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Smith GD, Wilcoxen TE, Hudson SB, Virgin EE, Durso AM, Van der Walt M, Spence AR, Neuman‐Lee LA, Webb AC, Terletzky PA, French SS. Anthropogenic and climatic factors interact to influence reproductive timing and effort. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11306. [PMID: 38737567 PMCID: PMC11082630 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Reproduction, although absolutely essential to a species' persistence, is in itself challenging. As anthropogenic change increasingly affects every landscape on Earth, it is critical to understand how specific pressures impact the reproductive efforts of individuals, which directly contribute to the success or failure of populations. However, organisms rarely encounter a single burden at a time, and the interactions of environmental challenges can have compounding effects. Understanding environmental and physiological pressures is difficult because they are often context-dependent and not generalizable, but long-term monitoring across variable landscapes and weather patterns can improve our understanding of these complex interactions. We tested the effects of urbanization, climate, and individual condition on the reproductive investment of wild side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana) by measuring physiological/reproductive metrics from six populations in urban and rural areas over six consecutive years of variable precipitation. We observed that reproductive stage affected body condition, corticosterone concentration, and oxidative stress. We also observed that reproductive patterns differed between urban and rural populations depending on rainfall, with rural animals increasing reproductive investment during rainier years compared to urban conspecifics, and that reproductive decisions appeared to occur early in the reproductive process. These results demonstrate the plastic nature of a generalist species optimizing lifetime fitness under varying conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey D. Smith
- Department of Biological SciencesUtah Tech UniversitySt. GeorgeUtahUSA
| | | | - Spencer B. Hudson
- Department of BiologyUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
- Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Emily E. Virgin
- Department of BiologyUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
- Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Andrew M. Durso
- Department of Biological SciencesFlorida Gulf Coast UniversityFt. MyersFloridaUSA
| | | | - Austin R. Spence
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation BiologyUniversity of California ‐ DavisDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Alison C. Webb
- Department of BiologyUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
- Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Patricia A. Terletzky
- Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
- Department of Wildland ResourcesUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Susannah S. French
- Department of BiologyUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
- Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
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2
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van Beest FM, Schmidt NM, Stewart L, Hansen LH, Michelsen A, Mosbacher JB, Gilbert H, Le Roux G, Hansson SV. Geochemical landscapes as drivers of wildlife reproductive success: Insights from a high-Arctic ecosystem. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 903:166567. [PMID: 37633375 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
The bioavailability of essential and non-essential elements in vegetation is expected to influence the performance of free-ranging terrestrial herbivores. However, attempts to relate the use of geochemical landscapes by animal populations directly to reproductive output are currently lacking. Here we measured concentrations of 14 essential and non-essential elements in soil and vegetation samples collected in the Zackenberg valley, northeast Greenland, and linked these to environmental conditions to spatially predict and map geochemical landscapes. We then used long-term (1996-2021) survey data of muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) to quantify annual variation in the relative use of essential and non-essential elements in vegetated sites and their relationship to calf recruitment the following year. Results showed that the relative use of the geochemical landscape by muskoxen varied substantially between years and differed among elements. Selection for vegetated sites with higher levels of the essential elements N, Cu, Se, and Mo was positively linked to annual calf recruitment. In contrast, selection for vegetated sites with higher concentrations of the non-essential elements As and Pb was negatively correlated to annual calf recruitment. Based on the concentrations measured in our study, we found no apparent associations between annual calf recruitment and levels of C, Mn, Co, Zn, Cd, Ba, Hg, and C:N ratio in the vegetation. We conclude that the spatial distribution and access to essential and non-essential elements are important drivers of reproductive output in muskoxen, which may also apply to other wildlife populations. The value of geochemical landscapes to assess habitat-performance relationships is likely to increase under future environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floris M van Beest
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 1, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Niels Martin Schmidt
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 1, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Lærke Stewart
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Gullbringvegen 36, 3800 Bø, Norway
| | - Lars H Hansen
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 1, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Anders Michelsen
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Hugo Gilbert
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (UMR- 5245), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Avenue de l'Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan, France
| | - Gaël Le Roux
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (UMR- 5245), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Avenue de l'Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan, France
| | - Sophia V Hansson
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (UMR- 5245), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Avenue de l'Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan, France
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3
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Macdonald KJ, Driscoll DA, Macdonald KJ, Hradsky B, Doherty TS. Meta-analysis reveals impacts of disturbance on reptile and amphibian body condition. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:4949-4965. [PMID: 37401520 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystem disturbance is increasing in extent, severity and frequency across the globe. To date, research has largely focussed on the impacts of disturbance on animal population size, extinction risk and species richness. However, individual responses, such as changes in body condition, can act as more sensitive metrics and may provide early warning signs of reduced fitness and population declines. We conducted the first global systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the impacts of ecosystem disturbance on reptile and amphibian body condition. We collated 384 effect sizes representing 137 species from 133 studies. We tested how disturbance type, species traits, biome and taxon moderate the impacts of disturbance on body condition. We found an overall negative effect of disturbance on herpetofauna body condition (Hedges' g = -0.37, 95% CI: -0.57, -0.18). Disturbance type was an influential predictor of body condition response and all disturbance types had a negative mean effect. Drought, invasive species and agriculture had the largest effects. The impact of disturbance varied in strength and direction across biomes, with the largest negative effects found within Mediterranean and temperate biomes. In contrast, taxon, body size, habitat specialisation and conservation status were not influential predictors of disturbance effects. Our findings reveal the widespread effects of disturbance on herpetofauna body condition and highlight the potential role of individual-level response metrics in enhancing wildlife monitoring. The use of individual response metrics alongside population and community metrics would deepen our understanding of disturbance impacts by revealing both early impacts and chronic effects within affected populations. This could enable early and more informed conservation management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina J Macdonald
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Don A Driscoll
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kimberley J Macdonald
- Biodiversity Protection and Information Branch, Biodiversity Division, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bronwyn Hradsky
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tim S Doherty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Virgin EE, Lewis EL, Lidgard AD, Kepas ME, Marchetti JR, Hudson SB, Smith GD, French SS. Egg viability and egg mass underlie immune tradeoffs and differences between urban and rural lizard egg yolk physiology. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 337:114258. [PMID: 36870544 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization can cause innumerable abiotic and biotic changes that have the potential to influence the ecology, behavior, and physiology of native resident organisms. Relative to their rural conspecifics, urban Side-blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana) populations in southern Utah have lower survival prospects and maximize reproductive investment via producing larger eggs and larger clutch sizes. While egg size is an important predictor of offspring quality, physiological factors within the egg yolk are reflective of the maternal environment and can alter offspring traits, especially during energetically costly processes, such as reproduction or immunity. Therefore, maternal effects may represent an adaptive mechanism by which urban-dwelling species can persist within a variable landscape. In this study, we assess urban and rural differences in egg yolk bacterial killing ability (BKA), corticosterone (CORT), oxidative status (d-ROMs), and energy metabolites (free glycerol and triglycerides), and their association with female immune status and egg quality. Within a laboratory setting, we immune challenged urban lizards via lipopolysaccharide injection (LPS) to test whether physiological changes associated with immune system activity impacted egg yolk investment. We found urban females had higher mite loads than rural females, however mite burden was related to yolk BKA in rural eggs, but not urban eggs. While yolk BKA differed between urban and rural sites, egg mass and egg viability (fertilized vs. unfertilized) were strong predictors of yolk physiology and may imply tradeoffs exist between maintenance and reproduction. LPS treatment caused a decrease in egg yolk d-ROMs relative to the control treatments, supporting results from previous research. Finally, urban lizards laid a higher proportion of unfertilized eggs, which differed in egg yolk BKA, CORT, and triglycerides in comparison to fertilized eggs. Because rural lizards laid only viable eggs during this study, these results suggest that reduced egg viability is a potential cost of living in an urban environment. Furthermore, these results help us better understand potential downstream impacts of urbanization on offspring survival, fitness, and overall population health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily E Virgin
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA; Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA.
| | - Erin L Lewis
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA; Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Audrey D Lidgard
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Megen E Kepas
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA; Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Utah Tech University, St. George, UT 84770, USA
| | - Jack R Marchetti
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA; Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Spencer B Hudson
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA; Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Geoffrey D Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Utah Tech University, St. George, UT 84770, USA
| | - Susannah S French
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA; Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
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Jowers MJ, Simone Y, Herrel A, Cabezas MP, Xavier R, Holden M, Boistel R, Murphy JC, Santin M, Caut S, Auguste RJ, van der Meijden A, Andreone F, Ineich I. The Terrific Skink bite force suggests insularity as a likely driver to exceptional resource use. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4596. [PMID: 35301350 PMCID: PMC8930981 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08148-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural history museum collections hold extremely rare, extinct species often described from a single known specimen. On occasions, rediscoveries open new opportunities to understand selective forces acting on phenotypic traits. Recent rediscovery of few individuals of Bocourt´s Terrific Skink Phoboscincus bocourti, from a small and remote islet in New Caledonia allowed to genetically identify a species of land crab in its diet. To explore this further, we CT- and MRI-scanned the head of the holotype, the only preserved specimen dated to about 1870, segmented the adductor muscles of the jaw and bones, and estimated bite force through biomechanical models. These data were compared with those gathered for 332 specimens belonging to 44 other skink species. Thereafter we recorded the maximum force needed to generate mechanical failure of the exoskeleton of a crab specimen. The bite force is greater than the prey hardness, suggesting that predation on hard-shelled crabs may be an important driver of performance. The high bite force seems crucial to overcome low or seasonal variations in resource availability in these extreme insular environments. Phoboscincus bocourti appears to be an apex predator in a remote and harsh environment and the only skink known to predate on hard-shelled land crabs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Jowers
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal. .,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
| | - Yuri Simone
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, UMR 7179 CNRS/MNHN, 57 Rue Cuvier, Case postale 55, 75231, Paris Cedex 5, France.,Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent University, Campus Ledeganck, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Gent, Belgium
| | - M Pilar Cabezas
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Raquel Xavier
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Magaly Holden
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (UMR CNRS 5175), École Pratique des Hautes Études, Biogéographie et Écologie des Vertébrés, Campus CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Renaud Boistel
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, UMR 7179 CNRS/MNHN, 57 Rue Cuvier, Case postale 55, 75231, Paris Cedex 5, France
| | - John C Murphy
- Science and Education, Field Museum, 1400 Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL, 60605, USA
| | - Mathieu Santin
- Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Centre for NeuroImaging Research, ICM (Brain and Spine Institute), Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Stephane Caut
- ANIMAVEG Conservation, 58 Avenue Allende, 94800, Villejuif, France
| | - Renoir J Auguste
- Department of Life Science, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Arie van der Meijden
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Franco Andreone
- Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Via G. Giolitti, 36, 10123, Turin, Italy
| | - Ivan Ineich
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, École Pratique des Hautes Études, CNRS, Université des Antilles, CP 30, 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
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OUP accepted manuscript. J Mammal 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Warne RW, Wolf BO. Nitrogen stable isotope turnover and discrimination in lizards. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2021; 35:e9030. [PMID: 33332668 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.9030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Nitrogen stable isotope ratio (δ15 N) processes are not well described in reptiles, which limits reliable inference of trophic and nutrient dynamics. In this study we detailed δ15 N turnover and discrimination (Δ15 N) in diverse tissues of two lizard species, and compared these results with previously published carbon data (δ13 C) to inform estimates of reptilian foraging ecology and nutrient physiology. METHODS We quantified 15 N incorporation and discrimination dynamics over 360 days in blood fractions, skin, muscle, and liver of Sceloporus undulatus and Crotaphytus collaris that differed in body mass. Tissue samples were analyzed on a continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer. RESULTS Δ15 N for plasma and red blood cells (RBCs) ranged between +2.7 and +3.5‰; however, skin, muscle, and liver did not equilibrate, hindering estimates for these somatic tissues. 15 N turnover in plasma and RBCs ranged from 20.7 ± 4 to 303 ± 166 days among both species. Comparison with previously published δ13 C results for these same samples showed that 15 N and 13 C incorporation patterns were uncoupled, especially during winter when hibernation physiology could have played a role. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide estimates of 15 N turnover rates and discrimination values that are essential to using and interpreting isotopes in studies of diet reconstruction, nutrient allocation, and trophic characterization in reptiles. These results also suggest that somatic tissues can be unreliable, while life history shifts in nutrient routing and metabolism potentially cause 15 N and 13 C dynamics to be decoupled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin W Warne
- School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA
| | - Blair O Wolf
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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Diet of invasive cats, rats and tegu lizards reveals impact over threatened species in a tropical island. Perspect Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2020.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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