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Cloutier Z, Festa-Bianchet M, Pelletier F. Direct and indirect effects of cougar predation on bighorn sheep fitness. Ecology 2024; 105:e4374. [PMID: 39031035 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
Predation has direct effects on prey population dynamics through mortality, and it can induce indirect effects through fear. The indirect effects of predation have been documented experimentally, but few studies have quantified them in nature so that their role in prey population dynamics remains controversial. Given the expanding or reintroduced populations of large predators in many areas, the quantification of indirect effects of predation is crucial. We sought to evaluate the direct and indirect fitness effects of intense cougar (Puma concolor) predation using 48 years of data on marked bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) on Ram Mountain, Alberta, Canada. We compared years of intense cougar predation with years with no or occasional cougar predation. We first quantified the effects of predation on neonatal, weaning, and overwinter lamb survival, three metrics potentially affected by direct and indirect effects. We then investigated the possible indirect effects of intense cougar predation on lamb production, female summer mass gain, and lamb mass at weaning. We found strong effects of cougar predation on lamb survival, lamb production, and seasonal mass gain of lambs and adult females. In years with high predation, neonatal, weaning, and overwinter lamb survival declined by 18.4%, 19.7% and 20.8%, respectively. Indirect effects included a 14.2% decline in lamb production. Female summer mass gain decreased by 15.6% and lamb mass at weaning declined by 8.0% in years of intense cougar predation. Our findings bring key insights on the impacts of predation on prey fitness by reporting moderate to large effects on recruitment and illustrate the importance of indirect effects of predation on population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Cloutier
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Marco Festa-Bianchet
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Centre d'études nordiques, Québec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Centre d'études nordiques, Québec City, Quebec, Canada
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2
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Cocciardi JM, Hoffman AM, Alvarado-Serrano DF, Anderson J, Blumstein M, Boehm EL, Bolin LG, Borokini IT, Bradburd GS, Branch HA, Brudvig LA, Chen Y, Collins SL, Des Marais DL, Gamba D, Hanan NP, Howard MM, Jaros J, Juenger TE, Kooyers NJ, Kottler EJ, Lau JA, Menon M, Moeller DA, Mozdzer TJ, Sheth SN, Smith M, Toll K, Ungerer MC, Vahsen ML, Wadgymar SM, Waananen A, Whitney KD, Avolio ML. The value of long-term ecological research for evolutionary insights. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:1584-1592. [PMID: 39095611 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02464-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Scientists must have an integrative understanding of ecology and evolution across spatial and temporal scales to predict how species will respond to global change. Although comprehensively investigating these processes in nature is challenging, the infrastructure and data from long-term ecological research networks can support cross-disciplinary investigations. We propose using these networks to advance our understanding of fundamental evolutionary processes and responses to global change. For ecologists, we outline how long-term ecological experiments can be expanded for evolutionary inquiry, and for evolutionary biologists, we illustrate how observed long-term ecological patterns may motivate new evolutionary questions. We advocate for collaborative, multi-site investigations and discuss barriers to conducting evolutionary work at network sites. Ultimately, these networks offer valuable information and opportunities to improve predictions of species' responses to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Cocciardi
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA.
| | - Ava M Hoffman
- Department of Biostatistics, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Jill Anderson
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Meghan Blumstein
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Emma L Boehm
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Lana G Bolin
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | | | - Gideon S Bradburd
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Haley A Branch
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lars A Brudvig
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Yanni Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Scott L Collins
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - David L Des Marais
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Diana Gamba
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Niall P Hanan
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Jornada Basin LTER Program, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Mia M Howard
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Joseph Jaros
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Thomas E Juenger
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Nicholas J Kooyers
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, USA
| | - Ezra J Kottler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Jennifer A Lau
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Mitra Menon
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - David A Moeller
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Seema N Sheth
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Melinda Smith
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Katherine Toll
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Mark C Ungerer
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Megan L Vahsen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | | | - Amy Waananen
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Kenneth D Whitney
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Meghan L Avolio
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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3
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Mortlock E, Silovský V, Güldenpfennig J, Faltusová M, Olejarz A, Börger L, Ježek M, Jennings DJ, Capellini I. Sleep in the wild: the importance of individual effects and environmental conditions on sleep behaviour in wild boar. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232115. [PMID: 38808449 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2115] [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: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Sleep serves vital physiological functions, yet how sleep in wild animals is influenced by environmental conditions is poorly understood. Here we use high-resolution biologgers to investigate sleep in wild animals over ecologically relevant time scales and quantify variability between individuals under changing conditions. We developed a robust classification for accelerometer data and measured multiple dimensions of sleep in the wild boar (Sus scrofa) over an annual cycle. In support of the hypothesis that environmental conditions determine thermoregulatory challenges, which regulate sleep, we show that sleep quantity, efficiency and quality are reduced on warmer days, sleep is less fragmented in longer and more humid days, while greater snow cover and rainfall promote sleep quality. Importantly, this longest and most detailed analysis of sleep in wild animals to date reveals large inter- and intra-individual variation. Specifically, short-sleepers sleep up to 46% less than long-sleepers but do not compensate for their short sleep through greater plasticity or quality, suggesting they may pay higher costs of sleep deprivation. Given the major role of sleep in health, our results suggest that global warming and the associated increase in extreme climatic events are likely to negatively impact sleep, and consequently health, in wildlife, particularly in nocturnal animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Euan Mortlock
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Václav Silovský
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6-Suchdol 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Justine Güldenpfennig
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6-Suchdol 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Monika Faltusová
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6-Suchdol 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Astrid Olejarz
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6-Suchdol 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Miloš Ježek
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6-Suchdol 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Dómhnall J Jennings
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Isabella Capellini
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
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Takaya K, Taguchi Y, Ise T. Individual identification of endangered amphibians using deep learning and smartphone images: case study of the Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus). Sci Rep 2023; 13:16212. [PMID: 37758778 PMCID: PMC10533547 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40814-1] [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: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Information obtained via individual identification is invaluable for ecology and conservation. Physical tags, such as PIT tags and GPS, have been used for individual identification; however, these methods could impact on animal behavior and survival rates, and the tags may become lost. Although non-invasive methods that do not affect the target species (such as manual photoidentification) are available, these techniques utilize stripes and spots that are unique to the individual, which requires training, and applying them to large datasets is challenging. Many studies that have applied deep learning for identification have focused on species-level identification, but few have addressed individual-level identification. In this study, we developed an image-based identification method based on deep learning that uses the head spot pattern of the Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus), an endemic and endangered species in Japan. We trained and evaluated a dataset collected over two days from 11 individuals in captivity, which included 7075 images taken by a smartphone camera. Individuals were photographed three times a day at approximately 11:00 (morning), 15:00 (afternoon), and 18:00 (evening). As a result, individual identification by our method, which used the EfficientNetV2 achieved 99.86% accuracy, kappa coefficient of 0.99, and an F1 score of 0.99. Performance was lower for the evening model than for the morning and afternoon models, which were trained and evaluated using photographs taken at the corresponding time of the day. The proposed method does not require direct contact with the target species, and the effect on the animals is minimal; moreover, individual-level information can be obtained under natural conditions. In the future, smartphone images can be applied to citizen science surveys and individual-level big data collection, which is difficult using current methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosuke Takaya
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Yuki Taguchi
- Hiroshima City Asa Zoological Park, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Takeshi Ise
- Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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5
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Pittet F, Hinde K. Meager Milk: Lasting Consequences for Adult Daughters of Primiparous Mothers Among Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta). Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:569-584. [PMID: 37170073 PMCID: PMC10503474 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Among mammals, primipara who initiate reproduction before full maturity can be constrained in their maternal investment, both due to fewer somatic resources and tradeoffs between their own continued development and reproductive effort. Primipara are particularly limited in their capacity to synthesize milk during lactation, the costliest aspect of reproduction for most mammals, especially primates due to long periods of postnatal development. Due to reduced milk transfer, Firstborns may be at elevated risk for long-term consequences of deficits in early life endowment from their primiparous mothers. Here we investigated mass, growth, stature, and lactation performance among N = 273 adult daughters across N = 335 reproductions, who were their own mother's Firstborn or Laterborn progeny, among rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) at the California National Primate Research Center. We further explored mass during infancy of the offspring of Firstborn and Laterborn mothers. Firstborns had accelerated growth during infancy, but had slowed growth during juvenility, compared to Laterborns. Although both Firstborns and Laterborns were the same age at reproductive debut, Firstborns had lower body mass, an effect that persisted throughout the reproductive career. Available milk energy, the product of milk energetic density and milk yield, was on average 16% lower for Firstborns compared to Laterborns, a difference that was only partially mediated by their lower mass. Despite differences in their mothers' energy provision through milk, the mass of infants of Firstborn and Laterborn mothers did not differ at peak lactation, suggesting that infants of Firstborns devote a higher proportion of milk energy to growth than infants of Laterborns. To date few studies have explored how early life conditions shape capacities to synthesize milk and milk composition. Our findings contribute new information among primates on how early life maternal endowments are associated with persistent effects long after the period of maternal dependence well into reproductive maturity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent Pittet
- Neuroscience and Behavior Unit, California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Katie Hinde
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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Míguez S, Torre I, Arrizabalaga A, Freixas L. Influences of Maternal Weight and Geographic Factors on Offspring Traits of the Edible Dormouse in the NE of the Iberian Peninsula. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13051223. [PMID: 37240868 DOI: 10.3390/life13051223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The main goal of this study was to analyze the reproductive patterns of edible dormouse (Glis glis) populations in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula using an 18-year period of data obtained from nest boxes collected between 2004 and 2021. The average litter size in Catalonia (Spain) was 5.5 ± 1.60 (range: 2-9, n = 131), with litter sizes between 5 and 7 pups as the more frequent. The overall mean weight in pink, grey and open eyes pups was 4.8 g/pup, 11.7 g/pup and 23.6 g/pup, respectively. No differences in offspring weights between sexes were found in any of the three age groups. Maternal body weight was positively associated with mean pup weight, whereas no correlation between the weight of the mothers and litter size was found. The trade-off between offspring number and size was not detected at birth. Regarding litter size variation across the geographic gradient (and their climatic gradient associated) from the southernmost populations of the Iberian Peninsula located in Catalonia to the Pyrenees region in Andorra, no evidence to suggest that geographic variables affect litter size was found, discarding (1) an investment in larger litters to compensate shorter seasons related to higher altitudes or northern latitudes, and (2) variation in litter size related to weather changes (e.g., temperature and precipitation) along latitudinal and/or altitudinal gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ignasi Torre
- BiBio Research Group, Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, C/Francesc Macià 51, E-08402 Granollers, Spain
| | - Antoni Arrizabalaga
- BiBio Research Group, Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, C/Francesc Macià 51, E-08402 Granollers, Spain
| | - Lídia Freixas
- BiBio Research Group, Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, C/Francesc Macià 51, E-08402 Granollers, Spain
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7
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McGrosky A, Pontzer H. The fire of evolution: energy expenditure and ecology in primates and other endotherms. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:297166. [PMID: 36916459 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Total energy expenditure (TEE) represents the total energy allocated to growth, reproduction and body maintenance, as well as the energy expended on physical activity. Early experimental work in animal energetics focused on the costs of specific tasks (basal metabolic rate, locomotion, reproduction), while determination of TEE was limited to estimates from activity budgets or measurements of subjects confined to metabolic chambers. Advances in recent decades have enabled measures of TEE in free-living animals, challenging traditional additive approaches to understanding animal energy budgets. Variation in lifestyle and activity level can impact individuals' TEE on short time scales, but interspecific differences in TEE are largely shaped by evolution. Here, we review work on energy expenditure across the animal kingdom, with a particular focus on endotherms, and examine recent advances in primate energetics. Relative to other placental mammals, primates have low TEE, which may drive their slow pace of life and be an evolved response to the challenges presented by their ecologies and environments. TEE variation among hominoid primates appears to reflect adaptive shifts in energy throughput and allocation in response to ecological pressures. As the taxonomic breadth and depth of TEE data expand, we will be able to test additional hypotheses about how energy budgets are shaped by environmental pressures and explore the more proximal mechanisms that drive intra-specific variation in energy expenditure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda McGrosky
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.,Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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Fur removal promotes an earlier expression of involution-related genes in mammary gland of lactating mice. J Comp Physiol B 2023; 193:171-192. [PMID: 36650338 PMCID: PMC9992052 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-023-01474-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Peak lactation occurs when milk production is at its highest. The factors limiting peak lactation performance have been subject of intense debate. Milk production at peak lactation appears limited by the capacity of lactating females to dissipate body heat generated as a by-product of processing food and producing milk. As a result, manipulations that enhance capacity to dissipate body heat (such as fur removal) increase peak milk production. We investigated the potential correlates of shaving-induced increases in peak milk production in laboratory mice. By transcriptomic profiling of the mammary gland, we searched for the mechanisms underlying experimentally increased milk production and its consequences for mother-young conflict over weaning, manifested by advanced or delayed involution of mammary gland. We demonstrated that shaving-induced increases in milk production were paradoxically linked to reduced expression of some milk synthesis-related genes. Moreover, the mammary glands of shaved mice had a gene expression profile indicative of earlier involution relative to unshaved mice. Once provided with enhanced capacity to dissipate body heat, shaved mice were likely to rear their young to independence faster than unshaved mothers.
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Van de Walle J, Larue B, Pigeon G, Pelletier F. Different proxies, different stories? Imperfect correlations and different determinants of fitness in bighorn sheep. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9582. [PMID: 36514553 PMCID: PMC9731912 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Measuring individual fitness empirically is required to assess selective pressures and predicts evolutionary changes in nature. There is, however, little consensus on how fitness should be empirically estimated. As fitness proxies vary in their underlying assumptions, their relative sensitivity to individual, environmental, and demographic factors may also vary. Here, using a long-term study, we aimed at identifying the determinants of individual fitness in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) using seven fitness proxies. Specifically, we compared four-lifetime fitness proxies: lifetime breeding success, lifetime reproductive success, individual growth rate, individual contribution to population growth, and three multi-generational proxies: number of granddaughters, individual descendance in the next generation, and relative genetic contribution to the next generation. We found that all proxies were positively correlated, but the magnitude of the correlations varied substantially. Longevity was the main determinant of most fitness proxies. Individual fitness calculated over more than one generation was also affected by population density and growth rate. Because they are affected by contrasting factors, our study suggests that different fitness proxies should not be used interchangeably as they may convey different information about selective pressures and lead to divergent evolutionary predictions. Uncovering the mechanisms underlying variation in individual fitness and improving our ability to predict evolutionary change might require the use of several, rather than one, the proxy of individual fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanie Van de Walle
- Biology DepartmentWoods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionWoods HoleMassachusettsUSA
| | - Benjamin Larue
- Département de BiologieUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeQuébecCanada
| | - Gabriel Pigeon
- Institut de recherche sur les forêtsUniversité du Québec en Abitibi‐TémiscamingueRouyn‐NorandaQuébecCanada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de BiologieUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeQuébecCanada
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F. Millán M, Carranza J, Seoane JM, Pérez-González J. Forage quality of consecutive years interact to affect body condition, reproductive rate and rut phenology in Iberian red deer. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278367. [PMID: 36454913 PMCID: PMC9714875 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Body condition for reproduction in capital breeders such as the red deer (Cervus elaphus) is mostly determined by their stored energy reserves. Thus, environmental conditions and resource availability may affect reproductive performance and breeding success. In warm Mediterranean regions, current climate change is driving to a hotter and drier scenario that is expected to affect the biology and dynamics of many populations. We examined the impact of these local climate variations on red deer body condition and the relationship with female reproductive phenology and breeding success. We used satellite information of landscape vegetation along with a 22-year data series of direct field behavioural observations during the rutting season in Doñana National Park (SW Spain). We analyzed faecal nitrogen content (FN) from faeces collected during the rut. We found that poor vegetation availability in drier years was related to worse body condition of deer (measured by FN) and a delay in the rutting season, which associated with lower reproductive rates (measured by the proportion of females with calves observed the next year). We also evidenced an interesting interaction between environmental conditions in consecutive years on the timing of breeding season, with timing of breeding being more delayed when previous year resource availability was high and many females bred, and the consecutive one was poor, so females hardly recovered condition and the rut occurred later. These findings highlight the carry-over effect of reproduction in capital breeders and the potential impact of climate-change conditions on red deer breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina F. Millán
- Wildlife Research Unit (UIRCP), Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- * E-mail: (MFM); (JC)
| | - Juan Carranza
- Wildlife Research Unit (UIRCP), Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- * E-mail: (MFM); (JC)
| | - José M. Seoane
- Wildlife Research Unit (UIRCP), Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
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Ruth Archer C, Bunning H, Rapkin J, Jensen K, Moore PJ, House CM, Del Castillo E, Hunt J. Ovarian apoptosis is regulated by carbohydrate intake but not by protein intake in speckled cockroaches. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 143:104452. [PMID: 36309083 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2022.104452] [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: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
When the likelihood of reproducing successfully is low, any prior investment in developing oocytes may be wasted. One means of recouping this investment is oosorption - where ova are absorbed and resources salvaged so they can be re-allocated to other traits. Food-limited female speckled cockroaches (Nauphoeta cinerea) appear to use this strategy. However, it is unclear if total food intake or the availability of specific nutrients induces this process. Here, we used the geometric framework of nutrition to determine how protein, carbohydrate and energy intake affect levels of ovarian apoptosis and necrosis (controlled versus uncontrolled cell death) in the terminal oocytes of female N. cinerea. We then compare the effects of nutrient intake on apoptosis (a key step towards oosorption) and offspring production to better understand the relationship between diet, apoptosis and female fitness. We found that even when food was abundant, females experienced high levels of apoptosis if their diet lacked carbohydrate. Necrosis was reduced when energy intake was high, but largely irrespective of nutrient ratio. Offspring production peaked on a low protein, high carbohydrate nutrient ratio (1P:7.96C), similar to that which minimized apoptosis (1P:7.34C) but not in the region of nutrient space that minimized necrosis. Thus, females consuming an ideal nutrient blend for reproduction can invest heavily in their current brood without needing to salvage nutrients from developing ova. However, offspring production was more dependent on carbohydrate consumption than apoptosis was, suggesting that the importance of carbohydrate in reproduction goes beyond regulating oosorption. This reliance on carbohydrate for female reproduction may reflect the unusual reproductive and nutritional physiology of speckled cockroaches; attributes that make this species an exciting model for understanding how diet regulates reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ruth Archer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Harriet Bunning
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Tremough Campus, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - James Rapkin
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Tremough Campus, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Kim Jensen
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Tremough Campus, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK; Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
| | - Patricia J Moore
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Clarissa M House
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Locked Bag 1797, Richmond, NSW 2753, Australia
| | - Enrique Del Castillo
- Department of Industrial Engineering and Department of Statistics, Pennsylvania State University, 357 Leonhard Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - John Hunt
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Tremough Campus, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK; School of Science, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Locked Bag 1797, Richmond, NSW 2753, Australia.
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12
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Regan CE, Pemberton JM, Pilkington JG, Smiseth P. Having a better home range does not reduce the cost of reproduction in Soay sheep. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:1352-1362. [PMID: 36063153 PMCID: PMC9826142 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
A cost of reproduction may not be observable in the presence of environmental or individual heterogeneity because they affect the resources available to individuals. Individual space use is critical in determining both the resources available to individuals and the exposure to factors that mediate the value of these resources (e.g. competition and parasitism). Despite this, there has, to our knowledge, been little research to understand how between-individual differences in resource acquisition, caused by variation in space use, interact with environmental variation occurring at the population scale to influence estimates of the cost of reproduction in natural populations. We used long-term data from the St. Kilda Soay sheep population to understand how differences in age, relative home range quality, and average adult body mass, interacted with annual variation in population density and winter North Atlantic Oscillation index to influence over-winter survival and reproduction in the subsequent year, for females that had invested into reproduction to varying degrees. Our results suggest that Soay sheep females experience costs both in terms of future survival and future reproduction. However, we found little evidence that estimated costs of reproduction vary depending on relative home range quality. There are several possible causes for the lack of a relationship between relative home range quality and our estimate of the costs experienced by females. These include the potential for a correlation between relative home range quality and reproductive allocation to mask a relationship between home range quality and reproductive costs, as well as the potential for the benefit of higher quality home ranges being offset by higher densities. Nevertheless, our results raise questions regarding the presence or context-dependence of relationships between resource access and the estimated cost of reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte E. Regan
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology, University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Department of ZoologyEdward Grey Institute, University of OxfordOxfordUK
| | | | | | - Per T. Smiseth
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology, University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
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13
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Smiley RA, Wagler BL, LaSharr TN, Denryter KA, Stephenson TR, Courtemanch AB, Mong TW, Lutz D, McWhirter D, Brimeyer D, Hnilicka P, Lowrey B, Monteith KL. Heterogeneity in risk‐sensitive allocation of somatic reserves in a long‐lived mammal. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A. Smiley
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
| | - Brittany L. Wagler
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
| | - Tayler N. LaSharr
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
| | | | - Thomas R. Stephenson
- Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Bishop California USA
| | | | - Tony W. Mong
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department Cody Wyoming USA
| | - Daryl Lutz
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department Lander Wyoming USA
| | | | - Doug Brimeyer
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department Cheyenne Wyoming USA
| | | | - Blake Lowrey
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana USA
| | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
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14
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Pontzer H, McGrosky A. Balancing growth, reproduction, maintenance, and activity in evolved energy economies. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R709-R719. [PMID: 35728556 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Economic models predominate in life history research, which investigates the allocation of an organism's resources to growth, reproduction, and maintenance. These approaches typically employ a heuristic Y model of resource allocation, which predicts trade-offs among tasks within a fixed budget. The common currency among tasks is not always specified, but most models imply that metabolic energy, either from food or body stores, is the critical resource. Here, we review the evidence for metabolic energy as the common currency of growth, reproduction, and maintenance, focusing on studies in humans and other vertebrates. We then discuss the flow of energy to competing physiological tasks (physical activity, maintenance, and reproduction or growth) and its effect on life history traits. We propose a Ψ model of energy flow to these tasks, which provides an integrative framework for examining the influence of environmental factors and the expansion and contraction of energy budgets in the evolution of life history strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herman Pontzer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Amanda McGrosky
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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15
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Benhaiem S, Kaidatzi S, Hofer H, East ML. Long‐term reproductive costs of snare injuries in a keystone terrestrial by‐catch species. Anim Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Benhaiem
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - S. Kaidatzi
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - H. Hofer
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Department of Veterinary Medicine Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - M. L. East
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
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16
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Bonnet T, Morrissey MB, de Villemereuil P, Alberts SC, Arcese P, Bailey LD, Boutin S, Brekke P, Brent LJN, Camenisch G, Charmantier A, Clutton-Brock TH, Cockburn A, Coltman DW, Courtiol A, Davidian E, Evans SR, Ewen JG, Festa-Bianchet M, de Franceschi C, Gustafsson L, Höner OP, Houslay TM, Keller LF, Manser M, McAdam AG, McLean E, Nietlisbach P, Osmond HL, Pemberton JM, Postma E, Reid JM, Rutschmann A, Santure AW, Sheldon BC, Slate J, Teplitsky C, Visser ME, Wachter B, Kruuk LEB. Genetic variance in fitness indicates rapid contemporary adaptive evolution in wild animals. Science 2022; 376:1012-1016. [PMID: 35617403 DOI: 10.1126/science.abk0853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The rate of adaptive evolution, the contribution of selection to genetic changes that increase mean fitness, is determined by the additive genetic variance in individual relative fitness. To date, there are few robust estimates of this parameter for natural populations, and it is therefore unclear whether adaptive evolution can play a meaningful role in short-term population dynamics. We developed and applied quantitative genetic methods to long-term datasets from 19 wild bird and mammal populations and found that, while estimates vary between populations, additive genetic variance in relative fitness is often substantial and, on average, twice that of previous estimates. We show that these rates of contemporary adaptive evolution can affect population dynamics and hence that natural selection has the potential to partly mitigate effects of current environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothée Bonnet
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | | | - Pierre de Villemereuil
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), École Pratique des Hautes Études, PSL, MNHN, CNRS, SU, UA, Paris, France.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Departments of Biology and Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Peter Arcese
- Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Liam D Bailey
- Departments of Evolutionary Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Patricia Brekke
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London, UK
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Glauco Camenisch
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anne Charmantier
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Tim H Clutton-Brock
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Andrew Cockburn
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - David W Coltman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Alexandre Courtiol
- Departments of Evolutionary Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Eve Davidian
- Departments of Evolutionary Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Simon R Evans
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - John G Ewen
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London, UK
| | | | - Christophe de Franceschi
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Lars Gustafsson
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Oliver P Höner
- Departments of Evolutionary Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas M Houslay
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Lukas F Keller
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Zoological Museum, University of Zurich,, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marta Manser
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Andrew G McAdam
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Emily McLean
- Biology Department, Oxford College, Emory University, Oxford, GA, USA
| | - Pirmin Nietlisbach
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Helen L Osmond
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | | | - Erik Postma
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Jane M Reid
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Alexis Rutschmann
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Anna W Santure
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Ben C Sheldon
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jon Slate
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Céline Teplitsky
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Marcel E Visser
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Bettina Wachter
- Departments of Evolutionary Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Loeske E B Kruuk
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.,Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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17
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Fay R, Hamel S, van de Pol M, Gaillard JM, Yoccoz NG, Acker P, Authier M, Larue B, Le Coeur C, Macdonald KR, Nicol-Harper A, Barbraud C, Bonenfant C, Van Vuren DH, Cam E, Delord K, Gamelon M, Moiron M, Pelletier F, Rotella J, Teplitsky C, Visser ME, Wells CP, Wheelwright NT, Jenouvrier S, Saether BE. Temporal correlations among demographic parameters are ubiquitous but highly variable across species. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:1640-1654. [PMID: 35610546 PMCID: PMC9323452 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Temporal correlations among demographic parameters can strongly influence population dynamics. Our empirical knowledge, however, is very limited regarding the direction and the magnitude of these correlations and how they vary among demographic parameters and species’ life histories. Here, we use long‐term demographic data from 15 bird and mammal species with contrasting pace of life to quantify correlation patterns among five key demographic parameters: juvenile and adult survival, reproductive probability, reproductive success and productivity. Correlations among demographic parameters were ubiquitous, more frequently positive than negative, but strongly differed across species. Correlations did not markedly change along the slow‐fast continuum of life histories, suggesting that they were more strongly driven by ecological than evolutionary factors. As positive temporal demographic correlations decrease the mean of the long‐run population growth rate, the common practice of ignoring temporal correlations in population models could lead to the underestimation of extinction risks in most species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémi Fay
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sandra Hamel
- Département de biologie, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Martijn van de Pol
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jean-Michel Gaillard
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, CNRS, Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5558, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Nigel G Yoccoz
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Paul Acker
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Matthieu Authier
- Observatoire PELAGIS, UMS-CNRS 3462, Université de la Rochelle, La Rochelle, France
| | - Benjamin Larue
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Christie Le Coeur
- Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Alex Nicol-Harper
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton, UK.,Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Christophe Barbraud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, LEMAR, UMR 7372, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Christophe Bonenfant
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, CNRS, Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5558, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Dirk H Van Vuren
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Emmanuelle Cam
- LEMAR, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Plouzané, France
| | - Karine Delord
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, LEMAR, UMR 7372, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Marlène Gamelon
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.,Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, CNRS, Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5558, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Maria Moiron
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France.,Institute of Avian Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Jay Rotella
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | | | - Marcel E Visser
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Caitlin P Wells
- Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Department, Colorado State University, Colorado, USA
| | | | - Stéphanie Jenouvrier
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA.,Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, LEMAR, UMR 7372, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Bernt-Erik Saether
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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18
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Reiner R, Zedrosser A, Zeiler H, Hackländer K, Corlatti L. Habitat and climate shape growth patterns in a mountain ungulate. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8650. [PMID: 35309748 PMCID: PMC8901871 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Uptake and use of energy are of key importance for animals living in temperate environments that undergo strong seasonal changes in forage quality and quantity. In ungulates, energy intake strongly affects body mass gain, an important component of individual fitness. Energy allocation among life-history traits can be affected by internal and external factors. Here, we investigate large-scale variation in body growth patterns of Alpine chamois Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra, in relation to sex, age, temperature, and habitat variations across 31 (sub)populations in the Central European Alps. Taking advantage of an exceptionally large dataset (n = 178,175) of chamois hunted over 27 consecutive years between 1993 and 2019 in mountain ranges with different proportions of forest cover, we found that (i) patterns of body mass growth differ between mountain ranges, with lower body mass but faster mass growth with increasing proportion of forest cover and that (ii) the effect of spring and summer temperatures on changes in body growth patterns are larger in mountain ranges with lower forest cover compared to mountain ranges with higher forest cover. Our results show that patterns of body mass growth within a species are more plastic than expected and depend on environmental and climatic conditions. The recent decline in body mass observed in Alpine chamois populations may have greater impacts on populations living above the treeline than in forests, which may buffer against the effects of increasing temperatures on life-history traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudolf Reiner
- Berchtesgaden National ParkBerchtesgadenGermany
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game ManagementUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game ManagementUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, ViennaViennaAustria
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental HealthUniversity of South‐Eastern NorwayTelemarkNorway
| | | | - Klaus Hackländer
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game ManagementUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, ViennaViennaAustria
- Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung (German Wildlife Foundation)HamburgGermany
| | - Luca Corlatti
- Wildlife Ecology and ManagementUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- Stelvio National ParkBormioItaly
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19
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Steenweg RJ, Crossin GT, Hennin HL, Gilchrist HG, Love OP. Favorable spring conditions can buffer the impact of winter carryover effects on a key breeding decision in an Arctic-breeding seabird. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8588. [PMID: 35154656 PMCID: PMC8826066 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The availability and investment of energy among successive life-history stages is a key feature of carryover effects. In migratory organisms, examining how both winter and spring experiences carryover to affect breeding activity is difficult due to the challenges in tracking individuals through these periods without impacting their behavior, thereby biasing results.Using common eiders Somateria mollissima, we examined whether spring conditions at an Arctic breeding colony (East Bay Island, Nunavut, Canada) can buffer the impacts of winter temperatures on body mass and breeding decisions in birds that winter at different locations (Nuuk and Disko Bay, Greenland, and Newfoundland, Canada; assessed by analyzing stable isotopes of 13-carbon in winter-grown claw samples). Specifically, we used path analysis to examine how wintering and spring environmental conditions interact to affect breeding propensity (a key reproductive decision influencing lifetime fitness in female eiders) within the contexts of the timing of colony arrival, pre-breeding body mass (body condition), and a physiological proxy for foraging effort (baseline corticosterone).We demonstrate that warmer winter temperatures predicted lower body mass at arrival to the nesting colony, whereas warmer spring temperatures predicted earlier arrival dates and higher arrival body mass. Both higher body mass and earlier arrival dates of eider hens increased the probability that birds would initiate laying (i.e., higher breeding propensity). However, variation in baseline corticosterone was not linked to either winter or spring temperatures, and it had no additional downstream effects on breeding propensity.Overall, we demonstrate that favorable pre-breeding conditions in Arctic-breeding common eiders can compensate for the impact that unfavorable wintering conditions can have on breeding investment, perhaps due to greater access to foraging areas prior to laying.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Glenn T. Crossin
- Department of BiologyDalhousie UniversityHalifaxNova ScotiaCanada
| | - Holly L. Hennin
- Environment and Climate Change CanadaNational Wildlife Research CentreCarleton UniversityOttawaOntarioCanada
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of WindsorWindsorOntarioCanada
| | - H. Grant Gilchrist
- Environment and Climate Change CanadaNational Wildlife Research CentreCarleton UniversityOttawaOntarioCanada
| | - Oliver P. Love
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of WindsorWindsorOntarioCanada
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20
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21
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Renaud LA, Festa-Bianchet M, Pelletier F. Testing the match-mismatch hypothesis in bighorn sheep in the context of climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:21-32. [PMID: 34619002 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In species with long gestation, females commit to reproduction several months before parturition. If cues driving conception date are uncoupled from spring conditions, parturition could be mistimed. Mismatch may increase with global change if the rate of temporal changes in autumn cues differs from the rate of change in spring conditions. Using 17 years of data on climate and vegetation phenology, we show that autumn temperature and precipitation, but not vegetation phenology, explain parturition date in bighorn sheep. Although autumn cues drive the timing of conception, they do not predict conditions at parturition in spring. We calculated the mismatch between individual parturition date and spring green-up, assessed whether mismatch increased over time and investigated the consequences of mismatch on lamb neonatal survival, weaning mass and overwinter survival. Mismatch fluctuated over time but showed no temporal trend. Temporal changes in green-up date did not lead to major fitness consequence of mismatch. Detailed data on individually marked animals revealed no effect of mismatch on neonatal or overwinter survival, but lamb weaning mass was negatively affected by mismatch. Capital breeders might be less sensitive to mismatch than income breeders because they are less dependent on daily food acquisition. Herbivores in seasonal environments may access sufficient forage to sustain lactation before or after the spring 'peak' green-up, and partly mitigate the consequences of a mismatch. Thus, the effect of phenological mismatch on fitness may be affected by species life history, highlighting the complexity in quantifying trophic mismatches in the context of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limoilou-Amélie Renaud
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de la science de la biodiversité du Québec, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Marco Festa-Bianchet
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de la science de la biodiversité du Québec, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de la science de la biodiversité du Québec, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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22
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Pélabon C, Côté SD, Festa‐Bianchet M, Gaillard J, Garel M, Lemaître J, Loison A, Tidière M, Toïgo C. Effects of population density on static allometry between horn length and body mass in mountain ungulates. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Pélabon
- Dept of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Dépt de Biologie and Centre d'Etudes Nordiques, Univ. Laval Québec QC Canada
| | | | - Jean‐Michel Gaillard
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, Univ. de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS Villeurbanne France
| | - Mathieu Garel
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Unité Ongulés Sauvages, ZI Mayencin Gières France
| | - Jean‐Francois Lemaître
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, Univ. de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS Villeurbanne France
| | - Anne Loison
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont‐Blanc, CNRS, LECA Grenoble France
| | - Morgane Tidière
- Species360 Conservation Science Alliance Bloomington Minnesota USA
- Interdisciplinary Centre on Population Dynamics, Dept of Biology, Univ. of Southern Denmark Odense M Denmark
| | - Carole Toïgo
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Unité Ongulés Sauvages, ZI Mayencin Gières France
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23
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White KS, Watts DE, Beckmen KB. Helicopter‐Based Chemical Immobilization of Mountain Goats in Coastal Alaska. WILDLIFE SOC B 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin S. White
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, PO Box 110024 Juneau AK 99811 USA
| | - Dominique E. Watts
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, PO Box 2139 Soldotna AK 99669 USA
| | - Kimberlee B. Beckmen
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, 1300 College Road Fairbanks AK 99701 USA
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24
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Pigeon G, Albon S, Loe LE, Bischof R, Bonenfant C, Forchhammer M, Irvine RJ, Ropstad E, Veiberg V, Stien A. Context-dependent fitness costs of reproduction despite stable body mass costs in an Arctic herbivore. J Anim Ecol 2021; 91:61-73. [PMID: 34543441 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The cost of reproduction on demographic rates is often assumed to operate through changing body condition. Several studies have found that reproduction depresses body mass more if the current conditions are severe, such as high population densities or adverse weather, than under benign environmental conditions. However, few studies have investigated the association between the fitness components and body mass costs of reproduction. Using 25 years of individual-based capture-recapture data from Svalbard reindeer Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus, we built a novel Bayesian state-space model that jointly estimated interannual change in mass, annual reproductive success and survival, while accounting for incomplete observations. The model allowed us to partition the differential effects of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on both non-reproductive mass change and the body mass cost of reproduction, and to quantify their consequences on demographic rates. Contrary to our expectation, the body mass cost of reproduction (mean = -5.8 kg) varied little between years (CV = 0.08), whereas the between-year variation in body mass changes, that were independent of the previous year's reproductive state, varied substantially (CV = 0.4) in relation to autumn temperature and the amount of rain-on-snow in winter. This body mass loss led to a cost of reproduction on the next reproduction, which was amplified by the same environmental covariates, from a 10% reduction in reproductive success in benign years, to a 50% reduction in harsh years. The reproductive mass loss also resulted in a small reduction in survival. Our results show how demographic costs of reproduction, driven by interannual fluctuations in individual body condition, result from the balance between body mass costs of reproduction and body mass changes that are independent of previous reproductive state. We illustrate how a strong context-dependent fitness cost of reproduction can occur, despite a relatively fixed body mass cost of reproduction. This suggests that female reindeer display a very conservative energy allocation strategy, either aborting their reproductive attempt at an early stage or weaning at a relatively constant cost. Such a strategy might be common in species living in a highly stochastic and food limited environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Pigeon
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | | | - Leif Egil Loe
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Richard Bischof
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Christophe Bonenfant
- UMR CNRS 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | | | | | - Erik Ropstad
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Audun Stien
- Department for Arctic Ecology, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
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Culina A, Adriaensen F, Bailey LD, Burgess MD, Charmantier A, Cole EF, Eeva T, Matthysen E, Nater CR, Sheldon BC, Sæther B, Vriend SJG, Zajkova Z, Adamík P, Aplin LM, Angulo E, Artemyev A, Barba E, Barišić S, Belda E, Bilgin CC, Bleu J, Both C, Bouwhuis S, Branston CJ, Broggi J, Burke T, Bushuev A, Camacho C, Campobello D, Canal D, Cantarero A, Caro SP, Cauchoix M, Chaine A, Cichoń M, Ćiković D, Cusimano CA, Deimel C, Dhondt AA, Dingemanse NJ, Doligez B, Dominoni DM, Doutrelant C, Drobniak SM, Dubiec A, Eens M, Einar Erikstad K, Espín S, Farine DR, Figuerola J, Kavak Gülbeyaz P, Grégoire A, Hartley IR, Hau M, Hegyi G, Hille S, Hinde CA, Holtmann B, Ilyina T, Isaksson C, Iserbyt A, Ivankina E, Kania W, Kempenaers B, Kerimov A, Komdeur J, Korsten P, Král M, Krist M, Lambrechts M, Lara CE, Leivits A, Liker A, Lodjak J, Mägi M, Mainwaring MC, Mänd R, Massa B, Massemin S, Martínez‐Padilla J, Mazgajski TD, Mennerat A, Moreno J, Mouchet A, Nakagawa S, Nilsson J, Nilsson JF, Cláudia Norte A, van Oers K, Orell M, Potti J, Quinn JL, Réale D, Kristin Reiertsen T, Rosivall B, Russell AF, Rytkönen S, Sánchez‐Virosta P, Santos ESA, Schroeder J, Senar JC, Seress G, Slagsvold T, Szulkin M, Teplitsky C, Tilgar V, Tolstoguzov A, Török J, Valcu M, Vatka E, Verhulst S, Watson H, Yuta T, Zamora‐Marín JM, Visser ME. Connecting the data landscape of long-term ecological studies: The SPI-Birds data hub. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2147-2160. [PMID: 33205462 PMCID: PMC8518542 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The integration and synthesis of the data in different areas of science is drastically slowed and hindered by a lack of standards and networking programmes. Long-term studies of individually marked animals are not an exception. These studies are especially important as instrumental for understanding evolutionary and ecological processes in the wild. Furthermore, their number and global distribution provides a unique opportunity to assess the generality of patterns and to address broad-scale global issues (e.g. climate change). To solve data integration issues and enable a new scale of ecological and evolutionary research based on long-term studies of birds, we have created the SPI-Birds Network and Database (www.spibirds.org)-a large-scale initiative that connects data from, and researchers working on, studies of wild populations of individually recognizable (usually ringed) birds. Within year and a half since the establishment, SPI-Birds has recruited over 120 members, and currently hosts data on almost 1.5 million individual birds collected in 80 populations over 2,000 cumulative years, and counting. SPI-Birds acts as a data hub and a catalogue of studied populations. It prevents data loss, secures easy data finding, use and integration and thus facilitates collaboration and synthesis. We provide community-derived data and meta-data standards and improve data integrity guided by the principles of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR), and aligned with the existing metadata languages (e.g. ecological meta-data language). The encouraging community involvement stems from SPI-Bird's decentralized approach: research groups retain full control over data use and their way of data management, while SPI-Birds creates tailored pipelines to convert each unique data format into a standard format. We outline the lessons learned, so that other communities (e.g. those working on other taxa) can adapt our successful model. Creating community-specific hubs (such as ours, COMADRE for animal demography, etc.) will aid much-needed large-scale ecological data integration.
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The effect of reproductive state on activity budget, feeding behavior, and urinary C-peptide levels in wild female Assamese macaques. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03058-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The source of maternal energy supporting reproduction (i.e., stored or incoming) is an important factor determining different breeding strategies (capital, income or mixed) in female mammals. Key periods of energy storage and allocation might induce behavioral and physiological shifts in females, and investigating their distribution throughout reproduction helps in determining vulnerable phases shaping female reproductive success. Here, we examined the effects of reproductive state on activity budget, feeding behavior, and urinary C-peptide (uCP) levels, a physiological marker of energy balance, in 43 wild female Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis). Over a 13-month study period, we collected 96,266 instantaneous records of activity and 905 urine samples. We found that early lactating females and non-gestating–non-lactating females follow an energy-saving strategy consisting of resting more at the expense of feeding and consuming mostly fruits which contributed to enhancing their energy intake and feeding efficiency. We found an opposite pattern in gestating and late lactating females who feed more at the expense of resting and consume mostly seeds, providing a fiber-rich diet. Storing food into cheek pouches increased throughout gestation while it decreased all along with lactation. Lastly, we found the highest uCP levels during late gestation. Our results reflect different feeding adaptations in response to the energetic costs of reproduction and suggest a critical role of fat accumulation before conception and metabolizing fat during gestation and lactation. Overall, our study provides an integrative picture of the energetics of reproduction in a seasonal species and contributes to our understanding of the diversity of behavioral and physiological adaptations shaping female reproductive success.
Significance statement
To offset their substantial energetic investment in reproduction, mammalian females may modify their behavior and the way they extract energy from their environment. In addition, as a result of heightened energy expenditure, female reproduction might trigger physiological shifts. To date, most studies investigated the energetic costs of female reproduction using either a behavioral or a physiological approach. To arrive at a more comprehensive picture, we combined behavioral data with a physiological marker of energy balance, i.e., urinary C-peptide, in a seasonal primate species in its natural habitat. Our results indicate that throughout the reproductive cycle, behavioral and physiological adaptations operate concomitantly, inducing modifications in female activity budget, feeding behavior, and suggesting shifts in fat use. Overall, our results illustrate the relevance of combining data on behavior and hormones to investigate breeding strategies in coping with the energetic costs of reproduction.
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Wittemyer G, Daballen D, Douglas‐Hamilton I. Differential influence of human impacts on age‐specific demography underpins trends in an African elephant population. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- George Wittemyer
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
- Save the Elephants Nairobi Kenya
| | | | - Iain Douglas‐Hamilton
- Save the Elephants Nairobi Kenya
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
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Reiner R, Zedrosser A, Zeiler H, Hackländer K, Corlatti L. Forests buffer the climate-induced decline of body mass in a mountain herbivore. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:3741-3752. [PMID: 33993622 PMCID: PMC8361913 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is known to affect key life-history traits, such as body mass, reproduction, and survival in many species. Animal populations inhabiting mountain habitats are adapted to extreme seasonal environmental conditions but are also expected to be especially vulnerable to climate change. Studies on mountain ungulates typically focus on populations or sections of populations living above the tree line, whereas populations inhabiting forested habitats are largely understudied. Here, we investigate whether forested areas can mitigate the impact of climatic change on life-history traits by evaluating the interactive effects of temperature and habitat characteristics on body mass variation in the Alpine chamois Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra. We examined data of 20,573 yearling chamois collected from 1993 to 2019 in 28 mountain ranges in the Austrian Eastern Alps, characterized by different proportion of forest cover. Our results show that the temporal decline of chamois body mass is less pronounced in areas with greater proportion of forest cover. For chamois living in forest habitats only, no significant temporal change in body mass was detected. Variation in body mass was affected by the interaction between density and snow cover, as well as by the interaction between spring temperatures and forest cover, supporting the role of forests as thermal buffer against the effects of increasing temperatures on life-history traits in a mountain ungulate. In turn, this study suggests a buffering effect of forests against climate change impacts. Assessments of the consequences of climate change on the life-history traits and population dynamics of mountain-dwelling species should thus consider the plasticity of the species with respect to the use and availability of different habitat types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudolf Reiner
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game ManagementUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
- Berchtesgaden National ParkBerchtesgadenGermany
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game ManagementUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental HealthUniversity of South‐Eastern NorwayBø i TelemarkNorway
| | | | - Klaus Hackländer
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game ManagementUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Luca Corlatti
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and ManagementUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
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Spaan RS, Epps CW, Crowhurst R, Whittaker D, Cox M, Duarte A. Impact of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae on juvenile bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis) survival in the northern Basin and Range ecosystem. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10710. [PMID: 33552728 PMCID: PMC7821761 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining the demographic impacts of wildlife disease is complex because extrinsic and intrinsic drivers of survival, reproduction, body condition, and other factors that may interact with disease vary widely. Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae infection has been linked to persistent mortality in juvenile bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), although mortality appears to vary widely across subspecies, populations, and outbreaks. Hypotheses for that variation range from interactions with nutrition, population density, genetic variation in the pathogen, genetic variation in the host, and other factors. We investigated factors related to survival of juvenile bighorn sheep in reestablished populations in the northern Basin and Range ecosystem, managed as the formerly-recognized California subspecies (hereafter, "California lineage"). We investigated whether survival probability of 4-month juveniles would vary by (1) presence of M. ovipneumoniae-infected or exposed individuals in populations, (2) population genetic diversity, and (3) an index of forage suitability. We monitored 121 juveniles across a 3-year period in 13 populations in southeastern Oregon and northern Nevada. We observed each juvenile and GPS-collared mother semi-monthly and established 4-month capture histories for the juvenile to estimate survival. All collared adult females were PCR-tested at least once for M. ovipneumoniae infection. The presence of M. ovipneumoniae-infected juveniles was determined by observing juvenile behavior and PCR-testing dead juveniles. We used a known-fate model with different time effects to determine if the probability of survival to 4 months varied temporally or was influenced by disease or other factors. We detected dead juveniles infected with M. ovipneumoniae in only two populations. Derived juvenile survival probability at four months in populations where infected juveniles were not detected was more than 20 times higher. Detection of infected adults or adults with antibody levels suggesting prior exposure was less predictive of juvenile survival. Survival varied temporally but was not strongly influenced by population genetic diversity or nutrition, although genetic diversity within most study area populations was very low. We conclude that the presence of M. ovipneumoniae can cause extremely low juvenile survival probability in translocated bighorn populations of the California lineage, but found little influence that genetic diversity or nutrition affect juvenile survival. Yet, after the PCR+ adult female in one population died, subsequent observations found 11 of 14 ( 79%) collared adult females had surviving juveniles at 4-months, suggesting that targeted removals of infected adults should be evaluated as a management strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert S. Spaan
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Clinton W. Epps
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Rachel Crowhurst
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Donald Whittaker
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Salem, OR, United States of America
| | - Mike Cox
- Nevada Department of Wildlife, Reno, NV, United States of America
| | - Adam Duarte
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
- Pacific Northwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Olympia, WA, United States of America
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31
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Gamelon M, Filli F, Saether BE, Herfindal I. Multi-event capture-recapture analysis in Alpine chamois reveals contrasting responses to interspecific competition, within and between populations. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2279-2289. [PMID: 32654115 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Understanding components of interspecific competition has long been a major goal in ecological studies. Classical models of competition typically consider equal responses of all individuals to the density of competitors, however responses may differ both among individuals from the same population, and between populations. Based on individual long-term monitoring of two chamois populations in sympatry with red deer, we built a multi-event capture-recapture model to assess how vital rates of the smaller chamois are affected by competition from the larger red deer. In both populations, mortality and breeding probabilities of female chamois depend on age and in most cases, breeding status the preceding year. Successful breeders always performed better the next year, indicating that some females are of high quality. In one population where there was high spatial overlap between the two species, the survival of old female chamois that were successful breeders the preceding year (high-quality) was negatively related to an index of red deer population size suggesting that they tend to skip reproduction instead of jeopardizing their own survival when the number of competitors increases. The breeding probability of young breeders (ages 2 and 3) was similarly affected by red deer population size. In contrast, in the second site with low spatial overlap between the two species, the vital rates of female chamois were not related to red deer population size. We provide evidence for population-specific responses to interspecific competition and more generally, for context-, age- and state-dependent effects of interspecific competition. Our results also suggest that the classical assumption of equal responses of all individuals to interspecific competition should be relaxed, and emphasize the need to move towards more mechanistic approaches to better understand how natural populations respond to changes in their environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlène Gamelon
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Flurin Filli
- Swiss National Park, Chaste Planta-Wildenberg, Zernez, Switzerland
| | - Bernt-Erik Saether
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ivar Herfindal
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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32
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Forage availability and maternal characteristics affect costs of reproduction in a large marsupial. Oecologia 2020; 193:97-107. [PMID: 32306115 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04653-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Life history theory predicts trade-offs in allocation between survival, maintenance, growth, and reproduction, especially when resources are scarce. Individual variation in resource acquisition can affect trade-offs, but is often unaccounted for. We quantified the fitness costs of reproduction, accounting for environmental conditions, maternal characteristics and individual variation. We analyzed 10 years of data from marked kangaroos to evaluate how reproductive allocation affected annual mass change and skeletal growth, subsequent fecundity and weaning success, and survival, accounting for maternal mass or size and forage availability. Through repeated measurements of 76-91 females, we investigated how trade-offs varied within and between individuals, assessing whether individual variation could mask population-level trade-offs. In poor environments, females that weaned an offspring lost mass. Females that nursed an offspring for > 7 months had reduced skeletal growth. Females that did not gain mass over the previous 12 months rarely reproduced, especially if they had nursed an offspring for > 7 months the previous year. Reproductive allocation had no effect on weaning success, which was very low, and did not affect maternal survival, suggesting a conservative strategy. Disentangling within- and between-individual responses revealed trade-offs within individuals, but because individuals did not vary in their responses to earlier effort, these trade-offs did not drive population trends. The interacting effects of environmental conditions, maternal characteristics and individual variation on allocation trade-offs demonstrate the importance of long-term monitoring for understanding life history variations in changing environments.
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Van de Walle J, Zedrosser A, Swenson JE, Pelletier F. Trade-off between offspring mass and number: the lightest offspring bear the costs. Biol Lett 2020. [PMCID: PMC7058944 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0707] [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] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Life-history theory predicts a trade-off between offspring size and number. However, the role of intra-litter phenotypic variation in shaping this trade-off is often disregarded. We compared the strength of the relationship between litter size and mass from the perspective of the lightest and the heaviest yearling offspring in 110 brown bear litters in Sweden. We showed that the mass of the lightest yearlings decreased with increasing litter size, but that the mass of the heaviest yearling remained stable, regardless of litter size. Consistent with a conservative reproductive strategy, our results suggest that mothers maintained a stable investment in a fraction of the litter, while transferring the costs of larger litter size to the remaining offspring. Ignoring intra-litter phenotypic variation may obscure our ability to detect a trade-off between offspring size and number.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanie Van de Walle
- Département de biologie and Centre for Northern Studies, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada J1K 2R1
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, 3800 Bø i Telemark, Norway
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologie and Centre for Northern Studies, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada J1K 2R1
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Lloyd KJ, Oosthuizen WC, Bester MN, de Bruyn PJN. Trade-offs between age-related breeding improvement and survival senescence in highly polygynous elephant seals: Dominant males always do better. J Anim Ecol 2019; 89:897-909. [PMID: 31746466 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Life history trade-off theory predicts that current reproduction can negatively affect survival and future reproduction. Few studies have assessed breeding costs for males of polygynous species compared to females, despite substantial variation in breeding success among individual males (e.g. subordinate cf. dominant breeders). Specifically, differentiating between the cost of attending breeding seasons, and the additional cost of successfully securing and mating females is lacking. We investigated whether trade-offs are present in the highly polygynous male southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) using 34-years of individual-level data. We compare age-specific survival, recruitment and future breeding success probabilities of pre-breeders (males yet to recruit) and breeders (subordinate and dominant social ranks) using multievent models. Pre-breeders and breeders of overlapping ages had similar survival probabilities, suggesting that there was no attendance cost for early recruits. In addition, the probability of recruiting as a dominant breeder never exceeded recruitment probability as a subordinate breeder of the same age. Therefore, older pre-breeders that delayed attendance costs generally did not improve their breeding success (probability of being dominant) at recruitment more than younger recruits. Rather, recruitment age may be a function of individual quality, with lower quality individuals requiring more time to socially mature. When comparing subordinate and dominant breeders, we found clear evidence for survival senescence, with subordinate breeders having a higher baseline mortality. In contrast, age-specific future breeding success (probability of being dominant at t + 1) increased with age, with dominant breeders maintaining higher subsequent breeding success than subordinate breeders. The opposite trends in survival and future breeding success for both subordinate and dominant breeders may indicate a lifetime, population-level trade-off. However, we found no evidence to suggest that being a dominant breeder consecutively (and having a higher accumulated breeding cost) accelerated the rate of senescence when compared to individuals that were previously subordinate. Thus, males experienced actuarial senescence regardless of social rank, with dominant (and possibly high quality) breeders showing a reduced trade-off between survival and future breeding success. We make several novel contributions to understanding polygynous male life histories and southern elephant seal demography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle J Lloyd
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - W Chris Oosthuizen
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Marthán N Bester
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - P J Nico de Bruyn
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
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