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Rudzki EN, Antonson ND, Jones TM, Schelsky WM, Trevelline BK, Hauber ME, Kohl KD. Host avian species and environmental conditions influence the microbial ecology of brood parasitic brown-headed cowbird nestlings: What rules the roost? Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17289. [PMID: 38327124 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17289] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
The role of species interactions, as well as genetic and environmental factors, all likely contribute to the composition and structure of the gut microbiome; however, disentangling these independent factors under field conditions represents a challenge for a functional understanding of gut microbial ecology. Avian brood parasites provide unique opportunities to investigate these questions, as brood parasitism results in parasite and host nestlings being raised in the same nest, by the same parents. Here we utilized obligate brood parasite brown-headed cowbird nestlings (BHCO; Molothrus ater) raised by several different host passerine species to better understand, via 16S rRNA sequencing, the microbial ecology of brood parasitism. First, we compared faecal microbial communities of prothonotary warbler nestlings (PROW; Protonotaria citrea) that were either parasitized or non-parasitized by BHCO and communities among BHCO nestlings from PROW nests. We found that parasitism by BHCO significantly altered both the community membership and community structure of the PROW nestling microbiota, perhaps due to the stressful nest environment generated by brood parasitism. In a second dataset, we compared faecal microbiotas from BHCO nestlings raised by six different host passerine species. Here, we found that the microbiota of BHCO nestlings was significantly influenced by the parental host species and the presence of an inter-specific nestmate. Thus, early rearing environment is important in determining the microbiota of brood parasite nestlings and their companion nestlings. Future work may aim to understand the functional effects of this microbiota variability on nestling performance and fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth N Rudzki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Nicholas D Antonson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Todd M Jones
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Wendy M Schelsky
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Prairie Research Institute, Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Brian K Trevelline
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
- Advanced Science Research Center and Program in Psychology, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kevin D Kohl
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Maresh Nelson SB, Ribic CA, Niemuth ND, Bernath-Plaisted J, Zuckerberg B. Sensitivity of North American grassland birds to weather and climate variability. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14143. [PMID: 37424364 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Grassland birds in North America have declined sharply over the last 60 years, driven by the widespread loss and degradation of grassland habitats. Climate change is occurring more rapidly in grasslands relative to some other ecosystems, and exposure to extreme and novel climate conditions may affect grassland bird ecology and demographics. To determine the potential effects of weather and climate variability on grassland birds, we conducted a systematic review of relationships between temperature and precipitation and demographic responses in grassland bird species of North America. Based on 124 independent studies, we used a vote-counting approach to quantify the frequency and direction of significant effects of weather and climate variability on grassland birds. Grassland birds tended to experience positive and negative effects of higher temperatures and altered precipitation. Moderate, sustained increases in mean temperature and precipitation benefitted some species, but extreme heat, drought, and heavy rainfall often reduced abundance and nest success. These patterns varied among climate regions, temporal scales of temperature and precipitation (<1 or ≥1 month), and taxa. The sensitivity of grassland bird populations to extreme weather and altered climate variability will likely be mediated by regional climates, interaction with other stressors, life-history strategies of various species, and species' tolerances for novel climate conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott B Maresh Nelson
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Christine A Ribic
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Neal D Niemuth
- Habitat and Population Evaluation Team, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bismarck, North Dakota, USA
| | - Jacy Bernath-Plaisted
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Benjamin Zuckerberg
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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Hernandez JO, Naeem M, Zaman W. How Does Changing Environment Influence Plant Seed Movements as Populations of Dispersal Vectors Decline? PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:1462. [PMID: 37050088 PMCID: PMC10097094 DOI: 10.3390/plants12071462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Plants differ widely in their ability to find tolerable climatic ranges through seed dispersal, depending on their life-history traits and habitat characteristics. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a systematic review on seed dispersal mechanisms was conducted to elucidate plant seed movements amid changing environments. Here, the highest relative count of studies was found in Spain (16.47%), followed by Brazil (14.12%), and the USA (14.12%). The megadiverse, hotspot countries (e.g., Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, India, and Indonesia) and Africa (Tanzania, South Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo) have very low to no data about the reviewed topic. The effects of land use changes, habitat degradation/disturbances, climate, and extreme weather conditions on seed dispersal mechanisms and agents had the highest share of studies across topics and countries. Plant diversity and distribution of anemochorous, endozoochorous, epizoochorous, hydrochorous, myrmecochorous, and ornithochorous species are seriously affected by changing environments due to altered long-distance seed dispersal. The fruit types commonly associated with endozoochory and ornithochory are species with achene, capsule, drupe, fleshy, and nut fruits/seeds, whereas achene, capsule, samara/winged seeds are associated with anemochory. The present review provides a summary of evidence on how plants are affected by climate change as populations of dispersal vectors decline. Finally, recommendations for further study were made based on the identified knowledge gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan O. Hernandez
- Department of Forest Biological Sciences, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Los Baños 4031, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Muhammad Naeem
- Department of Plant Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Wajid Zaman
- Department of Life Sciences, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea
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Kaplan RH, Rosamond KM, Goded S, Soultan A, Glass A, Kim DH, Arcilla N. Bobolink ( Dolichonyx oryzivorus) Declines Follow Bison ( Bison bison) Reintroduction on Private Conservation Grasslands. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11092661. [PMID: 34573626 PMCID: PMC8471021 DOI: 10.3390/ani11092661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary North American grassland birds evolved with American bison (Bison bison), until overhunting drove bison to near-extinction > 150 years ago. Bison have now been reintroduced to many areas that provide important nesting habitat for grassland birds, which are now among the most rapidly declining birds in North America. However, little is known about bison interactions with birds such as Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), obligate grassland nesting songbirds of conservation concern. Using data collected over an 18-year period, we assessed the effects of bison reintroduction, together with other land management and climate factors, on Bobolinks in a private conservation area comprising 24 km2 of native grasslands in the North American Great Plains. In grasslands where bison were reintroduced, Bobolink abundance (adult numbers) declined by 62%, and productivity (juvenile numbers) declined by 84%. By contrast, Bobolink populations remained stable over the same time period in adjacent grasslands where bison were not reintroduced. Bobolink abundance and productivity increased in years following warmer and wetter winters, but nevertheless declined over time in grasslands where the bison population doubled. Where bison are reintroduced and confined in high densities, overgrazing, trampling, and related impacts may drive severe declines in Bobolinks and other grassland birds of conservation concern. Abstract Among the most rapidly declining birds in continental North America, grassland birds evolved with American bison (Bison bison) until bison nearly became extinct due to overhunting. Bison populations have subsequently rebounded due to reintroductions on conservation lands, but the impacts of bison on grassland nesting birds remain largely unknown. We investigated how bison reintroduction, together with other land management and climate factors, affected breeding populations of a grassland bird species of conservation concern, the Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus). We quantified population changes in Bobolinks over an 18-year period in conservation grasslands where bison were reintroduced, compared with adjacent grasslands grazed by cattle and where hay was harvested after the bird breeding season. Four years after bison reintroduction, the bison population in the study area had doubled, while Bobolink abundance declined 62% and productivity declined 84%. Our findings suggest that bison reintroduction as a conservation strategy may be counterproductive in grassland fragments where overgrazing, trampling, and other negative impacts drive declines in grassland breeding birds. Where bird conservation is an objective, small grassland reserves may therefore be inappropriate sites for bison reintroduction. To maximize conservation benefits to birds, land managers should prioritize protecting grassland birds from disturbance during the bird breeding season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel H. Kaplan
- International Bird Conservation Partnership, Monterey, CA 93940, USA; (R.H.K.); (K.M.R.); (S.G.)
- Crane Trust, Wood River, NE 68883, USA; (A.G.); (D.H.K.)
| | - Kristen M. Rosamond
- International Bird Conservation Partnership, Monterey, CA 93940, USA; (R.H.K.); (K.M.R.); (S.G.)
- Department of Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63121, USA
| | - Sandra Goded
- International Bird Conservation Partnership, Monterey, CA 93940, USA; (R.H.K.); (K.M.R.); (S.G.)
| | - Alaaeldin Soultan
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - Alex Glass
- Crane Trust, Wood River, NE 68883, USA; (A.G.); (D.H.K.)
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA
| | - Daniel H. Kim
- Crane Trust, Wood River, NE 68883, USA; (A.G.); (D.H.K.)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pierre, SD 57501, USA
| | - Nico Arcilla
- International Bird Conservation Partnership, Monterey, CA 93940, USA; (R.H.K.); (K.M.R.); (S.G.)
- Crane Trust, Wood River, NE 68883, USA; (A.G.); (D.H.K.)
- Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
- Correspondence:
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