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Reid R, Capilla-Lasheras P, Haddou Y, Boonekamp J, Dominoni DM. The impact of urbanization on health depends on the health metric, life stage and level of urbanization: a global meta-analysis on avian species. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240617. [PMID: 39016598 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0617] [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: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Stressors associated with urban habitats have been linked to poor wildlife health but whether a general negative relationship between urbanization and animal health can be affirmed is unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis of avian literature to test whether health biomarkers differed on average between urban and non-urban environments, and whether there are systematic differences across species, biomarkers, life stages and species traits. Our dataset included 644 effect sizes derived from 112 articles published between 1989 and 2022, on 51 bird species. First, we showed that there was no clear impact of urbanization on health when we categorized the sampling locations as urban or non-urban. However, we did find a small negative effect of urbanization on health when this dichotomous variable was replaced by a quantitative variable representing the degree of urbanization at each location. Second, we showed that the effect of urbanization on avian health was dependent on the type of health biomarker measured as well as the individual life stage, with young individuals being more negatively affected. Our comprehensive analysis calls for future studies to disentangle specific urban-related drivers of health that might be obscured in categorical urban versus non-urban comparisons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Reid
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Pablo Capilla-Lasheras
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Yacob Haddou
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Jelle Boonekamp
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Davide M Dominoni
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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García GO, Zumpano F, Mariano y Jelicich R, Favero M. Effect of urbanization on individual condition of a threatened seabird: the Olrog’s Gull Larus atlanticus. Urban Ecosyst 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-023-01347-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
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Saulnier A, Bleu J, Boos A, Millet M, Zahn S, Ronot P, Masoudi IE, Rojas ER, Uhlrich P, Del Nero M, Massemin S. Reproductive differences between urban and forest birds across the years: importance of environmental and weather parameters. Urban Ecosyst 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-022-01305-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Does the Urban Environment Act as a Filter on the Individual Quality of Birds? BIRDS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/birds3010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic divergences of birds are common between urban and natural habitats and can result from different selective pressures between habitats or maladaptation to the city. No uniform patterns were observed, especially concerning markers of bird health, such as, for example, telomere length. Telomeres are involved in maintaining genome integrity and naturally shorten with age, but environmental stressors can accelerate their attrition. Thus, telomere length can be an indicator of individual quality. Some studies showed that urban breeders had longer telomeres than forest individuals. Two hypotheses can explain this result: (1) urban breeders are younger than forests breeders, and (2) cities act as a filter on individuals and only high-quality birds can successfully reproduce. In this context, we compared the age category (molting pattern) and morphological and physiological characteristics of urban and forest Great Tits before and during breeding. No differences in age or body condition were observed. However, urban breeders were smaller and had shorter telomeres than birds captured in winter. Urban birds had longer telomeres than forest birds, only in winter. These results highlight that urban habitats potentially favor smaller birds. However, the decrease in telomere length between winter and reproduction only in the city suggest a higher cost of reproduction in the city compared to the forest.
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Ziegler AK, Watson H, Hegemann A, Meitern R, Canoine V, Nilsson JÅ, Isaksson C. Exposure to artificial light at night alters innate immune response in wild great tit nestlings. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb.239350. [PMID: 33771912 PMCID: PMC8180251 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.239350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The large-scale impact of urbanization on wildlife is rather well documented; however, the mechanisms underlying the effects of urban environments on animal physiology and behaviour are still poorly understood. Here, we focused on one major urban pollutant - artificial light at night (ALAN) - and its effects on the capacity to mount an innate immune response in wild great tit (Parus major) nestlings. Exposure to ALAN alters circadian rhythms of physiological processes, by disrupting the nocturnal production of the hormone melatonin. Nestlings were exposed to a light source emitting 3 lx for seven consecutive nights. Subsequently, nestlings were immune challenged with a lipopolysaccharide injection, and we measured haptoglobin and nitric oxide levels pre- and post-injection. Both haptoglobin and nitric oxide are important markers for innate immune function. We found that ALAN exposure altered the innate immune response, with nestlings exposed to ALAN having lower haptoglobin and higher nitric oxide levels after the immune challenge compared with dark-night nestlings. Unexpectedly, nitric oxide levels were overall lower after the immune challenge than before. These effects were probably mediated by melatonin, as ALAN-treated birds had on average 49% lower melatonin levels than the dark-night birds. ALAN exposure did not have any clear effects on nestling growth. This study provides a potential physiological mechanism underlying the documented differences in immune function between urban and rural birds observed in other studies. Moreover, it gives evidence that ALAN exposure affects nestling physiology, potentially causing long-term effects on physiology and behaviour, which ultimately can affect their fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hannah Watson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Arne Hegemann
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Richard Meitern
- Department of Zoology, University of Tartu, 51005 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Virginie Canoine
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1090Vienna, Austria
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Espín S, Sánchez-Virosta P, Zamora-Marín JM, León-Ortega M, Jiménez P, Zumbado M, Luzardo OP, Eeva T, García-Fernández AJ. Toxic elements in blood of red-necked nightjars (Caprimulgus ruficollis) inhabiting differently polluted environments. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 262:114334. [PMID: 32179219 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Toxic metals have been widely reported in avian tissues due to their well-known accumulation capacity and adverse effects. However, rare earth elements (REE) and other minor elements (ME) are becoming a new threat due to their use in modern technology. Presently, exposure data are limited and no studies have been reported in wildlife. The order Caprimulgiformes is among the most understudied groups of birds lacking blood ecotoxicological data. One major constraint is the small blood sample volume that can be collected to ensure animal welfare, which limits analyses. In order to shed light on these collective issues, we sampled 48 red-necked nightjars (Caprimulgus ruficollis) inhabiting three different scenarios of contaminant exposure (agricultural-urban area, n = 15; mining area, n = 17; and control area, n = 16) in southeastern Spain, and report for the first time concentrations of 50 elements (i.e. trace elements, ATSDR's list toxic elements, REE and ME) using a recently developed technique able to analyze them by ICP-MS in very small volumes of blood (130 μL). Concentrations of As, Cd, Pb and Mn were significantly higher in individuals captured at the mining area compared to the other sites. Lead levels in the mine site were of particular concern since it was in the range of blood concentrations related to subclinical/clinical effects in other species, and in our study were associated with decreased hematocrit values (up to 44% hematocrit depression at blood concentrations >1000 ng/ml w.w.). Moreover, additive effects related to metal cocktail exposure in the mining area could be expected. Age and gender-related differences in blood concentrations were found for some elements. Even though most REE and ME concentrations were close to the LOQ, some of these emerging contaminants may trigger sublethal effects that, together with the ATSDR's list toxic elements, need to be carefully evaluated in a future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Espín
- Toxicology and Risk Assessment Group, Department of Health Sciences, IMIB-Arrixaca, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain; Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
| | - Pablo Sánchez-Virosta
- Toxicology and Risk Assessment Group, Department of Health Sciences, IMIB-Arrixaca, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain; Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
| | - José M Zamora-Marín
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain; Grupo de Anillamiento ANSE, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Mario León-Ortega
- Department of Ecology and Hydrology, Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Pedro Jiménez
- Toxicology and Risk Assessment Group, Department of Health Sciences, IMIB-Arrixaca, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Manuel Zumbado
- Toxicology Unit, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain; Spanish Biomedical Research Center in Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERObn), Spain.
| | - Octavio P Luzardo
- Toxicology Unit, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain; Spanish Biomedical Research Center in Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERObn), Spain.
| | - Tapio Eeva
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
| | - Antonio J García-Fernández
- Toxicology and Risk Assessment Group, Department of Health Sciences, IMIB-Arrixaca, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain.
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Bauerová P, Krajzingrová T, Těšický M, Velová H, Hraníček J, Musil S, Svobodová J, Albrecht T, Vinkler M. Longitudinally monitored lifetime changes in blood heavy metal concentrations and their health effects in urban birds. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 723:138002. [PMID: 32213411 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Urban heavy metal pollution can impair the health of humans and other organisms inhabiting cities. While birds are suggested as one of the appropriate bioindicators for essential and non-essential trace element monitoring, the process of particular elements' accumulation in blood and its possible adverse health effects during ageing of individuals remain unexplored. We have investigated lifetime changes in blood lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As) and zinc (Zn) concentrations and searched for links to health-related traits in sub-urban free-living great tit (Parus major) population monitored over a long period of time. The blood As concentrations were under the limit of detection in most samples. The blood Pb levels showed a non-linear relationship to individuals age, where the highest Pb concentrations were measured in nestlings and in a very small group of highly senescent birds (over 7 years old), while no clear trend was observed for the majority of the adult age stages. No age-related patterns were found for blood Cd or Zn concentrations. The positive relationship between date of capture and blood Cd and Zn levels may reflect seasonal changes in diet composition. We did not reveal any anaemia-like conditions (decreased total erythrocyte count or increased immature erythrocyte count) in relation to blood heavy metal concentrations in the investigated birds. Total leukocyte counts, heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio and total heterophil and lymphocyte counts increased with increasing Pb, Cd and Zn concentrations in blood. This study demonstrates the suitability of avian blood for actual heavy metal spatial and temporal biomonitoring even in situations when the precise age of the individuals remains unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Bauerová
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Ecology, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic; Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Division of Air Quality, Tušimice Observatory, Tušimice 6, Kadaň 432 01, Czech Republic.
| | - Tereza Krajzingrová
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Těšický
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Velová
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Hraníček
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Hlavova 8, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Stanislav Musil
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Department of Trace Element Analysis, Veveří 97, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Svobodová
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Ecology, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Albrecht
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic; Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Vinkler
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
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Phillips JN, Gentry KE, Luther DA, Derryberry EP. Surviving in the city: higher apparent survival for urban birds but worse condition on noisy territories. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer N. Phillips
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Tulane University 400 Boggs New Orleans Louisiana 70118 USA
- Department of Biological Sciences California Polytechnic State University 1 Grand Avenue San Luis Obispo California 93407 USA
| | - Katherine E. Gentry
- Department of Biological Sciences Purdue University West Lafayette Indiana 47906 USA
- Biology Department George Mason University Fairfax Virginia 22030 USA
| | - David A. Luther
- Biology Department George Mason University Fairfax Virginia 22030 USA
- Smithsonian Mason School of Conservation 1500 Remount Road Front Royal Virginia 22630 USA
| | - Elizabeth P. Derryberry
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University Tennessee Knoxville Knoxville Tennessee 37996‐1610 USA
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