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Hufkens K, Meier CM, Evens R, Paredes JA, Karaardiç H, Vercauteren S, Van Gysel A, Fox JW, Pacheco CM, da Silva LP, Fernandes S, Henriques P, Elias G, Costa LT, Poot M, Kearsley L. Evaluating the effects of moonlight on the vertical flight profiles of three western palaearctic swifts. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230957. [PMID: 37909073 PMCID: PMC10618867 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have suggested the presence of moonlight mediated behaviour in avian aerial insectivores, such as swifts. Here, we use the combined analysis of state-of-the-art activity logger data across three swift species, the common, pallid and alpine swifts, to quantify flight height and activity in responses to moonlight-driven crepuscular and nocturnal light conditions. Our results show a significant response in flight heights to moonlight illuminance for common and pallid swifts, i.e. when moon illuminance increased flight height also increased, while a moonlight-driven response is absent in alpine swifts. We show a weak relationship between night-time illuminance-driven responses and twilight ascending behaviour, suggesting a decoupling of both crepuscular and night-time behaviour. We suggest that swifts optimize their flight behaviour to adapt to favourable night-time light conditions, driven by light-responsive and size-dependent vertical insect stratification and weather conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koen Hufkens
- BlueGreen Labs (bv), Kloetstraat 48, 9120 Melsele, Belgium
| | | | - Ruben Evens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Josefa Arán Paredes
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Hallestrasse 12, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Falkenplatz 16, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Hakan Karaardiç
- Education Faculty, Math and Science Education Department, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Alanya, Turkey
| | | | | | | | - Carlos Miguel Pacheco
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO), InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Luis P. da Silva
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO), InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Sandra Fernandes
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Gonçalo Elias
- 44 Rua de São Pedro, Castelo de Vide 7320-163, Portugal
| | - Luís T. Costa
- Nature Returns, Av D Sebastião 101, 2825-408 Costa da Caparica, Portugal
| | - Martin Poot
- Martin Poot Ecology, Culemborg, The Netherlands
| | - Lyndon Kearsley
- BlueGreen Labs (bv), Kloetstraat 48, 9120 Melsele, Belgium
- Belgian Ornithological Research Association, Steenweg Hulst-Lessen 29, 9140 Temse, Belgium
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Iglesias Pastrana C, Navas González FJ, Delgado Bermejo JV, Ciani E. Lunar Cycle, Climate, and Onset of Parturition in Domestic Dromedary Camels: Implications of Species-Specific Metabolic Economy and Social Ecology. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12040607. [PMID: 37106807 PMCID: PMC10136027 DOI: 10.3390/biology12040607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Given energy costs for gestating and caring for male offspring are higher than those of female newborns, external environmental conditions might be regarded as likely to affect the timing of delivery processes differentially depending on the sex of the newborn calf to be delivered. The aim of the present paper is to evaluate the association between environmental stressors such as the moon phase and weather-related factors and the onset of labor in female dromedaries. A binary logistic regression model was developed to find the most parsimonious set of variables that are most effective in predicting the probability for a gravid female dromedary to give birth to a male or a female calf, assuming that higher gestational costs and longer labor times are ascribed to the production of a male offspring. Although the differences in the quantitative distribution of spontaneous onset of labor across lunar phases and the mean climate per onset event along the whole study period were deemed nonsignificant (p > 0.05), a non-negligible prediction effect of a new moon, mean wind speed and maximum wind gust was present. At slightly brighter nights and lower mean wind speeds, a calf is more likely to be male. This microevolutionary response to the external environment may have been driven by physiological and behavioral adaptation of metabolic economy and social ecology to give birth to cooperative groups with the best possible reduction of thermoregulatory demands. Model performance indexes then highlighted the heterothermic character of camels to greatly minimize the impact of the external environment. The overall results will also enrich the general knowledge of the interplay between homeostasis and arid and semi-arid environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Iglesias Pastrana
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain
| | | | | | - Elena Ciani
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Environment, University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', 70125 Bari, Italy
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Dickerson AL, Hall ML, Jones TM. Effects of variation in natural and artificial light at night on acoustic communication: a review and prospectus. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
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Pérez-Granados C, Schuchmann KL. Automated signal recognition as a useful tool for monitoring little-studied species: The case of the Band-tailed Nighthawk. ECOL INFORM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Gomez-Morales DA, Acevedo-Charry O. Satellite remote sensing of environmental variables can predict acoustic activity of an orthopteran assemblage. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13969. [PMID: 36071828 PMCID: PMC9443809 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is a promising method for biodiversity assessment, which allows for longer and less intrusive sampling when compared to traditional methods (e.g., collecting specimens), by using sound recordings as the primary data source. Insects have great potential as models for the study and monitoring of acoustic assemblages due to their sensitivity to environmental changes. Nevertheless, ecoacoustic studies focused on insects are still scarce when compared to more charismatic groups. Insects' acoustic activity patterns respond to environmental factors, like temperature, moonlight, and precipitation, but community acoustic perspectives have been barely explored. Here, we provide an example of the usefulness of PAM to track temporal patterns of acoustic activity for a nocturnal assemblage of insects (Orthoptera). We integrate satellite remote sensing and astronomically measured environmental factors at a local scale in an Andean Forest of Colombia and evaluate the acoustic response of orthopterans through automated model detections of their songs for nine weeks (March and April of 2020). We describe the acoustic frequency range and diel period for the calling song of each representative species. Three species overlapped in frequency and diel acoustics but inhabit different strata: canopy, understory, and ground surface level. Based on the acoustic frequency and activity, we identified three trends: (i) both sampled cricket species call at lower frequency for shorter periods of time (dusk); (ii) all sampled katydid species call at higher frequency for longer time periods, including later hours at night; and (iii) the diel acoustic activity span window seems to increase proportionally with dominant acoustic frequency, but further research is required. We also identified a dusk chorus in which all the species sing at the same time. To quantify the acoustic response to environmental factors, we calculated a beta regression with the singing activity as a response variable and moon phase, surface temperature and daily precipitation as explanatory variables. The response to the moon phase was significant for the katydids but not for the crickets, possibly due to differences in diel activity periods. Crickets are active during dusk, thus the effects of moonlight on acoustic activity are negligible. The response to precipitation was significant for the two crickets and not for the katydids, possibly because of higher likelihood of rain interrupting crickets' shorter diel activity period. Our study shows how the local survey of orthopteran acoustic assemblages, with a species taxonomic resolution coupled with remote-sensing environmental measurements can reveal responses to environmental factors. In addition, we demonstrate how satellite data might prove to be a useful alternative source of environmental data for community studies with geographical, financial, or other constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego A. Gomez-Morales
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Bogotá D.C., Colombia,Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, California, United States
| | - Orlando Acevedo-Charry
- Colección de Sonidos Ambientales Mauricio Álvarez-Rebolledo, Colecciones Biológicas, Subdirección de Investigaciones, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Villa de Leyva, Boyacá, Colombia,School of Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation & Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
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