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Catry T, Correia E, Gutiérrez JS, Bocher P, Robin F, Rousseau P, Granadeiro JP. Low migratory connectivity and similar migratory strategies in a shorebird with contrasting wintering population trends in Europe and West Africa. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4884. [PMID: 38418600 PMCID: PMC10901768 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55501-y] [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: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Migratory shorebird populations are declining worldwide, showing an apparent inability to respond to the interplaying challenges emerging along their flyways. Within the East Atlantic Flyway, non-breeding populations show moderate to strong declines in Sub-Saharan Africa, contrasting with stable or increasing trends in Europe. Local factors are insufficient to explain the opposite tendencies and, therefore, investigating migratory strategies and connectivity of these populations may help identifying the drivers of their demography. We followed the migratory journeys of 20 grey plovers (Pluvialis squatarola) from their wintering grounds in Guinea-Bissau (West Africa), Portugal and France (Europe) using tracking devices. Grey plovers wintering in Africa and Europe were found to share breeding grounds at European Russia and Western Siberia, revealing low migratory connectivity in the Eastern Atlantic population. All individuals followed a "skipping" migratory strategy, flying mostly mid-distance bouts, and using an unexpected large network of stopover sites to re-fuel usually for short periods. We identified 66 different stopover sites along the West African, European and Russian/Siberian coasts. All birds stopped at the Wadden Sea in both migratory periods, highlighting the importance of this region and the risk for a potential bottleneck. Low migratory connectivity and similar migratory strategies shared by grey plovers wintering in Europe and West Africa do not support their contrasting population trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Catry
- Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Edna Correia
- Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jorge S Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
- Ecología en el Antropoceno, Unidad asociada CSIC-UEX, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Pierrick Bocher
- Laboratory Littoral Environnement et Sociétés UMR LIENSs 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle University, La Rochelle, France
| | - Frédéric Robin
- Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO), Rochefort, France
| | - Pierre Rousseau
- National Nature Reserve of Möeze-Oléron, Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO), Saint-Froult, France
| | - José P Granadeiro
- Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
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Yang Q, Wang B, Lemey P, Dong L, Mu T, Wiebe RA, Guo F, Trovão NS, Park SW, Lewis N, Tsui JLH, Bajaj S, Cheng Y, Yang L, Haba Y, Li B, Zhang G, Pybus OG, Tian H, Grenfell B. Synchrony of Bird Migration with Global Dispersal of Avian Influenza Reveals Exposed Bird Orders. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1126. [PMID: 38321046 PMCID: PMC10847442 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45462-1] [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: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) A H5, particularly clade 2.3.4.4, has caused worldwide outbreaks in domestic poultry, occasional spillover to humans, and increasing deaths of diverse species of wild birds since 2014. Wild bird migration is currently acknowledged as an important ecological process contributing to the global dispersal of HPAIV H5. However, this mechanism has not been quantified using bird movement data from different species, and the timing and location of exposure of different species is unclear. We sought to explore these questions through phylodynamic analyses based on empirical data of bird movement tracking and virus genome sequences of clade 2.3.4.4 and 2.3.2.1. First, we demonstrate that seasonal bird migration can explain salient features of the global dispersal of clade 2.3.4.4. Second, we detect synchrony between the seasonality of bird annual cycle phases and virus lineage movements. We reveal the differing exposed bird orders at geographical origins and destinations of HPAIV H5 clade 2.3.4.4 lineage movements, including relatively under-discussed orders. Our study provides a phylodynamic framework that links the bird movement ecology and genomic epidemiology of avian influenza; it highlights the importance of integrating bird behavior and life history in avian influenza studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiqi Yang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Ben Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Center for Global Change and Public Health, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Phillipe Lemey
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lu Dong
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Tong Mu
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - R Alex Wiebe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Fengyi Guo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Sang Woo Park
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Nicola Lewis
- Animal and Plant Health Agency-Weybridge, OIE/FAO International Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza, Swine Influenza and Newcastle Disease Virus, Department of Virology, Addlestone, UK
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Science, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
| | | | - Sumali Bajaj
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Yachang Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Luojun Yang
- Institute for Disease Modeling, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yuki Haba
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Bingying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Center for Global Change and Public Health, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Guogang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, National Bird Banding Center of China, Beijing, China
| | - Oliver G Pybus
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Science, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Huaiyu Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Center for Global Change and Public Health, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
| | - Bryan Grenfell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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Gu S, Qi T, Rohr JR, Liu X. Meta-analysis reveals less sensitivity of non-native animals than natives to extreme weather worldwide. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:2004-2027. [PMID: 37932385 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02235-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Extreme weather events (EWEs; for example, heatwaves, cold spells, storms, floods and droughts) and non-native species invasions are two major threats to global biodiversity and are increasing in both frequency and consequences. Here we synthesize 443 studies and apply multilevel mixed-effects metaregression analyses to compare the responses of 187 non-native and 1,852 native animal species across terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems to different types of EWE. Our results show that marine animals, regardless of whether they are non-native or native, are overall insensitive to EWEs, except for negative effects of heatwaves on native mollusks, corals and anemone. By contrast, terrestrial and freshwater non-native animals are only adversely affected by heatwaves and storms, respectively, whereas native animals negatively respond to heatwaves, cold spells and droughts in terrestrial ecosystems and are vulnerable to most EWEs except cold spells in freshwater ecosystems. On average, non-native animals displayed low abundance in terrestrial ecosystems, and decreased body condition and life history traits in freshwater ecosystems, whereas native animals displayed declines in body condition, life history traits, abundance, distribution and recovery in terrestrial ecosystems, and community structure in freshwater ecosystems. By identifying areas with high overlap between EWEs and EWE-tolerant non-native species, we also provide locations where native biodiversity might be adversely affected by their joint effects and where EWEs might facilitate the establishment and/or spread of non-native species under continuing global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shimin Gu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tianyi Qi
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jason R Rohr
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental Change Initiative, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Xuan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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4
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Hedh L, Hedenström A. Consequences of migratory distance, habitat distribution and season on the migratory process in a short distance migratory shorebird population. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:40. [PMID: 37464409 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00400-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The migratory process in birds consists of alternating periods of flight and fueling. Individuals of some populations make few flights and long stopovers, while others make multiple flights between short stopovers. Shorebirds are known for executing marathon flights (jumps), but most populations studied are long distance migrants, often crossing major barriers and thus forced to make long-haul flights. The sub-division of migration in short/medium distance migratory populations, where the total migration distance is shorter than documented non-stop flight capacity and where routes offer more homogenous stopover landscape, is little explored. METHODS Here we combine data based on conventional light level geolocators and miniaturized multi sensor loggers, comprising acceleration and light sensors, to characterize the migratory routes and migration process for a short/medium distance (~ 1300 to 3000 km) migratory population of common ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula) breeding in southern Sweden. We were specifically interested in the variation in number and duration (total and individual) of flights/stopovers between seasons and in relation to migration distance. RESULTS Most stopovers were located along the European Atlantic coast. On average 4.5 flights were made during autumn migration irrespective of migration distance, but in spring the number of flights increased with distance. The equal number of flights in autumn was explained by that most individuals migrating farther performed one longer flight (all but one lasting > 20 h), likely including crossing of the Bay of Biscay. Median duration of single flights was 8.7 h in autumn and 5.5 h in spring, and median stopover duration was ~ 1 day in both seasons. There was a positive relationship between total flight duration and migration distance, but total flight duration was 36% lower in spring compared to autumn. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that when suitable stopovers are abundant common ringed plovers prefer making shorter flights even if longer flights are within the capacity of the species. This behaviour is predicted under both time and energy minimizing strategies, although the variable flight distances suggest a policy of time selected migration. Even if populations using several stopovers seem to be more resilient for environmental change along the route, these results are informative for conservation efforts and for predicting responses to future environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linus Hedh
- Department of Biology, Ecology Building, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Anders Hedenström
- Department of Biology, Ecology Building, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
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Davies JG, Kirkland M, Miller MGR, Pearce-Higgins JW, Atkinson PW, Hewson CM. Spring arrival of the common cuckoo at breeding grounds is strongly determined by environmental conditions in tropical Africa. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230580. [PMID: 37339739 PMCID: PMC10281800 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Failure to adapt migration timing to changes in environmental conditions along migration routes and at breeding locations can result in mismatches across trophic levels, as occurs between the brood parasitic common cuckoo Cuculus canorus and its hosts. Using satellite tracking data from 87 male cuckoos across 11 years, we evaluate why the cuckoo has not advanced its arrival to the UK. Across years, breeding ground arrival was primarily determined by timing of departure from stopover in West Africa before northward crossing of the Sahara. Together with high population synchrony and low apparent endogenous control of this event, this suggests that a seasonal ecological constraint operating here limits overall variation in breeding grounds arrival, although this event was itself influenced by carry-over from timing of arrival into tropical Africa. Between-year variation within individuals was, in contrast, mostly determined by northward migration through Europe, probably due to weather conditions. We find evidence of increased mortality risk for (a) early birds following migration periods positively impacting breeding grounds arrival, and (b) late birds, possibly suffering energy limitation, after departure from the breeding grounds. These results help identify areas where demands of responding to global change can potentially be alleviated by improving stopover quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob G. Davies
- British Trust for Ornithology Scotland, Stirling University Innovation Park, Beta Centre (Unit 15), Stirling, FK9 4NF, UK
| | - Máire Kirkland
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, IP24 2PU, Norfolk, UK
| | - Mark G. R. Miller
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, IP24 2PU, Norfolk, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | | | - Philip W. Atkinson
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, IP24 2PU, Norfolk, UK
| | - Chris M. Hewson
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, IP24 2PU, Norfolk, UK
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Verhoeven MA, Loonstra AHJ, McBride AD, Kaspersma W, Hooijmeijer JCEW, Both C, Senner NR, Piersma T. Age-dependent timing and routes demonstrate developmental plasticity in a long-distance migratory bird. J Anim Ecol 2021; 91:566-579. [PMID: 34822170 PMCID: PMC9299929 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Longitudinal tracking studies have revealed consistent differences in the migration patterns of individuals from the same populations. The sources or processes causing this individual variation are largely unresolved. As a result, it is mostly unknown how much, how fast and when animals can adjust their migrations to changing environments. We studied the ontogeny of migration in a long‐distance migratory shorebird, the black‐tailed godwit Limosa limosa limosa, a species known to exhibit marked individuality in the migratory routines of adults. By observing how and when these individual differences arise, we aimed to elucidate whether individual differences in migratory behaviour are inherited or emerge as a result of developmental plasticity. We simultaneously tracked juvenile and adult godwits from the same breeding area on their south‐ and northward migrations. To determine how and when individual differences begin to arise, we related juvenile migration routes, timing and mortality rates to hatch date and hatch year. Then, we compared adult and juvenile migration patterns to identify potential age‐dependent differences. In juveniles, the timing of their first southward departure was related to hatch date. However, their subsequent migration routes, orientation, destination, migratory duration and likelihood of mortality were unrelated to the year or timing of migration, or their sex. Juveniles left the Netherlands after all tracked adults. They then flew non‐stop to West Africa more often and incurred higher mortality rates than adults. Some juveniles also took routes and visited stopover sites far outside the well‐documented adult migratory corridor. Such juveniles, however, were not more likely to die. We found that juveniles exhibited different migratory patterns than adults, but no evidence that these behaviours are under natural selection. We thus eliminate the possibility that the individual differences observed among adult godwits are present at hatch or during their first migration. This adds to the mounting evidence that animals possess the developmental plasticity to change their migration later in life in response to environmental conditions as those conditions are experienced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mo A Verhoeven
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - A H Jelle Loonstra
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Alice D McBride
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wiebe Kaspersma
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jos C E W Hooijmeijer
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Christiaan Both
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Nathan R Senner
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, The Netherlands
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7
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McGuire RL, Lanctot RB, Saalfeld ST, Ruthrauff DR, Liebezeit JR. Shorebird Reproductive Response to Exceptionally Early and Late Springs Varies Across Sites in Arctic Alaska. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.577652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Tedeschi A, Sorrenti M, Bottazzo M, Spagnesi M, Telletxea I, Ibàñez R, Tormen N, De Pascalis F, Guidolin L, Rubolini D. Interindividual variation and consistency of migratory behavior in the Eurasian woodcock. Curr Zool 2020; 66:155-163. [PMID: 32440275 PMCID: PMC7233613 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Diverse spatio-temporal aspects of avian migration rely on relatively rigid endogenous programs. However, flexibility in migratory behavior may allow effective coping with unpredictable variation in ecological conditions that can occur during migration. We aimed at characterizing inter- and intraindividual variation of migratory behavior in a forest-dwelling wader species, the Eurasian woodcock Scolopax rusticola, focusing on spatio-temporal consistency across repeated migration episodes. By satellite-tracking birds from their wintering sites along the Italian peninsula to their breeding areas, we disclosed a remarkable variability in migration distances, with some birds flying more than 6,000 km to Central Asian breeding grounds (up to 101°E). Prebreeding migration was faster and of shorter duration than postbreeding migration. Birds moving over longer distances migrated faster during prebreeding migration, and those breeding at northernmost latitudes left their wintering areas earlier. Moreover, birds making longer migrations departed earlier from their breeding sites. Breeding site fidelity was very high, whereas fidelity to wintering areas increased with age. Migration routes were significantly consistent, both among repeated migration episodes and between pre- and postbreeding migration. Prebreeding migration departure date was not significantly repeatable, whereas arrival date to the breeding areas was highly repeatable. Hence, interindividual variation in migratory behavior of woodcocks was mostly explained by the location of the breeding areas, and spatial consistency was relatively large through the entire annual cycle. Flexibility in prebreeding migration departure date may suggest that environmental effects have a larger influence on temporal than on spatial aspects of migratory behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Tedeschi
- Associazione "Amici di Scolopax", Via Roma, 57, Mugnano del Cardinale, AV, I-83027, Italy
| | - Michele Sorrenti
- Federazione Italiana della Caccia, Ufficio Avifauna Migratoria, Via Salaria 298/A, Roma, I-00199, Italy
| | - Michele Bottazzo
- Veneto Agricoltura, Viale dell'Università 14, Legnaro, PD, I-35020, Italy
| | - Mario Spagnesi
- Ekoclub International, Via per Volano 45, Volano di Codigoro, FE, I-44020, Italy
| | - Ibon Telletxea
- Club de Cazadores de Becada, Avda. Schulz 8, 4 dcha, Gijón, E-33208, Spain
| | - Ruben Ibàñez
- Club de Cazadores de Becada, Avda. Schulz 8, 4 dcha, Gijón, E-33208, Spain
| | - Nicola Tormen
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/b, Padova, I-35131, Italy
| | - Federico De Pascalis
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, Milano, I-20133, Italy
| | - Laura Guidolin
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/b, Padova, I-35131, Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, Milano, I-20133, Italy
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Wilkinson BP, Satgé YG, Lamb JS, Jodice PGR. Tropical cyclones alter short-term activity patterns of a coastal seabird. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2019; 7:30. [PMID: 31673358 PMCID: PMC6816181 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-019-0178-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mobile organisms in marine environments are expected to modify their behavior in response to external stressors. Among environmental drivers of animal movement are long-term climatic indices influencing organism distribution and short-term meteorological events anticipated to alter acute movement behavior. However, few studies exist documenting the response of vagile species to meteorological anomalies in coastal and marine systems. METHODS Here we examined the movements of Eastern brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis carolinensis) in the South Atlantic Bight in response to the passage of three separate hurricane events in 2 years. Pelicans (n = 32) were tracked with GPS satellite transmitters from four colonies in coastal South Carolina, USA, for the entirety of at least one storm event. An Expectation Maximization binary Clustering algorithm was used to discretize pelican behavioral states, which were pooled into 'active' versus 'inactive' states. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess behavioral state probabilities in relation to changes in barometric pressure and wind velocity. RESULTS Individual pelicans were more likely to remain inactive during tropical cyclone passage compared to baseline conditions generally, although responses varied by hurricane. When inactive, pelicans tended to seek shelter using local geomorphological features along the coastline such as barrier islands and estuarine systems. CONCLUSIONS Our telemetry data showed that large subtropical seabirds such as pelicans may mitigate risk associated with spatially-extensive meteorological events by decreasing daily movements. Sheltering may be related to changes in barometric pressure and wind velocity, and represents a strategy common to several other classes of marine vertebrate predators for increasing survival probabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley P. Wilkinson
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634 USA
- South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Clemson, SC 29634 USA
| | - Yvan G. Satgé
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634 USA
- South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Clemson, SC 29634 USA
| | - Juliet S. Lamb
- Department of Natural Resource Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881 USA
| | - Patrick G. R. Jodice
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634 USA
- U.S. Geological Survey South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Clemson, Clemson, SC 29634 USA
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10
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Matley JK, Eanes S, Nemeth RS, Jobsis PD. Vulnerability of sea turtles and fishes in response to two catastrophic Caribbean hurricanes, Irma and Maria. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14254. [PMID: 31582770 PMCID: PMC6776526 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50523-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Extreme weather events (e.g., cyclones, floods, droughts) are capable of changing ecosystems and altering how animals obtain resources. Understanding the behavioural responses of animals being impacted by these natural events can help initiate and ameliorate conservation or management programs. This study investigated short- and long-term space-use of the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), as well as five species of fishes and stingrays, in response to two of the most destructive Caribbean hurricanes in known history - Irma and Maria, which were at their peak intensity when they passed the US Virgin Islands in September of 2017. Using passive acoustic telemetry in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, we show a variety of short-term behavioural patterns initiated across species to reduce exposure to the strong environmental conditions, such as moving to deeper habitats within the study area. Although short-term expansion of activity space was evident for several sea turtles, long-term impacts on space-use and body condition were limited. In contrast, southern stingrays (Hypanus americanus) left the study area shortly after the hurricanes, suggesting vulnerability stemming from altered habitat, prey availability, or temperature/oxygen profiles. This study shows the strong spatial resilience of several nearshore species despite exposure to two consecutive category 5 hurricanes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J K Matley
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
- Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, VI, USA.
| | - S Eanes
- Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, VI, USA
| | - R S Nemeth
- Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, VI, USA
| | - P D Jobsis
- Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, VI, USA
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11
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Loonstra AHJ, Verhoeven MA, Senner NR, Both C, Piersma T. Adverse wind conditions during northward Sahara crossings increase the in-flight mortality of Black-tailed Godwits. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:2060-2066. [PMID: 31529603 PMCID: PMC6900105 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Long‐distance migratory flights are predicted to be associated with higher mortality rates when individuals encounter adverse weather conditions. However, directly connecting environmental conditions experienced in‐flight with the survival of migrants has proven difficult. We studied how the in‐flight mortality of 53 satellite‐tagged Black‐tailed Godwits (Limosa limosa limosa) during 132 crossings of the Sahara Desert, a major geographical barrier along their migration route between The Netherlands and sub‐Saharan Africa, is correlated with the experienced wind conditions and departure date during both southward and northward migration. We show that godwits experienced higher wind assistance during southward crossings, which seems to reflect local prevailing trade winds. Critically, we found that fatal northward crossings (15 deaths during 61 crossings) were associated with adverse wind conditions. Wind conditions during migration can thus directly influence vital rates. Changing wind conditions associated with global change may thus profoundly influence the costs of long‐distance migration in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- A H Jelle Loonstra
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Mo A Verhoeven
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Nathan R Senner
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, 715 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | - Christiaan Both
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands.,NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University, P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
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12
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Loonstra AHJ, Verhoeven MA, Senner NR, Hooijmeijer JCEW, Piersma T, Kentie R. Natal habitat and sex-specific survival rates result in a male-biased adult sex ratio. Behav Ecol 2019; 30:843-851. [PMID: 31210724 PMCID: PMC6562303 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The adult sex ratio (ASR) is a crucial component of the ecological and evolutionary forces shaping the dynamics of a population. Although in many declining populations ASRs have been reported to be skewed, empirical studies exploring the demographic factors shaping ASRs are still rare. In this study of the socially monogamous and sexually dimorphic Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa limosa), we aim to evaluate the sex ratio of chicks at hatch and the subsequent sex-specific survival differences occurring over 3 subsequent life stages. We found that, at hatch, the sex ratio did not deviate from parity. However, the survival of pre-fledged females was 15-30% lower than that of males and the sex bias in survival was higher in low-quality habitat. Additionally, survival of adult females was almost 5% lower than that of adult males. Because survival rates of males and females did not differ during other life-history stages, the ASR in the population was biased toward males. Because females are larger than males, food limitations during development or sex-specific differences in the duration of development may explain the lower survival of female chicks. Differences among adults are less obvious and suggest previously unknown sex-related selection pressures. Irrespective of the underlying causes, by reducing the available number of females in this socially monogamous species, a male-biased ASR is likely to contribute to the ongoing decline of the Dutch godwit population.
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Affiliation(s)
- A H Jelle Loonstra
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Mo A Verhoeven
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Nathan R Senner
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Jos C E W Hooijmeijer
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems, Utrecht University, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Rosemarie Kentie
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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13
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Senner NR, Verhoeven MA, Abad-Gómez JM, Alves JA, Hooijmeijer JCEW, Howison RA, Kentie R, Loonstra AHJ, Masero JA, Rocha A, Stager M, Piersma T. High Migratory Survival and Highly Variable Migratory Behavior in Black-Tailed Godwits. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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14
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Verhoeven MA, Loonstra AHJ, Senner NR, McBride AD, Both C, Piersma T. Variation From an Unknown Source: Large Inter-individual Differences in Migrating Black-Tailed Godwits. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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15
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Verhoeven MA, Loonstra AHJ, Hooijmeijer JCEW, Masero JA, Piersma T, Senner NR. Generational shift in spring staging site use by a long-distance migratory bird. Biol Lett 2018; 14:rsbl.2017.0663. [PMID: 29445041 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2017.0663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In response to environmental change, species have been observed altering their migratory behaviours. Few studies, however, have been able to determine whether these alterations resulted from inherited, plastic or flexible changes. Here, we present a unique observation of a rapid population-level shift in migratory routes-over 300 km from Spain to Portugal-by continental black-tailed godwits Limosa limosa limosa This shift did not result from adult godwits changing staging sites, as adult site use was highly consistent. Rather, the shift resulted from young godwits predominantly using Portugal over Spain. We found no differences in reproductive success or survival among individuals using either staging site, indicating that the shift resulted from developmental plasticity rather than natural selection. Our results therefore suggest that new migratory routes can develop within a generation and that young individuals may be the agents of such rapid changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mo A Verhoeven
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - A H Jelle Loonstra
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jos C E W Hooijmeijer
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jose A Masero
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, Avenida de Elvas, Badajoz 06071, Spain
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands.,NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University, PO Box 59, 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Nathan R Senner
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
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16
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Rattenbury KL, Schmidt JH, Swanson DK, Borg BL, Mangipane BA, Sousanes PJ. Delayed spring onset drives declines in abundance and recruitment in a mountain ungulate. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kumi L. Rattenbury
- Arctic Network U.S. National Park Service 4175 Geist Road Fairbanks Alaska 99709 USA
| | - Joshua H. Schmidt
- Central Alaska Network U.S. National Park Service 4175 Geist Road Fairbanks Alaska 99709 USA
| | - David K. Swanson
- Arctic Network U.S. National Park Service 4175 Geist Road Fairbanks Alaska 99709 USA
| | - Bridget L. Borg
- Denali National Park and Preserve P.O. Box 9 Denali Park Alaska 99755 USA
| | - Buck A. Mangipane
- Lake Clark National Park and Preserve U.S. National Park Service General Delivery Port Alsworth Alaska 99653 USA
| | - Pam J. Sousanes
- Arctic Network U.S. National Park Service 4175 Geist Road Fairbanks Alaska 99709 USA
- Central Alaska Network U.S. National Park Service 4175 Geist Road Fairbanks Alaska 99709 USA
- Denali National Park and Preserve P.O. Box 9 Denali Park Alaska 99755 USA
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17
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Kentie R, Coulson T, Hooijmeijer JCEW, Howison RA, Loonstra AHJ, Verhoeven MA, Both C, Piersma T. Warming springs and habitat alteration interact to impact timing of breeding and population dynamics in a migratory bird. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:5292-5303. [PMID: 30144224 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Revised: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In seasonal environments, increasing spring temperatures lead many taxa to advance the timing of reproduction. Species that do not may suffer lower fitness. We investigated why black-tailed godwits (Limosa limosa limosa), a ground-breeding agricultural grassland shorebird, have not advanced timing of reproduction during the last three decades in the face of climate change and human-induced habitat degradation. We used data from an 11-year field study to parameterize an Integral Projection Model to predict how spring temperature and habitat quality simultaneously influence the timing of reproduction and population dynamics. We found apparent selection for earlier laying, but not a correlation between the laying dates of parents and their offspring. Nevertheless, in warmer springs, laying dates of adults show a stronger positive correlation with laying date in previous springs than in cooler ones, and this leads us to predict a slight advance in the timing of reproduction if spring temperatures continue to increase. We also show that only in landscapes with low agricultural activity, the population can continue to act as a source. This study shows how climate change and declining habitat quality may enhance extinction risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemarie Kentie
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Tim Coulson
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jos C E W Hooijmeijer
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ruth A Howison
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - A H Jelle Loonstra
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Mo A Verhoeven
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Christiaan Both
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, Texel, The Netherlands
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18
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Rakhimberdiev E, Duijns S, Karagicheva J, Camphuysen CJ, Dekinga A, Dekker R, Gavrilov A, Ten Horn J, Jukema J, Saveliev A, Soloviev M, Tibbitts TL, van Gils JA, Piersma T. Fuelling conditions at staging sites can mitigate Arctic warming effects in a migratory bird. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4263. [PMID: 30323300 PMCID: PMC6189115 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06673-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Under climate warming, migratory birds should align reproduction dates with advancing plant and arthropod phenology. To arrive on the breeding grounds earlier, migrants may speed up spring migration by curtailing the time spent en route, possibly at the cost of decreased survival rates. Based on a decades-long series of observations along an entire flyway, we show that when refuelling time is limited, variation in food abundance in the spring staging area affects fitness. Bar-tailed godwits migrating from West Africa to the Siberian Arctic reduce refuelling time at their European staging site and thus maintain a close match between breeding and tundra phenology. Annual survival probability decreases with shorter refuelling times, but correlates positively with refuelling rate, which in turn is correlated with food abundance in the staging area. This chain of effects implies that conditions in the temperate zone determine the ability of godwits to cope with climate-related changes in the Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eldar Rakhimberdiev
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University, PO Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands. .,Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Sjoerd Duijns
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University, PO Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands.,Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, K1S 5B6, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Julia Karagicheva
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University, PO Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Cornelis J Camphuysen
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University, PO Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | | | - Anne Dekinga
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University, PO Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Rob Dekker
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University, PO Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | | | - Job Ten Horn
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University, PO Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Joop Jukema
- Haerdawei 62, 8854 AC, Oosterbierum, The Netherlands
| | - Anatoly Saveliev
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Kazan Federal University, 420097, Kazan, Russia
| | - Mikhail Soloviev
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Russia.,Directorate of Taimyrsky Reserves, 663305, Norilsk, Russia
| | - T Lee Tibbitts
- U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK, 99508, USA
| | - Jan A van Gils
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University, PO Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Theunis Piersma
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University, PO Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands. .,Chair in Global Flyway Ecology, Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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19
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Senner NR, Stager M, Verhoeven MA, Cheviron ZA, Piersma T, Bouten W. High-altitude shorebird migration in the absence of topographical barriers: avoiding high air temperatures and searching for profitable winds. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.0569. [PMID: 30051848 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Nearly 20% of all bird species migrate between breeding and nonbreeding sites annually. Their migrations include storied feats of endurance and physiology, from non-stop trans-Pacific crossings to flights at the cruising altitudes of jetliners. Despite intense interest in these performances, there remains great uncertainty about which factors most directly influence bird behaviour during migratory flights. We used GPS trackers that measure an individual's altitude and wingbeat frequency to track the migration of black-tailed godwits (Limosa limosa) and identify the abiotic factors influencing their in-flight migratory behaviour. We found that godwits flew at altitudes above 5000 m during 21% of all migratory flights, and reached maximum flight altitudes of nearly 6000 m. The partial pressure of oxygen at these altitudes is less than 50% of that at sea level, yet these extremely high flights occurred in the absence of topographical barriers. Instead, they were associated with high air temperatures at lower altitudes and increasing wind support at higher altitudes. Our results therefore suggest that wind, temperature and topography all play a role in determining migratory behaviour, but that their relative importance is context dependent. Extremely high-altitude flights may thus not be especially rare, but they may only occur in very specific environmental contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan R Senner
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700, CC, Groningen, The Netherlands .,Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Maria Stager
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Mo A Verhoeven
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700, CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Zachary A Cheviron
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700, CC, Groningen, The Netherlands.,NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems, Utrecht University, PO Box 59, 1790, AB Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Willem Bouten
- Computational Geo-Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Sciencepark 904, 1098, XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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20
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Freshwater C, Trudel M, Beacham TD, Gauthier S, Johnson SC, Neville CE, Juanes F. Individual variation, population-specific behaviours and stochastic processes shape marine migration phenologies. J Anim Ecol 2018; 88:67-78. [PMID: 29790171 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The phenology of long-distance migrations can influence individual fitness, moderate population dynamics and regulate the availability of ecosystem services to other trophic levels. Phenology varies within and among populations, and can be influenced by conditions individuals experience both prior to departure and encounter en route. Assessing how intrinsic and extrinsic factors (e.g., individual physical condition vs. environmental conditions) interact to influence variation in migratory phenologies across ecological scales is often limited due to logistical constraints associated with tracking large numbers of individuals from multiple populations simultaneously. We used two natural tags, DNA and otolith microstructure analysis, to estimate the relative influence of individual traits (life-history strategy, body size at departure and growth during migration), population-specific behaviours and interannual variability on the phenology of marine migrations in juvenile sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka. We show that the timing and duration of juvenile sockeye salmon migrations were correlated with both life-history strategy and body size, while migration duration was also correlated with departure timing and growth rates during migration. Even after accounting for the effect of individual traits, several populations exhibited distinct migration phenologies. Finally, we observed substantial interannual and residual variation, suggesting stochastic environmental conditions moderate the influence of carry-over effects that develop prior to departure, as well as population-specific strategies. Migratory phenologies are shaped by complex interactions between drivers acting at multiple ecological and temporal scales. Given evidence that intraspecific diversity can stabilize ecological systems, conservation efforts should seek to maintain migratory variation among populations and preserve locally adapted phenotypes; however, variation within populations, which may buffer systems from environmental stochasticity, should also be regularly assessed and preserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron Freshwater
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Marc Trudel
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.,Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada.,Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. Andrews Biological Station, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Terry D Beacham
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Stéphane Gauthier
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Institute of Ocean Sciences, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Stewart C Johnson
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Chrys-Ellen Neville
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Francis Juanes
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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21
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Duijns S, Niles LJ, Dey A, Aubry Y, Friis C, Koch S, Anderson AM, Smith PA. Body condition explains migratory performance of a long-distance migrant. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1374. [PMID: 29093218 PMCID: PMC5698639 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Body condition (i.e. relative mass after correcting for structural size) affects the behaviour of migrating birds, but how body condition affects migratory performance, timing and fitness is still largely unknown. Here, we studied the effects of relative body condition on individual departure decisions, wind selectivity, flight speed and timing of migration for a long-distance migratory shorebird, the red knot Calidris canutus rufa. By using automated VHF telemetry on a continental scale, we studied knots' migratory movements with unprecedented temporal resolution over a 3-year period. Knots with a higher relative body condition left the staging site later than birds in lower condition, yet still arrived earlier to their Arctic breeding grounds compared to knots in lower relative body condition. They accomplished this by selecting more favourable winds at departure, thereby flying faster and making shorter stops en route. Individuals with a higher relative body condition in spring migrated south up to a month later than individuals in lower condition, suggesting that individuals in better condition were more likely to have bred successfully. Moreover, individuals with a lower relative body condition in spring had a lower probability of being detected in autumn, suggestive of increased mortality. The pressure to arrive early to the breeding grounds is considered to be an important constraint of migratory behaviour and this study highlights the important influence of body condition on migratory decisions, performance and potentially fitness of migrant birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sjoerd Duijns
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6 .,Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0H3
| | - Lawrence J Niles
- LJ Niles Associates LLC, 109 Market Lane, Greenwich, NJ 08323, USA
| | - Amanda Dey
- New Jersey Fish and Wildlife, 8747 Ferry Road, Millville, NJ 08332, USA
| | - Yves Aubry
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 801-1550, avenue d'Estimauville, Quebec, Canada G1J 0C3
| | - Christian Friis
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 4905 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3H 5T4
| | - Stephanie Koch
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 73 Weir Hill Road, Sudbury, MA 01776, USA
| | - Alexandra M Anderson
- Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9J 7B8
| | - Paul A Smith
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0H3
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22
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High-resolution GPS tracking reveals sex differences in migratory behaviour and stopover habitat use in the Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus. Sci Rep 2018; 8:5391. [PMID: 29599447 PMCID: PMC5876360 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23605-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex-, size- or age-dependent variation in migration strategies in birds is generally expected to reflect differences in competitive abilities. Theoretical and empirical studies thereby focus on differences in wintering areas, by which individuals may benefit from avoiding food competition during winter or ensuring an early return and access to prime nesting sites in spring. Here, we use GPS tracking to assess sex- and size-related variation in the spatial behaviour of adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Larus fuscus) throughout their annual cycle. We did not find sex- or size-dependent differences in wintering area or the timing of spring migration. Instead, sexual differences occurred prior to, and during, autumn migration, when females strongly focussed on agricultural areas. Females exhibited a more protracted autumn migration strategy, hence spent more time on stopover sites and arrived 15 days later at their wintering areas, than males. This shift in habitat use and protracted autumn migration coincided with the timing of moult, which overlaps with chick rearing and migration. Our results suggest that this overlap between energy-demanding activities may lead females to perform a more prolonged autumn migration, which results in spatiotemporal differences in foraging habitat use between the sexes.
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23
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Liu D, Zhang G, Jiang H, Lu J. Detours in long-distance migration across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau: individual consistency and habitat associations. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4304. [PMID: 29404213 PMCID: PMC5797451 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Migratory birds often follow detours when confronted with ecological barriers, and understanding the extent and the underlying drivers of such detours can provide important insights into the associated cost to the annual energy budget and the migration strategies. The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is the most daunting geographical barrier for migratory birds because the partial pressure of oxygen is dramatically reduced and flight costs greatly increase. We analyzed the repeated migration detours and habitat associations of four Pallas’s Gulls Larus ichthyaetus across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau over 22 migration seasons. Gulls exhibited notable detours, with the maximum distance being more than double that of the expected shortest route, that extended rather than reduced the passage across the plateau. The extent of longitudinal detours significantly increased with latitude, and detours were longer in autumn than in spring. Compared with the expected shortest routes, proximity to water bodies increased along autumn migration routes, but detour-habitat associations were weak along spring migration routes. Thus, habitat availability was likely one, but not the only, factor shaping the extent of detours, and migration routes were determined by different mechanisms between seasons. Significant between-individual variation but high individual consistency in migration timing and routes were revealed in both seasons, indicating a stronger influence of endogenous schedules than local environmental conditions. Gulls may benefit from repeated use of familiar routes and stopover sites, which may be particularly significant in the challenging environment of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongping Liu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology and Environment Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Guogang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology and Environment Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Hongxing Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology and Environment Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Lu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology and Environment Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
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24
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Wingfield JC, Pérez JH, Krause JS, Word KR, González-Gómez PL, Lisovski S, Chmura HE. How birds cope physiologically and behaviourally with extreme climatic events. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0140. [PMID: 28483870 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
As global climate change progresses, the occurrence of potentially disruptive climatic events such as storms are increasing in frequency, duration and intensity resulting in higher mortality and reduced reproductive success. What constitutes an extreme climatic event? First we point out that extreme climatic events in biological contexts can occur in any environment. Focusing on field and laboratory data on wild birds we propose a mechanistic approach to defining and investigating what extreme climatic events are and how animals cope with them at physiological and behavioural levels. The life cycle of birds is made up of life-history stages such as migration, breeding and moult that evolved to match a range of environmental conditions an individual might expect during the year. When environmental conditions deteriorate and deviate from the expected range then the individual must trigger coping mechanisms (emergency life-history stage) that will disrupt the temporal progression of life-history stages, but enhance survival. Using the framework of allostasis, we argue that an extreme climatic event in biological contexts can be defined as when the cumulative resources available to an individual are exceeded by the sum of its energetic costs-a state called allostatic overload. This allostatic overload triggers the emergency life-history stage that temporarily allows the individual to cease regular activities in an attempt to survive extreme conditions. We propose that glucocorticoid hormones play a major role in orchestrating coping mechanisms and are critical for enduring extreme climatic events.This article is part of the themed issue 'Behavioural, ecological and evolutionary responses to extreme climatic events'.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Wingfield
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behaviour, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Jonathan H Pérez
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behaviour, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Jesse S Krause
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behaviour, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Karen R Word
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behaviour, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Paulina L González-Gómez
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behaviour, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Simeon Lisovski
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behaviour, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Helen E Chmura
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behaviour, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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25
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Helm B, Visser ME, Schwartz W, Kronfeld-Schor N, Gerkema M, Piersma T, Bloch G. Two sides of a coin: ecological and chronobiological perspectives of timing in the wild. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:20160246. [PMID: 28993490 PMCID: PMC5647273 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Most processes within organisms, and most interactions between organisms and their environment, have distinct time profiles. The temporal coordination of such processes is crucial across levels of biological organization, but disciplines differ widely in their approaches to study timing. Such differences are accentuated between ecologists, who are centrally concerned with a holistic view of an organism in relation to its external environment, and chronobiologists, who emphasize internal timekeeping within an organism and the mechanisms of its adjustment to the environment. We argue that ecological and chronobiological perspectives are complementary, and that studies at the intersection will enable both fields to jointly overcome obstacles that currently hinder progress. However, to achieve this integration, we first have to cross some conceptual barriers, clarifying prohibitively inaccessible terminologies. We critically assess main assumptions and concepts in either field, as well as their common interests. Both approaches intersect in their need to understand the extent and regulation of temporal plasticity, and in the concept of 'chronotype', i.e. the characteristic temporal properties of individuals which are the targets of natural and sexual selection. We then highlight promising developments, point out open questions, acknowledge difficulties and propose directions for further integration of ecological and chronobiological perspectives through Wild Clock research.This article is part of the themed issue 'Wild Clocks: integrating chronobiology and ecology to understand timekeeping in free-living animals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Helm
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G128QQ, UK
| | - Marcel E Visser
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), PO 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - William Schwartz
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, USA
| | | | - Menno Gerkema
- Chronobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Theunis Piersma
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University, 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Guy Bloch
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, The A. Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
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26
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Habitat quality affects stress responses and survival in a bird wintering under extremely low ambient temperatures. Naturwissenschaften 2017; 104:99. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-017-1519-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Revised: 10/15/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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27
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Williams CT, Buck CL, Sheriff MJ, Richter MM, Krause JS, Barnes BM. Sex-Dependent Phenological Plasticity in an Arctic Hibernator. Am Nat 2017; 190:854-859. [PMID: 29166160 DOI: 10.1086/694320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Hibernation provides a means of escaping the metabolic challenges associated with seasonality, yet the ability of mammals to prolong or reenter seasonal dormancy in response to extreme weather events is unclear. Here, we show that Arctic ground squirrels in northern Alaska exhibited sex-dependent plasticity in the physiology and phenology of hibernation in response to a series of late spring snowstorms in 2013 that resulted in the latest snowmelt on record. Females and nonreproductive males responded to the >1-month delay in snowmelt by extending heterothermy or reentering hibernation after several days of euthermy, leading to a >2-week delay in reproduction compared to surrounding years. In contrast, reproductive males neither extended nor reentered hibernation, likely because seasonal gonadal growth and development and subsequent testosterone release prevents a return to torpor. Our findings reveal intriguing differences in responses of males and females to climatic stressors, which can generate a phenological mismatch between the sexes.
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28
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Linking extreme interannual changes in prey availability to foraging behaviour and breeding investment in a marine predator, the macaroni penguin. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184114. [PMID: 28910405 PMCID: PMC5598940 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms that link prey availability to predator behaviour and population change is central to projecting how a species may respond to future environmental pressures. We documented the behavioural responses and breeding investment of macaroni penguins Eudyptes chrysolophus across five breeding seasons where local prey density changed by five-fold; from very low to highly abundant. When prey availability was low, foraging trips were significantly longer and extended overnight. Birds also foraged farther from the colony, potentially in order to reach more distant foraging grounds and allow for increased search times. These extended foraging trips were also linked to a marked decrease in fledgling weights, most likely associated with reduced rates of provisioning. Furthermore, by comparing our results with previous work on this population, it appears that lowered first-year survival rates associated, at least partially, with fledging masses were also evident for this cohort. This study integrates a unique set of prey density, predator behaviour and predator breeding investment data to highlight a possible behavioural mechanism linking perturbations in prey availability to population demography.
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29
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Boelman NT, Krause JS, Sweet SK, Chmura HE, Perez JH, Gough L, Wingfield JC. Extreme spring conditions in the Arctic delay spring phenology of long-distance migratory songbirds. Oecologia 2017; 185:69-80. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3907-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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30
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Masero JA, Abad-Gómez JM, Gutiérrez JS, Santiago-Quesada F, Senner NR, Sánchez-Guzmán JM, Piersma T, Schroeder J, Amat JA, Villegas A. Wetland salinity induces sex-dependent carry-over effects on the individual performance of a long-distance migrant. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6867. [PMID: 28761120 PMCID: PMC5537338 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07258-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Salinization is having a major impact on wetlands and its biota worldwide. Specifically, many migratory animals that rely on wetlands are increasingly exposed to elevated salinity on their nonbreeding grounds. Experimental evidence suggests that physiological challenges associated with increasing salinity may disrupt self-maintenance processes in these species. Nonetheless, the potential role of salinity as a driver of ecological carry-over effects remains unstudied. Here, we investigated the extent to which the use of saline wetlands during winter - inferred from feather stable isotope values - induces residual effects that carry over and influence physiological traits relevant to fitness in black-tailed godwits Limosa limosa limosa on their northward migration. Overwintering males and females were segregated by wetland salinity in West Africa, with females mostly occupying freshwater wetlands. The use of these wetlands along a gradient of salinities was associated with differences in immune responsiveness to phytohaemagglutinin and sized-corrected body mass in godwits staging in southern Europe during northward migration - 3,000 km from the nonbreeding grounds - but in males only. These findings provide a window onto the processes by which wetland salinity can induce carry-over effects and can help predict how migratory species should respond to future climate-induced increases in salinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- José A Masero
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, 06006, Badajoz, Spain.
| | - José M Abad-Gómez
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, 06006, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Jorge S Gutiérrez
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, 06006, Badajoz, Spain.,NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University, PO Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Francisco Santiago-Quesada
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, 06006, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Nathan R Senner
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, Montana, 59802, USA
| | - Juan M Sánchez-Guzmán
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, 06006, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Theunis Piersma
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University, PO Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands.,Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Julia Schroeder
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Imperial College London, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Juan A Amat
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), 41092, Seville, Spain
| | - Auxiliadora Villegas
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, 06006, Badajoz, Spain
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31
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Shamoun-Baranes J, Liechti F, Vansteelant WMG. Atmospheric conditions create freeways, detours and tailbacks for migrating birds. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:509-529. [PMID: 28508130 PMCID: PMC5522504 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1181-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Revised: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The extraordinary adaptations of birds to contend with atmospheric conditions during their migratory flights have captivated ecologists for decades. During the 21st century technological advances have sparked a revival of research into the influence of weather on migrating birds. Using biologging technology, flight behaviour is measured across entire flyways, weather radar networks quantify large-scale migratory fluxes, citizen scientists gather observations of migrant birds and mechanistic models are used to simulate migration in dynamic aerial environments. In this review, we first introduce the most relevant microscale, mesoscale and synoptic scale atmospheric phenomena from the point of view of a migrating bird. We then provide an overview of the individual responses of migrant birds (when, where and how to fly) in relation to these phenomena. We explore the cumulative impact of individual responses to weather during migration, and the consequences thereof for populations and migratory systems. In general, individual birds seem to have a much more flexible response to weather than previously thought, but we also note similarities in migratory behaviour across taxa. We propose various avenues for future research through which we expect to derive more fundamental insights into the influence of weather on the evolution of migratory behaviour and the life-history, population dynamics and species distributions of migrant birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy Shamoun-Baranes
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94248, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Felix Liechti
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Wouter M G Vansteelant
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94248, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Vansteelant Eco Research, Dijkgraaf 35, 6721 NJ, Bennekom, The Netherlands
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32
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Kentie R, Marquez-Ferrando R, Figuerola J, Gangoso L, Hooijmeijer JCEW, Loonstra AHJ, Robin F, Sarasa M, Senner N, Valkema H, Verhoeven MA, Piersma T. Does wintering north or south of the Sahara correlate with timing and breeding performance in black-tailed godwits? Ecol Evol 2017; 7:2812-2820. [PMID: 28428871 PMCID: PMC5395453 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Revised: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Migrating long distances requires time and energy, and may interact with an individual's performance during breeding. These seasonal interactions in migratory animals are best described in populations with disjunct nonbreeding distributions. The black‐tailed godwit (Limosa limosa limosa), which breeds in agricultural grasslands in Western Europe, has such a disjunct nonbreeding distribution: The majority spend the nonbreeding season in West Africa, while a growing number winters north of the Sahara on the Iberian Peninsula. To test whether crossing the Sahara has an effect on breeding season phenology and reproductive parameters, we examined differences in the timing of arrival, breeding habitat quality, lay date, egg volume, and daily nest survival among godwits (154 females and 157 males), individually marked in a breeding area in the Netherlands for which wintering destination was known on the basis of resightings. We also examined whether individual repeatability in arrival date differed between birds wintering north or south of the Sahara. Contrary to expectation, godwits wintering south of the Sahara arrived two days earlier and initiated their clutch six days earlier than godwits wintering north of the Sahara. Arrival date was equally repeatable for both groups, and egg volume larger in birds wintering north of the Sahara. Despite these differences, we found no association between wintering location and the quality of breeding habitat or nest survival. This suggests that the crossing of an important ecological barrier and doubling of the migration distance, twice a year, do not have clear negative reproductive consequences for some long‐distance migrants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemarie Kentie
- Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands.,Present address: Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford OX1 3PS UK
| | | | - Jordi Figuerola
- Department of Wetland Ecology Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC) Seville Spain.,CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBER ESP) Spain
| | - Laura Gangoso
- Department of Wetland Ecology Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC) Seville Spain
| | - Jos C E W Hooijmeijer
- Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - A H Jelle Loonstra
- Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Frédéric Robin
- Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO) Fonderies royales Rochefort France
| | - Mathieu Sarasa
- Fédération Nationale des ChasseursIssy les Moulineaux Cedex France
| | - Nathan Senner
- Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Haije Valkema
- Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands.,Global Flyway Network Den Burg Texel The Netherlands
| | - Mo A Verhoeven
- Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands.,Global Flyway Network Den Burg Texel The Netherlands.,Department of Coastal Systems NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University Den Burg Texel The Netherlands
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33
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Krause JS, Pérez JH, Chmura HE, Sweet SK, Meddle SL, Hunt KE, Gough L, Boelman N, Wingfield JC. The effect of extreme spring weather on body condition and stress physiology in Lapland longspurs and white-crowned sparrows breeding in the Arctic. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 237:10-18. [PMID: 27449342 PMCID: PMC5053339 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2016.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is causing rapid shifts in temperature while also increasing the frequency, duration, and intensity of extreme weather. In the northern hemisphere, the spring of 2013 was characterized as extreme due to record high snow cover and low temperatures. Studies that describe the effects of extreme weather on phenology across taxa are limited while morphological and physiological responses remain poorly understood. Stress physiology, as measured through baseline and stress-induced concentrations of cortisol or corticosterone, has often been studied to understand how organisms respond to environmental stressors. We compared body condition and stress physiology of two long-distance migrants breeding in low arctic Alaska - the white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) and Lapland longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) - in 2013, an extreme weather year, with three more typical years (2011, 2012, and 2014). The extended snow cover in spring 2013 caused measureable changes in phenology, body condition and physiology. Arrival timing for both species was delayed 4-5days compared to the other three years. Lapland longspurs had reduced fat stores, pectoralis muscle profiles, body mass, and hematocrit levels, while stress-induced concentrations of corticosterone were increased. Similarly, white-crowned sparrows had reduced pectoralis muscle profiles and hematocrit levels, but in contrast to Lapland longspurs, had elevated fat stores and no difference in mass or stress physiology relative to other study years. An understanding of physiological mechanisms that regulate coping strategies is of critical importance for predicting how species will respond to the occurrence of extreme events in the future due to global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse S Krause
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Jonathan H Pérez
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Helen E Chmura
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Shannan K Sweet
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
| | - Simone L Meddle
- The Roslin Institute, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK
| | - Kathleen E Hunt
- John H. Prescott Marine Laboratory, Research Department, New England Aquarium, Boston, MA 02110, USA
| | - Laura Gough
- Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, MD 21252, USA
| | - Natalie Boelman
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
| | - John C Wingfield
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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34
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Gill JA. Encountering extreme weather during migration: individual strategies and their consequences. J Anim Ecol 2016; 84:1141-3. [PMID: 26376431 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2015] [Accepted: 06/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The way that animal populations respond to changing weather conditions is a major focus of current research, fuelled by the need to predict the future consequences of climatic changes. Severe weather events can provide valuable opportunities to uncover the mechanisms through which the weather influences population demography but opportunities to track individual responses to such events are rare. Senner et al. (2015) report on an exceptional opportunity to address this issue, when their detailed studies of a migratory shorebird population were interrupted by an extreme weather event that coincided with spring migration, a key period in the annual cycle of migratory species. Through tracking of individuals across the migratory range, Senner et al. (2015) show that, while individual schedules were severely disrupted by the harsh weather, with many individuals undertaking reverse migrations and experiencing delayed breeding, breeding success was unaffected. This study highlights the complexities involved in predicting the ecological consequences of extreme weather events and the key role of behavioural flexibility in mitigating the costs to individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Gill
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
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35
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Soriano-Redondo A, Bearhop S, Cleasby IR, Lock L, Votier SC, Hilton GM. Ecological Responses to Extreme Flooding Events: A Case Study with a Reintroduced Bird. Sci Rep 2016; 6:28595. [PMID: 27345214 PMCID: PMC4922006 DOI: 10.1038/srep28595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years numerous studies have documented the effects of a changing climate on the world's biodiversity. Although extreme weather events are predicted to increase in frequency and intensity and are challenging to organisms, there are few quantitative observations on the survival, behaviour and energy expenditure of animals during such events. We provide the first data on activity and energy expenditure of birds, Eurasian cranes Grus grus, during the winter of 2013-14, which saw the most severe floods in SW England in over 200 years. We fitted 23 cranes with telemetry devices and used remote sensing data to model flood dynamics during three consecutive winters (2012-2015). Our results show that during the acute phase of the 2013-14 floods, potential feeding areas decreased dramatically and cranes restricted their activity to a small partially unflooded area. They also increased energy expenditure (+15%) as they increased their foraging activity and reduced resting time. Survival did not decline in 2013-14, indicating that even though extreme climatic events strongly affected time-energy budgets, behavioural plasticity alleviated any potential impact on fitness. However under climate change scenarios such challenges may not be sustainable over longer periods and potentially could increase species vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Soriano-Redondo
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus TR10 9EZ, UK
- Wildfowl &Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, Gloucester, GL2 7BT, UK
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL, UK
| | - Stuart Bearhop
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Ian R Cleasby
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Leigh Lock
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL, UK
| | - Stephen C Votier
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Geoff M Hilton
- Wildfowl &Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, Gloucester, GL2 7BT, UK
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36
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La Sorte FA, Hochachka WM, Farnsworth A, Dhondt AA, Sheldon D. The implications of mid‐latitude climate extremes for North American migratory bird populations. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Frank A. La Sorte
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca New York 14850 USA
| | - Wesley M. Hochachka
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca New York 14850 USA
| | - Andrew Farnsworth
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca New York 14850 USA
| | - André A. Dhondt
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca New York 14850 USA
| | - Daniel Sheldon
- College of Information and Computer Science University of Massachusetts Amherst Massachusetts 01003 USA
- Department of Computer Science Mount Holyoke College South Hadley Massachusetts 01075 USA
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