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Cabodevilla X, Ortiz-Santaliestra ME, Fernández-Tizón M, Zurdo J, Madeira MJ, Giralt D, Sardà-Palomera F, Fernández-Benéitez MJ, Mougeot F. Dietary DNA metabarcoding reveals a trophic niche partitioning among sympatric Iberian sandgrouses and bustards. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 933:172989. [PMID: 38714259 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
The study of trophic niche partitioning is of great importance for understanding community structure and species coexistence, particularly if these are threatened. Here DNA metabarcoding was used to assess the diet of four threatened steppe bird species (two bustards and two sandgrouses), with the aim of better understanding their dietary requirements, trophic interactions, and potential threats. The results showed seasonal and interspecific differences in their plant diet, with greater importance of cultivated plants during autumn and winter (around 50 % of their diet) than spring. Plants of the genus Convolvulus and of the family Brassicaceae were frequently consumed by all species. In spring, poppies (Papaver spp.) were a considerable part of their diet, and could be used as a source of carotenoids or for their anti-parasitic properties. Furthermore, results evidenced a trophic niche partitioning among species, with a marked segregation between bustard species and, to a lesser extent, between sandgrouse species. Diet similarity was generally higher between species from different orders that occur in mixed-species flocks (bustard - sandgrouse) than between species of the same order. This partitioning was probably related to a stratification in habitat use rather than to specialisation and might prevent competition to some extent. However, the homogenization of trophic resources resulting from agricultural intensification could pose an important threat, particularly during autumn, when weeds are scarcer and the most abundant trophic resource are sown seeds, which are often treated with pesticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xabier Cabodevilla
- Conservation Biology Group, Landscape Dynamics and Biodiversity Program, Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC), Solsona, Spain; Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain.
| | - Manuel E Ortiz-Santaliestra
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Mario Fernández-Tizón
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Julia Zurdo
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG-UAM), Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (CIBC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - María J Madeira
- Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Paseo de la Universidad 7, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Alava, Spain
| | - David Giralt
- Conservation Biology Group, Landscape Dynamics and Biodiversity Program, Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC), Solsona, Spain
| | - Francesc Sardà-Palomera
- Conservation Biology Group, Landscape Dynamics and Biodiversity Program, Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC), Solsona, Spain
| | - María J Fernández-Benéitez
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - François Mougeot
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
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Vyas NB, Henry PFP, Binkowski ŁJ, Hladik ML, Gross MS, Schroeder MA, Davis DM. Persistence of pesticide residues in weathered avian droppings. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 259:119475. [PMID: 38945513 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Avian droppings (combination of fecal matter and urates) provide a non-lethal and non-invasive matrix for measuring pesticide exposures. In the field, droppings may be collected days or weeks after excretion and the persistence of pesticide residues in weathered droppings is not known. Thus, we studied the effects of weathering on pesticide residues in droppings. Domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) hens were used as a representative species for Order Galliformes. We collected droppings from hens before they were exposed to the pesticides (reference or pre-dose droppings ). Thereafter, the hens were orally administered encapsulated wheat seeds coated with Raxil® PRO Shield (containing the active ingredients imidacloprid, prothioconazole, metalaxyl, and tebuconazole) for consecutive 7 days. During this time, their droppings were collected on days 3, 5, and 8 from the start of the exposure period (post-dose droppings ). The pre-dose and post-dose droppings were weathered for up to 30 days in autumn and spring in shrubsteppe habitat. Droppings were analyzed using HPLC coupled to triple quad LC/MS for parent compound and metabolite residues. No pesticide or its metabolite residues were detected in the weathered reference droppings. No parent pesticide compounds were detected in weathered post-dose droppings but imidacloprid metabolites, imidacloprid-5-hydroxy and imidacloprid-olefin, and the prothioconazole metabolite, desthio-prothioconazole, were detected in all post-dose weathered samples from both seasons. The active ingredients metalaxyl and tebuconazole and their metabolites were not detected in any of the samples. Our results suggest that, depending on the pesticide, its concentration, and the environmental conditions, residues of some pesticides can be detected in droppings weathered for at least 30 days. Knowledge of pesticide persistence in weathered droppings can help refine the quality and quantity of fecal samples that are collected for monitoring pesticide exposures to birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nimish B Vyas
- U.S. Geological Survey Eastern Ecological Science Center, 12100 Beech Forest Road, Laurel, MD, 20708, United States.
| | - Paula F P Henry
- U.S. Geological Survey Eastern Ecological Science Center, 12100 Beech Forest Road, Laurel, MD, 20708, United States.
| | - Łukasz J Binkowski
- University of the National Education Commission and Earth Sciences, Podchorążych 2 St., 30-084, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Michelle L Hladik
- U.S. Geological Survey, California Water Science Center, 6000 J St. Placer Hall, Sacramento, CA, 95819, United States.
| | - Michael S Gross
- U.S. Geological Survey, California Water Science Center, 6000 J St. Placer Hall, Sacramento, CA, 95819, United States.
| | - Michael A Schroeder
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, P.O. Box 1077, Bridgeport, WA, 98813, United States.
| | - Dawn M Davis
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wyoming Field Office, 334 Parsley Boulevard, Cheyenne, WY, 82007, United States.
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Fernández-Vizcaíno E, Mateo R, Fernández de Mera IG, Mougeot F, Camarero PR, Ortiz-Santaliestra ME. Transgenerational effects of triazole fungicides on gene expression and egg compounds in non-exposed offspring: A case study using Red-Legged Partridges (Alectoris rufa). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 926:171546. [PMID: 38479527 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Triazole fungicides are widely used to treat cereal seeds before sowing. Granivorous birds like the Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa) have high exposure risk because they ingest treated seeds that remain on the field surface. As triazole fungicides can act as endocrine disruptors, affecting sterol synthesis and reproduction in birds several months after exposure, we hypothesized that these effects could also impact subsequent generations of exposed birds. To test this hypothesis, we exposed adult partridges (F0) to seeds treated at commercial doses with four different formulations containing triazoles as active ingredients (flutriafol, prothioconazole, tebuconazole, and a mixture of the latter two), simulating field exposure during late autumn sowing. During the subsequent reproductive season, two to four months after exposure, we examined compound allocation of steroid hormones, cholesterol, vitamins, and carotenoids in eggs laid by exposed birds (F1), as well as the expression of genes encoding enzymes involved in sterol biosynthesis in one-day-old chicks of this F1. One year later, F1 animals were paired again to investigate the expression of the same genes in the F2 chicks. We found changes in the expression of some genes for all treatments and both generations. Additionally, we observed an increase in estrone levels in eggs from partridges treated with flutriafol compared to controls, a decrease in tocopherol levels in partridges exposed to the mixture of tebuconazole and prothioconazole, and an increase in retinol levels in partridges exposed to prothioconazole. Despite sample size limitations, this study provides novel insights into the mechanisms of action of the previously observed effects of triazole fungicide-treated seeds on avian reproduction with evidence that the effects can persist beyond the exposure windows, affecting unexposed offspring of partridges fed with treated seeds. The results highlight the importance of considering long-term chronic effects when assessing pesticide risks to wild birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Fernández-Vizcaíno
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain.
| | - Rafael Mateo
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Isabel G Fernández de Mera
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - François Mougeot
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Pablo R Camarero
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Manuel E Ortiz-Santaliestra
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
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Zhao L, Zhou X, Kang Z, Peralta-Videa JR, Zhu YG. Nano-enabled seed treatment: A new and sustainable approach to engineering climate-resilient crops. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 910:168640. [PMID: 37989394 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Under a changing climate, keeping the food supply steady for an ever-increasing population will require crop plants adapted to environmental fluctuations. Genetic engineering and genome-editing approaches have been used for developing climate-resilient crops. However, genetically modified crops have yet to be widely accepted, especially for small-scale farmers in low-income countries and some societies. Nano-priming (seed exposure to nanoparticles, NPs) has appeared as an alternative to the abovementioned techniques. This technique improves seed germination speed, promotes seedlings' vigor, and enhances plant tolerance to adverse conditions such as drought, salinity, temperature, and flooding, which may occur under extreme weather conditions. Moreover, nano-enabled seed treatment can increase the disease resistance of crops by boosting immunity, which will reduce the use of pesticides. This unsophisticated, farmer-available, cost-effective, and environment-friendly seed treatment approach may help crop plants fight climate change challenges. This review discusses the previous information about nano-enabled seed treatment for enhancing plant tolerance to abiotic stresses and increasing disease resistance. Current knowledge about the mechanisms underlying nanomaterial-seed interactions is discussed. To conclude, the review includes research questions to address before this technique reaches its full potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijuan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Xiaoding Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zhao Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jose R Peralta-Videa
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yong-Guan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Ningbo Observation and Research Station, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
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Bellot P, Bichet C, Brischoux F, Fritsch C, Hope SF, Quesnot A, Angelier F. Experimental investigation of the effect of tebuconazole on three biomarkers of innate immunity in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 33:119-129. [PMID: 38244180 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-024-02732-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
Triazoles are among the most widely used fungicides in the world due to their efficacy against fungal crop diseases and their broad spectrum of action. Intensive use of triazoles has resulted in residual contamination in different compartments of agroecosystems and exposes non-target species to potential sublethal effects. Triazoles are known to be immunomodulators in medicine and therapeutic treatments, but very little data is available on their potential effect on immune parameters of non-target vertebrate species living in agroecosystems. In this study, we experimentally examined the impact of tebuconazole on three immune biomarkers (haemagglutination titre (HA), haemolysis titre (HL), and haptoglobin concentration (Hp)), as well as on the body condition of house sparrows (Passer domesticus). Our results suggest that tebuconazole had very little, if any, effect on the studied immune parameters. However, further studies are needed to better assess the effect of tebuconazole on bird immunity because (1) experimental individuals were kept under optimal conditions and the impact of tebuconazole on immunity may occur under suboptimal conditions, (2) only one concentration of tebuconazole was tested and its effect could be dose-dependent and (3) other complementary immunological biomarkers should be studied, given the complexity of the vertebrate immune system. Current knowledge on the potential effects of triazoles on the immunity of wild farmland vertebrates is still largely insufficient. Further physiological and immune studies should be conducted to better understand the effect of triazole fungicides on farmland birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Bellot
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, La Rochelle Université, UMR 7372, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France.
| | - Coraline Bichet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, La Rochelle Université, UMR 7372, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, La Rochelle Université, UMR 7372, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Clémentine Fritsch
- Laboratoire Chrono-Environnement, UMR 6249 CNRS, Université de Franche-Comté, F-25000, Besançon, France
| | - Sydney F Hope
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, La Rochelle Université, UMR 7372, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Alice Quesnot
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, La Rochelle Université, UMR 7372, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, La Rochelle Université, UMR 7372, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
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