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Viollat L, Quéroué M, Delord K, Gimenez O, Barbraud C. Bottom-up effects drive the dynamic of an Antarctic seabird predator-prey system. Ecology 2024; 105:e4367. [PMID: 38923494 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Understanding how populations respond to variability in environmental conditions and interspecific interactions is one of the biggest challenges of population ecology, particularly in the context of global change. Although many studies have investigated population responses to climate change, very few have explicitly integrated interspecific relationships when studying these responses. In this study, we aimed to understand the combined effects of interspecific interactions and environmental conditions on the demographic parameters of a prey-predator system of three sympatric seabird populations breeding in Antarctica: the south polar skua (Catharacta maccormicki) and its two main preys during the breeding season, the Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) and the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri). We built a two-species integrated population model (IPM) with 31 years of capture-recapture and count data and provided a framework that made it possible to estimate the demographic parameters and abundance of a predator-prey system in a context where capture-recapture data were not available for one species. Our results showed that predator-prey interactions and local environmental conditions differentially affected south polar skuas depending on their breeding state of the previous year. Concerning prey-predator relationships, the number of Adélie penguin breeding pairs showed a positive effect on south polar skua survival and breeding probability, and the number of emperor penguin dead chicks showed a positive effect on the breeding success of south polar skuas. In contrast, there was no evidence for an effect of the number of south polar skuas on the demography of Adélie penguins. We also found an important impact of sea ice conditions on both the dynamics of south polar skuas and Adélie penguins. Our results suggest that this prey-predator system is mostly driven by bottom-up processes and local environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lise Viollat
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-EPHE-IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Maud Quéroué
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-EPHE-IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Karine Delord
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372, CNRS-La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Olivier Gimenez
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-EPHE-IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Christophe Barbraud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372, CNRS-La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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Winterl A, Richter S, Houstin A, Barracho T, Boureau M, Cornec C, Couet D, Cristofari R, Eiselt C, Fabry B, Krellenstein A, Mark C, Mainka A, Ménard D, Morinay J, Pottier S, Schloesing E, Le Bohec C, Zitterbart DP. Remote sensing of emperor penguin abundance and breeding success. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4419. [PMID: 38811565 PMCID: PMC11137044 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48239-8] [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: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) are under increasing environmental pressure. Monitoring colony size and population trends of this Antarctic seabird relies primarily on satellite imagery recorded near the end of the breeding season, when light conditions levels are sufficient to capture images, but colony occupancy is highly variable. To correct population estimates for this variability, we develop a phenological model that can predict the number of breeding pairs and fledging chicks, as well as key phenological events such as arrival, hatching and foraging times, from as few as six data points from a single season. The ability to extrapolate occupancy from sparse data makes the model particularly useful for monitoring remotely sensed animal colonies where ground-based population estimates are rare or unavailable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Winterl
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Sebastian Richter
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Aymeric Houstin
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, USA
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Téo Barracho
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
- CEFE, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- University of Moncton, Canada Research Chair in Polar and Boreal Ecology and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Department of Biology, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Matthieu Boureau
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Clément Cornec
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
- ENES Bioacoustics Research Laboratory, CRNL, CNRS, Inserm, University of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Douglas Couet
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Robin Cristofari
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Claire Eiselt
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Ben Fabry
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | | | - Christoph Mark
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Astrid Mainka
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Delphine Ménard
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jennifer Morinay
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Susie Pottier
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Elodie Schloesing
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Céline Le Bohec
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France.
- CEFE, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France.
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Département de Biologie Polaire, Monaco, Principality of Monaco.
| | - Daniel P Zitterbart
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
- Department of Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, USA.
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McLatchie MJ, Emmerson L, Wotherspoon S, Southwell C. Delay in Adélie penguin nest occupation restricts parental investment in nest construction and reduces reproductive output. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10988. [PMID: 38476703 PMCID: PMC10928351 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10988] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Reproductive success is an important demographic parameter that can be driven by environmental and behavioural factors operating on various spatio-temporal scales. As seabirds breed on land and forage in the ocean, processes occurring in both environments can influence their reproductive success. At various locations around East Antarctica, Adélie penguins' (Pygoscelis adeliae) reproductive success has been negatively linked to extensive sea-ice. In contrast, our study site in the Windmill Islands has limited fast ice present during the breeding season, allowing us to examine drivers of reproductive success under vastly different marine environmental conditions. Here, we examined the reproductive success of 450 Adélie penguin nests over a 10-year period using images obtained from remotely operated cameras. We analysed nest survival in relation to marine and climatic factors, environmental conditions at the camera site and immediately around the nest, and behavioural attributes reflecting parental investment and phenological timing. Our key result was a strong positive association between nest structure and chick survival, particularly when ground moisture and snow cover around the nest were high. Earlier nesting birds were more likely to build bigger nests, although it is unclear whether this is due to more time available to build nests or whether early arrival and high-quality nests are complementary traits. This intrinsic activity is likely to become more important if future predictions of increased snowfall in this region manifest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madi J. McLatchie
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and WaterAustralian Antarctic DivisionKingstonTasmaniaAustralia
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Louise Emmerson
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and WaterAustralian Antarctic DivisionKingstonTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Simon Wotherspoon
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and WaterAustralian Antarctic DivisionKingstonTasmaniaAustralia
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Colin Southwell
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and WaterAustralian Antarctic DivisionKingstonTasmaniaAustralia
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Jenouvrier S, Che‐Castaldo J, Wolf S, Holland M, Labrousse S, LaRue M, Wienecke B, Fretwell P, Barbraud C, Greenwald N, Stroeve J, Trathan PN. The call of the emperor penguin: Legal responses to species threatened by climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:5008-5029. [PMID: 34342929 PMCID: PMC9291047 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Species extinction risk is accelerating due to anthropogenic climate change, making it urgent to protect vulnerable species through legal frameworks in order to facilitate conservation actions that help mitigate risk. Here, we discuss fundamental concepts for assessing climate change risks to species using the example of the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri), currently being considered for protection under the US Endangered Species Act (ESA). This species forms colonies on Antarctic sea ice, which is projected to significantly decline due to ongoing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We project the dynamics of all known emperor penguin colonies under different GHG emission scenarios using a climate-dependent meta-population model including the effects of extreme climate events based on the observational satellite record of colonies. Assessments for listing species under the ESA require information about how species resiliency, redundancy and representation (3Rs) will be affected by threats within the foreseeable future. Our results show that if sea ice declines at the rate projected by climate models under current energy system trends and policies, the 3Rs would be dramatically reduced and almost all colonies would become quasi-extinct by 2100. We conclude that the species should be listed as threatened under the ESA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Jenouvrier
- Biology DepartmentWoods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionWoods HoleMassachusettsUSA
| | - Judy Che‐Castaldo
- Conservation & Science DepartmentAlexander Center for Applied Population BiologyLincoln Park ZooChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Shaye Wolf
- Climate Law InstituteCenter for Biological DiversityOaklandCaliforniaUSA
| | - Marika Holland
- National Center for Atmospheric ResearchBoulderColoradoUSA
| | | | - Michelle LaRue
- School of Earth and EnvironmentUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand
- Department of Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMinnesotaUSA
| | | | | | | | - Noah Greenwald
- Endangered Species ProgramCenter for Biological DiversityPortlandOregonUSA
| | - Julienne Stroeve
- Centre for Earth Observation ScienceUniversity of ManitobaWinnipegManitobaCanada
- National Snow and Ice Data CenterUSA Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental SciencesUniversity of ColoradoBoulderColoradoUSA
- Earth Sciences DepartmentUniversity College LondonLondonUK
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