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Jin L, Jiang Y, Han L, Luan X, Liu X, Liao W. Big-brained alien birds tend to occur climatic niche shifts through enhanced behavioral innovation. Integr Zool 2024. [PMID: 38872346 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Identifying climatic niche shift and its influencing factors is of great significance in predicting the risk of alien species invasions accurately. Previous studies have attempted to identify the factors related to the niche shift of alien species in their invaded ranges, including changes in introduction history, selection of exact climate predictors, and anthropogenic factors. However, the effect of species-level traits on niche shift remains largely unexplored, especially those reflecting the species' adaptation ability to new environments. Based on the occurrence data of 117 successful alien bird invaders at a global scale, their native and invaded climatic niches were compared, and the potential influencing factors were identified. Our results show the niche overlap was low, with more than 75% of the non-native birds representing climatic niche shift (i.e. >10% niche expansion). In addition, 85% of the species showed a large proportion (mean ± SD, 39% ± 21%) of niche unfilling. Relative brain size (RBS) after accounting for body size had no direct effect on niche shift, but path analysis showed that RBS had an indirect effect on niche shift by acting on behavioral innovation primarily on technical innovation rather than consumer innovation. These findings suggested the incorporation of species' important behavioral adaptation traits may be promising to develop future prediction frameworks of biological invasion risk in response to the continued global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Jin
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Propagation and Utilization in Anurans of Nanchong City, China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Jiang
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Propagation and Utilization in Anurans of Nanchong City, China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan, China
| | - Lixia Han
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaofeng Luan
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Xuan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenbo Liao
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Propagation and Utilization in Anurans of Nanchong City, China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan, China
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2
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Yang Y, Zhao Y, Stidham TA, Liu X, Zhu X, Li B, Zhang L, Ni X, Si X. Uncovering widespread Anthropocene dietary shifts in Chinese large mammalian herbivores. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14343. [PMID: 38069561 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
The Anthropocene's human-dominated habitat expansion endangers global biodiversity. However, large mammalian herbivores experienced few extinctions during the 20th century, hinting at potentially overlooked ecological responses of a group sensitive to global change. Using dental microwear as a proxy, we studied large herbivore dietary niches over a century across mainland China before (1880s-1910s) and after (1970s-1990s) the human population explosion. We uncovered widespread and significant shifts (interspecific microwear differences increased and intraspecific microwear dispersion expanded) within dietary niches linked to geographical areas with rapid industrialization and population growth in eastern China. By contrast, in western China, where human population growth was slower, we found no indications of shifts in herbivore dietary niches. Further regression analysis links the intensity of microwear changes to human land-use expansion. These analyses highlight dietary adjustments of large herbivores as a likely key factor in their adaptation across a century of large-scale human-driven changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangheshan Yang
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuhao Zhao
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Thomas A Stidham
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangxu Liu
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xichao Zhu
- National Animal Collection Resource Center, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bicheng Li
- Shanghai Natural History Museum (Branch of Shanghai Science & Technology Museum), Shanghai, China
| | - Lixun Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- Yuzhong Mountain Ecosystems Observation and Research Station, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Xijun Ni
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xingfeng Si
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
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3
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Klingler KB, Nichols LB, Hekkala ER, Stewart JAE, Peacock MM. Life on the edge-a changing genetic landscape within an iconic American pika metapopulation over the last half century. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15962. [PMID: 37790628 PMCID: PMC10542391 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Declines and extirpations of American pika (Ochotona princeps) populations at historically occupied sites started being documented in the literature during the early 2000s. Commensurate with global climate change, many of these losses at peripheral and lower elevation sites have been associated with changes in ambient air temperature and precipitation regimes. Here, we report on a decline in available genetic resources for an iconic American pika metapopulation, located at the southwestern edge of the species distribution in the Bodie Hills of eastern California, USA. Composed of highly fragmented habitat created by hard rock mining, the ore dumps at this site were likely colonized by pikas around the end of the 19th century from nearby natural talus outcrops. Genetic data extracted from both contemporary samples and archived natural history collections allowed us to track population and patch-level genetic diversity for Bodie pikas across three distinct sampling points during the last half- century (1948-1949, 1988-1991, 2013-2015). Reductions in within-population allelic diversity and expected heterozygosity were observed across the full time period. More extensive sampling of extant patches during the 1988-1991 and 2013-2015 periods revealed an increase in population structure and a reduction in effective population size. Furthermore, census records from the last 51 years as well as archived museum samples collected in 1947 from a nearby pika population in the Wassuk range (Nevada, USA) provide further support of the increasing isolation and genetic coalescence occurring in this region. This study highlights the importance of museum samples and long-term monitoring in contextualizing our understanding of population viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly B. Klingler
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Lyle B. Nichols
- Department of Life Sciences, Santa Monica College, Santa Monica, California, United States
| | - Evon R. Hekkala
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, New York, United States
| | - Joseph A. E. Stewart
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States
| | - Mary M. Peacock
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada, United States
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4
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Billman PD, Beever EA, McWethy DB, Thurman LL, Wilson KC. Factors influencing distributional shifts and abundance at the range core of a climate-sensitive mammal. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:4498-4515. [PMID: 34236759 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Species are frequently responding to contemporary climate change by shifting to higher elevations and poleward to track suitable climate space. However, depending on local conditions and species' sensitivity, the nature of these shifts can be highly variable and difficult to predict. Here, we examine how the American pika (Ochotona princeps), a philopatric, montane lagomorph, responds to climatic gradients at three spatial scales. Using mixed-effects modeling in an information-theoretic approach, we evaluated a priori model suites regarding predictors of site occupancy, relative abundance, and elevational-range retraction across 760 talus patches, nested within 64 watersheds across the Northern Rocky Mountains of North America, during 2017-2020. The top environmental predictors differed across these response metrics. Warmer temperatures in summer and winter were associated with lower occupancy, lower relative abundances, and greater elevational retraction across watersheds. Occupancy was also strongly influenced by habitat patch size, but only when combined with climate metrics such as actual evapotranspiration. Using a second analytical approach, acute heat stress and summer precipitation best explained retraction residuals (i.e., the relative extent of retraction given the original elevational range of occupancy). Despite the study domain occurring near the species' geographic-range center, where populations might have higher abundances and be at lower risk of climate-related stress, 33.9% of patches showed evidence of recent extirpations. Pika-extirpated sites averaged 1.44℃ warmer in summer than did occupied sites. Additionally, the minimum elevation of pika occupancy has retracted upslope in 69% of watersheds (mean: 281 m). Our results emphasize the nuance associated with evaluating species' range dynamics in response to climate gradients, variability, and temperature exceedances, especially in regions where species occupy gradients of conditions that may constitute multiple range edges. Furthermore, this study highlights the importance of evaluating diverse drivers across response metrics to improve the predictive accuracy of widely used, correlative models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Billman
- Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Erik A Beever
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, MT, USA
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - David B McWethy
- Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Lindsey L Thurman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, MT, USA
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Kenneth C Wilson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
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5
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Surviving winter on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau: Pikas suppress energy demands and exploit yak feces to survive winter. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2100707118. [PMID: 34282012 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2100707118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, with low precipitation, low oxygen partial pressure, and temperatures routinely dropping below -30 °C in winter, presents several physiological challenges to its fauna. Yet it is home to many endemic mammalian species, including the plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae). How these small animals that are incapable of hibernation survive the winter is an enigma. Measurements of daily energy expenditure (DEE) using the doubly labeled water method show that pikas suppress their DEE during winter. At the same body weight, pikas in winter expend 29.7% less than in summer, despite ambient temperatures being approximately 25 °C lower. Combined with resting metabolic rates (RMRs), this gives them an exceptionally low metabolic scope in winter (DEE/RMRt = 1.60 ± 0.30; RMRt is resting metabolic rate at thermoneutrality). Using implanted body temperature loggers and filming in the wild, we show that this is achieved by reducing body temperature and physical activity. Thyroid hormone (T3 and T4) measurements indicate this metabolic suppression is probably mediated via the thyroid axis. Winter activity was lower at sites where domestic yak (Bos grunniens) densities were higher. Pikas supplement their food intake at these sites by eating yak feces, demonstrated by direct observation, identification of yak DNA in pika stomach contents, and greater convergence in the yak/pika microbiotas in winter. This interspecific coprophagy allows pikas to thrive where yak are abundant and partially explains why pika densities are higher where domestic yak, their supposed direct competitors for food, are more abundant.
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6
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Occurrence of favorable local habitat conditions in an atypical landscape: Evidence of Japanese pika microrefugia. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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7
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Benedict LM, Wiebe M, Plichta M, Batts H, Johnson J, Monk E, Ray C. Microclimate and Summer Surface Activity in the American Pika (Ochotona princeps). WEST N AM NATURALIST 2020. [DOI: 10.3398/064.080.0303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Meghan Wiebe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado–Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Maxwell Plichta
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado–Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Heather Batts
- Department of Biology, Advanced Inquiry Program, Miami University, Oxford, OH
| | - Jessica Johnson
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Emily Monk
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado–Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Chris Ray
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado–Boulder, Boulder, CO
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8
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Abstract
Abstract
The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is commonly perceived as a species that is at high risk of extinction due to climate change. The purpose of this review is two-fold: to evaluate the claim that climate change is threatening pikas with extinction, and to summarize the conservation status of the American pika. Most American pikas inhabit major cordilleras, such as the Rocky Mountain, Sierra Nevada, and Cascade ranges. Occupancy of potential pika habitat in these ranges is uniformly high and no discernible climate signal has been found that discriminates between the many occupied and relatively few unoccupied sites that have been recently surveyed. Pikas therefore are thriving across most of their range. The story differs in more marginal parts of the species range, primarily across the Great Basin, where a higher percentage of available habitat is unoccupied. A comprehensive review of Great Basin pikas revealed that occupied sites, sites of recent extirpation, and old sites, were regularly found within the same geographic and climatic space as extant sites, and suggested that pikas in the Great Basin tolerated a broader set of habitat and climatic conditions than previously understood. Studies of a small subset of extirpated sites in the Great Basin and in California found that climate variables (most notably measures of hot temperature) were associated more often with extirpated sites than occupied sites. Importantly, upward contraction of the lower elevation boundary also was found at some sites. However, models that incorporated variables other than climate (such as availability of upslope talus habitat) often were better predictors of site persistence. Many extirpations occurred on small habitat patches, which were subject to stochastic extinction, as informed by a long-term pika metapopulation study in Bodie, California. In addition, several sites may have been compromised by cattle grazing or other anthropogenic factors. In contrast, several low, hot sites (Bodie, Mono Craters, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Lava Beds National Monument, Columbia River Gorge) retain active pika populations, demonstrating the adaptive capacity and resilience of pikas in response to adverse environmental conditions. Pikas cope with warm temperatures by retreating into cool interstices of their talus habitat and augment their restricted daytime foraging with nocturnal activity. Pikas exhibit significant flexibility in their foraging tactics and are highly selective in their choice of available vegetation. The trait that places pikas at greatest risk from climate change is their poor dispersal capability. Dispersal is more restricted in hotter environments, and isolated low-elevation sites that become extirpated are unlikely to be recolonized in a warming climate. The narrative that American pikas are going extinct appears to be an overreach. Pikas are doing well across most of their range, but there are limited, low-elevation losses that are likely to be permanent in what is currently marginal pika habitat. The resilience of pikas in the face of climate change, and their ability or inability to persist in marginal, hot environments, will continue to contribute to our understanding of the impact of climate change on individual species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T Smith
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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9
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Westover M, Lizewski K, Klingler K, Smith F. Isotopic niche of the American pika (Ochotona princeps) through space and time. CAN J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Anthropogenic climate change is influencing the ecology and distribution of animals. The American pika (Ochotona princeps (Richardson, 1828)) is considered a model species for studying the effects of climate on small alpine mammals and has experienced local extirpation across its range. Using stable isotope analysis of two seasonal molts and bone collagen, we characterize the isotopic carbon and nitrogen niche of pika populations across their range and through time. We find pika isotopic diet to be stable across both time and space compared with other animals and considering the geographic and environmental extent of their range. We find that climatic, not geographic, factors explain part of the isotopic variation across their range. Both δ13C and δ15N from the fall-onset molt decrease with relative humidity of the environment and δ15N values from bone collagen increase with temperature and precipitation. We find a small but significant seasonal difference in δ13C, which could be explained by microbial enrichment of cached haypiles. We establish a baseline of pika isotopic diet and patterns related to climate across their range. We conclude that differences in isotopic signature between pika populations likely reflect the physiology of their forage plants in different environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- M.L. Westover
- University of New Mexico, Department of Biology, MSC03-2020, 219 Yale Boulevard Northeast, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - K.A. Lizewski
- University of New Mexico, Department of Biology, MSC03-2020, 219 Yale Boulevard Northeast, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - K.B. Klingler
- University of Nevada, Reno, Department of Biology, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - F.A. Smith
- University of New Mexico, Department of Biology, MSC03-2020, 219 Yale Boulevard Northeast, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
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10
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Galende GI, Vega R. Summer diet selection of a rock specialist: the Wolffsohn´s viscacha (Lagidium wolffsohni) in protected natural area of Pinturas River, Cueva de las Manos, Patagonia, Argentina. STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/01650521.2020.1763763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gladys I. Galende
- Department of Zoology, Bariloche Regional University Center, National University of Comahue, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Rocío Vega
- Department of Zoology, Bariloche Regional University Center, National University of Comahue, Río Negro, Argentina
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11
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Camp MJ, Shipley LA, Varner J, Waterhouse BD. Activity Patterns and Foraging Behavior of American Pikas (Ochotona princeps) Differ between Craters of the Moon and Alpine Talus in Idaho. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2020. [DOI: 10.3398/064.080.0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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12
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Wilkening JL, Cole EJ, Beever EA. Evaluating mechanisms of plant‐mediated effects on herbivore persistence and occupancy across an ecoregion. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Wilkening
- Southern Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive Las Vegas Nevada 89130 USA
| | - Evan J. Cole
- Department of Environmental Science University of San Francisco 1843A Powell Street San Francisco California 94133 USA
| | - Erik A. Beever
- Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center U.S. Geological Survey 2327 University Avenue, Suite 2 Bozeman Montana 59715 USA
- Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana 59717 USA
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13
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Johnston AN, Bruggeman JE, Beers AT, Beever EA, Christophersen RG, Ransom JI. Ecological consequences of anomalies in atmospheric moisture and snowpack. Ecology 2019; 100:e02638. [PMID: 30710338 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Although increased frequency of extreme-weather events is one of the most secure predictions associated with contemporary climate change, effects of such events on distribution and abundance of climate-sensitive species remain poorly understood. Montane ecosystems may be especially sensitive to extreme weather because of complex abiotic and biotic interactions that propagate from climate-driven reductions in snowpack. Snowpack not only protects subnivean biotas from extreme cold, but also influences forage availability through timing of melt-off and water availability. We related relative abundances of an alpine mammal, the American pika (Ochotona princeps), to measures of weather and snowpack dynamics over an 8-yr period that included before and after a year of record-low snowpack in Washington, USA. We sought to (1) quantify any change in pika abundance associated with the snowpack anomaly and (2) identify aspects of weather and snowpack that influenced abundance of pikas. Pikas showed a 1-yr lag response to the snowpack anomaly and exhibited marked declines in abundance at elevations below 1,400 m simultaneous with increased abundances at higher elevations. Atmospheric moisture, indexed by vapor pressure deficit (VPD), was especially important, evidenced by strong support for the top-ranked model that included the interaction of VPD with snowpack duration. Notably, our novel application of VPD from gridded climate data for analyses of animal abundances shows strong potential for improving species distribution models because VPD represents an important aspect of weather that influences the physiology and habitat of biota. Pikas were apparently affected by cold stress without snowpack at mid elevations, whereas changes to forage associated with snowpack and VPD were influential at high and low elevations. Our results reveal context dependency in pika responses to weather and illustrate how snow drought can lead to rapid change in the abundance of subnivean animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron N Johnston
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, 2327 University Way, Suite 2, Bozeman, Montana, 59715, USA.,School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA
| | - Jason E Bruggeman
- Beartooth Wildlife Research, 4157 West 145th Street, Savage, Minnesota, 55378, USA.,Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, 200 Hodson Hall, 1980 Folwell Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55108, USA
| | - Aidan T Beers
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, 1900 Pleasant Street, UCB 334, Boulder, Colorado, 80302, USA.,Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, UCB 450, Boulder, Colorado, 80309, USA.,Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, 5230 Old Main Hill, NR 206, Logan, Utah, 84322, USA
| | - Erik A Beever
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, 2327 University Way, Suite 2, Bozeman, Montana, 59715, USA.,Department of Ecology, Montana State University, P.O. Box 173460, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
| | - Roger G Christophersen
- National Park Service, North Cascades National Park Service Complex, 810 State Route 20, Sedro Woolley, Washington, 98284, USA
| | - Jason I Ransom
- National Park Service, North Cascades National Park Service Complex, 810 State Route 20, Sedro Woolley, Washington, 98284, USA
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14
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Hall LE, Chalfoun AD. Behavioural plasticity modulates temperature-related constraints on foraging time for a montane mammal. J Anim Ecol 2018; 88:363-375. [PMID: 30449046 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Contemporary climate change is altering temperature profiles across the globe. Increasing temperatures can reduce the amount of time during which conditions are suitable for animals to engage in essential activities, such as securing food. Behavioural plasticity, the ability to alter behaviour in response to the environment, may provide animals with a tool to adjust to changes in the availability of suitable thermal conditions. The extent to which individuals can alter fitness-enhancing behaviours, such as food collection, to proximately buffer variation in temperature, however, remains unclear. Even less well understood are the potential performance advantages of flexible strategies among endotherms. We examined the degree to which individuals altered rates of food collection in response to temperature, and two potential benefits, using the American pika (Ochotona princeps), a temperature-sensitive, food-hoarding mammal, as a model. From July-September 2013-2015, we used motion-activated cameras and in situ temperature loggers to examine pika food-caching activity for 72 individuals across 10 sites in the central Rocky Mountains, USA. We quantified % nitrogen by cache volume as a metric of cache quality, and the number of events during which pikas were active in temperatures ≥25°C as a measure of potential thermoregulatory stress. We found a strong negative effect of temperature on the rate at which pikas cached food. Individual responses to temperature varied substantially in both the level of food-collecting activity and in the degree to which individuals shifted activity with warming temperature. After accounting for available foraging time, individuals that exhibited greater plasticity collected a comparable amount of nitrogen, while simultaneously experiencing fewer occasions in which temperatures eclipsed estimated thermal tolerances. By varying food-collection norms of reaction, individuals were able to plastically respond to temperature-driven reductions in foraging time. Through this increased flexibility, individuals amassed food caches of comparable quality, while minimizing exposure to potentially stressful thermal conditions. Our results suggest that, given sufficient resource quality and availability, plasticity in foraging activity may help temperature-limited endotherms adjust to climate-related constraints on foraging time.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Embere Hall
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology and Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
| | - Anna D Chalfoun
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology and Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
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15
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Malaney JL, Cook JA. A perfect storm for mammalogy: declining sample availability in a period of rapid environmental degradation. J Mammal 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyy082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jason L Malaney
- Department of Biology and David Snyder Museum of Zoology, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN, USA
| | - Joseph A Cook
- Department of Biology and Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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16
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Wessling EG, Deschner T, Mundry R, Pruetz JD, Wittig RM, Kühl HS. Seasonal Variation in Physiology Challenges the Notion of Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) as a Forest-Adapted Species. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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17
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Hall LE, Chalfoun AD. What to eat in a warming world: do increased temperatures necessitate hazardous duty pay? Oecologia 2017; 186:73-84. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3993-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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18
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Apparent climate-mediated loss and fragmentation of core habitat of the American pika in the Northern Sierra Nevada, California, USA. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181834. [PMID: 28854268 PMCID: PMC5576638 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Contemporary climate change has been widely documented as the apparent cause of range contraction at the edge of many species distributions but documentation of climate change as a cause of extirpation and fragmentation of the interior of a species’ core habitat has been lacking. Here, we report the extirpation of the American pika (Ochotona princeps), a temperature-sensitive small mammal, from a 165-km2 area located within its core habitat in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. While sites surrounding the area still maintain pikas, radiocarbon analyses of pika fecal pellets recovered within this area indicate that former patch occupancy ranges from before 1955, the beginning of the atmospheric spike in radiocarbon associated with above ground atomic bomb testing, to c. 1991. Despite an abundance of suitable rocky habitat climate warming appears to have precipitated their demise. Weather station data reveal a 1.9°C rise in local temperature and a significant decline in snowpack over the period of record, 1910–2015, pushing pika habitat into increasingly tenuous climate conditions during the period of extirpation. This is among the first accounts of an apparently climate-mediated, modern extirpation of a species from an interior portion of its geographic distribution, resulting in habitat fragmentation, and is the largest area yet reported for a modern-era pika extirpation. Our finding provides empirical support to model projections, indicating that even core areas of species habitat are vulnerable to climate change within a timeframe of decades.
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Jeffress MR, Gunst KJV, Millar CI. A Surprising Discovery of American Pika Sites in the Northwestern Great Basin. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2017. [DOI: 10.3398/064.077.0213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - K. Jane Van Gunst
- Nevada Department of Wildlife, 815 E. Fourth St., Winnemucca, NV 89445
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20
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Kohl KD, Varner J, Wilkening JL, Dearing MD. Gut microbial communities of American pikas (
O
chotona princeps
): Evidence for phylosymbiosis and adaptations to novel diets. J Anim Ecol 2017; 87:323-330. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin D. Kohl
- Department of Biological Sciences Vanderbilt University Nashville TN USA
- Department of Biology University of Utah Salt Lake City UT USA
| | - Johanna Varner
- Department of Biology Colorado Mesa University Grand Junction CO USA
| | - Jennifer L. Wilkening
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
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21
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Mathewson PD, Moyer-Horner L, Beever EA, Briscoe NJ, Kearney M, Yahn JM, Porter WP. Mechanistic variables can enhance predictive models of endotherm distributions: the American pika under current, past, and future climates. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:1048-1064. [PMID: 27500587 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
How climate constrains species' distributions through time and space is an important question in the context of conservation planning for climate change. Despite increasing awareness of the need to incorporate mechanism into species distribution models (SDMs), mechanistic modeling of endotherm distributions remains limited in this literature. Using the American pika (Ochotona princeps) as an example, we present a framework whereby mechanism can be incorporated into endotherm SDMs. Pika distribution has repeatedly been found to be constrained by warm temperatures, so we used Niche Mapper, a mechanistic heat-balance model, to convert macroclimate data to pika-specific surface activity time in summer across the western United States. We then explored the difference between using a macroclimate predictor (summer temperature) and using a mechanistic predictor (predicted surface activity time) in SDMs. Both approaches accurately predicted pika presences in current and past climate regimes. However, the activity models predicted 8-19% less habitat loss in response to annual temperature increases of ~3-5 °C predicted in the region by 2070, suggesting that pikas may be able to buffer some climate change effects through behavioral thermoregulation that can be captured by mechanistic modeling. Incorporating mechanism added value to the modeling by providing increased confidence in areas where different modeling approaches agreed and providing a range of outcomes in areas of disagreement. It also provided a more proximate variable relating animal distribution to climate, allowing investigations into how unique habitat characteristics and intraspecific phenotypic variation may allow pikas to exist in areas outside those predicted by generic SDMs. Only a small number of easily obtainable data are required to parameterize this mechanistic model for any endotherm, and its use can improve SDM predictions by explicitly modeling a widely applicable direct physiological effect: climate-imposed restrictions on activity. This more complete understanding is necessary to inform climate adaptation actions, management strategies, and conservation plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Mathewson
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53703, USA
| | - Lucas Moyer-Horner
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53703, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Erik A Beever
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
| | - Natalie J Briscoe
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Michael Kearney
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Jeremiah M Yahn
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53703, USA
| | - Warren P Porter
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53703, USA
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22
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Smith AT, Nagy JD, Millar CI. Behavioral Ecology of American Pikas (Ochotona princeps) at Mono Craters, California: Living on the Edge. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2016. [DOI: 10.3398/064.076.0408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T. Smith
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501. E-mail:
| | - John D. Nagy
- Department of Life Sciences, Scottsdale Community College, Scottsdale, AZ 85250
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23
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Hall LE, Chalfoun AD, Beever EA, Loosen AE. Microrefuges and the occurrence of thermal specialists: implications for wildlife persistence amidst changing temperatures. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1186/s40665-016-0021-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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24
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Castillo JA, Epps CW, Jeffress MR, Ray C, Rodhouse TJ, Schwalm D. Replicated landscape genetic and network analyses reveal wide variation in functional connectivity for American pikas. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 26:1660-1676. [PMID: 27755691 DOI: 10.1890/15-1452.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Revised: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Landscape connectivity is essential for maintaining viable populations, particularly for species restricted to fragmented habitats or naturally arrayed in metapopulations and facing rapid climate change. The importance of assessing both structural connectivity (physical distribution of favorable habitat patches) and functional connectivity (how species move among habitat patches) for managing such species is well understood. However, the degree to which functional connectivity for a species varies among landscapes, and the resulting implications for conservation, have rarely been assessed. We used a landscape genetics approach to evaluate resistance to gene flow and, thus, to determine how landscape and climate-related variables influence gene flow for American pikas (Ochotona princeps) in eight federally managed sites in the western United States. We used empirically derived, individual-based landscape resistance models in conjunction with predictive occupancy models to generate patch-based network models describing functional landscape connectivity. Metareplication across landscapes enabled identification of limiting factors for dispersal that would not otherwise have been apparent. Despite the cool microclimates characteristic of pika habitat, south-facing aspects consistently represented higher resistance to movement, supporting the previous hypothesis that exposure to relatively high temperatures may limit dispersal in American pikas. We found that other barriers to dispersal included areas with a high degree of topographic relief, such as cliffs and ravines, as well as streams and distances greater than 1-4 km depending on the site. Using the empirically derived network models of habitat patch connectivity, we identified habitat patches that were likely disproportionately important for maintaining functional connectivity, areas in which habitat appeared fragmented, and locations that could be targeted for management actions to improve functional connectivity. We concluded that climate change, besides influencing patch occupancy as predicted by other studies, may alter landscape resistance for pikas, thereby influencing functional connectivity through multiple pathways simultaneously. Spatial autocorrelation among genotypes varied across study sites and was largest where habitat was most dispersed, suggesting that dispersal distances increased with habitat fragmentation, up to a point. This study demonstrates how landscape features linked to climate can affect functional connectivity for species with naturally fragmented distributions, and reinforces the importance of replicating studies across landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Castillo
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA.
| | - Clinton W Epps
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA
| | | | - Chris Ray
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado-Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, 80309, USA
| | - Thomas J Rodhouse
- Upper Columbia Basin Network, National Park Service, 63095 Deschutes Market Road, Bend, Oregon, 97701, USA
| | - Donelle Schwalm
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA
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25
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Beever EA, Perrine JD, Rickman T, Flores M, Clark JP, Waters C, Weber SS, Yardley B, Thoma D, Chesley-Preston T, Goehring KE, Magnuson M, Nordensten N, Nelson M, Collins GH. Pika (Ochotona princeps) losses from two isolated regions reflect temperature and water balance, but reflect habitat area in a mainland region. J Mammal 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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26
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Ray C, Beever EA, Rodhouse TJ. Distribution of a climate‐sensitive species at an interior range margin. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chris Ray
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine ResearchUniversity of Colorado Boulder Colorado 80309 USA
| | - Erik A. Beever
- United States Geological SurveyNorthern Rocky Mountain Science Center Bozeman Montana 59715 USA
- Department of EcologyMontana State University Bozeman Montana 59715 USA
- Ashland Wisconsin 54806 USA
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27
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Varner J, Horns JJ, Lambert MS, Westberg E, Ruff JS, Wolfenberger K, Beever EA, Dearing MD. Plastic pikas: Behavioural flexibility in low-elevation pikas (Ochotona princeps). Behav Processes 2016; 125:63-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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28
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Wilkening JL, Ray C, Varner J. When can we measure stress noninvasively? Postdeposition effects on a fecal stress metric confound a multiregional assessment. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:502-13. [PMID: 26843934 PMCID: PMC4729247 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Revised: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Measurement of stress hormone metabolites in fecal samples has become a common method to assess physiological stress in wildlife populations. Glucocorticoid metabolite (GCM) measurements can be collected noninvasively, and studies relating this stress metric to anthropogenic disturbance are increasing. However, environmental characteristics (e.g., temperature) can alter measured GCM concentration when fecal samples cannot be collected immediately after defecation. This effect can confound efforts to separate environmental factors causing predeposition physiological stress in an individual from those acting on a fecal sample postdeposition. We used fecal samples from American pikas (Ochotona princeps) to examine the influence of environmental conditions on GCM concentration by (1) comparing GCM concentration measured in freshly collected control samples to those placed in natural habitats for timed exposure, and (2) relating GCM concentration in samples collected noninvasively throughout the western United States to local environmental characteristics measured before and after deposition. Our timed‐exposure trials clarified the spatial scale at which exposure to environmental factors postdeposition influences GCM concentration in pika feces. Also, fecal samples collected from occupied pika habitats throughout the species' range revealed significant relationships between GCM and metrics of climate during the postdeposition period (maximum temperature, minimum temperature, and precipitation during the month of sample collection). Conversely, we found no such relationships between GCM and metrics of climate during the predeposition period (prior to the month of sample collection). Together, these results indicate that noninvasive measurement of physiological stress in pikas across the western US may be confounded by climatic conditions in the postdeposition environment when samples cannot be collected immediately after defecation. Our results reiterate the importance of considering postdeposition environmental influences on this stress metric, especially in multiregional comparisons. However, measurements of fecal GCM concentration should prove useful for population monitoring within an eco‐region or when postdeposition exposure can be minimized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Wilkening
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado Boulder Colorado
| | - Chris Ray
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado Boulder Colorado; Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research University of Colorado Boulder Colorado
| | - Johanna Varner
- Department of Biology University of Utah Salt Lake City Utah
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29
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Robson KM, Lamb CT, Russello MA. Low genetic diversity, restricted dispersal, and elevation-specific patterns of population decline in American pikas in an atypical environment. J Mammal 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyv191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
In the face of climate change, there is a growing need for research into the ability of organisms to persist at the limits of their bioclimatic envelope. American pikas ( Ochotona princeps ) have emerged as a focal mammalian species for investigating extinction risk related to climate change; however, most studies have occurred in characteristic alpine talus habitat within the range core. In the Columbia River Gorge (CRG), Oregon, American pikas inhabit low-elevation talus slopes previously considered outside the species’ bioclimatic range. We used microsatellite genotypic data to reconstruct levels of genetic variation, population connectivity, and demographic history at 11 CRG sites spanning an elevational gradient (104–1,292 m). Sampled sites separated into 2 genetic clusters largely explained by elevation, topography, and geographic proximity, with pairwise estimates of differentiation and migration rates suggesting little gene flow may be occurring. Sites were characterized by levels of allelic richness and heterozygosity substantially lower than values reported at characteristic alpine sites from the range core. Evidence of recent demographic contraction was found almost exclusively at high-elevation sites despite these areas being considered refuges from climate warming in more typical habitat. Given their unique genetic characteristics and persistence in an atypical environment, the CRG pika populations likely constitute a significant component of intraspecific biodiversity with high conservation value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey M. Robson
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia , Okanagan Campus, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, British Columbia V1V 1V7 , Canada (KMR, CTL, MAR)
| | - Clayton T. Lamb
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia , Okanagan Campus, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, British Columbia V1V 1V7 , Canada (KMR, CTL, MAR)
| | - Michael A. Russello
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia , Okanagan Campus, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, British Columbia V1V 1V7 , Canada (KMR, CTL, MAR)
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30
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Nicotra AB, Beever EA, Robertson AL, Hofmann GE, O'Leary J. Assessing the components of adaptive capacity to improve conservation and management efforts under global change. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2015; 29:1268-1278. [PMID: 25926277 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 02/03/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Natural-resource managers and other conservation practitioners are under unprecedented pressure to categorize and quantify the vulnerability of natural systems based on assessment of the exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity of species to climate change. Despite the urgent need for these assessments, neither the theoretical basis of adaptive capacity nor the practical issues underlying its quantification has been articulated in a manner that is directly applicable to natural-resource management. Both are critical for researchers, managers, and other conservation practitioners to develop reliable strategies for assessing adaptive capacity. Drawing from principles of classical and contemporary research and examples from terrestrial, marine, plant, and animal systems, we examined broadly the theory behind the concept of adaptive capacity. We then considered how interdisciplinary, trait- and triage-based approaches encompassing the oft-overlooked interactions among components of adaptive capacity can be used to identify species and populations likely to have higher (or lower) adaptive capacity. We identified the challenges and value of such endeavors and argue for a concerted interdisciplinary research approach that combines ecology, ecological genetics, and eco-physiology to reflect the interacting components of adaptive capacity. We aimed to provide a basis for constructive discussion between natural-resource managers and researchers, discussions urgently needed to identify research directions that will deliver answers to real-world questions facing resource managers, other conservation practitioners, and policy makers. Directing research to both seek general patterns and identify ways to facilitate adaptive capacity of key species and populations within species, will enable conservation ecologists and resource managers to maximize returns on research and management investment and arrive at novel and dynamic management and policy decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne B Nicotra
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia
| | - Erik A Beever
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, MT, 59715, U.S.A
| | - Amanda L Robertson
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Science Applications, Fairbanks, AK, 99701, U.S.A
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, U.S.A
| | - Gretchen E Hofmann
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, U.S.A
| | - John O'Leary
- Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MDFW), 100 Hartwell Street, West Boylston, MA, 01583, U.S.A
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31
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Shinderman M. American pika in a low-elevation lava landscape: expanding the known distribution of a temperature-sensitive species. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:3666-76. [PMID: 26380695 PMCID: PMC4567870 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2015] [Revised: 06/27/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2010, the American pika (Ochotona princeps fenisex) was denied federal protection based on limited evidence of persistence in low-elevation environments. Studies in nonalpine areas have been limited to relatively few environments, and it is unclear whether patterns observed elsewhere (e.g., Bodie, CA) represent other nonalpine habitats. This study was designed to establish pika presence in a new location, determine distribution within the surveyed area, and evaluate influences of elevation, vegetation, lava complexity, and distance to habitat edge on pika site occupancy. In 2011 and 2012, we conducted surveys for American pika on four distinct subalpine lava flows of Newberry National Volcanic Monument, Oregon, USA. Field surveys were conducted at predetermined locations within lava flows via silent observation and active searching for pika sign. Site habitat characteristics were included as predictors of occupancy in multinomial regression models. Above and belowground temperatures were recorded at a subsample of pika detection sites. Pika were detected in 26% (2011) and 19% (2012) of survey plots. Seventy-four pika were detected outside survey plot boundaries. Lava complexity was the strongest predictor of pika occurrence, where pika were up to seven times more likely to occur in the most complicated lava formations. Pika were two times more likely to occur with increasing elevation, although they were found at all elevations in the study area. This study expands the known distribution of the species and provides additional evidence for persistence in nonalpine habitats. Results partially support the predictive occupancy model developed for pika at Craters of the Moon National Monument, another lava environment. Characteristics of the lava environment clearly influence pika site occupancy, but habitat variables reported as important in other studies were inconclusive here. Further work is needed to gain a better understanding of the species’ current distribution and ability to persist under future climate conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt Shinderman
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University Cascades Campus Bend, Oregon
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32
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Crowley BE, Rasoazanabary E, Godfrey LR. Stable isotopes complement focal individual observations and confirm dietary variability in reddish-gray mouse lemurs (Microcebusgriseorufus) from southwestern Madagascar. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2014; 155:77-90. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2013] [Revised: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brooke E. Crowley
- Department of Geology; University of Cincinnati; Cincinnati OH 45221
- Department of Anthropology; University of Cincinnati; Cincinnati OH 45221
| | | | - Laurie R. Godfrey
- Department of Anthropology; University of Massachusetts; Amherst MA 01003
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33
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Animal studies reveal tangible effects of climate change. Lab Anim (NY) 2014; 43:113-4. [PMID: 24651777 DOI: 10.1038/laban.509] [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]
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