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Martyka R, Arct A, Kotowska D, Gustafsson L. Age- and trait-dependent breeding responses to environmental variation in a short-lived songbird. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14967. [PMID: 37696936 PMCID: PMC10495331 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42166-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Breeding responses of organisms to environmental changes may profoundly depend on an individual's age, as an age-environment interaction may be expected to affect the expression of reproductive traits. However, little is known about how this interaction affects short-lived species that experience various environmental conditions in adulthood. Here, we used a 32-year dataset from the collared flycatcher, Ficedula albicollis, population to test whether and how the environment interacts with age to shape female age-specific reproduction. To characterise environmental variation, we applied the remotely sensed normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), estimating vegetation productivity, and used it as a surrogate for habitat quality. Then, we analysed how within-individual age and NDVI determine patterns in laying date, clutch size, offspring production, and recruitment. We found that young and old females, but not middle-aged females, breeding under low NDVI started to lay eggs later and produced smaller clutches than females of the same age breeding under higher NDVI. No such effects were observed for offspring production or recruitment. Our study provides evidence that both an individual's age and the environmental variation experienced during adulthood may be crucial for shaping reproductive patterns in short-lived avian species, as has been found in long-lived birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafał Martyka
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Aneta Arct
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sławkowska 17, 31-016, Kraków, Poland
| | - Dorota Kotowska
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120, Kraków, Poland
| | - Lars Gustafsson
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
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2
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Seasonal trends in adult apparent survival and reproductive trade-offs reveal potential constraints to earlier nesting in a migratory bird. Oecologia 2022; 199:91-102. [PMID: 35451650 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05169-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Birds aim to optimize resources for feeding young and self-maintenance by timing reproduction to coincide with peak food availability. When reproduction is mistimed, birds could incur costs that affect their survival. We studied whether nesting phenology correlated with the apparent survival of American kestrels (Falco sparverius) from two distinct populations and examined trends in clutch-initiation dates. We estimated apparent survival using multi-state mark-recapture models with nesting timing, nesting success, sex, age, and weather covariates. Nesting timing predicted the apparent survival of successful adults; however, the effect differed between populations. Early nesting kestrels had higher apparent survival than later nesters in the western population, where kestrels have a relatively long nesting season. At the eastern site, where kestrels have a relatively short nesting season, the pattern was reversed-later nesters had higher apparent survival than earlier nesters. Nesting timing did not affect the apparent survival of adults with failed nests suggesting that the energetic cost of producing fledglings contributed to the timing effect. Finally, clutch-initiation dates advanced in the western population and remained static in the eastern population. Given that both populations have seasonal declines in productivity, population-specific survival patterns provide insight into seasonal trade-offs. Specifically, nesting timing effects on survival paralleled productivity declines in the western population and inverse patterns of survival and reproduction in the eastern population suggest a condition-dependent trade-off. Concomitant seasonal declines in reproduction and survival may facilitate population-level responses to earlier springs, whereas seasonal trade-offs may constrain phenology shifts and increase vulnerability to mismatch.
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3
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Frixione MG, Rodríguez-Estrella R. Trophic segregation of the Burrowing Owl and the American Kestrel in fragmented desert in Mexico. J NAT HIST 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2020.1865470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martín G. Frixione
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste SC, Instituto Politécnico Nacional No 195, Col Playa Palo de Santa Rita sur, La Paz, México
| | - Ricardo Rodríguez-Estrella
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste SC, Instituto Politécnico Nacional No 195, Col Playa Palo de Santa Rita sur, La Paz, México
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4
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Crawford JC, Porter WF, Chamberlain MJ, Collier BA. Wild Turkey Nest Success in Pine‐Dominated Forests of the Southeastern United States. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joanne C. Crawford
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Michigan State University East Lansing MI 48824 USA
| | - William F. Porter
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Michigan State University East Lansing MI 48824 USA
| | - Michael J. Chamberlain
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Bret A. Collier
- School of Renewable Natural Resources Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Baton Rouge LA 70803 USA
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5
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Orozco-Valor PM, Grande JM. Weather and agricultural intensification determine the breeding performance of a small generalist predator. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19693. [PMID: 33184383 PMCID: PMC7665201 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76609-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Land-use changes due to agricultural intensification and climatic factors can affect avian reproduction. We use a top predator of agroecosystems, the American kestrel (Falco sparverius) breeding in nest boxes in Central Argentina as a study subject to identify if these two drivers interact to affect birds breeding. We analyzed their breeding performance across a gradient of agricultural intensification from native forest, traditional farmland to intensive farmland. The surface devoted to soybean was used as a proxy of agriculture intensification; however, it did not affect the breeding performance of American kestrels. Even though the presence of pastures was important to determine the probability of breeding successfully. Climatic variables had strong effects on the species breeding timing, on the number of nestlings raised by breeding pairs and on the probability of those pairs to breed successfully (raising at least one fledgling). Our results highlight the relevance of pastures and grasslands for American kestrel reproduction. These environments are the most affected by land-use change to intensive agriculture, being transformed into fully agricultural lands mostly devoted to soybean production. Therefore, future expansion of intensive agriculture may negatively affect the average reproductive parameters of American Kestrels, at least at a regional scale. Further research will be needed to disentangle the mechanisms by which weather variables affect kestrel breeding parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula M Orozco-Valor
- Instituto de las Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa (INCITAP)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de Argentina (CONICET), Mendoza 109, 6300, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina.
- Centro para el Estudio y Conservación de las Aves Rapaces en Argentina (CECARA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Avenida Uruguay 151, 6300, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina.
| | - Juan M Grande
- Instituto de las Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa (INCITAP)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de Argentina (CONICET), Mendoza 109, 6300, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional deLa Pampa, Avenida Uruguay 151, 6300, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina
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6
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Stoner DC, Messmer TA, Larsen RT, Frey SN, Kohl MT, Thacker ET, Dahlgren DK. Using satellite-derived estimates of plant phenological rhythms to predict sage-grouse nesting chronology. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:11169-11182. [PMID: 33144957 PMCID: PMC7593141 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The "green wave" hypothesis posits that during spring consumers track spatial gradients in emergent vegetation and associated foraging opportunities. This idea has largely been invoked to explain animal migration patterns, yet the general phenomenon underlies trends in vertebrate reproductive chronology as well. We evaluated the utility of this hypothesis for predicting spatial variation in nest initiation of greater sage-grouse (Centrocerus urophasianus), a species of conservation concern in western North America. We used the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to map the green wave across elevation and then compiled dates and locations of >450 sage-grouse nests from 20 study sites (2000-2014) to model nest initiation as a function of the start of the growing season (SOS), defined here as the maximum daily rate of increase in NDVI. Individual sites were drawn from three ecoregions, distributed over 4.5° latitude, and spanning 2,300 m in elevation, which captured the climatic, edaphic, and floristic diversity of sagebrush ecosystems in the southern half of current sage-grouse range. As predicted, SOS displayed a significant, positive relationship with elevation, occurring 1.3 days later for each 100 m increase in elevation. In turn, sage-grouse nest initiation followed SOS by 22 ± 10 days (r2 = .57), with hatch dates falling on or just prior to the peak of the growing season. By timing nesting to the green wave, sage-grouse chicks hatched when the abundance of protein-rich invertebrate biomass is hypothesized to be nearing a seasonal high. This adaptation likely represents a strategy for maximizing reproductive success in the arid, variable environments that define sagebrush ecosystems. Given projected changes in climate and land use, these results can be used to predict periods of relative sensitivity to habitat disturbance for sage-grouse. Moreover, the near real-time availability of satellite imagery offers a heretofore underutilized means of mapping the green wave, planning habitat restoration, and monitoring range conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C. Stoner
- Department of Wildland ResourcesUtah State UniversityLoganUTUSA
| | | | - Randy T. Larsen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife SciencesBrigham Young UniversityProvoUTUSA
| | | | - Michel T. Kohl
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
| | - Eric T. Thacker
- Department of Wildland ResourcesUtah State UniversityLoganUTUSA
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7
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Fernández-Tizón M, Emmenegger T, Perner J, Hahn S. Arthropod biomass increase in spring correlates with NDVI in grassland habitat. Naturwissenschaften 2020; 107:42. [PMID: 32970225 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-020-01698-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Data from remote sensing are often used as proxies to quantify biological processes, especially at large geographical scales. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is the most frequently used proxy for primary productivity. Assuming a direct, positive interrelation between primary and secondary production in terrestrial habitats, NDVI is often used to predict food availability for higher trophic levels. However, the relationship between NDVI and arthropod biomass has rarely been tested. In this study, we analyzed extensive datasets of arthropod communities from semi-natural grasslands in central Europe to test the relationship between arthropod biomass of consumer trophic levels ("herbivores," "mixed," and "carnivores") in grassland communities and NDVI during the spring season. We found that arthropod biomass generally increased with NDVI. The same positive relationship between biomass and NDVI was observed for each individual trophic level. Cross-correlation analyses did not show statistically significant lags between the NDVI and biomass of herbivores and carnivores. All in all, our study provides correlational evidence for the positive relation of primary and secondary productivity in temperate terrestrial habitats during spring. Moreover, it supports the applicability of NDVI data as a suitable habitat-specific proxy for the food availability of insectivores during spring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Fernández-Tizón
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, CH 6204, Sempach, Switzerland. .,Department of Biology, Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, University Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain.
| | - Tamara Emmenegger
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, CH 6204, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Jörg Perner
- U.A.S. Umwelt- und Agrarstudien GmbH, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Steffen Hahn
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, CH 6204, Sempach, Switzerland
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8
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Butler AR, Bly KLS, Harris H, Inman RM, Moehrenschlager A, Schwalm D, Jachowski DS. Home range size and resource use by swift foxes in northeastern Montana. J Mammal 2020; 101:684-696. [PMID: 32665740 PMCID: PMC7333881 DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Swift foxes (Vulpes velox) are endemic to the Great Plains of North America, but were extirpated from the northern portion of their range by the mid-1900s. Despite several reintroductions to the Northern Great Plains, there remains a ~350 km range gap between the swift fox population along the Montana and Canada border and that in northeastern Wyoming and northwestern South Dakota. A better understanding of what resources swift foxes use along the Montana and Canada border region will assist managers to facilitate connectivity among populations. From 2016 to 2018, we estimated the home range size and evaluated resource use within the home ranges of 22 swift foxes equipped with Global Positioning System tracking collars in northeastern Montana. Swift fox home ranges in our study were some of the largest ever recorded, averaging (± SE) 42.0 km2 ± 4.7. Our results indicate that both environmental and anthropogenic factors influenced resource use. At the population level, resource use increased by 3.3% for every 5.0% increase in percent grasslands. Relative probability of use decreased by 7.9% and 7.4% for every kilometer away from unpaved roads and gas well sites, respectively, and decreased by 3.0% and 11.3% for every one-unit increase in topographic roughness and every 0.05 increase in normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), respectively. Our study suggests that, to reestablish connectivity among swift fox populations in Montana, managers should aim to maintain large corridors of contiguous grasslands at a landscape scale, a process that likely will require having to work with multiple property owners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R Butler
- Prairie Ecology Lab, Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Kristy L S Bly
- Northern Great Plains Program, World Wildlife Fund, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | | | | | - Axel Moehrenschlager
- Centre for Conservation Research, Calgary Zoological Society, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Donelle Schwalm
- Department of Biology, University of Maine-Farmington, Farmington, ME, USA
| | - David S Jachowski
- Prairie Ecology Lab, Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
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9
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Marcelino J, Silva JP, Gameiro J, Silva A, Rego FC, Moreira F, Catry I. Extreme events are more likely to affect the breeding success of lesser kestrels than average climate change. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7207. [PMID: 32350294 PMCID: PMC7190627 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64087-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is predicted to severely impact interactions between prey, predators and habitats. In Southern Europe, within the Mediterranean climate, herbaceous vegetation achieves its maximum growth in middle spring followed by a three-month dry summer, limiting prey availability for insectivorous birds. Lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni) breed in a time-window that matches the nestling-rearing period with the peak abundance of grasshoppers and forecasted climate change may impact reproductive success through changes in prey availability and abundance. We used Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) as a surrogate of habitat quality and prey availability to investigate the impacts of forecasted climate change and extreme climatic events on lesser kestrel breeding performance. First, using 14 years of data from 15 colonies in Southwestern Iberia, we linked fledging success and climatic variables with NDVI, and secondly, based on these relationships and according to climatic scenarios for 2050 and 2070, forecasted NDVI and fledging success. Finally, we evaluated how fledging success was influenced by drought events since 2004. Despite predicting a decrease in vegetation greenness in lesser kestrel foraging areas during spring, we found no impacts of predicted gradual rise in temperature and decline in precipitation on their fledging success. Notwithstanding, we found a decrease of 12% in offspring survival associated with drought events, suggesting that a higher frequency of droughts might, in the future, jeopardize the recent recovery of the European population. Here, we show that extreme events, such as droughts, can have more significant impacts on species than gradual climatic changes, especially in regions like the Mediterranean Basin, a biodiversity and climate change hotspot.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Marcelino
- Centre for Applied Ecology "Prof. Baeta Neves"/InBIO Associate Laboratory, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - J P Silva
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-601, Vairão, Portugal
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Laboratório Associado, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal
- REN Biodiversity Chair, CIBIO/InBIO-UP, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-601, Vairão, Portugal
| | - J Gameiro
- cE3c, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - A Silva
- Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, I.P., Rua C do Aeroporto, 1749-077, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - F C Rego
- Centre for Applied Ecology "Prof. Baeta Neves"/InBIO Associate Laboratory, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - F Moreira
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Laboratório Associado, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal
- REN Biodiversity Chair, CIBIO/InBIO-UP, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-601, Vairão, Portugal
| | - I Catry
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-601, Vairão, Portugal
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Laboratório Associado, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal
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10
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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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11
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Thomsen SK, Mazurkiewicz DM, Stanley TR, Green DJ. El Niño/Southern Oscillation-driven rainfall pulse amplifies predation by owls on seabirds via apparent competition with mice. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.1161. [PMID: 30355706 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Most approaches for assessing species vulnerability to climate change have focused on direct impacts via abiotic changes rather than indirect impacts mediated by changes in species interactions. Changes in rainfall regimes may influence species interactions from the bottom-up by increasing primary productivity in arid environments, but subsequently lead to less predictable top-down effects. Our study demonstrates how the effects of an EL Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-driven rainfall pulse ricochets along a chain of interactions between marine and terrestrial food webs, leading to enhanced predation of a vulnerable marine predator on its island breeding grounds. On Santa Barbara Island, barn owls (Tyto alba) are the main predator of a nocturnal seabird, the Scripps's murrelet (Synthliboramphus scrippsi), as well as an endemic deer mouse. We followed the links between rainfall, normalized difference vegetation index and subsequent peaks in mouse and owl abundance. After the mouse population declined steeply, there was approximately 15-fold increase in the number of murrelets killed by owls. We also simulated these dynamics with a mathematical model and demonstrate that bottom-up resource pulses can lead to subsequent declines in alternative prey. Our study highlights the need for understanding how species interactions will change with shifting rainfall patterns through the effects of ENSO under global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Thomsen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
| | | | - Thomas R Stanley
- US Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - David J Green
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
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12
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Schulwitz SE, Spurling DP, Davis TS, McClure CJ. Webcams as an untapped opportunity to conduct citizen science: Six years of the American Kestrel Partnership's KestrelCam. Glob Ecol Conserv 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2018.e00434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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