchester , Salford , United Kingdom
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Braun JP, Bourgès-Abella N, Geffré A, Concordet D, Trumel C. The preanalytic phase in veterinary clinical pathology. Vet Clin Pathol 2014; 44:8-25. [PMID: 25438659 DOI: 10.1111/vcp.12206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This article presents the general causes of preanalytic variability with a few examples showing specialists and practitioners that special and improved care should be given to this too often neglected phase. The preanalytic phase of clinical pathology includes all the steps from specimen collection to analysis. It is the phase where most laboratory errors occur in human, and probably also in veterinary clinical pathology. Numerous causes may affect the validity of the results, including technical factors, such as the choice of anticoagulant, the blood vessel sampled, and the duration and conditions of specimen handling. While the latter factors can be defined, influence of biologic and physiologic factors such as feeding and fasting, stress, and biologic and endocrine rhythms can often not be controlled. Nevertheless, as many factors as possible should at least be documented. The importance of the preanalytic phase is often not given the necessary attention, although the validity of the results and consequent clinical decision making and medical management of animal patients would likely be improved if the quality of specimens submitted to the laboratory was optimized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pierre Braun
- Sciences cliniques, Université de Toulouse, UPS, INP, ENVT, UMS 0006, Toulouse, France
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12
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Rangel-Negrín A, Coyohua-Fuentes A, Chavira R, Canales-Espinosa D, Dias PAD. Primates living outside protected habitats are more stressed: the case of black howler monkeys in the Yucatán Peninsula. PLoS One 2014; 9:e112329. [PMID: 25375243 PMCID: PMC4223037 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The non-invasive monitoring of glucocorticoid hormones allows for the assessment of the physiological effects of anthropogenic disturbances on wildlife. Variation in glucocorticoid levels of the same species between protected and unprotect areas seldom has been measured, and the available evidence suggests that this relationship may depend on species-specific habitat requirements and biology. In the present study we focused on black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra), a canopy-dwelling primate species, as a case study to evaluate the physiological consequences of living in unprotected areas, and relate them with intragroup competition and competition with extragroup individuals. From February 2006 to September 2007 we collected 371 fecal samples from 21 adults belonging to five groups (two from protected and three from unprotected areas) in Campeche, Mexico. We recorded agonistic interactions within groups and encounters with other groups (1,200 h of behavioral observations), and determined fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations with radioimmunoassays. We used linear mixed models and Akaike's information criterion to choose the best model explaining variation in FGM concentrations between protected and unprotected areas calculated from five categorical variables: habitat type (protected vs. unprotected), participation in agonistic interactions, intergroup encounters, sex and female reproductive state, and season. The best model included habitat type, the interaction between habitat type and agonism, and the interaction between habitat type and season. FGM concentrations were higher in unprotected habitats, particularly when individuals were involved in agonistic interactions; seasonal variation in FGM concentrations was only detected in protected habitats. High FGM concentrations in black howler monkeys living in unprotected habitats are associated with increased within-group food competition and probably associated with exposure to anthropogenic stressors and overall food scarcity. Because persistent high GC levels can be detrimental to health and fitness, populations living in disturbed unprotected areas may not be viable in the long-term.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Roberto Chavira
- Instituto de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, México D.F., Mexico
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13
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Dantzer B, Fletcher QE, Boonstra R, Sheriff MJ. Measures of physiological stress: a transparent or opaque window into the status, management and conservation of species? CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2014; 2:cou023. [PMID: 27293644 PMCID: PMC4732472 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cou023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 268] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2014] [Revised: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/11/2014] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Conservation physiology proposes that measures of physiological stress (glucocorticoid levels) can be used to assess the status and future fate of natural populations. Increases in glucocorticoids may reflect a more challenging environment, suggesting that the influence of human activities on free-living animals could be quantified by measuring glucocorticoids. Biomedical studies suggest that chronic increases in glucocorticoids can have detrimental effects on survival and reproduction, which could influence the viability of populations. Here, we discuss the use of measurements of glucocorticoids in conservation physiology. We first provide an overview of the different methods to quantify glucocorticoids and their utility in conservation physiology. We then discuss five questions we think are essential for conservation physiologists to address. We highlight how intrinsic (e.g. sex, reproductive status, age, recent experiences) and ecological factors (e.g. predation, food availability, snowfall) can, by themselves or through their interactions with anthropogenic disturbances, affect the physiological stress response and mask any general patterns about the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on glucocorticoids. Using a meta-analysis, we show that anthropogenic disturbances are consistently associated with increased glucocorticoids regardless of the type of human disturbance. We also show that males may be more sensitive to anthropogenic disturbances than females and that faecal glucocorticoids, but not baseline plasma glucocorticoids, consistently increase in response to anthropogenic disturbances. Finally, we discuss how increases in glucocorticoids in free-living animals can sometimes enhance survival and reproduction. Unfortunately, our literature analysis indicates that this observation has not yet gained traction, and very few studies have shown that increases in glucocorticoid levels resulting from anthropogenic disturbances decrease survival or reproduction. We think that the use of measures of glucocorticoids in conservation physiology has tremendous potential, but there are still a number of methodological concerns, in addition to several crucial questions that should be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Dantzer
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Quinn E. Fletcher
- Département de biologie, chimie et geographie, Université du Québec á Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, Canada G5L 3A1
| | - Rudy Boonstra
- Centre for the Neurobiology of Stress, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada M1C 1A4
| | - Michael J. Sheriff
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16801, USA
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Reproduction and Advances in Reproductive Studies in Carnivores. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2014; 753:205-39. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0820-2_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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15
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Wilkening JL, Ray C, Sweazea KL. Stress hormone concentration in Rocky Mountain populations of the American pika (Ochotona princeps). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 1:cot027. [PMID: 27293611 PMCID: PMC4806619 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cot027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2013] [Revised: 08/23/2013] [Accepted: 08/25/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is considered a sentinel species for detecting ecological effects of climate change. Pikas are declining within a large portion of their range, but previous studies have focused only on local pika extinction as a metric of change. We designed a procedure which can provide an earlier warning signal, based on non-invasive sampling and analysis of physiological stress in living pikas. Pikas were sampled at several locations in the Rocky Mountains for the measurement of glucocorticoid metabolites (GCMs) in faeces. Using a time series of faecal pellets from 12 individuals, we detected a significant increase in faecal GCM level in response to capture, thus biologically validating the use of a corticosterone enzyme immunoassay. We also established baseline, peak, and post-peak GCM concentrations for pikas in the Rocky Mountains, which varied according to gender and individual. This is the first study to measure stress hormone metabolites in any species of pika. The methods developed and validated in this study can be used to add non-invasive measurements of physiological stress to pika monitoring programmes and other research designed to assess pika vulnerability to predicted changes in climate. Pika monitoring programmes currently in place use a protocol that relates current site use by pikas with data on local habitat characteristics, such as elevation, to infer potential effects of climate change. Data generated by these monitoring studies can be used to identify the trends in site use by pikas in relationship to habitat covariates. However, this approach does not take into account the role of behavioural thermoregulation and the pika's use of microhabitats to ameliorate variations in climate. Incorporating a stress metric, such as GCM concentration, will provide relatively direct evidence for or against the hypothesis that pikas can be stressed by climate regardless of behavioural adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Wilkening
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0334, USA
| | - Chris Ray
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0334, USA
| | - Karen L. Sweazea
- School of Nutrition and Health Promotion and School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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