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Yu QZ, Hu MY, Wang L, Lin JQ, Fang SG. Incubation determines favorable microbial communities in Chinese alligator nests. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:983808. [PMID: 36312961 PMCID: PMC9606745 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.983808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Nest materials are a major heat source due to rotting promoted by microbial activity. Additionally, they are a potential microbial source given their direct contact with eggshells. Microbial dynamics during incubation have been studied in wild birds; however, similar studies in reptiles remain elusive. Here, the study characterized microbial communities in the nest materials of Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) using high-throughput sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes and fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region sequences. The results showed that significant changes in the diversity and structure of microbial communities according to different incubation periods. The diversity and richness of bacterial species increased significantly over time, but the relative abundance of the most dominant bacteria in pre-incubation period, including some pathogenic bacteria, declined after incubation. In contrast, fungal species diversity and richness decreased significantly with time. Additionally, nest material composition significantly influenced microbial community structure rather than species diversity and richness. Notably, the fungal community structure showed a stronger response than bacteria to nest material composition, which varied due to differences in plant litter composition. Our results demonstrate the significant response of microbial community diversity and structure to differences in incubation periods and nest material composition in reptiles. It is further emphasized that the importance of incubation period in the conservation of the Chinese alligator and could inform similar studies in other reptiles and birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin-Zhang Yu
- The Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of the Ministry of Education, State Conservation Center for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Meng-Yuan Hu
- The Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of the Ministry of Education, State Conservation Center for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Li Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of the Ministry of Education, State Conservation Center for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jian-Qing Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Disaster Prediction and Prevention, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Marine Science, Shantou University, Shantou, China
| | - Sheng-Guo Fang
- The Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of the Ministry of Education, State Conservation Center for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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2
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Tkaczyk SP, Chivers D, Wiebe K. Nest defense by Mountain Bluebirds (Sialia currucoides) is related to their sex and brood characteristics but not morphological attributes. CAN J ZOOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2022-0064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Within species, bird parents defend their nests with different levels of intensity. Previous studies have examined several hypotheses for this variation by looking at factors such as morphological characteristics of the parents and the characteristics of the brood, but few have controlled for multiple factors simultaneously. Here we examined a broad range of factors that may influence the nest defense behaviour of Mountain Bluebirds (Sialia currucoides Bechstein, 1798), including the adult’s morphology (sex, age, plumage colour, body size, and body condition) and characteristics of their brood (size, hatch date, stage of nestling development). Parental aggression was triggered using a taxidermy mount of an American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus Erxleben, 1777). We found no relationship between nest defense and any morphological characteristic of adults but the intensity of nest defense was positively correlated with the stage of offspring development, clutch size, and hatch date consistent with parental investment theory. Males also defended nests more strongly than females, consistent with the premise of the renesting hypothesis that males have fewer future opportunities to breed and therefore are more invested in the current brood. Our results provide strong support for parental investment theory and renesting as the primary drivers of nest defense intensity in breeding birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon P. Tkaczyk
- University of Saskatchewan, Department of Biology, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - D.P. Chivers
- Department of Biology, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada,
| | - Karen Wiebe
- University of Saskatchewan, Department of Biology, Saskatoon, Canada
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3
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Jenő J. Purger, Szép D, Purger TJ, Purger D, Lanszki Z, Kurucz K. Effects of Small Mammals on Broods of Ground Nesting Passerines in Alfalfa Fields. CONTEMP PROBL ECOL+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1995425522040084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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4
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Londoño Duque LV, Colorado Z. GJ. DEPREDACIÓN EN NIDOS ARTIFICIALES DE AVES EN UN GRADIENTE DE INTERVENCIÓN ANTRÓPICA EN LA AMAZONIA COLOMBIANA. ACTA BIOLÓGICA COLOMBIANA 2022. [DOI: 10.15446/abc.v27n3.90766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Las coberturas de los bosques naturales están cambiando por el avance de la frontera urbana, agrícola y ganadera, afectando la disponibilidad de refugios y recursos para la reproducción de algunas aves. A pesar del avance en el conocimiento del efecto de las intervenciones antrópicas sobre la biodiversidad, son limitadas las investigaciones que evidencien el efecto antrópico sobre la historia de vida de las aves, incluida la reproducción. Para describir el efecto antrópico sobre la depredación de nidos, se establecieron 108 nidos artificiales en un gradiente de intervención antrópica en la jurisdicción de Leticia, Amazonas, Colombia. De los 38 nidos que fueron depredados, 6 fueron en el sitio con menos intervención antrópica, 15 en el sitio de intervención intermedia y 17 en el sitio con mayor intervención. En particular, se evalúa cómo los cambios en la cobertura vegetal mediadas por las intervenciones antrópicas afectan la incubación de las aves, esperando que una mayor cobertura vegetal alrededor del nido, aumentara su probabilidad de éxito. Se encontró que las variables asociadas a la estructura de la vegetación cercana a los nidos (e.g. Cobertura a un metro alrededor del nido, Cobertura vegetal baja, Abertura de dosel), mostraron una relación significativa y positiva con el destino del nido. Esta investigación sugiere que procesos de urbanización (p. ej. Construcción de casas y carreteras) presentes en el contexto de la región amazónica, influyen en la pérdida de nidos artificiales de aves, y que cambios en la estructura de la vegetación mediados por la degradación de las coberturas naturales podrían jugar un papel fundamental en la depredación de nidos.
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Shitikov DA. Nest Survival of Open-Nesting Passerines: Species Differences, Temporal Variability, and the Impact of Weather Conditions. BIOL BULL+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359021140168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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6
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Hart ME, Perez-Umphrey A, Stouffer PC, Burns CB, Bonisoli-Alquati A, Taylor SS, Woltmann S. Nest survival of Seaside Sparrows (Ammospiza maritima) in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0259022. [PMID: 34699553 PMCID: PMC8547620 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill released an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, damaging coastal ecosystems. Seaside Sparrows (Ammospiza maritima)-a year-round resident of Gulf Coast salt marshes-were exposed to oil, as shown by published isotopic and molecular analyses, but fitness consequences have not been clarified. We monitored nests around two bays in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, USA from 2012-2017 to assess possible impacts on the nesting biology of Seaside Sparrows. A majority of nests failed (76% of known-fate nests, N = 252 nests, 3521 exposure-days) during our study, and predation was the main cause of nest failure (~91% of failed nests). Logistic exposure analysis revealed that daily nest survival rate: (1) was greater at nests with denser vegetation at nest height, (2) was higher in the more sheltered bay we studied, (3) decreased over the course of the breeding season in each year, and (4) was not correlated with either sediment polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations or estimated predator abundance during the years for which we had those data. Although the Deepwater Horizon spill impacted other aspects of Seaside Sparrow ecology, we found no definitive effect of initial oiling or oiled sediment on nest survival during 2012-2017. Because predation was the overwhelming cause of nest failure in our study, additional work on these communities is needed to fully understand demographic and ecological impacts of storms, oil spills, other pollutants, and sea-level rise on Seaside Sparrows and their predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E Hart
- Center of Excellence for Field Biology, and Department of Biology, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN, United States of America
| | - Anna Perez-Umphrey
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University and AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America
| | - Philip C Stouffer
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University and AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America
| | - Christine Bergeon Burns
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University and AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America
| | - Andrea Bonisoli-Alquati
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University and AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America
| | - Sabrina S Taylor
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University and AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America
| | - Stefan Woltmann
- Center of Excellence for Field Biology, and Department of Biology, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN, United States of America
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8
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Liu J, Yan H, Li G, Li S. Nest concealment is associated with reproductive traits across sympatric bird species. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:14079-14087. [PMID: 34707841 PMCID: PMC8525109 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Nest-site characteristics are thought to play an important role in reproductive performance in birds (e.g., influencing reproductive success and predation risk). Nest-site characteristics such as concealment may be particularly critical at high elevation where nests are exposed to challenging environmental conditions. In this study, we conducted both conventional and phylogenetically controlled analyses to investigate whether nest concealment affected several reproductive traits across 21 sympatric bird species living on Tibet Plateau (3,400 m altitude). Qualitatively equivalent results were reached in analyses, regardless of phylogenetic controls. We found that clutch size, incubation period, nestling period, and nest success were strongly and positively associated with nest concealment across species. Our study addressed such a high-elevation bird community that is lacking in the previous studies. This study adds to theory that while there are a few exceptions, overall evidence supports a positive effect of nest concealment on reproductive performance across coexisting alpine species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinlong Liu
- Engineering Research Center of Ecology and Agricultural Use of Wetland, Ministry of EducationCollege of Life Sciences, Yangtze UniversityJingzhouChina
| | - Han Yan
- Engineering Research Center of Ecology and Agricultural Use of Wetland, Ministry of EducationCollege of Life Sciences, Yangtze UniversityJingzhouChina
| | - Guopan Li
- Engineering Research Center of Ecology and Agricultural Use of Wetland, Ministry of EducationCollege of Life Sciences, Yangtze UniversityJingzhouChina
| | - Shaobin Li
- Engineering Research Center of Ecology and Agricultural Use of Wetland, Ministry of EducationCollege of Life Sciences, Yangtze UniversityJingzhouChina
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecology EngineeringBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
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9
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Sládeček M, Brynychová K, Elhassan E, Šálek ME, Janatová V, Vozabulová E, Chajma P, Firlová V, Pešková L, Almuhery A, Bulla M. Diel timing of nest predation changes across breeding season in a subtropical shorebird. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:13101-13117. [PMID: 34646455 PMCID: PMC8495801 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Predation is the most common cause of nest failure in birds. While nest predation is relatively well studied in general, our knowledge is unevenly distributed across the globe and taxa, with, for example, limited information on shorebirds breeding in subtropics. Importantly, we know fairly little about the timing of predation within a day. Here, we followed 444 nests of the red-wattled lapwing (Vanellus indicus), a ground-nesting shorebird, for a sum of 7,828 days to estimate a nest predation rate, and continuously monitored 230 of these nests for a sum of 2,779 days to reveal how the timing of predation changes over the day and season in a subtropical desert. We found that 312 nests (70%) hatched, 76 nests (17%) were predated, 23 (5%) failed for other reasons, and 33 (7%) had an unknown fate. Daily predation rate was 0.95% (95%CrI: 0.76% - 1.19%), which for a 30-day long incubation period translates into ~25% (20% - 30%) chance of nest being predated. Such a predation rate is low compared to most other avian species. Predation events (N = 25) were evenly distributed across day and night, with a tendency for increased predation around sunrise, and evenly distributed also across the season, although night predation was more common later in the season, perhaps because predators reduce their activity during daylight to avoid extreme heat. Indeed, nests were never predated when midday ground temperatures exceeded 45℃. Whether the diel activity pattern of resident predators undeniably changes across the breeding season and whether the described predation patterns hold for other populations, species, and geographical regions await future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Sládeček
- Faculty of Environmental SciencesCzech University of Life Sciences PraguePragueCzech Republic
| | - Kateřina Brynychová
- Faculty of Environmental SciencesCzech University of Life Sciences PraguePragueCzech Republic
| | - Esmat Elhassan
- Faculty of Environmental SciencesCzech University of Life Sciences PraguePragueCzech Republic
- Natural Resources Conservation SectionEnvironment DepartmentDubai MunicipalityAbu Hail, DubaiUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Miroslav E. Šálek
- Faculty of Environmental SciencesCzech University of Life Sciences PraguePragueCzech Republic
| | - Veronika Janatová
- Faculty of Environmental SciencesCzech University of Life Sciences PraguePragueCzech Republic
| | - Eva Vozabulová
- Faculty of Environmental SciencesCzech University of Life Sciences PraguePragueCzech Republic
| | - Petr Chajma
- Faculty of Environmental SciencesCzech University of Life Sciences PraguePragueCzech Republic
| | - Veronika Firlová
- Faculty of Environmental SciencesCzech University of Life Sciences PraguePragueCzech Republic
| | - Lucie Pešková
- Faculty of Environmental SciencesCzech University of Life Sciences PraguePragueCzech Republic
| | - Aisha Almuhery
- Natural Resources Conservation SectionEnvironment DepartmentDubai MunicipalityAbu Hail, DubaiUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Martin Bulla
- Faculty of Environmental SciencesCzech University of Life Sciences PraguePragueCzech Republic
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary GeneticsMax Planck Institute for OrnithologySeewiesenGermany
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10
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Does Experimental Non-Reclaimed Sites Differ from Technically Reclaimed Areas in the Risk of Artificial Bird Nest Predation? JOURNAL OF LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.2478/jlecol-2021-0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Areas left to natural development have been found to be sites with higher diversity and conservation value of local communities, including bird communities, compared to artificial reclamation of post-industrial areas. Most of the studies conducted so far have focused primarily on bird communities of post-mining areas, in terms of the diversity and richness of species. Our study dealt with bird nest predation on specific case of two experimental sites (20 and 32 ha) with more than a 20-year history of primary spontaneous succession established within the technical reclamation of the Radovesická spoil heap (approx. 1,200 ha, North Bohemia, Czech Republic). In the spring of 2018, we conducted a predation experiment using artificial nests (ground and elevated), installed within both succession areas and beyond, in the adjacent artificially reclaimed areas. We monitored the way of restoration and the distance of the nest placement from the succession-reclamation sites edge. The rate of predation was very high: 92.5 % in reclaimed area and 89.4 % in spontaneous successions. None of the observed factors analysed in the generalised linear model (GLM) have conclusively explained the risk of predation. The two experimental succession sites did not differ from the surrounding reclaimed sites in terms of the risk of predation, nor did they significantly influence predation risk on reclaimed sites. We believe that both relatively small and mutually isolated areas do not provide enough of an inner environment without or with at least a limited effect of predation pressure coming from adjacent reclaimed areas.
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11
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Segura LN, Palacio FX. Quantifying the relative importance of direct and indirect effects influencing bird nestling growth. Integr Zool 2021; 17:408-419. [PMID: 33876575 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Nestling growth parameters are integral components of avian life-history strategies as they are crucial determinants of individual survival. Although many factors impact on nestling growth, the relative contribution of each one is still debated in the literature. Most studies rely on the assumption that each factor directly affects nestling growth, but indirect effects mediated by other factors are usually the rule in nature. In this study, we present a comprehensive view of both direct and indirect factors affecting nestling growth using the Red-crested Cardinal (Paroaria coronata) as model system. We evaluated the relative importance of different habitat (forest structure), biotic interactions (botfly larvae ectoparasitism, number of siblings, hatching order), and temporal factors (time of breeding) on nestling growth parameters in 278 nestlings of 128 nests by using piecewise structural equation models. We found that botfly ectoparasitism had the strongest direct effect on nestling growth and, in turn, forest structure increased the probability of botfly occurrence. Besides, the interaction between the number of siblings and hatching order influenced nestling growth, indicating that the first and second nestlings had disproportionately higher growth rates in large than in small clutches. Time of breeding also showed a strong positive indirect effect on botfly occurrence, as well as a weak direct positive effect on nestling growth. Our results demonstrate that, under natural conditions, nestling growth is driven by different factors acting not only directly, but also indirectly on this essential life history trait, and that these factors weave a complex web of interrelated variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciano N Segura
- División Zoología Vertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Facundo X Palacio
- División Zoología Vertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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12
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Meyer N, Bollache L, Galipaud M, Moreau J, Dechaume-Moncharmont FX, Afonso E, Angerbjörn A, Bêty J, Brown G, Ehrich D, Gilg V, Giroux MA, Hansen J, Lanctot R, Lang J, Latty C, Lecomte N, McKinnon L, Kennedy L, Reneerkens J, Saalfeld S, Sabard B, Schmidt NM, Sittler B, Smith P, Sokolov A, Sokolov V, Sokolova N, van Bemmelen R, Varpe Ø, Gilg O. Behavioural responses of breeding arctic sandpipers to ground-surface temperature and primary productivity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 755:142485. [PMID: 33039934 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Most birds incubate their eggs, which requires time and energy at the expense of other activities. Birds generally have two incubation strategies: biparental where both mates cooperate in incubating eggs, and uniparental where a single parent incubates. In harsh and unpredictable environments, incubation is challenging due to high energetic demands and variable resource availability. We studied the relationships between the incubation behaviour of sandpipers (genus Calidris) and two environmental variables: temperature and a proxy of primary productivity (i.e. NDVI). We investigated how these relationships vary between incubation strategies and across species among strategies. We also studied how the relationship between current temperature and incubation behaviour varies with previous day's temperature. We monitored the incubation behaviour of nine sandpiper species using thermologgers at 15 arctic sites between 2016 and 2019. We also used thermologgers to record the ground surface temperature at conspecific nest sites and extracted NDVI values from a remote sensing product. We found no relationship between either environmental variables and biparental incubation behaviour. Conversely, as ground-surface temperature increased, uniparental species decreased total duration of recesses (TDR) and mean duration of recesses (MDR), but increased number of recesses (NR). Moreover, small species showed stronger relationships with ground-surface temperature than large species. When all uniparental species were combined, an increase in NDVI was correlated with higher mean duration, total duration and number of recesses, but relationships varied widely across species. Finally, some uniparental species showed a lag effect with a higher nest attentiveness after a warm day while more recesses occurred after a cold day than was predicted based on current temperatures. We demonstrate the complex interplay between shorebird incubation strategies, incubation behaviour, and environmental conditions. Understanding how species respond to changes in their environment during incubation helps predict their future reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Meyer
- UMR 6249 Chrono-environnement, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 route de Gray, 25000 Besançon, France; Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440 Francheville, France.
| | - Loïc Bollache
- UMR 6249 Chrono-environnement, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 route de Gray, 25000 Besançon, France; Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440 Francheville, France
| | - Matthias Galipaud
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jérôme Moreau
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440 Francheville, France; Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Equipe Ecologie-Evolution, UMR 6282 Biogéosciences, 6 Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France
| | | | - Eve Afonso
- UMR 6249 Chrono-environnement, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 route de Gray, 25000 Besançon, France
| | - Anders Angerbjörn
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Joël Bêty
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec, Canada
| | - Glen Brown
- Wildlife Research & Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dorothée Ehrich
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Vladimir Gilg
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440 Francheville, France
| | - Marie-Andrée Giroux
- K.-C.-Irving Research Chair in Environmental Sciences and Sustainable Development, Département de Chimie et de Biochimie, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB, Canada
| | - Jannik Hansen
- Arctic Research Centre and Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Richard Lanctot
- Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Johannes Lang
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440 Francheville, France; Working Group for Wildlife Research at the Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Justus Liebig University Giessen, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Christopher Latty
- Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - Nicolas Lecomte
- Canada Research Chair in Polar and Boreal Ecology and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB, Canada
| | - Laura McKinnon
- Department of Multidisciplinary Studies, York University Glendon Campus, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lisa Kennedy
- Trent University, 1600 West Bank Dr., Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Jeroen Reneerkens
- Rudi Drent Chair in Global Flyway Ecology, Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, Texel, the Netherlands
| | - Sarah Saalfeld
- Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Brigitte Sabard
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440 Francheville, France
| | - Niels M Schmidt
- Arctic Research Centre and Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Benoît Sittler
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440 Francheville, France; Chair for Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Paul Smith
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Aleksander Sokolov
- Arctic Research Station of Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 629400, Zelenaya Gorka Str., 21 Labytnangi, Russia
| | - Vasiliy Sokolov
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Natalia Sokolova
- Arctic Research Station of Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 629400, Zelenaya Gorka Str., 21 Labytnangi, Russia
| | | | - Øystein Varpe
- The University Centre in Svalbard, 9171 Longyearbyen, Norway; Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 5006 Bergen, Norway; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - Olivier Gilg
- UMR 6249 Chrono-environnement, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 route de Gray, 25000 Besançon, France; Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440 Francheville, France
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13
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Unzeta M, Martin TE, Sol D. Daily Nest Predation Rates Decrease with Body Size in Passerine Birds. Am Nat 2020; 196:743-754. [DOI: 10.1086/711413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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15
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Herakovich H, Jones HP. Prescribed Fire Has a Greater Impact on Artificial Nest Predation Than a Recent Bison Re-introduction in Illinois Tallgrass Prairie. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2020. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031-184.1.48] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Heather Herakovich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, 1425 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb 60115
| | - Holly P. Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences and the Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability and Energy Northern Illinois University, 1425 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb 60115
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Meyer N, Bollache L, Dechaume‐Moncharmont F, Moreau J, Afonso E, Angerbjörn A, Bêty J, Ehrich D, Gilg V, Giroux M, Hansen J, Lanctot RB, Lang J, Lecomte N, McKinnon L, Reneerkens J, Saalfeld ST, Sabard B, Schmidt NM, Sittler B, Smith P, Sokolov A, Sokolov V, Sokolova N, van Bemmelen R, Gilg O. Nest attentiveness drives nest predation in arctic sandpipers. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Meyer
- UMR 6249 Chrono‐environnement, Univ. de Bourgogne Franche‐Comté 16 route de Gray FR‐25000 Besançon France
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique Francheville France
| | - Loïc Bollache
- UMR 6249 Chrono‐environnement, Univ. de Bourgogne Franche‐Comté 16 route de Gray FR‐25000 Besançon France
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique Francheville France
| | | | - Jérôme Moreau
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique Francheville France
- Biogéosciences, Équipe Ecologie‐Evolution, Univ. de Bourgogne Franche‐Comté Dijon France
| | - Eve Afonso
- UMR 6249 Chrono‐environnement, Univ. de Bourgogne Franche‐Comté 16 route de Gray FR‐25000 Besançon France
| | | | - Joël Bêty
- Dépt de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie and Centre d'Etudes Nordiques, Univ. du Québec à Rimouski Rimouski QC Canada
| | | | - Vladimir Gilg
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique Francheville France
| | - Marie‐Andrée Giroux
- K.‐C.‐Irving Research Chair in Environmental Sciences and Sustainable Development, Dépt de Chimie et de Biochimie, Univ. de Moncton Moncton NB Canada
| | - Jannik Hansen
- Arctic Research Centre and Dept of Bioscience, Aarhus Univ. Roskilde Denmark
| | - Richard B. Lanctot
- Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Anchorage AK USA
| | - Johannes Lang
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique Francheville France
- Working Group for Wildlife Research at the Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Justus Liebig Univ. Giessen Giessen Germany
| | - Nicolas Lecomte
- Canada Research Chair in Polar and Boreal Ecology, Univ. de Moncton Moncton NB Canada
| | - Laura McKinnon
- Dept of Multidisciplinary Studies, York Univ. Glendon Campus Toronto ON Canada
| | - Jeroen Reneerkens
- Groningen Inst. for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Univ. of Groningen Groningen the Netherlands
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Inst. for Sea Research, Dept of Coastal Systems and Utrecht Univ., Den Burg Texel the Netherlands
| | - Sarah T. Saalfeld
- Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Anchorage AK USA
| | - Brigitte Sabard
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique Francheville France
| | - Niels M. Schmidt
- Arctic Research Centre and Dept of Bioscience, Aarhus Univ. Roskilde Denmark
| | - Benoît Sittler
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique Francheville France
- Chair for Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Univ. of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Paul Smith
- Environment and Climate Change Canada Ottawa ON Canada
| | - Aleksandr Sokolov
- Arctic Research Station of Inst. of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences Labytnangi Russia
| | - Vasiliy Sokolov
- Inst. of Plant and Animal Ecology of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences Ekaterinburg Russia
| | - Natalia Sokolova
- Arctic Research Station of Inst. of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences Labytnangi Russia
| | - Rob van Bemmelen
- Wageningen Marine Research IJmuiden the Netherlands
- Bureau Waardenburg Culemborg the Netherlands
| | - Olivier Gilg
- UMR 6249 Chrono‐environnement, Univ. de Bourgogne Franche‐Comté 16 route de Gray FR‐25000 Besançon France
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Li S, Qin J, Jin Z, Li W, Yan H. An Experimental Test of the Concealment Hypothesis Using Oriental Skylark (Alauda gulgula) nests on the Tibet Plateau. RUSS J ECOL+ 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s1067413618660049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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18
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Baden AL. A description of nesting behaviors, including factors impacting nest site selection, in black-and-white ruffed lemurs ( Varecia variegata). Ecol Evol 2019; 9:1010-1028. [PMID: 30805137 PMCID: PMC6374655 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Nest site selection is at once fundamental to reproduction and a poorly understood component of many organisms' reproductive investment. This study investigates the nesting behaviors of black-and-white ruffed lemurs, Varecia variegata, a litter-bearing primate from the southeastern rainforests of Madagascar. Using a combination of behavioral, geospatial, and demographic data, I test the hypotheses that environmental and social cues influence nest site selection and that these decisions ultimately impact maternal reproductive success. Gestating females built multiple large nests throughout their territories. Of these, females used only a fraction of the originally constructed nests, as well as several parking locations as infants aged. Nest construction was best predicted by environmental cues, including the size of the nesting tree and density of feeding trees within a 75 m radius of the nest, whereas nest use depended largely on the size and average distance to feeding trees within that same area. Microhabitat characteristics were unrelated to whether females built or used nests. Although unrelated to nest site selection, social cues, specifically the average distance to conspecifics' nest and park sites, were related to maternal reproductive success; mothers whose litters were parked in closer proximity to others' nests experienced higher infant survival than those whose nests were more isolated. This is likely because nesting proximity facilitated communal crèche use by neighboring females. Together, these results suggest a complex pattern of nesting behaviors that involves females strategically building nests in areas with high potential resource abundance, using nests in areas according to their realized productivity, and communally rearing infants within a network of nests distributed throughout the larger communal territory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea L. Baden
- Department of AnthropologyHunter College of the City University of New YorkNew YorkNew York
- Departments of Anthropology and BiologyThe Graduate Center of the City University of New YorkNew YorkNew York
- The New York Consortium in Evolutionary PrimatologyNew YorkNew York
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19
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Cantor E, Lewis T, Louter M, Smith K, Schmitke D, Moore C, Kleindorfer S. Nest site attributes and nesting outcome in the vulnerable eastern Regent Parrot (Polytelis anthopeplus monarchoides). T ROY SOC SOUTH AUST 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/03721426.2018.1552825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erin Cantor
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Tamara Lewis
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Marina Louter
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Kevin Smith
- Department of Environment and Water, South Australian Regent Parrot Recovery Team, Berri, Australia
| | - Darren Schmitke
- Department of Environment and Water, South Australian Regent Parrot Recovery Team, Berri, Australia
| | - Claire Moore
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Sonia Kleindorfer
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
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Leniowski K, Węgrzyn E. Equal division of parental care enhances nestling development in the Blackcap. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0207757. [PMID: 30481200 PMCID: PMC6258531 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Because parental care is costly, conflict between mates over their roles in reproduction seems unavoidable unless they both benefit from parental labour split equally between partners. In the current paper we analyse the division of parental investment in the Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), a species that experiences high nest predation. We show that both sexes invest in the incubation of eggs as well as feeding and brooding nestlings at a similar level. We also found that pairs which divided feeding duties more equally produced nestlings that grew faster. Faster nestling development enables earlier fledging in case of predation attempts at the end of nesting period. Thus parents who more evenly participate in provisioning may benefit from higher breeding success. Our findings suggest that in species under high risk of nest predation disparity in parental investment may not provide much benefit to parent's residual reproductive value and that equality in parental duties constitutes a winning strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konrad Leniowski
- Laboratory of Bioacoustics and Spectrophotometry, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Rzeszów, Rzeszów, Poland
| | - Ewa Węgrzyn
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Rzeszów, Rzeszów, Poland
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21
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Synchronisation of parental behaviours reduces the risk of nest predation in a socially monogamous passerine bird. Sci Rep 2018; 8:7385. [PMID: 29743657 PMCID: PMC5943351 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25746-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Social monogamy with bi-parental care is the most common breeding pattern in birds, yet cooperation between mates has not been intensively studied to date. In this study we investigate synchronisation of parental behaviours in the blackcap Sylvia atricapilla, a species characterized by bi-parental care and high nest predation. We test the hypothesis that mates synchronize their behaviours to decrease total activity at the nest, which is known to affect predation rate in birds. We examine if blackcap parents synchronise their feeding trips more when nestlings are at the poikilothermic stage, and they may be more vulnerable to nest predation due to their inability to escape and survive outside the nest without parental brooding. We also investigate the alternation of feeding trips by parents. We show that blackcap parents synchronise the majority of their feeding trips during the whole nestling period, and the level of parental synchrony is higher before nestlings develop endothermy. The alternation of male and female feeding trips was much higher than would be expected by chance and was positively related to parental synchrony. We have demonstrated that synchronisation of parental feeding trips significantly decreased parental activity at the nest, and nest survival time increased with the synchrony of parental feeding trips.
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22
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Belder DJ, Pierson JC, Ikin K, Lindenmayer DB. Beyond pattern to process: current themes and future directions for the conservation of woodland birds through restoration plantings. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/wr17156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Habitat loss as a result of land conversion for agriculture is a leading cause of global biodiversity loss and altered ecosystem processes. Restoration plantings are an increasingly common strategy to address habitat loss in fragmented agricultural landscapes. However, the capacity of restoration plantings to support reproducing populations of native plants and animals is rarely measured or monitored. This review focuses on avifaunal response to revegetation in Australian temperate woodlands, one of the world’s most heavily altered biomes. Woodland birds are a species assemblage of conservation concern, but only limited research to date has gone beyond pattern data and occupancy trends to examine whether they persist and breed in restoration plantings. Moreover, habitat quality and resource availability, including food, nesting sites and adequate protection from predation, remain largely unquantified. Several studies have found that some bird species, including species of conservation concern, will preferentially occupy restoration plantings relative to remnant woodland patches. However, detailed empirical research to verify long-term population growth, colonisation and extinction dynamics is lacking. If restoration plantings are preferentially occupied but fail to provide sufficient quality habitat for woodland birds to form breeding populations, they may act as ecological traps, exacerbating population declines. Monitoring breeding success and site fidelity are under-utilised pathways to understanding which, if any, bird species are being supported by restoration plantings in the long term. There has been limited research on these topics internationally, and almost none in Australian temperate woodland systems. Key knowledge gaps centre on provision of food resources, formation of optimal foraging patterns, nest-predation levels and the prevalence of primary predators, the role of brood parasitism, and the effects of patch size and isolation on resource availability and population dynamics in a restoration context. To ensure that restoration plantings benefit woodland birds and are cost-effective as conservation strategies, the knowledge gaps identified by this review should be investigated as priorities in future research.
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Récapet C, Daniel G, Taroni J, Bize P, Doligez B. Food supplementation mitigates dispersal-dependent differences in nest defence in a passerine bird. Biol Lett 2017; 12:rsbl.2016.0097. [PMID: 27194287 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dispersing and non-dispersing individuals often differ in phenotypic traits (e.g. physiology, behaviour), but to what extent these differences are fixed or driven by external conditions remains elusive. We experimentally tested whether differences in nest-defence behaviour between dispersing and non-dispersing individuals changed with local habitat quality in collared flycatchers, by providing additional food during the nestling rearing period. In control (non-food-supplemented) nests, dispersers were less prone to defend their brood compared with non-dispersers, whereas in food-supplemented nests, dispersing and non-dispersing individuals showed equally strong nest defence. We discuss the importance of dispersal costs versus adaptive flexibility in reproductive investment in shaping these differences in nest-defence behaviour between dispersing and non-dispersing individuals. Irrespective of the underlying mechanisms, our study emphasizes the importance of accounting for environmental effects when comparing traits between dispersing and non-dispersing individuals, and in turn assessing the costs and benefits of dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Récapet
- Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, Université de Lyon-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1-CNRS, Villeurbanne, France Département d'Ecologie et d'Evolution, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Grégory Daniel
- Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, Université de Lyon-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1-CNRS, Villeurbanne, France Evolutionary Biology Centre, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Joëlle Taroni
- Département d'Ecologie et d'Evolution, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pierre Bize
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Blandine Doligez
- Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, Université de Lyon-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1-CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
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Mulyani YA, Tirtaningtyas FN, Hadi NK, Dewi LK, Kaban A. Molt in Birds Inhabiting a Human-Dominated Habitat. HAYATI JOURNAL OF BIOSCIENCES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.hjb.2017.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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Fogarty DT, Elmore RD, Fuhlendorf SD, Loss SR. Influence of olfactory and visual cover on nest site selection and nest success for grassland-nesting birds. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:6247-6258. [PMID: 28861229 PMCID: PMC5574794 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Habitat selection by animals is influenced by and mitigates the effects of predation and environmental extremes. For birds, nest site selection is crucial to offspring production because nests are exposed to extreme weather and predation pressure. Predators that forage using olfaction often dominate nest predator communities; therefore, factors that influence olfactory detection (e.g., airflow and weather variables, including turbulence and moisture) should influence nest site selection and survival. However, few studies have assessed the importance of olfactory cover for habitat selection and survival. We assessed whether ground-nesting birds select nest sites based on visual and/or olfactory cover. Additionally, we assessed the importance of visual cover and airflow and weather variables associated with olfactory cover in influencing nest survival. In managed grasslands in Oklahoma, USA, we monitored nests of Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna), and Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) during 2015 and 2016. To assess nest site selection, we compared cover variables between nests and random points. To assess factors influencing nest survival, we used visual cover and olfactory-related measurements (i.e., airflow and weather variables) to model daily nest survival. For nest site selection, nest sites had greater overhead visual cover than random points, but no other significant differences were found. Weather variables hypothesized to influence olfactory detection, specifically precipitation and relative humidity, were the best predictors of and were positively related to daily nest survival. Selection for overhead cover likely contributed to mitigation of thermal extremes and possibly reduced detectability of nests. For daily nest survival, we hypothesize that major nest predators focused on prey other than the monitored species' nests during high moisture conditions, thus increasing nest survival on these days. Our study highlights how mechanistic approaches to studying cover informs which dimensions are perceived and selected by animals and which dimensions confer fitness-related benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillon T Fogarty
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management Oklahoma State University Stillwater OK USA.,Present address: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln NE USA
| | - R Dwayne Elmore
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management Oklahoma State University Stillwater OK USA
| | - Samuel D Fuhlendorf
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management Oklahoma State University Stillwater OK USA
| | - Scott R Loss
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management Oklahoma State University Stillwater OK USA
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Effects of shallow natural gas well structures and associated roads on grassland songbird reproductive success in Alberta, Canada. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174243. [PMID: 28355241 PMCID: PMC5371322 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Grassland songbird populations across North America have experienced dramatic population declines due to habitat loss and degradation. In Canada, energy development continues to fragment and disturb prairie habitat, but effects of oil and gas development on reproductive success of songbirds in North American mixed-grass prairies remains largely unknown. From 2010–2012, in southeastern Alberta, Canada, we monitored 257 nests of two ground-nesting grassland songbird species, Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) and chestnut-collared longspur (Calcarius ornatus). Nest locations varied with proximity to and density of conventional shallow gas well structures and associated roads in forty-two 258-ha mixed-grass prairie sites. We estimated the probabilities of nest success and clutch size relative to gas well structures and roads. There was little effect of distance to or density of gas well structure on nest success; however, Savannah sparrow experienced lower nest success near roads. Clutch sizes were lower near gas well structures and cattle water sources. Minimizing habitat disturbance surrounding gas well structures, and reducing abundance of roads and trails, would help minimize impacts on reproductive success for some grassland songbirds.
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27
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Sage RB, Aebischer NJ. Does best-practice crowCorvus coroneand magpiePica picacontrol on UK farmland improve nest success in hedgerow-nesting songbirds? A field experiment. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicholas J. Aebischer
- N. J. Aebischer, The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, Fordingbridge, Hampshire, SP6 1EF, UK
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28
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Dunn JC, Gruar D, Stoate C, Szczur J, Peach WJ. Can hedgerow management mitigate the impacts of predation on songbird nest survival? JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2016; 184:535-544. [PMID: 27789089 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Revised: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 10/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Nest predators can have significant impacts on songbird reproductive success. These impacts may be amplified by habitat simplification and here we test whether sympathetic management of farmland hedgerows can reduce nest depredation, especially by corvids. We test whether songbirds select nest sites according to structural features of hedgerows (including nest visibility and accessibility), and whether these features influence nest predation risk. Songbirds selected nesting sites affording higher vegetation cover above the nest, increased visibility on the nest-side of the hedgerow and reduced visibility on the far side of the hedge. Nest survival was unrelated to corvid abundance and only weakly related (at the egg stage) to corvid nest proximity. Nest survival at the chick stage was higher where vegetation structure restricted access to corvid-sized predators (averaging 0.78 vs. 0.53), and at nests close to potential vantage points. Overall nest survival was sensitive to hedgerow structure (accessibility) particularly at low exposure to corvid predation, while the overall impact of corvid exposure was dependent on the relationship involving proximity to vantage points. Nest survival over the chick stage was much higher (0.67) in stock-proof, trimmed and mechanically cut hedgerows, (which tended to provide lower side visibility and accessibility) than in recently laid, remnant or leggy hedgerows (0.18). Long-term reductions in the management of British hedgerows may therefore be exposing nesting songbirds to increased predation risk. We recommend regular rotational cutting of hedgerows to maintain a dense woody structure and thereby reduce songbird nest predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny C Dunn
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL, UK.
| | - Derek Gruar
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL, UK
| | - Chris Stoate
- Allerton Project, Game and Wildlife Conservancy Trust, Loddington House, Loddington, Leicestershire, LE7 9XE, UK
| | - John Szczur
- Allerton Project, Game and Wildlife Conservancy Trust, Loddington House, Loddington, Leicestershire, LE7 9XE, UK
| | - Will J Peach
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL, UK
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29
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Shew JJ, van der Merwe J, Schauber EM, Tallitsch BK, Nielsen CK. A classic question revisited in red-winged blackbirds: disentangling confounding hypotheses surrounding parental investment theory and nest defense intensity. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2190-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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30
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Rubalcaba JG, Polo V, Maia R, Rubenstein DR, Veiga JP. Sexual and natural selection in the evolution of extended phenotypes: the use of green nesting material in starlings. J Evol Biol 2016; 29:1585-92. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. G. Rubalcaba
- Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica; Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación; Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; Móstoles Madrid Spain
| | - V. Polo
- Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica; Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación; Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; Móstoles Madrid Spain
| | - R. Maia
- Department of Ecology; Evolution and Environmental Biology; Columbia University; New York NY USA
| | - D. R. Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology; Evolution and Environmental Biology; Columbia University; New York NY USA
| | - J. P. Veiga
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; CSIC; Madrid Spain
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Hollander FA, Van Dyck H, San Martin G, Titeux N. Nest Predation Deviates from Nest Predator Abundance in an Ecologically Trapped Bird. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0144098. [PMID: 26624619 PMCID: PMC4666632 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In human-modified environments, ecological traps may result from a preference for low-quality habitat where survival or reproductive success is lower than in high-quality habitat. It has often been shown that low reproductive success for birds in preferred habitat types was due to higher nest predator abundance. However, between-habitat differences in nest predation may only weakly correlate with differences in nest predator abundance. An ecological trap is at work in a farmland bird (Lanius collurio) that recently expanded its breeding habitat into open areas in plantation forests. This passerine bird shows a strong preference for forest habitat, but it has a higher nest success in farmland. We tested whether higher abundance of nest predators in the preferred habitat or, alternatively, a decoupling of nest predator abundance and nest predation explained this observed pattern of maladaptive habitat selection. More than 90% of brood failures were attributed to nest predation. Nest predator abundance was more than 50% higher in farmland, but nest predation was 17% higher in forest. Differences between nest predation on actual shrike nests and on artificial nests suggested that parent shrikes may facilitate nest disclosure for predators in forest more than they do in farmland. The level of caution by parent shrikes when visiting their nest during a simulated nest predator intrusion was the same in the two habitats, but nest concealment was considerably lower in forest, which contributes to explaining the higher nest predation in this habitat. We conclude that a decoupling of nest predator abundance and nest predation may create ecological traps in human-modified environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franck A. Hollander
- Behavioural Ecology & Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute (ELI), Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Hans Van Dyck
- Behavioural Ecology & Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute (ELI), Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Gilles San Martin
- Behavioural Ecology & Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute (ELI), Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Unité Protection des plantes et écotoxicologie, Département des Sciences du Vivant, Centre wallon de Recherche agronomiques, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Titeux
- Behavioural Ecology & Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute (ELI), Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
- InForest Joint Research Unit (CSIC-CTFC-CREAF), Forest Sciences Centre of Catalonia (CEMFOR-CTFC), Solsona, Spain
- * E-mail:
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Tablado Z, Jenni L. Determinants of uncertainty in wildlife responses to human disturbance. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 92:216-233. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Revised: 09/07/2015] [Accepted: 09/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zulima Tablado
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1; CH-6204 Sempach Switzerland
| | - Lukas Jenni
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1; CH-6204 Sempach Switzerland
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Mérő T, Žuljević A. Nest position and reed density influence nest defence behaviour of Great Reed Warbler. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2015.1081295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T.O. Mérő
- Nature Protection and Study Society – NATURA, Milana Rakića 20, SRB-25000 Sombor, Serbia
| | - A. Žuljević
- Nature Protection and Study Society – NATURA, Milana Rakića 20, SRB-25000 Sombor, Serbia
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Grendelmeier A, Arlettaz R, Gerber M, Pasinelli G. Reproductive Performance of a Declining Forest Passerine in Relation to Environmental and Social Factors: Implications for Species Conservation. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0130954. [PMID: 26172954 PMCID: PMC4501797 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying factors influencing a species' ecological niche and demography is a prerequisite for species conservation. However, our understanding of the interplay between demographic rates and biotic/abiotic factors is still poor for most species of conservation concern. We evaluated relevance of eight hypotheses relating to timing of breeding, temporal nest exposure, nest concealment, topography, tree structure, predation risk and disturbance, density dependence and weather for explaining variation in reproductive performance of the declining wood warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix in northern Switzerland. Reproductive performance was monitored with cameras at 136 nests from 2010 to 2012 and was associated to temporal exposure, timing of breeding and concealment of nests. Daily nest survival was positively related to the number of grass and sedge tussocks, nest concealment and nest age. Clutch size and number of fledglings decreased, the later in the season a nest was initiated. Nest survival over an average nesting period of 31 days was 46.9 ± 0.07% (mean ± SE), daily nest survival rate was 0.976 ± 0.002. As for many ground-breeding birds, nest predation was the principal cause of nest failure, accounting for 79% of all nest losses. Conservation measures should aim at increasing the area of relatively homogenous forest stands featuring suitable habitats characterized by abundant and accessible grass and sedge tussocks. In managed forests, such conditions can be found in stands of middle age (i.e. pole wood) with little to no shrub layer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Grendelmeier
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
- Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Raphaël Arlettaz
- Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Michael Gerber
- Schweizer Vogelschutz SVS/BirdLife Schweiz, Zürich, Switzerland
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Hanley D, Samaš P, Heryán J, Hauber ME, Grim T. Now you see it, now you don't: flushing hosts prior to experimentation can predict their responses to brood parasitism. Sci Rep 2015; 5:9060. [PMID: 25762433 PMCID: PMC4356969 DOI: 10.1038/srep09060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Brood parasitic birds lay their eggs in other birds' nests, leaving hosts to raise their offspring. To understand parasite-host coevolutionary arms races, many studies have examined host responses to experimentally introduced eggs. However, attending parents often need to be flushed from their nests to add experimental eggs. If these birds witness parasitism events, they may recognize and reject foreign eggs more readily than parents who did not. We found that, after being flushed, female blackbirds, Turdus merula, remained close to their nests. Flushed females were more likely to eject foreign eggs and did so more quickly than females that were not flushed during experimentation. In contrast, flushing did not predict responses and latency to responses to parasitism by song thrush, Turdus philomelos, which flew farther from their nests and likely did not witness experimental parasitism. When statistically considering flushing, previously published conclusions regarding both species' response to experimental parasitism did not change. Nevertheless, we recommend that researchers record and statistically control for whether hosts were flushed prior to experimental parasitism. Our results have broad implications because more vigilant and/or bolder parents can gain more information about parasitism events and therefore have better chances of successfully defending against brood parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Hanley
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 50, Olomouc 77146, Czech Republic
| | - Peter Samaš
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 50, Olomouc 77146, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Heryán
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 50, Olomouc 77146, Czech Republic
| | - Mark E. Hauber
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College and the Graduate Center, The City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Tomáš Grim
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 50, Olomouc 77146, Czech Republic
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Zielińcki J, Lik M. Effect of Parental Care on Depredation of BlackcapSylvia atricapillaL. Nests: An Experiment with Artificial Clutches. POLISH JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.3161/104.062.0418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Ježková M, Svobodová J, Kreisinger J. Dynamics of rodent abundance and ground-nest predation risks in forest habitats of Central Europe: no evidence for the alternative prey hypothesis. FOLIA ZOOLOGICA 2014. [DOI: 10.25225/fozo.v63.i4.a6.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martina Ježková
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Science, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Svobodová
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Science, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Kreisinger
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
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Suraci JP, Clinchy M, Zanette LY, Currie CMA, Dill LM. Mammalian mesopredators on islands directly impact both terrestrial and marine communities. Oecologia 2014; 176:1087-100. [PMID: 25234377 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3085-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/04/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Medium-sized mammalian predators (i.e. mesopredators) on islands are known to have devastating effects on the abundance and diversity of terrestrial vertebrates. Mesopredators are often highly omnivorous, and on islands, may have access not only to terrestrial prey, but to marine prey as well, though impacts of mammalian mesopredators on marine communities have rarely been considered. Large apex predators are likely to be extirpated or absent on islands, implying a lack of top-down control of mesopredators that, in combination with high food availability from terrestrial and marine sources, likely exacerbates their impacts on island prey. We exploited a natural experiment--the presence or absence of raccoons (Procyon lotor) on islands in the Gulf Islands, British Columbia, Canada--to investigate the impacts that this key mesopredator has on both terrestrial and marine prey in an island system from which all native apex predators have been extirpated. Long-term monitoring of song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) nests showed raccoons to be the predominant nest predator in the Gulf Islands. To identify their community-level impacts, we surveyed the distribution of raccoons across 44 Gulf Islands, and then compared terrestrial and marine prey abundances on six raccoon-present and six raccoon-absent islands. Our results demonstrate significant negative effects of raccoons on terrestrial, intertidal, and shallow subtidal prey abundance, and point to additional community-level effects through indirect interactions. Our findings show that mammalian mesopredators not only affect terrestrial prey, but that, on islands, their direct impacts extend to the surrounding marine community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin P Suraci
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700, Station CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada,
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Suvorov P, Svobodová J, Albrecht T. Habitat edges affect patterns of artificial nest predation along a wetland-meadow boundary. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2014.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Leniowski K, Węgrzyn E. Do blackcaps win host-ectoparasite arms race by building lacy nests and shortening nestling period? ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2013.824926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Latif QS, Heath SK, Rotenberry JT. Effects of parents and Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) on nest predation risk for a songbird. Ecol Evol 2013; 2:3079-97. [PMID: 23301174 PMCID: PMC3539002 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2012] [Revised: 09/20/2012] [Accepted: 09/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Nest predation limits avian fitness, so ornithologists study nest predation, but they often only document patterns of predation rates without substantively investigating underlying mechanisms. Parental behavior and predator ecology are two fundamental drivers of predation rates and patterns, but the role of parents is less certain, particularly for songbirds. Previous work reproduced microhabitat-predation patterns experienced by Yellow Warblers (Setophaga petechia) in the Mono Lake basin at experimental nests without parents, suggesting that these patterns were driven by predator ecology rather than predator interactions with parents. In this study, we further explored effects of post-initiation parental behavior (nest defense and attendance) on predation risk by comparing natural versus experimental patterns related to territory density, seasonal timing of nest initiation, and nest age. Rates of parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) were high in this system (49% nests parasitized), so we also examined parasitism-predation relationships. Natural nest predation rates (NPR) correlated negatively with breeding territory density and nonlinearly (U-shaped relationship) with nest-initiation timing, but experimental nests recorded no such patterns. After adjusting natural-nest data to control for these differences from experimental nests other than the presence of parents (e.g., defining nest failure similarly and excluding nestling-period data), we obtained similar results. Thus, parents were necessary to produce observed patterns. Lower natural NPR compared with experimental NPR suggested that parents reduced predation rates via nest defense, so this parental behavior or its consequences were likely correlated with density or seasonal timing. In contrast, daily predation rates decreased with nest age for both nest types, indicating this pattern did not involve parents. Parasitized nests suffered higher rates of partial predation but lower rates of complete predation, suggesting direct predation by cowbirds. Explicit behavioral research on parents, predators (including cowbirds), and their interactions would further illuminate mechanisms underlying the density, seasonal, and nest age patterns we observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quresh S Latif
- Department of Biology, University of California Riverside, California
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Rae S, Rae D. Orientation of tawny frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) nests and their position on branches optimises thermoregulation and cryptic concealment. AUST J ZOOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1071/zo13090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Tawny frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) nests were surveyed in grassy woodland, dry sclerophyll forest and suburbia in the Australian Capital Territory. In total, 253 tawny frogmouth nests were recorded in 145 nest sites. Nests were oriented to the north-east, which would expose them to morning sunshine and partially shelter them from the prevailing wind. Most nests were placed in rough or flaky-barked tree species, on open mid-branch sites with no foliage, where the birds’ plumage and posture resemble the colour and form of the branches. Although smooth-barked gum trees were the most abundant types in the dry sclerophyll forest they were seldom used. Nest sites in all habitats were similar; the mean nest height was 9.2 m, and most nests were set on forks in the lowest branches. By placing their nests in these positions tawny frogmouths likely maximise their potential thermoregulation, protection from wind, concealment from predators, and detection of approaching predators.
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Latif QS, Heath SK, Ballard G. The Nest Predator Assemblage for Songbirds in Mono Lake Basin Riparian Habitats. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2012. [DOI: 10.3398/064.072.0302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Higher nest predation risk in association with a top predator: mesopredator attraction? Oecologia 2012; 170:507-15. [PMID: 22492168 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2320-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2011] [Accepted: 03/23/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Breeding close to top predators is a widespread reproductive strategy. Breeding animals may gain indirect benefits if proximity to top predators results in a reduction of predation due to suppression of mesopredators. We tested if passerine birds gain protection from mesopredators by nesting within territories of a top predator, the Ural owl (Strix uralensis). We placed nest boxes for pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) in Ural owl nest sites and in control sites (currently unoccupied by owls). The nest boxes were designed so that nest predation risk could be altered (experimentally increased) after flycatcher settlement; we considered predation rate as a proxy of mesopredator abundance. Overall, we found higher nest predation rates in treatment than in control sites. Flycatcher laying date did not differ between sites, but smaller clutches were laid in treatment sites compared to controls, suggesting a response to perceived predation risk. Relative nest predation rate varied between years, being higher in owl nest sites in 2 years but similar in another; this variation might be indirectly influenced by vole abundance. Proximity to Ural owl nests might represent a risky habitat for passerines. High predation rates within owl territories could be because small mesopredators that do not directly threaten owl nests are attracted to owl nest sites. This could be explained if some mesopredators use owl territories to gain protection from their own predators, or if top predators and mesopredators independently seek similar habitats.
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Goodnow M, Reitsma L. Nest-site selection in the Canada Warbler (Wilsonia canadensis) in central New Hampshire. CAN J ZOOL 2011. [DOI: 10.1139/z11-094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Reproductive success in birds is largely influenced by nest-site selection. Nest predators are the greatest source of nest failure for most species of birds. Species that nest on the ground may be particularly adapted to maximally conceal nests to reduce the risk of loss to predators. Little is known about nest-site selection in the Canada Warbler ( Wilsonia canadensis (L., 1766)), a small ground-nesting Neotropical migrant. We predicted higher amounts of vegetative cover at successful nests of Canada Warblers compared with unsuccessful nests because detection by predators would decrease with greater cover. We measured vegetative characteristics (concealment, stem densities, ground cover) around each nest and compared these variables between successful and unsuccessful nests and between actual nests and mock nest sites on and off territories. Greater concealment and higher stem densities were the main features surrounding a successful nest site. Nest sites had significantly greater concealment when compared with both random mock nest sites on and off territories. Thus, concealment is important for this ground nester and achieved primarily through thick cover and strategic nest placement in vertical substrate with an inconspicuous opening to the nest cup. Forests with complex ground structure and thickets of small-stemmed woody plants should be targets of conservation when considering how to manage this declining species.
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Affiliation(s)
- M.L. Goodnow
- Plymouth State University, 17 High Street, MSC #64, Plymouth, NH 03264, USA
- New England Institute for Landscape Ecology, 266 Prospect Hill Road, Canaan, NH 03741, USA
| | - L.R. Reitsma
- Plymouth State University, 17 High Street, MSC #64, Plymouth, NH 03264, USA
- New England Institute for Landscape Ecology, 266 Prospect Hill Road, Canaan, NH 03741, USA
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Compensation for predator-induced reduction in nestling feeding rate in the Great Spotted Woodpecker. J ETHOL 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-011-0311-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Svobodová J, Koubová M, Mrštný L, Albrecht T, Kreisinger J. Temporal variation in nest predation risk along habitat edges between grassland and secondary forest in Central Europe. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-011-0582-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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Rodewald AD, Kearns LJ, Shustack DP. Anthropogenic resource subsidies decouple predator-prey relationships. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2011; 21:936-943. [PMID: 21639056 DOI: 10.1890/10-0863.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The extent to which resource subsidies affect food web dynamics is poorly understood in anthropogenic landscapes. To better understand how species interactions are influenced by subsidies, we studied breeding birds and nest predators along a rural-to-urban landscape gradient that varied in subsidies provided to generalist predators. We hypothesized that resource subsidies in urban landscapes would decouple predator-prey relationships, as predators switch from natural to anthropogenic foods. From 2004 to 2009, we surveyed nest predators and monitored 2942 nests of five songbird species breeding in 19 mature forest stands in Ohio, USA. Eighteen species were video-recorded depredating nests. Numbers of avian and mammalian nest predators were positively associated with the amount of urban development surrounding forests, with the exception of Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater). Although nest survival strongly declined with detections of nest predators in rural landscapes, nest survival and predator numbers were unrelated in urban landscapes. Thus, the strength of interaction between breeding birds and nest predators diminished as landscapes surrounding forested parks became more urbanized. Our work suggests that decoupling of predator-prey relationships can arise when synanthropic predators are heavily subsidized by anthropogenic resources. In this way, human drivers can alter, and completely disarticulate, relationships among species that are well established in more natural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda D Rodewald
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
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Grim T, Samaš P, Moskát C, Kleven O, Honza M, Moksnes A, Røskaft E, Stokke BG. Constraints on host choice: why do parasitic birds rarely exploit some common potential hosts? J Anim Ecol 2011; 80:508-18. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2010.01798.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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