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McLaren TH, Tomback DF, Grevstad N, Wunder MB, Wehtje W, Walker LE, Smith DW. Clark's nutcracker forest community visitation: Whitebark pine maintains a keystone seed disperser. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10813. [PMID: 38145018 PMCID: PMC10739129 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10813] [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: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Clark's nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana) are obligate seed dispersers for whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis), but they frequently use other conifer seed resources because of annual variability in cone production or geographic variation in whitebark pine availability. Whitebark pine is declining from several threats including white pine blister rust, leading to potential population declines in the nutcracker and the pine. We hypothesize that where there are few additional seed resources, whitebark pine becomes the key and limiting resource supporting nutcracker populations. We investigated how nutcrackers use coniferous forest community types within Yellowstone National Park to determine potential seed resources and the importance of whitebark pine. We established sites representing five forest community types, including whitebark pine, lodgepole pine (P. contorta), Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii), limber pine (P. flexilis), and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Each transect annually generated nutcracker point counts, conifer cone production indices, community composition data, and seed resource use observations. We compared hierarchical distance sampling models, estimating nutcracker density and its relationship to forest community type, seed harvesting time-period, year, study site, and cone seed energy. We found cone production varied across years indicating annual variability in energy availability. Nutcracker density was best predicted by forest community type and survey time-period and was highest in whitebark pine stands during the mid-harvesting season. Nutcracker density was comparatively low for all other forest community types. This finding underscores the importance of whitebark pine as a key seed resource for Clark's nutcracker in Yellowstone National Park. The decline of whitebark pine potentially leads to a downward spiral in nutcrackers and whitebark pine, arguing for continued monitoring of nutcrackers and implementation of restoration treatments for whitebark pine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas H. McLaren
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Colorado DenverDenverColoradoUSA
- Present address:
Klamath Bird ObservatoryAshlandOregonUSA
| | - Diana F. Tomback
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Colorado DenverDenverColoradoUSA
| | - Nels Grevstad
- Department of Mathematics and StatisticsMetropolitan State University of DenverDenverColoradoUSA
| | - Michael B. Wunder
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Colorado DenverDenverColoradoUSA
| | | | - Lauren E. Walker
- Yellowstone National ParkYellowstone Center for ResourcesYellowstone National ParkWyomingUSA
- Present address:
United States Geological SurveyEastern Ecological Science CenterLaurelMarylandUSA
| | - Douglas W. Smith
- Yellowstone National ParkYellowstone Center for ResourcesYellowstone National ParkWyomingUSA
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Abdel-Basset M, Mohamed R, Jameel M, Abouhawwash M. Nutcracker optimizer: A novel nature-inspired metaheuristic algorithm for global optimization and engineering design problems. Knowl Based Syst 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.knosys.2022.110248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Spiridonova LN, Valchuk OP, Red’kin YA. A New Case of Recombination between Nuclear and Mitochondrial Genomes in the Genus Calliope Gould, 1836 (Muscicapidae, Aves): The Hypothesis of Origin Calliope pectoralis Gould, 1837. RUSS J GENET+ 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795419010137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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The influence of latitude, geographic distance, and habitat discontinuities on genetic variation in a high latitude montane species. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11846. [PMID: 30087363 PMCID: PMC6081424 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29982-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Examining the factors that influence contemporary genetic patterns is important given the alarming rate at which natural environments are changing. In particular habitat fragmentation and climate change are expected to influence the distribution and diversity of natural populations. In this study we used both mitochondrial control region (mtDNA) and microsatellite data to answer the following questions about genetic diversity and divergence in mountain chickadees (Poecile gambeli) a resident bird species in western North America: (1) Do populations exhibit similar levels of genetic diversity across the range? (2) What is the genetic affinity of western populations in Oregon and Washington? (3) Do genetic patterns exhibit isolation by distance, or are genetic patterns more heavily influenced by habitat discontinuity? We tested the effects of isolation by distance and habitat distribution on genetic structure by analyzing 266 samples from 17 sites across western Canada and the United States. We found a near significant relationship between genetic diversity and latitude, however, our results indicate that overall, latitude is not a strong predictor of genetic diversity. Our analyses of populations in Oregon and Washington revealed a mismatch between patterns detected with mtDNA and microsatellite data. In particular, Washington clustered with the Coast Range/Cascades/Rocky Mountain mtDNA group, but with populations in southern Oregon/California based on microsatellite data. These results suggest the presence of a contact zone in Washington between the two mtDNA clades Coast Range/Cascades/Rocky Mountain and southern Oregon/California clades. Finally, our study revealed a greater effect of isolation by distance than isolation by habitat for both mtDNA and microsatellite data. Overall the isolation by distance signal was greater for mtDNA than microsatellite patterns. The greater signal of isolation by distance on mtDNA patterns likely reflects the strong effects of Pleistocene glaciations in shaping genetic patterns in western North America.
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Morinha F, Dávila JA, Bastos E, Cabral JA, Frías Ó, González JL, Travassos P, Carvalho D, Milá B, Blanco G. Extreme genetic structure in a social bird species despite high dispersal capacity. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:2812-2825. [PMID: 28222237 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Social barriers have been shown to reduce gene flow and contribute to genetic structure among populations in species with high cognitive capacity and complex societies, such as cetaceans, apes and humans. In birds, high dispersal capacity is thought to prevent population divergence unless major geographical or habitat barriers induce isolation patterns by dispersal, colonization or adaptation limitation. We report that Iberian populations of the red-billed chough, a social, gregarious corvid with high dispersal capacity, show a striking degree of genetic structure composed of at least 15 distinct genetic units. Monitoring of marked individuals over 30 years revealed that long-distance movements over hundreds of kilometres are common, yet recruitment into breeding populations is infrequent and highly philopatric. Genetic differentiation is weakly related to geographical distance, and habitat types used are overall qualitatively similar among regions and regularly shared by individuals of different populations, so that genetic structure is unlikely to be due solely to isolation by distance or isolation by adaptation. Moreover, most population nuclei showed relatively high levels of genetic diversity, suggesting a limited role for genetic drift in significantly differentiating populations. We propose that social mechanisms may underlie this unprecedented level of genetic structure in birds through a pattern of isolation by social barriers not yet described, which may have driven this remarkable population divergence in the absence of geographical and environmental barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Morinha
- Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Centre for Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal.,Morinha Lab - Laboratory of Biodiversity and Molecular Genetics, Rua Dr. José Figueiredo, lote L-2, Lj B5, 5000-562, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - José A Dávila
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Estela Bastos
- Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Centre for Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal.,Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - João A Cabral
- Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Centre for Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Óscar Frías
- National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, 28006, Spain
| | - José L González
- National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, 28006, Spain
| | - Paulo Travassos
- Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Centre for Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Diogo Carvalho
- Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Centre for Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Borja Milá
- National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, 28006, Spain
| | - Guillermo Blanco
- National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, 28006, Spain
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Schaming TD. Clark's Nutcracker Breeding Season Space Use and Foraging Behavior. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0149116. [PMID: 26881774 PMCID: PMC4755556 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2015] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Considering the entire life history of a species is fundamental to developing effective conservation strategies. Decreasing populations of five-needle white pines may be leading to the decline of Clark’s nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana). These birds are important seed dispersers for at least ten conifer species in the western U.S., including whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis), an obligate mutualist of Clark’s nutcrackers. For effective conservation of both Clark’s nutcrackers and whitebark pine, it is essential to ensure stability of Clark’s nutcracker populations. My objectives were to examine Clark’s nutcracker breeding season home range size, territoriality, habitat selection, and foraging behavior in the southern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, a region where whitebark pine is declining. I radio-tracked Clark’s nutcrackers in 2011, a population-wide nonbreeding year following a low whitebark pine cone crop, and 2012, a breeding year following a high cone crop. Results suggest Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) communities are important habitat for Clark’s nutcrackers because they selected it for home ranges. In contrast, they did not select whitebark pine habitat. However, Clark’s nutcrackers did adjust their use of whitebark pine habitat between years, suggesting that, in some springs, whitebark pine habitat may be used more than previously expected. Newly extracted Douglas-fir seeds were an important food source both years. On the other hand, cached seeds made up a relatively lower proportion of the diet in 2011, suggesting cached seeds are not a reliable spring food source. Land managers focus on restoring whitebark pine habitat with the assumption that Clark’s nutcrackers will be available to continue seed dispersal. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Clark’s nutcracker populations may be more likely to be retained year-round when whitebark pine restoration efforts are located adjacent to Douglas-fir habitat. By extrapolation, whitebark pine restoration efforts in other regions may consider prioritizing restoration of whitebark pine stands near alternative seed sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taza D Schaming
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
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Perea S, Doadrio I. Phylogeography, historical demography and habitat suitability modelling of freshwater fishes inhabiting seasonally fluctuating Mediterranean river systems: a case study using the Iberian cyprinid Squalius valentinus. Mol Ecol 2015; 24:3706-22. [PMID: 26085305 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2014] [Revised: 06/08/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The Mediterranean freshwater fish fauna has evolved under constraints imposed by the seasonal weather/hydrological patterns that define the Mediterranean climate. These conditions have influenced the genetic and demographic structure of aquatic communities since their origins in the Mid-Pliocene. Freshwater species in Mediterranean-type climates will likely constitute genetically well-differentiated populations, to varying extents depending on basin size, as a consequence of fragmentation resulting from drought/flood cycles. We developed an integrative framework to study the spatial patterns in genetic diversity, demographic trends, habitat suitability modelling and landscape genetics, to evaluate the evolutionary response of Mediterranean-type freshwater fish to seasonal fluctuations in weather. To test this evolutionary response, the model species used was Squalius valentinus, an endemic cyprinid of the Spanish Levantine area, where seasonal weather fluctuations are extreme, although our findings may be extrapolated to other Mediterranean-type species. Our results underscore the significant role of the Mediterranean climate, along with Pleistocene glaciations, in diversification of S. valentinus. We found higher nuclear diversity in larger drainage basins, but higher mitochondrial diversity correlated to habitat suitability rather than basin size. We also found strong correlation between genetic structure and climatic factors associated with Mediterranean seasonality. Demographic and migration analyses suggested population expansion during glacial periods that also contributed to the current genetic structure of S. valentinus populations. The inferred models support the significant contribution of precipitation and temperature to S. valentinus habitat suitability and allow recognizing areas of habitat stability. We highlight the importance of stable habitat conditions, fostered by typical karstic springs found on the Mediterranean littoral coasts, for the preservation of freshwater species inhabiting seasonally fluctuating river systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Perea
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology Department, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2. 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - I Doadrio
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology Department, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2. 28006, Madrid, Spain
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Dohms KM, Burg TM. Limited geographic genetic structure detected in a widespread Palearctic corvid, Nucifraga caryocatactes. PeerJ 2014; 2:e371. [PMID: 25024901 PMCID: PMC4081298 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2013] [Accepted: 04/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The Eurasian or spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) is a widespread resident corvid found throughout the Palearctic from Central Europe to Japan. Characterized by periodic bouts of irruptive dispersal in search of Pinus seed crops, this species has potential for high levels of gene flow across its range. Previous analysis of 11 individuals did not find significant range-wide population genetic structure. We investigated population structure using 924 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA control region sequence data from 62 individuals from 12 populations distributed throughout the nutcracker’s range. We complemented this analysis by incorporating additional genetic data from previously published sequences. High levels of genetic diversity and limited population genetic structure were detected suggesting that potential barriers to dispersal do not restrict gene flow in nutcrackers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly M Dohms
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge , Lethbridge, AB , Canada
| | - Theresa M Burg
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge , Lethbridge, AB , Canada
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