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Renoirt M, Angelier F, Cheron M, Brischoux F. What are the contributions of maternal and paternal traits to fecundity and offspring development? A case study in an amphibian species, the spined toad Bufo spinosus. Curr Zool 2023; 69:527-534. [PMID: 37637310 PMCID: PMC10449425 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Assessing the determinants of reproductive success is critical but often complicated because of complex interactions between parental traits and environmental conditions occurring during several stages of a reproductive event. Here, we used a simplified ecological situation-an amphibian species lacking post-oviposition parental care-and a laboratory approach to investigate the relationships between parental (both maternal and paternal) phenotypes (body size and condition) and reproductive success (fecundity, egg size, embryonic and larval duration, larval and metamorphic morphology). We found significant effects of maternal phenotype on fecundity, hatching success, and tadpole size, as well as on the duration of larval development. Interestingly, and more surprisingly, we also found a potential contribution of the paternal phenotype occurring during early (embryonic development duration) offspring development. Although our study focused on life-history traits such as body size and development duration, additional mechanisms involving physiological costs of development may well mediate the relationships between parental phenotypes and offspring development. Future studies are required to decipher the mechanisms underlying our findings in order to clarify the mechanistic basis of the links between parental phenotypes and offspring development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Renoirt
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CEBC UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CEBC UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Marion Cheron
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CEBC UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CEBC UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
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2
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Ratajc U, Lourenço R, Espín S, Virosta PS, Birrer S, Studler D, Wernham C, Vrezec A. The importance of population contextual data for large-scale biomonitoring using an apex predator: The Tawny Owl (Strix aluco). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 860:160530. [PMID: 36574555 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Top predators are often used as sentinel species in contaminant monitoring due to their exposure and vulnerability to persistent, bioaccumulative and, in some cases, biomagnificable contaminants. Some of their ecological traits can vary in space and time, and are known to influence the contamination levels and therefore information on ecological traits should be used as contextual data for correct interpretation of large-scale contaminant spatial patterns. These traits can explain spatiotemporal variation in contaminant exposure (traits such as diet and dispersal distances) or contaminant impacts (traits such as population trend and clutch size). The aim of our research was to review the spatial variation in selected contextual parameters in the Tawny Owl (Strix aluco), a species identified by the COST Action European Raptor Biomonitoring Facility as one of the most suitable candidates for pan-European biomonitoring. A considerable variation in availability of published and unpublished contextual data across Europe was found, with diet being the most extensively studied trait. We demonstrate that the Tawny Owl is a suitable biomonitor at local scale but also that taking spatial variation of other contextual data (e.g. diet) into account is necessary. We found spatial gaps in knowledge about the species ecology and biology in Southern Europe, along with gaps in certain population parameters (e.g. population trends) in several countries. Based on our findings, we proposed a minimal recommended scheme for monitoring of population contextual data as one of the first steps towards a pan-European monitoring scheme using the Tawny Owl.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urška Ratajc
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Rui Lourenço
- MED Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE Global Change and Sustainability Institute LabOr Laboratory of Ornithology, IIFA, University of Évora, Pólo da Mitra, 7006-554 Évora, Portugal
| | - Silvia Espín
- Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Pablo Sánchez Virosta
- Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Simon Birrer
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, CH-6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | | | - Chris Wernham
- British Trust for Ornithology (Scotland), Unit 15 Beta Centre, Stirling University Innovation Park, Stirling FK9 4NF, Scotland, UK
| | - Al Vrezec
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Slovenian Museum of Natural History, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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3
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Acker P, Schaub M, Besnard A, Monnat JY, Cam E. Can attraction to and competition for high-quality habitats shape breeding propensity? J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:933-945. [PMID: 35157311 PMCID: PMC9314844 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In many animal species, sexually mature individuals may skip breeding opportunities despite a likely negative impact on fitness. In spatio‐temporally heterogeneous environments, habitat selection theory predicts that individuals select habitats where fitness prospects are maximized. Individuals are attracted to high‐quality habitat patches where they compete for high‐quality breeding sites. Since failures in contests to secure a site may prevent individuals from breeding, we hypothesized that attraction to and competition for high‐quality habitats could shape breeding propensity. Under this hypothesis, we predicted the two following associations between breeding propensity and two key population features. (1) When mean habitat quality in the population increases in multiple patches such that availability of high‐quality sites increases across the population, the resulting decrease in competition should positively affect breeding propensity. (2) When the number of individuals increases in the population, the resulting increase in competitors should negatively affect breeding propensity (negative density dependence). Using long‐term data from kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla, we checked the prerequisite of prediction (1), that availability of high‐quality sites is positively associated with current mean habitat quality in the population (represented by breeding success). We then applied integrated population modelling to quantify annual fluctuations in population mean breeding success, breeding propensity and number of individuals by breeding status (pre‐breeders, breeders, skippers and immigrants), and tested our predictions. Our results showed that breeding propensity acts as an important driver of population growth. As expected, breeding propensity was positively associated with preceding mean habitat quality in the population, and negatively with the number of competitors. These relationships varied depending on breeding status, which likely reflects status dependence in competitive ability. These findings highlight the importance of competition for high‐quality breeding sites in shaping breeding propensity. Thereby, we draw attention towards alternative and complementary explanations to more standard considerations regarding the energetic cost of reproduction, and point to possible side effects of habitat selection behaviours on individual life histories and population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Acker
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Institutt for Biologi, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.,Laboratoire EDB (UMR 5174), Université Paul Sabatier - CNRS - IRD; 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse, France.,CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Michael Schaub
- Swiss Ornithological Institute; CH-6204, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Aurélien Besnard
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Emmanuelle Cam
- Laboratoire EDB (UMR 5174), Université Paul Sabatier - CNRS - IRD; 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse, France.,Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280, Plouzané, France
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4
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Lemieux V, Garant D, Reale D, Bergeron P. Spatio-temporal variation in oxidative status regulation in a small mammal. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7801. [PMID: 31608176 PMCID: PMC6788435 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Life-history allocation trade-offs are dynamic over time and space according to the ecological and demographical context. Fluctuations in food availability can affect physiological trade-offs like oxidative status regulation, reflecting the balance between pro-oxidant production and antioxidant capacity. Monitoring the spatio-temporal stability of oxidative status in natural settings may help understanding its importance in ecological and evolutionary processes. However, few studies have yet conducted such procedures in wild populations. Here, we monitored individual oxidative status in a wild eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) population across the 2017 summer active period and over three study sites. Oxidative damage (MDA: Malondialdehyde levels) and non-enzymatic antioxidant levels (FRAP: Ferric reducing antioxidant power and HASC: Hypochlorous acid shock capacity) were quantified across time and space using assays optimized for small blood volumes. Our results showed an increase in oxidative damage mirrored by a decrease in FRAP throughout the season. We also found different antioxidant levels among our three study sites for both markers. Our results also revealed the effects of sex and body mass on oxidative status. Early in the active season, females and individuals with a greater body mass had higher oxidative damage. Males had higher HASC levels than females throughout the summer. This study shows that oxidative status regulation is a dynamic process that requires a detailed spatial and temporal monitoring to yield a complete picture of possible trade-offs between pro-oxidant production and antioxidant capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Lemieux
- Départment de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
- Biological Sciences, Bishop’s University, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Dany Garant
- Départment de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Denis Reale
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada
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Gryz J, Chojnacka-Ożga L, Krauze-Gryz D. Long-Term Stability of Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) Population Despite Varying Environmental Conditions – a Case Study from Central Poland. POLISH JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.3161/15052249pje2019.67.1.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Gryz
- Forest Research Institute, Department of Forest Ecology, Sękocin Stary, 3 Braci Leśnej; 05−090 Raszyn, Poland; e-mail
| | - Longina Chojnacka-Ożga
- Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forest Silviculture, 159 Nowoursynowska; 02−776 Warsaw, Poland; e-mail: longina_chojnacka_ozga@.sggw.pl
| | - Dagny Krauze-Gryz
- Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Forestry, Department of Wildlife Management and Forest Zoology, 159 Nowoursynowska; 02−776 Warsaw, Poland
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Catlin DH, Gibson D, Hunt KL, Friedrich MJ, Weithman CE, Karpanty SM, Fraser JD. Direct and indirect effects of nesting density on survival and breeding propensity of an endangered shorebird. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel H. Catlin
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Virginia Tech Blacksburg Virginia 24061 USA
| | - Daniel Gibson
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Virginia Tech Blacksburg Virginia 24061 USA
| | - Kelsi L. Hunt
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Virginia Tech Blacksburg Virginia 24061 USA
| | - Meryl J. Friedrich
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Virginia Tech Blacksburg Virginia 24061 USA
| | - Chelsea E. Weithman
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Virginia Tech Blacksburg Virginia 24061 USA
| | - Sarah M. Karpanty
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Virginia Tech Blacksburg Virginia 24061 USA
| | - James D. Fraser
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Virginia Tech Blacksburg Virginia 24061 USA
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7
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Tobolka M, Dylewski L, Wozna JT, Zolnierowicz KM. How weather conditions in non-breeding and breeding grounds affect the phenology and breeding abilities of white storks. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 636:512-518. [PMID: 29709867 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It has often been suggested that conditions in wintering grounds affect the breeding abilities of migratory birds. This is known as the carry-over effect. Heretofore, many studies have reported the relationship between conditions in wintering grounds, dates of departure from and arrival at breeding grounds, and breeding success. However, very few studies have shown how these conditions affect the capacity of females for egg production. AIMS To describe how conditions in the remote non-breeding areas in Africa affect reproductory abilities of migratory birds breeding in Europe. METHODS We recorded 863 arrival dates for 191 nests (in 2005-16), clutch sizes of 412 clutches, and egg dimensions of 1725 eggs (in 2003-16) of white storks in western Poland. We used generalised climatic indicators such as the Sahel precipitation index (SPI) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) to assess conditions in wintering grounds prior to breeding and precipitation and temperature in breeding grounds during the breeding season. RESULTS The white stork arrived significantly earlier in seasons preceded by a warmer and rainier March, while conditions in Africa did not affect arrival dates. Females laid more (and larger) eggs in seasons preceded by rainier winters in Africa. Breeding success was not affected by conditions in wintering grounds, but only by the weather during breeding season. CONCLUSIONS Conditions in wintering grounds may affect migratory birds, not only in terms of their arrival dates, but rather with respect to females' egg production capacities. Studies on stable isotopes may yield more detailed findings as to how this process takes place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Tobolka
- Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznań, Poland.
| | - Lukasz Dylewski
- Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznań, Poland
| | - Joanna T Wozna
- Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznań, Poland
| | - Katarzyna M Zolnierowicz
- Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznań, Poland
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8
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To breed or not to breed: drivers of intermittent breeding in a seabird under increasing predation risk and male bias. Oecologia 2018; 188:129-138. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4176-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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9
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González-Medina E, Castillo-Guerrero JA, Herzka SZ, Fernández G. High quality diet improves lipid metabolic profile and breeding performance in the blue-footed booby, a long-lived seabird. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0193136. [PMID: 29462199 PMCID: PMC5819808 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the role of diet in the physiological condition of adults during reproduction and hence its effect on reproductive performance is fundamental to understand reproductive strategies in long-lived animals. In birds, little is known about the influence of the quality of food consumed at the beginning of the reproductive period and its short-term effects on reproductive performance. To assess the role of diet in the physiological condition of female blue-footed booby, Sula nebouxii (BFBO), during reproduction we evaluated whether individual differences in diet (assessed by using δ13C and δ15N values of whole blood from female birds and muscle tissue of the principal prey species) prior to egg laying and during incubation influenced their lipid metabolic profile (measured as triglyceride levels and C:N ratio) and their reproductive performance (defined by laying date, clutch size and hatching success). Females with higher δ15N values in their blood during the courtship and incubation periods had a higher lipid metabolic profile, earlier laying date, greater clutch size (2-3 eggs) and higher hatching success. Females that laid earlier and more eggs (2-3 eggs) consumed more Pacific anchoveta (Cetengraulis mysticetus) and Pacific thread herring (Opisthonema libertate) than did other females. These two prey species also had high amounts of lipids (C:N ratio) and caloric content (Kcal/g fresh weight). The quality of food consumed by females at the beginning of reproduction affected their physiological condition, as well as their short-term reproductive performance. Our work emphasizes the importance of determining the influence of food quality during reproduction to understand the reproductive decisions and consequences in long-lived animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick González-Medina
- Posgrado de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, México D.F., Mexico
- * E-mail: (GF); (EGM)
| | - José Alfredo Castillo-Guerrero
- CONACYT- –Universidad de Guadalajara, Departamento de Estudios para el Desarrollo Sustentable de la Zona Costera, Centro Universitario de la Costa Sur, San Patricio– Melaque, Municipio de Cihuatlán, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Sharon Zinah Herzka
- Departamento de Oceanografía Biológica, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Baja California, Mexico
| | - Guillermo Fernández
- Unidad Académica Mazatlán, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mazatlán, Mexico
- * E-mail: (GF); (EGM)
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10
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Colpo KD, López-Greco LS. Dynamics of energy reserves and the cost of reproduction in female and male fiddler crabs. ZOOLOGY 2018; 126:11-19. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2018.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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11
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Schmidt JH, McIntyre CL, Roland CA, MacCluskie MC, Flamme MJ. Bottom-up processes drive reproductive success in an apex predator. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:1833-1841. [PMID: 29435257 PMCID: PMC5792545 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the central goals of the field of population ecology is to identify the drivers of population dynamics, particularly in the context of predator-prey relationships. Understanding the relative role of top-down versus bottom-up drivers is of particular interest in understanding ecosystem dynamics. Our goal was to explore predator-prey relationships in a boreal ecosystem in interior Alaska through the use of multispecies long-term monitoring data. We used 29 years of field data and a dynamic multistate site occupancy modeling approach to explore the trophic relationships between an apex predator, the golden eagle, and cyclic populations of the two primary prey species available to eagles early in the breeding season, snowshoe hare and willow ptarmigan. We found that golden eagle reproductive success was reliant on prey numbers, but also responded prior to changes in the phase of the snowshoe hare population cycle and failed to respond to variation in hare cycle amplitude. There was no lagged response to ptarmigan populations, and ptarmigan populations recovered quickly from the low phase. Together, these results suggested that eagle reproduction is largely driven by bottom-up processes, with little evidence of top-down control of either ptarmigan or hare populations. Although the relationship between golden eagle reproductive success and prey abundance had been previously established, here we established prey populations are likely driving eagle dynamics through bottom-up processes. The key to this insight was our focus on golden eagle reproductive parameters rather than overall abundance. Although our inference is limited to the golden eagle-hare-ptarmigan relationships we studied, our results suggest caution in interpreting predator-prey abundance patterns among other species as strong evidence for top-down control.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carol L. McIntyre
- Denali National Park and PreserveU.S. National Park ServiceFairbanksAKUSA
| | - Carl A. Roland
- Central Alaska NetworkU.S. National Park ServiceFairbanksAKUSA
- Denali National Park and PreserveU.S. National Park ServiceFairbanksAKUSA
| | | | - Melanie J. Flamme
- Yukon‐Charley Rivers Preserve and Gates of the Arctic National Park and PreserveU.S. National Park ServiceFairbanksAKUSA
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12
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Weithman C, Gibson D, Hunt K, Friedrich M, Fraser J, Karpanty S, Catlin D. Senescence and carryover effects of reproductive performance influence migration, condition, and breeding propensity in a small shorebird. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:11044-11056. [PMID: 29299280 PMCID: PMC5743479 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Revised: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Breeding propensity, the probability that an animal will attempt to breed each year, is perhaps the least understood demographic process influencing annual fecundity. Breeding propensity is ecologically complex, as associations among a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic factors may interact to affect an animal's breeding decisions. Individuals that opt not to breed can be more difficult to detect than breeders, which can (1) lead to difficulty in estimation of breeding propensity, and (2) bias other demographic parameters. We studied the effects of sex, age, and population reproductive success on the survival and breeding propensity of a migratory shorebird, the piping plover (Charadrius melodus), nesting on the Missouri River. We used a robust design Barker model to estimate true survival and breeding propensity and found survival decreased as birds aged and did so more quickly for males than females. Monthly survival during the breeding season was lower than during migration or the nonbreeding season. Males were less likely to skip breeding (range: 1-17%) than females (range: 3-26%; βsex = -0.21, 95% CI: -0.38 to -0.21), and both sexes were less likely to return to the breeding grounds following a year of high reproductive success. Birds that returned in a year following relatively high population-wide reproductive output were in poorer condition than following a year with lower reproductive output. Younger adult birds and females were more likely to migrate from the breeding area earlier than older birds and males; however, all birds stayed on the breeding grounds longer when nest survival was low, presumably because of renesting attempts. Piping plovers used a variety of environmental and demographic cues to inform their reproduction, employing strategies that could maximize fitness on average. Our results support the "disposable soma" theory of aging and follow with predictions from life history theory, exhibiting the intimate connections among the core ecological concepts of senescence, carryover effects, and life history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea Weithman
- Department of Fish and Wildlife ConservationVirginia TechBlacksburgVAUSA
| | - Daniel Gibson
- Department of Fish and Wildlife ConservationVirginia TechBlacksburgVAUSA
| | - Kelsi Hunt
- Department of Fish and Wildlife ConservationVirginia TechBlacksburgVAUSA
| | - Meryl Friedrich
- Department of Fish and Wildlife ConservationVirginia TechBlacksburgVAUSA
| | - James Fraser
- Department of Fish and Wildlife ConservationVirginia TechBlacksburgVAUSA
| | - Sarah Karpanty
- Department of Fish and Wildlife ConservationVirginia TechBlacksburgVAUSA
| | - Daniel Catlin
- Department of Fish and Wildlife ConservationVirginia TechBlacksburgVAUSA
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13
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Wang Y, Zeng ZG, Ma L, Li SR, Du WG. Food restriction affects maternal investment but not neonate phenotypes in a viviparous lizard. Zool Res 2017; 38:81-87. [PMID: 28409503 PMCID: PMC5396030 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2017.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Food availability significantly affects an animal's energy metabolism, and thus its phenotype, survival, and reproduction. Maternal and offspring responses to food conditions are critical for understanding population dynamics and life-history evolution of a species. In this study, we conducted food manipulation experiments in field enclosures to identify the effect of food restriction on female reproductive traits and postpartum body condition, as well as on hatchling phenotypes, in a lacertid viviparous lizard from the Inner Mongolian desert steppe of China. Females under low-food availability treatment (LFT) had poorer immune function and body condition compared with those under high-food availability treatment (HFT). The food availability treatments significantly affected the litter size and litter mass of the females, but not their gestation period in captivity or brood success, or the body size, sprint speed, and sex ratio of the neonates. Females from the LFT group had smaller litter sizes and, therefore, lower litter mass than those from the HFT group. These results suggest that female racerunners facing food restriction lay fewer offspring with unchanged body size and locomotor performance, and incur a cost in the form of poor postpartum body condition and immune function. The flexibility of maternal responses to variable food availability represents an important life strategy that could enhance the resistance of lizards to unpredictable environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservational Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhi-Gao Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservational Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Liang Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservational Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shu-Ran Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservational Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei-Guo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservational Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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