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Veyrunes F, Perez J, Heitzmann LD, Saunders PA, Givalois L. Hormone profiles of the African pygmy mouse Mus minutoides, a species with XY female sex reversal. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 341:130-137. [PMID: 38059664 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, most sex differences in phenotype are controlled by gonadal hormones, but recent work on transgenic mice has shown that sex chromosomes can have a direct influence on sex-specific behaviors. In this study, we take advantage of the naturally occurring sex reversal in a mouse species, Mus minutoides, to investigate for the first time the relationship between sex chromosomes, hormones, and behaviors in a wild species. In this model, a feminizing variant of the X chromosome, named X*, produces three types of females with different sex chromosome complements (XX, XX*, and X*Y), associated with alternative behavioral phenotypes, while all males are XY. We thus compared the levels of three major circulating steroid hormones (testosterone, corticosterone, and estradiol) in the four sex genotypes to disentangle the influence of sex chromosomes and sex hormones on behavior. First, we did not find any difference in testosterone levels in the three female genotypes, although X*Y females are notoriously more aggressive. Second, in agreement with their lower anxiety-related behaviors, X*Y females and XY males display lower baseline corticosterone concentration than XX and XX* females. Instead of a direct hormonal influence, this result rather suggests that sex chromosomes may have an impact on the baseline corticosterone level, which in turn may influence behaviors. Third, estradiol concentrations do not explain the enhanced reproductive performance and maternal care behavior of the X*Y females compared to the XX and XX* females. Overall, this study highlights that most of the behaviors varying along with sex chromosome complement of this species are more likely driven by genetic factors rather than steroid hormone concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic Veyrunes
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier UMR 5554, CNRS, Université Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Julie Perez
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier UMR 5554, CNRS, Université Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Louise D Heitzmann
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier UMR 5554, CNRS, Université Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Paul A Saunders
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier UMR 5554, CNRS, Université Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Laurent Givalois
- MMDN, Molecular Mechanisms in Neurodegenerative Dementia Laboratory, Université Montpellier, EPHE-PSL, INSERM U1198, Montpellier, France
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CR-CHUQ, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec City, Canada
- CNRS, Paris, France
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2
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Natsukawa H, Yuasa H, Sutton LJ, Amano H, Haga M, Itaya H, Kawashima H, Komuro S, Konno T, Mori K, Onagi M, Ichinose T, Sergio F. Utilizing a top predator to prioritize site protection for biodiversity conservation. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 347:119110. [PMID: 37783076 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119110] [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: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing global change makes it ever more urgent to find creative solutions for biodiversity preservation, but prioritizing sites for protection can be challenging. One shortcut lies in mapping the habitat requirements of well-established biodiversity indicators, such as top predators, to identify high-biodiversity sites. Here, we planned site protection for biodiversity conservation by developing a multi-scale species distribution model (SDM) for the raptorial Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis; goshawk) breeding in an extensive megacity region of Japan. Specifically, we: (1) examined the determinants of top predator occurrence and thus of high-biodiversity value in this megacity setting, (2) identified the biodiversity hotspots, (3) validated whether they actually held higher biodiversity through an independent dataset, and (4) evaluated their current protection by environmental laws. The SDM revealed that goshawks preferred secluded sites far from roads, with abundant forest within a 100 m radius and extensive forest ecotones suitable for hunting within a 900 m radius. This multi-scale landscape configuration was independently confirmed to hold higher biodiversity, yet covered only 3.2% of the study area, with only 44.0% of these sites legally protected. Thus, a rapid biodiversity assessment mediated by a top predator quickly highlighted: (1) the poor development of biodiversity-friendly urban planning in this megacity complex, an aspect overlooked for decades of rapid urban sprawl, and (2) the extreme urgency of extending legal protection to the sites missed by the current protected area network. Exigent biodiversity indicators, such as top predators, could be employed in the early or late stages of anthropogenic impacts in order to proactively incorporate biodiversity protection into planning or flag key biodiversity relics. Our results confirm and validate the applied reliability of top predatory species as biodiversity conservation tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruki Natsukawa
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, Seville, Spain.
| | - Hiroki Yuasa
- Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | | | | | - Masaru Haga
- Japan Accipiter Working Group, Ishikawa, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Takeo Konno
- Japan Accipiter Working Group, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Kaname Mori
- Japan Accipiter Working Group, Ishikawa, Japan
| | | | - Tomohiro Ichinose
- Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Fabrizio Sergio
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, Seville, Spain
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3
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Robertson KE, Ellington EH, Tonra CM, Gehrt SD. Stress in the city? Coyote hair cortisol varies with intrinsic and extrinsic factors within a heavily urbanized landscape. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 901:165965. [PMID: 37543341 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife living in proximity to people are exposed to both natural and anthropogenic factors that may influence cortisol production associated with stress response. While some species, including coyotes (Canis latrans), have become commonplace in developed areas throughout North America, urban individuals still must navigate ever-changing, novel environments and cope with frequent disturbance. Given that coyotes are relatively large predators compared to most other urban wildlife, they face unique pressures such as crossing roadways to use suitable habitat fragments and are at a greater risk of being detected and experiencing negative human interactions. To assess whether urbanization influences hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in free-ranging coyotes, we analyzed cortisol concentration in hair samples from 97 coyotes residing across the urbanization gradient within the Greater Chicago Metropolitan area. As the proportion of developed landcover within coyote home ranges increased, coyotes experienced more stress. Body condition and social status also had strong relationships with stress. Animals in poorer body condition experienced more stress and subordinate coyotes experienced less stress than alphas. We also found some evidence that stress varied seasonally and among different age classes. Understanding how intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence endocrine activity in urban carnivores is vital for predicting how hormone production and related behavioral patterns may change in future populations as more areas become developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie E Robertson
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, United States of America
| | - E Hance Ellington
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, United States of America; Range Cattle Research and Education Center, University of Florida, 3401 Experiment Station Road, Ona, FL 33865, United States of America
| | - Christopher M Tonra
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, United States of America.
| | - Stanley D Gehrt
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, United States of America.
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4
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Alquezar RD, Arregui L, Macedo RH, Gil D. Birds living near airports do not show consistently higher levels of feather corticosterone. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad079. [PMID: 37869263 PMCID: PMC10588694 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Noise represents a threat to human and wildlife health, triggering physiological and behavioral challenges to individuals living close to sources of extreme noise. Here, we considered airport environments as sources of potentially stressful stimuli for birds and tested if those living near airports are under higher physiological stress than birds living in quiet sites. We used measurements of CORT in feathers (CORTf) as a proxy of chronic stress. We evaluated 14 passerine and 1 non-passerine species, living near three Brazilian airports. We found that, across species, individuals with a better body condition had lower CORTf concentration. At the species level, we found that CORTf concentration was not consistently affected by airport noise. Comparing individuals living in quiet sites with those living near airports, we found that 2 species had higher and 2 had lower CORTf concentrations near airports, while 11 species presented no significant differences between sites. At the population level, model selection indicated that the direction and strength of these differences are weakly related to species' song frequency (peak frequency), as lower-frequency singers tended to present higher CORTf levels at airport-affected sites. In summary, we were unable to find a consistent response among species, probably due to species-specific differences in their response to anthropogenic disturbances. Instead, we found that species might be affected differently according to their singing spectral frequency and that individuals in good body condition show lower CORTf, suggesting that this measure is consistent with lower physiological stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata D Alquezar
- PG em Ecologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, 70919-970, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Lucía Arregui
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Regina H Macedo
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, 70910-900, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Diego Gil
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
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Pérez-Ortega B, Hendry AP. A meta-analysis of human disturbance effects on glucocorticoid hormones in free-ranging wild vertebrates. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1459-1471. [PMID: 37095625 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12962] [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: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Free-ranging wild vertebrates need to cope with natural and anthropogenic stressors that cause short and/or long-term behavioural and physiological responses. In areas of high human disturbance, the use of glucocorticoid (GC) hormones as biomarkers to measure stress responses is an increasingly common tool for understanding how animals cope with human disturbance. We conducted a meta-analysis to investigate how human disturbances such as habitat conversion, habitat degradation, and ecotourism influence baseline GC hormones of free-ranging wild vertebrates, and we further test the role of protected areas in reducing the impact of such disturbances on these hormones. A total of 58 studies met the inclusion criteria, providing 152 data points for comparing levels of GC hormones under disturbed and undisturbed conditions. The overall effect size suggests that human disturbance does not cause a consistent increase in levels of GC hormones (Hedges' g = 0.307, 95% CI = -0.062 to 0.677). However, when the data were analysed by disturbance type, living in unprotected areas or in areas with habitat conversion were found to increase GC hormone levels compared to living in protected or undisturbed areas. By contrast, we found no evidence that ecotourism or habitat degradation generates a consistent increase in baseline GC hormone levels. Among taxonomic groups, mammals appeared more sensitive to human disturbance than birds. We advocate the use of GC hormones for inferring major human-caused contributors to the stress levels of free-ranging wild vertebrates - although such information needs to be combined with other measures of stress and interpreted in the context of an organism's life history, behaviour, and history of interactions with human disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betzi Pérez-Ortega
- McGill University, Redpath Museum and Department of Biology, 859 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0C4, Canada
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Panama, Republic of Panama
| | - Andrew P Hendry
- McGill University, Redpath Museum and Department of Biology, 859 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0C4, Canada
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6
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Kilfoil JP, Quinn TP, Wirsing AJ. Human effects on brown bear diel activity may facilitate subadults foraging on Pacific salmon. Glob Ecol Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
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7
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Corsini M, Leanza P, Rodewald AD, Sudyka J, Dhondt AA, Szulkin M. Coping with novelty across an urban mosaic: Provisioning latency increases closer to roads and is associated with species-specific reproductive success in two urban adapters. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 847:157450. [PMID: 35863574 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157450] [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: 04/02/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Most research on urban avian ecology has focused on population- and community-level phenomena, whereas fewer studies have examined how urbanization affects individual behavioral responses to a sudden and novel stimulus, and how those translate to fitness. We measured between-individual variation in provisioning latency in two urban adapters - great tits and blue tits - in response to an infrared camera installed in the nestbox, encountered when offspring in the nest were at the peak of food demand (9-10-days old). For each nestbox, we quantified urbanization as intensity in human activity, distance to road and proportion of impervious surface area. In both species, provisioning latency increased closer to roads. Moreover, increased provisioning latency when exposed to a novel object was associated with higher reproductive success in great tits whose nestboxes were surrounded by high amounts of impervious surface. In contrast, increased provisioning latency was consistently associated with lower reproductive success in blue tits. Our results suggest that provisioning latency changes in relation to the environment surrounding the nest, and may be context- and species-specific when exposed to a novel stimulus, such as a novel object in the nest. To better understand the role of initial behavioral responses towards novelty across an individual's lifetime and, ultimately, its impact on fitness in the urban mosaic, further research explicitly testing different behavioral responses across the entire breeding cycle in wild model systems is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Corsini
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, ul. Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, 14850, NY, USA.
| | - Pietro Leanza
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, ul. Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Amanda D Rodewald
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, 14850, NY, USA; Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14850, NY, USA
| | - Joanna Sudyka
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - André A Dhondt
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, 14850, NY, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14850, NY, USA
| | - Marta Szulkin
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, ul. Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
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8
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Protection status, human disturbance, snow cover and trapping drive density of a declining wolverine population in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17412. [PMID: 36280695 PMCID: PMC9592595 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21499-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Protected areas are important in species conservation, but high rates of human-caused mortality outside their borders and increasing popularity for recreation can negatively affect wildlife populations. We quantified wolverine (Gulo gulo) population trends from 2011 to 2020 in > 14,000 km2 protected and non-protected habitat in southwestern Canada. We conducted wolverine and multi-species surveys using non-invasive DNA and remote camera-based methods. We developed Bayesian integrated models combining spatial capture-recapture data of marked and unmarked individuals with occupancy data. Wolverine density and occupancy declined by 39%, with an annual population growth rate of 0.925. Density within protected areas was 3 times higher than outside and declined between 2011 (3.6 wolverines/1000 km2) and 2020 (2.1 wolverines/1000 km2). Wolverine density and detection probability increased with snow cover and decreased near development. Detection probability also decreased with human recreational activity. The annual harvest rate of ≥ 13% was above the maximum sustainable rate. We conclude that humans negatively affected the population through direct mortality, sub-lethal effects and habitat impacts. Our study exemplifies the need to monitor population trends for species at risk-within and between protected areas-as steep declines can occur unnoticed if key conservation concerns are not identified and addressed.
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9
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Rabdeau J, Desbonnes M, Bretagnolle V, Moreau J, Monceau K. Does anthropization affect physiology, behaviour and life‐history traits of Montagu's harrier chicks? Anim Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12810] [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)
- J. Rabdeau
- UMR 7372, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé La Rochelle Université & CNRS Villiers en Bois France
| | - M. Desbonnes
- UMR 7372, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé La Rochelle Université & CNRS Villiers en Bois France
| | - V. Bretagnolle
- UMR 7372, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé La Rochelle Université & CNRS Villiers en Bois France
- LTSER “Zone Atelier Plaine & Val de Sèvre”, CNRS Villiers‐en Bois France
| | - J. Moreau
- UMR 7372, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé La Rochelle Université & CNRS Villiers en Bois France
- UMR CNRS 6282 Biogéosciences, Équipe Écologie Évolutive Université de Bourgogne‐Franche‐Comté Dijon France
| | - K. Monceau
- UMR 7372, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé La Rochelle Université & CNRS Villiers en Bois France
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MacLeod KJ, Naugle L, Brittingham MC, Avery JD. Gas compressor noise does not influence tree swallow nestling condition or immune response. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12997] [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)
- K. J. MacLeod
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Penn State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
- School of Natural Sciences Bangor University Bangor Gwynedd UK
| | - L. Naugle
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Penn State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
- Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Harrisburg Pennsylvania USA
| | - M. C. Brittingham
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Penn State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
| | - J. D. Avery
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Penn State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
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11
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Giordano A, Hunninck L, Sheriff MJ. Prey responses to predation risk under chronic road noise. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12968] [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)
- A. Giordano
- Biology Department University of Massachusetts Dartmouth North Dartmouth MA USA
| | - L. Hunninck
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois Urbana‐Champaign Urbana IL USA
| | - M. J. Sheriff
- Biology Department University of Massachusetts Dartmouth North Dartmouth MA USA
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12
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Mancuso K, Hodges KE, Grosselet M, Elliott JE, Alexander JD, Zanuttig M, Bishop CA. Mercury toxicity risk and corticosterone levels across the breeding range of the Yellow-breasted Chat. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2022; 31:234-250. [PMID: 34973137 PMCID: PMC8901494 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-021-02510-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is an environmental contaminant that can negatively impact human and wildlife health. For songbirds, Hg risk may be elevated near riparian habitats due to the transfer of methylmercury (MeHg) from aquatic to terrestrial food webs. We measured Hg levels in tail feathers sampled across the breeding range of the Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens), a riparian songbird species of conservation concern. We assessed the risk of Hg toxicity based on published benchmarks. Simultaneously, we measured corticosterone, a hormone implicated in the stress response system, released via the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. To better understand range-wide trends in Hg and corticosterone, we examined whether age, sex, subspecies, or range position were important predictors. Lastly, we examined whether Hg and corticosterone were correlated. Hg levels in chats were relatively low: 0.30 ± 0.02 µg/g dry weight. 148 out of 150 (98.6%) had Hg levels considered background, and 2 (1.6%) had levels considered low toxicity risk. Hg levels were similar between sexes and subspecies. Younger chats (<1 year) had higher Hg levels than older chats (>1 year). Hg levels were lowest in the northern and central portion of the eastern subspecies' range. Corticosterone concentrations in feathers averaged 3.68 ± 0.23 pg/mm. Corticosterone levels were similar between ages and sexes. Western chats had higher levels of corticosterone than eastern chats. Hg and corticosterone were not correlated, suggesting these low Hg burdens did not affect the activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. Altogether, the chat has low Hg toxicity risk across its breeding range, despite living in riparian habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Mancuso
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada.
| | - Karen E Hodges
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | | | - John E Elliott
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, BC, Canada
| | | | - Michelle Zanuttig
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, BC, Canada
| | - Christine A Bishop
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, BC, Canada
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Lukas K, Stansell HM, Yeh PJ, Nonacs P. Urban junco flight initiation distances correlate with approach velocities of anthropogenic sounds. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.2024263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kara Lukas
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Hayley M. Stansell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Pamela J. Yeh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
| | - Peter Nonacs
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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14
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Ortiz-Jimenez CA, Michelangeli M, Pendleton E, Sih A, Smith JE. Behavioural correlations across multiple stages of the antipredator response: do animals that escape sooner hide longer? Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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15
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Tablado Z, Bötsch Y, Powolny T, Massemin S, Zahn S, Jenni-Eiermann S, Jenni L. Effect of Human Disturbance on Bird Telomere Length: An Experimental Approach. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.792492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Human recreational activities increase worldwide in space and frequency leading to higher rates of encounter between humans and wild animals. Because wildlife often perceive humans as predators, this increase in human disturbance may have negative consequences for the individuals and also for the viability of populations. Up to now, experiments on the effects of human disturbance on wildlife have mainly focused on individual behavioral and stress-physiological reactions, on breeding success, and on survival. However, the effects on other physiological parameters and trans-generational effects remain poorly understood. We used a low-intensity experimental disturbance in the field to explore the impacts of human disturbance on telomere length in great tit (Parus major) populations and found a clear effect of disturbance on telomere length. Adult males, but not females, in disturbed plots showed shorter telomere lengths when compared to control plot. Moreover, variation in telomere length of adult great tits was reflected in the next generation, as we found a positive correlation between telomere length of the chicks and of their fathers. Given that telomere length has been linked to animal lifespan, our study highlights that activities considered to be of little concern (i.e., low levels of disturbance) can have a long-lasting impact on the physiology and survival of wild animals and their next generation.
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16
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Ortiz-Jiménez L, Iglesias-Merchan C, Martínez-Salazar AI, Barja I. Effect of intensity and duration of anthropic noises on European mink locomotor activity and fecal cortisol metabolite levels. Curr Zool 2022; 68:688-699. [PMID: 36743224 PMCID: PMC9892796 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Human activities involving noise emission can affect wild animals. European mink was exposed to road noise and human voice playbacks to analyze how sound intensity level and duration of both noises altered the time that individuals were active and if their fecal cortisol metabolite (FCM) levels varied. A Hierarchical Analysis Cluster was performed to establish 2 mink groups with respect to both noise source type: short duration/low intensity (SL) and long duration/high intensity (LH). We performed general linear mixed models to evaluate the variation in locomotor activity duration (s) and FCM (nanogram per gram) levels, respectively. The results showed both road noise and human voices decreased locomotor activity duration in SL more sharply compared with LH, and human voices were the triggers that induced the most pronounced response to both exposure conditions. FCM (ng/g) levels increased in SL compared with LH during road noise while the opposite happened during human voices. Differences based on sex and age of individuals were observed. In conclusion, noise characteristics given by the sound type determined the variations in locomotor activity duration while noise exposure level determined the variations in FCM (ng/g) levels. Attention should be paid to noisy activities (e.g., recreational activities for visitors in protected natural areas) and loud groups of people to conserve wildlife, especially noise sensitive species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carlos Iglesias-Merchan
- Department of Forest and Environmental Engineering and Management, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alba Itzel Martínez-Salazar
- Geographic Information Systems Laboratory, Institute of Biology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, México
| | - Isabel Barja
- Department of Biology, Zoology Unit, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, 28049, Spain,Biodiversity and Global Change Research Centre (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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17
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Scheun J, Miller RJ, Ganswindt A, Waller LJ, Pichegru L, Sherley RB, Maneveldt GW. Urofaecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in African penguin ( Spheniscus demersus) chick populations experiencing different levels of human disturbance. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab078. [PMID: 34532057 PMCID: PMC8439262 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Despite the importance of ecotourism in species conservation, little is known about the industry's effects on wildlife. In South Africa, some African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) colonies have become tourist attractions. The species is globally endangered, with population sizes decreasing over the past 40 years. As African penguin chicks are altricial and unable to move away from anthropogenic stressors, it is important to evaluate the effect of tourist activities on baseline glucocorticoid levels as a measure of potential disturbance. Chicks at three study sites within two breeding colonies (Robben Island, Stony Point), with varying levels of exposure to tourism (low/moderate/high) were monitored. Urofaecal samples were collected to determine urofaecal glucocorticoid metabolite (ufGCM) concentrations as an indication of baseline stress physiology. Morphometric measurements were taken to compare body condition between sites. Penguin chicks experiencing low, infrequent human presence had significantly higher mean (± standard deviation) ufGCM levels [1.34 ± 1.70 μg/g dry weight (DW)] compared to chicks experiencing both medium (0.50 ± 0.40 μg/g DW, P = 0.001) and high levels of human presence (0.57 ± 0.47 μg/g DW, P = 0.003). There was no difference in chick body condition across sites. These results suggest that exposure to frequent human activity may induce habituation/desensitization in African penguin chicks. Acute, infrequent human presence was likely an important driver for comparatively higher ufGCM levels in chicks, though several other environmental stressors may also play an important role in driving adrenocortical activity. Nevertheless, as unhabituated chicks experiencing infrequent anthropogenic presence showed significantly higher ufGCM levels, managers and legislation should attempt to minimize all forms of activity around important breeding colonies that are not already exposed to regular tourism. Although the results of this study are crucial for developing enhanced conservation and management protocols, additional research on the long-term effect of anthropogenic activities on African penguin physiology is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Scheun
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Roodepoort, 1724, South Africa
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0081, South Africa
- National Zoological Garden, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Rebecca J Miller
- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, 7535, South Africa
| | - Andre Ganswindt
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0081, South Africa
| | - Lauren J Waller
- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, 7535, South Africa
- Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), Table View, 7441, South Africa
| | - Lorien Pichegru
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology and Institute for Coastal and Marine Research at the Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa
| | - Richard B Sherley
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penry Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Gavin W Maneveldt
- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, 7535, South Africa
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18
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Rabdeau J, Arroyo B, Mougeot F, Badenhausser I, Bretagnolle V, Monceau K. Do human infrastructures shape nest distribution in the landscape depending on individual personality in a farmland bird of prey? J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2848-2858. [PMID: 34486116 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13586] [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: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Individuals' distribution across habitats may depend on their personality. Human activities and infrastructures are critical elements of the landscape that may impact the habitat selection process. However, depending on their personality, individuals may respond differently to these unnatural elements. In the present study, we first investigated whether some human infrastructures (buildings, roads and paths) shaped Montagu's harrier nest spatial distribution in the landscape according to female personality (boldness). Second, we tested if the reproductive success of females depended on their boldness and nest location regarding infrastructures. Using a long-term (19 years) dataset, we calculated, for each infrastructure type, the distance from each nest to the nearest infrastructure and the infrastructure density around the nest. We tested the effects of female boldness (bold vs. shy) and its interaction with egg-laying date on these six metrics. Nest location in the landscape depended on female personality and on some human infrastructures: the building density was smaller around nests from shy females than from bold ones. Nest distribution related to other infrastructure metrics did not depend on female boldness. The pattern related to building density is consistent with some habitat choice hypotheses, which are discussed. Path density around nests negatively affected reproductive success regardless of female boldness, and late breeders nested further away from paths than early breeders. Human activities on paths (more common later in the season) could lead to disturbance and a decrease in parental care, reducing reproductive success. Increasing human presence in farmlands implies a need to better understand its impact on population composition, in terms of personality. Our results suggest that individual behavioural differences should be taken into account in studies assessing the effects of human disturbance on animal populations, to propose more appropriate conservation measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette Rabdeau
- UMR 7372, Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, La Rochelle Université & CNRS, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Beatriz Arroyo
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - François Mougeot
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Isabelle Badenhausser
- INRAE, Unité de Recherche Pluridisciplinaire Prairies Plantes Fourragères, Lusignan, France
| | - Vincent Bretagnolle
- UMR 7372, Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, La Rochelle Université & CNRS, Villiers en Bois, France.,LTSER "Zone Atelier Plaine & Val de Sèvre", CNRS, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Karine Monceau
- UMR 7372, Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, La Rochelle Université & CNRS, Villiers en Bois, France
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19
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Contrasting effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on urban birds' reproductive success in two cities. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17649. [PMID: 34480051 PMCID: PMC8417259 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96858-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitous activity of humans is a fundamental feature of urban environments affecting local wildlife in several ways. Testing the influence of human disturbance would ideally need experimental approach, however, in cities, this is challenging at relevant spatial and temporal scales. Thus, to better understand the ecological effects of human activity, we exploited the opportunity that the city-wide lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic provided during the spring of 2020. We assessed changes in reproductive success of great tits (Parus major) at two urban habitats affected strikingly differently by the ‘anthropause’, and at an unaffected forest site. Our results do not support that urban great tits benefited from reduced human mobility during the lockdown. First, at one of our urban sites, the strongly (− 44%) reduced human disturbance in 2020 (compared to a long-term reference period) did not increase birds’ reproductive output relative to the forest habitat where human disturbance was low in all years. Second, in the other urban habitat, recreational human activity considerably increased (+ 40%) during the lockdown and this was associated with strongly reduced nestling body size compared to the pre-COVID reference year. Analyses of other environmental factors (meteorological conditions, lockdown-induced changes in air pollution) suggest that these are not likely to explain our results. Our study supports that intensified human disturbance can have adverse fitness consequences in urban populations. It also highlights that a few months of ‘anthropause’ is not enough to counterweight the detrimental impacts of urbanization on local wildlife populations.
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20
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Wilson AE, Sergiel A, Selva N, Swenson JE, Zedrosser A, Stenhouse G, Janz DM. Correcting for enzyme immunoassay changes in long term monitoring studies. MethodsX 2021; 8:101212. [PMID: 34434735 PMCID: PMC8374155 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2021.101212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) are a common tool for measuring steroid hormones in wildlife due to their low cost, commercial availability, and rapid results. Testing technologies improve continuously, sometimes requiring changes in protocols or crucial assay components. Antibody replacement between EIA kits can cause differences in EIA sensitivity, which can hinder monitoring hormone concentration over time. The antibody in a common cortisol EIA kit used for long-term monitoring of stress in wildlife was replaced in 2014, causing differences in cross reactivity and standard curve concentrations. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a method to standardize results following changes in EIA sensitivity. We validated this method using cortisol concentrations measured in the hair of brown bears (Ursus arctos).We used a simple linear regression to model the relationship between cortisol concentrations using kit 1 and kit 2. We found a linear relationship between the two kits (R2 = 0.85) and used the regression equation (kit2 = (0.98 × kit1) + 1.65) to predict cortisol concentrations in re-measured samples. Mean predicted percent error was 16% and 72% of samples had a predicted percent error <20%, suggesting that this method is well-suited for correcting changes in EIA sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbey E. Wilson
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 44 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B3, Canada
- Corresponding author.
| | - Agnieszka Sergiel
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Adama Mickiewicza 33, 31120 Krakow, Poland
| | - Nuria Selva
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Adama Mickiewicza 33, 31120 Krakow, Poland
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Science and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Høgskoleveien 12, NO-1432, Norway
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Gullbringvegen 36, 3800 Bø, Norway
- Institute for Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University for Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gordon Stenhouse
- fRI Research, Grizzly Bear Program, 1176 Switzer Drive, Hinton T7V 1V3, AB, Canada
| | - David M. Janz
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 44 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B3, Canada
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21
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Causes of admission, length of stay and outcomes for common kestrels in rehabilitation centres in the Czech Republic. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17269. [PMID: 34446769 PMCID: PMC8390658 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96688-8] [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: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Rehabilitation centres help injured animals to recover and return back to the wild. This study aimed to analyse trends in intake and outcomes for the common kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) admitted into rehabilitation centres in the Czech Republic. From 2010 to 2019, a total of 12,923 kestrels were admitted to 34 rehabilitation centres with an increasing trend (rSp = 0.7697, P < 0.01) being found during the monitored period. Subadult kestrels (34.70%) and kestrels injured by power lines (26.57%) were most often admitted. Most kestrels in the rehabilitation centres died or had to be euthanized (81.66%), only 15.90% of the birds could be released back into the wild. The median length of stay in rehabilitation centres for kestrels that were subsequently released was 35 days. Considering survival rates, the most critical threat to kestrels was poisoning (100% of the cases resulted in death) but mortality of the kestrels admitted for most other reasons also exceeded 80%. Given the low success rate of the care of kestrels in rehabilitation centres and the relatively small proportion returned to the wild, it is essential to eliminate the causes leading to their admission, that is, to protect their natural habitats and to prevent unnecessary capture.
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22
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Williams LM, Althoff DP, Hopkins RL, Barrows HJ. Landscape and Microsite Characteristics of American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) Nest-Box Sites along Highway Corridors in Southeast Ohio. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2021. [DOI: 10.1656/045.028.0307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucille M. Williams
- School of Natural and Social Sciences, University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande, OH 45674
| | - Donald P. Althoff
- School of Natural and Social Sciences, University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande, OH 45674
| | - Robert L. Hopkins
- School of Natural and Social Sciences, University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande, OH 45674
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23
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Leighton GRM, Bishop JM, Merondun J, Winterton DJ, O’Riain MJ, Serieys LEK. Hiding in plain sight: risk mitigation by a cryptic carnivore foraging at the urban edge. Anim Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella R. M. Leighton
- Department of Biological Sciences Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Jacqueline M. Bishop
- Department of Biological Sciences Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Justin Merondun
- Division of Evolutionary Biology Faculty of Biology LMU Munich Planegg‐Martinsried Germany
| | | | - M. Justin O’Riain
- Department of Biological Sciences Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Laurel E. K. Serieys
- Department of Biological Sciences Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
- Cape Leopard Trust Cape Town South Africa
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24
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Sumasgutner P, Buij R, McClure CJW, Shaw P, Dykstra CR, Kumar N, Rutz C. Raptor research during the COVID-19 pandemic provides invaluable opportunities for conservation biology. BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 2021; 260:109149. [PMID: 35722248 PMCID: PMC9188743 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Research is underway to examine how a wide range of animal species have responded to reduced levels of human activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this perspective article, we argue that raptors (i.e., the orders Accipitriformes, Cariamiformes, Cathartiformes, Falconiformes, and Strigiformes) are particularly well-suited for investigating potential 'anthropause' effects: they are sensitive to environmental perturbation, affected by various human activities, and include many locally and globally threatened species. Lockdowns likely alter extrinsic factors that normally limit raptor populations. These environmental changes are in turn expected to influence - mediated by behavioral and physiological responses - the intrinsic (demographic) factors that ultimately determine raptor population levels and distributions. Using this population-limitation framework, we identify a range of research opportunities and conservation challenges that have arisen during the pandemic, related to changes in human disturbance, light and noise pollution, collision risk, road-kill availability, supplementary feeding, and persecution levels. Importantly, raptors attract intense research interest, with many professional and amateur researchers running long-term monitoring programs, often incorporating community-science components, advanced tracking technology and field-methodological approaches that allow flexible timing, enabling continued data collection before, during, and after COVID-19 lockdowns. To facilitate and coordinate global collaboration, we are hereby launching the 'Global Anthropause Raptor Research Network' (GARRN). We invite the international raptor research community to join this inclusive and diverse group, to tackle ambitious analyses across geographic regions, ecosystems, species, and gradients of lockdown perturbation. Under the most tragic of circumstances, the COVID-19 anthropause has afforded an invaluable opportunity to significantly boost global raptor conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Sumasgutner
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ralph Buij
- The Peregrine Fund, 5668 West Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, ID 83709, USA
- Animal Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Phil Shaw
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
| | | | - Nishant Kumar
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
- Mansfield College, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, UK
- Wildlife Institute of India, Uttarakhand 248001, India
| | - Christian Rutz
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
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25
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Watson H, Monaghan P, Heidinger BJ, Bolton M. Effects of human disturbance on postnatal growth and baseline corticosterone in a long-lived bird. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab052. [PMID: 34257995 PMCID: PMC8271141 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Prolonged or repeated episodes of environmental stress could be especially detrimental for developing young, via impaired growth or development. Despite this, most studies investigating the effects of human recreational and tourism activities have focused on adults. An increasing demand for nature-based tourism in remote locations means that many seabirds, which have evolved largely in the absence of predators and humans, are being exposed to novel pressures. The slow-growing semi-precocial nestlings of the European storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus experience higher mortality rates in nests exposed to human recreational disturbance. Here, we examine whether surviving nestlings reared in disturbed areas are also affected via changes in growth trajectories and baseline circulating glucocorticoids. Nestlings reared in high-disturbance areas displayed delayed mass growth, and we found weak evidence for slower rates of mass gain and tarsus growth, compared with nestlings reared in undisturbed areas. There were no differences in wing growth, consistent with prioritization of long wings, important for post-fledging survival. A tendency for a less marked age-related decline in corticosterone (CORT) in disturbed nestlings offers limited evidence that changes in growth trajectories were mediated by baseline CORT. However, disturbed nestlings could have experienced overall higher GC exposure if the acute GC response was elevated. 'Catch-up' growth enabled high-disturbance nestlings to overcome early constraints and achieve a similar, or even larger, asymptotic body size and mass as low-disturbance nestlings. While catch-up growth has been shown to carry costs for parents and offspring, the effects of disturbance were slight and considerably smaller than growth alterations driven by variation in environmental conditions between years. Nonetheless, effects of human recreational activities could be exacerbated under higher levels of human disturbance or in the presence of multiple pressures, as imposed by present rapid rates of environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Watson
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
- Evolutionary Ecology, Lund University, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Britt J Heidinger
- Biological Sciences Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
| | - Mark Bolton
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL, UK
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26
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Schulwitz SE, Hill GC, Fry V, McClure CJW. Evaluating citizen science outreach: A case-study with The Peregrine Fund's American Kestrel Partnership. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248948. [PMID: 33784330 PMCID: PMC8009395 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Citizen science programs can be powerful drivers of knowledge and scientific understanding and, in recent decades, they have become increasingly popular. Conducting successful research with the aid of citizen scientists often rests on the efficacy of a program’s outreach strategies. Program evaluation is increasingly recognized as a critical practice for citizen science practitioners to ensure that all efforts, including outreach, contribute to the overall goals of the program. The Peregrine Fund’s American Kestrel Partnership (AKP) is one such citizen science program that relies on outreach to engage participants in effective monitoring of a declining falcon species. Here, we examine whether various communication strategies were associated with desired outreach goals of the AKP. We demonstrate how social media, webcams, discussion boards, and newsletters were associated with perception of learning, agreement with our conservation messaging, and participation in our box monitoring program. Our results thus help us to improve our outreach methodology, suggest areas where other citizen science programs might improve their outreach efforts, and highlight future research priorities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Greg C. Hill
- School of Public Service, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Vanessa Fry
- Idaho Policy Institute, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, United States of America
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27
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Dale C, Reudink M, Ratcliffe L, McKellar A. Effects of urbanization and nest-box design on reproduction vary by species in three cavity-nesting passerines in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2020-0028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Artificial nest boxes provide an important resource for secondary cavity-nesting passerines, whose populations may be limited by the availability of nesting sites. However, previous studies have demonstrated that the design and placement of boxes may affect the reproductive success of the birds that use them. In this study, we asked whether the habitat surrounding a nest box or the type of box influenced reproduction in three cavity-nesting passerines. We studied Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana Swainson, 1832), Mountain Bluebirds (Sialia currucoides (Bechstein, 1798)), and Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)) breeding in artificial nest boxes at sites across 70 km of the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. Sites varied in their degree of urbanization, from relatively undisturbed ranchland, to cultivated vineyards, to frequently disturbed “suburban” habitat, and boxes varied in type of entrance (slot or hole). Western Bluebirds nested earlier in vineyards, and Tree Swallows produced significantly fewer fledglings in suburban habitat. In addition, Tree Swallows nested earlier and produced more fledglings in slot boxes. Our results suggest that conservation actions for cavity-nesting passerines may depend on the target species, which in turn should dictate the appropriate box type and habitat when erecting or replacing nest boxes.
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Affiliation(s)
- C.A. Dale
- Department of Biology, Queen’s University, 116 Barrie Street, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - M.W. Reudink
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8, Canada
| | - L.M. Ratcliffe
- Department of Biology, Queen’s University, 116 Barrie Street, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - A.E. McKellar
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 115 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0X4, Canada
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28
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Schoenle LA, Zimmer C, Miller ET, Vitousek MN. Does variation in glucocorticoid concentrations predict fitness? A phylogenetic meta-analysis. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 300:113611. [PMID: 32950580 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoid hormones (GCs) are central mediators of metabolism and the response to challenges. Because circulating GC levels increase in response to challenges, within-population variation in GCs could reflect among-individual variation in condition or experience. At the same time, individual variation in GC regulation could have causal effects on energetic balance or stress coping capacity in ways that influence fitness. Although a number of studies in vertebrates have tested whether variation in GCs among individuals predicts components of fitness, it is not clear whether there are consistent patterns across taxa. Here we present the first phylogenetic meta-analysis testing whether variation in GCs is associated with survival and reproductive success across vertebrates. At the same time, we introduce and test predictions about a potentially important mediator of GC-fitness relationships: life history context. We suggest that strong context-dependence in the fitness benefit of maintaining elevated GCs could obscure consistent patterns between GCs and fitness across taxa. Meta-analyses revealed that baseline and stress-induced GCs were consistently negatively correlated with reproductive success. This relationship did not differ depending on life history context. In contrast, the relationships between GCs and survival were highly context dependent, differing according to life history strategy. Both baseline and stress-induced GCs were more strongly negatively associated with survival in longer-lived populations and species. Stress-induced GCs were also more positively associated with survival in organisms that engage in relatively more valuable reproductive attempts. Fecal GCs did not correlate with survival or reproductive success. We also found that experimental increases in GCs reduced both survival and reproductive success; however, evidence of publication bias and the small sample size suggest that more data is required to confirm this conclusion. Overall, these results support the prediction that GC-fitness relationships can be strongly context dependent, and suggest that incorporating life history may be particularly important for understanding GC-survival relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Schoenle
- Office of Undergraduate Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
| | - Cedric Zimmer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | | | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca NY 14850, USA
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29
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Bressler SA, Diamant ES, Tingley MW, Yeh PJ. Nests in the cities: adaptive and non-adaptive phenotypic plasticity and convergence in an urban bird. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20202122. [PMID: 33323085 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity plays a critical role in adaptation to novel environments. Behavioural plasticity enables more rapid responses to unfamiliar conditions than evolution by natural selection. Urban ecosystems are one such novel environment in which behavioural plasticity has been documented. However, whether such plasticity is adaptive, and if plasticity is convergent among urban populations, is poorly understood. We studied the nesting biology of an 'urban-adapter' species, the dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis), to understand the role of plasticity in adapting to city life. We examined (i) whether novel nesting behaviours are adaptive, (ii) whether pairs modify nest characteristics in response to prior outcomes, and (iii) whether two urban populations exhibit similar nesting behaviour. We monitored 170 junco nests in urban Los Angeles and compared our results with prior research on 579 nests from urban San Diego. We found that nests placed in ecologically novel locations (off-ground and on artificial surfaces) increased fitness, and that pairs practiced informed re-nesting in site selection. The Los Angeles population more frequently nested off-ground than the San Diego population and exhibited a higher success rate. Our findings suggest that plasticity facilitates adaptation to urban environments, and that the drivers behind novel nesting behaviours are complex and multifaceted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel A Bressler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Eleanor S Diamant
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Morgan W Tingley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Pamela J Yeh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.,Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
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Iglesias-Carrasco M, Aich U, Jennions MD, Head ML. Stress in the city: meta-analysis indicates no overall evidence for stress in urban vertebrates. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201754. [PMID: 33023414 PMCID: PMC7657868 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
As cities continue to grow it is increasingly important to understand the long-term responses of wildlife to urban environments. There have been increased efforts to determine whether urbanization imposes chronic stress on wild animals, but empirical evidence is mixed. Here, we conduct a meta-analysis to test whether there is, on average, a detrimental effect of urbanization based on baseline and stress-induced glucocorticoid levels of wild vertebrates. We found no effect of urbanization on glucocorticoid levels, and none of sex, season, life stage, taxon, size of the city nor methodology accounted for variation in the observed effect sizes. At face value, our results suggest that urban areas are no more stressful for wildlife than rural or non-urban areas, but we offer a few reasons why this conclusion could be premature. We propose that refining methods of data collection will improve our understanding of how urbanization affects the health and survival of wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maider Iglesias-Carrasco
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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Planillo A, Kramer‐Schadt S, Buchholz S, Gras P, von der Lippe M, Radchuk V. Arthropod abundance modulates bird community responses to urbanization. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aimara Planillo
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin Germany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
| | - Stephanie Kramer‐Schadt
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin Germany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
- Department of Ecology Technische Universität Berlin (TU) Berlin Germany
| | - Sascha Buchholz
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
- Department of Ecology Technische Universität Berlin (TU) Berlin Germany
| | - Pierre Gras
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin Germany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
| | - Moritz von der Lippe
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
- Department of Ecology Technische Universität Berlin (TU) Berlin Germany
| | - Viktoriia Radchuk
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin Germany
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32
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Warblers perform less nest defense behavior and alarm calls to human intruders: A result of habituation. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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33
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Huang P, St.Mary CM, Kimball RT. Habitat urbanization and stress response are primary predictors of personality variation in northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis). JOURNAL OF URBAN ECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jue/juaa015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Behavioral traits that vary consistently among individuals across different contexts are often termed as ‘personality traits,’ while the correlated suite formed by those traits is called a ‘behavioral syndrome’. Both personality trait and behavioral syndrome are potentially responsive to animal ‘states’, defined as strategically relevant individual features affecting the cost-and-benefit trade-offs of behavioral actions. Both extrinsic ‘states’ (e.g. urban versus rural habitats), and intrinsic ‘states’ (e.g. sex), may shape among-individual variation in personality traits, as well as behavioral syndromes. Here, we used northern cardinals sampled from four locations to examine the effect of habitat type (urban versus rural, an extrinsic state), stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) parameters, body weight and sex (intrinsic states) on personality traits and behavioral syndrome variation. We used behavioral trials to measure five personality traits. Using principal component analysis to quantify personality traits first, followed by general linear mixed models, we found that habitat type, CORT at capture and 2-day CORT response affected some personality traits, while body weight and sex did not. Cardinals inhabiting more urbanized areas had lower CORT metabolite levels at capture and were more neophilic, less neophobic and also less aggressive than their rural conspecifics. Using structural equation modeling to construct behavioral syndromes formed by our selected personality traits, we found that urban and rural cardinals varied in the models representing syndrome structure. When utilizing the shared syndrome structural model to examine the effects of states, habitat type and 2-day CORT response appear to affect syndrome variation in a coordinated, not hierarchical, manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Huang
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 220 Bartram Hall, P. O. Box 118525, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA
| | - Colette M St.Mary
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 220 Bartram Hall, P. O. Box 118525, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA
| | - Rebecca T Kimball
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 220 Bartram Hall, P. O. Box 118525, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA
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Huchler K, Schulze CH, Gamauf A, Sumasgutner P. Shifting Breeding Phenology in Eurasian Kestrels Falco tinnunculus: Effects of Weather and Urbanization. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
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35
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Wilson AE, Kearney S, Wismer D, Macbeth B, Stenhouse G, Coops NC, Janz DM. Population‐level monitoring of stress in grizzly bears between 2004 and 2014. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Abbey E. Wilson
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences University of Saskatchewan 44 Campus Drive Saskatoon SaskatchewanS7N 5B3Canada
| | - Sean Kearney
- Department of Forest Resource Management University of British Columbia 2424 Main Mall Vancouver British ColumbiaV6T 1Z4Canada
| | - Dan Wismer
- Grizzly Bear Program Foothills Research Institute 1176 Switzer Drive Hinton AlbertaT7V 1V3Canada
| | - Bryan Macbeth
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development 2080 Labieux Road Nanaimo British ColumbiaV9T 6J9Canada
| | - Gordon Stenhouse
- Grizzly Bear Program Foothills Research Institute 1176 Switzer Drive Hinton AlbertaT7V 1V3Canada
| | - Nicholas C. Coops
- Department of Forest Resource Management University of British Columbia 2424 Main Mall Vancouver British ColumbiaV6T 1Z4Canada
| | - David M. Janz
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences University of Saskatchewan 44 Campus Drive Saskatoon SaskatchewanS7N 5B3Canada
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Garber PA, McKenney A, Bartling-John E, Bicca-Marques JC, De la Fuente MF, Abreu F, Schiel N, Souto A, Phillips KA. Life in a harsh environment: the effects of age, sex, reproductive condition, and season on hair cortisol concentration in a wild non-human primate. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9365. [PMID: 32612889 PMCID: PMC7319023 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) provides a long-term retrospective measure of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activity, and is increasingly used to assess the life history, health and ecology of wild mammals. Given that sex, age, season and pregnancy influence HCC, and that it may indicate ongoing stress, we examined HCC in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) naturally inhabiting a hot and dry semi-desert like habitat, Caatinga, in northeastern Brazil. We trapped, measured, weighed, marked and collected shaved hair from the back of the neck of 61 wild marmosets during the wet and dry seasons. Using enzyme immunoassay, we found that HCC was higher in the dry season compared with the wet season among all age/sex classes. Females had significantly higher HCC than males, juveniles had higher HCC than adults, and reproductively active adult females and non-pregnant/non lactating adult females did not differ in HCC. There were no interaction effects of sex, age, group, or season on HCC. The magnitude of the effect of this extremely hot and dry environment (average yearly rainfall was only 271 mm) on HCC in common marmosets is difficult to ascertain as these animals are also experiencing a variety of other stressors. However, the elevated HCC seen in common marmosets during the 5–8 month dry season, suggests these primates face an extended period of heat, water and possibly nutritional stress, which appears to result in a high rate of juvenile mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Garber
- Department of Anthropology and Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Anna McKenney
- Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | | | - Júlio César Bicca-Marques
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Laboratório de Primatologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - María Fernanda De la Fuente
- Departamento de Biologia, Laboratório de Etologia Teórica e Aplicada, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Filipa Abreu
- Departamento de Biologia, Laboratório de Etologia Teórica e Aplicada, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Nicola Schiel
- Departamento de Biologia, Laboratório de Etologia Teórica e Aplicada, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Antonio Souto
- Departamento de Zoologia, Laboratório de Etologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Kimberley A Phillips
- Department of Psychology, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX, USA.,Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
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Ibáñez-Álamo JD, Jimeno B, Gil D, Thomson RL, Aguirre JI, Díez-Fernández A, Faivre B, Tieleman BI, Figuerola J. Physiological stress does not increase with urbanization in European blackbirds: Evidence from hormonal, immunological and cellular indicators. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 721:137332. [PMID: 32169634 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization changes the landscape structure and ecological processes of natural habitats. While urban areas expose animal communities to novel challenges, they may also provide more stable environments in which environmental fluctuations are buffered. Species´ ecology and physiology may determine their capacity to cope with the city life. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying organismal responses to urbanization, and whether different physiological systems are equally affected by urban environments remain poorly understood. This severely limits our capacity to predict the impact of anthropogenic habitats on wild populations. In this study, we measured indicators of physiological stress at the endocrine, immune and cellular level (feather corticosterone levels, heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, and heat-shock proteins) in urban and non-urban European blackbirds (Turdus merula) across 10 European populations. Among the three variables, we found consistent differences in feather corticosterone, which was higher in non-urban habitats. This effect seems to be dependent on sex, being greater in males. In contrast, we found no significant differences between urban and non-urban habitats in the two other physiological indicators. The discrepancy between these different measurements of physiological stress highlights the importance of including multiple physiological variables to understand the impact of urbanization on species' physiology. Overall, our findings suggest that adult European blackbirds living in urban and non-urban habitats do not differ in terms of physiological stress at an organismal level. Furthermore, we found large differences among populations on the strength and direction of the urbanization effect, which illustrates the relevance of spatial replication when investigating urban-induced physiological responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Diego Ibáñez-Álamo
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain.
| | - Blanca Jimeno
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Diego Gil
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Robert L Thomson
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland
| | - José I Aguirre
- Departmento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alazne Díez-Fernández
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Bruno Faivre
- UMR CNRS Biogéosciences, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - B Irene Tieleman
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Seville, Spain
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38
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Fear of the dark? A mesopredator mitigates large carnivore risk through nocturnality, but humans moderate the interaction. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02831-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
While constrained by endogenous rhythms, morphology and ecology, animals may still exhibit flexible activity patterns in response to risk. Temporal avoidance of interspecific aggression can enable access to resources without spatial exclusion. Apex predators, including humans, can affect mesopredator activity patterns. Human context might also modify temporal interactions between predators. We explored activity patterns, nocturnality and the effects of human activity upon a guild of carnivores (grey wolf, Canis lupus; Eurasian lynx, Lynx lynx; red fox, Vulpes vulpes) using travel routes in Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia. Humans were diurnal, foxes nocturnal and large carnivores active during the night, immediately after sunrise and before sunset. Carnivore activity patterns overlapped greatly and to a similar extent for all pairings. Activity curves followed expectations based on interspecific killing, with activity peaks coinciding where body size differences were small (wolf and lynx) but not when they were intermediate (foxes to large carnivores). Carnivore activity, particularly fox, overlapped much less with that of diurnal humans. Foxes responded to higher large carnivore activity by being more nocturnal. Low light levels likely provide safer conditions by reducing the visual detectability of mesopredators. The nocturnal effect of large carnivores was however moderated and reduced by human activity. This could perhaps be due to temporal shielding or interference with risk cues. Subtle temporal avoidance and nocturnality may enable mesopredators to cope with interspecific aggression at shared spatial resources. Higher human activity moderated the effects of top-down temporal suppression which could consequently affect the trophic interactions of mesopredators.
Significance statement
Temporal partitioning can provide an important mechanism for spatial resource access and species coexistence. Our findings show that carnivores partition the use of shared travel routes in time, using the cover of darkness to travel safely where their suppressors (large carnivores) are more active. We however observed fox nocturnality to be flexible, with responses depending on the activity levels but also the composition of apex predators. High human activity modified the top-down temporal suppression of mesopredators by large carnivores. The use of time by predators can have demographic and trophic consequences. Prey accessibility and susceptibility can be temporally variable. As such, the ecosystem services and the ecological roles of predators may be affected by human time use as well as that of intraguild competitors. Temporal interactions should not be overlooked when evaluating human use and conservation priorities in protected areas.
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Injaian AS, Francis CD, Ouyang JQ, Dominoni DM, Donald JW, Fuxjager MJ, Goymann W, Hau M, Husak JF, Johnson MA, Kircher BK, Knapp R, Martin LB, Miller ET, Schoenle LA, Williams TD, Vitousek MN. Baseline and stress-induced corticosterone levels across birds and reptiles do not reflect urbanization levels. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coz110. [PMID: 31993201 PMCID: PMC6978728 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Rates of human-induced environmental change continue increasing with human population size, potentially altering animal physiology and negatively affecting wildlife. Researchers often use glucocorticoid concentrations (hormones that can be associated with stressors) to gauge the impact of anthropogenic factors (e.g. urbanization, noise and light pollution). Yet, no general relationships between human-induced environmental change and glucocorticoids have emerged. Given the number of recent studies reporting baseline and stress-induced corticosterone (the primary glucocorticoid in birds and reptiles) concentrations worldwide, it is now possible to conduct large-scale comparative analyses to test for general associations between disturbance and baseline and stress-induced corticosterone across species. Additionally, we can control for factors that may influence context, such as life history stage, environmental conditions and urban adaptability of a species. Here, we take a phylogenetically informed approach and use data from HormoneBase to test if baseline and stress-induced corticosterone are valid indicators of exposure to human footprint index, human population density, anthropogenic noise and artificial light at night in birds and reptiles. Our results show a negative relationship between anthropogenic noise and baseline corticosterone for birds characterized as urban avoiders. While our results potentially indicate that urban avoiders are more sensitive to noise than other species, overall our study suggests that the relationship between human-induced environmental change and corticosterone varies across species and contexts; we found no general relationship between human impacts and baseline and stress-induced corticosterone in birds, nor baseline corticosterone in reptiles. Therefore, it should not be assumed that high or low levels of exposure to human-induced environmental change are associated with high or low corticosterone levels, respectively, or that closely related species, or even individuals, will respond similarly. Moving forward, measuring alternative physiological traits alongside reproductive success, health and survival may provide context to better understand the potential negative effects of human-induced environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison S Injaian
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853, USA
- Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca NY 14850, USA
| | - Clinton D Francis
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Jenny Q Ouyang
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Davide M Dominoni
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Jeremy W Donald
- Coates Library, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence RI 02912, USA
| | | | - Michaela Hau
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen 82319, Germany
- University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jerry F Husak
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN 55105, USA
| | - Michele A Johnson
- Department of Biology, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA
| | - Bonnie K Kircher
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Rosemary Knapp
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Lynn B Martin
- Department of Global Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | | | - Laura A Schoenle
- Office of Undergraduate Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853, USA
| | - Tony D Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853, USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca NY 14850, USA
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41
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Tang R, Li W, Zhu D, Shang X, Guo X, Zhang L. Raging elephants: effects of human disturbance on physiological stress and reproductive potential in wild Asian elephants. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coz106. [PMID: 32010447 PMCID: PMC6985900 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Human disturbance has become a widespread threat to wildlife viability. The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), an endangered and disturbance-prone species, is under severe threat from habitat loss and fragmentation, human-elephant conflict and poaching. Establishing connections between human disturbance, stress responses and reproduction is crucial for assessing the long-term survivability of a species and will provide critical information for conservation management. The current study investigated the effects of human disturbance on population-level stress responses and stress-related effects on reproductive potential of wild Asian elephants in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, China. We used a radioimmunoassay to measure the concentration of fecal cortisol and estradiol in 257 samples collected from five local populations at 15 sites over 4 years. Human disturbance in Xishuangbanna was quantified based on the Ecological-Niche Factor Analysis model. We found that fecal cortisol concentrations were strongly positively correlated with the degree of human disturbance and increased markedly with the expansion of tea plantations. Percentage of non-stressed individuals in a population was higher depending on the extend of undisturbed area in their home ranges. Fecal estradiol concentrations decreased significantly with increasing stress levels. Our results suggest that human disturbance poses environmental challenges to wild Asian elephant populations, and chronic exposure to human disturbance could lead to population decline. The study demonstrates the efficacy of non-invasive endocrine monitoring for further informing management decisions and developing conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruchun Tang
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Wenwen Li
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Di Zhu
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xiaotong Shang
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xianming Guo
- Research Institute of Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, Jinghong 666100, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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Spong G, Gould NP, Sahlén E, Cromsigt JPGM, Kindberg J, DePerno CS. Large-scale spatial variation of chronic stress signals in moose. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0225990. [PMID: 31929559 PMCID: PMC6957135 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The physiological effects of short-term stress responses typically lead to increased individual survival as it prepares the body for fight or flight through catabolic reactions in the body. These physiological effects trade off against growth, immunocompetence, reproduction, and even long-term survival. Chronic stress may thus reduce individual and population performance, with direct implications for the management and conservation of wildlife populations. Yet, relatively little is known about how chronic stress levels vary across wild populations and factors contributing to increased chronic stress levels. One method to measure long-term stress in mammals is to quantify slowly incorporated stress hormone (cortisol) in hair, which most likely reflect a long-term average of the stress responses. In this study, we sampled 237 harvested moose Alces alces across Sweden to determine the relative effect of landscape variables and disturbances on moose hair cortisol levels. We used linear model combinations and Akaike’s Information Criterion (corrected for small sample sizes), and included variables related to human disturbance, ungulate competition, large carnivore density, and ambient temperature to estimate the covariates that best explained the variance in stress levels in moose. The most important variables explaining the variation in hair cortisol levels in moose were the long-term average temperature sum in the area moose lived and the distance to occupied wolf territory; higher hair cortisol levels were detected where temperatures were higher and closer to occupied wolf territories, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Göran Spong
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Nicholas P. Gould
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | - Ellinor Sahlén
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | - Joris P. G. M. Cromsigt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Zoology, Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Christopher S. DePerno
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
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43
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Mondol S, Booth RK, Wasser SK. Fecal stress, nutrition and reproductive hormones for monitoring environmental impacts on tigers ( Panthera tigris). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coz091. [PMID: 31942242 PMCID: PMC6955020 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Non-invasive stress and nutritional hormone analysis in relation to ecological and other biological indices have tremendous potential to address environmental disturbance impacts on wildlife health. To this end, we examined the relation between glucocorticoid (GC) and thyroid (T3) hormone indices of disturbance and nutritional stress in response to ACTH and TSH challenges in captive tigers, as well as how reproductive hormones vary by sex and reproductive condition. Glucocorticoid, thyroid, progesterone and androgen assays conducted on high-performance liquid chromatography separated fractions of biologically relevant fecal extracts revealed high cross-reactivity of these assays for their respective biologically relevant fecal hormone metabolites. Both adrenal and thyroid hormone metabolites were elevated in response to ACTH and TSH challenges. However, the adrenal and thyroid hormone responses to ACTH challenge were concurrent, whereas the adrenal response to TSH challenge was delayed relative to thyroid hormone elevation in both males and females. The concurrently elevated T3 in response to ACTH may serve to raise metabolic rate to maximize use of GC-mobilized glucose, whereas the relatively delayed GC rise following TSH challenge may be a response to glucose depletion due to increased metabolic rate associated with elevated T3. Progesterone, testosterone and androstenedione hormone metabolites were significantly elevated during gestation compared to lactation in a female monitored from conception through early lactation. Results suggest that the glucocorticoid, thyroid and reproductive hormone assays we tested can accurately measure the stress, nutrition and reproductive response from tiger feces, providing useful non-invasive tools to assess physiological responses to environmental stressors and their reproductive consequences in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samrat Mondol
- Center for Conservation Biology, Department of Biology, University of Washington, Box 351800, Seattle Washington 98195-1800
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun 248001, India
| | - Rebecca K Booth
- Center for Conservation Biology, Department of Biology, University of Washington, Box 351800, Seattle Washington 98195-1800
| | - Samuel K Wasser
- Center for Conservation Biology, Department of Biology, University of Washington, Box 351800, Seattle Washington 98195-1800
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44
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Krone O, Bailey LD, Jähnig S, Lauth T, Dehnhard M. Monitoring corticoid metabolites in urine of white-tailed sea eagles: Negative effects of road proximity on breeding pairs. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 283:113223. [PMID: 31323229 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.113223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The white-tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) is known to be sensitive to disturbance. To better understand potential stressors, we measured corticosterone metabolite levels in H. albicilla excreta and recorded the nest success of breeding pairs. We tested the ability of four enzyme immunoassays (EIA) to measure urinary glucocorticoid metabolites (uGM) in the excreta of one adult female eagle subjected to a controlled physiological stress treatment. We identified corticosterone-21-HS to be the most sensitive EIA to changes in uGM concentration. To exclude a sex bias, we confirmed the assay's applicability with samples collected from similar stress treatments in two juvenile males. We used the identified EIA to measure uGM in wild breeding pairs and tested effects of disturbance. Breeding pairs nesting closer to roads and paths had higher uGM concentrations (p = 0.02), which is likely an effect of human recreational activity and disturbance. There was no difference in uGM concentrations between failed and successful nests. Our results highlight the potential impact of road and path proximity on white-tailed sea eagles, with potential importance for species management and conservation, particularly with respect to nest protection zone legislation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Krone
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Liam D Bailey
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Susanne Jähnig
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Martin Dehnhard
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
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45
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Alquezar RD, Macedo RH. Airport noise and wildlife conservation: What are we missing? Perspect Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2019.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
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46
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Hutfluss A, Dingemanse NJ. Human recreation reduces clutch size in great tits Parus major regardless of risk-taking personality. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractRecreation negatively affects wildlife by influencing animal behavior vital to reproduction and survival. Such nonconsumptive effects of perceived predation risk are mainly studied in ground-breeding birds. However, if antipredator responses characterize bird species generally, so should nonconsumptive effects of perceived predation associated with human recreation. Moreover, as individuals consistently differ in behaviors linked to antipredator responses, they should also differ in responses to recreation, with bolder birds being less affected. To test this key prediction, we quantified effects of human recreation pressure on a cavity-breeding passerine. We uniquely quantified human recreation pressure over a substantial (8-year) period within 12 nest box populations of the great tit Parus major, assayed annually for reproductive parameters. We detected considerable spatial variation in recreation pressure. In plots with high recreation pressure, we found strong support for birds breeding further away from highly frequented paths and birds producing smaller clutches; we also found moderate support for birds producing fewer fledglings. These detrimental effects did not vary with behavioral proxies of an individual’s risk-taking phenotype (exploratory activity). This implies that effects of recreation pressure apply to the average bird, and extend to species (like forest birds) not previously considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Hutfluss
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Munich, Germany
| | - N J Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Munich, Germany
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47
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Lattin CR, Merullo DP, Riters LV, Carson RE. In vivo imaging of D 2 receptors and corticosteroids predict behavioural responses to captivity stress in a wild bird. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10407. [PMID: 31320692 PMCID: PMC6639298 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46845-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual physiological variation may underlie individual differences in behaviour in response to stressors. This study tested the hypothesis that individual variation in dopamine and corticosteroid physiology in wild house sparrows (Passer domesticus, n = 15) would significantly predict behaviour and weight loss in response to a long-term stressor, captivity. We found that individuals that coped better with captivity (fewer anxiety-related behaviours, more time spent feeding, higher body mass) had lower baseline and higher stress-induced corticosteroid titres at capture. Birds with higher striatal D2 receptor binding (examined using positron emission tomography (PET) with 11C-raclopride 24 h post-capture) spent more time feeding in captivity, but weighed less, than birds with lower D2 receptor binding. In the subset of individuals imaged a second time, D2 receptor binding decreased in captivity in moulting birds, and larger D2 decreases were associated with increased anxiety behaviours 2 and 4 weeks post-capture. This suggests changes in dopaminergic systems could be one physiological mechanism underlying negative behavioural effects of chronic stress. Non-invasive technologies like PET have the potential to transform our understanding of links between individual variation in physiology and behaviour and elucidate which neuroendocrine phenotypes predict stress resilience, a question with important implications for both humans and wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine R Lattin
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. .,Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
| | - Devin P Merullo
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Lauren V Riters
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Richard E Carson
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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48
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Tyagi A, Kumar V, Kittur S, Reddy M, Naidenko S, Ganswindt A, Umapathy G. Physiological stress responses of tigers due to anthropogenic disturbance especially tourism in two central Indian tiger reserves. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 7:coz045. [PMID: 31321036 PMCID: PMC6626984 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Tigers continue to face unprecedented threats to their existence due to poaching, habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and anthropogenic disturbances. The present study examines the physiological stress response of tigers due to anthropogenic activities including wildlife tourism in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and Kanha Tiger Reserve using faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) measurement. We collected a total of 341 faecal samples from both reserves during tourism and non-tourism periods. Data on various anthropogenic disturbances including tourism activities like number of vehicles and visitors were also collected. We ascertained the species identity and sex of all the samples collected using genetic markers. fGCMs were extracted using a previously reported procedure, and fGCM concentrations were subsequently determined using an established enzyme immunoassay. There was no significant difference in overall mean fGCM concentrations between the two tiger reserves, but within each reserve, concentrations were significantly higher in tigers during the tourism period as compared to the non-tourism period. We also found that the number of tourist vehicles and disturbance level significantly correlated with fGCM concentrations. This study further supports the assumption that unbridled tourism associated with high anthropogenic disturbance can be related to perceived stress and consequently may have an impact on the reproductive fitness of tigers and long-term survival of isolated populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhinav Tyagi
- Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research—Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Vinod Kumar
- Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research—Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Sagar Kittur
- Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research—Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Mahender Reddy
- Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research—Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Sergey Naidenko
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Leninsky, pr. 33, Moscow, Russia
| | - Andre Ganswindt
- Mammal Research Institute, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Govindhaswamy Umapathy
- Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research—Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
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Martin LB, Vitousek M, Donald JW, Flock T, Fuxjager MJ, Goymann W, Hau M, Husak J, Johnson MA, Kircher B, Knapp R, Miller ET, Schoenle LA, Williams T, Francis CD. IUCN Conservation Status Does Not Predict Glucocorticoid Concentrations in Reptiles and Birds. Integr Comp Biol 2019; 58:800-813. [PMID: 30052988 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icy102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Circulating glucocorticoids (GCs) are the most commonly used biomarkers of stress in wildlife. However, their utility as a tool for identifying and/or managing at-risk species has varied. Here, we took a very broad approach to conservation physiology, asking whether International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listing status (concern versus no obvious concern) and/or location within a geographic range (edge versus non-edge) predicted baseline and post-restraint concentrations of corticosterone (CORT) among many species of birds and reptiles. Even though such an approach can be viewed as coarse, we asked in this analysis whether CORT concentrations might be useful to implicate species at risk. Indeed, our effort, relying on HormoneBase, a repository of data on wildlife steroids, complements several other large-scale efforts in this issue to describe and understand GC variation. Using a phylogenetically informed Bayesian approach, we found little evidence that either IUCN status or edge/non-edge location in a geographic distribution were related to GC levels. However, we did confirm patterns described in previous studies, namely that breeding condition and evolutionary relatedness among species predicted some GC variation. Given the broad scope of our work, we are reluctant to conclude that IUCN status and location within a range are unrelated to GC regulation. We encourage future more targeted efforts on GCs in at-risk populations to reveal how factors leading to IUCN listing or the environmental conditions at range edges impact individual performance and fitness, particularly in the mammals, amphibians, and fish species we could not study here because data are currently unavailable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn B Martin
- Department of Global Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Maren Vitousek
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Jeremy W Donald
- Coates Library, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA
| | - Travis Flock
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | | | - Michaela Hau
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Starnberg, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jerry Husak
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN 55105, USA
| | - Michele A Johnson
- Department of Biology, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA
| | - Bonnie Kircher
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Rosemary Knapp
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | | | - Laura A Schoenle
- Department of Global Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.,Department of Biology, Hamilton College, Clinton, NY 13323, USA
| | - Tony Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - Clinton D Francis
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
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50
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Edwards KL, Edes AN, Brown JL. Stress, Well-Being and Reproductive Success. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1200:91-162. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-23633-5_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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