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Knozowski P, Nowakowski JJ, Stawicka AM, Górski A, Dulisz B. Effect of nature protection and management of grassland on biodiversity - Case from big flooded river valley (NE Poland). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 898:165280. [PMID: 37419354 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Agriculturally used meadows are habitats whose biodiversity depends on anthropogenic disturbances such as fertilization or mowing. Intensified agricultural practices (too frequent mowing, use of mineral fertilizers and insecticides) lead to declines in the abundance and species diversity of the biota inhabiting them. The intensification of agricultural production in north-eastern Poland relates primarily to the increase in cattle numbers and the intensification of grassland management, but many areas were included in Natura 2000 network. Our study was aimed at indicating the impact of diverse use of meadows on the species richness and diversity of invertebrates, amphibians, and birds in the grasslands of Narew river valley, Special Bird Protection Area, where the intensification of grassland use was noted in the last decades, and part of the meadows was included in the agri-environmental program. The agri-environmental program is a very good tool for the protection of grassland biotic diversity. The highest taxonomic richness and diversity of the studied animal groups were found in meadows included in these programs with extensive use, while the lowest was in the over- and intensively used meadows fertilized with mineral fertilizers and liquid manure. Only the meadows in the agri-environment program were inhabited by the fire-bellied toad and the tree frog - amphibians from Annex IV of the Habitats Directive. The number of breeding bird species globally threatened (IUCN Red List), listed in Annex I of the EU Birds Directive, and with negative population trend in Europe (SPEC1-3) was highest in meadows included in EU conservation programs. The main factors reducing biotic diversity in the grassland of flooded river valley were the high number of grassland mowing per season, intensive fertilization, especially with liquid manure, the great distance of meadows to the river, low soil humidity, and low share of shrubs and trees in the meadows border zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Knozowski
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Jacek J Nowakowski
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Anna Maria Stawicka
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Andrzej Górski
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Beata Dulisz
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland.
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Analysis of Prey Composition in Eurasian Reed Warblers’ Acrocephalus scirpaceus Droppings at Four Breeding Sites in Italy. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14121134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Our aim was to investigate the among-populations diversity of prey composition in Eurasian Reed Warblers’ diets via their droppings, both to assess the ecological validity of this sampling method and to test whether the prey species most abundant in fecal samples were also the most present in the Italian study site. We collected fecal samples at four sites throughout Italy, for a total of 144 samples. Within reedbeds, the breeding habitat of the Eurasian Reed Warbler, we also collected arthropods by carrying out entomological sweepings at one of the study sites. Within the fecal samples, we identified dozens of prey species, belonging mainly to Araneae, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Aphidoidea taxa, whose compositions were not statistically different among sites. The commonest prey species were Coleoptera in the droppings (68.5%) and Diptera in the reedbeds (31.3%), although the latter was less numerous in the fecal samples. The diets of different Italian populations of Eurasian Reed Warbler emerging from our study underline a strong Coleopteran presence, without differences across Italy. Fecal samples appear to be an exhaustive method to study variation in Eurasian Reed Warbler diet and its ecological importance; however, although potential caveats do exist, such as the possible under-representation of Diptera.
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Garrett DR, Pelletier F, Garant D, Bélisle M. Interacting effects of cold snaps, rain, and agriculture on the fledging success of a declining aerial insectivore. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2645. [PMID: 35474622 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Climate change predicts the increased frequency, duration, and intensity of inclement weather periods such as unseasonably low temperatures (i.e., cold snaps) and prolonged precipitation. Many migratory species have advanced the phenology of important life history stages and, as a result, are likely to be exposed to these periods of inclement spring weather more often, therefore risking reduced fitness and population growth. For declining avian species, including aerial insectivores, anthropogenic landscape changes such as agricultural intensification are another driver of population declines. These landscape changes may affect the foraging ability of food provisioning parents and reduce the survival of nestlings exposed to inclement weather through, for example, pesticide exposure impairing thermoregulation and punctual anorexia. Breeding in agro-intensive landscapes may therefore exacerbate the negative effects of inclement weather under climate change. We observed that a significant reduction in the availability of insect prey occurred when daily maximum temperatures fell below 18.3°C, and thereby defined any day when the maximum temperature fell below this value as a day witnessing a cold snap. We then combined daily information on the occurrence of cold snaps and measures of precipitation to assess their impact on the fledging success of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) occupying a nest box system placed across a gradient of agricultural intensification. Estimated fledging success of this declining aerial insectivore was 36.2% lower for broods experiencing 4 cold-snap days during the 12 days post-hatching period versus broods experiencing none, and this relationship was worsened when facing more precipitation. We further found that the overall negative effects of a brood experiencing periods of inclement weather was exacerbated in more agro-intensive landscapes. Our results indicate that two of the primary hypothesized drivers of many avian population declines may interact to further increase the rate of declines in certain landscape contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Garrett
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Marc Bélisle
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
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Garrett DR, Pelletier F, Garant D, Bélisle M. Negative effects of agricultural intensification on the food provisioning rate of a declining aerial insectivore. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke Québec Canada
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke Québec Canada
| | - Marc Bélisle
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke Québec Canada
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Garrett DR, Lamoureux S, Rioux Paquette S, Pelletier F, Garant D, Bélisle M. Combined effects of cold snaps and agriculture on the growth rates of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). CAN J ZOOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2021-0210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The decline of avian aerial insectivores has been greater than any other foraging guild and both climate change and agricultural intensification are leading hypotheses explaining this decline. Spring cold snaps are predicted to increase in frequency due to climate change, and factors associated with agricultural intensification (e.g., toxicological agents, simplification of agricultural landscapes, and reductions of insect prey) potentially exacerbates the negative effects of cold snaps on aerial insectivore nestling growth and body condition. We evaluated this hypothesis using repeated measures of Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)) nestling body mass and 9th primary length across an expansive gradient of agricultural intensification. Growth rate, asymptotic body mass, and near fledging 9th primary length were lower for nestlings in landscapes consisting of more agro-intensive monocultures. This 14-year data set of body measures occurring at 2, 6, 12 and 16 days of age showed that the negative impact of cold snaps on the growth of these two traits was stronger for nestlings reared in more agro-intensive landscapes. Our findings provide further evidence that two of the primary hypothesized drivers for the decline of many aerial insectivores may interact and aggravate their decline by reducing fledging survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Roy Garrett
- Université de Sherbrooke, 7321, Département de biologie, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Stéphane Lamoureux
- Université de Sherbrooke, 7321, Département de biologie, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | | | - Fanie Pelletier
- Université de Sherbrooke, Biologie, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Dany Garant
- Université de Sherbrooke, Département de Biologie, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Marc Bélisle
- Université de Sherbrooke, Biologie, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
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Berzins L, Morrissey C, Howerter D, Clark RG. CONSERVING WETLANDS IN AGROECOSYSTEMS CAN SUSTAIN AERIAL INSECTIVORE PRODUCTIVITY AND SURVIVAL. CAN J ZOOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2021-0204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Agricultural intensification simplifies natural landscapes and frequently results in the loss of biodiversity. Wetlands are highly productive and may offset these losses, but the amount of wetland area needed to support declining avian species on farmland is unknown. Using an avian aerial insectivore, the Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808), we tested whether a gradient of pond area (visible surface water in wetland basins within 500 m of nest boxes; range: 0.2 - 30% pond area) at cropland and grassland sites was related to aquatic insect biomass, reproductive success, and adult female or nestling body condition. Aquatic insect biomass was ~2-8 times higher at the cropland site with intermediate (5.2%) pond area than at sites with the highest (15.6%) and lowest (0.2%) pond area. Swallow clutch initiation date was ~3-4 days earlier and nestling body condition and model-predicted first-year survival were ~10% higher among cropland sites with more pond area and were comparable to birds hatched at grassland sites. Loss of ponds due to agricultural drainage can reduce aquatic insect prey during the breeding season with apparent individual and demographic consequences for insectivorous birds. Overall, results suggest that where wetlands are conserved, intensive croplands may sustain Tree Swallow populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisha Berzins
- University of Saskatchewan, 7235, Biology, 115 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 5E2
| | - Christy Morrissey
- University of Saskatchewan, Biology, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada,
| | - D.W. Howerter
- Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research, Stonewall, Manitoba, Canada,
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Garrett DR, Pelletier F, Garant D, Bélisle M. Combined influence of food availability and agricultural intensification on a declining aerial insectivore. ECOL MONOGR 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R. Garrett
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke Québec Canada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke Québec Canada
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke Québec Canada
| | - Marc Bélisle
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke Québec Canada
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8
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Atwood JL, Rhodes M. A Preliminary Study of Foraging Habitat Use by Nesting Barn Swallows in Massachusetts. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2022. [DOI: 10.1656/045.029.0109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marie Rhodes
- Unity College, 90 Quaker Hill Road, Unity, ME 04988
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Courtois È, Garant D, Pelletier F, Bélisle M. Nonideal nest box selection by tree swallows breeding in farmlands: Evidence for an ecological trap? Ecol Evol 2021; 11:16296-16313. [PMID: 34824828 PMCID: PMC8601888 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals are expected to select a breeding habitat using cues that should reflect, directly or not, the fitness outcome of the different habitat options. However, human-induced environmental changes can alter the relationships between habitat characteristics and their fitness consequences, leading to maladaptive habitat choices. The most severe case of such nonideal habitat selection is the ecological trap, which occurs when individuals prefer to settle in poor-quality habitats while better ones are available. Here, we studied the adaptiveness of nest box selection in a tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) population breeding over a 10-year period in a network of 400 nest boxes distributed along a gradient of agricultural intensification in southern Québec, Canada. We first examined the effects of multiple environmental and social habitat characteristics on nest box preference to identify potential settlement cues. We then assessed the links between those cues and habitat quality as defined by the reproductive performance of individuals that settled early or late in nest boxes. We found that tree swallows preferred nesting in open habitats with high cover of perennial forage crops, high spring insect biomass, and high density of house sparrows (Passer domesticus), their main competitors for nest sites. They also preferred nesting where the density of breeders and their mean number of fledglings during the previous year were high. However, we detected mismatches between preference and habitat quality for several environmental variables. The density of competitors and conspecific social information showed severe mismatches, as their relationships to preference and breeding success went in opposite direction under certain circumstances. Spring food availability and agricultural landscape context, while related to preferences, were not related to breeding success. Overall, our study emphasizes the complexity of habitat selection behavior and provides evidence that multiple mechanisms may potentially lead to an ecological trap in farmlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ève Courtois
- Département de BiologieUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeQuebecCanada
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de BiologieUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeQuebecCanada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de BiologieUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeQuebecCanada
| | - Marc Bélisle
- Département de BiologieUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeQuebecCanada
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10
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Corra J, Sullivan SMP. Temperature and land use influence tree swallow individual health. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab084. [PMID: 34712488 PMCID: PMC8546433 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Aerial insectivorous bird populations have declined precipitously in both North America and Europe. We assessed the effects of insect prey availability, climate and shifts in water quality associated with urbanization on haematocrit, haemoglobin concentration and heterophil-lymphocyte (H/L) ratios among ~13-day-old tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) nestlings in the Columbus, Ohio area. Higher mean temperature and increased frequency of extreme heat days during the early breeding period (May-June) were linked to reduced nestling physiological condition as evidenced by lower concentrations of haemoglobin and haematocrit, potentially due to increased heat stress, shifts in insect prey availability or altered parental provisioning efforts. Urbanization and the size and density of emergent aquatic insects were associated with elevated physiological stress, whereas higher mean temperatures and terrestrial insect size were related to lower stress as measured by H/L ratios. Overall, these findings highlight the complex environmental conditions driving nestling health, which may be indicative of post-fledging survival and, consequently, population growth. Our results underscore the need for conservation approaches that adequately address the interrelated effects of changes in climate, land use and food resources on aerial insectivorous birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Corra
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26 Martin Luther King Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - S Mažeika P Sullivan
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 125 Heffner Bldg 352 W. Dodridge St., Columbus, OH 43202, USA
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11
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Gómez J, Morrissey CA, Cabezas S, Marchant TA, Clark RG. Phenotypic differences among wild passerine nestlings in relation to early-life rearing environment. CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2021-0058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Subtle changes in stress physiology during critical developmental stages have been linked to long-term fitness; however, the biological processes and phenotypic responses to early-life rearing environments, such as anthropogenic land use conditions, have not been fully evaluated in insectivorous birds. We manipulated Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)) brood sizes at sites with contrasting agricultural land use to assess phenotypic changes in body condition and genetic and physiological biomarkers of stress during the sensitive nestling growth phase. We predicted that nestling swallows raised on cropland-dominated sites, especially those in enlarged broods, would have lower body condition, shorter telomeres, and higher feather corticosterone than nestlings raised in smaller broods at grassland sites. Body condition was highest among nestlings raised in reduced broods but was unrelated to land use. Telomere lengths tended to be shorter in nestlings from enlarged broods and at cropland sites. Corticosterone was not related to any factor. Locally abundant insect populations associated with wetlands may have dampened the effects and (or) parent swallows assumed higher costs of reproduction rather than passing these costs to nestlings. Results suggest that food or other environmental stressors could reduce fledgling survival via telomere shortening; a hypothesis that requires further investigation due to its potential importance to population viability in multiple declining aerial insectivore species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christy A. Morrissey
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
- School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
| | - Sonia Cabezas
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
| | - Tracy A. Marchant
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
| | - Robert G. Clark
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Prairie and Northern Wildlife Research Centre, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0X4, Canada
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12
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Poisson MC, Garrett DR, Sigouin A, Bélisle M, Garant D, Haroune L, Bellenger JP, Pelletier F. Assessing pesticides exposure effects on the reproductive performance of a declining aerial insectivore. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02415. [PMID: 34278650 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In the context of increasing global environmental changes, it has become progressively important to understand the effects of human activity on wildlife populations. Declines in several avian populations have been observed since the 1970s, especially with respect to many farmland and grassland birds, which also include some aerial insectivores. Changes in farming practices referred to as agricultural intensification coincide with these major avian declines. Among those practices, increased pesticide use is hypothesized to be a key driver of avian population declines as it can lead to both toxicological and trophic effects. While numerous laboratory studies report that birds experience acute and chronic effects upon consuming pesticide treated food, little is known about the effects of the exposure to multiple pesticides on wildlife in natural settings. We monitored the breeding activities of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) on 40 farms distributed over a gradient of agricultural intensification in southern Québec, Canada, to evaluate the presence of pesticides in their diet and quantify the exposure effects of those compounds on their reproductive performance between 2013 and 2018. We first assessed the presence of 54 active agents (or derivatives) found in pesticides in 2,081 food boluses (insects) delivered to nestlings by parents and documented their spatial distribution within our study area. Second, we assessed the effect of pesticide exposure through food (number of active agents detected and number of contaminated boluses on a given farm for a given year, while controlling for sampling effort) on clutch size as well as hatching and fledging successes and nestling's mass upon fledging. Pesticides were ubiquitous in our study system and nearly half (46%) of food boluses were contaminated by at least one active agent. Yet we found no relationship between our proxies of food contamination by pesticides and Tree Swallow reproductive performance. More studies are needed to better understand the putative role of pesticides in the decline of farmland birds and aerial insectivores as potential sublethal effects of pesticides can carry over to later life stages and impact fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Christine Poisson
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Daniel R Garrett
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Audrey Sigouin
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Marc Bélisle
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Lounès Haroune
- Département de chimie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Jean-Philippe Bellenger
- Département de chimie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1K 2R1, Canada
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Sigouin A, Bélisle M, Garant D, Pelletier F. Agricultural pesticides and ectoparasites: potential combined effects on the physiology of a declining aerial insectivore. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab025. [PMID: 33959290 PMCID: PMC8084023 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab025] [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: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural pesticides usage has been increasing globally. These compounds have been developed to disrupt pest species physiology, but because their specificity is limited, they can also have adverse effects on non-target organisms. Recent studies have shown that the damaging toxicological effects of pesticides can be amplified in stressful environments. However, few studies have documented these effects in natural settings where organisms are simultaneously exposed to pesticides and to other environmental stressors such as parasites. In this study, we assessed both pesticide and ectoparasite effects on the physiology of a free-ranging bird. We measured physiological markers including haematocrit, bacteria-killing ability (BKA) and leucocyte counts, as well as exposure to haematophagous Protocalliphora larvae, in tree swallow nestlings (Tachycineta bicolor), a declining aerial insectivore, in southern Québec, Canada, for over 3 years. We found that combined exposure to pesticides and Protocalliphora larvae was negatively related to haematocrit, suggesting possible synergistic effects. However, we found no such relationships with BKA and leucocyte counts, highlighting the complexity of physiological responses to multiple stressors in natural settings. Populations of several aerial insectivores are declining, and although sublethal pesticide effects on physiology are suspected, our results suggest that exposure to other factors, such as parasitism, should also be considered to fully assess these effects, especially because pesticides are increasingly present in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Sigouin
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Marc Bélisle
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1K 2R1, Canada
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14
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Garant D. Natural and human-induced environmental changes and their effects on adaptive potential of wild animal populations. Evol Appl 2020; 13:1117-1127. [PMID: 32684950 PMCID: PMC7359845 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A major challenge of evolutionary ecology over the next decades is to understand and predict the consequences of the current rapid and important environmental changes on wild populations. Extinction risk of species is linked to populations' evolutionary potential and to their ability to express adaptive phenotypic plasticity. There is thus a vital need to quantify how selective pressures, quantitative genetics parameters, and phenotypic plasticity, for multiple traits in wild animal populations, may vary with changes in the environment. Here I review our previous research that integrated ecological and evolutionary theories with molecular ecology, quantitative genetics, and long-term monitoring of individually marked wild animals. Our results showed that assessing evolutionary and plastic changes over time and space, using multi-trait approaches, under a realistic range of environmental conditions are crucial steps toward improving our understanding of the evolution and adaptation of natural populations. Our current and future work focusses on assessing the limits of adaptive potential by determining the factors constraining the evolvability of plasticity, those generating covariation among genetic variance and selection, as well as indirect genetic effects, which can affect population's capacity to adjust to environmental changes. In doing so, we aim to provide an improved assessment of the spatial and temporal scale of evolutionary processes in wild animal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dany Garant
- Département de biologieFaculté des SciencesUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeQCCanada
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15
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Kirk DA, Martin AE, Freemark Lindsay KE. Organic farming benefits birds most in regions with more intensive agriculture. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Amanda E. Martin
- Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Laboratory (GLEL) Ottawa‐Carleton Institute of Biology Carleton University Ottawa ON Canada
- National Wildlife Research Centre Environment and Climate Change Canada Ottawa ON Canada
| | - Kathryn E. Freemark Lindsay
- Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Laboratory (GLEL) Ottawa‐Carleton Institute of Biology Carleton University Ottawa ON Canada
- National Wildlife Research Centre Environment and Climate Change Canada Ottawa ON Canada
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Kusack JW, Mitchell GW, Evans DR, Cadman MD, Hobson KA. Effects of agricultural intensification on nestling condition and number of young fledged of barn swallows (Hirundo rustica). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 709:136195. [PMID: 31887506 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Farmland bird populations have declined with increasing agricultural intensification possibly due to putative reductions in prey insects and effects of pesticide exposure. Presence of agriculture may be especially relevant for aerial insectivorous songbirds whose primary diet is flying insects. Here, we investigated the effects of agricultural land use on nestling body condition, an important determinant of post-fledging survival, for barn swallows (Hirundo rustica), an aerial insectivore breeding within an agro-ecosystem in southern Ontario, Canada. Our scale-of-effect analysis revealed that nestling and pre-fledging body condition varied most strongly with the proportion of row crop within 100 m of the natal barn. Unexpectedly, this correlation was positive for both nestling body condition (2016 only) and for pre-fledging condition (2016 and 2017). We found a weak positive effect of row crop on number of young fledged. We speculate that the positive effects of agricultural row-cropping on condition and number of young fledged was due to higher prey availability and/or more open foraging habitat around barns surrounded by row crops. Alternatively, higher nestling condition in high agriculture environments could reflect an insurance policy to increase survival during the post-fledging period. Our results suggest that, in our southern Ontario study area, the degree of agricultural conversion does not negatively influence individual nestling condition and number of young produced for barn swallows. We recommend future research on this species to examine reproductive success in more intense agricultural landscapes and possible effects of pesticide exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson W Kusack
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada.
| | - Greg W Mitchell
- Wildlife Research Division, National Wildlife Research Center, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 0H3, Canada
| | - Dean R Evans
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Michael D Cadman
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Keith A Hobson
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
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Houle C, Pelletier F, Bélisle M, Garant D. Impacts of environmental heterogeneity on natural selection in a wild bird population*. Evolution 2020; 74:1142-1154. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Carolyne Houle
- Département de biologieUniversité de Sherbrooke 2500 boulevard de l'Université Sherbrooke Quebec Canada J1K 2R1
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologieUniversité de Sherbrooke 2500 boulevard de l'Université Sherbrooke Quebec Canada J1K 2R1
| | - Marc Bélisle
- Département de biologieUniversité de Sherbrooke 2500 boulevard de l'Université Sherbrooke Quebec Canada J1K 2R1
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de biologieUniversité de Sherbrooke 2500 boulevard de l'Université Sherbrooke Quebec Canada J1K 2R1
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18
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Blyth M, Paine CE, Paine CT. The Decline in Nesting Success of Tachycineta bicolor (Tree Swallow) Over 38 Years on Hardwood Island, Maine. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2019. [DOI: 10.1656/045.026.0201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcia Blyth
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | | | - C.E. Timothy Paine
- Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2350, Australia
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