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Kimmel CB, de Bem Oliveira I, Campbell JW, Khazan E, Bremer JS, Rossetti K, Standridge M, Shaw TJ, Epstein S, Tsalickis A, Daniels JC. Integrated vegetation management within electrical transmission landscapes promotes floral resource and flower-visiting insect diversity. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0308263. [PMID: 39167624 PMCID: PMC11338444 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Electrical transmission rights-of-way are ubiquitous and critical infrastructure across the landscape. Active vegetation management of these rights-of-way, a necessity to deliver electricity more safely, maintains these landscape features as stages of early successional habitat, a rarity in many regions, making these areas viable movement corridors for many taxa. The goals of this study were to (i) evaluate the effects of different electrical transmission landscape management practices on flowering plant and flower-visiting insect diversity parameters and (ii) generate conservation management inferences for these landscapes. In this study we tested the impact of three vegetation management levels across 18 electrical transmission sites. We evaluated the effects of treatment on bloom abundance and species richness as well as flower-visiting insect abundance and family richness. We identified 76541 flowers/inflorescences across 456 transects, including 188 species in 56 plant families. Additionally, we obtained data on 11361 flower-visitoring insects representing 33 families from 2376 pan trap sets. High vegetation management favored the reduction of coarse woody debris in the sites and harbored the highest level of abundance and richness of both floral resources and flower-visiting insects. We discuss that we can align social and ecological values of rights-of-way, ensuring their sustainability by applying regular and targeted integrated vegetation management. Thus, we can use rights-of-way landscapes not only as an effective management strategy for the delivery of essential human services, but also to provide conservation benefits for wild pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chase B. Kimmel
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Ivone de Bem Oliveira
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Joshua W. Campbell
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory, Sidney, Montana, United States of America
| | - Emily Khazan
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Jonathan S. Bremer
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry, Entomology Section, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Kristin Rossetti
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Matthew Standridge
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Tyler J. Shaw
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Samm Epstein
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Alexandra Tsalickis
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Geosciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Jaret C. Daniels
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
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Diffendorfer JE, Botello F, Drummond MA, Ancona ZH, Corro LM, Thogmartin WE, Ibsen PC, Moreno-Sanchez R, Lukens L, Sánchez-Cordero V. Changes in landscape and climate in Mexico and Texas reveal small effects on migratory habitat of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus). Sci Rep 2024; 14:6703. [PMID: 38509089 PMCID: PMC10954652 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56693-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The decline of the iconic monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) in North America has motivated research on the impacts of land use and land cover (LULC) change and climate variability on monarch habitat and population dynamics. We investigated spring and fall trends in LULC, milkweed and nectar resources over a 20-year period, and ~ 30 years of climate variables in Mexico and Texas, U.S. This region supports spring breeding, and spring and fall migration during the annual life cycle of the monarch. We estimated a - 2.9% decline in milkweed in Texas, but little to no change in Mexico. Fall and spring nectar resources declined < 1% in both study extents. Vegetation greenness increased in the fall and spring in Mexico while the other climate variables did not change in both Mexico and Texas. Monarch habitat in Mexico and Texas appears relatively more intact than in the midwestern, agricultural landscapes of the U.S. Given the relatively modest observed changes in nectar and milkweed, the relatively stable climate conditions, and increased vegetation greenness in Mexico, it seems unlikely that habitat loss (quantity or quality) in Mexico and Texas has caused large declines in population size or survival during migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay E Diffendorfer
- U.S. Geological Survey, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Lakewood, CO, USA.
| | - Francisco Botello
- Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Departamento de Monitoreo Biológico y Planeación de Conservación, Conservación Biológica y Desarrollo Social, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mark A Drummond
- U.S. Geological Survey, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Lakewood, CO, USA
| | - Zach H Ancona
- U.S. Geological Survey, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Lakewood, CO, USA
| | - Lucila M Corro
- U.S. Geological Survey, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Lakewood, CO, USA
| | - Wayne E Thogmartin
- U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, WI, USA
| | - Peter C Ibsen
- U.S. Geological Survey, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Lakewood, CO, USA
| | - Rafael Moreno-Sanchez
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Denver, 1200 Larimer St, NC 3016-C, Denver, CO, 80204, USA
| | - Laura Lukens
- Monarch Joint Venture, 2233 University Ave W., Suite 426, St. Paul, MN, USA
- Department of Forestry & Rangeland Science, Colorado State University, 1472 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Victor Sánchez-Cordero
- Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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3
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Zhuang H, Shao F, Zhang C, Xia W, Wang S, Qu F, Wang Z, Lu Z, Zhao L, Zhang Z. Spatial-temporal shifting patterns and in situ conservation of spotted seal (Phoca largha) populations in the Yellow Sea ecoregion. Integr Zool 2024; 19:307-318. [PMID: 37231996 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12731] [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] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the habitat shifting pattern is a prerequisite for implementing in situ conservation of migratory species. Spotted seals (Phoca largha) inhabiting the Yellow Sea ecoregion (YSE) comprise a small population with independent genes and represent a charismatic flagship species in this region. However, this population has declined by 80% since the 1940s, and increased support from the countries around the YSE is urgently needed to address the potential local extinction risk. A time-series niche model and life-history weighted systematic conservation planning were designed on the basis of a satellite beacon tracking survey (2010-2020) of the YSE population. The results showed clustering and spreading shifting patterns during the breeding and migratory seasons, respectively. The closed-loop migration route formed in the YSE indicated that this population might be geographically isolated from populations in other breeding areas around the world. The conservation priority area (CPA), with an area of 19 632 km2 (3.58% of the total YSE area), was the most effective response to the potential in situ risk. However, nearly 80% of the CPA was exposed outside the existing marine protected areas (MPAs). Future establishment of MPAs in China should strategically consider the conservation gap identified herein, and it is recommended for Korea's closed fishing season to be spatially set in the western Korean Peninsula from May to August. This study also exemplified that the lack of temporal information would lead to the dislocation of niche modeling for migratory species represented by spotted seals. Attention should be paid to protecting small and migratory populations in marine biodiversity conservation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongfei Zhuang
- First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, China
| | - Fei Shao
- Department of Natural Resources of Shandong Province, Shandong Forestry Protection and Development Service Center, Jinan, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- National Park (Protected Areas) Development Center, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Wancai Xia
- College of Life Science, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
| | - Shouqiang Wang
- First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, China
| | - Fangyuan Qu
- First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, China
| | - Zongling Wang
- First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhichuang Lu
- Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian, China
| | - Linlin Zhao
- First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhaohui Zhang
- First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, China
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Cibotti S, Saum PJ, Myrick AJ, Schilder RJ, Ali JG. Divergent impacts of the neonicotinoid insecticide, clothianidin, on flight performance metrics in two species of migratory butterflies. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 12:coae002. [PMID: 38313378 PMCID: PMC10836301 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coae002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Long-distance flight is crucial for the survival of migratory insects, and disruptions to their flight capacity can have significant consequences for conservation. In this study, we examined how a widely used insecticide, clothianidin (class: neonicotinoid), impacted the flight performance of two species of migratory butterflies, monarchs (Danaus plexippus) and painted ladies (Vanessa cardui). To do this, we quantified the free-flight energetics and tethered-flight velocity and distance of the two species using flow-through respirometry and flight mill assays. Our findings show differential effects of the pesticide on the two species. For painted ladies, we found that clothianidin exposure reduced average free-flight metabolic rates, but did not affect either average velocity or total distance during tethered flight. Other studies have linked low flight metabolic rates with reduced dispersal capacity, indicating that clothianidin exposure may hinder painted lady flight performance in the wild. Conversely, for monarchs, we saw no significant effect of clothianidin exposure on average free-flight metabolic rates but did observe increases in the average velocity, and for large individuals, total distance achieved by clothianidin-exposed monarchs in tethered flight. This suggests a potential stimulatory response of monarchs to low-dose exposures to clothianidin. These findings indicate that clothianidin exposure has the potential to influence the flight performance of butterflies, but that not all species are impacted in the same way. This highlights the need to be thoughtful when selecting performance assays, as different assays can evaluate fundamentally distinct aspects of physiology, and as such may yield divergent results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Staci Cibotti
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, 501 Agricultural Science and Industries Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Phineas J Saum
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, 501 Agricultural Science and Industries Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Andrew J Myrick
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, 501 Agricultural Science and Industries Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Rudolf J Schilder
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, 501 Agricultural Science and Industries Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Jared G Ali
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, 501 Agricultural Science and Industries Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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5
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Briedis M, Hahn S, Bauer S. Duration and variability of spring green-up mediate population consequences of climate change. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14380. [PMID: 38348625 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14380] [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: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Single phenological measures, like the average rate of phenological advancement, may be insufficient to explain how climate change is driving trends in animal populations. Here, we develop a multifactorial concept of spring phenology-including the onset of spring, spring duration, interannual variability, and their temporal changes-as a driver for population dynamics of migratory terrestrial species in seasonal environments. Using this conceptual model, we found that effects of advancing spring phenology on animal populations may be buffered or amplified depending on the duration and interannual variability of spring green-up, and those effects are modified by evolutionary and plastic adaptations of species. Furthermore, we compared our modelling results with empirical data on normalized difference vegetation index-based spring green-up phenology and population trends of 106 European landbird finding similar associations. We conclude how phenological changes are expected to affect migratory bird populations across Europe and identify regions that are particularly prone to suffer population declines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martins Briedis
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
- Lab of Ornithology, Institute of Biology, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
| | - Steffen Hahn
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Silke Bauer
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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James DG. Monarch Butterflies in Western North America: A Holistic Review of Population Trends, Ecology, Stressors, Resilience and Adaptation. INSECTS 2024; 15:40. [PMID: 38249046 PMCID: PMC10817040 DOI: 10.3390/insects15010040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Monarch butterfly populations in western North America suffered a substantial decline, from millions of butterflies overwintering in California in the 1980s to less than 400,000 at the beginning of the 21st century. The introduction of neonicotinoid insecticides in the mid-1990s and their subsequent widespread use appears to be the most likely major factor behind this sudden decline. Habitat loss and unfavorable climates (high temperatures, aridity, and winter storms) have also played important and ongoing roles. These factors kept overwintering populations stable but below 300,000 during 2001-2017. Late winter storm mortality and consequent poor spring reproduction drove winter populations to less than 30,000 butterflies during 2018-2019. Record high temperatures in California during the fall of 2020 appeared to prematurely terminate monarch migration, resulting in the lowest overwintering population (1899) ever recorded. Many migrants formed winter-breeding populations in urban areas. Normal seasonal temperatures in the autumns of 2021 and 2022 enabled overwintering populations to return to around the 300,000 level, characteristic of the previous two decades. Natural enemies (predators, parasitoids, parasites, and pathogens) may be important regional or local drivers at times but they are a consistent and fundamental part of monarch ecology. Human interference (capture, rearing) likely has the least impact on monarch populations. The rearing of monarch caterpillars, particularly by children, is an important human link to nature that has positive ramifications for insect conservation beyond monarch butterflies and should be encouraged.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G James
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Prosser, WA 99350, USA
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7
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Erickson E, Jason C, Machiorlete H, de la Espriella L, Crone EE, Schultz CB. Using community science to map western monarch butterflies ( Danaus plexippus) in spring. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10766. [PMID: 38152348 PMCID: PMC10752247 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10766] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Migratory animals follow seasonal cycles comprising linked phases often with different habitat requirements and demographic processes. Conservation of migratory species therefore must consider the full seasonal cycle to identify points limiting population viability. For western monarch butterflies, which have experienced significant declines, early spring is considered a critical period in the annual population cycle. However, records of western monarchs in early spring, when overall abundance is lowest, have historically been extremely limited. We used a community science initiative, the Western Monarch Mystery Challenge, to collect data on monarch distribution throughout the western United States between February 14th and April 22nd over 3 years. Using data from the Western Monarch Mystery Challenge and iNaturalist, we identified potential breeding habitat for western monarchs in early spring that spanned a large geographic area and several ecoregions. We observed monarchs in early spring that likely eclosed in the current year, suggesting that population expansion from overwintering sites reflects both movement and population growth. The number of records of western monarchs from early spring was higher during the Mystery Challenge (33.0/year) than earlier years (5.1/year). This study demonstrates the potential for and limitations of community science to increase our understanding of species at points in the life cycle when they are rare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Erickson
- Department of Evolution and EcologyUniversity of California DavisDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | - Christopher Jason
- School of Biological SciencesWashington State UniversityVancouverWashingtonUSA
| | - Hannah Machiorlete
- School of Biological SciencesWashington State UniversityVancouverWashingtonUSA
| | | | - Elizabeth E. Crone
- Department of Evolution and EcologyUniversity of California DavisDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | - Cheryl B. Schultz
- School of Biological SciencesWashington State UniversityVancouverWashingtonUSA
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8
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Hobson KA, Taylor O, Ramírez MI, Carrera-Treviño R, Pleasants J, Bitzer R, Baum KA, Mora Alvarez BX, Kastens J, McNeil JN. Dynamics of stored lipids in fall migratory monarch butterflies ( Danaus plexippus): Nectaring in northern Mexico allows recovery from droughts at higher latitudes. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad087. [PMID: 38026803 PMCID: PMC10673816 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
The eastern population of the North American monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) overwinters from November through March in the high-altitude (3000 m+) forests of central Mexico during which time they rely largely on stored lipids. These are acquired during larval development and the conversion of sugars from floral nectar by adults. We sampled fall migrant monarchs from southern Canada through the migratory route to two overwintering sites in 2019 (n = 10 locations), 2020 (n = 8 locations) and 2021 (n = 7 locations). Moderate to extreme droughts along the migratory route were expected to result in low lipid levels in overwintering monarchs but our analysis of lipid levels of monarchs collected at overwintering sites indicated that in all years most had high levels of lipids prior to winter. Clearly, a significant proportion of lipids were consistently acquired in Mexico during the last portion of the migration. Drought conditions in Oklahoma, Texas and northern Mexico in 2019 resulted in the lowest levels of lipid mass and wing loading observed in that year but with higher levels at locations southward in Mexico to the overwintering sites. Compared with 2019, lipid levels increased during the 2020 and 2021 fall migrations but were again higher during the Mexican portion of the migration than for Oklahoma and Texas samples, emphasizing a recovery of lipids as monarchs advanced toward the overwintering locations. In all 3 years, body water was highest during the Canada-USA phase of migration but then declined during the nectar foraging phase in Mexico before recovering again at the overwintering sites. The increase in mass and lipids from those in Texas to the overwintering sites in Mexico indicates that nectar availability in Mexico can compensate for poor conditions experienced further north. Our work emphasizes the need to maintain the floral and therefore nectar resources that fuel both the migration and storage of lipids throughout the entire migratory route.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith A Hobson
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, 11 Innovation Blvd, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3H5, Canada
| | - Orley Taylor
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Kansas Biological Survey and Center for Ecological Research, University of Kansas, 1450 Jayhawk Blvd, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - M Isabel Ramírez
- Centro de Investigaciones en Geografia Ambiental, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Antigua Carretera A Patzcuaro 8701, Ex hacienda San Jose de la Huerta, 58190, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Rogelio Carrera-Treviño
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, C. Francisco Villa 20, Escobedo, Nuevo León, México
| | - John Pleasants
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, 2200 Osborne Dr, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 5011, USA
| | - Royce Bitzer
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology, 2213 Pammel Dr., Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Kristen A Baum
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, 501 Life Sciences E, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Blanca X Mora Alvarez
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Jude Kastens
- Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research, University of Kansas, 2101 Constant Ave., Lawrence, KS 66047, USA
| | - Jeremy N McNeil
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
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Fisher KE, Bradbury SP. Monarch butterfly-breeding habitat restoration: how movement ecology research can inform best practices for site selection. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 59:101108. [PMID: 37652200 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Population dynamics, persistence, and distribution are emergent properties of animal movement behavior and the spatial configuration of resources. Monarch butterflies are a vagile species with an open-population structure. Selecting locations for monarch butterfly- breeding habitat restoration that aligns with natural movement behavior will facilitate efficient habitat utilization across the landscape, increase realized fecundity, and ultimately support increases in the overwintering population size in Mexico. Obtaining and interpreting empirical movement and space-use data through field and laboratory studies are fundamental to this effort. To gain insights into population responses at larger, spatially explicit landscape scales, the results from empirical studies can be incorporated into simulation models. Together, empirical and simulation studies can inform options for creating functional connectivity of monarch butterfly-breeding habitats. Given currently available information, we synthesize studies for the eastern monarch butterfly to illustrate how an improved understanding of movement ecology can assist in planning conservation practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey E Fisher
- Department of Entomology, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - Steven P Bradbury
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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10
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Roznik EA, Buckanoff H, Langston RW, Shupp CJ, Smith D. Conservation through Collaboration: Regional Conservation Programs of the North Carolina Zoo. JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGICAL AND BOTANICAL GARDENS 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/jzbg4020025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In response to rapid biodiversity losses in recent decades, zoos have become more engaged in conservation issues. Solutions to conservation challenges are complex and require collaborative efforts across organizations. Zoos can be effective partners that can contribute diverse expertise and resources to protect wildlife and their habitats. While zoos often partner with international organizations to facilitate field-based conservation projects on the exotic animals they exhibit, some of the most meaningful conservation and education initiatives are conducted locally in partnership with local organizations. A core part of the mission of the North Carolina Zoo (Asheboro, NC, USA) is the conservation of wildlife and their natural habitats, both regionally and internationally. The goal of this article is to review the North Carolina Zoo’s regional conservation programs and the importance of partnerships with other local organizations in accomplishing shared goals. North Carolina Zoo plays an important role in regional conservation by protecting and managing natural lands, protecting declining amphibians through headstarting and habitat management, rehabilitating native wildlife, and working on local outreach and sustainability projects to reduce impacts on natural resources and inspire others to get involved in conservation. These programs were developed through partnerships with local and state government agencies, academic institutions, non-profit organizations, other zoos and aquariums, schools, libraries, and businesses. These collaborations have been instrumental in developing and implementing successful projects by pooling limited resources and sharing crucial expertise. They demonstrate how zoos are evolving to become leaders and partners in conservation, research, and education to protect local species and natural resources.
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11
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Conquet E, Ozgul A, Blumstein DT, Armitage KB, Oli MK, Martin JGA, Clutton-Brock TH, Paniw M. Demographic consequences of changes in environmental periodicity. Ecology 2023; 104:e3894. [PMID: 36208282 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The fate of natural populations is mediated by complex interactions among vital rates, which can vary within and among years. Although the effects of random, among-year variation in vital rates have been studied extensively, relatively little is known about how periodic, nonrandom variation in vital rates affects populations. This knowledge gap is potentially alarming as global environmental change is projected to alter common periodic variations, such as seasonality. We investigated the effects of changes in vital-rate periodicity on populations of three species representing different forms of adaptation to periodic environments: the yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventer), adapted to strong seasonality in snowfall; the meerkat (Suricata suricatta), adapted to inter-annual stochasticity as well as seasonal patterns in rainfall; and the dewy pine (Drosophyllum lusitanicum), adapted to fire regimes and periodic post-fire habitat succession. To assess how changes in periodicity affect population growth, we parameterized periodic matrix population models and projected population dynamics under different scenarios of perturbations in the strength of vital-rate periodicity. We assessed the effects of such perturbations on various metrics describing population dynamics, including the stochastic growth rate, log λS . Overall, perturbing the strength of periodicity had strong effects on population dynamics in all three study species. For the marmots, log λS decreased with increased seasonal differences in adult survival. For the meerkats, density dependence buffered the effects of perturbations of periodicity on log λS . Finally, dewy pines were negatively affected by changes in natural post-fire succession under stochastic or periodic fire regimes with fires occurring every 30 years, but were buffered by density dependence from such changes under presumed more frequent fires or large-scale disturbances. We show that changes in the strength of vital-rate periodicity can have diverse but strong effects on population dynamics across different life histories. Populations buffered from inter-annual vital-rate variation can be affected substantially by changes in environmentally driven vital-rate periodic patterns; however, the effects of such changes can be masked in analyses focusing on inter-annual variation. As most ecosystems are affected by periodic variations in the environment such as seasonality, assessing their contributions to population viability for future global-change research is crucial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Conquet
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Arpat Ozgul
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel T Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.,The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, Colorado, USA
| | - Kenneth B Armitage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Madan K Oli
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Julien G A Martin
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Tim H Clutton-Brock
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa.,Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Maria Paniw
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Conservation and Global Change, Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
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12
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Grant TJ, Fisher KE, Krishnan N, Mullins AN, Hellmich RL, Sappington TW, Adelman JS, Coats JR, Hartzler RG, Pleasants JM, Bradbury SP. Monarch Butterfly Ecology, Behavior, and Vulnerabilities in North Central United States Agricultural Landscapes. Bioscience 2022; 72:1176-1203. [PMID: 36451972 PMCID: PMC9699720 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biac094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The North American monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is a candidate species for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Multiple factors are associated with the decline in the eastern population, including the loss of breeding and foraging habitat and pesticide use. Establishing habitat in agricultural landscapes of the North Central region of the United States is critical to increasing reproduction during the summer. We integrated spatially explicit modeling with empirical movement ecology and pesticide toxicology studies to simulate population outcomes for different habitat establishment scenarios. Because of their mobility, we conclude that breeding monarchs in the North Central states should be resilient to pesticide use and habitat fragmentation. Consequently, we predict that adult monarch recruitment can be enhanced even if new habitat is established near pesticide-treated crop fields. Our research has improved the understanding of monarch population dynamics at the landscape scale by examining the interactions among monarch movement ecology, habitat fragmentation, and pesticide use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J Grant
- Research scientist, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
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13
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Smith P, Guiver C, Adams B. Quantifying the per-capita contribution of all components of a migratory cycle: A modelling framework. Ecol Modell 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.110056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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14
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Yang LH, Swan K, Bastin E, Aguilar J, Cenzer M, Codd A, Gonzalez N, Hayes T, Higgins A, Lor X, Macharaga C, McMunn M, Oto K, Winarto N, Wong D, Yang T, Afridi N, Aguilar S, Allison A, Ambrose‐Winters A, Amescua E, Apse M, Avoce N, Bastin K, Bolander E, Burroughs J, Cabrera C, Candy M, Cavett A, Cavett M, Chang L, Claret M, Coleman D, Concha J, Danzer P, DaRosa J, Dufresne A, Duisenberg C, Earl A, Eckey E, English M, Espejo A, Faith E, Fang A, Gamez A, Garcini J, Garcini J, Gilbert‐Igelsrud G, Goedde‐Matthews K, Grahn S, Guerra P, Guerra V, Hagedorn M, Hall K, Hall G, Hammond J, Hargadon C, Henley V, Hinesley S, Jacobs C, Johnson C, Johnson T, Johnson Z, Juchau E, Kaplan C, Katznelson A, Keeley R, Kubik T, Lam T, Lansing C, Lara A, Le V, Lee B, Lee K, Lemmo M, Lucio S, Luo A, Malakzay S, Mangney L, Martin J, Matern W, McConnell B, McHale M, McIsaac G, McLennan C, Milbrodt S, Mohammed M, Mooney‐McCarthy M, Morgan L, Mullin C, Needles S, Nunes K, O'Keeffe F, O'Keeffe O, Osgood G, Padilla J, Padilla S, Palacio I, Panelli V, Paulson K, Pearson J, Perez T, Phrakonekham B, Pitsillides I, Preisler A, Preisler N, Ramirez H, Ransom S, Renaud C, Rocha T, Saris H, Schemrich R, Schoenig L, Sears S, Sharma A, Siu J, Spangler M, Standefer S, Strickland K, Stritzel M, Talbert E, Taylor S, Thomsen E, Toups K, Tran K, Tran H, Tuqiri M, Valdes S, VanVorhis G, Vue S, Wallace S, Whipple J, Yang P, Ye M, Yo D, Zeng Y. Different factors limit early- and late-season windows of opportunity for monarch development. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9039. [PMID: 35845370 PMCID: PMC9273743 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal windows of opportunity are intervals within a year that provide improved prospects for growth, survival, or reproduction. However, few studies have sufficient temporal resolution to examine how multiple factors combine to constrain the seasonal timing and extent of developmental opportunities. Here, we document seasonal changes in milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis)-monarch (Danaus plexippus) interactions with high resolution throughout the last three breeding seasons prior to a precipitous single-year decline in the western monarch population. Our results show early- and late-season windows of opportunity for monarch recruitment that were constrained by different combinations of factors. Early-season windows of opportunity were characterized by high egg densities and low survival on a select subset of host plants, consistent with the hypothesis that early-spring migrant female monarchs select earlier-emerging plants to balance a seasonal trade-off between increasing host plant quantity and decreasing host plant quality. Late-season windows of opportunity were coincident with the initiation of host plant senescence, and caterpillar success was negatively correlated with heatwave exposure, consistent with the hypothesis that late-season windows were constrained by plant defense traits and thermal stress. Throughout this study, climatic and microclimatic variations played a foundational role in the timing and success of monarch developmental windows by affecting bottom-up, top-down, and abiotic limitations. More exposed microclimates were associated with higher developmental success during cooler conditions, and more shaded microclimates were associated with higher developmental success during warmer conditions, suggesting that habitat heterogeneity could buffer the effects of climatic variation. Together, these findings show an important dimension of seasonal change in milkweed-monarch interactions and illustrate how different biotic and abiotic factors can limit the developmental success of monarchs across the breeding season. These results also suggest the potential for seasonal sequences of favorable or unfavorable conditions across the breeding range to strongly affect monarch population dynamics.
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15
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Niitepõld K, Parry HA, Harris NR, Appel AG, de Roode JC, Kavazis AN, Hood WR. Flying on empty: Reduced mitochondrial function and flight capacity in food-deprived monarch butterflies. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:275693. [PMID: 35694960 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondrial function is fundamental to organismal performance, health, and fitness - especially during energetically challenging events, such as migration. With this investigation, we evaluated mitochondrial sensitivity to ecologically relevant stressors. We focused on an iconic migrant, the North American monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), and examined the effects of two stressors: seven days of food deprivation, and infection by the protozoan parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (known to reduce survival and flight performance). We measured whole-animal resting (RMR) and peak flight metabolic rate, and mitochondrial respiration of isolated mitochondria from the flight muscles. Food deprivation reduced mass-independent RMR and peak flight metabolic rate, whereas infection did not. Fed monarchs used mainly lipids in flight (respiratory quotient 0.73), but the respiratory quotient dropped in food-deprived individuals, possibly indicating switching to alternative energy sources, such as ketone bodies. Food deprivation decreased mitochondrial maximum oxygen consumption but not basal respiration, resulting in lower respiratory control ratio (RCR). Furthermore, food deprivation decreased mitochondrial complex III activity, but increased complex IV activity. Infection did not result in any changes in these mitochondrial variables. Mitochondrial maximum respiration rate correlated positively with mass-independent RMR and flight metabolic rate, suggesting a link between mitochondria and whole-animal performance. In conclusion, low food availability negatively affects mitochondrial function and flight performance, with potential implications on migration, fitness, and population dynamics. Although previous studies have reported poor flight performance in infected monarchs, we found no differences in physiological performance, suggesting that reduced flight capacity may be due to structural differences or low energy stores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristjan Niitepõld
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.,The Finnish Science Centre Heureka, 01300 Vantaa, Finland
| | - Hailey A Parry
- School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Natalie R Harris
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Arthur G Appel
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | | | | | - Wendy R Hood
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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16
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Crone EE, Schultz CB. Host plant limitation of butterflies in highly fragmented landscapes. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12080-021-00527-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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17
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Spaeth KE, Barbour PJ, Moranz R, Dinsmore SJ, Williams CJ. Asclepias
dynamics on US rangelands: implications for conservation of monarch butterflies and other insects. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth E. Spaeth
- USDA NRCS Central National Technology Center Fort Worth Texas 76115 USA
| | - Philip J. Barbour
- USDA NRCS Central National Technology Center Fort Worth Texas 76115 USA
| | - Ray Moranz
- The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation/USDA NRCS Stillwater Oklahoma 74074 USA
| | - Stephen J. Dinsmore
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management Iowa State University Ames Iowa 50014 USA
| | - C. Jason Williams
- USDA‐ARS Southwest Watershed Research Center Tucson Arizona 85719 USA
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18
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Lalonde S, McCune JL, Rivest SA, Kharouba HM. Decline in common milkweed along roadsides around Ottawa, Canada. ECOSCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2021.1943930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jenny L. McCune
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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19
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Pocius VM, Majewska AA, Freedman MG. The Role of Experiments in Monarch Butterfly Conservation: A Review of Recent Studies and Approaches. ANNALS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 115:10-24. [PMID: 35069967 PMCID: PMC8764570 DOI: 10.1093/aesa/saab036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) (Lepidoptera Danaidae Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus)) are an iconic species of conservation concern due to declines in the overwintering colonies over the past twenty years. Because of this downward trend in overwintering numbers in both California and Mexico, monarchs are currently considered 'warranted-but-precluded' for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Monarchs have a fascinating life history and have become a model system in chemical ecology, migration biology, and host-parasite interactions, but many aspects of monarch biology important for informing conservation practices remain unresolved. In this review, we focus on recent advances using experimental and genetic approaches that inform monarch conservation. In particular, we emphasize three areas of broad importance, which could have an immediate impact on monarch conservation efforts: 1) breeding habitat and host plant use, 2) natural enemies and exotic caterpillar food plants, and 3) the utility of genetic and genomic approaches for understanding monarch biology and informing ongoing conservation efforts. We also suggest future studies in these areas that could improve our understanding of monarch behavior and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria M Pocius
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | | | - Micah G Freedman
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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20
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Brym MZ, van Gestel N, Henry C, Henry BJ, Lukashow-Moore SP, Kendall RJ. Evaluation of milkweed (Asclepias spp.) restoration in the Rolling Plains ecoregion of West Texas for the enhancement of monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) habitat. J Nat Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2021.126076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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21
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Prouty C, Barriga P, Davis AK, Krischik V, Altizer S. Host Plant Species Mediates Impact of Neonicotinoid Exposure to Monarch Butterflies. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12110999. [PMID: 34821799 PMCID: PMC8623494 DOI: 10.3390/insects12110999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides in North America and many studies document the negative effects of neonicotinoids on bees. Monarch butterflies are famous for their long-distance migrations, and for their ability to sequester toxins from their milkweed host plants. The neonicotinoids imidacloprid and clothianidin were suggested to correlate with declines in North American monarchs. We examined how monarch development, survival, and flight were affected by exposure to neonicotinoids, and how these effects depend on milkweed host plant species that differ in their cardenolide toxins. Monarch survival and flight were unaffected by low and intermediate neonicotinoid doses. At the highest dose, neonicotinoids negatively affected monarch pupation and survival, for caterpillars that fed on the least toxic milkweed. Monarchs fed milkweed of intermediate toxicity experienced moderate negative effects of high insecticide doses. Monarchs fed the most toxic milkweed species had no negative consequences associated with neonicotinoid treatment. Our work shows that monarchs tolerate low neonicotinoid doses, but experience detrimental effects at higher doses, depending on milkweed species. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that host plant species potentially reduce the residue of neonicotinoid insecticides on the leaf surface, and this phenomenon warrants further investigation. Abstract Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides in North America. Numerous studies document the negative effects of neonicotinoids on bees, and it remains crucial to demonstrate if neonicotinoids affect other non-target insects, such as butterflies. Here we examine how two neonicotinoids (imidacloprid and clothianidin) affect the development, survival, and flight of monarch butterflies, and how these chemicals interact with the monarch’s milkweed host plant. We first fed caterpillars field-relevant low doses (0.075 and 0.225 ng/g) of neonicotinoids applied to milkweed leaves (Asclepias incarnata), and found no significant reductions in larval development rate, pre-adult survival, or adult flight performance. We next fed larvae higher neonicotinoid doses (4–70 ng/g) and reared them on milkweed species known to produce low, moderate, or high levels of secondary toxins (cardenolides). Monarchs exposed to the highest dose of clothianidin (51–70 ng/g) experienced pupal deformity, low survival to eclosion, smaller body size, and weaker adult grip strength. This effect was most evident for monarchs reared on the lowest cardenolide milkweed (A. incarnata), whereas monarchs reared on the high-cardenolide A. curassavica showed no significant reductions in any variable measured. Our results indicate that monarchs are tolerant to low doses of neonicotinoid, and that negative impacts of neonicotinoids depend on host plant type. Plant toxins may confer protective effects or leaf physical properties may affect chemical retention. Although neonicotinoid residues are ubiquitous on milkweeds in agricultural and ornamental settings, commonly encountered doses below 50 ng/g are unlikely to cause substantial declines in monarch survival or migratory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody Prouty
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; (P.B.); (A.K.D.); (S.A.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Paola Barriga
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; (P.B.); (A.K.D.); (S.A.)
| | - Andrew K. Davis
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; (P.B.); (A.K.D.); (S.A.)
| | - Vera Krischik
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA;
| | - Sonia Altizer
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; (P.B.); (A.K.D.); (S.A.)
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22
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Zylstra ER, Ries L, Neupane N, Saunders SP, Ramírez MI, Rendón-Salinas E, Oberhauser KS, Farr MT, Zipkin EF. Changes in climate drive recent monarch butterfly dynamics. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:1441-1452. [PMID: 34282317 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01504-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Declines in the abundance and diversity of insects pose a substantial threat to terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. Yet, identifying the causes of these declines has proved difficult, even for well-studied species like monarch butterflies, whose eastern North American population has decreased markedly over the last three decades. Three hypotheses have been proposed to explain the changes observed in the eastern monarch population: loss of milkweed host plants from increased herbicide use, mortality during autumn migration and/or early-winter resettlement and changes in breeding-season climate. Here, we use a hierarchical modelling approach, combining data from >18,000 systematic surveys to evaluate support for each of these hypotheses over a 25-yr period. Between 2004 and 2018, breeding-season weather was nearly seven times more important than other factors in explaining variation in summer population size, which was positively associated with the size of the subsequent overwintering population. Although data limitations prevent definitive evaluation of the factors governing population size between 1994 and 2003 (the period of the steepest monarch decline coinciding with a widespread increase in herbicide use), breeding-season weather was similarly identified as an important driver of monarch population size. If observed changes in spring and summer climate continue, portions of the current breeding range may become inhospitable for monarchs. Our results highlight the increasingly important contribution of a changing climate to insect declines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin R Zylstra
- Department of Integrative Biology, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
| | - Leslie Ries
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Naresh Neupane
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Sarah P Saunders
- Department of Integrative Biology, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,National Audubon Society, New York, NY, USA
| | - M Isabel Ramírez
- Centro de Investigaciones en Geografía Ambiental, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Mexico
| | | | - Karen S Oberhauser
- University of Wisconsin Arboretum, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Matthew T Farr
- Department of Integrative Biology, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Elise F Zipkin
- Department of Integrative Biology, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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23
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Grant TJ, Krishnan N, Bradbury SP. Conservation risks and benefits of establishing monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) breeding habitats close to maize and soybean fields in the north central United States: A landscape-scale analysis of the impact of foliar insecticide on nonmigratory monarch butterfly populations. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2021; 17:989-1002. [PMID: 33629511 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Establishing habitat in agricultural landscapes of the north central United States is critical to reversing the decline of North America's eastern monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) population. Insecticide use could create population sinks and threaten recovery. Discouraging habitat establishment within a 38-m zone around crop fields is a suggested risk mitigation measure. In Story County, Iowa, United States, this mitigation would discourage habitat establishment in 84% of roadsides and 38% of noncrop land. It is unclear if the conservation benefits from establishing habitat close to crop fields outweigh suppression of population growth owing to insecticide exposure. Consequently, monarch conservation plans require spatially and temporally explicit landscape-scale assessments. Using an agent-based model that incorporates female monarch movement and egg laying, the number and location of eggs laid in Story County were simulated for four habitat scenarios: current condition, maximum new establishment, moderate establishment, and moderate establishment only outside a 38-m no-plant zone around crop fields. A demographic model incorporated mortality from natural causes and insecticide exposure to simulate adult monarch production over 10 years. Assuming no insecticide exposure, simulated adult production increased 24.7% and 9.3%, respectively, with maximum and moderate habitat establishment and no planting restrictions. A 3.5% increase was simulated assuming moderate habitat establishment with a 38-m planting restriction. Impacts on adult production were simulated for six representative insecticides registered for soybean aphid (Aphis glycines) management. Depending on the frequency of insecticide applications over a 10-year period, simulated production increased 8.2%-9.3%, assuming moderate habitat establishment with no planting restrictions. Results suggest that the benefits of establishing habitat close to crop fields outweigh the adverse effects of insecticide spray drift; that is, metapopulation extirpation is not a concern for monarchs. These findings are only applicable to species that move at spatial scales greater than the scale of potential spray-drift impacts. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:989-1002. © 2021 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J Grant
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Niranjana Krishnan
- Toxicology Program and Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Steven P Bradbury
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
- Toxicology Program and Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
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24
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Fenn SR, Bignal EM, Bignal S, Trask AE, McCracken DI, Monaghan P, Reid JM. Within‐year and among‐year variation in impacts of targeted conservation management on juvenile survival in a threatened population. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R. Fenn
- School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
| | | | - Sue Bignal
- Scottish Chough Study Group Isle of Islay UK
| | | | - Davy I. McCracken
- Department of Integrated Land Management Scotland’s Rural College Ayr UK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health & Comparative Medicine Graham Kerr Building University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
| | - Jane M. Reid
- School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Institutt for Biologi NTNU Trondheim Norway
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25
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Momeni‐Dehaghi I, Bennett JR, Mitchell GW, Rytwinski T, Fahrig L. Mapping the premigration distribution of eastern Monarch butterflies using community science data. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:11275-11281. [PMID: 34429917 PMCID: PMC8366871 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowing the distribution of migratory species at different stages of their life cycle is necessary for their effective conservation. For the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), although its overwintering distribution is well known, the available information on premigration distribution is limited to the studies estimating the natal origins of overwintering Monarchs in Mexico (i.e., postmigration data). However, the premigration distribution and the natal origins of overwintering Monarchs can be equivalent only if we assume that migrating Monarchs have the same mortality rate irrespective of their origins. To estimate Monarchs' premigration distribution, we used data reported by community scientists before Monarchs start their fall migration, that is, before migration mortality, and controlled for sampling bias. Our premigration distribution map indicated that Minnesota, Texas, and Ontario are the states/provinces with the highest abundance of Monarch in North America. Although this higher estimated abundance can be related to the large sizes of these states/provinces, this information is still important because it identifies the management jurisdictions with the largest responsibility for the conservation of the premigration population of Monarchs. Our premigration distribution map will be useful in future studies estimating the rates, distribution, and causes of mortality in migrating Monarchs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Greg W. Mitchell
- Department of BiologyCarleton UniversityOttawaONCanada
- Wildlife Research DivisionNational Wildlife Research CentreEnvironment and Climate Change CanadaOttawaONCanada
| | | | - Lenore Fahrig
- Department of BiologyCarleton UniversityOttawaONCanada
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26
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Bowler DE. Complex causes of insect declines. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:1334-1335. [PMID: 34282316 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01508-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Diana E Bowler
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. .,Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Biodiversity, Jena, Germany. .,Helmholtz-Center for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Ecosystem Services, Leipzig, Germany.
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27
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Niemuth ND, Wangler B, LeBrun JJ, Dewald D, Larson S, Schwagler T, Bradbury CW, Pritchert RD, Iovanna R. Conservation planning for pollinators in the U.S. Great Plains: considerations of context, treatments, and scale. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Neal D. Niemuth
- Habitat and Population Evaluation Team U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bismarck North Dakota 58501 USA
| | - Brian Wangler
- Habitat and Population Evaluation Team U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bismarck North Dakota 58501 USA
| | - Jaymi J. LeBrun
- Habitat and Population Evaluation Team U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bloomington Minnesota 55437 USA
| | - David Dewald
- Natural Resources Conservation Service U.S. Department of Agriculture Bismarck North Dakota 58501 USA
| | - Scott Larson
- Ecological Services U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pierre South Dakota 57501 USA
| | - Todd Schwagler
- Natural Resources Conservation Service U.S. Department of Agriculture Bismarck North Dakota 58501 USA
| | - Curtis W. Bradbury
- Natural Resources Conservation Service U.S. Department of Agriculture Bismarck North Dakota 58501 USA
| | - Ronald D. Pritchert
- Habitat and Population Evaluation Team U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bismarck North Dakota 58501 USA
| | - Rich Iovanna
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Production and Conservation Washington D.C. 20250 USA
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28
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Pugesek G, Crone EE. Contrasting effects of land cover on nesting habitat use and reproductive output for bumble bees. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve Pugesek
- Department of Biology Tufts University 200 College Avenue Medford Massachusetts02155USA
| | - Elizabeth E. Crone
- Department of Biology Tufts University 200 College Avenue Medford Massachusetts02155USA
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Environmental drivers of annual population fluctuations in a trans-Saharan insect migrant. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2102762118. [PMID: 34155114 PMCID: PMC8256005 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2102762118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The painted lady butterfly is an annual migrant to northern regions, but the size of the immigration varies by more than 100-fold in successive years. Unlike the monarch, the painted lady breeds year round, and it has long been suspected that plant-growing conditions in winter-breeding locations drive this high annual variability. However, the regions where caterpillars develop over winter remained unclear. Here, we show for the European summer population that winter plant greenness in the savanna of sub-Saharan Africa is the key driver of the size of the spring immigration. Our results show that painted ladies regularly cross the Sahara Desert and elucidate the climatic drivers of the annual population dynamics. Many latitudinal insect migrants including agricultural pests, disease vectors, and beneficial species show huge fluctuations in the year-to-year abundance of spring immigrants reaching temperate zones. It is widely believed that this variation is driven by climatic conditions in the winter-breeding regions, but evidence is lacking. We identified the environmental drivers of the annual population dynamics of a cosmopolitan migrant butterfly (the painted lady Vanessa cardui) using a combination of long-term monitoring and climate and atmospheric data within the western part of its Afro-Palearctic migratory range. Our population models show that a combination of high winter NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) in the Savanna/Sahel of sub-Saharan Africa, high spring NDVI in the Maghreb of North Africa, and frequent favorably directed tailwinds during migration periods are the three most important drivers of the size of the immigration to western Europe, while our atmospheric trajectory simulations demonstrate regular opportunities for wind-borne trans-Saharan movements. The effects of sub-Saharan vegetative productivity and wind conditions confirm that painted lady populations on either side of the Sahara are linked by regular mass migrations, making this the longest annual insect migration circuit so far known. Our results provide a quantification of the environmental drivers of large annual population fluctuations of an insect migrant and hold much promise for predicting invasions of migrant insect pests, disease vectors, and beneficial species.
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30
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High Survivorship of First-Generation Monarch Butterfly Eggs to Third Instar Associated with a Diverse Arthropod Community. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12060567. [PMID: 34205618 PMCID: PMC8234420 DOI: 10.3390/insects12060567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The eastern migratory population of the monarch butterfly has been the focus of extensive conservation efforts in recent years. However, there are gaps in our knowledge about the survival of first, or spring generation, monarchs in their core areas of Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. This is important because the spring generation represents the first stage of annual recovery from overwinter mortality. It is, therefore, an important stage for monarch conservation efforts. This study showed that, in the context of a complex arthropod community in north Texas, first generation monarch survival was high. The study found that survival was not directly related to predators on the host plant, but was higher on host plants that harbored a greater number and variety of other, non-predatory arthropods. This is possibly because the presence of alternate, preferable prey enabled monarch eggs and larvae to be overlooked by predators. The implication is that, at least in the southern U.S., monarch conservation should consider strategies that promote diverse functional arthropod communities. Abstract Based on surveys of winter roost sites, the eastern migratory population of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) in North America appears to have declined in the last 20 years and this has prompted the implementation of numerous conservation strategies. However, there is little information on the survivorship of first-generation monarchs in the core area of occupancy in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana where overwinter population recovery begins. The purpose of this study was to determine the survivorship of first-generation eggs to third instars at a site in north Texas and to evaluate host plant arthropods for their effect on survivorship. Survivorship to third instar averaged 13.4% and varied from 11.7% to 15.6% over three years. The host plants harbored 77 arthropod taxa, including 27 predatory taxa. Despite their abundance, neither predator abundance nor predator richness predicted monarch survival. However, host plants upon which monarchs survived often harbored higher numbers of non-predatory arthropod taxa and more individuals of non-predatory taxa. These results suggest that ecological processes may have buffered the effects of predators and improved monarch survival in our study. The creation of diverse functional arthropod communities should be considered for effective monarch conservation, particularly in southern latitudes.
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31
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Chowdhury S, Zalucki MP, Amano T, Woodworth BK, Venegas-Li R, Fuller RA. Seasonal spatial dynamics of butterfly migration. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1814-1823. [PMID: 34145940 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the seasonal movements of migratory species underpins ecological studies. Several hundred butterfly species show migratory behaviour, yet the spatial pattern of these migrations is poorly understood. We developed climatic niche models for 405 migratory butterfly species globally to estimate patterns of seasonal movement and the distribution of seasonal habitat suitability. We found strong seasonal variation in habitat suitability for most migratory butterflies with >75% of pixels within their distributions showing seasonal switching in predicted occupancy for 85% of species. The greatest rate of seasonal switching occurred in the tropics. Several species showed extreme range fluctuations between seasons, exceeding 10-fold for 53 species (13%) and more than 100-fold for nine species (2%), suggesting that such species may be at elevated extinction risk. Our results can be used to search for the ecological processes that underpin migration in insects, as well as to design conservation interventions for declining migratory insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawan Chowdhury
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Qld, Australia
| | - Myron P Zalucki
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Qld, Australia
| | - Tatsuya Amano
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Qld, Australia
| | - Bradley K Woodworth
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Qld, Australia
| | - Ruben Venegas-Li
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Qld, Australia
| | - Richard A Fuller
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Qld, Australia
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32
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Dolezal AJ, Esch EH, MacDougall AS. Restored marginal farmland benefits arthropod diversity at multiple scales. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra J. Dolezal
- University of Guelph, Department of Integrative Biology, 50 Stone Road East Guelph Ontario Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Ellen H. Esch
- University of Guelph, Department of Integrative Biology, 50 Stone Road East Guelph Ontario Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Andrew S. MacDougall
- University of Guelph, Department of Integrative Biology, 50 Stone Road East Guelph Ontario Canada N1G 2W1
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33
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Mullins AN, Bradbury SP, Sappington TW, Adelman JS. Oviposition Response of Monarch Butterfly (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) to Imidacloprid-Treated Milkweed. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 50:541-549. [PMID: 34008844 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvab024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) populations have declined over the last two decades, attributable in part to declines in its larval host plant, milkweed (Asclepias spp.), across its breeding range. Conservation efforts in the United States call for restoration of 1.3 billion milkweed stems into the Midwestern landscape. Reaching this goal will require habitat establishment in marginal croplands, where there is a high potential for exposure to agrochemicals. Corn and soybean crops may be treated with neonicotinoid insecticides systemically or through foliar applications to provide protection against insect pests. Here, we investigate whether ovipositing monarchs discriminate against milkweed plants exposed to the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid, either systemically or through foliar application. In our first experiment, we placed gravid females in enclosures containing a choice of two cut stems for oviposition: one in 15 ml of a 0.5 mg/ml aqueous solution of imidacloprid and one in 15 ml water. In a second experiment, females were given a choice of milkweed plants whose leaves were treated with 30 µl of a 0.825 mg/ml imidacloprid-surfactant solution or plants treated with surfactant alone. To evaluate oviposition preference, we counted and removed eggs from all plants daily for 3 d. We also collected video data on a subset of butterflies to evaluate landing behavior. Results indicate that neither systemic nor foliar treatment with imidacloprid influenced oviposition behavior in female monarchs. The implications of these findings for monarch conservation practices will be informed by the results of ongoing egg and larval toxicity studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander N Mullins
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, 339 Science Hall II, 2310 Pammel Drive, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Interdepartmental Program, Iowa State University, 1009 Agronomy, 716 Farmhouse Lane, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Steven P Bradbury
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, 339 Science Hall II, 2310 Pammel Drive, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Interdepartmental Program, Iowa State University, 1009 Agronomy, 716 Farmhouse Lane, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, 339 Science Hall II, 2310 Pammel Drive, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Thomas W Sappington
- Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, 503 Science Hall II, 2310 Pammel Drive, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - James S Adelman
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, 339 Science Hall II, 2310 Pammel Drive, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Interdepartmental Program, Iowa State University, 1009 Agronomy, 716 Farmhouse Lane, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Memphis, Life Sciences 239 Ellington Hall, 3700 Walker Avenue, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
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34
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Crone EE, Schultz CB. Resilience or Catastrophe? A possible state change for monarch butterflies in western North America. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1533-1538. [PMID: 34110069 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
In the western United States, the population of migratory monarch butterflies is on the brink of collapse, having dropped from several million butterflies in the 1980s to ~2000 butterflies in the winter of 2020-2021. At the same time, a resident (non-migratory) monarch butterfly population in urban gardens has been growing in abundance. The new resident population is not sufficient to make up for the loss of the migratory population; there are still orders of magnitude fewer butterflies now than in the recent past. The resident population also probably lacks the demographic capacity to expand its range inland during summer months. Nonetheless, the resident population may have the capacity to persist. This sudden change emphasises the extent to which environmental change can have unexpected consequences, and how quickly these changes can happen. We hope it will provoke discussion about how we define resilience and viability in changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cheryl B Schultz
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, USA
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35
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Knight SM, Flockhart DTT, Derbyshire R, Bosco MG, Norris DR. Experimental field evidence shows milkweed contaminated with a common neonicotinoid decreases larval survival of monarch butterflies. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1742-1752. [PMID: 33837530 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Neonicotinoid insecticides are the most widely used class of insecticides in the world and can have both lethal and sub-lethal effects on non-target organisms in agricultural areas. Monarch butterflies Danaus plexippus have experienced dramatic declines in recent decades and, given that a large proportion of milkweed on the landscape grows in agricultural areas, there is concern about the negative effects of neonicotinoids on this non-target insect. In the field, we exposed common milkweed Asclepias syriaca, an obligate host plant of monarch butterflies, to agriculturally realistic levels of clothianidin, a widely used neonicotinoid insecticide. We tested whether this treatment influenced the number of eggs laid and larval survival over 2 years. Milkweeds were transplanted into 60 experimental plots alongside a corn crop planted with a clothianidin seed coat and 60 control plots alongside an untreated corn crop. The number of eggs, larvae at each stage (first to fifth instar), and the presence of other arthropods were recorded weekly from June to the end of August and survival from egg to fifth instar was estimated using a Bayesian state-space statistical model. We counted more eggs in treated plots compared to control plots, suggesting a preference for treated milkweed. The number of plots with arthropods did not differ between treatments, but within treated plots, there was a greater decrease in the number of arthropods throughout the season. There was no evidence that monarchs selected plots with fewer arthropods for oviposition. Larval survival was lower in clothianidin-treated plots compared to control plots. Our results suggest milkweed near clothianidin-treated crops can reduce larval survival of monarch butterflies. While we provide some evidence that clothianidin could also act as an ecological trap for this species, further work is needed to identify additional components of fitness, including individual egg-laying rates and survival beyond the pupal stage. Our findings add to a growing body of evidence that neonicotinoids can negatively affect non-target organisms. .
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M Knight
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Nature Conservancy of Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - D T Tyler Flockhart
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, MD, USA
| | - Rachael Derbyshire
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Department of Environmental and Life Science, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Mark G Bosco
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - D Ryan Norris
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Nature Conservancy of Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada
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36
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Chowdhury S, Fuller RA, Dingle H, Chapman JW, Zalucki MP. Migration in butterflies: a global overview. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1462-1483. [PMID: 33783119 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Insect populations including butterflies are declining worldwide, and they are becoming an urgent conservation priority in many regions. Understanding which butterfly species migrate is critical to planning for their conservation, because management actions for migrants need to be coordinated across time and space. Yet, while migration appears to be widespread among butterflies, its prevalence, as well as its taxonomic and geographic distribution are poorly understood. The study of insect migration is hampered by their small size and the difficulty of tracking individuals over long distances. Here we review the literature on migration in butterflies, one of the best-known insect groups. We find that nearly 600 butterfly species show evidence of migratory movements. Indeed, the rate of 'discovery' of migratory movements in butterflies suggests that many more species might in fact be migratory. Butterfly migration occurs across all families, in tropical as well as temperate taxa; Nymphalidae has more migratory species than any other family (275 species), and Pieridae has the highest proportion of migrants (13%; 133 species). Some 13 lines of evidence have been used to ascribe migration status in the literature, but only a single line of evidence is available for 92% of the migratory species identified, with four or more lines of evidence available for only 10 species - all from the Pieridae and Nymphalidae. Migratory butterflies occur worldwide, although the geographic distribution of migration in butterflies is poorly resolved, with most data so far coming from Europe, USA, and Australia. Migration is much more widespread in butterflies than previously realised - extending far beyond the well-known examples of the monarch Danaus plexippus and the painted lady Vanessa cardui - and actions to conserve butterflies and insects in general must account for the spatial dependencies introduced by migratory movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawan Chowdhury
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Richard A Fuller
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Hugh Dingle
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Jason W Chapman
- Biosciences, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK.,College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Myron P Zalucki
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
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37
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38
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Gilbert SF. Evolutionary developmental biology and sustainability: A biology of resilience. Evol Dev 2021; 23:273-291. [PMID: 33400344 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary developmental biology, and especially ecological developmental biology, is essential for discussions of sustainability and the responses to global climate change. First, this paper explores examples of animals that have successfully altered their development to accommodate human-made changes to their environments. We next document the ability of global warming to disrupt the development of those organisms with temperature-dependent sex-determination or with phenologies coordinating that organism's development with those of other species. The thermotolerance of Homo sapiens is also related to key developmental factors concerning brain development and maintenance, and the development of corals, the keystone organisms of tropical reefs, is discussed in relation to global warming as well as to other anthropogenic changes. While teratogenic and endocrine-disrupting compounds are not discussed in this essay, the ability of glyphosate herbicides to block insect development is highlighted. Last, the paper discusses the need to creatively integrate developmental biology with ecological, political, religious, and economic perspectives, as the flourishing of contemporary species may require altering the ways that Western science has considered the categories of nature, culture, and self.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott F Gilbert
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, USA
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39
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Wilcox AAE, Newman AEM, Raine NE, Mitchell GW, Norris DR. Captive-reared migratory monarch butterflies show natural orientation when released in the wild. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab032. [PMID: 34386237 PMCID: PMC8355447 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Eastern North American migratory monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) have faced sharp declines over the past two decades. Captive rearing of monarch butterflies is a popular and widely used approach for both public education and conservation. However, recent evidence suggests that captive-reared monarchs may lose their capacity to orient southward during fall migration to their Mexican overwintering sites, raising questions about the value and ethics of this activity undertaken by tens of thousands of North American citizens, educators, volunteers and conservationists each year. We raised offspring of wild-caught monarchs on swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) indoors at 29°C during the day and 23°C at night (~77% RH, 18L:6D), and after eclosion, individuals were either tested in a flight simulator or radio tracked in the wild using an array of automated telemetry towers. While 26% (10/39) of monarchs tested in the flight simulator showed a weakly concentrated southward orientation, 97% (28/29) of the radio-tracked individuals that could be reliably detected by automated towers flew in a south to southeast direction from the release site and were detected at distances of up to 200 km away. Our results suggest that, although captive rearing of monarch butterflies may cause temporary disorientation, proper orientation is likely established after exposure to natural skylight cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alana A E Wilcox
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- Corresponding author: Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Amy E M Newman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Nigel E Raine
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Greg W Mitchell
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - D Ryan Norris
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- Nature Conservancy of Canada, 245 Eglington Avenue East, Toronto, Ontario, M4P 3J1, Canada
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40
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Lisovski S, Gosbell K, Minton C, Klaassen M. Migration strategy as an indicator of resilience to change in two shorebird species with contrasting population trajectories. J Anim Ecol 2020; 90:2005-2014. [PMID: 33232515 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Many migratory birds are declining worldwide. In line with the general causes for the global biodiversity crisis, habitat loss, pollution, hunting, over-exploitation and climate change are thought to be at the basis of these population declines. Long-distance migrants seem especially vulnerable to rapid anthropogenic change, yet, the rate of decline across populations and species varies greatly within flyways. We hypothesize that differences in migration strategy, and notably stopover-site use, may be at the basis of these variations in resilience to global change. By identifying and comparing the migration strategies of two very closely related shorebird species, the Curlew sandpiper Calidris ferruginea and the Red-necked stint Calidris ruficollis, migrating from the same non-breeding site in Australia to similar breeding sites in the high Russian Arctic, we aimed to explain why these two species express differential resilience to rapid changes within their flyway resulting in different population trajectories in recent times. Based on 13 Curlew sandpiper and 16 Red-necked stint tracks from light-level geolocator tags, we found that individual Curlew sandpipers make use of fewer stopover areas along the flyway compared to Red-necked stints. Furthermore, and notably during northward migration, Curlew sandpipers have a higher dependency on fewer sites, both in terms of the percentage of individuals visiting key stopover sites and the relative time spent at those sites. While Curlew sandpipers rely mainly on the Yellow Sea region, which has recently experienced a sharp decline in suitable habitat, Red-necked stints make use of additional sites and spread their relative time en-route across sites more evenly. Our results indicate that differential migration strategies may explain why Curlew sandpipers within the East Asian-Australasian Flyway are declining rapidly (9.5%-5.5% per year) while Red-necked stints remain relatively stable (-3.1%-0%). We consider that more generally, the number of sites per individual and among a population, the spatial distribution across the flyway, as well as the relationship between the time spent over sites may prove to be key variables explaining populations and species' differential resilience to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simeon Lisovski
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Research, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ken Gosbell
- Victorian Wader Study Group, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Clive Minton
- Victorian Wader Study Group, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Marcel Klaassen
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
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41
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Diffendorfer JE, Thogmartin WE, Drum R, Schultz CB. Editorial: North American Monarch Butterfly Ecology and Conservation. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.576281] [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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42
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Taylor OR, Pleasants JM, Grundel R, Pecoraro SD, Lovett JP, Ryan A. Evaluating the Migration Mortality Hypothesis Using Monarch Tagging Data. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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43
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Jackson J, Mar KU, Htut W, Childs DZ, Lummaa V. Changes in age-structure over four decades were a key determinant of population growth rate in a long-lived mammal. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2268-2278. [PMID: 32592591 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
A changing environment directly influences birth and mortality rates, and thus population growth rates. However, population growth rates in the short term are also influenced by population age-structure. Despite its importance, the contribution of age-structure to population growth rates has rarely been explored empirically in wildlife populations with long-term demographic data. Here we assessed how changes in age-structure influenced short-term population dynamics in a semi-captive population of Asian elephants Elephas maximus. We addressed this question using a demographic dataset of female Asian elephants from timber camps in Myanmar spanning 45 years (1970-2014). First, we explored temporal variation in age-structure. Then, using annual matrix population models, we used a retrospective approach to assess the contributions of age-structure and vital rates to short-term population growth rates with respect to the average environment. Age-structure was highly variable over the study period, with large proportions of juveniles in the years 1970 and 1985, and made a substantial contribution to annual population growth rate deviations. High adult birth rates between 1970 and 1980 would have resulted in large positive population growth rates, but these were prevented by a low proportion of reproductive-aged females. We highlight that an understanding of both age-specific vital rates and age-structure is needed to assess short-term population dynamics. Furthermore, this example from a human-managed system suggests that the importance of age-structure may be accentuated in populations experiencing human disturbance where age-structure is unstable, such as those in captivity or for endangered species. Ultimately, changes to the environment drive population dynamics by influencing birth and mortality rates, but understanding demographic structure is crucial for assessing population growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Jackson
- Department of Biology, Interdisciplinary Centre for Population Dynamics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark.,Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Khyne U Mar
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Win Htut
- Myanma Timber Enterprise, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Conservation, Gyogone Forest Compound, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Dylan Z Childs
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Virpi Lummaa
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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Sample C, Bieri JA, Allen B, Dementieva Y, Carson A, Higgins C, Piatt S, Qiu S, Stafford S, Mattsson BJ, Semmens DJ, Diffendorfer JE, Thogmartin WE. Quantifying the Contribution of Habitats and Pathways to a Spatially Structured Population Facing Environmental Change. Am Nat 2020; 196:157-168. [PMID: 32673098 DOI: 10.1086/709009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The consequences of environmental disturbance and management are difficult to quantify for spatially structured populations because changes in one location carry through to other areas as a result of species movement. We develop a metric, G, for measuring the contribution of a habitat or pathway to network-wide population growth rate in the face of environmental change. This metric is different from other contribution metrics, as it quantifies effects of modifying vital rates for habitats and pathways in perturbation experiments. Perturbation treatments may range from small degradation or enhancement to complete habitat or pathway removal. We demonstrate the metric using a simple metapopulation example and a case study of eastern monarch butterflies. For the monarch case study, the magnitude of environmental change influences the ordering of node contribution. We find that habitats within which all individuals reside during one season are the most important to short-term network growth under complete removal scenarios, whereas the central breeding region contributes most to population growth over all but the strongest disturbances. The metric G provides for more efficient management interventions that proactively mitigate impacts of expected disturbances to spatially structured populations.
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Brym MZ, Henry C, Lukashow-Moore SP, Henry BJ, van Gestel N, Kendall RJ. Prevalence of monarch (Danaus plexippus) and queen (Danaus gilippus) butterflies in West Texas during the fall of 2018. BMC Ecol 2020; 20:33. [PMID: 32532338 PMCID: PMC7291465 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-020-00301-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is a conspicuous insect that has experienced a drastic population decline over the past two decades. While there are several factors contributing to dwindling monarch populations, habitat loss is considered the most significant threat to monarchs. In the United States, loss of milkweed, particularly in the Midwest, has greatly reduced the available breeding habitat of monarchs. This has led to extensive efforts to conserve and restore milkweed resources throughout the Midwest. Recently, these research and conservation efforts have been expanded to include other important areas along the monarch’s migratory path. Results During the fall of 2018, we conducted surveys of monarch eggs and larvae through West Texas. We documented monarch and queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus) reproduction throughout the region and used the proportion of monarch and queen larva to estimate the number of monarch eggs. Peak egg densities for monarchs were as high as 0.78 per milkweed ramet after correction for the presence of queens. Despite our observations encompassing only a limited sample across one season, the peak monarch egg densities we observed exceeded published reports from when monarch populations were higher. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study to correct for the presence of queens when calculating the density of monarch eggs. This research also provides insight into monarch utilization of less well-known regions, such as West Texas, and highlights the need to expand the scope of monarch monitoring and conservation initiatives. While the importance of monarch research and conservation in the Midwest is unquestionable, more comprehensive efforts may identify new priorities in monarch conservation and lead to a more robust and effective overall strategy, particularly given the dynamic and rapidly changing global environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Z Brym
- The Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory, Texas Tech University, Box 43290, Lubbock, TX, 79409-3290, USA
| | - Cassandra Henry
- The Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory, Texas Tech University, Box 43290, Lubbock, TX, 79409-3290, USA
| | - Shannon P Lukashow-Moore
- The Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory, Texas Tech University, Box 43290, Lubbock, TX, 79409-3290, USA
| | - Brett J Henry
- The Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory, Texas Tech University, Box 43290, Lubbock, TX, 79409-3290, USA
| | - Natasja van Gestel
- The Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Ronald J Kendall
- The Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory, Texas Tech University, Box 43290, Lubbock, TX, 79409-3290, USA.
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Fokkema W, van der Jeugd HP, Lameris TK, Dokter AM, Ebbinge BS, de Roos AM, Nolet BA, Piersma T, Olff H. Ontogenetic niche shifts as a driver of seasonal migration. Oecologia 2020; 193:285-297. [PMID: 32529317 PMCID: PMC7320946 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04682-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Ontogenetic niche shifts have helped to understand population dynamics. Here we show that ontogenetic niche shifts also offer an explanation, complementary to traditional concepts, as to why certain species show seasonal migration. We describe how demographic processes (survival, reproduction and migration) and associated ecological requirements of species may change with ontogenetic stage (juvenile, adult) and across the migratory range (breeding, non-breeding). We apply this concept to widely different species (dark-bellied brent geese (Branta b. bernicla), humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and migratory Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) to check the generality of this hypothesis. Consistent with the idea that ontogenetic niche shifts are an important driver of seasonal migration, we find that growth and survival of juvenile life stages profit most from ecological conditions that are specific to breeding areas. We suggest that matrix population modelling techniques are promising to detect the importance of the ontogenetic niche shifts in maintaining migratory strategies. As a proof of concept, we applied a first analysis to resident, partial migratory and fully migratory populations of barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis). We argue that recognition of the costs and benefits of migration, and how these vary with life stages, is important to understand and conserve migration under global environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wimke Fokkema
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Univ. of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Henk P van der Jeugd
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Vogeltrekstation, Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas K Lameris
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems, and Utrecht University, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Adriaan M Dokter
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Barwolt S Ebbinge
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen Univ. and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - André M de Roos
- Department of Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), Univ. of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bart A Nolet
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), Univ. of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Univ. of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems, and Utrecht University, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Han Olff
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Univ. of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Grant TJ, Flockhart DTT, Blader TR, Hellmich RL, Pitman GM, Tyner S, Norris DR, Bradbury SP. Estimating arthropod survival probability from field counts: a case study with monarch butterflies. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J. Grant
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management Iowa State University Ames Iowa USA
| | - D. T. Tyler Flockhart
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science – Appalachian Laboratory Frostburg Maryland USA
| | | | | | | | - Sam Tyner
- Department of Statistics Iowa State University Ames Iowa USA
| | - D. Ryan Norris
- The Nature Conservancy of Canada Toronto Ontario Canada
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph Ontario Canada
| | - Steven P. Bradbury
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management Iowa State University Ames Iowa USA
- Department of Entomology Iowa State University Ames Iowa USA
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Guimarães M, Correa DT, Gaiarsa MP, Kéry M. Full-annual demography and seasonal cycles in a resident vertebrate. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8658. [PMID: 32140310 PMCID: PMC7047866 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildlife demography is typically studied at a single point in time within a year when species, often during the reproductive season, are more active and therefore easier to find. However, this provides only a low-resolution glimpse into demographic temporal patterns over time and may hamper a more complete understanding of the population dynamics of a species over the full annual cycle. The full annual cycle is often influenced by environmental seasonality, which induces a cyclic behavior in many species. However, cycles have rarely been explicitly included in models for demographic parameters, and most information on full annual cycle demography is restricted to migratory species. Here we used a high-resolution capture-recapture study of a resident tropical lizard to assess the full intra-annual demography and within-year periodicity in survival, temporary emigration and recapture probabilities. We found important variation over the annual cycle and up to 92% of the total monthly variation explained by cycles. Fine-scale demographic studies and assessments on the importance of cycles within parameters may be a powerful way to achieve a better understanding of population persistence over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murilo Guimarães
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil
| | - Decio T Correa
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, United States of America
| | | | - Marc Kéry
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
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Thogmartin WE, Szymanski JA, Weiser EL. Evidence for a Growing Population of Eastern Migratory Monarch Butterflies Is Currently Insufficient. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Integrating Agriculture and Ecosystems to Find Suitable Adaptations to Climate Change. CLIMATE 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/cli8010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is altering agricultural production and ecosystems around the world. Future projections indicate that additional change is expected in the coming decades, forcing individuals and communities to respond and adapt. Current research efforts typically examine climate change effects and possible adaptations but fail to integrate agriculture and ecosystems. This failure to jointly consider these systems and associated externalities may underestimate climate change impacts or cause adaptation implementation surprises, such as causing adaptation status of some groups or ecosystems to be worsened. This work describes and motivates reasons why ecosystems and agriculture adaptation require an integrated analytical approach. Synthesis of current literature and examples from Texas are used to explain concepts and current challenges. Texas is chosen because of its high agricultural output that is produced in close interrelationship with the surrounding semi-arid ecosystem. We conclude that future effect and adaptation analyses would be wise to jointly consider ecosystems and agriculture. Existing paradigms and useful methodology can be transplanted from the sustainable agriculture and ecosystem service literature to explore alternatives for climate adaptation and incentivization of private agriculturalists and consumers. Researchers are encouraged to adopt integrated modeling as a means to avoid implementation challenges and surprises when formulating and implementing adaptation.
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