1
|
Apfelbeck B, Cousseau L, Kung’u GN, Canoine V, Heiskanen J, Korir DK, Lala F, Pellikka P, Githiru M, Lens L. Cooperative breeding alters physiological and behavioral responses to habitat fragmentation. iScience 2024; 27:108717. [PMID: 38299033 PMCID: PMC10829880 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Animals respond to habitat alteration with changes in their behavior and physiology. These changes determine individual performance and thus precede changes in population size. They are therefore hypothesized to provide important insights into how animals cope with environmental change. Here, we investigated physiological and behavioral responses of a cooperatively breeding bird, the placid greenbul (Phyllastrephus placidus), in a severely fragmented tropical biodiversity hotspot and combined these data with remotely sensed (LiDAR) environmental data. We found that individuals had increased glucocorticoid hormone levels when breeding in territories with low native canopy cover or located within small fragments. However, when breeding with the help of subordinates, breeders in low quality territories had similar glucocorticoid levels as those in higher quality territories. Our study shows that sociality may impact how well animals cope with environmental change and contributes to our understanding of the role of glucocorticoid physiology and behavior in response to anthropogenic change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beate Apfelbeck
- Evolutionary Zoology Group, Department of Environment and Biodiversity, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
- Zoology Department, National Museums of Kenya, Museum Hill Road, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
| | - Laurence Cousseau
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent University, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Zoology Department, National Museums of Kenya, Museum Hill Road, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
| | - Gladys Nyakeru Kung’u
- Evolutionary Zoology Group, Department of Environment and Biodiversity, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
- Zoology Department, National Museums of Kenya, Museum Hill Road, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
| | - Virginie Canoine
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Janne Heiskanen
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, P.O. Box 503, 00101 Helsinki, Finland
| | - David K. Korir
- Wildlife Research and Training Institute, P.O. Box 842, Naivasha 20117, Kenya
| | - Fredrick Lala
- Wildlife Research and Training Institute, P.O. Box 842, Naivasha 20117, Kenya
| | - Petri Pellikka
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- University of Nairobi, Wangari Maathai Institute for Environmental and Peace Studies, P.O. Box 29053, Kangemi 00625, Kenya
- State Key Laboratory for Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Mwangi Githiru
- Wildlife Works, P.O. Box 310, Voi 80300, Kenya
- Zoology Department, National Museums of Kenya, Museum Hill Road, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
| | - Luc Lens
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent University, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Quirici V, Valeris-Chacín CE, Parada P, Cuevas E, Wingfield JC. Baseline Corticosterone, Stress Responses, and Leukocyte Profiles in Chicks of Precocial Birds in Rural and Urban Environments. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2138. [PMID: 38004278 PMCID: PMC10672541 DOI: 10.3390/life13112138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The urban environment produces complex relationship among urban stressors that could change the levels of the steroid hormone, glucocorticoid (GCs). Studies that have evaluated baseline corticosterone (Cort) levels (the main GC in birds) and stress responses during development in urban and rural environments have obtained contrasting results. This ambiguity could partially be because the studies were carried out in altricial species, where parental care and sibling competition can affect Cort levels. Therefore, in this study, we compared levels of circulating baseline levels of CORT (blood sample obtained within 3 min of capture) and stress responses (blood sample obtained 30 min after capture) and the H/L ratio (an alternative method to measure stress) in chicks of a precocial bird, southern lapwings (Vanellus chilensis), from one rural (6 chicks), one urban low-polluted (13 chicks), and one urban high-polluted (10 chicks) site of Metropolitan Region of Santiago de Chile. We observed higher baseline Cort (2.41 ± 1.78 ng/mL) in the urban high-polluted site, a higher H/L ratio (0.51 ± 0.20) in the urban low-polluted site, and similar stress response across the three sites. We propose that the difference in stress physiology we observed within Santiago de Chile is because the two zones are at extremes in terms of stressors (noise, light, chemical, and human presence). It is unusual to find a precocious bird that lives in both urban and rural areas; therefore, the results of this study will advance our knowledge of the effect of the urban environment during the development of wildlife, which is relevant in terms of management and conservation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Quirici
- Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Av. República 440, Santiago 8370251, Chile
| | - Carlos E. Valeris-Chacín
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8330015, Chile
- Cape Horn International Center for Global Change Studies and Biocultural Conservation (CHIC), O’Higgins 310, Cabo de Hornos, Puerto Williams 6350000, Chile
| | - Pablo Parada
- Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Av. República 440, Santiago 8370251, Chile
| | - Elfego Cuevas
- Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Av. República 440, Santiago 8370251, Chile
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Quillota 980, Viña del Mar 2520000, Chile
| | - John C. Wingfield
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Grames EM, Montgomery GA, Youngflesh C, Tingley MW, Elphick CS. The effect of insect food availability on songbird reproductive success and chick body condition: Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:658-673. [PMID: 36798988 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Reports of declines in abundance and biomass of insects and other invertebrates from around the world have raised concerns about food limitation that could have profound impacts for insectivorous species. Food availability can clearly affect species; however, there is considerable variation among studies in whether this effect is evident, and thus a lack of clarity over the generality of the relationship. To understand how decreased food availability due to invertebrate declines will affect bird populations, we conducted a systematic review and used meta-analytic structural equation modelling, which allowed us to treat our core variables of interest as latent variables estimated by the diverse ways in which researchers measure fecundity and chick body condition. We found a moderate positive effect of food availability on chick body condition and a strong positive effect on reproductive success. We also found a negative relationship between chick body condition and reproductive success. Our results demonstrate that food is generally a limiting factor for breeding songbirds. Our analysis also provides evidence for a consistent trade-off between chick body condition and reproductive success, demonstrating the complexity of trophic dynamics important for these vital rates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eliza M Grames
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada Reno, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Graham A Montgomery
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Casey Youngflesh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Michigan State University, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Morgan W Tingley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Chris S Elphick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Vobrubová B, Fraňková M, Štolhoferová I, Kaftanová B, Rudolfová V, Chomik A, Chumová P, Stejskal V, Palme R, Frynta D. Relationship between exploratory activity and adrenocortical activity in the black rat (Rattus rattus). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2021; 335:286-295. [PMID: 33411407 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between physiological and behavioral stress markers is documented in several rodent species. However, there is no information regarding the role of adrenocortical activity in behavior of the black rat (Rattus rattus). Therefore, we hypothesize that the adrenocortical activity of black rats varies between individuals and is related to some of the behaviors in a novel environment. To test this hypothesis, we (i) validated a method for quantifying glucocorticoid metabolites from feces (fGCMs) with an enzyme immunoassay (EIA); (ii) examined variation and diurnal rhythms of feces and GCM production; and (iii) examined the relationship between GCM levels and exploratory behavioral traits. We fulfilled the first aim (i) by successfully performing an ACTH challenge test to validate the use of a 5α-pregnane-3β,11β,21-triol-20-one EIA for measuring fGCMs. Second (ii) we detected considerable consistent interindividual variability in production of both feces and glucocorticoids. The peak production of feces occurred in the first hour of the dark cycle, the peak of fGCMs occurred approximately 3 h later. Lastly, (iii) there was no clear relationship between behavior in the hole board test and GCMs. Grooming, a typical behavioral stress marker, was negatively associated with stress reactivity, while head-dipping in the hole-board test (traditionally considered an exploratory behavior independent of stress) was not correlated with the GCMs. This study offers a first look at GCMs in the black rat, successfully validates a method for their measurement and opens possibilities for future research of the relationship between glucocorticoids and exploratory behavior in this species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbora Vobrubová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.,RP3 Applied Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czechia
| | - Marcela Fraňková
- Division of Crop Protection and Plant Health, Crop Research Institute, Prague, Czechia
| | - Iveta Štolhoferová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.,RP3 Applied Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czechia
| | - Barbora Kaftanová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.,Department of Physiology, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Veronika Rudolfová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.,RP3 Applied Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czechia
| | - Aleksandra Chomik
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Petra Chumová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Václav Stejskal
- Division of Crop Protection and Plant Health, Crop Research Institute, Prague, Czechia
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Frynta
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.,RP3 Applied Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czechia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Quirici V, Botero-Delgadillo E, González-Gómez PL, Espíndola-Hernández P, Zambrano B, Cuevas E, Wingfield JC, Vásquez RA. On the relationship between baseline corticosterone levels and annual survival of the thorn-tailed rayadito. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 300:113635. [PMID: 33017587 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Baseline concentrations of glucocorticoids (i.e., cortisol and/or corticosterone) can moderately increase with the degree of energy demands that an individual faces. This could be a mechanism based on which glucocorticods (GCs) can mediate life history trade-offs, and therefore fitness. The 'cort-fitness hypothesis' predicts a negative relationship between GCs and fitness, meanwhile the 'cort-adaptation hypothesis' predicts the opposite pattern. Field studies on the relation between baseline GCs and survival rate have shown mixed results, supporting both positive and negative effect. These ambiguous results could be partially consequence of the short time frame in that most of the studies are carried on. In this study, we tested the predictions of the 'cort-fitness hypothesis' and 'cort-adaptation hypothesis' by using long-term data (eight-year of capture-mark-recapture) of Thorn-tailed Rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda) in two populations at different latitudes. We assessed whether survival varied as a function of Cort levels and whether it varied in a linear (positive: 'cort-adaptation hypothesis' or negative: 'cort-fitness hypothesis') or curvilinear way. The two populations in our study had different baseline Cort levels, then we evaluated whether the association between baseline Cort and survival probability varied between them. In the high latitude population (i.e., lower baseline Cort levels), we observed a marginally quadratic relationship that is consistent with the cort-fitness hypothesis. In contrast, in the low altitude population we did not find this relation. Our findings suggests that the association between baseline Cort and survival probability is context-dependent, and highlights the importance of comparing different populations and the use of long-term data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Quirici
- Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Esteban Botero-Delgadillo
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute of Ornithology, Germany; Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad and Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile; SELVA: Research for Conservation in the Neotropics, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Paulina L González-Gómez
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, United States; Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Av. Pedro de Valdivia 425, Providencia, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pamela Espíndola-Hernández
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute of Ornithology, Germany
| | - Brayan Zambrano
- Doctorado en Medicina de la Conservación, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Elfego Cuevas
- Doctorado en Medicina de la Conservación, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - John C Wingfield
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, United States
| | - Rodrigo A Vásquez
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad and Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Fischer D, Marrotte RR, Chin EH, Coulson S, Burness G. Maternal glucocorticoid levels during incubation predict breeding success, but not reproductive investment, in a free-ranging bird. Biol Open 2020; 9:9/10/bio045898. [PMID: 33077551 PMCID: PMC7595688 DOI: 10.1242/bio.045898] [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] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The hormone corticosterone (CORT) has been hypothesized to be linked with fitness, but the directionality of the relationship is unclear. The ‘CORT-fitness hypothesis’ proposes that high levels of CORT arise from challenging environmental conditions, resulting in lower reproductive success (a negative relationship). In contrast, the CORT-adaptation hypothesis suggests that, during energetically demanding periods, CORT will mediate physiological or behavioral changes that result in increased reproductive investment and success (a positive relationship). During two breeding seasons, we experimentally manipulated circulating CORT levels in female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) prior to egg laying, and measured subsequent reproductive effort, breeding success, and maternal survival. When females were recaptured during egg incubation and again during the nestling stage, the CORT levels were similar among individuals in each treatment group, and maternal treatment had no effect on indices of fitness. By considering variation among females, we found support for the CORT-adaptation hypothesis; there was a significant positive relationship between CORT levels during incubation and hatching and fledging success. During the nestling stage CORT levels were unrelated to any measure of investment or success. Within the environmental context of our study, relationships between maternal glucocorticoid levels and indices of fitness vary across reproductive stages. Summary: Levels of the stress biomarker corticosterone predict breeding success in female tree swallows. However, correlations between hormone levels and fitness differ between life-history stages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Devin Fischer
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9L 0G2
| | - Robby R Marrotte
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9L 0G2
| | - Eunice H Chin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - Smolly Coulson
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9L 0G2
| | - Gary Burness
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9L 0G2
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
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: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [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.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maider Iglesias-Carrasco
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ames EM, Gade MR, Nieman CL, Wright JR, Tonra CM, Marroquin CM, Tutterow AM, Gray SM. Striving for population-level conservation: integrating physiology across the biological hierarchy. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coaa019. [PMID: 32274066 PMCID: PMC7125044 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The field of conservation physiology strives to achieve conservation goals by revealing physiological mechanisms that drive population declines in the face of human-induced rapid environmental change (HIREC) and has informed many successful conservation actions. However, many studies still struggle to explicitly link individual physiological measures to impacts across the biological hierarchy (to population and ecosystem levels) and instead rely on a 'black box' of assumptions to scale up results for conservation implications. Here, we highlight some examples of studies that were successful in scaling beyond the individual level, including two case studies of well-researched species, and using other studies we highlight challenges and future opportunities to increase the impact of research by scaling up the biological hierarchy. We first examine studies that use individual physiological measures to scale up to population-level impacts and discuss several emerging fields that have made significant steps toward addressing the gap between individual-based and demographic studies, such as macrophysiology and landscape physiology. Next, we examine how future studies can scale from population or species-level to community- and ecosystem-level impacts and discuss avenues of research that can lead to conservation implications at the ecosystem level, such as abiotic gradients and interspecific interactions. In the process, we review methods that researchers can use to make links across the biological hierarchy, including crossing disciplinary boundaries, collaboration and data sharing, spatial modelling and incorporating multiple markers (e.g. physiological, behavioural or demographic) into their research. We recommend future studies incorporating tools that consider the diversity of 'landscapes' experienced by animals at higher levels of the biological hierarchy, will make more effective contributions to conservation and management decisions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Ames
- School of the Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Meaghan R Gade
- School of the Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Chelsey L Nieman
- School of the Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - James R Wright
- School of the Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Christopher M Tonra
- School of the Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Cynthia M Marroquin
- Departmant of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, 318 W. 12th Ave., Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Annalee M Tutterow
- School of the Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Suzanne M Gray
- School of the Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Corresponding author: School of the Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. Tel: 614-292-4643.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Vitousek MN, Taff CC, Ryan TA, Zimmer C. Stress Resilience and the Dynamic Regulation of Glucocorticoids. Integr Comp Biol 2019; 59:251-263. [PMID: 31168615 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icz087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Vertebrates respond to a diversity of stressors by rapidly elevating glucocorticoid (GC) levels. The changes in physiology and behavior triggered by this response can be crucial for surviving a variety of challenges. Yet the same process that is invaluable in coping with immediate threats can also impose substantial damage over time. In addition to the pathological effects of long-term exposure to stress hormones, even relatively brief elevations can impair the expression of a variety of behaviors and physiological processes central to fitness, including sexual behavior, parental behavior, and immune function. Therefore, the ability to rapidly and effectively terminate the short-term response to stress may be fundamental to surviving and reproducing in dynamic environments. Here we review the evidence that variation in the ability to terminate the stress response through negative feedback is an important component of stress coping capacity. We suggest that coping capacity may also be influenced by variation in the dynamic regulation of GCs-specifically, the ability to rapidly turn on and off the stress response. Most tests of the fitness effects of these traits to date have focused on organisms experiencing severe or prolonged stressors. Here we use data collected from a long-term study of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) to test whether variation in negative feedback, or other measures of GC regulation, predict components of fitness in non-chronically stressed populations. We find relatively consistent, but generally weak relationships between different fitness components and the strength of negative feedback. Reproductive success was highest in individuals that both mounted a robust stress response and had strong negative feedback. We did not see consistent evidence of a relationship between negative feedback and adult or nestling survival: negative feedback was retained in the best supported models of nestling and adult survival, but in two of three survival-related analyses the intercept-only model received only slightly less support. Both negative feedback and stress-induced GC levels-but not baseline GCs-were individually repeatable. These measures of GC activity did not consistently covary across ages and life history stages, indicating that they are independently regulated. Overall, the patterns seen here are consistent with the predictions that negative feedback-and the dynamic regulation of GCs-are important components of stress coping capacity, but that the fitness benefits of having strong negative feedback during the reproductive period are likely to manifest primarily in individuals exposed to chronic or repeated stressors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Thomas A Ryan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Cedric Zimmer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Breuner CW, Berk SA. Using the van Noordwijk and de Jong Resource Framework to Evaluate Glucocorticoid-Fitness Hypotheses. Integr Comp Biol 2019; 59:243-250. [PMID: 31268138 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icz088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ten years ago, two reviews clarified the need to tie glucocorticoid (GC) levels directly to survival and reproductive measures. Three primary hypotheses emerged from that work: the CORT-Fitness hypothesis, the CORT-Adaptation hypothesis, and the CORT-Tradeoff hypothesis. The two reviews have since been cited nearly 900 times, but no clear consensus has emerged supporting one hypothesis over another. We propose that resource availability may be a major confound across studies. Life-history investment is determined by both allocation and acquisition, but current literature testing among the three GC-fitness hypotheses rarely incorporate metrics of resource availability. In 1986, van Noordwijk and de Jong (vN and dJ) proposed the acquisition/allocation Y-model to explain positive versus negative correlations between reproduction and survival across individuals. Their model elevated resources as critical to evaluating individual allocation strategies (favoring reproduction vs. survival), and therefore provides the ideal framework for testing across the three CORT hypotheses. Here, we review the three hypotheses in light of the last 10 years of data, introduce the vN and dJ framework as a model for fitness/GC hypothesis testing, and discuss best practices for using this framework. We believe incorporation of resource availability will reduce unexplained variability in GC-fitness tests, clarify support among the three hypotheses, and allow for greater power in testing across other context dependencies (e.g., life-history strategy) that likely regulate differential allocation to reproduction versus survival as GCs increase.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Creagh W Breuner
- Organismal Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
| | - Sara A Berk
- Organismal Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Guindre-Parker S, Mcadam AG, van Kesteren F, Palme R, Boonstra R, Boutin S, Lane JE, Dantzer B. Individual variation in phenotypic plasticity of the stress axis. Biol Lett 2019; 15:20190260. [PMID: 31337294 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity-one individual's capacity for phenotypic variation under different environments-is critical for organisms facing fluctuating conditions within their lifetime. North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) experience drastic among-year fluctuations in conspecific density. This shapes juvenile competition over vacant territories and overwinter survival. To help young cope with competition at high densities, mothers can increase offspring growth rates via a glucocorticoid-mediated maternal effect. However, this effect is only adaptive under high densities, and faster growth often comes at a cost to longevity. While red squirrels can adjust hormones in response to fluctuating density, the degree to which mothers differ in glucocorticoid plasticity across changing densities remains unknown. Findings from our reaction norm approach revealed significant individual variation not only in a female red squirrel's mean endocrine phenotype but also in endocrine plasticity in response to changes in local density. Future work on proximate and ultimate drivers of variation in endocrine plasticity and maternal effects is needed, particularly in free-living animals experiencing fluctuating environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Guindre-Parker
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Andrew G Mcadam
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rudy Boonstra
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Jeffrey E Lane
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Ben Dantzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Taff CC, Zimmer C, Vitousek MN. Achromatic plumage brightness predicts stress resilience and social interactions in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Theory suggests that signal honesty may be maintained by differential costs for high and low quality individuals. For signals that mediate social interactions, costs can arise from the way that a signal changes the subsequent social environment via receiver responses. These receiver-dependent costs may be linked with individual quality through variation in resilience to environmental and social stress. Here, we imposed stressful conditions on female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) by attaching groups of feathers during incubation to decrease flight efficiency and maneuverability. We simultaneously monitored social interactions using an RFID network that allowed us to track the identity of every individual that visited each nest for the entire season. Before treatments, plumage coloration was correlated with baseline and stress-induced corticosterone. Relative to controls, experimentally challenged females were more likely to abandon their nest during incubation. Overall, females with brighter white breasts were less likely to abandon, but this pattern was only significant under stressful conditions. In addition to being more resilient, brighter females received more unique visitors at their nest-box and tended to make more visits to other active nests. In contrast, dorsal coloration did not reliably predict abandonment or social interactions. Taken together, our results suggest that females differ in their resilience to stress and that these differences are signaled by plumage brightness, which is in turn correlated with the frequency of social interactions. While we do not document direct costs of social interaction, our results are consistent with models of signal honesty based on receiver-dependent costs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Conor C Taff
- Corson Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
- Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | | | - Maren N Vitousek
- Corson Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
- Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Zimmer C, Taff CC, Ardia DR, Ryan TA, Winkler DW, Vitousek MN. On again, off again: Acute stress response and negative feedback together predict resilience to experimental challenges. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cedric Zimmer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
| | - Conor C. Taff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
- Lab of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca New York
| | - Daniel R. Ardia
- Department of Biology Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster Pennsylvania
| | - Thomas A. Ryan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
| | - David W. Winkler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
- Lab of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca New York
| | - Maren N. Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
- Lab of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca New York
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Sarpong K, Madliger CL, Harris CM, Love OP, Doucet SM, Bitton PP. Baseline corticosterone does not reflect iridescent plumage traits in female tree swallows. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 270:123-130. [PMID: 30392885 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The production of high quality secondary sexual traits can be constrained by trade-offs in the allocation of energy and nutrients with other metabolic activities, and is mediated by physiological processes. In birds, the factors influencing male plumage quality have been well studied; however, factors affecting female plumage quality are poorly understood. Furthermore, it remains uncertain which physiological traits mediate the relationship between body condition and ornaments. In this three-year study of after-second-year female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), we investigated (1) the relationship between baseline corticosterone near the end of the brood-rearing period (CORTBR) and feather colour characteristics (hue, saturation, brightness) the following year, and (2) the relationship between baseline corticosterone measured during incubation (CORTI) and brood rearing (CORTBR), and feather colour in the same year. To control for reproductive effort, we included reproductive parameters as covariates in all analyses. In this first study between CORT and the plumage colour characteristics of a species bearing iridescent feathers, we did not find any relationship between CORTBR and the colour of subsequently-produced feathers, nor did we find any relationship between CORT and the colour of feathers displayed during that breeding season. If CORT levels at the end of breeding carry over to influence the immediately subsequent moult period as we expect, our results generally indicate that structural plumage quality may not be as sensitive to circulating CORT levels compared to carotenoid-based colouration. Future studies, particularly those employing experimental manipulations of CORT during moult in species with iridescent traits, are necessary to fully determine the role glucocorticoids play in mediating the quality of secondary sexual characteristics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keneth Sarpong
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada.
| | - Christine L Madliger
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada.
| | - Christopher M Harris
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada.
| | - Oliver P Love
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada.
| | - Stéphanie M Doucet
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada.
| | - Pierre-Paul Bitton
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Madliger CL, Love OP, Hultine KR, Cooke SJ. The conservation physiology toolbox: status and opportunities. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 6:coy029. [PMID: 29942517 PMCID: PMC6007632 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coy029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
For over a century, physiological tools and techniques have been allowing researchers to characterize how organisms respond to changes in their natural environment and how they interact with human activities or infrastructure. Over time, many of these techniques have become part of the conservation physiology toolbox, which is used to monitor, predict, conserve, and restore plant and animal populations under threat. Here, we provide a summary of the tools that currently comprise the conservation physiology toolbox. By assessing patterns in articles that have been published in 'Conservation Physiology' over the past 5 years that focus on introducing, refining and validating tools, we provide an overview of where researchers are placing emphasis in terms of taxa and physiological sub-disciplines. Although there is certainly diversity across the toolbox, metrics of stress physiology (particularly glucocorticoids) and studies focusing on mammals have garnered the greatest attention, with both comprising the majority of publications (>45%). We also summarize the types of validations that are actively being completed, including those related to logistics (sample collection, storage and processing), interpretation of variation in physiological traits and relevance for conservation science. Finally, we provide recommendations for future tool refinement, with suggestions for: (i) improving our understanding of the applicability of glucocorticoid physiology; (ii) linking multiple physiological and non-physiological tools; (iii) establishing a framework for plant conservation physiology; (iv) assessing links between environmental disturbance, physiology and fitness; (v) appreciating opportunities for validations in under-represented taxa; and (vi) emphasizing tool validation as a core component of research programmes. Overall, we are confident that conservation physiology will continue to increase its applicability to more taxa, develop more non-invasive techniques, delineate where limitations exist, and identify the contexts necessary for interpretation in captivity and the wild.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine L Madliger
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Ave., Ontario, Canada
| | - Oliver P Love
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Ave., Ontario, Canada
| | - Kevin R Hultine
- Department of Research, Conservation and Collections, Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Guindre-Parker S. The Evolutionary Endocrinology of Circulating Glucocorticoids in Free-Living Vertebrates: Recent Advances and Future Directions across Scales of Study. Integr Comp Biol 2018; 58:814-825. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icy048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Guindre-Parker
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Summerlee Science Complex, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Vitousek MN, Taff CC, Hallinger KK, Zimmer C, Winkler DW. Hormones and Fitness: Evidence for Trade-Offs in Glucocorticoid Regulation Across Contexts. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
18
|
Nadal J, Ponz C, Margalida A. Synchronizing biological cycles as key to survival under a scenario of global change: The Common quail (Coturnix coturnix) strategy. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 613-614:1295-1301. [PMID: 28968932 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.09.168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 09/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/16/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Breeding grounds are key areas for sustaining Common quail (Coturnix coturnix) populations as this species is characterised by short life expectancy that requires high offspring production. Annually, breeding quails make up to three breeding attempts in different places. However, the impact of climate warming on quail phenology is unknown. Here, we use a long-term study (1961-2014) of quail-ringing in Spain and data on variation in rainfall and temperature over the past 86years to evaluate how quails have responded to climate change in recent years. Our aim was to understand how this species is adapting to new farming practices and climate change. Our results suggest that increases in temperature and decreases in precipitation modify quail phenology. In hot years, an advance in mean arrival dates and stay stages but a delay in departure dates was found. However, in rainy years a delay in the mean start of the stay stage occurred. In cloudy areas, our findings show that quails advance their stay periods in hot and dry years and delay them in cold and rainy years. Accordingly, quail movements and breeding attempts are eco-synchronized sequentially in cloudy regions. Our results suggest that quails attempt to overcome the negative impacts of climate change and agricultural intensification by searching for alternative high-quality habitats. This strategy could explain how quail populations maintain viable and sustainable populations despite being legally harvested with regulated hunting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Nadal
- Department of Animal Science, Division of Wildlife, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain.
| | - Carolina Ponz
- Department of Animal Science, Division of Wildlife, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain
| | - Antoni Margalida
- Department of Animal Science, Division of Wildlife, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain; Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Guindre-Parker S, Rubenstein DR. No short-term physiological costs of offspring care in a cooperatively breeding bird. J Exp Biol 2018; 221:jeb.186569. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.186569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The cost of reproduction results in a life-history trade-off where investment in current reproduction via costly parental care decreases subsequent fitness. Although this trade-off is thought to occur ubiquitously across animals, there is equivocal evidence that parental care behaviours are costly. A major challenge of studying the cost of parental care has been a lack of consensus over which physiological mechanisms underlie this trade-off. Here we compare four traits believed to mediate the cost of parental care by examining whether glucocorticoids, oxidative stress, immune function, or body condition represent a cost of performing offspring care and shape subsequent fitness. We use a 4-year dataset collected in free-living cooperatively breeding superb starlings (Lamprotornis superbus), a species in which parental and alloparental care effort varies widely among individuals and across years. Our results showed that within-individual change in physiology was unrelated to investment in offspring care, and physiological state during chick-rearing did not predict the likelihood that an individual would breeding in subsequent seasons. Instead, individuals that had elevated baseline corticosterone during incubation performed more nest guarding, suggesting that this hormone may play a preparatory role for investing in offspring care. Together, our results indicate that superb starlings modify their investment in offspring care according to their physiological state during incubation, despite no evidence of a short-term physiological cost of parental or alloparental care. Thus, breeding cooperatively appears to provide individuals with the flexibility to adjust their investment in offspring care and overcome any potential costs of reproduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Guindre-Parker
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Ornithology, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi
| | - Dustin R. Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Ornithology, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi
- Center for Integrative Animal Behavior, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Rakotoniaina JH, Kappeler PM, Kaesler E, Hämäläinen AM, Kirschbaum C, Kraus C. Hair cortisol concentrations correlate negatively with survival in a wild primate population. BMC Ecol 2017; 17:30. [PMID: 28859635 PMCID: PMC5579956 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-017-0140-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Glucocorticoid hormones are known to play a key role in mediating a cascade of physiological responses to social and ecological stressors and can therefore influence animals’ behaviour and ultimately fitness. Yet, how glucocorticoid levels are associated with reproductive success or survival in a natural setting has received little empirical attention so far. Here, we examined links between survival and levels of glucocorticoid in a small, short-lived primate, the grey mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus), using for the first time an indicator of long-term stress load (hair cortisol concentration). Using a capture-mark-recapture modelling approach, we assessed the effect of stress on survival in a broad context (semi-annual rates), but also under a specific period of high energetic demands during the reproductive season. We further assessed the power of other commonly used health indicators (body condition and parasitism) in predicting survival outcomes relative to the effect of long-term stress. Results We found that high levels of hair cortisol were associated with reduced survival probabilities both at the semi-annual scale and over the reproductive season. Additionally, very good body condition (measured as scaled mass index) was related to increased survival at the semi-annual scale, but not during the breeding season. In contrast, variation in parasitism failed to predict survival. Conclusion Altogether, our results indicate that long-term increased glucocorticoid levels can be related to survival and hence population dynamics, and suggest differential strength of selection acting on glucocorticoids, body condition, and parasite infection. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12898-017-0140-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Josué H Rakotoniaina
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany. .,Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, Deutsches Primatenzentrum, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Peter M Kappeler
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, Deutsches Primatenzentrum, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Eva Kaesler
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, Deutsches Primatenzentrum, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anni M Hämäläinen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Clemens Kirschbaum
- Department of Psychology, TU Dresden, Andreas-Schubert-Bau, Zellescher Weg 19, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Cornelia Kraus
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Harris CM, Madliger CL, Love OP. An evaluation of feather corticosterone as a biomarker of fitness and an ecologically relevant stressor during breeding in the wild. Oecologia 2017; 183:987-996. [PMID: 28214946 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3836-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Feather corticosterone (CORT) levels are increasingly employed as biomarkers of environmental stress. However, it is unclear if feather CORT levels reflect stress and/or workload in the wild. We investigated whether feather CORT represents a biomarker of environmental stress and reproductive effort in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Specifically, we examined whether individual state and investment during reproduction could predict feather CORT levels in subsequently moulted feathers and whether those levels could predict future survival and reproductive success. Through a manipulation of flight cost during breeding, we also investigated whether an increase in stress level would be reflected in subsequently grown feathers, and whether those levels could predict future success. We found that CORT levels of feathers grown during moult did not (1) reflect past breeding experience (n = 29), (2) predict reproductive output (n = 18), or (3) respond to a manipulation of flight effort during reproduction (10 experimental, 14 control females). While higher feather CORT levels predicted higher return rate (a proxy for survival), they did so only in the manipulated group (n = 36), and this relationship was opposite to expected. Overall, our results add to the mixed literature reporting that feather CORT levels can be positively, negatively, or not related to proxies of within-season and longer-term fitness (i.e., carryover effects). In addition, our results indicate that CORT levels or disturbances experienced during one time (e.g., breeding) may not carry over to subsequent stages (e.g., moult). We, therefore, petition for directed research investigating whether feather CORT represents exposure to chronic stress in feathers grown during moult.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M Harris
- Department of Biological Sciences and the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER), University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada.
| | - Christine L Madliger
- Department of Biological Sciences and the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER), University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Oliver P Love
- Department of Biological Sciences and the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER), University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Madliger CL, Love OP. Conservation implications of a lack of relationship between baseline glucocorticoids and fitness in a wild passerine. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 26:2730-2743. [PMID: 27763712 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2016] [Revised: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The application of physiological measures to conservation monitoring has been gaining momentum and, while a suite of physiological traits are available to ascertain disturbance and condition in wildlife populations, glucocorticoids (i.e., GCs; cortisol and corticosterone) are the most heavily employed. The interpretation of GC levels as sensitive indicators of population change necessitates that GCs and metrics of population persistence are linked. However, the relationship between GCs and fitness may be highly context-dependent, changing direction, or significance, depending on the GC measure, fitness metric, life history stage, or other intrinsic and extrinsic contexts considered. We examined the relationship between baseline plasma corticosterone (CORT) levels measured at two periods of the breeding season and three metrics of fitness (offspring quality, reproductive output, and adult survival) in female Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Specifically, we investigated whether (1) a relationship between baseline CORT metrics and fitness exists in our population, (2) whether the inclusion of energetic contexts, such as food availability, reproductive investment, or body mass, could alter or improve the strength of the relationship between CORT and fitness, and (3) whether energetic contexts could better predict fitness compared to CORT metrics. Importantly, we investigated these relationships in both natural conditions and under an experimental manipulation of foraging profitability (feather clipping) to determine the influence of an environmental constraint on GC-fitness relationships. We found a lack of relationship between baseline CORT and both short- and long-term metrics of fitness in control and clipped birds. In contrast, loss in body mass over reproduction positively predicted reproductive output (number of chicks leaving the nest) in control birds; however, the relationship was characterized by a low R2 (5%), limiting the predictive capacity, and therefore the application potential, of such a measure in a conservation setting. Our results stress the importance of ground-truthing GC-fitness relationships and indicate that baseline GCs will likely not be easily employed as conservation biomarkers across some species and life history stages. Given the accumulating evidence of temporally dynamic, inconsistent, and context-dependent GC-fitness relationships, placing effort towards directly measuring fitness traits, rather than plasma GC levels, will likely be more worthwhile for many conservation endeavours.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine L Madliger
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Oliver P Love
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Sorenson GH, Dey CJ, Madliger CL, Love OP. Effectiveness of baseline corticosterone as a monitoring tool for fitness: a meta-analysis in seabirds. Oecologia 2016; 183:353-365. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3774-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
|
24
|
Madliger CL, Love OP. Employing individual measures of baseline glucocorticoids as population-level conservation biomarkers: considering within-individual variation in a breeding passerine. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 4:cow048. [PMID: 27757239 PMCID: PMC5066389 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cow048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Labile physiological variables, such as stress hormones [i.e. glucocorticoids (GCs)], allow individuals to react to perturbations in their environment and may therefore reflect the effect of disturbances or positive conservation initiatives in advance of population-level demographic measures. Although the application of GCs as conservation biomarkers has been of extensive interest, few studies have explicitly investigated whether baseline GC concentrations respond to disturbances consistently across individuals. However, confirmation of consistent responses is of paramount importance to assessing the ease of use of GCs in natural systems and to making valid interpretations regarding population-level change (or lack of change) in GC concentrations. We investigated whether free-ranging female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) display individually specific changes in baseline glucocorticoid concentrations naturally over the breeding season (from incubation to offspring provisioning) and in response to a manipulation of foraging profitability (representing a decrease in access to food resources). We show that baseline GC concentrations are repeatable within individuals over reproduction in natural conditions. However, in response to a reduction in foraging ability, baseline GC concentrations increase at the population level but are not repeatable within individuals, indicating a high level of within-individual variation. Overall, we suggest that baseline GCs measured on a subset of individuals may not provide a representative indication of responses to environmental change at the population level, and multiple within-individual measures may be necessary to determine the fitness correlates of GC concentrations. Further validation should be completed across a variety of taxa and life-history stages. Moving beyond a traditional cross-sectional approach by incorporating repeated-measures methods will be necessary to assess the suitability of baseline GCs as biomarkers of environmental change and population persistence, particularly from a logistical and ease-of-use perspective for conservation managers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine L Madliger
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4
| | - Oliver P Love
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4
| |
Collapse
|