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Tavera EA, Lank DB, Douglas DC, Sandercock BK, Lanctot RB, Schmidt NM, Reneerkens J, Ward DH, Bêty J, Kwon E, Lecomte N, Gratto-Trevor C, Smith PA, English WB, Saalfeld ST, Brown SC, Gates HR, Nol E, Liebezeit JR, McGuire RL, McKinnon L, Kendall S, Robards M, Boldenow M, Payer DC, Rausch J, Solovyeva DV, Stalwick JA, Gurney KEB. Why do avian responses to change in Arctic green-up vary? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17335. [PMID: 38771086 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17335] [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: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Global climate change has altered the timing of seasonal events (i.e., phenology) for a diverse range of biota. Within and among species, however, the degree to which alterations in phenology match climate variability differ substantially. To better understand factors driving these differences, we evaluated variation in timing of nesting of eight Arctic-breeding shorebird species at 18 sites over a 23-year period. We used the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index as a proxy to determine the start of spring (SOS) growing season and quantified relationships between SOS and nest initiation dates as a measure of phenological responsiveness. Among species, we tested four life history traits (migration distance, seasonal timing of breeding, female body mass, expected female reproductive effort) as species-level predictors of responsiveness. For one species (Semipalmated Sandpiper), we also evaluated whether responsiveness varied across sites. Although no species in our study completely tracked annual variation in SOS, phenological responses were strongest for Western Sandpipers, Pectoral Sandpipers, and Red Phalaropes. Migration distance was the strongest additional predictor of responsiveness, with longer-distance migrant species generally tracking variation in SOS more closely than species that migrate shorter distances. Semipalmated Sandpipers are a widely distributed species, but adjustments in timing of nesting relative to variability in SOS did not vary across sites, suggesting that different breeding populations of this species were equally responsive to climate cues despite differing migration strategies. Our results unexpectedly show that long-distance migrants are more sensitive to local environmental conditions, which may help them to adapt to ongoing changes in climate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David B Lank
- Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - David C Douglas
- Alaska Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jeroen Reneerkens
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - David H Ward
- Alaska Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | - Joël Bêty
- Université du Québec à Rimouski and Centre d'études nordiques, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
| | - Eunbi Kwon
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Seewiesen, Germany
| | | | - Cheri Gratto-Trevor
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Paul A Smith
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | | - H River Gates
- Manomet, Shorebird Recovery Program, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA
- Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | - Erica Nol
- Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Steve Kendall
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jennie Rausch
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
| | - Diana V Solovyeva
- Institute of Biological Problems of the North, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Magadan, Russia
| | - Jordyn A Stalwick
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Kirsty E B Gurney
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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2
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Versluijs TSL, Zhemchuzhnikov MK, Kutcherov D, Roslin T, Martin Schmidt N, van Gils JA, Reneerkens J. Site-specific length-biomass relationships of arctic arthropod families are critical for accurate ecological inferences. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15943. [PMID: 37692121 PMCID: PMC10492534 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15943] [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: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Arthropods play a crucial role in terrestrial ecosystems, for instance in mediating energy fluxes and in forming the food base for many organisms. To better understand their functional role in such ecosystem processes, monitoring of trends in arthropod biomass is essential. Obtaining direct measurements of the body mass of individual specimens is laborious. Therefore, these data are often indirectly acquired by utilizing allometric length-biomass relationships based on a correlative parameter, such as body length. Previous studies have often used such relationships with a low taxonomic resolution and/or small sample size and/or adopted regressions calibrated in different biomes. Despite the scientific interest in the ecology of arctic arthropods, no site-specific family-level length-biomass relationships have hitherto been published. Here we present 27 family-specific length-biomass relationships from two sites in the High Arctic: Zackenberg in northeast Greenland and Knipovich in north Taimyr, Russia. We show that length-biomass regressions from different sites within the same biome did not affect estimates of phenology but did result in substantially different estimates of arthropod biomass. Estimates of daily biomass at Zackenberg were on average 24% higher when calculated using regressions for Knipovich compared to using regressions for Zackenberg. In addition, calculations of daily arthropod biomass at Zackenberg based on order-level regressions from frequently cited studies in literature revealed overestimations of arthropod biomass ranging from 69.7% to 130% compared to estimates based on regressions for Zackenberg. Our results illustrate that the use of allometric relationships from different sites can significantly alter the biological interpretation of, for instance, the interaction between insectivorous birds and their arthropod prey. We conclude that length-biomass relationships should be locally established rather than being based on global relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom S. L. Versluijs
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Mikhail K. Zhemchuzhnikov
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Dmitry Kutcherov
- Department of Entomology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Tomas Roslin
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Niels Martin Schmidt
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
- Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jan A. van Gils
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Reneerkens
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
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3
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Whitenack LE, Welklin JF, Branch CL, Sonnenberg BR, Pitera AM, Kozlovsky DY, Benedict LM, Heinen VK, Pravosudov VV. Complex relationships between climate and reproduction in a resident montane bird. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230554. [PMID: 37351489 PMCID: PMC10282579 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230554] [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: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Animals use climate-related environmental cues to fine-tune breeding timing and investment to match peak food availability. In birds, spring temperature is a commonly documented cue used to initiate breeding, but with global climate change, organisms are experiencing both directional changes in ambient temperatures and extreme year-to-year precipitation fluctuations. Montane environments exhibit complex climate patterns where temperatures and precipitation change along elevational gradients, and where exacerbated annual variation in precipitation has resulted in extreme swings between heavy snow and drought. We used 10 years of data to investigate how annual variation in climatic conditions is associated with differences in breeding phenology and reproductive performance in resident mountain chickadees (Poecile gambeli) at two elevations in the northern Sierra Nevada mountains, USA. Variation in spring temperature was not associated with differences in breeding phenology across elevations in our system. Greater snow accumulation was associated with later breeding initiation at high, but not low, elevation. Brood size was reduced under drought, but only at low elevation. Our data suggest complex relationships between climate and avian reproduction and point to autumn climate as important for reproductive performance, likely via its effect on phenology and abundance of invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E. Whitenack
- Department of Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology Graduate Program, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Joseph F. Welklin
- Department of Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology Graduate Program, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Carrie L. Branch
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Benjamin R. Sonnenberg
- Department of Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology Graduate Program, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Angela M. Pitera
- Department of Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology Graduate Program, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Dovid Y. Kozlovsky
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA
| | - Lauren M. Benedict
- Department of Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology Graduate Program, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Virginia K. Heinen
- Department of Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology Graduate Program, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Vladimir V. Pravosudov
- Department of Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology Graduate Program, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
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4
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Zylstra ER, Neupane N, Zipkin EF. Multi-season climate projections forecast declines in migratory monarch butterflies. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:6135-6151. [PMID: 35983755 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Climate change poses a unique threat to migratory species as it has the potential to alter environmental conditions at multiple points along a species' migratory route. The eastern migratory population of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) has declined markedly over the last few decades, in part due to variation in breeding-season climate. Here, we combined a retrospective, annual-cycle model for the eastern monarch population with climate projections within the spring breeding grounds in eastern Texas and across the summer breeding grounds in the midwestern U.S. and southern Ontario, Canada to evaluate how monarchs are likely to respond to climate change over the next century. Our results reveal that projected changes in breeding-season climate are likely to lead to decreases in monarch abundance, with high potential for overwintering population size to fall below the historical minimum three or more times in the next two decades. Climatic changes across the expansive summer breeding grounds will also cause shifts in the distribution of monarchs, with higher projected abundances in areas that become wetter but not appreciably hotter (e.g., northern Ohio) and declines in abundance where summer temperatures are projected to increase well above those observed in the recent past (e.g., northern Minnesota). Although climate uncertainties dominate long-term population forecasts, our analyses suggest that we can improve precision of near-term forecasts by collecting targeted data to better understand relationships between breeding-season climate variables and local monarch abundance. Overall, our results highlight the importance of accounting for the impacts of climate changes throughout the full-annual cycle of migratory species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin R Zylstra
- Department of Integrative Biology, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Tucson Audubon Society, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Naresh Neupane
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Elise F Zipkin
- Department of Integrative Biology, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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5
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Habitat alteration and fecal deposition by geese alter tundra invertebrate communities: Implications for diets of sympatric birds. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269938. [PMID: 35776726 PMCID: PMC9249211 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last 60 years, Arctic goose populations have increased while many sympatric tundra nesting bird populations have declined. Hyperabundant geese have well-documented effects on tundra habitats, which can alter habitat use by sympatric bird species. These habitat changes may also alter invertebrate communities and abundances, with potentially important, but as of yet, undocumented effects on insectivorous birds such as shorebirds. Here, we determined the effects of goose-induced habitat alteration on invertebrate communities and relate the observed changes to shorebird diet. At sites and habitat types representing a gradient of goose influence, we identified goose-related changes in ground cover and linked these factors to variation in invertebrate communities. We then used DNA metabarcoding to characterize the diet of six shorebird species across sites and identify inter-site variation in abundance, biomass, and timing of emergence of dominant shorebird prey items. Invertebrate diversity and richness did not vary either among sites or habitat types. However, for prey items identified as part of the shorebird diet, we found significantly higher abundances and biomasses at a moderately goose-influenced site than at either low or high goose-influenced sites. Biomass of Tipulidae, the dominant prey taxon for shorebirds at the study sites, was 7.5 times higher at the moderately goose-influenced site compared to the site where goose influence was minor. We attribute this enhancement of prey biomass to both the fertilizing effect of goose fecal pellets and the moderate grazing pressure. Many studies have documented adverse effects of overabundant geese, but here we show that a moderate degree of goose grazing can lead to enhanced biomass of invertebrates, with the potential for improved shorebird foraging success and chick growth. These benefits, however, might be outweighed by negative effects of goose-induced habitat alteration and predation pressure.
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6
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Spatial variation in predator communities, predation risk, and shorebird daily nest survival near a sub-Arctic human settlement. Polar Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-022-03061-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Wilde LR, Simmons JE, Swift RJ, Senner NR. Dynamic sensitivity to resource availability influences population responses to mismatches in a shorebird. Ecology 2022; 103:e3743. [PMID: 35524939 PMCID: PMC9539520 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Climate change has caused shifts in seasonally recurring biological events leading to the temporal decoupling of consumer-resource pairs - i.e., phenological mismatching. Although mismatches often affect individual fitness, they do not invariably scale up to affect populations, making it difficult to assess the risk they pose. Individual variation may contribute to this inconsistency, with changes in resource availability and consumer needs leading mismatches to have different outcomes over time. Nevertheless, most models estimate a consumer's match from a single timepoint, potentially obscuring when mismatches matter to populations. We analyzed how the effects of mismatches varied over time by studying precocial Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica) chicks and their invertebrate prey from 2009 to 2019. We developed individual and population level models to determine how age-specific variation affect the relationship between godwits and resource availability. We found that periods with abundant resources led to higher growth and survival of godwit chicks, but also that chick survival was increasingly related to the availability of larger prey as chicks aged. At the population level, estimates of mismatches using age-structured consumer demand explained more variation in annual godwit fledging rates than more commonly used alternatives. Our study suggests that modeling the effects of mismatches as the disrupted interaction between dynamic consumer needs and resource availability clarifies when mismatches matter to both individuals and populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke R Wilde
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Josiah E Simmons
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Rose J Swift
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND, USA
| | - Nathan R Senner
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
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8
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Wilde LR, Swift RJ, Senner NR. Behavioural adjustments in the social associations of a precocial shorebird mediate the costs and benefits of grouping decisions. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:870-882. [PMID: 35211977 PMCID: PMC9303437 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Animals weigh multiple costs and benefits when making grouping decisions. The cost‐avoidance grouping framework proposes that group density, information quality and risk affect an individual’s preference for con or heterospecific groups. However, this assumes the cost–benefit balance of a particular grouping is constant spatiotemporally, which may not always be true. Investigating how spatiotemporal context influences grouping choices is therefore key to understanding how animals contend with changing conditions. Changes in body size during development lead to variable conditions for individuals over short time‐scales that can influence their ecological interactions. Hudsonian godwits Limosa haemastica, for instance, form a protective nesting association with a major predator of young godwit chicks, colonial short‐billed gulls Larus brachyrhynchus. Godwit broods may avoid areas of higher gull densities when chicks are susceptible to gull predation but likely experience higher risk from alternative predators as a result. Associating with conspecifics could allow godwits to buffer these costs but requires enough other broods with whom to group. To determine how age‐dependent predation risk and conspecific density influence godwit grouping behaviours, we first quantified the time‐dependent effects of con‐ and heterospecific interactions on the mortality risk for godwit chicks throughout development. We then determined how godwit density and chick age affected their associations with con‐ and heterospecific. We found that younger godwit chicks' survival improved with closer association with conspecifics, earlier hatch dates and lower gull densities, whereas older chicks survived better with earlier hatch dates, though this effect was less clear. Concomitantly, godwit broods avoided gulls early in development and when godwit densities were high but maintained loose associations with conspecifics throughout development. We identified how individuals can optimally shift with whom they group according to risks that vary spatially and temporally. Investigating the effects of a species' ecological interactions across spatiotemporal contexts in this way can shed light on how animals adjust their associations according to the costs and benefits of each association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke R Wilde
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Rose J Swift
- U. S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND, USA
| | - Nathan R Senner
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
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Lameris TK, Tomkovich PS, Johnson JA, Morrison RIG, Tulp I, Lisovski S, DeCicco L, Dementyev M, Gill RE, Ten Horn J, Piersma T, Pohlen Z, Schekkerman H, Soloviev M, Syroechkovsky EE, Zhemchuzhnikov MK, van Gils JA. Mismatch-induced growth reductions in a clade of Arctic-breeding shorebirds are rarely mitigated by increasing temperatures. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:829-847. [PMID: 34862835 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In seasonal environments subject to climate change, organisms typically show phenological changes. As these changes are usually stronger in organisms at lower trophic levels than those at higher trophic levels, mismatches between consumers and their prey may occur during the consumers' reproduction period. While in some species a trophic mismatch induces reductions in offspring growth, this is not always the case. This variation may be caused by the relative strength of the mismatch, or by mitigating factors like increased temperature-reducing energetic costs. We investigated the response of chick growth rate to arthropod abundance and temperature for six populations of ecologically similar shorebirds breeding in the Arctic and sub-Arctic (four subspecies of Red Knot Calidris canutus, Great Knot C. tenuirostris and Surfbird C. virgata). In general, chicks experienced growth benefits (measured as a condition index) when hatching before the seasonal peak in arthropod abundance, and growth reductions when hatching after the peak. The moment in the season at which growth reductions occurred varied between populations, likely depending on whether food was limiting growth before or after the peak. Higher temperatures led to faster growth on average, but could only compensate for increasing trophic mismatch for the population experiencing the coldest conditions. We did not find changes in the timing of peaks in arthropod availability across the study years, possibly because our series of observations was relatively short; timing of hatching displayed no change over the years either. Our results suggest that a trend in trophic mismatches may not yet be evident; however, we show Arctic-breeding shorebirds to be vulnerable to this phenomenon and vulnerability to depend on seasonal prey dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas K Lameris
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Pavel S Tomkovich
- Zoological Museum, MV Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - James A Johnson
- Migratory Bird Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | - R I Guy Morrison
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ingrid Tulp
- Wageningen Marine Research, Wageningen University, IJmuiden, The Netherlands
| | - Simeon Lisovski
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Lucas DeCicco
- Migratory Bird Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | - Maksim Dementyev
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Robert E Gill
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | - Job Ten Horn
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Theunis Piersma
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, The Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Inst. for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Zachary Pohlen
- Migratory Bird Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | - Hans Schekkerman
- Sovon Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mikhail Soloviev
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | | | - Jan A van Gils
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, The Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Inst. for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Meltofte H, Hansen J, Rigét F. Trends in breeding performance in wader populations at Zackenberg, high Arctic Greenland, in relation to environmental drivers 1996–2018. Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-021-02922-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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11
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Warming Arctic summers unlikely to increase productivity of shorebirds through renesting. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15277. [PMID: 34315998 PMCID: PMC8316457 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94788-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change in the Arctic is leading to earlier summers, creating a phenological mismatch between the hatching of insectivorous birds and the availability of their invertebrate prey. While phenological mismatch would presumably lower the survival of chicks, climate change is also leading to longer, warmer summers that may increase the annual productivity of birds by allowing adults to lay nests over a longer period of time, replace more nests that fail, and provide physiological relief to chicks (i.e., warmer temperatures that reduce thermoregulatory costs). However, there is little information on how these competing ecological processes will ultimately impact the demography of bird populations. In 2008 and 2009, we investigated the survival of chicks from initial and experimentally-induced replacement nests of arcticola Dunlin (Calidris alpina) breeding near Utqiaġvik, Alaska. We monitored survival of 66 broods from 41 initial and 25 replacement nests. Based on the average hatch date of each group, chick survival (up to age 15 days) from replacement nests (Ŝi = 0.10; 95% CI = 0.02–0.22) was substantially lower than initial nests (Ŝi = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.48–0.81). Daily survival rates were greater for older chicks, chicks from earlier-laid clutches, and during periods of greater invertebrate availability. As temperature was less important to daily survival rates of shorebird chicks than invertebrate availability, our results indicate that any physiological relief experienced by chicks will likely be overshadowed by the need for adequate food. Furthermore, the processes creating a phenological mismatch between hatching of shorebird young and invertebrate emergence ensures that warmer, longer breeding seasons will not translate into abundant food throughout the longer summers. Thus, despite having a greater opportunity to nest later (and potentially replace nests), young from these late-hatching broods will likely not have sufficient food to survive. Collectively, these results indicate that warmer, longer summers in the Arctic are unlikely to increase annual recruitment rates, and thus unable to compensate for low adult survival, which is typically limited by factors away from the Arctic-breeding grounds.
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Shaftel R, Rinella DJ, Kwon E, Brown SC, Gates HR, Kendall S, Lank DB, Liebezeit JR, Payer DC, Rausch J, Saalfeld ST, Sandercock BK, Smith PA, Ward DH, Lanctot RB. Predictors of invertebrate biomass and rate of advancement of invertebrate phenology across eight sites in the North American Arctic. Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-020-02781-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
AbstractAverage annual temperatures in the Arctic increased by 2–3 °C during the second half of the twentieth century. Because shorebirds initiate northward migration to Arctic nesting sites based on cues at distant wintering grounds, climate-driven changes in the phenology of Arctic invertebrates may lead to a mismatch between the nutritional demands of shorebirds and the invertebrate prey essential for egg formation and subsequent chick survival. To explore the environmental drivers affecting invertebrate availability, we modeled the biomass of invertebrates captured in modified Malaise-pitfall traps over three summers at eight Arctic Shorebird Demographics Network sites as a function of accumulated degree-days and other weather variables. To assess climate-driven changes in invertebrate phenology, we used data from the nearest long-term weather stations to hindcast invertebrate availability over 63 summers, 1950–2012. Our results confirmed the importance of both accumulated and daily temperatures as predictors of invertebrate availability while also showing that wind speed negatively affected invertebrate availability at the majority of sites. Additionally, our results suggest that seasonal prey availability for Arctic shorebirds is occurring earlier and that the potential for trophic mismatch is greatest at the northernmost sites, where hindcast invertebrate phenology advanced by approximately 1–2.5 days per decade. Phenological mismatch could have long-term population-level effects on shorebird species that are unable to adjust their breeding schedules to the increasingly earlier invertebrate phenologies.
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13
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McGuire RL, Lanctot RB, Saalfeld ST, Ruthrauff DR, Liebezeit JR. Shorebird Reproductive Response to Exceptionally Early and Late Springs Varies Across Sites in Arctic Alaska. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.577652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Swift RJ, Rodewald AD, Johnson JA, Andres BA, Senner NR. Seasonal survival and reversible state effects in a long-distance migratory shorebird. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2043-2055. [PMID: 32358801 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Events during one stage of the annual cycle can reversibly affect an individual's condition and performance not only within that stage, but also in subsequent stages (i.e. reversible state effects). Despite strong conceptual links, however, few studies have been able to empirically link individual-level reversible state effects with larger-scale demographic processes. We studied both survival and potential reversible state effects in a long-distance migratory shorebird, the Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica. Specifically, we estimated period-specific survival probabilities across the annual cycle and examined the extent to which an individual's body condition, foraging success and habitat quality during the nonbreeding season affected its subsequent survival and reproductive performance. Godwit survival rates were high throughout the annual cycle, but lowest during the breeding season, only slightly higher during southbound migration and highest during the stationary nonbreeding season. Our results indicate that overwintering godwits foraging in high-quality habitats had comparably better nutritional status and pre-migratory body condition, which in turn improved their return rates and the likelihood that their nests and chicks survived during the subsequent breeding season. Reversible state effects thus appeared to link events between nonbreeding and breeding seasons via an individual's condition, in turn affecting their survival and subsequent reproductive performance. Our study thus provides one of the few empirical demonstrations of theoretical predictions that reversible state effects have the potential to influence population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose J Swift
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Department of Natural Resources, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Amanda D Rodewald
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Department of Natural Resources, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - James A Johnson
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Bird Management, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Brad A Andres
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Bird Program, Lakewood, CO, USA
| | - Nathan R Senner
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
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15
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Gherardi-Fuentes C, Ruiz J, Verdugo C, Navedo JG. Male-biased adult sex ratio in non-breeding areas of an extreme long-distance migratory shorebird population. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2020.103560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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16
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Smith PA, McKinnon L, Meltofte H, Lanctot RB, Fox AD, Leafloor JO, Soloviev M, Franke A, Falk K, Golovatin M, Sokolov V, Sokolov A, Smith AC. Status and trends of tundra birds across the circumpolar Arctic. AMBIO 2020; 49:732-748. [PMID: 31955397 PMCID: PMC6989588 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-019-01308-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Tundra-breeding birds face diverse conservation challenges, from accelerated rates of Arctic climate change to threats associated with highly migratory life histories. Here we summarise the status and trends of Arctic terrestrial birds (88 species, 228 subspecies or distinct flyway populations) across guilds/regions, derived from published sources, raw data or, in rare cases, expert opinion. We report long-term trends in vital rates (survival, reproduction) for the handful of species and regions for which these are available. Over half of all circumpolar Arctic wader taxa are declining (51% of 91 taxa with known trends) and almost half of all waterfowl are increasing (49% of 61 taxa); these opposing trends have fostered a shift in community composition in some locations. Declines were least prevalent in the African-Eurasian Flyway (29%), but similarly prevalent in the remaining three global flyways (44-54%). Widespread, and in some cases accelerating, declines underscore the urgent conservation needs faced by many Arctic terrestrial bird species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A. Smith
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6 Canada
- National Wildlife Research Centre, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6 Canada
| | - Laura McKinnon
- Department of Multidisciplinary Studies and Graduate Program in Biology, York University, Glendon Campus, 2275 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M5B 3M6 Canada
| | - Hans Meltofte
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Richard B. Lanctot
- Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99503 USA
| | - Anthony D. Fox
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Kalø, Grenåvej 14, 8410 Rønde, Denmark
| | - James O. Leafloor
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6 Canada
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 150-123 Main St, Winnipeg, MB R3C 4W2 Canada
- National Wildlife Research Centre, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6 Canada
| | - Mikhail Soloviev
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia 119991
| | - Alastair Franke
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Canada
| | - Knud Falk
- www.vandrefalk.dk, Ljusstöparbacken 11A, 11765 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mikhail Golovatin
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 8 Marta Str, 202, Ekaterinburg, Russia 620144
| | - Vasiliy Sokolov
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 8 Marta Str, 202, Ekaterinburg, Russia 620144
| | - Aleksandr Sokolov
- Arctic Research Station, Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Zelenaya Gorka Str., 21, Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, Labytnangi, Russia 629400
| | - Adam C. Smith
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6 Canada
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6 Canada
- National Wildlife Research Centre, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6 Canada
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17
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Characterizing ecosystem phenological diversity and its macroecology with snow cover phenology. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15074. [PMID: 31636336 PMCID: PMC6803678 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51602-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
One critical challenge of exploring flora phenology is on characterizing ecosystem phenological diversity (EPD), and thus how EPD’s performance is influenced by climate changes has also been an open macro-ecological question. To fill these two gaps, we proposed an innovative method for reflecting EPD, by taking the advantage of the often-classified inverse factor of spatial resolution discrepancy between the used remote sensing datasets of vegetation phenological dates (green-up and brown-up) and snow cover phenological dates (SPDs) (onset and end) around the Arctic, and further, we examined the cross response/feedbacks of the two kinds of EPDs to the two categories of SPDs. We found that the circumpolar green-up and brown-up EPDs both were shrinking, driven more by the delaying of the onset SPDs than the advancing of the end SPDs; North America and North Eurasia performed with inconsistent EPD response/feedbacks to the related SPD anomalies; and further, the EPD-SPD response/feedbacks in some locations exhibited the time-lag effect, e.g., the green-up EPDs made the strongest response to the onset SPDs of two years earlier. Overall, the validated method and the new findings are of implications for improving the phenology modules in Earth system models, and the contributions of the present study have enlightening significance for kicking off the new EPD branch in macrosystem phenological ecology.
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18
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Tucker AM, McGowan CP, Catalano MJ, DeRose‐Wilson A, Robinson RA, Zimmerman J. Foraging ecology mediates response to ecological mismatch during migratory stopover. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anna M. Tucker
- School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Auburn University Auburn Alabama USA
| | - Conor P. McGowan
- Alabama Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit U.S. Geological Survey Auburn University Auburn Alabama USA
| | - Matthew J. Catalano
- School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences Auburn University Auburn Alabama USA
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19
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Flemming SA, Nol E, Kennedy LV, Bédard A, Giroux MA, Smith PA. Spatio-temporal responses of predators to hyperabundant geese affect risk of predation for sympatric-nesting species. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221727. [PMID: 31461483 PMCID: PMC6713384 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Arctic is undergoing rapid changes, with anthropogenic shifts in climate having important and well-documented impacts on habitat. Populations of predators and their prey are affected by changing climate and other anthropogenic factors, and these changing trophic interactions could have profound effects on breeding populations of Arctic birds. Variable abundance of lemmings (a primary prey of generalist Arctic predators) and increasing abundance of light geese (Lesser Snow and Ross' Geese; a secondary prey) could have negative consequences for numerous sympatric shorebirds (an incidental prey). Using 16 years of predator-prey observations and 13-years of shorebird nest survival data at a site near a goose colony we identify relationships among geese, lemmings, and their shared predators and then relate predator indices to shorebird risk of nest predation. During two years, we also placed time-lapse cameras and artificial shorebird nests at increasing distances from a goose colony to document spatial trends in predators and their effect on risk of predation. In the long-term data, yearly indices of light geese positively influenced indices of gulls and jaegers, and shorebird nest predation rate was negatively correlated with jaeger and fox indices. All three predator indices were highest near the goose colony and artificial nest predation probability was negatively correlated with distance from goose colony, but these effects were less apparent during the second year. Combined, these results highlight the variation in predator-mediated interactions between geese and shorebirds and outline one mechanism by which hyperabundant geese may be contributing to local or regional declines in Arctic-nesting shorebird populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott A. Flemming
- Environmental and Life Sciences, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Erica Nol
- Biology Department, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lisa V. Kennedy
- Environmental and Life Sciences, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Audrey Bédard
- Departement de Chimie et de Biochimie, Universite de Moncton, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Marie-Andrée Giroux
- Departement de Chimie et de Biochimie, Universite de Moncton, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Paul A. Smith
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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20
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Kwon E, Weiser EL, Lanctot RB, Brown SC, Gates HR, Gilchrist G, Kendall SJ, Lank DB, Liebezeit JR, McKinnon L, Nol E, Payer DC, Rausch J, Rinella DJ, Saalfeld ST, Senner NR, Smith PA, Ward D, Wisseman RW, Sandercock BK. Geographic variation in the intensity of warming and phenological mismatch between Arctic shorebirds and invertebrates. ECOL MONOGR 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eunbi Kwon
- Division of Biology Kansas State University Manhattan Kansas 66506 USA
| | - Emily L. Weiser
- Division of Biology Kansas State University Manhattan Kansas 66506 USA
| | - Richard B. Lanctot
- Migratory Bird Management U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Anchorage Alaska 99503 USA
| | - Stephen C. Brown
- Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences Manomet Massachusetts 02345 USA
| | - Heather R. Gates
- Migratory Bird Management U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Anchorage Alaska 99503 USA
- Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences Manomet Massachusetts 02345 USA
| | - Grant Gilchrist
- Environment and Climate Change Canada National Wildlife Research Centre Carleton University Ottawa Ontario K1A 0H3 Canada
| | - Steve J. Kendall
- Arctic National Wildlife Refuge U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fairbanks Alaska 99701 USA
| | - David B. Lank
- Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia V3H 3S6 Canada
| | | | - Laura McKinnon
- Department of Biology Trent University Peterborough Ontario K9J 7B8 Canada
| | - Erica Nol
- Department of Biology Trent University Peterborough Ontario K9J 7B8 Canada
| | - David C. Payer
- Arctic National Wildlife Refuge U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fairbanks Alaska 99701 USA
| | - Jennie Rausch
- Canadian Wildlife Service Yellowknife Northwest Territories X1A 2P7 Canada
| | - Daniel J. Rinella
- Alaska Center for Conservation Science and Department of Biological Sciences University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage Alaska 99508 USA
| | - Sarah T. Saalfeld
- Migratory Bird Management U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Anchorage Alaska 99503 USA
| | - Nathan R. Senner
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca New York 14850 USA
| | - Paul A. Smith
- Environment and Climate Change Canada Wildlife Research Division Ottawa Ontario K1A 0H3 Canada
| | - David Ward
- US Geological Survey Anchorage Alaska 99508 USA
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21
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Saalfeld ST, McEwen DC, Kesler DC, Butler MG, Cunningham JA, Doll AC, English WB, Gerik DE, Grond K, Herzog P, Hill BL, Lagassé BJ, Lanctot RB. Phenological mismatch in Arctic-breeding shorebirds: Impact of snowmelt and unpredictable weather conditions on food availability and chick growth. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:6693-6707. [PMID: 31236253 PMCID: PMC6580279 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The ecological consequences of climate change have been recognized in numerous species, with perhaps phenology being the most well-documented change. Phenological changes may have negative consequences when organisms within different trophic levels respond to environmental changes at different rates, potentially leading to phenological mismatches between predators and their prey. This may be especially apparent in the Arctic, which has been affected more by climate change than other regions, resulting in earlier, warmer, and longer summers. During a 7-year study near Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska, we estimated phenological mismatch in relation to food availability and chick growth in a community of Arctic-breeding shorebirds experiencing advancement of environmental conditions (i.e., snowmelt). Our results indicate that Arctic-breeding shorebirds have experienced increased phenological mismatch with earlier snowmelt conditions. However, the degree of phenological mismatch was not a good predictor of food availability, as weather conditions after snowmelt made invertebrate availability highly unpredictable. As a result, the food available to shorebird chicks that were 2-10 days old was highly variable among years (ranging from 6.2 to 28.8 mg trap-1 day-1 among years in eight species), and was often inadequate for average growth (only 20%-54% of Dunlin and Pectoral Sandpiper broods on average had adequate food across a 4-year period). Although weather conditions vary among years, shorebirds that nested earlier in relation to snowmelt generally had more food available during brood rearing, and thus, greater chick growth rates. Despite the strong selective pressure to nest early, advancement of nesting is likely limited by the amount of plasticity in the start and progression of migration. Therefore, long-term climatic changes resulting in earlier snowmelt have the potential to greatly affect shorebird populations, especially if shorebirds are unable to advance nest initiation sufficiently to keep pace with seasonal advancement of their invertebrate prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah T. Saalfeld
- Migratory Bird Management DivisionU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceAnchorageAlaska
| | | | - Dylan C. Kesler
- The Institute for Bird PopulationsPoint Reyes StationCalifornia
| | - Malcolm G. Butler
- Department of Biological SciencesNorth Dakota State UniversityFargoNorth Dakota
| | - Jenny A. Cunningham
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife SciencesUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMissouri
| | | | - Willow B. English
- National Wildlife Research CentreCarleton UniversityOttawaOntarioCanada
| | - Danielle E. Gerik
- College of Fisheries and Ocean SciencesUniversity of Alaska FairbanksFairbanksAlaska
| | - Kirsten Grond
- Department of Molecular & Cell BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticut
| | - Patrick Herzog
- Institut für Biologie, Zoologie - Molekulare ÖkologieMartin-Luther-Universität Halle-WittenbergHalleGermany
| | - Brooke L. Hill
- Department of Biology and WildlifeUniversity of Alaska FairbanksFairbanksAlaska
| | - Benjamin J. Lagassé
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Colorado DenverDenverColorado
| | - Richard B. Lanctot
- Migratory Bird Management DivisionU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceAnchorageAlaska
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22
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Senner NR, Verhoeven MA, Abad-Gómez JM, Alves JA, Hooijmeijer JCEW, Howison RA, Kentie R, Loonstra AHJ, Masero JA, Rocha A, Stager M, Piersma T. High Migratory Survival and Highly Variable Migratory Behavior in Black-Tailed Godwits. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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23
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Navedo JG, Verdugo C, Rodríguez-Jorquera IA, Abad-Gómez JM, Suazo CG, Castañeda LE, Araya V, Ruiz J, Gutiérrez JS. Assessing the effects of human activities on the foraging opportunities of migratory shorebirds in Austral high-latitude bays. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212441. [PMID: 30865657 PMCID: PMC6415798 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human presence at intertidal areas could impact coastal biodiversity, including migratory waterbird species and the ecosystem services they provide. Assessing this impact is therefore essential to develop management measures compatible with migratory processes and associated biodiversity. Here, we assess the effects of human presence on the foraging opportunities of Hudsonian godwits (Limosa haemastica, a trans-hemispheric migratory shorebird) during their non-breeding season on Chiloé Island, southern Chile. We compared bird density and time spent foraging in two similar bays with contrasting disturbance levels: human presence (mostly seaweed harvesters accompanied by dogs) was on average 0.9±0.4 people per 10 ha in the disturbed bay, whereas it was negligible (95% days absent) in the non-disturbed bay. Although overall abundances were similar between bays, godwit density was higher in the non-disturbed bay throughout the low tide period. Both days after the start of the non-breeding season and tidal height significantly affected godwit density, with different effects in either bay. Time spent foraging was significantly higher in the non-disturbed bay (86.5±1.1%) than in the disturbed one (81.3±1.4%). As expected, godwit density significantly decreased with the number of people and accompanying dogs in the disturbed bay. Our results indicate that even a low density of people and dogs can significantly reduce the foraging opportunities of shorebirds. These constraints, coupled with additional flushing costs, may negatively affect godwits’ pre-migratory fattening. Hence, as a first step we suggest limiting human presence within bays on Chiloé to 1 person per 10 ha and banning the presence of accompanying dogs in sensitive conservation areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan G. Navedo
- Bird Ecology Lab, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Estación Experimental Quempillén, Chiloé, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Ancud, Chile
- * E-mail:
| | - Claudio Verdugo
- Ecología y Evolución de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Patología Animal, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | | | - José M. Abad-Gómez
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Cristián G. Suazo
- Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Luis E. Castañeda
- Programa de Genética Humana, Instituo de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Valeria Araya
- Bird Ecology Lab, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Jorge Ruiz
- Bird Ecology Lab, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Estación Experimental Quempillén, Chiloé, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Ancud, Chile
| | - Jorge S. Gutiérrez
- Estación Experimental Quempillén, Chiloé, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Ancud, Chile
- Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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24
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English PA, Nocera JJ, Green DJ. Nightjars may adjust breeding phenology to compensate for mismatches between moths and moonlight. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:5515-5529. [PMID: 29938070 PMCID: PMC6010731 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Revised: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenology match-mismatch usually refers to the extent of an organism's ability to match reproduction with peaks in food availability, but when mismatch occurs, it may indicate a response to another selective pressure. We assess the value of matching reproductive timing to multiple selective pressures for a migratory lunarphilic aerial insectivore bird, the whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus). We hypothesize that a whip-poor-will's response to shifts in local phenology may be constrained by long annual migrations and a foraging mode that is dependent on both benign weather and the availability of moonlight. To test this, we monitored daily nest survival and overall reproductive success relative to food availability and moon phase in the northern part of whip-poor-will's breeding range. We found that moth abundance, and potentially temperature and moonlight, may all have a positive influence on daily chick survival rates and that the lowest chick survival rates for the period between hatching and fledging occurred when hatch was mismatched with both moths and moonlight. However, rather than breeding too late for peak moth abundance, the average first brood hatch date actually preceded the peak moth abundance and occurred during a period with slightly higher available moonlight than the period of peak food abundance. As a result, a low individual survival rate was partially compensated for by initiating more nesting attempts. This suggests that nightjars were able to adjust their breeding phenology in such a way that the costs of mismatch with food supply were at least partially balanced by a longer breeding season.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph J. Nocera
- Faculty of Forestry and Environmental ManagementUniversity of New BrunswickFrederictonNBCanada
| | - David J. Green
- Department of Biological SciencesSimon Fraser UniversityBurnabyBCCanada
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25
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Gunderson AR, Tsukimura B, Stillman JH. Indirect Effects of Global Change: From Physiological and Behavioral Mechanisms to Ecological Consequences. Integr Comp Biol 2018; 57:48-54. [PMID: 28881938 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
SYNOPSIS A major focus of current ecological research is to understand how global change makes species vulnerable to extirpation. To date, mechanistic ecophysiological analyses of global change vulnerability have focused primarily on the direct effects of changing abiotic conditions on whole-organism physiological traits, such as metabolic rate, locomotor performance, cardiac function, and critical thermal limits. However, species do not live in isolation within their physical environments, and direct effects of climate change are likely to be compounded by indirect effects that result from altered interactions with other species, such as competitors and predators. The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology 2017 Symposium "Indirect Effects of Global Change: From Physiological and Behavioral Mechanisms to Ecological Consequences" was designed to synthesize multiple approaches to investigating the indirect effects of global change by bringing together researchers that study the indirect effects of global change from multiple perspectives across habitat, type of anthropogenic change, and level of biological organization. Our goal in bringing together researchers from different backgrounds was to foster cross-disciplinary insights into the mechanistic bases and higher-order ecological consequences of indirect effects of global change, and to promote collaboration among fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex R Gunderson
- Romberg Tiburon Center and Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 3150 Paradise Drive, Tiburon, CA 94920, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 1005 Valley Life Sciences Building #3140, Berkeley, CA 94720-3140, USA
| | - Brian Tsukimura
- Department of Biology, California State University, Fresno, CA 93740, USA
| | - Jonathon H Stillman
- Romberg Tiburon Center and Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 3150 Paradise Drive, Tiburon, CA 94920, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 1005 Valley Life Sciences Building #3140, Berkeley, CA 94720-3140, USA
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26
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Kharouba HM, Ehrlén J, Gelman A, Bolmgren K, Allen JM, Travers SE, Wolkovich EM. Global shifts in the phenological synchrony of species interactions over recent decades. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:5211-5216. [PMID: 29666247 PMCID: PMC5960279 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1714511115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenological responses to climate change (e.g., earlier leaf-out or egg hatch date) are now well documented and clearly linked to rising temperatures in recent decades. Such shifts in the phenologies of interacting species may lead to shifts in their synchrony, with cascading community and ecosystem consequences. To date, single-system studies have provided no clear picture, either finding synchrony shifts may be extremely prevalent [Mayor SJ, et al. (2017) Sci Rep 7:1902] or relatively uncommon [Iler AM, et al. (2013) Glob Chang Biol 19:2348-2359], suggesting that shifts toward asynchrony may be infrequent. A meta-analytic approach would provide insights into global trends and how they are linked to climate change. We compared phenological shifts among pairwise species interactions (e.g., predator-prey) using published long-term time-series data of phenological events from aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems across four continents since 1951 to determine whether recent climate change has led to overall shifts in synchrony. We show that the relative timing of key life cycle events of interacting species has changed significantly over the past 35 years. Further, by comparing the period before major climate change (pre-1980s) and after, we show that estimated changes in phenology and synchrony are greater in recent decades. However, there has been no consistent trend in the direction of these changes. Our findings show that there have been shifts in the timing of interacting species in recent decades; the next challenges are to improve our ability to predict the direction of change and understand the full consequences for communities and ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather M Kharouba
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616;
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Johan Ehrlén
- Department of Ecology, Environment, and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andrew Gelman
- Department of Statistics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Kjell Bolmgren
- Unit for Field-Based Forest Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-363 94 Lammhult, Sweden
| | - Jenica M Allen
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824
| | - Steve E Travers
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108
| | - Elizabeth M Wolkovich
- Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, Boston MA, 02130
- Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138
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27
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Swift RJ, Rodewald AD, Senner NR. Context-dependent costs and benefits of a heterospecific nesting association. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rose J Swift
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Department of Natural Resources, Ithaca, NY
| | - Amanda D Rodewald
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Department of Natural Resources, Ithaca, NY
| | - Nathan R Senner
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
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Saalfeld ST, Lanctot RB. Multispecies comparisons of adaptability to climate change: A role for life-history characteristics? Ecol Evol 2017; 7:10492-10502. [PMID: 29299232 PMCID: PMC5743480 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Revised: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenological advancement allows individuals to adapt to climate change by timing life‐history events to the availability of key resources so that individual fitness is maximized. However, different trophic levels may respond to changes in their environment at different rates, potentially leading to a phenological mismatch. This may be especially apparent in the highly seasonal arctic environment that is experiencing the effects of climate change more so than any other region. During a 14‐year study near Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska, we estimated phenological advancement in egg laying in relation to snowmelt for eight arctic‐breeding shorebirds and investigated potential linkages to species‐specific life‐history characteristics. We found that snowmelt advanced 0.8 days/year—six times faster than the prior 60‐year period. During this same time, six of the eight species exhibited phenological advancement in laying dates (varying among species from 0.1 to 0.9 days earlier per year), although no species appeared capable of keeping pace with advancing snowmelt. Phenological changes were likely the result of high phenotypic plasticity, as all species investigated in this study showed high interannual variability in lay dates. Commonality among species with similar response rates to timing of snowmelt suggests that nesting later and having an opportunistic settlement strategy may increase the adaptability of some species to changing climate conditions. Other life‐history characteristics, such as migration strategy, previous site experience, and mate fidelity did not influence the ability of individuals to advance laying dates. As a failure to advance egg laying is likely to result in greater phenological mismatch, our study provides an initial assessment of the relative risk of species to long‐term climatic changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah T Saalfeld
- Migratory Bird Management Division US Fish and Wildlife Service Anchorage AK USA
| | - Richard B Lanctot
- Migratory Bird Management Division US Fish and Wildlife Service Anchorage AK USA
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29
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Schmaljohann H, Lisovski S, Bairlein F. Flexible reaction norms to environmental variables along the migration route and the significance of stopover duration for total speed of migration in a songbird migrant. Front Zool 2017; 14:17. [PMID: 28344630 PMCID: PMC5360013 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-017-0203-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Predicting the consequences of continuing anthropogenic changes in the environment for migratory behaviours such as phenology remains a major challenge. Predictions remain particularly difficult, because our knowledge is based on studies from single-snapshot observations at specific stopover sites along birds' migration routes. However, a general understanding on how birds react to prevailing environmental conditions, e.g. their 'phenotypic reaction norm', throughout the annual cycle and along their entire migration routes is required to fully understand how migratory birds respond to rapid environmental change. RESULTS Here, we provide direct evidence that northern wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) from a breeding population in Alaska adjusted their probability to resume migration as well as the distance covered per night, i.e. travel speed, to large-scale environmental conditions experienced along their 15,000 km migratory route on both northwards and southwards migrations. These adjustments were found to be flexible in space and time. At the beginning of autumn migration, northern wheatears showed high departure probabilities and high travel speeds at low surface air temperatures, while far away from Alaska both traits decreased with increasing air temperatures. In spring, northern wheatears increasingly exploited flow assistance with season, which is likely a behavioural adjustment to speed up migration by increasing the distance travelled per night. Furthermore, the variation in total stopover duration but not in travel speed had a significant effect on the total speed of migration, indicating the prime importance of total stopover duration in the overall phenology of bird migration. CONCLUSION Northern wheatears from Alaska provide evidence that the phenotypic reaction norm to a set of environmental conditions cannot be generalized to universal and persistent behavioural reaction pattern across entire migratory pathways. This highlights the importance of full annual-cycle studies on migratory birds to better understand their response to the environment. Understanding the mechanisms behind phenotypic plasticity during migration is particularly important in the assessment of whether birds can keep pace with the potentially increasing phenological mismatches observed on the breeding grounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heiko Schmaljohann
- Institute of Avian Research "Vogelwarte Helgoland", An der Vogelwarte 21, Wilhelmshaven, 26836 Germany.,University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK USA
| | - Simeon Lisovski
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220 Australia.,Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Franz Bairlein
- Institute of Avian Research "Vogelwarte Helgoland", An der Vogelwarte 21, Wilhelmshaven, 26836 Germany
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30
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Reneerkens J, Schmidt NM, Gilg O, Hansen J, Hansen LH, Moreau J, Piersma T. Effects of food abundance and early clutch predation on reproductive timing in a high Arctic shorebird exposed to advancements in arthropod abundance. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:7375-7386. [PMID: 28725405 PMCID: PMC5513252 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Revised: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change may influence the phenology of organisms unequally across trophic levels and thus lead to phenological mismatches between predators and prey. In cases where prey availability peaks before reproducing predators reach maximal prey demand, any negative fitness consequences would selectively favor resynchronization by earlier starts of the reproductive activities of the predators. At a study site in northeast Greenland, over a period of 17 years, the median emergence of the invertebrate prey of Sanderling Calidris alba advanced with 1.27 days per year. Yet, over the same period Sanderling did not advance hatching date. Thus, Sanderlings increasingly hatched after their prey was maximally abundant. Surprisingly, the phenological mismatches did not affect chick growth, but the interaction of the annual width and height of the peak in food abundance did. Chicks grew especially better in years when the food peak was broad. Sanderling clutches were most likely to be depredated early in the season, which should delay reproduction. We propose that high early clutch predation may favor a later reproductive timing. Additionally, our data suggest that in most years food was still abundant after the median date of emergence, which may explain why Sanderlings did not advance breeding along with the advances in arthropod phenology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen Reneerkens
- Conservation Ecology GroupGroningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES)University of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
- Arctic Research CentreDepartment of BioscienceAarhus UniversityRoskildeDenmark
| | | | - Olivier Gilg
- Laboratoire BiogéosciencesUniversité de BourgogneDijonFrance
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique (GREA)FranchevilleFrance
| | - Jannik Hansen
- Arctic Research CentreDepartment of BioscienceAarhus UniversityRoskildeDenmark
| | - Lars Holst Hansen
- Arctic Research CentreDepartment of BioscienceAarhus UniversityRoskildeDenmark
| | - Jérôme Moreau
- Laboratoire BiogéosciencesUniversité de BourgogneDijonFrance
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique (GREA)FranchevilleFrance
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Conservation Ecology GroupGroningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES)University of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea ResearchDepartment of Coastal Systems and Utrecht UniversityDen BurgTexelThe Netherlands
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