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Kucharska K, Binkowski ŁJ, Dudzik K, Barker J, Barton S, Rupérez D, Hahn A. Temporal and spatial trends in lead levels in the blood and down of Black Stork nestlings in central Europe. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 900:165758. [PMID: 37495121 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Young birds at an intensive growth stage are especially vulnerable to the deleterious effects of contaminants such as lead (Pb). This element negatively influences organs, development and even behavior, which can consequently lead to lower survival and reproductive success of the population. There was a suspicion that these mechanisms, along with other factors, retarded population growth of the Black Stork - still a heavily understudied species in respect to pollution, especially Pb. Therefore, we undertook a study concerning Pb concentrations in the down and blood of Black Stork nestlings from breeding grounds in central and southern Poland (Europe). To investigate the effects of Pb exposure on nestling condition, scale mass index and reduced glutathione levels were also studied, but results indicated that Pb did not influence either of these parameters. The highest blood Pb concentration reached 0.247 μg/g, while the highest down Pb concentrations was significantly higher reaching 4.95 μg/g. Concentrations in blood and down were not correlated with each other. Nest location and year of sampling were not influential for blood but were influential for down Pb concentrations. Relationships between Pb concentrations, habitat characteristics and proximity to emitters were not significant. Overall Pb concentrations in Black Stork nestlings were below the toxicity threshold and did not have negative effects on specimens studied. They were probably related to maternal exposure during migration, on stopover and breeding grounds as well as with food provided by parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Kucharska
- Institute of Biology and Earth Sciences, Pedagogical University of Krakow, Podchorążych 2, 30-084 Krakow, Poland.
| | - Łukasz J Binkowski
- Institute of Biology and Earth Sciences, Pedagogical University of Krakow, Podchorążych 2, 30-084 Krakow, Poland.
| | - Krzysztof Dudzik
- Eagle Conservation Committee, K. Jagiellończyka 45, 10-062 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - James Barker
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, KT1 2EE Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, UK.
| | - Stephen Barton
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, KT1 2EE Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, UK.
| | - David Rupérez
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, KT1 2EE Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, UK.
| | - Andreas Hahn
- School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, KT1 2EE Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, UK.
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2
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Ponomareva NM, Popova ON, Yurlova NI. Odonata (Insecta) Larvae as the Second Intermediate Hosts of the Trematodes of Genus Plagiorchis in the Basin of Chany Lake, Western Siberia. CONTEMP PROBL ECOL+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1995425522060117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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3
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Diet composition and diversity does not explain fewer, smaller urban nestlings. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264381. [PMID: 35231042 PMCID: PMC8887731 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The reproductive success of animals breeding in cities is often lower compared to counterparts that inhabit rural, suburban, and peri-urban areas. Urban dwelling may be especially costly for offspring development and survival. Diet composition and diversity may underlie factors that lead to lower fitness, particularly if prey abundance and quality decline in modified environments. Moreover, breeding success may change over the course of a season, an effect that may be augmented in urban areas. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that habitat and date affected nestling house wren (Troglodytes aedon) body condition and survival, and examined whether diet explained differences in nestling success. We monitored urban and rural populations of house wrens breeding in nest boxes, and tested whether clutch size, nestling survivorship, and nestling body condition varied by habitat or by date, and then characterized the diet of a subset of nestlings with DNA metabarcoding of fecal samples. Urbanization had clear impacts on house wren nestling fitness: urban broods contained fewer, smaller nestlings. Early nestling survival decreased as the breeding season progressed, and this effect was more pronounced in the urban population. However, the diets of urban and rural nestlings were similar and did not explain differences in body condition. Instead, across populations, diet changed with date, becoming less diverse, with fewer Lepidoptera and more Orthoptera. Regardless of habitat, adult house wrens provide nestlings with similar types of foods, but other factors, such as quantity or quality of prey delivered, may lead to fitness disparities between urban and rural nestlings.
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4
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Antonson ND, Hauber ME, Schelsky WM, Scharf HM, Bulluck L, Viverette C, Pirro S, Boves TJ. The Complete Genome Sequence of Protonotaria citrea, the Prothonotary Warbler. BIODIVERSITY GENOMES 2022; 2022:10.56179/001c.38920. [PMID: 36381539 PMCID: PMC9645680 DOI: 10.56179/001c.38920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
The Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) is a nearctic-neotropical migratory songbird that breeds in forested swamps and riparian areas in the eastern-central United States and southern Ontario. It is the sole eastern North American wood-warbler that nests in cavities, the only species in the genus Protonotaria, and is one of the few hole-nesting hosts of the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater), an obligate brood parasite. We present the whole genome sequence of this wood-warbler species. Illumina sequencing was performed on a genetic sample from a single female individual. The reads were assembled using a de novo method followed by a finishing step. The raw and assembled data is publicly available via Genbank: Sequence Read Archive (SRR19579445) and Assembly (JAOYNP000000000).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas D Antonson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
| | - Wendy M Schelsky
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
| | - Hannah M Scharf
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
| | - Lesley Bulluck
- Center for Environmental Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | | | | | - Than J Boves
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University
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5
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Twining CW, Parmar TP, Mathieu-Resuge M, Kainz MJ, Shipley JR, Martin-Creuzburg D. Use of Fatty Acids From Aquatic Prey Varies With Foraging Strategy. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.735350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Across ecosystems, resources vary in their nutritional composition and thus their dietary value to consumers. Animals can either access organic compounds, such as fatty acids, directly from diet or through internal biosynthesis, and the extent to which they use these two alternatives likely varies based on the availability of such compounds across the nutritional landscape. Cross-ecosystem subsidies of important dietary nutrients, like omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA), may provide consumers with the opportunity to relax the demands of synthesis and rely upon dietary flexibility rather than internal metabolic processes. Here, we examined how dietary flexibility and distance from a lake influenced the degree to which generalist insectivores relied upon dietary n-3 LC-PUFA from emergent aquatic insects versus n-3 LC-PUFA synthesized from precursor compounds found in terrestrial insects. We used bulk and compound-specific stable isotope analyses to understand spider and insectivorous bird (Blue Tit; Cyanistes caeruleus) reliance on aquatic and terrestrial resources, including dietary PUFA sources, along a riparian to upland gradient from a lake. We simultaneously investigated n-3 LC-PUFA synthesis ability in nestlings using 13C fatty acid labeling. We found that riparian spiders took advantage of emergent aquatic insect subsidies, deriving their overall diet and their n-3 PUFA from aquatic resources whereas nestling birds at all distances and upland spiders relied upon terrestrial resources, including PUFA. Our 13C labeling experiment demonstrated that nestling tits were able to synthesize the n-3 LC-PUFA docosahexaenoic acid from the dietary precursor α-linolenic acid, suggesting that they are not limited by aquatic resources to satisfy their LC-PUFA requirements. Overall, this study suggests that habitat generalist insectivores vary in the degree to which they can shift diet to take advantage of high-quality aquatic resources depending upon both their foraging flexibility and internal synthesis capacity.
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6
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Bourne AR, Ridley AR, Spottiswoode CN, Cunningham SJ. Direct and indirect effects of high temperatures on fledging in a cooperatively breeding bird. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
High temperatures and low rainfall consistently constrain reproduction in arid-zone bird species. Understanding the mechanisms underlying this pattern is critical for predicting how climate change will influence population persistence and to inform conservation and management. In this study, we analyzed Southern Pied Babbler Turdoides bicolor nestling survival, daily growth rate and adult investment behavior during the nestling period over three austral summer breeding seasons. High temperatures were associated with lower body mass, shorter tarsi, and reduced daily growth rates of nestlings. Our piecewise structural equation models suggested that direct impacts of temperature had the strongest influence on nestling size and daily growth rates for both 5-day-old and 11-day-old nestlings, followed by temperature-related adjustments to provisioning rates by adults. Rainfall and group size influenced the behavior of provisioning adults but did not influence nestling growth or survival. Adjustments to adult provisioning strategies did not compensate for direct negative effects of high air temperatures on nestling size or daily growth rates. Detailed mechanistic data like these allow us to model the pathways by which high temperature causes nest failure. In turn, this could allow us to design targeted conservation action to effectively mitigate climate effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda R Bourne
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Amanda R Ridley
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Hackett Drive, Crawley, Perth WA, Australia
| | - Claire N Spottiswoode
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Susan J Cunningham
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
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7
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Jackson AK, Eagles‐Smith CA, Robinson WD. Differential reliance on aquatic prey subsidies influences mercury exposure in riparian arachnids and songbirds. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:7003-7017. [PMID: 34141271 PMCID: PMC8207155 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cross-ecosystem subsidies move substantial amounts of nutrients between ecosystems. Emergent aquatic insects are a particularly important prey source for riparian songbirds but may also move aquatic contaminants, such as mercury (Hg), to riparian food webs. While many studies focus on species that eat primarily emergent aquatic insects, we instead study riparian songbirds with flexible foraging strategies, exploiting both aquatic and terrestrial prey sources. The goal in this study is to trace reliance on aquatic prey sources and correlate it to Hg concentrations in common riparian arachnids (Families Tetragnathidae, Opiliones, and Salticidae) and songbirds (Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas, Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus, Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus, Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia, and Yellow Warbler Setophaga petechia). We used stable isotopes of δ13C and δ15N and Bayesian mixing models in MixSIAR to determine the reliance of riparian predators on aquatic prey sources. Using mixed effects models, we found that arachnid families varied in their reliance on aquatic prey sources. While songbird species varied in their reliance on aquatic prey sources, songbirds sampled earlier in the season consistently relied more on aquatic prey sources than those sampled later in the season. For both arachnids and songbirds, we found a positive correlation between the amount of the aquatic prey source in their diet and their Hg concentrations. While the seasonal pulse of aquatic prey to terrestrial ecosystems is an important source of nutrients to riparian species, our results show that aquatic prey sources are linked with higher Hg exposure. For songbirds, reliance on aquatic prey sources early in the breeding season (and subsequent higher Hg exposure) coincides with timing of egg laying and development, both of which may be impacted by Hg exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allyson K. Jackson
- Environmental Studies DepartmentPurchase CollegeSUNYPurchaseNYUSA
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeOregon State UniversityCorvallisORUSA
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8
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Pilecky M, Závorka L, Arts MT, Kainz MJ. Omega-3 PUFA profoundly affect neural, physiological, and behavioural competences - implications for systemic changes in trophic interactions. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2127-2145. [PMID: 34018324 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, much conceptual thinking in trophic ecology has been guided by theories of nutrient limitation and the flow of elements, such as carbon and nitrogen, within and among ecosystems. More recently, ecologists have also turned their attention to examining the value of specific dietary nutrients, in particular polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), among which the omega-3 PUFA, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) play a central role as essential components of neuronal cell membranes in many organisms. This review focuses on a new neuro-ecological approach stemming from the biochemical (mechanistic) and physiological (functional) role of DHA in neuronal cell membranes, in particular in conjunction with G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). We link the co-evolution of these neurological functions to metabolic dependency on dietary omega-3 PUFA. We outline ways in which deficiencies in dietary DHA supply may affect, cognition, vision, and behaviour, and ultimately, the biological fitness of consumers. We then review emerging evidence that changes in access to dietary omega-3 PUFA may ultimately have profound impacts on trophic interactions leading to potential changes in community structure and ecosystem functioning that, in turn, may affect the supply of DHA within and across ecosystems, including the supply for human consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Pilecky
- WasserCluster Lunz - Biologische Station, Inter-University Center for Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Dr. Carl-Kupelwieser Promenade 5, Lunz am See, 3293, Austria.,Department of Biomedical Research, Donau-Universität Krems, Dr. Karl Dorrek-Straße 30, Krems, 3500, Austria
| | - Libor Závorka
- WasserCluster Lunz - Biologische Station, Inter-University Center for Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Dr. Carl-Kupelwieser Promenade 5, Lunz am See, 3293, Austria
| | - Michael T Arts
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Martin J Kainz
- WasserCluster Lunz - Biologische Station, Inter-University Center for Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Dr. Carl-Kupelwieser Promenade 5, Lunz am See, 3293, Austria.,Department of Biomedical Research, Donau-Universität Krems, Dr. Karl Dorrek-Straße 30, Krems, 3500, Austria
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9
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Scharf HM, Hauber ME, Mommer BC, Hoover JP, Schelsky WM. The effect of avian brood parasitism on physiological responses of host nestlings. Oecologia 2021; 195:861-872. [PMID: 33709254 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04888-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Avian obligate brood parasites lay their eggs in the nests of other species that may provide care for the foreign offspring. Brood parasitism often imparts substantial fitness losses upon host nestlings when they are raised alongside the typically more competitive, larger, and older parasitic chick(s). Whereas fitness costs due to reduced host offspring survival in parasitized broods have been studied in detail, the physiological changes in host nestlings caused by parasitic nestmate(s) are less well known. We compared prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea) nestlings, a host of the nest-sharing brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater), in experimentally parasitized vs. non-parasitized broods. Our aim was to determine whether cohabitation with brood parasitic young impacted host nestling baseline corticosterone plasma concentrations, immune responses, body condition, and mortality. Corticosterone levels and body condition of host nestlings were similar between nests with or without a cowbird nestmate, whereas host immune responses were lower and nestling mortality was greater in parasitized broods, irrespective of variation in brood size or total brood mass. We detected no trade-offs of baseline corticosterone levels with either immune responses or with body condition. These results suggest that this host species' nestlings experience some adverse fitness-relevant physiological effects in parasitized broods, but are also resilient in other aspects when coping with brood parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Scharf
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Brett C Mommer
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jeffrey P Hoover
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Wendy M Schelsky
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
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10
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Lamarre J, Cheema SK, Robertson GJ, Wilson DR. Omega-3 fatty acids accelerate fledging in an avian marine predator: a potential role of cognition. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb.235929. [PMID: 33462136 PMCID: PMC7929930 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.235929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Consuming omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFAs) during development improves cognition in mammals, but the effect remains untested in other taxa. In aquatic ecosystems, n-3 LCPUFAs are produced by phytoplankton and bioaccumulate in the food web. Alarmingly, the warming and acidification of aquatic systems caused by climate change impair n-3 LCPUFA production, with an anticipated decrease of 80% by the year 2100. We tested whether n-3 LCPUFA consumption affects the physiology, morphology, behaviour and cognition of the chicks of a top marine predator, the ring-billed gull. Using a colony with little access to n-3 LCPUFAs, we supplemented siblings from 22 fenced nests with contrasting treatments from hatching until fledging; one sibling received n-3 LCPUFA-rich fish oil and the other, a control sucrose solution without n-3 LCPUFAs. Halfway through the nestling period, half the chicks receiving fish oil were switched to the sucrose solution to test whether n-3 LCPUFA intake remains crucial past the main growth phase (chronic versus transient treatments). Upon fledging, n-3 LCPUFAs were elevated in the blood and brains of chicks receiving the chronic treatment, but were comparable to control levels among those receiving the transient treatment. Across the entire sample, chicks with elevated n-3 LCPUFAs in their tissues fledged earlier despite their morphology and activity levels being unrelated to fledging age. Fledging required chicks to escape fences encircling their nest. We therefore interpret fledging age as a possible indicator of cognition, with chicks with improved cognition fledging earlier. These results provide insight into whether declining dietary n-3 LCPUFAs will compromise top predators' problem-solving skills, and thus their ability to survive in a rapidly changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessika Lamarre
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada, A1B 3X9
| | - Sukhinder Kaur Cheema
- Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada, A1B 3X9
| | - Gregory J Robertson
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Mount Pearl, NL, Canada, A1N 4T3
| | - David R Wilson
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada, A1B 3X9
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11
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Hoover JP, Schelsky WM. Warmer April Temperatures on Breeding Grounds Promote Earlier Nesting in a Long-Distance Migratory Bird, the Prothonotary Warbler. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.580725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Global climate change and warming are altering hemispheric and local weather patterns. Altered weather patterns have great potential to affect the phenology of life history events, such as the initiation of breeding in organisms that reproduce seasonally. Long-distance migratory birds may be particularly challenged by changes in local weather on breeding grounds because they arrive from distant locations and must commence breeding when conditions are appropriate. Here we explore the effects of local temperature on first egg dates and annual productivity in a long-distance Neotropical migratory songbird, the prothonotary warbler Protonotaria citrea. We present results from a 20-year (1994 to 2013) study documenting the detailed nesting activities of a color-marked population (average of 155 individual females each year) of warblers in southern Illinois, United States. The warblers typically arrive in April and start breeding in late April and May in our study system. We tested for an effect of local average April daily temperature and female age on first egg dates, total number of offspring produced per female, and the probability of fledging two broods. We found that warmer April temperatures promoted earlier first egg dates and higher average annual productivity in the warblers. On average, older females had earlier first egg dates than 1-year-old females, but both age groups responded similarly to local April temperatures. The reproductive gains associated with earlier first egg dates in warmer years stemmed from an increased probability of successfully fledging two broods, suggesting that earlier first egg dates do not currently create a mismatch with food (insect) resources. Earliest arrival dates of warblers to the region of our study system were not affected by local April temperatures, suggesting that females vary their first egg date based on conditions they experience/assess after their arrival. Whereas these birds currently adjust the timing of their breeding and actually produce more offspring in warmer years, continued global warming may eventually upset the current balance between arrival dates, food resources, and the commencement of nesting.
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12
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Rogers SL, Parlow TN, Kacmarcik J, Reilly R, Viverette C, Bulluck LP. Prothonotary Warbler Nestlings Fledge from Mixed Broods Following Nest Takeovers by Tree Swallows. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2020. [DOI: 10.1656/045.027.0414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L. Rogers
- Integrative Life Sciences Doctoral Program, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284
| | - Taylor N. Parlow
- Center for Environmental Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284
| | | | - Robert Reilly
- Professor Emeritus, Department of Economics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284
| | - Cathy Viverette
- Center for Environmental Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284
| | - Lesley P. Bulluck
- Center for Environmental Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284
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13
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MacDonald C, Colombo S, Arts MT. Genetically Engineered Oil Seed Crops and Novel Terrestrial Nutrients: Ethical Considerations. SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ETHICS 2019; 25:1485-1497. [PMID: 30465298 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-018-0074-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Genetically engineered (GE) organisms have been at the center of ethical debates among the public and regulators over their potential risks and benefits to the environment and society. Unlike the currently commercial GE crops that express resistance or tolerance to pesticides or herbicides, a new GE crop produces two bioactive nutrients (eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)) that heretofore have largely been produced only in aquatic environments. This represents a novel category of risk to ecosystem functioning. The present paper describes why growing oilseed crops engineered to produce EPA and DHA means introducing into a terrestrial ecosystem a pair of highly bioactive nutrients that are novel to terrestrial ecosystems and why that may have ecological and physiological consequences. More importantly perhaps, this paper argues that discussion of this novel risk represents an opportunity to examine the way the debate over genetically modified crops is being conducted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris MacDonald
- Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University, 575 Bay St., Toronto, ON, M5G 2C5, Canada.
| | - Stefanie Colombo
- Department Animal Science and Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, 58 Sipu Road, Truro, NS, B2N5E3, Canada
| | - Michael T Arts
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St., Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada
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14
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Twining CW, Brenna JT, Lawrence P, Winkler DW, Flecker AS, Hairston NG. Aquatic and terrestrial resources are not nutritionally reciprocal for consumers. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia W. Twining
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Limnological Institute University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior Radolfzell Germany
| | - J. Thomas Brenna
- Division of Nutritional Sciences Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Dell Medical School, Dell Pediatric Research Institute University of Texas‐Austin Austin TX USA
| | - Peter Lawrence
- Division of Nutritional Sciences Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
| | - David W. Winkler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
| | | | - Nelson G. Hairston
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
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15
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DeSaix MG, Bulluck LP, Eckert AJ, Viverette CB, Boves TJ, Reese JA, Tonra CM, Dyer RJ. Population assignment reveals low migratory connectivity in a weakly structured songbird. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:2122-2135. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.15083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G. DeSaix
- Center for Environmental Studies Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond Virginia
| | - Lesley P. Bulluck
- Center for Environmental Studies Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond Virginia
- Department of Biology Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond Virginia
| | - Andrew J. Eckert
- Department of Biology Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond Virginia
| | | | - Than J. Boves
- Arkansas Department of Biological Sciences Arkansas State University Jonesboro Arkansas
| | - Jessica A. Reese
- Department of Biology Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond Virginia
| | - Christopher M. Tonra
- School of Environmental and Natural Resources The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio
| | - Rodney J. Dyer
- Center for Environmental Studies Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond Virginia
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16
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Popova ON, Haritonov AY, Sushchik NN, Makhutova ON, Kalachova GS, Kolmakova AA, Gladyshev MI. Export of aquatic productivity, including highly unsaturated fatty acids, to terrestrial ecosystems via Odonata. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 581-582:40-48. [PMID: 28086131 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2016] [Revised: 12/24/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Based on 31-year field study of the abundance and biomass of 18 species of odonates in the Barabinsk Forest-Steppe (Western Siberia, Russia), we quantified the contribution of odonates to the export of aquatic productivity to surrounding terrestrial landscape. Emergence varied from 0.8 to 4.9g of wet biomass per m2 of land area per year. Average export of organic carbon was estimated to be 0.30g·m-2·year-1, which is comparable with the average production of herbivorous terrestrial insects in temperate grasslands. Moreover, in contrast to terrestrial insects, emerging odonates contained high quantities of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA), namely eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3, EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA), which are known to be essential for many terrestrial animals, especially for birds. The export of EPA+DHA by odonates was found to be 1.92-11.76mg·m-2·year-1, which is equal to an average general estimation of the export of HUFA by emerging aquatic insects. Therefore, odonates appeared to be a quantitatively and qualitatively important conduit of aquatic productivity to forest-steppe ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga N Popova
- Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Frunze str. 11, Novosibirsk 630091, Russia
| | - Anatoly Y Haritonov
- Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Frunze str. 11, Novosibirsk 630091, Russia
| | - Nadezhda N Sushchik
- Institute of Biophysics of Federal Research Center "Krasnoyarsk Science Center" of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk 660036, Russia; Siberian Federal University, Svobodny av. 79, Krasnoyarsk 660041, Russia
| | - Olesia N Makhutova
- Institute of Biophysics of Federal Research Center "Krasnoyarsk Science Center" of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk 660036, Russia; Siberian Federal University, Svobodny av. 79, Krasnoyarsk 660041, Russia
| | - Galina S Kalachova
- Institute of Biophysics of Federal Research Center "Krasnoyarsk Science Center" of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk 660036, Russia
| | - Anzhelika A Kolmakova
- Institute of Biophysics of Federal Research Center "Krasnoyarsk Science Center" of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk 660036, Russia
| | - Michail I Gladyshev
- Institute of Biophysics of Federal Research Center "Krasnoyarsk Science Center" of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk 660036, Russia; Siberian Federal University, Svobodny av. 79, Krasnoyarsk 660041, Russia.
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17
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Moy NJ, Dodson J, Tassone SJ, Bukaveckas PA, Bulluck LP. Biotransport of Algal Toxins to Riparian Food Webs. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2016; 50:10007-14. [PMID: 27552323 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b02760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The occurrence of harmful algal blooms has resulted in growing worldwide concern about threats to aquatic life and human health. Microcystin (MC), a cyanotoxin, is the most widely reported algal toxin in freshwaters. Prior studies have documented its presence in aquatic food webs including commercially important fish and shellfish. In this paper we present the first evidence that algal toxins propagate into riparian food webs. We show that MC is present in emerging aquatic insects (Hexagenia mayflies) from the James River Estuary and their consumers (Tetragnathidae spiders and Prothonotary Warblers, Protonotaria citrea). MC levels in Prothonotary Warblers varied by age class, with nestlings having the highest levels. At the site where nestlings received a higher proportion of aquatic prey (i.e., mayflies) in their diet, we observed higher MC concentrations in liver tissue and fecal matter. Warbler body condition and growth rate were not related to liver MC levels, suggesting that aquatic prey may provide dietary benefits that offset potential deleterious effects of the toxin. This study provides evidence that threats posed by algal toxins extend beyond the aquatic environments in which blooms occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Moy
- Department of Biology, ‡Center for Environmental Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond, Virginia 23284, United States
| | - Jenna Dodson
- Department of Biology, ‡Center for Environmental Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond, Virginia 23284, United States
| | - Spencer J Tassone
- Department of Biology, ‡Center for Environmental Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond, Virginia 23284, United States
| | - Paul A Bukaveckas
- Department of Biology, ‡Center for Environmental Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond, Virginia 23284, United States
| | - Lesley P Bulluck
- Department of Biology, ‡Center for Environmental Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond, Virginia 23284, United States
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