1
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Zhang E, Wong SY, Czechowski P, Terauds A, Ray AE, Benaud N, Chelliah DS, Wilkins D, Montgomery K, Ferrari BC. Effects of increasing soil moisture on Antarctic desert microbial ecosystems. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14268. [PMID: 38622950 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Overgeneralization and a lack of baseline data for microorganisms in high-latitude environments have restricted the understanding of the microbial response to climate change, which is needed to establish Antarctic conservation frameworks. To bridge this gap, we examined over 17,000 sequence variants of bacteria and microeukarya across the hyperarid Vestfold Hills and Windmill Islands regions of eastern Antarctica. Using an extended gradient forest model, we quantified multispecies response to variations along 79 edaphic gradients to explore the effects of change and wind-driven dispersal on community dynamics under projected warming trends. We also analyzed a second set of soil community data from the Windmill Islands to test our predictions of major environmental tipping points. Soil moisture was the most robust predictor for shaping the regional soil microbiome; the highest rates of compositional turnover occurred at 10-12% soil moisture threshold for photoautotrophs, such as Cyanobacteria, Chlorophyta, and Ochrophyta. Dust profiles revealed a high dispersal propensity for Chlamydomonas, a microalga, and higher biomass was detected at trafficked research stations. This could signal the potential for algal blooms and increased nonendemic species dispersal as human activities increase in the region. Predicted increases in moisture availability on the Windmill Islands were accompanied by high photoautotroph abundances. Abundances of rare oligotrophic taxa, such as Eremiobacterota and Candidatus Dormibacterota, which play a crucial role in atmospheric chemosynthesis, declined over time. That photosynthetic taxa increased as soil moisture increased under a warming scenario suggests the potential for competition between primary production strategies and thus a more biotically driven ecosystem should the climate become milder. Better understanding of environmental triggers will aid conservation efforts, and it is crucial that long-term monitoring of our study sites be established for the protection of Antarctic desert ecosystems. Furthermore, the successful implementation of an improved gradient forest model presents an exciting opportunity to broaden its use on microbial systems globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eden Zhang
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sin Yin Wong
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul Czechowski
- Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic, Obesity and Vascular Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Aleks Terauds
- Environmental Stewardship Program, Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Angelique E Ray
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nicole Benaud
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Devan S Chelliah
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Daniel Wilkins
- Environmental Stewardship Program, Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Kate Montgomery
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Belinda C Ferrari
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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2
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Carella F, Prado P, García-March JR, Tena-Medialdea J, Melendreras EC, Porcellini A, Feola A. Measuring immunocompetence in the natural population and captive individuals of noble pen shell Pinna nobilis affected by Pinna nobilis Picornavirus (PnPV). FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 151:109664. [PMID: 38844186 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2024.109664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Mass Mortality Events (MMEs) affecting the noble pen shell Pinna nobilis have been reported since 2016. In this work, we used an in vitro flow cytometric assay to evaluate phagocytosis, coupled with cytology and Electron Microscopy (TEM), to define animal immunocompetence following infection by P. nobilis Picornavirus (PnPV). The study was performed on 27 animals in July 2021 and May 2022 on two natural population from the Ebro Delta (Catalonia, Spain) and animals maintained in captivity at facilities in Valencia and Murcia Aquarium. Hemolymph was collected in the field and in captivity as a non-destructive sampling method. Based on dimension and internal complexity, flow cytometry identified three haemocyte types, distinguished in granulocytes, hyalinocytes and a third type, biggest in size and with high internal complexity and granularity. Those cells corresponded at ultrastructure to hemocytes with advanced phases of PnPV infection and related to cytopathic effect of the replicating virus displaying numerous Double Membrane Vesicles (DMVs) and cells corpse fusion. The results showed that pen shell in captivity had significantly lower Total Hemocyte Count (THC) compared with natural population of Alfacs Bay (mean number of 7-9 x 104 vs 2-5 x 105 cells/mL, respectively). FACS (Fluorescence-activated cell sorting) based phagocytosis analysis demonstrate that animals in captivity at IMEDMAR-UCV and Murcia Aquarium, had scarce or absent ability to phagocyte the two stimuli (Staphylococcus aureus and Zymosan A) (10,2 % ± 1,7 of positives) if compared with the natural population in Alfacs Bay (28,5 % ± 5,6 of positive). Ultrastructure images showed that PnPV itself can lead to an alteration of the hemocyte cytoskeleton, impairing the capabilities to perform an active phagocytosis and an efficient phagolysosome fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Carella
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia Complesso di Monte Sant Angelo, Naples, Italy.
| | - Patricia Prado
- IMEDMAR-UCV, Universidad Católica de Valencia, 03710, Calpe, Alicante, Spain; Institut d'Estudis Professionals Aqüícoles i Ambientals de Catalunya (IEPAAC), 43540, La Ràpita, Tarragona, Spain
| | | | - José Tena-Medialdea
- IMEDMAR-UCV, Universidad Católica de Valencia, 03710, Calpe, Alicante, Spain
| | | | - Antonio Porcellini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia Complesso di Monte Sant Angelo, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonia Feola
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia Complesso di Monte Sant Angelo, Naples, Italy
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3
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Alaasam VJ, Behnke TL, Grant AR, Ouyang JQ. Glucocorticoids and land cover: a largescale comparative approach to assess a physiological biomarker for avian conservation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20220508. [PMID: 38310940 PMCID: PMC10838646 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
As humans alter landscapes worldwide, land and wildlife managers need reliable tools to assess and monitor responses of wildlife populations. Glucocorticoid (GC) hormone levels are one common physiological metric used to quantify how populations are coping in the context of their environments. Understanding whether GC levels can reflect broad landscape characteristics, using data that are free and commonplace to diverse stakeholders, is an important step towards physiological biomarkers having practical application in management and conservation. We conducted a phylogenetic comparative analysis using publicly available datasets to test the efficacy of GCs as a biomarker for large spatial-scale avian population monitoring. We used hormone data from HormoneBase (51 species), natural history information and US national land cover data to determine if baseline or stress-induced corticosterone varies with the amount of usable land cover types within each species' home range. We found that stress-induced levels, but not baseline, positively correlated with per cent usable land cover both within and across species. Our results indicate that GC concentrations may be a useful biomarker for characterizing populations across a range of habitat availability, and we advocate for more physiological studies on non-traditional species in less studied populations to build on this framework. This article is part of the theme issue 'Endocrine responses to environmental variation: conceptual approaches and recent developments'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tessa L. Behnke
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Avery R. Grant
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Jenny Q. Ouyang
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
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4
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Cooke SJ. Reflections on a decade of service as founding Editor-in-Chief of Conservation Physiology. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 12:coad103. [PMID: 38369983 PMCID: PMC10873489 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
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5
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Beaulieu M. Capturing wild animal welfare: a physiological perspective. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1-22. [PMID: 37635128 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13009] [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: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Affective states, such as emotions, are presumably widespread across the animal kingdom because of the adaptive advantages they are supposed to confer. However, the study of the affective states of animals has thus far been largely restricted to enhancing the welfare of animals managed by humans in non-natural contexts. Given the diversity of wild animals and the variable conditions they can experience, extending studies on animal affective states to the natural conditions that most animals experience will allow us to broaden and deepen our general understanding of animal welfare. Yet, this same diversity makes examining animal welfare in the wild highly challenging. There is therefore a need for unifying theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches that can guide researchers keen to engage in this promising research area. The aim of this article is to help advance this important research area by highlighting the central relationship between physiology and animal welfare and rectify its apparent oversight, as revealed by the current scientific literature on wild animals. Moreover, this article emphasises the advantages of including physiological markers to assess animal welfare in the wild (e.g. objectivity, comparability, condition range, temporality), as well as their concomitant limitations (e.g. only access to peripheral physiological markers with complex relationships with affective states). Best-practice recommendations (e.g. replication and multifactorial approaches) are also provided to allow physiological markers to be used most effectively and appropriately when assessing the welfare of animals in their natural habitat. This review seeks to provide the foundation for a new and distinct research area with a vast theoretical and applied potential: wild animal welfare physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaël Beaulieu
- Wild Animal Initiative, 5123 W 98th St, 1204, Minneapolis, MN, 55437, USA
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6
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Fry TL, Friedrichs KR, Ketz AC, Duncan C, Van Deelen TR, Goldberg TL, Atwood TC. Long-term assessment of relationships between changing environmental conditions and the physiology of southern Beaufort Sea polar bears (Ursus maritimus). GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:5524-5539. [PMID: 37503782 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is influencing polar bear (Ursus maritimus) habitat, diet, and behavior but the effects of these changes on their physiology is not well understood. Blood-based biomarkers are used to assess the physiologic health of individuals but their usefulness for evaluating population health, especially as it relates to changing environmental conditions, has rarely been explored. We describe links between environmental conditions and physiologic functions of southern Beaufort Sea polar bears using data from blood samples collected from 1984 to 2018, a period marked by extensive environmental change. We evaluated associations between 13 physiologic biomarkers and circumpolar (Arctic oscillation index) and regional (wind patterns and ice-free days) environmental metrics and seasonal and demographic co-variates (age, sex, season, and year) known to affect polar bear ecology. We observed signs of dysregulation of water balance in polar bears following years with a lower annual Arctic oscillation index. In addition, liver enzyme values increased over time, which is suggestive of potential hepatocyte damage as the Arctic has warmed. Biomarkers of immune function increased with regional-scale wind patterns and the number of ice-free days over the Beaufort Sea continental shelf and were lower in years with a lower winter Arctic oscillation index, suggesting an increased allocation of energetic resources for immune processes under these conditions. We propose that the variation in polar bear immune and metabolic function is likely indicative of physiologic plasticity, a response that allows polar bears to remain in homeostasis even as they experience changes in nutrition and habitat in response to changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tricia L Fry
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | - Alison C Ketz
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, Wisconsin Cooperative Research Unit, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Colleen Duncan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Timothy R Van Deelen
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Tony L Goldberg
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Todd C Atwood
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
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7
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Falconer S, McAdie M, Mastromonaco G, Schulte-Hostedde AI. Assessing stress physiology within a conservation breeding program for an endangered species. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad041. [PMID: 38026799 PMCID: PMC10660376 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Conservation breeding programs typically involve the management of individuals both in and ex situ, so it is vital to understand how the physiology of managed species changes in these environments to maximize program outcomes. The Vancouver Island marmot (VIM; Marmota vancouverensis) is one species that has been managed in a conservation breeding program to recover the critically low wild population. Previous research has shown there are differences in hair glucocorticoid concentrations for VIMs in different managed groups in the program. Therefore, we used >1000 blood samples collected since the program's inception to assess the neutrophil to lymphocyte (N:L) ratio among captive, pre-release, post-release and wild populations as another metric of stress. In situ VIM populations were found to have a significantly higher N:L ratio than ex situ populations, suggesting that the wild is a more physiologically challenging environment than managed care. Moreover, the effect of age, sex and the month of sampling on the N:L ratio were found to be different for each population. Age had the greatest magnitude of effect in the wild population, and sex was only significant in ex situ populations. This study provided previously unknown insights into the physiology of VIMs and increased post-release monitoring will be useful in the future to fully understand how physiology may be contributing to differences in survival of VIMs in the program.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Falconer
- Department of Biology/School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Rd, Sudbury, Canada, ON P3E 2C6
| | - M McAdie
- Marmot Recovery Foundation, PO Box 2332 Stn A, Nanaimo, BC, Canada, V9R 6X6
| | - G Mastromonaco
- Reproductive Sciences Unit, Toronto Zoo, 361A Old Finch Avenue, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, M1B 5K7
| | - A I Schulte-Hostedde
- Department of Biology/School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University, S-614, Science Building, 935, Ramsey Lake Rd, Sudbury, Canada, ON P3E 2C6
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8
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Leimgruber P, Songsasen N, Stabach JA, Horning M, Reed D, Buk T, Harwood A, Layman L, Mathews C, Vance M, Marinari P, Helmick KE, Delaski KM, Ware LH, Jones JC, Silva JLP, Laske TG, Moraes RN. Providing baseline data for conservation-Heart rate monitoring in captive scimitar-horned oryx. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1079008. [PMID: 36909234 PMCID: PMC9998487 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1079008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Heart rate biologging has been successfully used to study wildlife responses to natural and human-caused stressors (e.g., hunting, landscape of fear). Although rarely deployed to inform conservation, heart rate biologging may be particularly valuable for assessing success in wildlife reintroductions. We conducted a case study for testing and validating the use of subcutaneous heart rate monitors in eight captive scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah), a once-extinct species that is currently being restored to the wild. We evaluated biologger safety and accuracy while collecting long-term baseline data and assessing factors explaining variation in heart rate. None of the biologgers were rejected after implantation, with successful data capture for 16-21 months. Heart rate detection accuracy was high (83%-99%) for six of the individuals with left lateral placement of the biologgers. We excluded data from two individuals with a right lateral placement because accuracies were below 60%. Average heart rate for the six scimitar-horned oryx was 60.3 ± 12.7 bpm, and varied by about 12 bpm between individuals, with a minimum of 31 bpm and a maximum of 188 bpm across individuals. Scimitar-horned oryx displayed distinct circadian rhythms in heart rate and activity. Heart rate and activity were low early in the morning and peaked near dusk. Circadian rhythm in heart rate and activity were relatively unchanged across season, but hourly averages for heart rate and activity were higher in spring and summer, respectively. Variation in hourly heart rate averages was best explained by a combination of activity, hour, astronomical season, ambient temperature, and an interaction term for hour and season. Increases in activity appeared to result in the largest changes in heart rate. We concluded that biologgers are safe and accurate and can be deployed in free-ranging and reintroduced scimitar-horned oryx. In addition to current monitoring practices of reintroduced scimitar-horned oryx, the resulting biologging data could significantly aid in 1) evaluating care and management action prior to release, 2) characterizing different animal personalities and how these might affect reintroduction outcomes for individual animals, and 3) identifying stressors after release to determine their timing, duration, and impact on released animals. Heart rate monitoring in released scimitar-horned oryx may also aid in advancing our knowledge about how desert ungulates adapt to extreme environmental variation in their habitats (e.g., heat, drought).
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Leimgruber
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Nucharin Songsasen
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Jared A Stabach
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Megan Horning
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States.,Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Dolores Reed
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Tara Buk
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Arielle Harwood
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Lawrence Layman
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Christopher Mathews
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Morgan Vance
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Paul Marinari
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Kelly E Helmick
- Department of Conservation Medicine, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Kristina M Delaski
- Department of Conservation Medicine, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Lisa H Ware
- Department of Conservation Medicine, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Julia C Jones
- Department of Conservation Medicine, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Jose L P Silva
- Department of Statistics, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Timothy G Laske
- Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.,Cardiac Ablation Solutions, Medtronic Inc., Mounds View, MN, United States
| | - Rosana Nogueira Moraes
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States.,Department of Physiology, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
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Volkova AA, Berezantseva MS, Afonov KI, Spiridonov AV, Polikarpova DR, Zhukova EA, Demina IV, Tsvey AL. Relations between the Leukocyte Profile and the Energy State, Hematocrit, and Blood Metabolites in the Great Tit (Parus major). BIOL BULL+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359022080222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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10
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Chown SL. Macrophysiology for decision‐making. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.13029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. L. Chown
- Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, School of Biological Sciences Monash University Melbourne Victoria Australia
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11
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Boardman L, Lockwood JL, Angilletta MJ, Krause JS, Lau JA, Loik ME, Simberloff D, Thawley CJ, Meyerson LA. The Future of Invasion Science Needs Physiology. Bioscience 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biac080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Incorporating physiology into models of population dynamics will improve our understanding of how and why invasions succeed and cause ecological impacts, whereas others fail or remain innocuous. Targeting both organismal physiologists and invasion scientists, we detail how physiological processes affect every invasion stage, for both plants and animals, and how physiological data can be better used for studying the spatial dynamics and ecological effects of invasive species. We suggest six steps to quantify the physiological functions related to demography of nonnative species: justifying physiological traits of interest, determining ecologically appropriate time frames, identifying relevant abiotic variables, designing experimental treatments that capture covariation between abiotic variables, measuring physiological responses to these abiotic variables, and fitting statistical models to the data. We also provide brief guidance on approaches to modeling invasions. Finally, we emphasize the benefits of integrating research between communities of physiologists and invasion scientists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh Boardman
- Department of Biological Sciences and with the Center for Biodiversity Research, University of Memphis , Memphis, Tennessee, United States
| | - Julie L Lockwood
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources at Rutgers University , New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
| | - Michael J Angilletta
- School of Life Sciences and with the Center for Learning Innovation in Science, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona, United States
| | - Jesse S Krause
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada , Reno, Nevada, United States
| | - Jennifer A Lau
- Department of Biology, Indiana University , Bloomington, Indian, United States
| | - Michael E Loik
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California , Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States
| | - Daniel Simberloff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
| | - Christopher J Thawley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island , Kingston, Rhode Island, United States
| | - Laura A Meyerson
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island , Kingston, Rhode Island, United States
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12
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Snyder KA, Robinson SA, Schmidt S, Hultine KR. Stable isotope approaches and opportunities for improving plant conservation. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 10:coac056. [PMID: 35966756 PMCID: PMC9367551 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coac056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Successful conservation of threatened species and ecosystems in a rapidly changing world requires scientifically sound decision-making tools that are readily accessible to conservation practitioners. Physiological applications that examine how plants and animals interact with their environment are now widely used when planning, implementing and monitoring conservation. Among these tools, stable-isotope physiology is a potentially powerful, yet under-utilized cornerstone of current and future conservation efforts of threatened and endangered plants. We review the underlying concepts and theory of stable-isotope physiology and describe how stable-isotope applications can support plant conservation. We focus on stable isotopes of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen to address plant ecophysiological responses to changing environmental conditions across temporal scales from hours to centuries. We review examples from a broad range of plant taxa, life forms and habitats and provide specific examples where stable-isotope analysis can directly improve conservation, in part by helping identify resilient, locally adapted genotypes or populations. Our review aims to provide a guide for practitioners to easily access and evaluate the information that can be derived from stable-isotope signatures, their limitations and how stable isotopes can improve conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keirith A Snyder
- Corresponding author: USDA Agricultural Research Service, Great Basin Rangelands Research Unit, Reno,
920 Valley Road, NV 89512, USA.
| | - Sharon A Robinson
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
- Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
| | - Susanne Schmidt
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Building 62, Brisbane Queensland 4075, Australia
| | - Kevin R Hultine
- Department of Research, Conservation and Collections, Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, AZ 85008, USA
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13
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O’Brien KM, Oldham CA, Sarrimanolis J, Fish A, Castellini L, Vance J, Lekanof H, Crockett EL. Warm acclimation alters antioxidant defences but not metabolic capacities in the Antarctic fish, Notothenia coriiceps. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 10:coac054. [PMID: 35935168 PMCID: PMC9346567 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coac054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Southern Ocean surrounding the Western Antarctic Peninsula region is rapidly warming. Survival of members of the dominant suborder of Antarctic fishes, the Notothenioidei, will likely require thermal plasticity and adaptive capacity in key traits delimiting thermal tolerance. Herein, we have assessed the thermal plasticity of several cellular and biochemical pathways, many of which are known to be associated with thermal tolerance in notothenioids, including mitochondrial function, activities of aerobic and anaerobic enzymes, antioxidant defences, protein ubiquitination and degradation in cardiac, oxidative skeletal muscles and gill of Notothenia coriiceps warm acclimated to 4°C for 22 days or 5°C for 42 days. Levels of triacylglycerol (TAG) were measured in liver and oxidative and glycolytic skeletal muscles, and glycogen in liver and glycolytic muscle to assess changes in energy stores. Metabolic pathways displayed minimal thermal plasticity, yet antioxidant defences were lower in heart and oxidative skeletal muscles of warm-acclimated animals compared with animals held at ambient temperature. Despite higher metabolic rates at elevated temperature, energy storage depots of TAG and glycogen increase in liver and remain unchanged in muscle with warm acclimation. Overall, our studies reveal that N. coriiceps displays thermal plasticity in some key traits that may contribute to their survival as the Southern Ocean continues to warm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin M O’Brien
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
| | - Corey A Oldham
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
| | - Jon Sarrimanolis
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
| | - Autumn Fish
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
| | - Luke Castellini
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
| | - Jenna Vance
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701 USA
| | - Hayley Lekanof
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
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14
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Rabdeau J, Desbonnes M, Bretagnolle V, Moreau J, Monceau K. Does anthropization affect physiology, behaviour and life‐history traits of Montagu's harrier chicks? Anim Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Rabdeau
- UMR 7372, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé La Rochelle Université & CNRS Villiers en Bois France
| | - M. Desbonnes
- UMR 7372, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé La Rochelle Université & CNRS Villiers en Bois France
| | - V. Bretagnolle
- UMR 7372, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé La Rochelle Université & CNRS Villiers en Bois France
- LTSER “Zone Atelier Plaine & Val de Sèvre”, CNRS Villiers‐en Bois France
| | - J. Moreau
- UMR 7372, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé La Rochelle Université & CNRS Villiers en Bois France
- UMR CNRS 6282 Biogéosciences, Équipe Écologie Évolutive Université de Bourgogne‐Franche‐Comté Dijon France
| | - K. Monceau
- UMR 7372, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé La Rochelle Université & CNRS Villiers en Bois France
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15
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Mentesana L, Hau M. Glucocorticoids in a warming world: Do they help birds to cope with high environmental temperatures? Horm Behav 2022; 142:105178. [PMID: 35561643 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is threatening biodiversity world-wide. One of its most prominent manifestations are rising global temperatures and higher frequencies of heat waves. High environmental temperatures may be particularly challenging for endotherms, which expend considerable parts of their energy budget and water resources on thermoregulation. Thermoregulation involves phenotypic plasticity in behavioral and physiological traits. Information on causal mechanisms that support plastic thermoregulatory strategies is key to understand how environmental information is transmitted and whether they impose trade-offs or constraints that determine how endotherms cope with climate warming. In this review, we focus on glucocorticoids, metabolic hormones that orchestrate plastic responses to various environmental stimuli including temperature. To evaluate how they may mediate behavioral and physiological responses to high environmental temperatures, we 1) briefly review the major thermoregulatory strategies in birds; 2) summarize the functions of baseline and stress-induced glucocorticoid concentrations; 3) synthesize the current knowledge of the relationship between circulating glucocorticoids and high environmental temperatures in birds; 4) generate hypotheses for how glucocorticoids may support plastic thermoregulatory responses to high environmental temperatures that occur over different time-frames (i.e., acute, short- and longer-term); and 5) discuss open questions on how glucocorticoids, and their relationship with thermoregulation, may evolve. Throughout this review we highlight that our knowledge, particularly on free-living populations, is really limited and outline promising avenues for future research. As evolutionary endocrinologists we now need to step up and identify the costs, benefits, and evolution of glucocorticoid plasticity to elucidate how they may help birds cope with a warming world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Mentesana
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str., 82319 Seewiesen, Germany.
| | - Michaela Hau
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str., 82319 Seewiesen, Germany.
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16
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Madliger CL, Creighton MJA, Raby GD, Bennett JR, Birnie‐Gauvin K, Lennox RJ, Cooke SJ. Physiology as a tool for at‐risk animal recovery planning: An analysis of Canadian recovery strategies with global recommendations. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Christine L. Madliger
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science Carleton University Ottawa ON Canada
- Integrative Biology Department University of Windsor Windsor ON Canada
| | | | - Graham D. Raby
- Biology Department Trent University Peterborough ON Canada
| | | | - Kim Birnie‐Gauvin
- Section for Freshwater Fisheries and Ecology Technical University of Denmark Kongens Lyngby Denmark
- University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Robert J. Lennox
- Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE) Laboratory for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries Bergen Norway
| | - Steven J. Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science Carleton University Ottawa ON Canada
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17
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Cooke SJ, Hultine KR, Rummer JL, Fangue NA, Seebacher F, Eliason EJ, MacMillan HA, Fuller A, Franklin CE. Elevating the impact of conservation physiology by building a community devoted to excellence, transparency, ethics, integrity and mutual respect. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 10:coac015. [PMID: 35492405 PMCID: PMC9040284 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coac015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Cooke
- Corresponding author: Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada.
| | - Kevin R Hultine
- Department of Research, Conservation and Collections, Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, AZ 85008, USA
| | - Jodie L Rummer
- College of Science and Engineering and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4810, Australia
| | - Nann A Fangue
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Frank Seebacher
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2016, Australia
| | - Erika J Eliason
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Heath A MacMillan
- Department of Biology and Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Andrea Fuller
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa
| | - Craig E Franklin
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland , 4072, Australia
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18
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Parlin AF, Stratton SM, Guerra PA. Assaying lepidopteran flight directionality with non‐invasive methods that permit repeated use and release after testing. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam F. Parlin
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Cincinnati Cincinnati OH USA
| | - Samuel M. Stratton
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Cincinnati Cincinnati OH USA
| | - Patrick A. Guerra
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Cincinnati Cincinnati OH USA
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19
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Madliger CL, Love OP, Nguyen VM, Haddaway NR, Cooke SJ. Researcher perspectives on challenges and opportunities in conservation physiology revealed from an online survey. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab030. [PMID: 33959293 PMCID: PMC8084030 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Conservation physiology represents a recently emerging arm of conservation science that applies physiological tools and techniques to understand and solve conservation issues. While a multi-disciplinary toolbox can only help to address the global biodiversity crisis, any field can face challenges while becoming established, particularly highly applied disciplines that require multi-stakeholder involvement. Gaining first-hand knowledge of the challenges that conservation physiologists are facing can help characterize the current state of the field and build a better foundation for determining how it can grow. Through an online survey of 468 scientists working at the intersection of physiology and conservation, we aimed to identify characteristics of those engaging in conservation physiology research (e.g. demographics, primary taxa of study), gauge conservation physiology's role in contributing to on-the-ground conservation action, identify the perceived barriers to achieving success and determine how difficult any identified barriers are to overcome. Despite all participants having experience combining physiology and conservation, only one-third considered themselves to be 'conservation physiologists'. Moreover, there was a general perception that conservation physiology does not yet regularly lead to tangible conservation success. Respondents identified the recent conceptualization of the field and the broader issue of adequately translating science into management action as the primary reasons for these deficits. Other significant barriers that respondents have faced when integrating physiology and conservation science included a lack of funding, logistical constraints (e.g. sample sizes, obtaining permits) and a lack of physiological baseline data (i.e. reference ranges of a physiological metric's 'normal' or pre-environmental change levels). We identified 12 actions based on suggestions of survey participants that we anticipate will help deconstruct the barriers and continue to develop a narrative of physiology that is relevant to conservation science, policy and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine L Madliger
- Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Ave., Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Oliver P Love
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Ave., Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Vivian M Nguyen
- Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Neal R Haddaway
- Stockholm Environment Institute, Linnégatan 87D, 10451 Stockholm, Sweden
- Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, Torgauer Strasse 19, 10829, Berlin, Germany
- Africa Centre for Evidence, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, 2092, South Africa
| | - Steven J Cooke
- Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
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20
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Cooke SJ, Cramp RL, Madliger CL, Bergman JN, Reeve C, Rummer JL, Hultine KR, Fuller A, French SS, Franklin CE. Conservation physiology and the COVID-19 pandemic. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coaa139. [PMID: 33469469 PMCID: PMC7805516 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures have had unanticipated effects on ecosystems and biodiversity. Conservation physiology and its mechanistic underpinnings are well positioned to generate robust data to inform the extent to which the Anthropause has benefited biodiversity through alterations in disturbance-, pollution- and climate change-related emissions. The conservation physiology toolbox includes sensitive biomarkers and tools that can be used both retroactively (e.g. to reconstruct stress in wildlife before, during and after lockdown measures) and proactively (e.g. future viral waves) to understand the physiological consequences of the pandemic. The pandemic has also created new risks to ecosystems and biodiversity through extensive use of various antimicrobial products (e.g. hand cleansers, sprays) and plastic medical waste. Conservation physiology can be used to identify regulatory thresholds for those products. Moreover, given that COVID-19 is zoonotic, there is also opportunity for conservation physiologists to work closely with experts in conservation medicine and human health on strategies that will reduce the likelihood of future pandemics (e.g. what conditions enable disease development and pathogen transfer) while embracing the One Health concept. The conservation physiology community has also been impacted directly by COVID-19 with interruptions in research, training and networking (e.g. conferences). Because this is a nascent discipline, it will be particularly important to support early career researchers and ensure that there are recruitment pathways for the next generation of conservation physiologists while creating a diverse and inclusive community. We remain hopeful for the future and in particular the ability of the conservation physiology community to deliver relevant, solutions-oriented science to guide decision makers particularly during the important post-COVID transition and economic recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Rebecca L Cramp
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Christine L Madliger
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Jordanna N Bergman
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Connor Reeve
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Jodie L Rummer
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Kevin R Hultine
- Department of Research, Conservation and Collections, Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, AZ 85008, USA
| | - Andrea Fuller
- Brain Function Research Group, Department of Research, Conservation and Collections, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, South Africa
| | - Susannah S French
- The Department of Biology and The Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Craig E Franklin
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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21
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Dietz S, Beazley KF, Lemieux CJ, St. Clair C, Coristine L, Higgs E, Smith R, Pellatt M, Beaty C, Cheskey E, Cooke SJ, Crawford L, Davis R, Forbes G, Gadallah F(Z, Kendall P, Mandrak N, Moola F, Parker S, Quayle J, Ray JC, Richardson K, Smith K, Snider J, Smol JP, Sutherland WJ, Vallillee A, White L, Woodley A. Emerging issues for protected and conserved areas in Canada. Facets (Ott) 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2021-0072] [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] Open
Abstract
Horizon scanning is increasingly used in conservation to systematically explore emerging policy and management issues. We present the results of a horizon scan of issues likely to impact management of Canadian protected and conserved areas over the next 5–10 years. Eighty-eight individuals participated, representing a broad community of academics, government and nongovernment organizations, and foundations, including policymakers and managers of protected and conserved areas. This community initially identified 187 issues, which were subsequently triaged to 15 horizon issues by a group of 33 experts using a modified Delphi technique. Results were organized under four broad categories: ( i) emerging effects of climate change in protected and conserved areas design, planning, and management (i.e., large-scale ecosystem changes, species translocation, fire regimes, ecological integrity, and snow patterns); ( ii) Indigenous governance and knowledge systems (i.e., Indigenous governance and Indigenous knowledge and Western science); ( iii) integrated conservation approaches across landscapes and seascapes (i.e., connectivity conservation, integrating ecosystem values and services, freshwater planning); and ( iv) early responses to emerging cumulative, underestimated, and novel threats (i.e., management of cumulative impacts, declining insect biomass, increasing anthropogenic noise, synthetic biology). Overall, the scan identified several emerging issues that require immediate attention to effectively reduce threats, respond to opportunities, and enhance preparedness and capacity to react.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Dietz
- Ecosystem Science Laboratory, Office of the Chief Ecosystem Scientist, Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation Directorate, Parks Canada Agency, Gatineau QC J8X 0B3, Canada
| | - Karen F. Beazley
- School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Christopher J. Lemieux
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3C5, Canada
| | - Colleen St. Clair
- Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Laura Coristine
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Gatineau, QC, K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Eric Higgs
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Risa Smith
- International Union for the Conservation of Nature/World Commission on Protected Areas
| | - Marlow Pellatt
- Ecosystem Science Laboratory, Office of the Chief Ecosystem Scientist, Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation Directorate, Parks Canada Agency, Gatineau QC J8X 0B3, Canada
| | | | | | - Steven J. Cooke
- Institute for Environmental and Interdisciplinary Sciences and Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Lindsay Crawford
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Gatineau, QC K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Rob Davis
- Ontario Parks, Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Peterborough, ON K9J 8M5, Canada
| | - Graham Forbes
- University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Fawziah (ZuZu) Gadallah
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Gatineau, QC, K1A 0H3, Canada
| | | | - Nick Mandrak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Faisal Moola
- Geography, Environment & Geomatics, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Scott Parker
- Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation Directorate, Parks Canada Agency, Gatineau QC J8X 0B3, Canada
| | | | - Justina C. Ray
- Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, Toronto, ON M5S 3A7, Canada
| | - Karen Richardson
- Ecosystem Science Laboratory, Office of the Chief Ecosystem Scientist, Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation Directorate, Parks Canada Agency, Gatineau QC J8X 0B3, Canada
| | - Kevin Smith
- Ducks Unlimited Canada, Edmonton, AB T5S 0A2, Canada
| | - James Snider
- World Wildlife Fund Canada, Toronto, ON M5V 1S8, Canada
| | - John P. Smol
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - William J Sutherland
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK; Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine’s, St Catharine’s College, Cambridge CB2 1RL, UK
| | | | - Lori White
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Gatineau, QC K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Alison Woodley
- Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Ottawa, ON K2P 0A4, Canada
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22
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Ohmer MEB, Costantini D, Czirják GÁ, Downs CJ, Ferguson LV, Flies A, Franklin CE, Kayigwe AN, Knutie S, Richards-Zawacki CL, Cramp RL. Applied ecoimmunology: using immunological tools to improve conservation efforts in a changing world. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab074. [PMID: 34512994 PMCID: PMC8422949 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Ecoimmunology is a rapidly developing field that explores how the environment shapes immune function, which in turn influences host-parasite relationships and disease outcomes. Host immune defence is a key fitness determinant because it underlies the capacity of animals to resist or tolerate potential infections. Importantly, immune function can be suppressed, depressed, reconfigured or stimulated by exposure to rapidly changing environmental drivers like temperature, pollutants and food availability. Thus, hosts may experience trade-offs resulting from altered investment in immune function under environmental stressors. As such, approaches in ecoimmunology can provide powerful tools to assist in the conservation of wildlife. Here, we provide case studies that explore the diverse ways that ecoimmunology can inform and advance conservation efforts, from understanding how Galapagos finches will fare with introduced parasites, to using methods from human oncology to design vaccines against a transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils. In addition, we discuss the future of ecoimmunology and present 10 questions that can help guide this emerging field to better inform conservation decisions and biodiversity protection. From better linking changes in immune function to disease outcomes under different environmental conditions, to understanding how individual variation contributes to disease dynamics in wild populations, there is immense potential for ecoimmunology to inform the conservation of imperilled hosts in the face of new and re-emerging pathogens, in addition to improving the detection and management of emerging potential zoonoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel E B Ohmer
- Living Earth Collaborative, Washington University in St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - David Costantini
- Unité Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation (PhyMA), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, 57 Rue Cuvier, CP32, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Gábor Á Czirják
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Cynthia J Downs
- Department of Environmental Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Laura V Ferguson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Andy Flies
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Craig E Franklin
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Ahab N Kayigwe
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Sarah Knutie
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06268, USA
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06268, USA
| | | | - Rebecca L Cramp
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Queensland 4072, Australia
- Corresponding author: School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Queensland 4072, Australia.
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23
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Cooke SJ, Bergman JN, Madliger CL, Cramp RL, Beardall J, Burness G, Clark TD, Dantzer B, de la Barrera E, Fangue NA, Franklin CE, Fuller A, Hawkes LA, Hultine KR, Hunt KE, Love OP, MacMillan HA, Mandelman JW, Mark FC, Martin LB, Newman AEM, Nicotra AB, Raby GD, Robinson SA, Ropert-Coudert Y, Rummer JL, Seebacher F, Todgham AE, Tomlinson S, Chown SL. One hundred research questions in conservation physiology for generating actionable evidence to inform conservation policy and practice. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab009. [PMID: 33859825 PMCID: PMC8035967 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Environmental change and biodiversity loss are but two of the complex challenges facing conservation practitioners and policy makers. Relevant and robust scientific knowledge is critical for providing decision-makers with the actionable evidence needed to inform conservation decisions. In the Anthropocene, science that leads to meaningful improvements in biodiversity conservation, restoration and management is desperately needed. Conservation Physiology has emerged as a discipline that is well-positioned to identify the mechanisms underpinning population declines, predict responses to environmental change and test different in situ and ex situ conservation interventions for diverse taxa and ecosystems. Here we present a consensus list of 10 priority research themes. Within each theme we identify specific research questions (100 in total), answers to which will address conservation problems and should improve the management of biological resources. The themes frame a set of research questions related to the following: (i) adaptation and phenotypic plasticity; (ii) human-induced environmental change; (iii) human-wildlife interactions; (iv) invasive species; (v) methods, biomarkers and monitoring; (vi) policy, engagement and communication; (vii) pollution; (viii) restoration actions; (ix) threatened species; and (x) urban systems. The themes and questions will hopefully guide and inspire researchers while also helping to demonstrate to practitioners and policy makers the many ways in which physiology can help to support their decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
- Corresponding author: Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada.
| | - Jordanna N Bergman
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Christine L Madliger
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Rebecca L Cramp
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - John Beardall
- Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Gary Burness
- Department of Biology, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9L 0G2, Canada
| | - Timothy D Clark
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - Ben Dantzer
- Department of Psychology, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Erick de la Barrera
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Nann A Fangue
- Department of Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Craig E Franklin
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Andrea Fuller
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Rd, Parktown, 2193, South Africa
| | - Lucy A Hawkes
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hatherly Laboratories, University of Exeter, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter EX4 4PS, UK
| | - Kevin R Hultine
- Department of Research, Conservation and Collections, Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, AZ 85008, USA
| | - Kathleen E Hunt
- Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| | - Oliver P Love
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Heath A MacMillan
- Department of Biology and Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - John W Mandelman
- Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA, 02110, USA
| | - Felix C Mark
- Department of Integrative Ecophysiology, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Lynn B Martin
- Global Health and Infectious Disease Research, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Amy E M Newman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Adrienne B Nicotra
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Graham D Raby
- Department of Biology, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9L 0G2, Canada
| | - Sharon A Robinson
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences (SEALS) and Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
| | - Yan Ropert-Coudert
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS UMR 7372—La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Jodie L Rummer
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Frank Seebacher
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences A08, University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Anne E Todgham
- Department of Animal Science, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Sean Tomlinson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Steven L Chown
- Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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