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Riddell EA, Burger IJ, Tyner-Swanson TL, Biggerstaff J, Muñoz MM, Levy O, Porter CK. Parameterizing mechanistic niche models in biophysical ecology: a review of empirical approaches. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245543. [PMID: 37955347 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Mechanistic niche models are computational tools developed using biophysical principles to address grand challenges in ecology and evolution, such as the mechanisms that shape the fundamental niche and the adaptive significance of traits. Here, we review the empirical basis of mechanistic niche models in biophysical ecology, which are used to answer a broad array of questions in ecology, evolution and global change biology. We describe the experiments and observations that are frequently used to parameterize these models and how these empirical data are then incorporated into mechanistic niche models to predict performance, growth, survival and reproduction. We focus on the physiological, behavioral and morphological traits that are frequently measured and then integrated into these models. We also review the empirical approaches used to incorporate evolutionary processes, phenotypic plasticity and biotic interactions. We discuss the importance of validation experiments and observations in verifying underlying assumptions and complex processes. Despite the reliance of mechanistic niche models on biophysical theory, empirical data have and will continue to play an essential role in their development and implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric A Riddell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Isabella J Burger
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Tamara L Tyner-Swanson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Justin Biggerstaff
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Martha M Muñoz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Ofir Levy
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Cody K Porter
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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2
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Sentís M, Pacioni C, De Cuyper A, Janssens GP, Lens L, Strubbe D. Biophysical models accurately characterize the thermal energetics of a small invasive passerine bird. iScience 2023; 26:107743. [PMID: 37720095 PMCID: PMC10504485 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Effective management of invasive species requires accurate predictions of their invasion potential in different environments. By considering species' physiological tolerances and requirements, biophysical mechanistic models can potentially deliver accurate predictions of where introduced species are likely to establish. Here, we evaluate biophysical model predictions of energy use by comparing them to experimentally obtained energy expenditure (EE) and thermoneutral zones (TNZs) for the common waxbill Estrilda astrild, a small-bodied avian invader. We show that biophysical models accurately predict TNZ and EE and that they perform better than traditional time-energy budget methods. Sensitivity analyses indicate that body temperature, metabolic rate, and feather characteristics were the most influential traits affecting model accuracy. This evaluation of common waxbill energetics represents a crucial step toward improved parameterization of biophysical models, eventually enabling accurate predictions of invasion risk for small (sub)tropical passerines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Sentís
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Cesare Pacioni
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Annelies De Cuyper
- Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Geert P.J. Janssens
- Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Luc Lens
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Diederik Strubbe
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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3
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Strubbe D, Jiménez L, Barbosa AM, Davis AJS, Lens L, Rahbek C. Mechanistic models project bird invasions with accuracy. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2520. [PMID: 37130835 PMCID: PMC10154326 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38329-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive species pose a major threat to biodiversity and inflict massive economic costs. Effective management of bio-invasions depends on reliable predictions of areas at risk of invasion, as they allow early invader detection and rapid responses. Yet, considerable uncertainty remains as to how to predict best potential invasive distribution ranges. Using a set of mainly (sub)tropical birds introduced to Europe, we show that the true extent of the geographical area at risk of invasion can accurately be determined by using ecophysiological mechanistic models that quantify species' fundamental thermal niches. Potential invasive ranges are primarily constrained by functional traits related to body allometry and body temperature, metabolic rates, and feather insulation. Given their capacity to identify tolerable climates outside of contemporary realized species niches, mechanistic predictions are well suited for informing effective policy and management aimed at preventing the escalating impacts of invasive species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diederik Strubbe
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit (TEREC), Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Gent, Belgium.
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate (CMEC), GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
| | - Laura Jiménez
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 2538 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
- Centro de Modelamiento Matemático (CNRS IRL2807), Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - A Márcia Barbosa
- CICGE-Centro de Investigação em Ciências Geo-Espaciais, Alameda do Monte da Virgem, 4430-146, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
| | - Amy J S Davis
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit (TEREC), Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Gent, Belgium
- Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Luc Lens
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit (TEREC), Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Gent, Belgium
| | - Carsten Rahbek
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate (CMEC), GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
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4
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Briscoe NJ, Morris SD, Mathewson PD, Buckley LB, Jusup M, Levy O, Maclean IMD, Pincebourde S, Riddell EA, Roberts JA, Schouten R, Sears MW, Kearney MR. Mechanistic forecasts of species responses to climate change: The promise of biophysical ecology. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:1451-1470. [PMID: 36515542 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
A core challenge in global change biology is to predict how species will respond to future environmental change and to manage these responses. To make such predictions and management actions robust to novel futures, we need to accurately characterize how organisms experience their environments and the biological mechanisms by which they respond. All organisms are thermodynamically connected to their environments through the exchange of heat and water at fine spatial and temporal scales and this exchange can be captured with biophysical models. Although mechanistic models based on biophysical ecology have a long history of development and application, their use in global change biology remains limited despite their enormous promise and increasingly accessible software. We contend that greater understanding and training in the theory and methods of biophysical ecology is vital to expand their application. Our review shows how biophysical models can be implemented to understand and predict climate change impacts on species' behavior, phenology, survival, distribution, and abundance. It also illustrates the types of outputs that can be generated, and the data inputs required for different implementations. Examples range from simple calculations of body temperature at a particular site and time, to more complex analyses of species' distribution limits based on projected energy and water balances, accounting for behavior and phenology. We outline challenges that currently limit the widespread application of biophysical models relating to data availability, training, and the lack of common software ecosystems. We also discuss progress and future developments that could allow these models to be applied to many species across large spatial extents and timeframes. Finally, we highlight how biophysical models are uniquely suited to solve global change biology problems that involve predicting and interpreting responses to environmental variability and extremes, multiple or shifting constraints, and novel abiotic or biotic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie J Briscoe
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Science, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shane D Morris
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul D Mathewson
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Lauren B Buckley
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Marko Jusup
- Fisheries Resources Research Institute, Fisheries Research Agency, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Ofir Levy
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ilya M D Maclean
- School of Biosciences, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Cornwall, UK
| | | | - Eric A Riddell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Jessica A Roberts
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rafael Schouten
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael W Sears
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | - Michael Ray Kearney
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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5
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Differential shortstopping behaviour in Whooping Cranes: Habitat or social learning? Glob Ecol Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
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6
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Campbell-Staton SC, Walker RH, Rogers SA, De León J, Landecker H, Porter W, Mathewson PD, Long RA. Physiological costs of undocumented human migration across the southern United States border. Science 2021; 374:1496-1500. [PMID: 34914507 DOI: 10.1126/science.abh1924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane C Campbell-Staton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Institute for Society and Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Reena H Walker
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Savannah A Rogers
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Jason De León
- Department of Anthropology and Chicana, Chicano, and Central American Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hannah Landecker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Sociology Department, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Warren Porter
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Paul D Mathewson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Ryan A Long
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
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7
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Urohidrosis as an overlooked cooling mechanism in long-legged birds. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20018. [PMID: 34625581 PMCID: PMC8501033 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99296-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioural thermoregulation could buffer the impacts of climate warming on vertebrates. Specifically, the wetting of body surfaces and the resulting evaporation of body fluids serves as a cooling mechanism in a number of vertebrates coping with heat. Storks (Ciconiidae) frequently excrete onto their legs to prevent overheating, a phenomenon known as urohidrosis. Despite the increasingly recognised role of bare and highly vascularised body parts in heat exchange, the ecological and evolutionary determinants of urohidrosis have been largely ignored. We combine urohidrosis data from a scientifically curated media repository with microclimate and ecological data to investigate the determinants of urohidrosis in all extant stork species. Our phylogenetic generalised linear mixed models show that high temperature, humidity and solar radiation, and low wind speed, promote the use of urohidrosis across species. Moreover, species that typically forage in open landscapes exhibit a more pronounced use of urohidrosis than those mainly foraging in waterbodies. Substantial interspecific variation in temperature thresholds for urohidrosis prevalence points to different species vulnerabilities to high temperatures. This integrated approach that uses online data sources and methods to model microclimates should provide insight into animal thermoregulation and improve our capacity to make accurate predictions of climate change's impact on biodiversity.
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8
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Riddell EA, Iknayan KJ, Hargrove L, Tremor S, Patton JL, Ramirez R, Wolf BO, Beissinger SR. Exposure to climate change drives stability or collapse of desert mammal and bird communities. Science 2021; 371:633-636. [DOI: 10.1126/science.abd4605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. A. Riddell
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50010, USA
| | - K. J. Iknayan
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, Richmond, CA 94804, USA
| | - L. Hargrove
- Department of Birds and Mammals, San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego, CA 92101, USA
| | - S. Tremor
- Department of Birds and Mammals, San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego, CA 92101, USA
| | - J. L. Patton
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - R. Ramirez
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - B. O. Wolf
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - S. R. Beissinger
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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9
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Lovelace DM, Hartman SA, Mathewson PD, Linzmeier BJ, Porter WP. Modeling Dragons: Using linked mechanistic physiological and microclimate models to explore environmental, physiological, and morphological constraints on the early evolution of dinosaurs. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0223872. [PMID: 32469936 PMCID: PMC7259893 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We employed the widely-tested biophysiological modeling software, Niche Mapper™ to investigate the metabolic function of the Late Triassic dinosaurs Plateosaurus and Coelophysis during global greenhouse conditions. We tested a variety of assumptions about resting metabolic rate, each evaluated within six microclimate models that bound paleoenvironmental conditions at 12° N paleolatitude, as determined by sedimentological and isotopic proxies for climate within the Chinle Formation of the southwestern United States. Sensitivity testing of metabolic variables and simulated “metabolic chamber” analyses support elevated “ratite-like” metabolic rates and intermediate “monotreme-like” core temperature ranges in these species of early saurischian dinosaur. Our results suggest small theropods may have needed partial to full epidermal insulation in temperate environments, while fully grown prosauropods would have likely been heat stressed in open, hot environments and should have been restricted to cooler microclimates such as dense forests or higher latitudes and elevations. This is in agreement with the Late Triassic fossil record and may have contributed to the latitudinal gap in the Triassic prosauropod record.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M. Lovelace
- University of Wisconsin Geology Museum, Department of Geosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DL); (WP)
| | - Scott A. Hartman
- Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Paul D. Mathewson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Benjamin J. Linzmeier
- Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Warren P. Porter
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DL); (WP)
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10
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Mathewson PD, Hanson-Dorr KC, Porter WP, Bursian SJ, Dean KM, Healy K, Horak K, Link JE, Harr KE, Dorr BS. Experimental and modeled thermoregulatory costs of repeated sublethal oil exposure in the Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 135:216-223. [PMID: 30301033 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
To fully understand the impact of oil exposure, it is important to understand sublethal effects like how increased thermoregulatory costs may affect survival and reproduction. However, it is difficult and time-consuming to measure these effects in wild animals. We present a novel use of a bioenergetics model, Niche Mapper™, to estimate thermoregulatory impacts of oiling, using data from captive Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) experimentally exposed to oil. Oiled cormorants had significant increases in surface body temperatures following exposure. Niche Mapper accurately predicted surface temperatures and metabolic rates for unoiled and oiled cormorants and predicted 13-18% increased daily energetic demands due to increased thermoregulatory costs of oiling, consistent with increased food consumption observed in experimentally oiled cormorants. We show that Niche Mapper can provide valuable insight into sublethal oiling effects by quantifying the extent to which thermoregulatory costs divert energy resources away from important life processes like maintenance, reproduction and migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Mathewson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 250 North Mills Street, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| | - Katie C Hanson-Dorr
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, P.O. Box 6099, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
| | - Warren P Porter
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 250 North Mills Street, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Steven J Bursian
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, 474 South Shaw Lane, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Karen M Dean
- Abt Associates, 1881 Ninth St., Ste. 201, Boulder, CO 80302-5148, USA
| | - Kate Healy
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resource Damage Assessment Regional Field Office, 341 Greeno Road North, Suite A, Fairhope, AL 36532, USA
| | - Katherine Horak
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Jane E Link
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, 474 South Shaw Lane, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | | | - Brian S Dorr
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, P.O. Box 6099, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
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11
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Amélineau F, Fort J, Mathewson PD, Speirs DC, Courbin N, Perret S, Porter WP, Wilson RJ, Grémillet D. Energyscapes and prey fields shape a North Atlantic seabird wintering hotspot under climate change. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:171883. [PMID: 29410875 PMCID: PMC5792952 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
There is an urgent need for a better understanding of animal migratory ecology under the influence of climate change. Most current analyses require long-term monitoring of populations on the move, and shorter-term approaches are needed. Here, we analysed the ecological drivers of seabird migration within the framework of the energyscape concept, which we defined as the variations in the energy requirements of an organism across geographical space as a function of environmental conditions. We compared the winter location of seabirds with their modelled energy requirements and prey fields throughout the North Atlantic. Across six winters, we tracked the migration of 94 little auks (Alle alle), a key sentinel Arctic species, between their East Greenland breeding site and wintering areas off Newfoundland. Winter energyscapes were modelled with Niche Mapper™, a mechanistic tool which takes into account local climate and bird ecophysiology. Subsequently, we used a resource selection function to explain seabird distributions through modelled energyscapes and winter surface distribution of one of their main prey, Calanus finmarchicus. Finally, future energyscapes were calculated according to IPCC climate change scenarios. We found that little auks targeted areas with high prey densities and moderately elevated energyscapes. Predicted energyscapes for 2050 and 2095 showed a decrease in winter energy requirements under the high emission scenario, which may be beneficial if prey availability is maintained. Overall, our study demonstrates the great potential of the energyscape concept for the study of animal spatial ecology, in particular in the context of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Amélineau
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS – Université de Montpellier – Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier – EPHE, Montpellier, France
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, La Rochelle, France
- Author for correspondence: F. Amélineau e-mail:
| | - J. Fort
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, La Rochelle, France
| | - P. D. Mathewson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - D. C. Speirs
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Strathclyde, Livingstone Tower, 26 Richmond Street, Glasgow G1 1XQ, Scotland, UK
| | - N. Courbin
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS – Université de Montpellier – Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier – EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - S. Perret
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS – Université de Montpellier – Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier – EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - W. P. Porter
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - R. J. Wilson
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Strathclyde, Livingstone Tower, 26 Richmond Street, Glasgow G1 1XQ, Scotland, UK
| | - D. Grémillet
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS – Université de Montpellier – Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier – EPHE, Montpellier, France
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
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12
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The importance of assessing parameter sensitivity when using biophysical models: a case study using plethodontid salamanders. POPUL ECOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10144-017-0591-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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13
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Griffiths SR, Rowland JA, Briscoe NJ, Lentini PE, Handasyde KA, Lumsden LF, Robert KA. Surface reflectance drives nest box temperature profiles and thermal suitability for target wildlife. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176951. [PMID: 28472147 PMCID: PMC5417605 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Thermal properties of tree hollows play a major role in survival and reproduction of hollow-dependent fauna. Artificial hollows (nest boxes) are increasingly being used to supplement the loss of natural hollows; however, the factors that drive nest box thermal profiles have received surprisingly little attention. We investigated how differences in surface reflectance influenced temperature profiles of nest boxes painted three different colors (dark-green, light-green, and white: total solar reflectance 5.9%, 64.4%, and 90.3% respectively) using boxes designed for three groups of mammals: insectivorous bats, marsupial gliders and brushtail possums. Across the three different box designs, dark-green (low reflectance) boxes experienced the highest average and maximum daytime temperatures, had the greatest magnitude of variation in daytime temperatures within the box, and were consistently substantially warmer than light-green boxes (medium reflectance), white boxes (high reflectance), and ambient air temperatures. Results from biophysical model simulations demonstrated that variation in diurnal temperature profiles generated by painting boxes either high or low reflectance colors could have significant ecophysiological consequences for animals occupying boxes, with animals in dark-green boxes at high risk of acute heat-stress and dehydration during extreme heat events. Conversely in cold weather, our modelling indicated that there are higher cumulative energy costs for mammals, particularly smaller animals, occupying light-green boxes. Given their widespread use as a conservation tool, we suggest that before boxes are installed, consideration should be given to the effect of color on nest box temperature profiles, and the resultant thermal suitability of boxes for wildlife, particularly during extremes in weather. Managers of nest box programs should consider using several different colors and installing boxes across a range of both orientations and shade profiles (i.e., levels of canopy cover), to ensure target animals have access to artificial hollows with a broad range of thermal profiles, and can therefore choose boxes with optimal thermal conditions across different seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen R. Griffiths
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jessica A. Rowland
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Natalie J. Briscoe
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Pia E. Lentini
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Linda F. Lumsden
- Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kylie A. Robert
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
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14
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van de Ven TMFN, Martin RO, Vink TJF, McKechnie AE, Cunningham SJ. Regulation of Heat Exchange across the Hornbill Beak: Functional Similarities with Toucans? PLoS One 2016; 11:e0154768. [PMID: 27192218 PMCID: PMC4871549 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Beaks are increasingly recognised as important contributors to avian thermoregulation. Several studies supporting Allen's rule demonstrate how beak size is under strong selection related to latitude and/or air temperature (Ta). Moreover, active regulation of heat transfer from the beak has recently been demonstrated in a toucan (Ramphastos toco, Ramphastidae), with the large beak acting as an important contributor to heat dissipation. We hypothesised that hornbills (Bucerotidae) likewise use their large beaks for non-evaporative heat dissipation, and used thermal imaging to quantify heat exchange over a range of air temperatures in eighteen desert-living Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills (Tockus leucomelas). We found that hornbills dissipate heat via the beak at air temperatures between 30.7°C and 41.4°C. The difference between beak surface and environmental temperatures abruptly increased when air temperature was within ~10°C below body temperature, indicating active regulation of heat loss. Maximum observed heat loss via the beak was 19.9% of total non-evaporative heat loss across the body surface. Heat loss per unit surface area via the beak more than doubled at Ta > 30.7°C compared to Ta < 30.7°C and at its peak dissipated 25.1 W m(-2). Maximum heat flux rate across the beak of toucans under comparable convective conditions was calculated to be as high as 61.4 W m(-2). The threshold air temperature at which toucans vasodilated their beak was lower than that of the hornbills, and thus had a larger potential for heat loss at lower air temperatures. Respiratory cooling (panting) thresholds were also lower in toucans compared to hornbills. Both beak vasodilation and panting threshold temperatures are potentially explained by differences in acclimation to environmental conditions and in the efficiency of evaporative cooling under differing environmental conditions. We speculate that non-evaporative heat dissipation may be a particularly important mechanism for animals inhabiting humid regions, such as toucans, and less critical for animals residing in more arid conditions, such as Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills. Alternatively, differences in beak morphology and hardness enforced by different diets may affect the capacity of birds to use the beak for non-evaporative heat loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. M. F. N. van de Ven
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | - R. O. Martin
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa
| | - T. J. F. Vink
- Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Department of Botany, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa
| | - A. E. McKechnie
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - S. J. Cunningham
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa
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