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Ruuskanen S. Early-life environmental effects on birds: epigenetics and microbiome as mechanisms underlying long-lasting phenotypic changes. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246024. [PMID: 38449325 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Although the long-lasting effects of variation in early-life environment have been well documented across organisms, the underlying causal mechanisms are only recently starting to be unraveled. Yet understanding the underlying mechanisms of long-lasting effects can help us predict how organisms will respond to changing environments. Birds offer a great system in which to study developmental plasticity and its underlying mechanisms owing to the production of large external eggs and variation in developmental trajectories, combined with a long tradition of applied, physiological, ecological and evolutionary research. Epigenetic changes (such as DNA methylation) have been suggested to be a key mechanism mediating long-lasting effects of the early-life environment across taxa. More recently, changes in the early-life gut microbiome have been identified as another potential mediator of developmental plasticity. As a first step in understanding whether these mechanisms contribute to developmental plasticity in birds, this Review summarizes how changes in early-life environment (both prenatal and postnatal) influence epigenetic markers and the gut microbiome. The literature shows how both early-life biotic (such as resources and social environment) and abiotic (thermal environment and various anthropogenic stressors) factors modify epigenetic markers and the gut microbiome in birds, yet data concerning many other environmental factors are limited. The causal links of these modifications to lasting phenotypic changes are still scarce, but changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis have been identified as one putative pathway. This Review identifies several knowledge gaps, including data on the long-term effects, stability of the molecular changes, and lack of diversity in the systems studied, and provides directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suvi Ruuskanen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Survontie 9C, 40500 Jyväskylä, Finland
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Vesilinnankatu 5, 20500 Turku, Finland
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Grzesiak M, Tchurzyk M, Socha M, Sechman A, Hrabia A. An Overview of the Current Known and Unknown Roles of Vitamin D 3 in the Female Reproductive System: Lessons from Farm Animals, Birds, and Fish. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232214137. [PMID: 36430615 PMCID: PMC9693557 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have clearly shown that vitamin D3 is a crucial regulator of the female reproductive process in humans and animals. Knowledge of the expression of vitamin D3 receptors and related molecules in the female reproductive organs such as ovaries, uterus, oviduct, or placenta under physiological and pathological conditions highlights its contribution to the proper function of the reproductive system in females. Furthermore, vitamin D3 deficiency leads to serious reproductive disturbances and pathologies including ovarian cysts. Although the influence of vitamin D3 on the reproductive processes of humans and rodents has been extensively described, the association between vitamin D3 and female reproductive function in farm animals, birds, and fish has rarely been summarized. In this review, we provide an overview of the role of vitamin D3 in the reproductive system of those animals, with special attention paid to the expression of vitamin D3 receptors and its metabolic molecules. This updated information could be essential for better understanding animal physiology and overcoming the incidence of infertility, which is crucial for optimizing reproductive outcomes in female livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malgorzata Grzesiak
- Department of Endocrinology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-12-664-5025
| | - Marcelina Tchurzyk
- Department of Endocrinology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Magdalena Socha
- Department of Animal Physiology and Endocrinology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Krakow, Poland
| | - Andrzej Sechman
- Department of Animal Physiology and Endocrinology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Krakow, Poland
| | - Anna Hrabia
- Department of Animal Physiology and Endocrinology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Krakow, Poland
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Williams SE, de la Fuente A. Long-term changes in populations of rainforest birds in the Australia Wet Tropics bioregion: A climate-driven biodiversity emergency. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254307. [PMID: 34937065 PMCID: PMC8694438 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many authors have suggested that the vulnerability of montane biodiversity to climate change worldwide is significantly higher than in most other ecosystems. Despite the extensive variety of studies predicting severe impacts of climate change globally, few studies have empirically validated the predicted changes in distribution and population density. Here, we used 17 years (2000–2016) of standardised bird monitoring across latitudinal/elevational gradients in the rainforest of the Australian Wet Tropics World Heritage Area to assess changes in local abundance and elevational distribution. We used relative abundance in 1977 surveys across 114 sites ranging from 0-1500m above sea level and utilised a trend analysis approach (TRIM) to investigate elevational shifts in abundance of 42 species. The local abundance of most mid and high elevation species has declined at the lower edges of their distribution by >40% while lowland species increased by up to 190% into higher elevation areas. Upland-specialised species and regional endemics have undergone dramatic population declines of almost 50%. The “Outstanding Universal Value” of the Australian Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, one of the most irreplaceable biodiversity hotspots on Earth, is rapidly degrading. These observed impacts are likely to be similar in many tropical montane ecosystems globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen E. Williams
- Centre for Tropical Environmental Science & Sustainability, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Alejandro de la Fuente
- Centre for Tropical Environmental Science & Sustainability, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
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Kratochvíl L, Gamble T, Rovatsos M. Sex chromosome evolution among amniotes: is the origin of sex chromosomes non-random? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200108. [PMID: 34304592 PMCID: PMC8310715 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex chromosomes are a great example of a convergent evolution at the genomic level, having evolved dozens of times just within amniotes. An intriguing question is whether this repeated evolution was random, or whether some ancestral syntenic blocks have significantly higher chance to be co-opted for the role of sex chromosomes owing to their gene content related to gonad development. Here, we summarize current knowledge on the evolutionary history of sex determination and sex chromosomes in amniotes and evaluate the hypothesis of non-random emergence of sex chromosomes. The current data on the origin of sex chromosomes in amniotes suggest that their evolution is indeed non-random. However, this non-random pattern is not very strong, and many syntenic blocks representing putatively independently evolved sex chromosomes are unique. Still, repeatedly co-opted chromosomes are an excellent model system, as independent co-option of the same genomic region for the role of sex chromosome offers a great opportunity for testing evolutionary scenarios on the sex chromosome evolution under the explicit control for the genomic background and gene identity. Future studies should use these systems more to explore the convergent/divergent evolution of sex chromosomes. This article is part of the theme issue 'Challenging the paradigm in sex chromosome evolution: empirical and theoretical insights with a focus on vertebrates (Part II)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukáš Kratochvíl
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tony Gamble
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
- Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Michail Rovatsos
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, Czech Republic
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Lin GW, Lai YC, Liang YC, Widelitz RB, Wu P, Chuong CM. Regional Specific Differentiation of Integumentary Organs: Regulation of Gene Clusters within the Avian Epidermal Differentiation Complex and Impacts of SATB2 Overexpression. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12081291. [PMID: 34440465 PMCID: PMC8394334 DOI: 10.3390/genes12081291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The epidermal differentiation complex (EDC) encodes a group of unique proteins expressed in late epidermal differentiation. The EDC gave integuments new physicochemical properties and is critical in evolution. Recently, we showed β-keratins, members of the EDC, undergo gene cluster switching with overexpression of SATB2 (Special AT-rich binding protein-2), considered a chromatin regulator. We wondered whether this unique regulatory mechanism is specific to β-keratins or may be derived from and common to EDC members. Here we explore (1) the systematic expression patterns of non-β-keratin EDC genes and their preferential expression in different skin appendages during development, (2) whether the expression of non-β-keratin EDC sub-clusters are also regulated in clusters by SATB2. We analyzed bulk RNA-seq and ChIP-seq data and also evaluated the disrupted expression patterns caused by overexpressing SATB2. The results show that the expression of whole EDDA and EDQM sub-clusters are possibly mediated by enhancers in E14-feathers. Overexpressing SATB2 down-regulates the enriched EDCRP sub-cluster in feathers and the EDCH sub-cluster in beaks. These results reveal the potential of complex epigenetic regulation activities within the avian EDC, implying transcriptional regulation of EDC members acting at the gene and/or gene cluster level in a temporal and skin regional-specific fashion, which may contribute to the evolution of diverse avian integuments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gee-Way Lin
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; (G.-W.L.); (Y.-C.L.); (Y.-C.L.); (R.B.W.); (P.W.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110301, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Chih Lai
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; (G.-W.L.); (Y.-C.L.); (Y.-C.L.); (R.B.W.); (P.W.)
- Integrative Stem Cell Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40447, Taiwan
- Institute of New Drug Development, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Chen Liang
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; (G.-W.L.); (Y.-C.L.); (Y.-C.L.); (R.B.W.); (P.W.)
- Integrative Stem Cell Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40447, Taiwan
| | - Randall B. Widelitz
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; (G.-W.L.); (Y.-C.L.); (Y.-C.L.); (R.B.W.); (P.W.)
| | - Ping Wu
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; (G.-W.L.); (Y.-C.L.); (Y.-C.L.); (R.B.W.); (P.W.)
| | - Cheng-Ming Chuong
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; (G.-W.L.); (Y.-C.L.); (Y.-C.L.); (R.B.W.); (P.W.)
- Correspondence:
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Voukali E, Veetil NK, Němec P, Stopka P, Vinkler M. Comparison of plasma and cerebrospinal fluid proteomes identifies gene products guiding adult neurogenesis and neural differentiation in birds. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5312. [PMID: 33674647 PMCID: PMC7935914 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84274-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins regulate neurogenesis, brain homeostasis and participate in signalling during neuroinflammation. Even though birds represent valuable models for constitutive adult neurogenesis, current proteomic studies of the avian CSF are limited to chicken embryos. Here we use liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (nLC-MS/MS) to explore the proteomic composition of CSF and plasma in adult chickens (Gallus gallus) and evolutionarily derived parrots: budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) and cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus). Because cockatiel lacks a complete genome information, we compared the cross-species protein identifications using the reference proteomes of three model avian species: chicken, budgerigar and zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) and found the highest identification rates when mapping against the phylogenetically closest species, the budgerigar. In total, we identified 483, 641 and 458 unique proteins consistently represented in the CSF and plasma of all chicken, budgerigar and cockatiel conspecifics, respectively. Comparative pathways analyses of CSF and blood plasma then indicated clusters of proteins involved in neurogenesis, neural development and neural differentiation overrepresented in CSF in each species. This study provides the first insight into the proteomics of adult avian CSF and plasma and brings novel evidence supporting the adult neurogenesis in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Voukali
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Nithya Kuttiyarthu Veetil
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Němec
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Stopka
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Vinkler
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44, Prague, Czech Republic.
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Ausems ANMA, Skrzypek G, Wojczulanis-Jakubas K, Jakubas D. Birds of a feather moult together: Differences in moulting distribution of four species of storm-petrels. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0245756. [PMID: 33481938 PMCID: PMC7822297 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The non-breeding period of pelagic seabirds, and particularly the moulting stage, is an important, but understudied part of their annual cycle as they are hardly accessible outside of the breeding period. Knowledge about the moulting ecology of seabirds is important to understand the challenges they face outside and within the breeding season. Here, we combined stable carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) signatures of rectrices grown during the non-breeding period of two pairs of storm-petrel species breeding in the northern (European storm-petrel, Hydrobates pelagicus, ESP; Leach’s storm-petrel, Hydrobates leucorhous, LSP) and southern (black-bellied storm-petrel, Fregetta tropica, BBSP; Wilson’s storm-petrel, Oceanites oceanicus, WSP) hemispheres to determine differences in moulting ranges within and between species. To understand clustering patterns in δ13C and δ18O moulting signatures, we examined various variables: species, sexes, years, morphologies (feather growth rate, body mass, tarsus length, wing length) and δ15N. We found that different factors could explain the differences within and between the four species. We additionally employed a geographical distribution prediction model based on oceanic δ13C and δ18O isoscapes, combined with chlorophyll-a concentrations and observational data to predict potential moulting areas of the sampled feather type. The northern species were predicted to moult in temperate and tropical Atlantic zones. BBSP was predicted to moult on the southern hemisphere north of the Southern Ocean, while WSP was predicted to moult further North, including in the Arctic and northern Pacific. While moulting distribution can only be estimated on large geographical scales using δ13C and δ18O, validating predictive outcomes with food availability proxies and observational data may provide valuable insights into important moulting grounds. Establishing those, in turn, is important for conservation management of elusive pelagic seabirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne N. M. A. Ausems
- Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Biology, The University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
- * E-mail:
| | - Grzegorz Skrzypek
- West Australian Biogeochemistry Centre, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | | | - Dariusz Jakubas
- Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Biology, The University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
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Doering JA, Dubiel J, Wiseman S. Predicting Early Life Stage Mortality in Birds and Fishes from Exposure to Low-Potency Agonists of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor: A Cross-Species Quantitative Adverse Outcome Pathway Approach. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020; 39:2055-2064. [PMID: 32648946 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) cause early life stage mortality of vertebrates through activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). A prior study developed a cross-species quantitative adverse outcome pathway (qAOP) which can predict full dose-response curves of early life stage mortality for any species of bird or fish exposed to DLCs using the species- and chemical-specific 50% effect concentration (EC50) from an in vitro AhR transactivation assay with COS-7 cells. However, calculating a reliable EC50 for input into this qAOP requires the maximal response of the concentration-response curve to be known, which is not always possible for low-potency agonists, such as some polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). To enable predictions for these low-potency agonists, the present study revised this qAOP to use the effect concentration threshold (ECThreshold ) from the in vitro AhR transactivation assay as input. Significant linear relationships were demonstrated between ECThreshold and the dose to cause 0, 10, 50, or 100% mortality among early life stages of 3 species of birds and 7 species of fish for 4 DLCs: 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, PCB 126, PCB 77, and PCB 105. These 4 linear relationships were combined to form the revised qAOP. This qAOP using the ECThreshold enables prediction of experimental dose-response curves for lower-potency agonists to within an order of magnitude on average, but the prior qAOP using EC50 predicts experimental dose-response curves for higher-potency agonists with greater accuracy. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:2055-2064. © 2020 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon A Doering
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Justin Dubiel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Steve Wiseman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
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Jayakumar S, Muralidharan S, Dhananjayan V. Organochlorine Pesticide Residues Among Colonial Nesting Birds in Tamil Nadu, India: A Maiden Assessment from Their Breeding Grounds. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 2020; 78:555-567. [PMID: 32008049 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-020-00709-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Use of pesticides continues to be indiscriminate, and birds are one of the worst affected non-targeted organisms. Information on the ill effects of pesticides on birds far from desired in India. Despite the presence of a wide variety and number of birds, there is exceedingly little data on organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues in colonial nesting birds in sanctuaries of India. A total of 76 individuals belonging to 14 species of birds found dead between March 2008 and March 2010 were analyzed for pesticide residues in various tissues. Of all the OCPs analyzed, concentration of HCH was found to be the highest. Magnitude of contamination varied widely among species. Accumulation pattern of OCPs in colonial nesting birds was in the order ∑HCH > ∑endosulfan > ∑DDT > heptachlor epoxide > dieldrin. Pesticides, namely p,p-DDE and β-HCH contributed most towards the total OCPs. Concentrations of DDT and its metabolites, HCH and isomers, dieldrin, and heptachlor epoxide were lower than the concentrations reported for various species of birds elsewhere in India. Although the sanctuaries presently studied have official boundaries, physical demarcations are missing and there are no proper earthen dykes particularly in Vedanthangal and Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuaries. During monsoon, runoff not only floods the Sanctuaries but also the cultivated areas nearby. Run off brings in residues of pesticides and fertilizers from the agricultural lands into the sanctuaries. Although OCP results in this study were below threshold limits, it may be noted that the long duration exposure even to low levels of pesticides could create a significant impact at population level. Hence, earthen dykes need to be built to avoid agricultural runoff entering the Sanctuary and also help to hold sufficient amount of water for breeding birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samidurai Jayakumar
- Division of Ecotoxicology, Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641 108, India.
- P.G. Research Department of Zoology and Wildlife Biology, A.V.C. College (Autonomous), Mannampandal, Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu, 609 305, India.
| | - Subramanian Muralidharan
- Division of Ecotoxicology, Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641 108, India
| | - Venugopal Dhananjayan
- Division of Ecotoxicology, Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641 108, India
- Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology Division, ICMR-Regional Occupational Health Centre (Southern), Indian Council of Medical Research, Devanahalli, Bangalore, 562 110, India
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Abstract
During the periodic moult of the plumage of birds, a fast regrowth of feathers would shorten the time of reduced plumage functionality. However, it has long been known that feather growth-rate is limited and that long feathers take disproportionally longer to grow than small feathers, which has severe consequences on moult duration and the completeness of moult in large birds. The reasons for the limitations of feather-growth must be related to the size and/or functions of the feather follicle, but are largely unknown. Here we measured the size of the feather follicle (taking calamus width as a proxy) and related it to parameters of feather growth (feather growth-rate by mass and by length) and feather structure (feather length, mass, massiveness [mass of feather material per mm feather-length]). We used three independent datasets which allowed for interspecific analyses, and for intraspecific comparisons of differently structured feathers within the framework of biological scaling. We found that the cross-sectional area of the calamus (as a proxy of feather follicle size) was directly proportional to feather growth-rate by mass. Hence, factors acting at a two-dimensional scale (possibly nutrient supply to the growing feather) determines feather growth rate by mass, rather than the linear arrangement of stem cells (in a circular configuration) as had previously been assumed. Feather follicle size was correlated with both feather length and massiveness, hence it seems to be adapted to some extent to feather structure. Feather growth-rate by length was dependent on both the feather material produced per unit time (growth-rate by mass) and the amount of material deposited per unit feather-length. Follicle size not only determines feather growth-rate by mass, but also directly the structural design (shape, number of barbs, etc.) of a feather. Therefore, feather growth-rate is severely constrained by the requirements imposed by the structural feather design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Jenni
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Kathrin Ganz
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
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Flack A, Schaeffer PJ, Taylor JRE, Müller I, Wikelski M, Fiedler W. Daily energy expenditure in white storks is lower after fledging than in the nest. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb219337. [PMID: 31900347 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.219337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Many juvenile birds turn into long-distance migrants within weeks of fledging. This transition involves upheavals in their energy management as major changes in growth and activity occur. Understanding such ontogenetic transitions in energy allocation has been difficult because collecting continuous data on energy costs in wild developing birds was previously largely impossible. Here, we continuously measured heart rate and fine-scale movements of 20 free-living juvenile white storks (Ciconia ciconia) using on-board bio-loggers to explore individual and environmental factors relating to daily mean heart rate. In addition, we explored which specific energy management strategy storks use during these crucial early life stages. We found that daily mean heart rate increased with overall movement activity, and increasing body temperature, but that it decreased with age. Further, we found that during the nestling period, when growth costs are high, activity costs are low, and post-fledging that activity costs are increased while maintenance costs are low, indicating a constraint on overall energy use in both phases. Our observations are consistent with the hypothesis that individuals invested more energy per unit time while still in the nest than after fledging despite the high costs of flight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Flack
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, D-78468 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Paul J Schaeffer
- Department of Biology, Miami University, 212 Pearson Hall, 700 E. High Street, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Jan R E Taylor
- Faculty of Biology, University of Białystok, ul. Ciołkowskiego 1J, 15-245 Białystok, Poland
| | - Inge Müller
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, D-78468 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, D-78468 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Fiedler
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, D-78468 Konstanz, Germany
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Schuppe ER, Miles MC, Fuxjager MJ. Evolution of the androgen receptor: Perspectives from human health to dancing birds. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 499:110577. [PMID: 31525432 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2019.110577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Androgenic hormones orchestrate the development and activation of diverse reproductive phenotypes across vertebrates. Although extensive work investigates how selection for these traits modifies individual elements of this signaling system (e.g., hormone or androgen receptor [AR] levels), we know less about natural variation in the AR sequence across vertebrates. Our knowledge of AR sequence mutations is largely limited to work in human patients or cell-lines, providing a framework to contextualize single mutations at the expense of evolutionary timescale. Here we unite both perspectives in a review that explores the functional significance of AR on a domain-by-domain basis, using existing knowledge to highlight how and why each region might evolve. We then examine AR sequence variation on different timescales by examining sequence variation in clades originating in the Cambrian (vertebrates; >500 mya) and Cretaceous (birds; >65 mya). In each case, we characterize how the receptor has changed over time and discuss which regions are most likely to evolve in response to selection. Overall, domains that are required for androgenic signaling to function (e.g., DNA- and ligand-binding) tend to be conserved. Meanwhile, areas that interface with co-regulatory molecules can exhibit notable variation even between closely related species. We propose that accumulating mutations in regulatory regions is one way that AR structure might act as a substrate for selection to guide the evolution of reproductive traits. By synthesizing literature across disciplines and highlighting the evolutionary potential of specific AR regions, we hope to inspire new avenues of integrative research into endocrine system evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric R Schuppe
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Meredith C Miles
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
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Paton GD, Shoffner AV, Wilson AM, Gagné SA. The traits that predict the magnitude and spatial scale of forest bird responses to urbanization intensity. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0220120. [PMID: 31344134 PMCID: PMC6657869 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
As humans continue moving to urban areas, there is a growing need to understand the effects of urban intensification on native wildlife populations. Forest species in remnant habitat are particularly vulnerable to urban intensification, but the mechanisms behind these effects are poorly understood. An understanding of how species traits, as proxies for mechanisms, mediate the effects of urban intensification on forest species can help fill this knowledge gap. Using a large point count dataset from the Second Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas, we tested for the effects of species traits on the magnitude and spatial scale of the responses of 58 forest bird species to urbanization intensity in landscapes surrounding count locations. Average urbanization intensity effect size across species was -0.36 ± 0.49 (SE) and average scale of effect of urbanization intensity was 4.87 ± 5.95 km. Resident forest bird species that are granivorous or frugivorous, cavity-nesting, and have larger clutch sizes and more fledglings per clutch had more positive associations with increasing urbanization intensity in landscapes. In addition, the effect of urbanization intensity on forest birds manifested most strongly at larger spatial scales for granivorous, frugivorous, or omnivorous species that are cavity-nesting, have larger clutch sizes and longer wingspans, and flock in larger numbers. To our knowledge, the present study represents the first direct tests of the effects of species traits on both the magnitude and spatial scale of the effect of urbanization on forest birds, as well as the first evidence that migratory status, clutch size, wingspan, and fledglings per clutch are important determinants of the responses of forest birds to urbanization. We discuss the possible mechanisms underlying our results and their implications for forest bird conservation in urbanizing landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant D. Paton
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Alexandra V. Shoffner
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Andrew M. Wilson
- Environmental Studies Department, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Sara A. Gagné
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
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Wu XS, Yeh CY, Harn HIC, Jiang TX, Wu P, Widelitz RB, Baker RE, Chuong CM. Self-assembly of biological networks via adaptive patterning revealed by avian intradermal muscle network formation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:10858-10867. [PMID: 31072931 PMCID: PMC6561168 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1818506116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Networked structures integrate numerous elements into one functional unit, while providing a balance between efficiency, robustness, and flexibility. Understanding how biological networks self-assemble will provide insights into how these features arise. Here, we demonstrate how nature forms exquisite muscle networks that can repair, regenerate, and adapt to external perturbations using the feather muscle network in chicken embryos as a paradigm. The self-assembled muscle networks arise through the implementation of a few simple rules. Muscle fibers extend outward from feather buds in every direction, but only those muscle fibers able to connect to neighboring buds are eventually stabilized. After forming such a nearest-neighbor configuration, the network can be reconfigured, adapting to perturbed bud arrangement or mechanical cues. Our computational model provides a bioinspired algorithm for network self-assembly, with intrinsic or extrinsic cues necessary and sufficient to guide the formation of these regenerative networks. These robust principles may serve as a useful guide for assembling adaptive networks in other contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Shan Wu
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008 Changsha, China
- Molecular Laboratory for Gene Therapy and Tooth Regeneration, Beijing Key Laboratory of Tooth Regeneration and Function Reconstruction, Capital Medical University School of Stomatology, 100050 Beijing, China
| | - Chao-Yuan Yeh
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033
- Integrative Stem Cell Center, China Medical University, 40402 Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hans I-Chen Harn
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033
- International Research Center of Wound Repair and Regeneration, National Cheng Kung University, 701 Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Xing Jiang
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033
| | - Ping Wu
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033
| | - Randall B Widelitz
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033
| | - Ruth E Baker
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, OX2 6GG Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Cheng-Ming Chuong
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033;
- Integrative Stem Cell Center, China Medical University, 40402 Taichung, Taiwan
- International Research Center of Wound Repair and Regeneration, National Cheng Kung University, 701 Tainan, Taiwan
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Santangeli A, Lehikoinen A, Lindholm T, Herzon I. Organic animal farms increase farmland bird abundance in the Boreal region. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216009. [PMID: 31091249 PMCID: PMC6519808 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Agriculture is a primary driver of biodiversity loss worldwide, and several expensive schemes have been designed to make modern farming landscapes more hospitable for wildlife. One such market-based mechanisms is the agri-environment-climate schemes (AES) in the European Union (EU). AES compensate farmers for reducing land-use intensity and maintaining or introducing biodiversity-rich habitats. Despite their high costs, impacts of AES vary by measure, region and taxonomic group considered, and have rarely been studied over large areas covering an entire country. Here we assess the country-wide impact of several AES measures on bird abundance using citizen science data on birds and detailed information on AES take up from across Finland. We report a positive impact of organic animal farming on abundance of all farmland associated birds. This effect was particularly strong for insectivorous species, species that are associated to farmyards and long-distance species. None of the other AES measures considered for study did show any relationship with bird abundance. Overall, these findings highlight the potential positive impact that some compensatory measures, such as organic animal farming, may have on wildlife. Traditional animal husbandry is based on grazing of animals and restriction on external inputs, similarly to what is stipulated under organic production contract. As such, traditional animal husbandry may represent an effective landscape management tool for restoring or maintaining threatened species and ecosystems in rural areas of the EU. Ultimately, the apparent lack of a measurable effect of the other AES considered here supports the current move towards evidence-based regional targeting of compensatory measures, so as to concentrate scarce resources to where they can yield the highest ecological benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Santangeli
- The Helsinki Lab of Ornithology, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, HELSUS, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- * E-mail:
| | - Aleksi Lehikoinen
- The Helsinki Lab of Ornithology, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tanja Lindholm
- The Helsinki Lab of Ornithology, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Irina Herzon
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, HELSUS, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Abourachid A, Herrel A, Decamps T, Pages F, Fabre AC, Van Hoorebeke L, Adriaens D, Garcia Amado MA. Hoatzin nestling locomotion: Acquisition of quadrupedal limb coordination in birds. Sci Adv 2019; 5:eaat0787. [PMID: 31131317 PMCID: PMC6530998 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aat0787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of flight in birds involves (i) decoupling of the primitive mode of quadrupedal locomotor coordination, with a new synchronized flapping motion of the wings while conserving alternating leg movements, and (ii) reduction of wing digits and loss of functional claws. Our observations show that hoatzin nestlings move with alternated walking coordination of the four limbs using the mobile claws on their wings to anchor themselves to the substrate. When swimming, hoatzin nestlings use a coordinated motion of the four limbs involving synchronous or alternated movements of the wings, indicating a versatile motor pattern. Last, the proportions of claws and phalanges in juvenile hoatzin are radically divergent from those in adults, yet strikingly similar to those of Archaeopteryx. The locomotor plasticity observed in the hoatzin suggests that transitional forms that retained claws on the wings could have also used them for locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anick Abourachid
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, UMR 7179 CNRS/MNHN, 57 rue Cuvier, Case postale 55, 75231, Paris Cedex 5, France
- Corresponding author.
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, UMR 7179 CNRS/MNHN, 57 rue Cuvier, Case postale 55, 75231, Paris Cedex 5, France
- Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent University, Campus Ledeganck, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Thierry Decamps
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, UMR 7179 CNRS/MNHN, 57 rue Cuvier, Case postale 55, 75231, Paris Cedex 5, France
| | - Fanny Pages
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, UMR 7179 CNRS/MNHN, 57 rue Cuvier, Case postale 55, 75231, Paris Cedex 5, France
| | - Anne-Claire Fabre
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, UMR 7179 CNRS/MNHN, 57 rue Cuvier, Case postale 55, 75231, Paris Cedex 5, France
| | - Luc Van Hoorebeke
- UGCT—Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ghent University, Proeftuinstraat 86, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dominique Adriaens
- Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent University, Campus Ledeganck, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
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Groothuis TGG, Hsu BY, Kumar N, Tschirren B. Revisiting mechanisms and functions of prenatal hormone-mediated maternal effects using avian species as a model. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180115. [PMID: 30966885 PMCID: PMC6460091 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal effects can adaptively modulate offspring developmental trajectories in variable but predictable environments. Hormone synthesis is sensitive to environmental factors, and maternal hormones are thus a powerful mechanism to transfer environmental cues to the next generation. Birds have become a key model for the study of hormone-mediated maternal effects because the embryo develops outside the mother's body, facilitating the measurement and manipulation of prenatal hormone exposure. At the same time, birds are excellent models for the integration of both proximate and ultimate approaches, which is key to a better understanding of the evolution of hormone-mediated maternal effects. Over the past two decades, a surge of studies on hormone-mediated maternal effects has revealed an increasing number of discrepancies. In this review, we discuss the role of the environment, genetic factors and social interactions in causing these discrepancies and provide a framework to resolve them. We also explore the largely neglected role of the embryo in modulating the maternal signal, as well as costs and benefits of hormone transfer and expression for the different family members. We conclude by highlighting fruitful avenues for future research that have opened up thanks to new theoretical insights and technical advances in the field. This article is part of the theme issue 'Developing differences: early-life effects and evolutionary medicine'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ton G. G. Groothuis
- Behavioural Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bin-Yan Hsu
- Behavioural Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Neeraj Kumar
- Behavioural Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Tschirren
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
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18
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Sandoval C, Mora MA, Sericano J, Rech RR. Persistent Organic Pollutants in Livers and Hg in Feathers of Neotropic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) from the Trinity River Watershed (Texas, USA). Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 2019; 76:405-413. [PMID: 30623198 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-018-00596-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/31/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The Trinity River (Texas, USA) has been historically known as a polluted river because of its proximity to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and because of known discharges of sewage and agricultural irrigation waters to the river. Surprisingly, there are no studies regarding the presence of legacy contaminants in the river and their impacts to wildlife. The objectives of this study were to determine accumulation and potential impacts of persistent organic pollutants, such as organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), on Neotropic cormorants (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) nesting along the Trinity River. Adult and first-year cormorants were collected from two sites on the Trinity River Watershed during 2014 and 2015. Tissue sections from liver, spleen, kidneys, and gonads were used for histopathology analysis, and a portion of the liver was analyzed for OCPs, PCBs, and PBDEs. Breast feathers were analyzed for Hg. Surprisingly, all the contaminants were present at low concentrations, p,p'-DDE (2-724 ng/g ww), PCBs (28-851 ng/g ww), PBDEs (1-85 ng/g ww), Hg (1.9-3.4 µg/g dw), and below those that could be associated with adverse effects. Also, histological analysis of liver and kidney samples did not reveal morphologic changes consistent with acute or chronic toxicosis. The majority of the histologic changes were inflammatory and were related to parasitic infestation. Our results suggest that aquatic birds using the Trinity River watershed are not at risk for adverse effects due to the contaminants studied. These results should be useful to wildlife managers regarding concerns over contaminant impacts on wildlife of the Trinity River.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Sandoval
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Miguel A Mora
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
| | - Jose Sericano
- Geochemical and Environmental Research Group, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Raquel R Rech
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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19
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Claro F, Fossi MC, Ioakeimidis C, Baini M, Lusher AL, Mc Fee W, McIntosh RR, Pelamatti T, Sorce M, Galgani F, Hardesty BD. Tools and constraints in monitoring interactions between marine litter and megafauna: Insights from case studies around the world. Mar Pollut Bull 2019; 141:147-160. [PMID: 30955719 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Adverse impacts of marine litter is documented on >1400 species, including marine megafauna (fish, birds, sea turtles and mammals). The primary impacts include ingestion and entanglement, and there is increasing concern about chemical contamination via ingestion. Numerous survey approaches and monitoring programs have been developed and implemented around the world. They may aim to provide data about parameters such as species distribution and interactions with anthropogenic activities. During the Sixth International Marine Debris Conference, a session was dedicated to the tools and constraints in monitoring interactions between litter and megafauna. In the present paper, we summarize 7 case studies which discuss entanglement and ingestion including macro- and micro-debris in several taxa and across multiple geographic regions. We then discusses the importance of tools and standardizing methods for assessment and management purposes, in the context of international environmental policies and marine litter strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Claro
- Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, UMS 2006 AFB MNHN CNRS CP41, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France.
| | - M C Fossi
- Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - C Ioakeimidis
- Mediterranean Pollution Assessment and Control Programme (MED POL), UN Environment/Mediterranean Action Plan Coordinating Unit, Barcelona Convention Secretariat, Vas. Konstantinou 48, Athens 11635, Greece
| | - M Baini
- Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - A L Lusher
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - W Mc Fee
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - R R McIntosh
- Research Department, Phillip Island Nature Parks, P.O. Box 97, Cowes, VIC 3922, Australia
| | - T Pelamatti
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR-IPN), Av. IPN s/n, Colonia Playa Palo de Santa Rita, C.P. 23096 La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico; Pelagios Kakunja A.C., Sinaloa 1540, Las Garzas, 23070 La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | - M Sorce
- Harvard University, 15 Sanger Street, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - F Galgani
- IFREMER, Immeuble Agostini, ZI Furiani, 20600 Bastia, France
| | - B D Hardesty
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, GPO Box 1538, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
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Callan LM, La Sorte FA, Martin TE, Rohwer VG. Higher Nest Predation Favors Rapid Fledging at the Cost of Plumage Quality in Nestling Birds. Am Nat 2019; 193:717-724. [PMID: 31002573 DOI: 10.1086/702856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
High predation risk can favor rapid offspring development at the expense of offspring quality. Impacts of rapid development on phenotypic quality should be most readily expressed in traits that minimize fitness costs. We hypothesize that ephemeral traits that are replaced or repaired after a short period of life might express trade-offs in quality as a result of rapid development more strongly than traits used throughout life. We explored this idea for plumage quality in nestling body feathers, an ephemeral trait. We found a strong trade-off whereby nestlings that spend less time in the nest produced lower-quality plumage with less dense barbs relative to adults across 123 temperate and tropical species. For a subset of these species ( n=67 ), we found that variation in the risk of nest predation explained additional variation in plumage quality beyond development time. Ultimately, the fitness costs of a poor-quality ephemeral trait, such as nestling body feathers, may be outweighed by the fitness benefits of shorter development times that reduce predation risk. At the same time, reduced resource allocation to traits with small fitness costs, such as ephemeral traits, may ameliorate resource constraints from rapid development on traits with larger fitness impacts.
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Kenow KP, Houdek SC, Fara LJ, Erickson RA, Gray BR, Harrison TJ, Monson BA, Henderson CL. Patterns of mercury and selenium exposure in minnesota common loons. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019; 38:524-532. [PMID: 30548335 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Common loons (Gavia immer) are at risk of elevated dietary mercury (Hg) exposure in portions of their breeding range. To assess the level of risk among loons in Minnesota (USA), we investigated loon blood Hg concentrations in breeding lakes across Minnesota. Loon blood Hg concentrations were regressed on predicted Hg concentrations in standardized 12-cm whole-organism yellow perch (Perca flavescens), based on fish Hg records from Minnesota lakes, using the US Geological Survey National Descriptive Model for Mercury in Fish. A linear model, incorporating common loon sex, age, body mass, and log-transformed standardized perch Hg concentration representative of each study lake, was associated with 83% of the variability in observed common loon blood Hg concentrations. Loon blood Hg concentration was positively related to standardized perch Hg concentrations; juvenile loons had lower blood Hg concentrations than adult females, and blood Hg concentrations of juveniles increased with body mass. Blood Hg concentrations of all adult common loons and associated standardized prey Hg for all loon capture lakes included in the study were well below proposed thresholds for adverse effects on loon behavior, physiology, survival, and reproductive success. The fish Hg modeling approach provided insights into spatial patterns of dietary Hg exposure risk to common loons across Minnesota. We also determined that loon blood selenium (Se) concentrations were positively correlated with Hg concentration. Average common loon blood Se concentrations exceeded the published provisional threshold. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:524-532. Published 2018 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin P Kenow
- Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, US Geological Survey, La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Steven C Houdek
- Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, US Geological Survey, La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Luke J Fara
- Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, US Geological Survey, La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Richard A Erickson
- Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, US Geological Survey, La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Brian R Gray
- Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, US Geological Survey, La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Travis J Harrison
- Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, US Geological Survey, La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Bruce A Monson
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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Bolívar P, Guéguen L, Duret L, Ellegren H, Mugal CF. GC-biased gene conversion conceals the prediction of the nearly neutral theory in avian genomes. Genome Biol 2019; 20:5. [PMID: 30616647 PMCID: PMC6322265 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-018-1613-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The nearly neutral theory of molecular evolution predicts that the efficacy of natural selection increases with the effective population size. This prediction has been verified by independent observations in diverse taxa, which show that life-history traits are strongly correlated with measures of the efficacy of selection, such as the dN/dS ratio. Surprisingly, avian taxa are an exception to this theory because correlations between life-history traits and dN/dS are apparently absent. Here we explore the role of GC-biased gene conversion on estimates of substitution rates as a potential driver of these unexpected observations. RESULTS We analyze the relationship between dN/dS estimated from alignments of 47 avian genomes and several proxies for effective population size. To distinguish the impact of GC-biased gene conversion from selection, we use an approach that accounts for non-stationary base composition and estimate dN/dS separately for changes affected or unaffected by GC-biased gene conversion. This analysis shows that the impact of GC-biased gene conversion on substitution rates can explain the lack of correlations between life-history traits and dN/dS. Strong correlations between life-history traits and dN/dS are recovered after accounting for GC-biased gene conversion. The correlations are robust to variation in base composition and genomic location. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows that gene sequence evolution across a wide range of avian lineages meets the prediction of the nearly neutral theory, the efficacy of selection increases with effective population size. Moreover, our study illustrates that accounting for GC-biased gene conversion is important to correctly estimate the strength of selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Bolívar
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Laurent Guéguen
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Biométrie Évolutive CNRS UMR 5558, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Laurent Duret
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Biométrie Évolutive CNRS UMR 5558, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Hans Ellegren
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Carina F. Mugal
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
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Lopez-Antia A, Ortiz-Santaliestra ME, Mougeot F, Camarero PR, Mateo R. Brood size is reduced by half in birds feeding on flutriafol-treated seeds below the recommended application rate. Environ Pollut 2018; 243:418-426. [PMID: 30216876 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.08.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Revised: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Despite the efforts of the European Commission to implement measures that offset the detrimental effects of agricultural intensification, farmland bird populations continue to decline. Pesticide use has been pointed out as a major cause of decline, with growing concern about those agro-chemicals that act as endocrine disruptors. We report here on the effects of flutriafol, a ubiquitous systemic fungicide used for cereal seed treatment, on the physiology and reproduction of a declining gamebird. Captive red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa; n = 11-13 pairs per treatment) were fed wheat treated with 0%, 20% or 100% of the flutriafol application rate during 25 days in late winter. We studied treatment effects on the reproductive performance, carotenoid-based coloration and cellular immune responsiveness of adult partridges, and their relationship with changes in oxidative stress biomarkers and plasma biochemistry. We also studied the effect of parental exposure on egg antioxidant content and on the survival, growth and cellular immune response of offspring. Exposed partridges experienced physiological effects (reduced levels of cholesterol and triglycerides), phenotypical effects (a reduction in the carotenoid-based pigmentation of their eye rings), and most importantly, severe adverse effects on reproduction: a reduced clutch size and fertile egg ratio, and an overall offspring production reduced by more than 50%. No effects on body condition or cellular immune response of either exposed adult or their surviving offspring were observed. These results, together with previous data on field exposure in wild partridges, demonstrate that seed treatment with flutriafol represents a risk for granivorous birds; they also highlight a need to improve the current regulation system used for foreseeing and preventing negative impacts of Plant Protection Products on wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Lopez-Antia
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group (BECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium; Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain.
| | - Manuel E Ortiz-Santaliestra
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - François Mougeot
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Pablo R Camarero
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Rafael Mateo
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
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Abstract
A number of studies indicate that tropical arthropods should be particularly vulnerable to climate warming. If these predictions are realized, climate warming may have a more profound impact on the functioning and diversity of tropical forests than currently anticipated. Although arthropods comprise over two-thirds of terrestrial species, information on their abundance and extinction rates in tropical habitats is severely limited. Here we analyze data on arthropod and insectivore abundances taken between 1976 and 2012 at two midelevation habitats in Puerto Rico's Luquillo rainforest. During this time, mean maximum temperatures have risen by 2.0 °C. Using the same study area and methods employed by Lister in the 1970s, we discovered that the dry weight biomass of arthropods captured in sweep samples had declined 4 to 8 times, and 30 to 60 times in sticky traps. Analysis of long-term data on canopy arthropods and walking sticks taken as part of the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research program revealed sustained declines in abundance over two decades, as well as negative regressions of abundance on mean maximum temperatures. We also document parallel decreases in Luquillo's insectivorous lizards, frogs, and birds. While El Niño/Southern Oscillation influences the abundance of forest arthropods, climate warming is the major driver of reductions in arthropod abundance, indirectly precipitating a bottom-up trophic cascade and consequent collapse of the forest food web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradford C Lister
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic University, Troy, NY 12180;
| | - Andres Garcia
- Estación de Biología Chamela, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 47152 Chamela, Jalisco, Mexico
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Naz S, Tanveer A, Abrar M, Ashraf A. Behavioral activity patterns of adult and juvenile Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) with alteration of climatic pattern at Uchalli Lake, Punjab, Pakistan. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2018; 25:30132-30138. [PMID: 30145766 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-2994-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A study was carried out at Uchalli Lake, District Khushab on Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) to find their behavioral activity pattern. The hypothesis that local climatic temperature affects the wintering behavior of Greater Flamingos was tested. Data were collected for a period of 3 days in March and 10 days in April using focal animal analysis. Each day was divided into four periods (7-8 a.m., 10-11 a.m., 1-2 p.m., and 4-5 p.m.). Activity patterns included characters like feeding, resting, flying, walking, preening, aggression, and alert. Results showed that feeding was the major activity for adults (51.06%) and juveniles (56.51%). Juveniles spent more time (t = - 2.02, p < 0.05) feeding than adults. There was a highly significant difference (t = 3.20, p < 0.01) in alert between adults and juveniles across time periods. Adults spent more time alert (8.3%) than juveniles (4.49%). Only aggression and alert in adults and walking and alert in juveniles was found significantly correlated to change with temperature. The findings of the present study highlighted the need of in-depth eco-ethological study of Greater Flamingo and hydrology of wetland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shabana Naz
- Department of Zoology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
| | - Arnab Tanveer
- Department of Zoology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Abrar
- Department of Zoology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Punjab Wildlife Department, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Asma Ashraf
- Department of Zoology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
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26
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Squires KA, Bunnell FL. Early breeders choose differently - Refining measures of habitat quality for the yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius), a keystone species in the mixedwood boreal forest. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0203683. [PMID: 30208081 PMCID: PMC6135400 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the prevalent use of nest-site selection studies to define habitat quality for birds, many studies relying on use-availability analysis have found poor correlations between selected vegetation and reproductive success. Using 3 years of data from northeastern British Columbia (2007–2009), we determined timing of breeding from hatching dates and contrasted the nest-site selection of earlier (n = 22) with later-nesting pairs (n = 36) of yellow-bellied sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus varius), because early breeders were expected to be more reproductively successful. We then compared these choices with those identified from use-availability analysis, and determined whether reproductive performance (fledgling production) was related to selected vegetation. None of the vegetation characteristics selected for nest sites from available vegetation predicted reproductive performance. Earlier-nesting pairs fledged more young on average than later breeders (4.41, SE = 0.18 versus 3.92, SE = 0.16), and chose less decayed aspen trees for nesting, that were surrounded on average by 3 times the number of food trees (paper birch, Betula papyrifera). Potential preference for birch trees was masked in the use-availability analysis, because the selection rate was dominated by the choices of the larger number of later-nesting pairs. Similarly, the majority (69%) of nest cavity entrances faced south, but earlier breeding pairs excavated northward-oriented cavities more frequently than did later breeding pairs, which strongly predicted their higher fledgling production. To our knowledge, our study is the first to compare the choices of early versus later breeders to test the efficacy of use-availability studies in defining habitat quality. We found that use-availability analysis was inadequate for determining vegetation characteristics related to reproductive performance. In contrast, measuring the distinct preferences of earlier breeders resulted in an improved ability to measure habitat quality and explain the spatial distribution of yellow-bellied sapsuckers, a keystone species of the mixedwood boreal forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly A. Squires
- School of Resource and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Fred L. Bunnell
- Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Zhang W, Liu T, Cheng K, Rummy P. Declining water depth delayed the breeding time of Fulica atra, not human disturbance. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0202684. [PMID: 30157235 PMCID: PMC6114854 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Disturbances by tourists have been considered to delay the breeding time of coots. In this study, we investigated the common coot (Fulica atra) from April to June in 2008, 2009 and 2012 around the Anbanghe Nature Reserve and Daqing Longfeng wetland of Heilongjiang Province. We evaluated the correlations of four habitat factors (water depth under coots’ nests, distance of nests to banks, distance of nests to human disturbance and nest coverage) to discuss the impacts of those factors on the breeding time of the coots. The water depth under the nest was significantly correlated with the coots’ breeding stages in the Anbanghe wetland. In addition, we investigated the breeding dates of 56 pairs of coots and found the dates were significantly negatively correlated with the water levels under the nest for both of the wetlands. However, the breeding time (breeding stages and dates) of coots was not significantly related to the distance of the nest to disturbance, distance to the bank of the lake or the nest coverage. The LME models and GAMs that related breeding time to water level received the greatest support. For the GAM, in the group with a clear breeding date, water level was the most influential variable; in the group for which only breeding stages could be recognized, nest coverage combined with water level had a lower AICc value than water depth itself. In conclusion, we found no clear evidence to indicate that disturbances from tourism delayed the breeding time of the coots; however, the water level had a clear influence on the breeding time. We inferred that reproduction was delayed in order to wait for the improvement of habitat conditions (such as food resource and concealment). Neither water level nor disturbance impacted the reproductive output of the coots as these variables showed no clear relationships with the clutch size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Zhang
- Center for Wildlife Resources Conservation Research, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
- College of Wildlife Resources, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Tao Liu
- Center for Wildlife Resources Conservation Research, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
| | - Kun Cheng
- College of Wildlife Resources, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Paul Rummy
- Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Pimm SL, Jenkins CN, Li BV. How to protect half of Earth to ensure it protects sufficient biodiversity. Sci Adv 2018; 4:eaat2616. [PMID: 30167461 PMCID: PMC6114985 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aat2616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
It is theoretically possible to protect large fractions of species in relatively small regions. For plants, 85% of species occur entirely within just over a third of the Earth's land surface, carefully optimized to maximize the species captured. Well-known vertebrate taxa show similar patterns. Protecting half of Earth might not be necessary, but would it be sufficient given the current trends of protection? The predilection of national governments is to protect areas that are "wild," that is, typically remote, cold, or arid. Unfortunately, those areas often hold relatively few species. Wild places likely afford the easier opportunities for the future expansion of protected areas, with the expansion into human-dominated landscapes the greater challenge. We identify regions that are not currently protected, but that are wild, and consider which of them hold substantial numbers of especially small-ranged vertebrate species. We assess how successful the strategy of protecting the wilder half of Earth might be in conserving biodiversity. It is far from sufficient. (Protecting large wild places for reasons other than biodiversity protection, such as carbon sequestration and other ecosystem services, might still have importance.) Unexpectedly, we also show that, despite the bias in establishing large protected areas in wild places to date, numerous small protected areas are in biodiverse places. They at least partially protect significant fractions of especially small-ranged species. So, while a preoccupation with protecting large areas for the sake of getting half of Earth might achieve little for biodiversity, there is more progress in protecting high-biodiversity areas than currently appreciated. Continuing to prioritize the right parts of Earth, not just the total area protected, is what matters for biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart L. Pimm
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Clinton N. Jenkins
- IPÊ–Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas, Nazaré Paulista, São Paulo 12960-000, Brazil
| | - Binbin V. Li
- Environmental Research Centre, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, Jiangsu 215316, China
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29
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Misztal-Szkudlińska M, Kalisińska E, Szefer P, Konieczka P, Namieśnik J. Mercury concentration and the absolute and relative sizes of the internal organs in cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo (L. 1758) from the breeding colony by the Vistula Lagoon (Poland). Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2018; 154:118-126. [PMID: 29459161 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This work analyses the effect of mercury on the condition of cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) from an extensive breeding colony in northern Poland, the largest in Europe. A total of 55 birds (44 adults and 11 immature) were obtained. Total mercury (Hg) concentrations were measured in the liver, kidneys, breast muscles, heart, gullet (oesophagus), stomach, intestines, trachea, lungs and eyeballs. The total body mass (TBM) and empty body mass (EBM) were measured, and the body parts taken for analysis were weighed. The relative mass of the tissues and the L/K index were expressed as percentages. Based on the L/K index the birds were divided into three condition classes: (A) very good, (B) good and (C) moderate. The mean TBM and EBM in these cormorants were 2286 and 2184 g respectively. The greatest contributions to EBM were from the breast muscles (~11%), liver (3.7%) and intestines (3.0%). The stomach, gullet, lungs, heart and kidneys made up from ~1.0-2.8% EBM, and the trachea and eyeballs < 0.4%. 31 of the 55 birds analysed were allocated to class B; mean Hg levels in them were the highest in the kidneys, liver, lungs and muscles (18.3, 9.78, 2.70, 1.86 µg/g dw respectively); they were ≤ 1 µg/g in the other tissues. In ecotoxicology it is assumed that a hepatic concentration > 16.7 µg Hg/g dw can lead to adverse effects in the reproduction of non-marine birds. In the light of the present results, the reproductive parameters of the cormorants from the colony in northern Poland, though mostly in good or very good condition, may be depressed as a result of elevated Hg levels in their body tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elżbieta Kalisińska
- Department of Biology and Medical Parasitology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Piotr Szefer
- Department of Food Sciences Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Piotr Konieczka
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Faculty Gdansk University of Technology Gdansk, Poland
| | - Jacek Namieśnik
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Faculty Gdansk University of Technology Gdansk, Poland
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30
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Ahn J, Park J, Park D, Paek J, Ko J. Convolutional neural network-based classification system design with compressed wireless sensor network images. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196251. [PMID: 29738564 PMCID: PMC5940226 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
With the introduction of various advanced deep learning algorithms, initiatives for image classification systems have transitioned over from traditional machine learning algorithms (e.g., SVM) to Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) using deep learning software tools. A prerequisite in applying CNN to real world applications is a system that collects meaningful and useful data. For such purposes, Wireless Image Sensor Networks (WISNs), that are capable of monitoring natural environment phenomena using tiny and low-power cameras on resource-limited embedded devices, can be considered as an effective means of data collection. However, with limited battery resources, sending high-resolution raw images to the backend server is a burdensome task that has direct impact on network lifetime. To address this problem, we propose an energy-efficient pre- and post- processing mechanism using image resizing and color quantization that can significantly reduce the amount of data transferred while maintaining the classification accuracy in the CNN at the backend server. We show that, if well designed, an image in its highly compressed form can be well-classified with a CNN model trained in advance using adequately compressed data. Our evaluation using a real image dataset shows that an embedded device can reduce the amount of transmitted data by ∼71% while maintaining a classification accuracy of ∼98%. Under the same conditions, this process naturally reduces energy consumption by ∼71% compared to a WISN that sends the original uncompressed images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jungmo Ahn
- Department of Computer Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - JaeYeon Park
- Department of Computer Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Donghwan Park
- Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeongyeup Paek
- School of Computer Science & Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - JeongGil Ko
- Department of Computer Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail:
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31
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Monaghan P, Ozanne SE. Somatic growth and telomere dynamics in vertebrates: relationships, mechanisms and consequences. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20160446. [PMID: 29335370 PMCID: PMC5784066 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Much telomere loss takes place during the period of most rapid growth when cell proliferation and potentially energy expenditure are high. Fast growth is linked to reduced longevity. Therefore, the effects of somatic cell proliferation on telomere loss and cell senescence might play a significant role in driving the growth-lifespan trade-off. While different species will have evolved a growth strategy that maximizes lifetime fitness, environmental conditions encountered during periods of growth will influence individual optima. In this review, we first discuss the routes by which altered cellular conditions could influence telomere loss in vertebrates, with a focus on oxidative stress in both in vitro and in vivo studies. We discuss the relationship between body growth and telomere length, and evaluate the empirical evidence that this relationship is generally negative. We further discuss the potentially conflicting hypotheses that arise when other factors are taken into account, and the further work that needs to be undertaken to disentangle confounding variables.This article is part of the theme issue 'Understanding diversity in telomere dynamics'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Susan E Ozanne
- Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, Level 4, Box 289, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
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Youngren SM, Rapp DC, Hyrenbach KD. Plastic ingestion by Tristram's Storm-petrel (Oceanodroma tristrami) chicks from French frigate shoals, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Mar Pollut Bull 2018; 128:369-378. [PMID: 29571385 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.01.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 01/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This study provides the first quantification of plastic ingestion in the Tristram's Storm-petrel (Oceanodroma tristrami) in over 20 years. We found 100% plastic incidence in 57 chicks collected opportunistically over four breeding seasons (2007, 2010, 2011, 2012), with the mass of ingested plastic per individual ranging from 0.1 to 2.8 g (≤3.3% adult mass). While plastic occurred in every bird we examined, the proventriculus contained significantly more plastic, more fragments, and larger fragments than the gizzard. Most of the ingested plastic (97.5% by mass) consisted of fragments, ranging in length from 0.4 to 11.6 mm and ranging in surface area from 0.07 to 45.21 mm2. While fragments were ubiquitous, occurring in every proventriculus and gizzard we analyzed, Tristram's Storm-petrels also ingested foam, line and sheets. Digital analysis of 1425 ingested plastic fragments documented a wide range of colors, involving shades of white, yellow, orange, red, blue, green, and black.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Youngren
- Hawai'i Pacific University, Marine Science Programs at Oceanic Institute, 41-202 Kalaniana'ole Highway, Waimanalo, HI 96795, USA; Oikonos - Ecosystem Knowledge, P.O. Box 1918, Kailua, HI 96734, USA
| | - Daniel C Rapp
- Hawai'i Pacific University, Marine Science Programs at Oceanic Institute, 41-202 Kalaniana'ole Highway, Waimanalo, HI 96795, USA; Oikonos - Ecosystem Knowledge, P.O. Box 1918, Kailua, HI 96734, USA
| | - K David Hyrenbach
- Hawai'i Pacific University, Marine Science Programs at Oceanic Institute, 41-202 Kalaniana'ole Highway, Waimanalo, HI 96795, USA.
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Stenhouse IJ, Adams EM, Goyette JL, Regan KJ, Goodale MW, Evers DC. Changes in mercury exposure of marine birds breeding in the Gulf of Maine, 2008-2013. Mar Pollut Bull 2018; 128:156-161. [PMID: 29571358 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Revised: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a potent contaminant that can disrupt an organism's behavior and physiology, ultimately affecting reproductive success. Over the last 100 years, environmental deposition of anthropogenic sourced mercury has increased globally, particularly in the U.S. Northeast region. Marine birds are considered effective bioindicators of ecosystem health, including persistent marine contaminants. Goodale et al. (2008) found that mercury exposure exceeded adverse effects levels in some marine bird species breeding across the Gulf of Maine. We re-examined mercury contamination in four species identified as effective bioindicators. Compared with the previous sampling effort, inshore-feeding species showed significant increases in mercury exposure, while one pelagic-feeding species remained stable. This suggests that a major shift may have occurred in methylmercury availability in inshore waters of the Gulf of Maine. Understanding environmental mercury trends in the Gulf of Maine, and its significance to marine birds and other taxa will require a dedicated, standardized, long-term monitoring scheme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain J Stenhouse
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME 04103, United States.
| | - Evan M Adams
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME 04103, United States
| | - Jennifer L Goyette
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME 04103, United States
| | - Kevin J Regan
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME 04103, United States
| | - M Wing Goodale
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME 04103, United States
| | - David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME 04103, United States
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Avery-Gomm S, Provencher JF, Liboiron M, Poon FE, Smith PA. Plastic pollution in the Labrador Sea: An assessment using the seabird northern fulmar Fulmarus glacialis as a biological monitoring species. Mar Pollut Bull 2018; 127:817-822. [PMID: 29055560 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Plastic is now one among one of the most pervasive pollutants on the planet, and ocean circulation models predict that the Arctic will become another accumulation zone. As solutions to address marine plastic emerge, is essential that baselines are available to monitor progress towards targets. The northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), a widely-distributed seabird species, has been used as a biological monitor for plastic pollution in the North Sea, and could be a useful monitoring species elsewhere. We quantified plastic ingested by northern fulmars from the southeastern Canadian waters of the Labrador Sea with the objective of establishing a standardized baseline for future comparisons. Over two years we sampled 70 fulmars and found that 79% had ingested plastic, with an average of 11.6 pieces or 0.151g per bird. Overall, 34% of all fulmars exceeded the Ecological Quality Objective for marine litter, having ingested >0.1g of plastic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Avery-Gomm
- Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4103, Australia.
| | - Jennifer F Provencher
- Acadia University, Biology Department, 15 University Drive, Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Max Liboiron
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, Department of Geography, St. John's, Newfoundland A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Florence E Poon
- University of Toronto, Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Paul A Smith
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa K1S 5B6, Canada
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35
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Abstract
Pair collaborative behavior may play an important role in avian reproduction. However, evidence for this mainly comes from certain ecological groups (e.g. passerines). We studied the coordination of parents in foraging and its effect on food provisioning rate and chick growth in a small seabird, the Dovekie (Little auk, Alle alle). The species exhibits a dual foraging strategy, where provisioning adults make foraging trips of short (mean ~2 h; to provide food for the chick) and long duration (mean ~ 13 h; mainly for adults self-maintenance, although the food is also brought to the chick). We expected that offspring would benefit if parents coordinate their foraging patterns: one making short trips in the time when the other performing the long one. We examined this hypothesis using Monte Carlo randomization tests on field data collected during observations of individually marked birds. We found that parents did indeed adjust provisioning, making their long and short trips in an alternating pattern with respect to each other. Furthermore, we found that a higher level of coordination is associated with a lower variability in the duration of inter-feeding intervals, although this does not affect chick growth. Nevertheless, our results provide compelling evidence on the coordinated behavior of breeding partners.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcelo Araya-Salas
- New Mexico State University, Las Cruses, New Mexico, United States of America
- Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Dariusz Jakubas
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Biology, Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, Gdańsk, Poland
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Kakimoto K, Akutsu K, Nagayoshi H, Konishi Y, Kajimura K, Tsukue N, Yoshino T, Matsumoto F, Nakano T, Tang N, Hayakawa K, Toriba A. Persistent organic pollutants in red-crowned cranes (Grus japonensis) from Hokkaido, Japan. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2018; 147:367-372. [PMID: 28869886 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.08.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis) from eastern Hokkaido is classified as a Special Natural Monument in Japan. In this study, we determined the concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in red-crowned crane muscle tissues (n = 47). Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) had the highest median concentration (240ng/g lipid weight), followed by dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs) (150ng/g lipid weight), chlordane-related compounds (CHLs) (36ng/g lipid weight), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) (16ng/g lipid weight), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) (4.4ng/g lipid weight), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) (1.8ng/g lipid weight), and finally, Mirex (1.5ng/g lipid weight). Additionally, a positive correlation was found among POP concentrations. No sex differences beyond body parameters were observed. Additionally, red-crowned cranes exhibited a high enantiomeric excess of (+)-alpha-HCH, with enantiomer fractions varying from 0.51 to 0.87 (average: 0.69).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kensaku Kakimoto
- Osaka Institute of Public Health, 1-3-69, Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka 537-0025, Japan.
| | - Kazuhiko Akutsu
- Osaka Institute of Public Health, 1-3-69, Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka 537-0025, Japan
| | - Haruna Nagayoshi
- Osaka Institute of Public Health, 1-3-69, Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka 537-0025, Japan
| | - Yoshimasa Konishi
- Osaka Institute of Public Health, 1-3-69, Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka 537-0025, Japan
| | - Keiji Kajimura
- Osaka Institute of Public Health, 1-3-69, Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka 537-0025, Japan
| | - Naomi Tsukue
- Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Tomoo Yoshino
- Kushiro Zoo, Shimoninishibetsu-11 Akan-cho, Kushiro, Hokkaido 085-0201, Japan
| | - Fumio Matsumoto
- Kushiro Zoo, Shimoninishibetsu-11 Akan-cho, Kushiro, Hokkaido 085-0201, Japan
| | - Takeshi Nakano
- Research Center for Environmental Preservation, Osaka University, 2-4, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Ning Tang
- Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Kazuichi Hayakawa
- Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Akira Toriba
- Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
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Harr KE, Reavill DR, Bursian SJ, Cacela D, Cunningham FL, Dean KM, Dorr BS, Hanson-Dorr KC, Healy K, Horak K, Link JE, Shriner S, Schmidt RE. Organ weights and histopathology of double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) dosed orally or dermally with artificially weathered Mississippi Canyon 252 crude oil. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2017; 146:52-61. [PMID: 28734790 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Revised: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
A series of toxicity tests were conducted to assess the effects of low to moderate exposure to artificially weathered Deepwater Horizon Mississippi Canyon 252 crude oil on representative avian species as part of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment. The present report summarizes effects of oral exposure (n=26) of double-crested cormorants (DCCO; Phalacrocorax auritus) to 5 or 10ml oil kg-1 day-1 for up to 21 days or dermal application (n=25) of 13ml oil to breast and back feathers every three days totaling 6 applications in 21 days on organ weights and histopathology. Absolute and relative kidney and liver weights were increased in birds exposed to oil. Additionally, gross and/or histopathologic lesions occurred in the kidney, heart, pancreas and thyroid. Clinically significant renal lesions in the orally dosed birds included squamous metaplasia and increased epithelial hypertrophy of the collecting ducts and renal tubules and mineralization in comparison to controls. Gross cardiac lesions including thin walls and flaccid musculature were documented in both orally and dermally dosed birds and myocardial fibrosis was found in low numbers of dermally dosed birds only. Cytoplasmic vacuolation of the exocrine pancreas was noted in orally dosed birds only. Thyroid follicular hyperplasia was increased in dermally dosed birds only possibly due to increased metabolism required to compensate damaged feather integrity and thermoregulate. Gastrointestinal ulceration was found in orally dosed birds only. There were no significant hepatic histopathologic lesions induced by either exposure route. Therefore, hepatic histopathology is likely not a good representation of oil-induced damage. Taken together, the results suggest that oral or dermal exposure of DCCOs to artificially weathered MC252 crude oil induced organ damage that could potentially affect survivability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Drury R Reavill
- Zoo/Exotic Pathology Service, 6020 Rutland Drive #14, Carmichael, CA 95608, USA.
| | - Steven J Bursian
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, 474 South Shaw Lane, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Dave Cacela
- Abt Associates, 1881 Ninth St., Ste 201, Boulder, CO 80302-5148, USA.
| | - Fred L Cunningham
- USDA WS National Wildlife Research Center, P.O. Box 6099, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA.
| | - Karen M Dean
- Abt Associates, 1881 Ninth St., Ste 201, Boulder, CO 80302-5148, USA.
| | - Brian S Dorr
- USDA WS National Wildlife Research Center, P.O. Box 6099, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA.
| | - Katie C Hanson-Dorr
- USDA WS National Wildlife Research Center, P.O. Box 6099, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA.
| | - Kate Healy
- DWH NRDAR Field Office, USFWS, 341 Greeno Road North, Suite A, Fairhope, AL 36532, USA.
| | - Katherine Horak
- USDA WS National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO 80521 USA.
| | - Jane E Link
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, 474 South Shaw Lane, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Susan Shriner
- USDA WS National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO 80521 USA.
| | - Robert E Schmidt
- Zoo/Exotic Pathology Service, 6020 Rutland Drive #14, Carmichael, CA 95608, USA.
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Gardner AM, Muturi EJ, Overmier LD, Allan BF. Large-Scale Removal of Invasive Honeysuckle Decreases Mosquito and Avian Host Abundance. Ecohealth 2017; 14:750-761. [PMID: 28779439 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-017-1265-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Invasive species rank second only to habitat destruction as a threat to native biodiversity. One consequence of biological invasions is altered risk of exposure to infectious diseases in human and animal populations. The distribution and prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases depend on the complex interactions between the vector, the pathogen, and the human or wildlife reservoir host. These interactions are highly susceptible to disturbance by invasive species, including terrestrial plants. We conducted a 2-year field experiment using a Before-After/Control-Impact design to examine how removal of invasive Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) in a forest fragment embedded within a residential neighborhood affects the abundance of mosquitoes, including two of the most important vectors of West Nile virus, Culex pipiens and Cx. restuans. We also assessed any potential changes in avian communities and local microclimate associated with Amur honeysuckle removal. We found that (1) removal of Amur honeysuckle reduces the abundance of both vector and non-vector mosquito species that commonly feed on human hosts, (2) the abundance and composition of avian hosts is altered by honeysuckle removal, and (3) areas invaded with honeysuckle support local microclimates that are favorable to mosquito survival. Collectively, our investigations demonstrate the role of a highly invasive understory shrub in determining the abundance and distribution of mosquitoes and suggest potential mechanisms underlying this pattern. Our results also give rise to additional questions regarding the general impact of invasive plants on vector-borne diseases and the spatial scale at which removal of invasive plants may be utilized to effect disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M Gardner
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, 5722 Deering Hall, Orono, ME, 04469, USA.
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
| | - Ephantus J Muturi
- Illinois Natural History Survey, 1816 S. Oak St., Champaign, IL, 61820, USA
- Crop Bioprotection Research Unit, USDA, ARS, 1815 N. University St., Peoria, IL, 61604, USA
| | - Leah D Overmier
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Brian F Allan
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
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Abstract
The early life stages represent a crucial period that can strongly influence population dynamics. We studied the development of foraging behaviour in the red-footed booby, a tropical seabird with an extensive post-fledging care period (3 to 6 months). Adults and juveniles were observed from shore and tracked at sea using GPS loggers over 3 consecutive 12-day periods. Juveniles initially made a majority of flights inland, likely to practice flying, and formed groups of up to 10 juveniles before making short trips at sea. They left the island later and returned earlier than the adults, allowing them to be fed on the nest. Over time, juveniles left the colony alone more frequently and increased the range of their trips while remaining significantly closer to the colony than the adults. They spent more time intensively foraging (slow and sinuous trajectory) than adults, which could reflect attempts to capture prey. Juveniles foraged independently of their parents but associated frequently with congeners, particularly during area-restricted search (ARS) behaviour. The extensive post-fledging care period observed may be explained by the need to develop proper foraging skills adapted to tropical waters, where resources are particularly scarce and unpredictable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loriane Mendez
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR7372 CNRS, Université de La Rochelle, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France.
| | - Aurélien Prudor
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR7372 CNRS, Université de La Rochelle, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR7372 CNRS, Université de La Rochelle, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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40
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Oliveira U, Vasconcelos MF, Santos AJ. Biogeography of Amazon birds: rivers limit species composition, but not areas of endemism. Sci Rep 2017; 7:2992. [PMID: 28592879 PMCID: PMC5462822 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03098-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Amazonian rivers are usually suggested as dispersal barriers, limiting biogeographic units. This is evident in a widely accepted Areas of Endemism (AoEs) hypothesis proposed for Amazonian birds. We empirically test this hypothesis based on quantitative analyses of species distribution. We compiled a database of bird species and subspecies distribution records, and used this dataset to identify AoEs through three different methods. Our results show that the currently accepted Amazonian AoEs are not consistent with areas identified, which were generally congruent among datasets and methods. Some Amazonian rivers represent limits of AoEs, but these areas are not congruent with those previously proposed. However, spatial variation in species composition is correlated with largest Amazonian rivers. Overall, the previously proposed Amazonian AoEs are not consistent with the evidence from bird distribution. However, the fact that major rivers coincide with breaks in species composition suggest they can act as dispersal barriers, though not necessarily for all bird taxa. This scenario indicates a more complex picture of the Amazonian bird distribution than previously imagined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ubirajara Oliveira
- Centro de Sensoriamento Remoto, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Av. Antonio Carlos 6627, CEP 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Av. Antonio Carlos 6627, CEP 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
| | - Marcelo F Vasconcelos
- Instituto Prístino, Rua Santa Maria Goretti, 86, Barreiro, CEP 30642-020, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Adalberto J Santos
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Av. Antonio Carlos 6627, CEP 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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41
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Morris L, Petch D, May D, Steele WK. Monitoring for a specific management objective: protection of shorebird foraging habitat adjacent to a waste water treatment plant. Environ Monit Assess 2017; 189:208. [PMID: 28386868 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-017-5924-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Intertidal invertebrates are often used in environmental monitoring programs as they are good indicators of water quality and an important food source for many species of fish and birds. We present data from a monitoring program where the primary aim is to report on the condition of the potential invertebrate prey abundance, biomass and diversity for migrating shorebirds on mudflats adjacent to a waste water treatment plant in a Ramsar listed wetland in Victoria, Australia. A key threat to the foraging habitat at this site has been assessed as a reduction in potential prey items as a result of the changes to the waste water treatment processes. We use control charts, which summarise data from intertidal mudflats across the whole shoreline of the adjacent waste water treatment plant, to elicit a management response when trigger levels are reached. We then examine data from replicate discharge and control sites to determine the most appropriate management response. The monitoring program sits within an adaptive management framework where management decisions are reviewed and the data is examined at different scales to evaluate and modify our models of the likely outcomes of management actions. This study provides a demonstration of the process undertaken in a year when trigger levels were reached and a management decision was required. This highlights the importance of monitoring data from a range of scales in reducing uncertainty and improving decision making in complex systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liz Morris
- Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and Management, School of Biosciences Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - David Petch
- GHD Pty Ltd, 43-45 Brougham Street, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
| | - David May
- GHD Pty Ltd, 43-45 Brougham Street, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
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Waugh SM, Poupart TA, Miskelly CM, Stahl JC, Arnould JPY. Human exploitation assisting a threatened species? The case of muttonbirders and Buller's albatross. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175458. [PMID: 28406981 PMCID: PMC5391021 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Albatrosses are flexible and adaptable predators, relying on live prey as well as carrion. Use of predictable food sources and reliance on human-produced resources are well-known trait in long-range feeders like albatrosses and petrels. Breeding Buller’s albatrosses studied at Solander I. (Hautere), New Zealand fed their chicks the remains of sooty shearwater juveniles (tītī in Māori), which are harvested from nearby muttonbirding sites. Evidence of this food type was found at over 10% of nests examined, and 17–40% birds that were fitted with GPS loggers visited muttonbirding sites in this and previous studies. Muttonbirding is a traditional practice that has continued for centuries, with up to 120 tonnes of offal discharged to the sea annually during the present day harvest. It coincides with the energetically-demanding early chick period for the albatrosses. Our finding suggests that the offal may be an important, but overlooked element in the albatross diet. As an important supplementary food for the albatrosses it is likely to have contributed to the 3% per annum growth of their populations since the first comprehensive population surveys in 1969.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan M. Waugh
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
| | - Timothée A. Poupart
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand
- Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
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Brooks AC, Fryer M, Lawrence A, Pascual J, Sharp R. Reflections on bird and mammal risk assessment for plant protection products in the European Union: Past, present, and future. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017; 36:565-575. [PMID: 28234406 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Revised: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The use of plant protection products on agricultural crops can result in exposure of birds and mammals to toxic chemicals. In the European Union, the risks from such exposures are assessed under the current (2009) guidance document from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), designed to increase the realism of the theoretical risk assessments in comparison to its predecessor (SANCO/4145/2000). Since its adoption over 7 yr ago, many plant protection products have been evaluated successfully using the 2009 EFSA guidance document. However, there are still significant areas of improvement recommended for future revisions of this guidance. The present Focus article discusses experiences to date with the current scheme, including levels of conservatism in input parameters and interpretation by regulatory authorities together with proposals for how the guidance document could be improved when it is revised in the not too distant future. Several areas for which further guidance is recommended have been identified, such as the derivation of ecologically relevant bird and mammal reproductive endpoints and the use of modeling approaches to contextualize risk assessments. Areas where existing databases could be improved were also highlighted, including the collation of relevant focal species across Europe and expansion of the residue database for food items. To produce a realistic and useable guidance document in the future, it is strongly recommended that there is open and constructive communication between industry, regulatory authorities, and the EFSA. Such collaboration would also encourage harmonization between member states, thus reducing workloads for both industry and regulatory authorities. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:565-575. © 2017 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy C Brooks
- Cambridge Environmental Assessments, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Mike Fryer
- Health and Safety Executive, York, United Kingdom
| | - Alan Lawrence
- Cambridge Environmental Assessments, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Fuchsman PC, Brown LE, Henning MH, Bock MJ, Magar VS. Toxicity reference values for methylmercury effects on avian reproduction: Critical review and analysis. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017; 36:294-319. [PMID: 27585374 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 05/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Effects of mercury (Hg) on birds have been studied extensively and with increasing frequency in recent years. The authors conducted a comprehensive review of methylmercury (MeHg) effects on bird reproduction, evaluating laboratory and field studies in which observed effects could be attributed primarily to Hg. The review focuses on exposures via diet and maternal transfer in which observed effects (or lack thereof) were reported relative to Hg concentrations in diet, eggs, or adult blood. Applicable data were identified for 23 species. From this data set, the authors identified ranges of toxicity reference values suitable for risk-assessment applications. Typical ranges of Hg effect thresholds are approximately 0.2 mg/kg to >1.4 mg/kg in diet, 0.05 mg/kg/d to 0.5 mg/kg/d on a dose basis, 0.6 mg/kg to 2.7 mg/kg in eggs, and 2.1 mg/kg to >6.7 mg/kg in parental blood (all concentrations on a wet wt basis). For Hg in avian blood, the review represents the first broad compilation of relevant toxicity data. For dietary exposures, the current data support TRVs that are greater than older, commonly used TRVs. The older diet-based TRVs incorporate conservative assumptions and uncertainty factors that are no longer justified, although they generally were appropriate when originally derived, because of past data limitations. The egg-based TRVs identified from the review are more similar to other previously derived TRVs but have been updated to incorporate new information from recent studies. While important research needs remain, a key recommendation is that species not yet tested for MeHg toxicity should be evaluated using toxicity data from tested species with similar body weights. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:294-319. © 2016 SETAC.
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45
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Vega ML, Willemoes M, Thomson RL, Tolvanen J, Rutila J, Samaš P, Strandberg R, Grim T, Fossøy F, Stokke BG, Thorup K. First-Time Migration in Juvenile Common Cuckoos Documented by Satellite Tracking. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0168940. [PMID: 28005960 PMCID: PMC5179092 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Being an obligate parasite, juvenile common cuckoos Cuculus canorus are thought to reach their African wintering grounds from Palearctic breeding grounds without guidance from experienced conspecifics but this has not been documented. We used satellite tracking to study naïve migrating common cuckoos. Juvenile cuckoos left breeding sites in Finland moving slowly and less consistently directed than adult cuckoos. Migration of the juveniles (N = 5) was initiated later than adults (N = 20), was directed toward the southwest-significantly different from the initial southeast direction of adults-and included strikingly long Baltic Sea crossings (N = 3). After initial migration of juvenile cuckoos toward Poland, the migration direction changed and proceeded due south, directly toward the winter grounds, as revealed by a single tag transmitting until arrival in Northwest Angola where northern adult cuckoos regularly winter. Compared to adults, the juvenile travelled straighter and faster, potentially correcting for wind drift along the route. That both migration route and timing differed from adults indicates that juvenile cuckoos are able to reach proper wintering grounds independently, guided only by their innate migration programme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Lomas Vega
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- * E-mail:
| | - Mikkel Willemoes
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Robert L. Thomson
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jere Tolvanen
- Department of Ecology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Jarkko Rutila
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Peter Samaš
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | | | - Tomáš Grim
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Frode Fossøy
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Sluppen, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Bård Gunnar Stokke
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Sluppen, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kasper Thorup
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Ahmadpour M, Lan-Hai L, Ahmadpour M, Hoseini SH, Mashrofeh A, Binkowski ŁJ. Mercury concentration in the feathers of birds from various trophic levels in Fereydunkenar International wetland (Iran). Environ Monit Assess 2016; 188:666. [PMID: 27838877 PMCID: PMC5107202 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-016-5671-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is one of the main global pollutants that may biomagnify in food nets, especially in wetlands. Birds may be useful in the biomonitoring of Hg in such habitats and may even serve in vivo samples. This paper examined Hg concentration in the feathers of seven bird species foraging on Fereydunkenar International wetland (in 2013). Mean Hg concentrations found ranged from 0.005 ± 0.002 μg g-1 d.w. (dry weight) (Common hoopoe) to 0.38 ± 0.047 μg g-1 d.w. (Greylag goose). Significant differences in Hg concentrations were noted between bird species as well as between trophic levels (one-way ANOVAs, p < 0.001). The decrease in mean Hg concentration in feathers was as follows: Greylag goose > Northern pintail ≥ Gadwall ≥ Mallard > Eurasian bittern ≥ Little bittern > Common hoopoe. The position in the trophic chain significantly influenced Hg concentrations, which were the highest in omnivorous species. Hg concentrations may also depend on migration routes and breeding habitats, but the evaluation of the exposure exceeds the ambit of this paper. The Hg concentrations found generally were low, lower than the safe thresholds reported in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mousa Ahmadpour
- College of Biology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Longpan Road 159, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Li Lan-Hai
- College of Biology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Longpan Road 159, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Mohsen Ahmadpour
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, 4913815739, Iran
| | - Seyed Hamid Hoseini
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Malayer, Malayer, 6751995863, Iran
| | - Abdolreza Mashrofeh
- Environmental Forensic Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Resource, Tarbiat Modares University, 64414-356, Noor, Iran
| | - Łukasz J Binkowski
- Institute of Biology, Pedagogical University of Cracow, Podbrzezie 3, 31-054, Krakow, Poland.
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Cuyckens GAE, Mochi LS, Vallejos M, Perovic PG, Biganzoli F. Patterns and Composition of Road-Killed Wildlife in Northwest Argentina. Environ Manage 2016; 58:810-820. [PMID: 27619944 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-016-0755-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Roads have important effects on wildlife, such as natural habitat fragmentation and degradation and direct killing of fauna, which leads to reductions in wildlife population size. We focused on a principal road in Northwest Argentina to test for the effect of seasonality and landscape features on the composition of road-killed wildlife. We conducted regularly scheduled road trips during the dry and wet seasons. We recorded the presence or absence of a vegetation curtain or hedge along the road. We measured land use by remote sensing in a 500 m buffer along the road. We compared the abundance of animals killed between seasons (dry and wet) for different taxonomic groups (mammals, birds and reptiles) and for different origins (domestic and native). We built linear mixed models to test the effect of landscape features on the abundance of killed animals. Two hundred and ninety-three individuals were killed, belonging to 35 species; 75.8 % were native and 24.2 % domestic species. The majority of animals killed were mid-sized mammals. More animals were killed during the dry season. The most important factors to explain the wildlife road-killing were the season and the proportion of agricultural landscape. The composition of the killed animals changed with the season. The proportion of agricultural landscape incremented the number of killed birds and mammals during both seasons, without affecting reptiles. The ratio of wild to domestic animals killed was dependent on the season. This study sets a precedent as the first in road ecology in Northwest Argentina and should be taken into account for road planning and regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Griet An Erica Cuyckens
- Centro de Estudios Territoriales Ambientales y Sociales (CETAS), Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina.
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Lucía Sol Mochi
- Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos y Sistemas de Información, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Vallejos
- Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos y Sistemas de Información, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Pablo Gastón Perovic
- Delegación Regional del Noroeste Argentino, Adnimistración de Parques Nacionales, Salta, Argentina
| | - Fernando Biganzoli
- Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos y Sistemas de Información, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Fagundes AI, Ramos JA, Ramos U, Medeiros R, Paiva VH. Breeding biology of a winter-breeding procellariiform in the North Atlantic, the Macaronesian shearwater Puffinus lherminieri baroli. ZOOLOGY 2016; 119:421-429. [PMID: 27353191 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2016.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2015] [Revised: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The breeding success of burrow-nesting seabirds may be influenced by both nest site characteristics and oceanographic conditions influencing food availability at sea. In this study we describe the breeding biology of the winter-breeding Macaronesian shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri baroli), including nest site characteristics and interspecific competition. We also evaluate the possible effects of changing oceanographic conditions on breeding phenology and breeding success. The study was carried out over two breeding seasons on two islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, Cima Islet and Selvagem Grande. Oceanographic characteristics differed between years. On a regional scale, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index was low and negative in 2011, and on a local scale, birds used areas with significantly lower values of chlorophyll a concentration and significantly higher values of sea surface temperature anomalies. Hatching success was higher in 2012 than in 2011. At both colonies, egg cracking was the main cause of hatching failure, but in 2011 several eggs on Selvagem Grande were deserted. In 2012 birds laid earlier and chicks had longer wings and were heavier. At both colonies, nests that were deeper, were sheltered from prevailing winds and had small chambers and a soil substrate had a higher probability of being used successfully by the birds. Nests occupied solely by Macaronesian shearwaters were much deeper and had less volume than nests shared with other species. Our study suggests that the breeding success of Macaronesian shearwaters is strongly related to nest site characteristics and that at-sea environmental conditions exert a strong influence on reproductive parameters, with birds breeding in a poor year (evaluated in terms of lower marine productivity) laying much later and their chicks growing at a slower rate than in a good year. The influence of nest site characteristics and environmental conditions may be very important for understanding the breeding ecology of Procellariiformes and may help explain the negative population trend of Macaronesian shearwaters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Isabel Fagundes
- Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves, Travessa das Torres 2A 1°, 9060-314 Funchal, Madeira, Portugal.
| | - Jaime A Ramos
- MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Urtelinda Ramos
- MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Renata Medeiros
- MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal; Cardiff School of Biosciences, Biomedical Sciences Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Vitor H Paiva
- MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
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Jackson A, Evers DC, Eagles-Smith CA, Ackerman JT, Willacker JJ, Elliott JE, Lepak JM, Vander Pol SS, Bryan CE. Mercury risk to avian piscivores across western United States and Canada. Sci Total Environ 2016; 568:685-696. [PMID: 26996522 PMCID: PMC5461577 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.02.197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2015] [Revised: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The widespread distribution of mercury (Hg) threatens wildlife health, particularly piscivorous birds. Western North America is a diverse region that provides critical habitat to many piscivorous bird species, and also has a well-documented history of mercury contamination from legacy mining and atmospheric deposition. The diversity of landscapes in the west limits the distribution of avian piscivore species, complicating broad comparisons across the region. Mercury risk to avian piscivores was evaluated across the western United States and Canada using a suite of avian piscivore species representing a variety of foraging strategies that together occur broadly across the region. Prey fish Hg concentrations were size-adjusted to the preferred size class of the diet for each avian piscivore (Bald Eagle=36cm, Osprey=30cm, Common and Yellow-billed Loon=15cm, Western and Clark's Grebe=6cm, and Belted Kingfisher=5cm) across each species breeding range. Using a combination of field and lab-based studies on Hg effect in a variety of species, wet weight blood estimates were grouped into five relative risk categories including: background (<0.5μg/g), low (0.5-1μg/g), moderate (1-2μg/g), high (2-3μg/g), and extra high (>3μg/g). These risk categories were used to estimate potential mercury risk to avian piscivores across the west at a 1degree-by-1degree grid cell resolution. Avian piscivores foraging on larger-sized fish generally were at a higher relative risk to Hg. Habitats with a relatively high risk included wetland complexes (e.g., prairie pothole in Saskatchewan), river deltas (e.g., San Francisco Bay, Puget Sound, Columbia River), and arid lands (Great Basin and central Arizona). These results indicate that more intensive avian piscivore sampling is needed across Western North America to generate a more robust assessment of exposure risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allyson Jackson
- Oregon State University, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
| | - David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME 04103, USA
| | - Collin A Eagles-Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, CA 95620, USA
| | - James J Willacker
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - John E Elliott
- Environment Canada Science and Technology Branch, Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, Delta, British Columbia V4K 3N2, Canada
| | - Jesse M Lepak
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 317 West Prospect Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - Stacy S Vander Pol
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Colleen E Bryan
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
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Murchison CR, Zharikov Y, Nol E. Human Activity and Habitat Characteristics Influence Shorebird Habitat Use and Behavior at a Vancouver Island Migratory Stopover Site. Environ Manage 2016; 58:386-398. [PMID: 27357808 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-016-0727-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, has 16 km of coastal beaches that attract many thousands of people and shorebirds (S.O. Charadrii) every year. To identify locations where shorebirds concentrate and to determine the impact of human activity and habitat characteristics on shorebirds, we conducted shorebird and visitor surveys at 20 beach sectors (across 20 total km of beach) during fall migration in 2011-2014 and spring migration in 2012 and 2013. Using zero-inflated negative binomial regression and a model selection approach, we found that beach width and number of people influenced shorebird use of beach sectors (Bayesian information criterion weight of top model = 0.69). Shorebird absence from beaches was associated with increasing number of people (parameter estimate from top model: 0.38; 95 % CI 0.19, 0.57) and decreasing beach width (parameter estimate: -0.32; 95 % CI -0.47, -0.17). Shorebirds spent more time at wider beaches (parameter estimate: 0.68; 95 % CI 0.49, 0.87). Close proximity to people increased the proportion of time shorebirds spent moving, while shorebirds spent more time moving and less time foraging on wider beaches than on narrower ones. Shorebird disturbance increased with proximity of people, activity speed, and presence of dogs. Based on our findings, management options, for reducing shorebird disturbance at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and similar shorebird stopover areas, include mandatory buffer distances between people and shorebirds, restrictions on fast-moving activities (e.g., running, biking), prohibiting dogs, and seasonal closures of wide beach sections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen R Murchison
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada.
- Nunavut Field Unit, Parks Canada, Box 278, Iqaluit, NU, X0A 0H0, Canada.
| | - Yuri Zharikov
- Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Box 280, Ucluelet, BC, V0R 3A0, Canada
| | - Erica Nol
- Biology Department and Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9L 0G2, Canada
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