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Bertram J, Bichet C, Moiron M, Schupp PJ, Bouwhuis S. Sex- and age-specific mercury accumulation in a long-lived seabird. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 927:172330. [PMID: 38599409 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172330] [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: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Mercury levels in the environment are increasing, such that they are also expected to accumulate in top-predators, but individual-based longitudinal studies required to investigate this are rare. Between 2017 and 2023, we therefore collected 1314 blood samples from 588 individual common terns (Sterna hirundo) to examine how total blood mercury concentration changed with age, and whether this differed between the sexes. Blood mercury concentrations were highly variable, but all exceeded toxicity thresholds above which adverse health effects were previously observed. A global model showed blood mercury to be higher in older birds of both sexes. Subsequent models partitioning the age effect into within- and among-individual components revealed a linear within-individual accumulation with age in females, and a decelerating within-individual accumulation with age in males. Time spent at the (particularly contaminated) breeding grounds prior to sampling, as well as egg laying in females, were also found to affect mercury concentrations. As such, our study provides evidence that male and female common terns differentially accumulate mercury in their blood as they grow older and calls for further studies of the underlying mechanisms as well as its consequences for fitness components, such as reproductive performance and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Bertram
- Institute of Avian Research, An der Vogelwarte 21, Wilhelmshaven, Niedersachsen DE 26386, Germany.
| | - Coraline Bichet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), CNRS-La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Maria Moiron
- Institute of Avian Research, An der Vogelwarte 21, Wilhelmshaven, Niedersachsen DE 26386, Germany; Department of Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Peter J Schupp
- Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Department for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Terramare, Wilhelmshaven, Niedersachsen DE 26382, Germany; Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg DE 26129, Germany
| | - Sandra Bouwhuis
- Institute of Avian Research, An der Vogelwarte 21, Wilhelmshaven, Niedersachsen DE 26386, Germany
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2
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Mathot KJ, Arteaga-Torres JD, Besson A, Hawkshaw DM, Klappstein N, McKinnon RA, Sridharan S, Nakagawa S. A systematic review and meta-analysis of unimodal and multimodal predation risk assessment in birds. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4240. [PMID: 38762491 PMCID: PMC11102462 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48702-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite a wealth of studies documenting prey responses to perceived predation risk, researchers have only recently begun to consider how prey integrate information from multiple cues in their assessment of risk. We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that experimentally manipulated perceived predation risk in birds and evaluate support for three alternative models of cue integration: redundancy/equivalence, enhancement, and antagonism. One key insight from our analysis is that the current theory, generally applied to study cue integration in animals, is incomplete. These theories specify the effects of increasing information level on mean, but not variance, in responses. In contrast, we show that providing multiple complementary cues of predation risk simultaneously does not affect mean response. Instead, as information richness increases, populations appear to assess risk more accurately, resulting in lower among-population variance in response to manipulations of perceived predation risk. We show that this may arise via a statistical process called maximum-likelihood estimation (MLE) integration. Our meta-analysis illustrates how explicit consideration of variance in responses can yield important biological insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley J Mathot
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
- Canada Research Chair in Integrative Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
| | | | - Anne Besson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Deborah M Hawkshaw
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Natasha Klappstein
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Statistics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Rebekah A McKinnon
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Sheeraja Sridharan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Theoretical Sciences Visiting Program, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Onna, 904-0495, Japan
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3
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Krull M. Mercury Exposure and Habitat Fragmentation Affect the Movement, Foraging Behavior, and Search Efficiency of the Marsh Periwinkle (Littorina irrorata). ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 42:1971-1981. [PMID: 36524861 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5545] [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: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The interactions between habitat fragmentation and other stressors are considered a key knowledge gap. The present study tested the hypotheses that mercury enhances the effects of fragmentation by (1) reducing the cumulative daily movement of organisms, (2) shifting their foraging behavior, and (3) altering the vertical movement of the marsh periwinkle (Littoraria irrorata) in a field experiment. Random walk simulations were used to access how changes in movement affect the search efficiency of organisms in the long term. Eighteen 1.5 m2 plots were constructed in a salt marsh where landscapes characteristics were manipulated to reach three different levels of habitat cover. Daily movement of 12 marked control and mercury-exposed snails were measured in each plot. Bayesian models were used to analyze the data and evidence ratios were used to test the hypotheses. The results showed that the effects of fragmentation were consistent in both control and exposed treatments, with an increase in the cumulative displacement of organisms. However, mercury significantly reduced the movement of organisms in all levels of fragmentation, shifting their foraging behavior (evidence ratio > 1000). Exposed snails were more likely to be found inactive in comparison with the control treatment (evidence ratio > 1000). Fragmentation also reduced the vertical movement of organisms in both treatments. In contrast, mercury increased the vertical movement of organisms (evidence ratio > 1000). The search efficiency of organisms also increased in a highly fragmentated landscape, suggesting that changes in foraging behavior are likely due to reduced resources and consequently increase in foraging effort. The present study shows that mercury exposure can enhance the effects of habitat fragmentation by changing organisms' movement, foraging behavior, and search efficiency. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1971-1981. © 2022 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Krull
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia, USA
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Müncheberg, Germany
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4
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Grunst ML, Grunst AS, Grémillet D, Fort J. Combined threats of climate change and contaminant exposure through the lens of bioenergetics. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:5139-5168. [PMID: 37381110 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Organisms face energetic challenges of climate change in combination with suites of natural and anthropogenic stressors. In particular, chemical contaminant exposure has neurotoxic, endocrine-disrupting, and behavioral effects which may additively or interactively combine with challenges associated with climate change. We used a literature review across animal taxa and contaminant classes, but focused on Arctic endotherms and contaminants important in Arctic ecosystems, to demonstrate potential for interactive effects across five bioenergetic domains: (1) energy supply, (2) energy demand, (3) energy storage, (4) energy allocation tradeoffs, and (5) energy management strategies; and involving four climate change-sensitive environmental stressors: changes in resource availability, temperature, predation risk, and parasitism. Identified examples included relatively equal numbers of synergistic and antagonistic interactions. Synergies are often suggested to be particularly problematic, since they magnify biological effects. However, we emphasize that antagonistic effects on bioenergetic traits can be equally problematic, since they can reflect dampening of beneficial responses and result in negative synergistic effects on fitness. Our review also highlights that empirical demonstrations remain limited, especially in endotherms. Elucidating the nature of climate change-by-contaminant interactive effects on bioenergetic traits will build toward determining overall outcomes for energy balance and fitness. Progressing to determine critical species, life stages, and target areas in which transformative effects arise will aid in forecasting broad-scale bioenergetic outcomes under global change scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa L Grunst
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
| | - Andrea S Grunst
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
| | - David Grémillet
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Jérôme Fort
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
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5
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Grunst AS, Grunst ML, Fort J. Contaminant-by-environment interactive effects on animal behavior in the context of global change: Evidence from avian behavioral ecotoxicology. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 879:163169. [PMID: 37003321 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The potential for chemical contaminant exposure to interact with other stressors to affect animal behavioral responses to environmental variability is of mounting concern in the context of anthropogenic environmental change. We systematically reviewed the avian literature to evaluate evidence for contaminant-by-environment interactive effects on animal behavior, as birds are prominent models in behavioral ecotoxicology and global change research. We found that only 17 of 156 (10.9 %) avian behavioral ecotoxicological studies have explored contaminant-by-environment interactions. However, 13 (76.5 %) have found evidence for interactive effects, suggesting that contaminant-by-environment interactive effects on behavior are understudied but important. We draw on our review to develop a conceptual framework to understand such interactive effects from a behavioral reaction norm perspective. Our framework highlights four patterns in reaction norm shapes that can underlie contaminant-by-environment interactive effects on behavior, termed exacerbation, inhibition, mitigation and convergence. First, contamination can render individuals unable to maintain critical behaviors across gradients in additional stressors, exacerbating behavioral change (reaction norms steeper) and generating synergy. Second, contamination can inhibit behavioral adjustment to other stressors, antagonizing behavioral plasticity (reaction norms shallower). Third, a second stressor can mitigate (antagonize) toxicological effects of contamination, causing steeper reaction norms in highly contaminated individuals, with improvement of performance upon exposure to additional stress. Fourth, contamination can limit behavioral plasticity in response to permissive conditions, such that performance of more and less contaminated individuals converges under more stressful conditions. Diverse mechanisms might underlie such shape differences in reaction norms, including combined effects of contaminants and other stressors on endocrinology, energy balance, sensory systems, and physiological and cognitive limits. To encourage more research, we outline how the types of contaminant-by-environment interactive effects proposed in our framework might operate across multiple behavioral domains. We conclude by leveraging our review and framework to suggest priorities for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea S Grunst
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, FR-17000 La Rochelle, France.
| | - Melissa L Grunst
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, FR-17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Jérôme Fort
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, FR-17000 La Rochelle, France
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6
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Bottini CLJ, MacDougall-Shackleton SA. Methylmercury effects on avian brains. Neurotoxicology 2023; 96:140-153. [PMID: 37059311 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2023.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a concerning contaminant due to its ubiquity and harmful effects on organisms. Although birds are important models in the neurobiology of vocal learning and adult neuroplasticity, the neurotoxic effects of MeHg are less understood in birds than mammals. We surveyed the literature on MeHg effects on biochemical changes in the avian brain. Publication rates of papers related to neurology and/or birds and/or MeHg increased with time and can be linked with historical events, regulations, and increased understanding of MeHg cycling in the environment. However, publications on MeHg effects on the avian brain remain relatively low across time. The neural effects measured to evaluate MeHg neurotoxicity in birds changed with time and researcher interest. The measures most consistently affected by MeHg exposure in birds were markers of oxidative stress. NMDA, acetylcholinesterase, and Purkinje cells also seem sensitive to some extent. MeHg exposure has the potential to affect most neurotransmitter systems but more studies are needed for validation in birds. We also review the main mechanisms of MeHg-induced neurotoxicity in mammals and compare it to what is known in birds. The literature on MeHg effects on the avian brain is limited, preventing full construction of an adverse outcome pathway. We identify research gaps for taxonomic groups such as songbirds, and age- and life-stage groups such as immature fledgling stage and adult non-reproductive life stage. In addition, results are often inconsistent between experimental and field studies. We conclude that future neurotoxicological studies of MeHg impacts on birds need to better connect the numerous aspects of exposure from molecular physiological effects to behavioural outcomes that would be ecologically or biologically relevant for birds, especially under challenging conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire L J Bottini
- University of Western Ontario, Department of Biology, 1151 Richmond St., London Ontario, N6A 5B7; Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Scott A MacDougall-Shackleton
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; University of Western Ontario, Department of Psychology, 1151 Richmond St., London Ontario, N6A 5C2
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7
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Grunst AS, Grunst ML, Grémillet D, Kato A, Bustamante P, Albert C, Brisson-Curadeau É, Clairbaux M, Cruz-Flores M, Gentès S, Perret S, Ste-Marie E, Wojczulanis-Jakubas K, Fort J. Mercury Contamination Challenges the Behavioral Response of a Keystone Species to Arctic Climate Change. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:2054-2063. [PMID: 36652233 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c08893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Combined effects of multiple, climate change-associated stressors are of mounting concern, especially in Arctic ecosystems. Elevated mercury (Hg) exposure in Arctic animals could affect behavioral responses to changes in foraging landscapes caused by climate change, generating interactive effects on behavior and population resilience. We investigated this hypothesis in little auks (Alle alle), a keystone Arctic seabird. We compiled behavioral data for 44 birds across 5 years using accelerometers while also quantifying blood Hg and environmental conditions. Warm sea surface temperature (SST) and low sea ice coverage reshaped time activity budgets (TABs) and diving patterns, causing decreased resting, increased flight, and longer dives. Mercury contamination was not associated with TABs. However, highly contaminated birds lengthened interdive breaks when making long dives, suggesting Hg-induced physiological limitations. As dive durations increased with warm SST, subtle toxicological effects threaten to increasingly constrain diving and foraging efficiency as climate change progresses, with ecosystem-wide repercussions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea S Grunst
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle FR-17000, France
| | - Melissa L Grunst
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle FR-17000, France
| | - David Grémillet
- CEFE, UMR 5175, CNRS─Université de Montpellier─Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier─EPHE, Montpellier 34090, France
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Akiko Kato
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois 79360, France
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle FR-17000, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 rue Descartes, Paris 75005, France
| | - Céline Albert
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle FR-17000, France
| | - Émile Brisson-Curadeau
- McGill University─Macdonald Campus, 21111 Lakeshore Dr, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Manon Clairbaux
- School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, University College Cork, Cork T23 N73K, Ireland
- MaREI Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine, Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork P43 C573, Ireland
| | - Marta Cruz-Flores
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle FR-17000, France
| | - Sophie Gentès
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle FR-17000, France
| | - Samuel Perret
- CEFE, UMR 5175, CNRS─Université de Montpellier─Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier─EPHE, Montpellier 34090, France
| | - Eric Ste-Marie
- McGill University─Macdonald Campus, 21111 Lakeshore Dr, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec H9X 3V9, Canada
| | | | - Jérôme Fort
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle FR-17000, France
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8
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Sublethal effects of pesticide residues differ between strains of captive Grey partridge: consequences in terms of rearing conditions. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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9
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Andrews CP. On the use of body mass measures in severity assessment in laboratory passerine birds. Anim Welf 2022. [DOI: 10.7120/09627286.31.1.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Criteria for assessing the severity of scientific procedures in laboratory rodents include the loss of body mass. However, guidance is limited for passerine birds and application of criteria developed for mammals risks poor welfare decisions. Here, I ask whether, and how, body mass
criteria could be incorporated into laboratory welfare assessment of passerines. Passerine birds strategically adjust their body mass to minimise combined mortality risk from starvation and predation. A systematic literature review found that strategic mass changes can be sizeable (sometimes
> 10%) even over short timescales. Many aspects of a bird's current or past environment, including husbandry and experimental procedures, may alter perceived starvation or predation risks and thus drive strategic mass change via evolved mechanisms. Therefore, body mass criteria used for
rodents may be too stringent for passerines, potentially leading to over-estimated severity. Strategic mass changes might obscure those stemming from experimental interventions yet could also offer insights into whether birds perceive an intervention or altered husbandry as a threat. Mass
criteria for severity assessment should be species- and context-specific in order to balance needs for refinement and reduction. To guide the development of appropriate criteria, a future research priority is for greater data collection and sharing based on standardised routine monitoring
of mass variation under a representative range of husbandry conditions and procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- CP Andrews
- University of Stirling, Division of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
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10
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Peacor SD, Dorn NJ, Smith JA, Peckham NE, Cherry MJ, Sheriff MJ, Kimbro DL. A skewed literature: Few studies evaluate the contribution of predation-risk effects to natural field patterns. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:2048-2061. [PMID: 35925978 PMCID: PMC9545701 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A narrative in ecology is that prey modify traits to reduce predation risk, and the trait modification has costs large enough to cause ensuing demographic, trophic and ecosystem consequences, with implications for conservation, management and agriculture. But ecology has a long history of emphasising that quantifying the importance of an ecological process ultimately requires evidence linking a process to unmanipulated field patterns. We suspected that such process-linked-to-pattern (PLP) studies were poorly represented in the predation risk literature, which conflicts with the confidence often given to the importance of risk effects. We reviewed 29 years of the ecological literature which revealed that there are well over 4000 articles on risk effects. Of those, 349 studies examined risk effects on prey fitness measures or abundance (i.e., non-consumptive effects) of which only 26 were PLP studies, while 275 studies examined effects on other interacting species (i.e., trait-mediated indirect effects) of which only 35 were PLP studies. PLP studies were narrowly focused taxonomically and included only three that examined unmanipulated patterns of prey abundance. Before concluding a widespread and influential role of predation-risk effects, more attention must be given to linking the process of risk effects to unmanipulated patterns observed across diverse ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott D Peacor
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Nathan J Dorn
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Justine A Smith
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California - Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Nicole E Peckham
- Department of Marine and Environmental Science, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michael J Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas, USA
| | - Michael J Sheriff
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David L Kimbro
- Department of Marine and Environmental Science, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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11
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Krull M, Newman MC. Joint Effects of Fragmentation and Mercury Contamination on Marsh Periwinkle (Littoraria irrorata) Movement. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2022; 41:1742-1753. [PMID: 35474589 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5351] [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: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
There are different ways contaminants can interact and enhance the effects of habitat fragmentation, such as modifying the movement of organisms. The present study tested the hypothesis that mercury exacerbates the effects of fragmentation by affecting the movement of the marsh periwinkle Littoraria irrorata and reducing the probability of snails crossing fragmented microlandscape experimental systems. How these changes could affect the search efficiency of organisms in the long term was assessed using hidden Markov models and random walks simulations. Bayesian nonlinear models were used to analyze the effects of fragmentation and contamination on the mean speed and mean directional change of organisms. Snail movement for control and two mercury-exposure treatments were recorded in microlandscapes with six different levels of habitat cover and three landscape replicates. The results indicated that exposed organisms had lower probabilities of crossing the landscape, reduced speed, and shifts in step length distributions. Both mercury exposure and habitat fragmentation affected the movement of the marsh periwinkle. Mercury exacerbated the effects of habitat fragmentation by affecting the cognition (e.g., route planning, orientation, and spatial learning) and movement of L. irrorata. Hence, the interaction of these stressors could further reduce the functional connectivity of landscapes and reduce the search efficiency of organisms. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1742-1753. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Krull
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia, USA
- Data Analysis & Simulation, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Michael C Newman
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia, USA
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12
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Carravieri A, Vincze O, Bustamante P, Ackerman JT, Adams EM, Angelier F, Chastel O, Cherel Y, Gilg O, Golubova E, Kitaysky A, Luff K, Seewagen CL, Strøm H, Will AP, Yannic G, Giraudeau M, Fort J. Quantitative meta-analysis reveals no association between mercury contamination and body condition in birds. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1253-1271. [PMID: 35174617 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Mercury contamination is a major threat to the global environment, and is still increasing in some regions despite international regulations. The methylated form of mercury is hazardous to biota, yet its sublethal effects are difficult to detect in wildlife. Body condition can vary in response to stressors, but previous studies have shown mixed effects of mercury on body condition in wildlife. Using birds as study organisms, we provide the first quantitative synthesis of the effect of mercury on body condition in animals. In addition, we explored the influence of intrinsic, extrinsic and methodological factors potentially explaining cross-study heterogeneity in results. We considered experimental and correlative studies carried out in adult birds and chicks, and mercury exposure inferred from blood and feathers. Most experimental investigations (90%) showed a significant relationship between mercury concentrations and body condition. Experimental exposure to mercury disrupted nutrient (fat) metabolism, metabolic rates, and food intake, resulting in either positive or negative associations with body condition. Correlative studies also showed either positive or negative associations, of which only 14% were statistically significant. Therefore, the overall effect of mercury concentrations on body condition was null in both experimental (estimate ± SE = 0.262 ± 0.309, 20 effect sizes, five species) and correlative studies (-0.011 ± 0.020, 315 effect sizes, 145 species). The single and interactive effects of age class and tissue type were accounted for in meta-analytic models of the correlative data set, since chicks and adults, as well as blood and feathers, are known to behave differently in terms of mercury accumulation and health effects. Of the 15 moderators tested, only wintering status explained cross-study heterogeneity in the correlative data set: free-ranging wintering birds were more likely to show a negative association between mercury and body condition. However, wintering effect sizes were limited to passerines, further studies should thus confirm this trend in other taxa. Collectively, our results suggest that (i) effects of mercury on body condition are weak and mostly detectable under controlled conditions, and (ii) body condition indices are unreliable indicators of mercury sublethal effects in the wild. Food availability, feeding rates and other sources of variation that are challenging to quantify likely confound the association between mercury and body condition in natura. Future studies could explore the metabolic effects of mercury further using designs that allow for the estimation and/or manipulation of food intake in both wild and captive birds, especially in under-represented life-history stages such as migration and overwintering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Carravieri
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle, 17000, France
| | - Orsolya Vincze
- Centre for Ecological Research-DRI, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, 18/C Bem tér, Debrecen, 4026, Hungary.,Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, 5-7 Clinicilor street, Cluj-Napoca, 400006, Romania
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle, 17000, France.,Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 rue Descartes, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, U.S.A
| | - Evan M Adams
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, U.S.A
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, Villiers-en-Bois, 79360, France
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, Villiers-en-Bois, 79360, France
| | - Yves Cherel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, Villiers-en-Bois, 79360, France
| | - Olivier Gilg
- UMR 6249 CNRS-Chrono-environnement, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 route de Gray, Besançon, 25000, France.,Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique (GREA), 16 rue de Vernot, Francheville, 21440, France
| | - Elena Golubova
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique (GREA), 16 rue de Vernot, Francheville, 21440, France.,Institute of Biological Problems of the North, Russian Academy of Sciences, Portovaya Str., 18, Magadan, RU-685000, Russia
| | - Alexander Kitaysky
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2140 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, U.S.A
| | - Katelyn Luff
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Chad L Seewagen
- Great Hollow Nature Preserve and Ecological Research Center, 225 State Route 37, New Fairfield, CT, 06812, U.S.A
| | - Hallvard Strøm
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, NO-9296, Norway
| | - Alexis P Will
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2140 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, U.S.A
| | - Glenn Yannic
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique (GREA), 16 rue de Vernot, Francheville, 21440, France.,UMR 5553 CNRS-Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, 2233 Rue de la Piscine, Saint-Martin d'Hères, Grenoble, 38000, France
| | - Mathieu Giraudeau
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle, 17000, France.,Centre de Recherches en Écologie et en Évolution de la Santé (CREES), MIVEGEC, UMR IRD 224-CNRS 5290-Université de Montpellier, Domaine La Valette, 900 rue Breton, Montpellier, 34090, France
| | - Jérôme Fort
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle, 17000, France
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13
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Su T, He C, Jiang A, Xu Z, Goodale E, Qiu G. Passerine bird reproduction does not decline in a highly-contaminated mercury mining district of China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 286:117440. [PMID: 34062385 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a neurotoxic element with severe effects on humans and wildlife. Widely distributed by atmospheric deposition, it can also be localized near point sources such as mines. Mercury has been shown to reduce the reproduction of bird populations in field observations in North America and Europe, but studies are needed in Asia, where the majority of emissions now occur. We investigated the reproduction of two passerines, Japanese Tit (Parus minor) and Russet Sparrow (Passer rutilans), in a large-scale Hg mining district, and a non-mining district, both in Guizhou, southwest China. Concentrations of Hg were elevated in the mining district (blood levels of 2.54 ± 2.21 [SD] and 0.71 ± 0.40 μg/g, in adult tits and sparrows, respectively). However, we saw no evidence of decreased breeding there: metrics such as egg volume, nestling weight, hatching and fledgling success, were all similar between the different districts across two breeding seasons. Nor were there correlations at the mining district between Hg levels of adults or juveniles, and hatching or fledgling success, or nestling weight. Nest success was high even in the mining district (tit, 64.0%; sparrow: 83.1%). This lack of reproductive decline may be related to lower blood levels in nestlings (means < 0.15 μg/g for both species). Concentrations of selenium (Se), and Se-to-Hg molar ratio, were also not correlated to breeding success. Although blood levels of 3.0 μg/g have been considered as a threshold of adverse effects in birds, even leading to severe effects, we detected no population-level reproductive effects, despite ~25% of the adult tits being above this level. Future work should investigate different locations in the mining district, different life-stages of the birds, and a wider variety of species. The hypothesis that bird populations can evolve resistance to Hg in contaminated areas should also be examined further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongping Su
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Environment Change and Resources Use, Ministry of Education, Nanning Normal University, Nanning, China
| | - Chao He
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Aiwu Jiang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Zhidong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China
| | - Eben Goodale
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
| | - Guangle Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China
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14
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Grunst AS, Grunst ML, Pinxten R, Eens M. Sources of individual variation in problem-solving performance in urban great tits (Parus major): Exploring effects of metal pollution, urban disturbance and personality. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 749:141436. [PMID: 32841856 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Despite growing research effort, we have a limited understanding of how urban disturbance factors affect cognitive traits, such as innovative problem-solving. We performed an initial assessment of how metal pollution and urbanization levels on territories are related to problem-solving performance in urban great tits (Parus major), by presenting an obstacle removal test at nest boxes in three urban nest box populations that are exposed to different levels of metal pollution. We predicted that problem-solving capacity might be reduced within the most polluted population due to pollution-related neurological impairments. On the other hand, we predicted that problem-solving might positively correlate with urban disturbance levels on territories, because some past research suggests that problem-solving promotes persistence in urbanized habitats. We also assessed relationships between exploratory personality type, behavioral patterns during tests, and problem-solving performance, and examined the repeatability and fitness correlates of problem-solving. We found no evidence that behavioral patterns or problem-solving performance were related to metal exposure or exploratory personality, or that problem-solving promotes reproductive success. However, birds on territories exposed to more urban disturbance, as quantified by proximity to paths and roads, were more likely to problem-solve. Moreover, an aggressive problem-solving approach negatively predicted problem-solving success, and behavioral patterns during tests and problem-solving success were repeatable. Thus, rather than indicating negative effects of pollution or urban disturbance on problem-solving performance, our study provides preliminary support for the hypothesis that urbanization favors innovative problem-solving, and suggests that problem-solving could be associated with a personality dimension independent of exploratory personality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea S Grunst
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Melissa L Grunst
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Rianne Pinxten
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Faculty of Social Sciences, Didactica Research Group, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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15
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Stenhouse IJ, Adams EM, Phillips LM, Weidensaul S, McIntyre CL. A preliminary assessment of mercury in the feathers of migratory songbirds breeding in the North American subarctic. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 29:1221-1228. [PMID: 31531800 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-019-02105-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Passerines appear to have a greater sensitivity to mercury than other avian orders, and little data exists for mercury exposure in songbirds breeding at high latitudes. In this preliminary study, we examined mercury exposure in 12 migratory songbird species breeding in Denali National Park & Preserve, in subarctic interior Alaska. Overall, we analyzed 343 feather samples collected in 2015-2017 for their total mercury content. Mercury levels found in feathers indicates exposure during the period of feather growth, which we assume largely took place on the breeding ground. In this limited sample of songbird feathers, mercury concentrations ranged from near zero to 6.34 μg/g. Most species sampled showed relatively low mercury, but some individuals had high enough concentrations to be subject to adverse physiological and behavioral effects. There was an indication that mercury concentrations of breeding songbirds may vary by diet composition, with non-invertivorous species possibly tending towards lower mercury concentrations. Overall, however, the degree of mercury exposure observed was low for songbirds breeding in the subarctic. Further examination would prove useful in clarifying mercury exposure and ecological relationships in this under-studied region.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - E M Adams
- Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, ME, USA
| | - L M Phillips
- National Park Service, Denali National Park & Preserve, Denali Park, AK, USA
| | | | - C L McIntyre
- National Park Service, Denali National Park & Preserve, Fairbanks, AK, USA
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16
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Santos CSA, Sotillo A, Gupta T, Delgado S, Müller W, Stienen EWM, de Neve L, Lens L, Soares AMVM, Monteiro MS, Loureiro S. Mercury Uptake Affects the Development of Larus fuscus Chicks. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2020; 39:2008-2017. [PMID: 32678941 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Current emission and mobilization rates of mercury (Hg) in the environment pose extensive threats to both wildlife and human health. Assessing the exposure risk and effects of Hg contamination in model species such as seabirds is essential to understand Hg risks at the population and ecosystem levels. The lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus), a generalist seabird species, is an excellent model species because it forages in both marine and terrestrial habitats, which in turn differ in their Hg exposure risk. To identify possible deleterious effects of Hg exposure on developing L. fuscus chicks, a dietary experiment was carried out and chicks were provided a marine, terrestrial, or mixed diet. The effects of embryonic and dietary Hg exposure on chick body condition and physiological state were assessed at different developmental stages until fledging age (30 d). Overall physiological condition was lower in chicks fed a predominantly marine diet, which coincided with higher Hg loads in blood and primary feathers. However, no effect of dietary uptake of Hg was observed on body condition or in terms of genotoxic damage. Body condition and genotoxic damage correlated instead with Hg exposure during embryonic development, which seems to indicate that embryonic exposure to Hg may result in carry-over effects on later chick development. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:2008-2017. © 2020 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cátia S A Santos
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biology and Center for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Alejandro Sotillo
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biology and Center for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Trisha Gupta
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sergio Delgado
- Department of Ornithology, Aranzadi Sciences Society, Donostia, Spain
| | - Wendt Müller
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | | | - Liesbeth de Neve
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luc Lens
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Amadeu M V M Soares
- Department of Biology and Center for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Marta S Monteiro
- Department of Biology and Center for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Susana Loureiro
- Department of Biology and Center for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
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17
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Ding J, Yang W, Wang S, Zhang H, Yang Y, Bao X, Zhang Y. Effects of environmental metal pollution on reproduction of a free-living resident songbird, the tree sparrow (Passer montanus). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 721:137674. [PMID: 32163734 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic metal pollution is known to adversely affect bird reproduction; however, few systematic studies are available on the effects of metal pollution on breeding performance and parental investment in a common resident songbird, the tree sparrow (Passer montanus). We conducted this study in two sites, a long-term heavy metal polluted site (Baiyin [BY]) and a relatively unpolluted site at approximately 110 km distance (Liujiaxia [LJX]), to assess the potential effects of environmental metal contamination on breeding parameters (clutch size, hatching success, fledging success, and growth of nestlings) and parental investment. The results showed smaller clutch size, lower fledging success, and differences in incubation behaviors of tree sparrows in BY than in LJX. Although there was no difference in parental body condition (residual body mass) between the two study sites, the parents responded differently with respect to reproduction due to varying metal levels in their habitats and bodies. Higher Cd levels in the primary feathers of females in BY were associated with lower clutch sizes. Parental investment including incubation duration and feeding rates showed no significant difference between the two sites during the incubation and nestling periods, but the frequencies of incubation visits were higher in BY. Parental behavior during the incubation period was also negatively affected by the parental Pb and Cd levels. Although the nestling growth patterns were relatively similar between the two sites, the nestlings were smaller, had lower body weight, and fledged later and fledging rate was also lower in BY than in LJX. Metal concentrations were higher in nestling organs and feces in BY. Taken together, metal pollution might adversely affect nestling growth condition. Our results suggest a negative response in the reproduction of tree sparrows to long-term environmental metal pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Ding
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Wenzhi Yang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Shengnan Wang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Huijie Zhang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Ying Yang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xinkang Bao
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yingmei Zhang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
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18
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Thakur S, Dhyani S, Bramhanwade K, Pandey KK, Bokade N, Janipella R, Pujari P. Non-invasive biomonitoring of mercury in birds near thermal power plants: lessons from Maharashtra, India. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2020; 192:260. [PMID: 32240367 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-020-8215-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Thermal power plants (TPPs) have emerged as a major source of air, water, and soil pollution because of the presence of many toxic metals. The presence of mercury (Hg) in fly ash has proven to be toxic in nature because of its tendency to get bioaccumulated and biomagnified in the food chain. The aim of the present study was to understand the presence of toxic Hg in the feathers of wetland birds undertaking the study around a TPP located in Nagpur, India. Local wetland birds especially cattle egrets, heron, and Moorhen were commonly observed dwelling close to fly ash ponds for various purposes (roosting, breeding, feeding, etc.). Samples of fly ash, soil, water, plants, and bird feather were collected, cleaned, and processed for Hg analysis. A mercury analyzer was used to assess the concentration of toxic levels of Hg in samples. Our results reflect leaching of Hg in soil and uptake by plant samples, whereas in water, ash, and bird feather samples concentrations of Hg were fairly below the prescribed limits (World Health Organization). A non-invasive method for understanding the mercury concentration in wetland birds has been established as a potential important monitoring tool to track the fate of toxic metal Hg in the food chain. In summary, our results indicate fairly low Hg levels in feather samples projecting non-invasive biomonitoring as a promising strategy. The study also suggests that a comprehensive monitoring action plan in place for Hg and other toxic metals in the food chain that comes from TPP will be efficient to avoid any pitfalls. Graphical abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunidhi Thakur
- Institute of Environment & Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Shalini Dhyani
- National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 440020, India.
| | - Kavita Bramhanwade
- National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 440020, India
| | - Krishna Kumar Pandey
- Institute of Environment & Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Naresh Bokade
- National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 440020, India
| | - Ramesh Janipella
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Paras Pujari
- National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 440020, India
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19
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Hanas AK, Guigueno MF, Fernie KJ, Letcher RJ, Ste-Marie Chamberland F, Head JA. Assessment of the effects of early life exposure to triphenyl phosphate on fear, boldness, aggression, and activity in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) chicks. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 258:113695. [PMID: 31841763 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) is an organophosphate ester (OPE) used as a flame retardant (FR) and plasticizer. TPHP has previously been shown to disrupt behaviour in fish and mammals, but to our knowledge, this is the first study on the behavioural effects of TPHP in birds. Early life stage Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) were exposed to nominal doses of 0 ng/g (vehicle-control), 5 ng/g (low dose), 50 ng/g (mid dose), and 100 ng/g (high dose) TPHP, both as embryos (via air cell injection prior to incubation) and as chicks (via daily gavage until 5 days post-hatch). The low dose reflects TPHP levels recorded in wild avian eggs, but actual environmental exposure levels may be higher given that TPHP is known to be rapidly metabolized in birds. We previously reported that the chicks exposed to TPHP in this study experienced reduced growth and resting metabolic rate, and sex-specific changes in thyroid function. The current study focuses on behavioural endpoints. We found that high-TPHP chicks exhibited less neophobia than vehicle-controls, and low-TPHP chicks exhibited more aggression towards conspecifics. No differences were observed in the responses of Japanese quail chicks to activity or tonic immobility (fear response) tests. These data add weight of evidence to previous findings suggesting that TPHP, among other OPEs, can disrupt ecologically-relevant behaviours in exposed vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley K Hanas
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Mélanie F Guigueno
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, H9X 3V9, Canada; Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, Burlington, Ontario, L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Kim J Fernie
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, H9X 3V9, Canada; Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, Burlington, Ontario, L7S 1A1, Canada.
| | - Robert J Letcher
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0H3, Canada
| | | | - Jessica A Head
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, H9X 3V9, Canada
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20
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Vacca AJ, Cottingham KL. No detectable changes in crayfish behavior due to sublethal dietary mercury exposure. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2019; 182:109440. [PMID: 31336228 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.109440] [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: 03/10/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Mercury, and particularly its organic form, methylmercury (MeHg), is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant with documented dosage-dependent adverse effects on endpoints spanning many levels of biological organization. However, relatively little is known about the sublethal impacts of environmentally-relevant exposures on behavioral characteristics that may impact predator-prey relationships, and thus the potential for Hg bioaccumulation within food webs due to behavioral impairments. This study investigated the potential for dietary mercury exposure to impair two behavioral outcomes in the highly invasive rusty crayfish, Faxonius rusticus, which are expected to influence interactions with their fish predators: the tail-flip escape response and chelae pinch strength. Field-caught animals were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments with mean (±1 SE) dry-weight total Hg (THg) concentrations of 3.52 ± 0.57, 114.01 ± 4.05, 274.10 ± 0.38, and 565.79 ± 1.33 ng/g in the control, low, moderate and high exposure treatments, respectively, for 16 weeks. After initial observations, exposures began and mass and behavior were measured every two weeks. At the end of the experiment, THg concentrations in tail muscle tissue were significantly higher in the high exposure treatment than in the control and low exposure treatments (Tukey's HSD, family-wise α = 0.05). Exposure-dependent declines in survival, mass, pinch strength, or tail-flip escape response velocity were not detected within the 12- to 16-week experimental exposure period, which represents one season of the crayfish's 3-4 year lifespan. This suggests that crayfish may be relatively tolerant of dietary exposure to sublethal concentrations of mercury within a single season. Further investigation of the physiological underpinnings of this tolerance is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Vacca
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.
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21
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Steele AN, Moore PA. Express yourself: Individuals with bold personalities exhibit increased behavioral sensitivity to dynamic herbicide exposure. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2019; 179:272-281. [PMID: 31059994 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.04.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The majority of ecotoxicological studies performed measure average responses from individuals which do not account for the inter-individual variation in the responses of animals to environmental stimuli (i.e. the personality of individuals). Thus, these designs assume that all individuals will respond to contaminant exposure in a similar manner. Additionally, commonly used constant, static exposure regime designs neglect to recognize the spatial and temporal variation in contaminant plume structures as they move throughout fluid environments. The purpose of this study was to understand the effects of the structural characteristics (concentration, duration, and frequency) of temporally and spatially variant contaminant plumes on the personality of individuals. This experimental design aimed to construct a sensitive definition of exposure by connecting sublethal effects of toxicants and realistic exposure regimes. This study used escape response of Faxonius virilis crayfish from the predatory odor of Micropterus salmoides prior to and following exposure to the herbicide, atrazine. Atrazine was delivered in pulses to flow through exposure arenas for a total of 47 h while manipulating the concentration, frequency, and duration of the herbicide pulses. Escape response of crayfish prior to exposure was used to categorize animals into bold and shy personalities. The change in escape response was analyzed and resulted in a personality-dependent behavioral sensitivity to the polluted environment. Individuals classified as bold showed increased change in response to predatory odor relative to shy animals. Bold animals exhibited decreased activity after exposure where no change was presented in shy individuals. Shifts in individual behavior have impacts on the population level (e.g. resource acquisition/value; interspecies competition) and the ecosystem level (e.g. food web dynamics; trophic cascades). This study demonstrates the importance of sensitive measures in ecological risk assessment methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra N Steele
- Laboratory for Sensory Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA; University of Michigan Biological Station, Pellston, MI, 49769, USA
| | - Paul A Moore
- Laboratory for Sensory Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA; University of Michigan Biological Station, Pellston, MI, 49769, USA; J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA.
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22
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Liu L, Wang J, Wang L, Hu Y, Ma X. Vertical distributions of mercury in marine sediment cores from central and southern part of Bohai Sea, China. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2019; 170:399-406. [PMID: 30550970 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.12.003] [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: 05/17/2018] [Revised: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In past decades, China has experienced substantial economic growth and industrialization. However, the effects of vast development of China on Hg input to the nearby oceans are still unclear. In this study, four representative 210Pb-dated sediment cores were collected in the central and southern part of Bohai sea to investigate vertical changes of Hg contents and explore the relationship between the Hg deposition and pollution history in this region utilizing a large amount of information available. The results indicated that Hg median concentrations of sediment core B62, B66, JQ17 and HZ24 were 0.043 mg/kg, 0.054 mg/kg, 0.033 mg/kg and 0.018 mg/kg respectively, among which, B66 in Yellow river estuary and B62 in central part of Bohai Sea had higher concentrations and HZ24 in Bohai Strait had a lower concentration. 210Pb profile appeared as a three segments model in the core B62, but as many steps of decay with depth in B66. For HZ24, 210Pb activity only fluctuated with depth without any discernible trend. Sedimentary rates of these cores decreased as follows: B66>B62>JQ17>HZ24. Vertical distributions of Hg concentrations in sediment cores were totally different from each other. Hg concentrations in sediment core B62 experienced an initial fluctuation followed by a decreasing trend, while sediment core HZ24 almost showed the uniform decreasing trends from the surface to the bottom. There were three segments of variation in sediment cores JQ17: initial fluctuation followed by an obviously decreasing tendency and then a converted variation from surface to bottom. Hg contents changes in core B62 might reflect the additive effects from atmospheric deposition at a larger scale and the river-delivered sediment accumulation, while Hg vertical changes in B66 mainly had a close relationship with the input of Yellow river. The converted variation at the bottom section in sediment cores JQ17 was inferred to have some relationship with the Chengbei platform construction in the corresponding periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Liu
- National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Linghe Street 42, Dalian City, Liaoning Province 116023, China
| | - Juying Wang
- National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Linghe Street 42, Dalian City, Liaoning Province 116023, China.
| | - Lijun Wang
- National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Linghe Street 42, Dalian City, Liaoning Province 116023, China
| | - Yingying Hu
- National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Linghe Street 42, Dalian City, Liaoning Province 116023, China
| | - Xindong Ma
- National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Linghe Street 42, Dalian City, Liaoning Province 116023, China
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Grunst AS, Grunst ML, Pinxten R, Eens M. Personality and plasticity in neophobia levels vary with anthropogenic disturbance but not toxic metal exposure in urban great tits: Urban disturbance, metal pollution and neophobia. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 656:997-1009. [PMID: 30625686 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Revised: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Animal personalities, as defined by repeatable among individual differences in behavior, can vary across urbanization gradients. However, how urbanization affects personalities remains incompletely understood, especially because different urban stressors could affect personality traits in opposing ways, whereas most previous studies have considered only one urban disturbance factor. For instance, novel habitat features could favor reduced neophobia, whereas exposure to pollutants could increase risk sensitivity through neurotoxic or hormonal effects. To address this contingency, we studied object neophobia in four urban populations of great tits (Parus major) that vary in exposure to metal pollution and anthropogenic disturbance, as quantified by proximity to roads and pathways. We measured the return latency of incubating females when flushed from the nest and presented with up to two different novel objects, allowing quantification of behavioral repeatability and plasticity. To separate neophobia from sensitivity to disturbance, we also conducted baseline trials, in which females were flushed but no object was presented. We additionally measured exploration behavior and aggression (hissing) during nest defense, to explore whether suites of behaviors covary with urbanization, and examined whether neophobia affects reproductive success. Sensitivity to disturbance and neophobia were repeatable, and thus represent personality traits. Moreover, females occupying territories near roads and pathways had shorter return latencies during novel object but not baseline trials, suggesting a specific reduction in neophobia in disturbed areas. Plasticity in neophobia also increased with disturbance level. In contrast, metal exposure did not affect neophobia or sensitivity to disturbance, despite negatively correlating with exploration behavior. Neophobia correlated with exploration behavior, but not aggression or reproductive success. Results suggest that shifts in personality types in urbanized areas might involve specific reductions in neophobia, rather than general reductions in sensitivity to disturbance, and unexpectedly indicate no effect of toxic metals on risk sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea S Grunst
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Melissa L Grunst
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Rianne Pinxten
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Faculty of Social Sciences, Antwerp School of Education, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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24
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Gerson AR, Cristol DA, Seewagen CL. Environmentally relevant methylmercury exposure reduces the metabolic scope of a model songbird. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 246:790-796. [PMID: 30623835 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.12.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
For most birds, energy efficiency and conservation are paramount to balancing the competing demands of self-maintenance, reproduction, and other demanding life history stages. Yet the ability to maximize energy output for behaviors like predator escape and migration is often also critical. Environmental perturbations that affect energy metabolism may therefore have important consequences for fitness and survival. Methylmercury (MeHg) is a global pollutant that has wide-ranging impacts on physiological systems, but its effects on the metabolism of birds and other vertebrates are poorly understood. We investigated dose-dependent effects of dietary MeHg on the body composition, basal and peak metabolic rates (BMR, PMR), and respiratory quotients (RQ) of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Dietary exposure levels (0.0, 0.1, or 0.6 ppm wet weight) were intended to reflect a range of mercury concentrations found in invertebrate prey of songbirds in areas contaminated by atmospheric deposition or point-source pollution. We found adiposity increased with MeHg exposure. BMR also increased with exposure while PMR decreased, together resulting in reduced metabolic scope in both MeHg-exposed treatments. There were differences in RQ among treatments that suggested a compromised ability of exposed birds to rapidly metabolize carbohydrates during exercise in a hop-hover wheel. The elevated BMR of exposed birds may have been due to energetic costs of depurating MeHg, whereas the reduced PMR could have been due to reduced oxygen carrying capacity and/or reduced glycolytic capacity. Our results suggest that environmentally relevant mercury exposure is capable of compromising the ability of songbirds to both budget and rapidly exert energy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander R Gerson
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - Daniel A Cristol
- Biology Department, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23187, USA
| | - Chad L Seewagen
- Great Hollow Nature Preserve & Ecological Research Center, New Fairfield, CT, 06812, USA; AKRF Inc., White Plains, NY, 10601, USA
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25
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Ackerman JT, Hartman CA, Herzog MP. Mercury contamination in resident and migrant songbirds and potential effects on body condition. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 246:797-810. [PMID: 30623836 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.11.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Methlymercury is a significant risk to environmental health globally. We examined the ecological drivers of methylmercury bioaccumulation in songbirds and its effect on body condition while experimentally removing the potentially confounding and predominant effects of site and habitat. We measured blood and feather mercury concentrations and body condition in nearly 1200 individuals representing resident or migrant songbirds of 52 species and 5 foraging guilds. Songbird mercury concentrations differed among species, foraging guilds, residency status, dates, and ages, but not sexes. Blood mercury concentrations 1) ranged from 0.003 in house finch to 0.85 μg/g ww in American robin, 2) were 125 times greater in insectivores than granivores and 3.6 times greater in insectivores than omnivores, 3) were 3.3 times greater in summer residents than in migrating songbirds, 4) increased by 25% throughout spring and summer, and 5) were 45% higher in adults than juveniles. Songbird mercury concentrations were negatively correlated with body condition, with blood mercury concentrations decreasing by 44% and 34% over the range of standardized body masses and fat scores, respectively. Our results highlight the importance of foraging and migration ecology in determining methylmercury contamination in birds, and the potential for reduced body condition with methylmercury exposure in songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA.
| | - C Alex Hartman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
| | - Mark P Herzog
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
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26
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Scheiber IBR, Weiß BM, de Jong ME, Braun A, van den Brink NW, Loonen MJJE, Millesi E, Komdeur J. Stress behaviour and physiology of developing Arctic barnacle goslings ( Branta leucopsis) is affected by legacy trace contaminants. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20181866. [PMID: 30963902 PMCID: PMC6304058 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural populations are persistently exposed to environmental pollution, which may adversely impact animal physiology and behaviour and even compromise survival. Responding appropriately to any stressor ultimately might tip the scales for survival, as mistimed behaviour and inadequate physiological responses may be detrimental. Yet effects of legacy contamination on immediate physiological and behavioural stress coping abilities during acute stress are virtually unknown. Here, we assessed these effects in barnacle goslings ( Branta leucopsis) at a historical coal mine site in the Arctic. For three weeks we led human-imprinted goslings, collected from nests in unpolluted areas, to feed in an abandoned coal mining area, where they were exposed to trace metals. As control we led their siblings to feed on clean grounds. After submitting both groups to three well-established stress tests (group isolation, individual isolation, on-back restraint), control goslings behaved calmer and excreted lower levels of corticosterone metabolites. Thus, legacy contamination may decisively change stress physiology and behaviour in long-lived vertebrates exposed at a young age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella B. R. Scheiber
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Behavioural Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Brigitte M. Weiß
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Margje E. de Jong
- Arctic Centre, University of Groningen, 9718 CW Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Anna Braun
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Nico W. van den Brink
- Department of Toxicology, Wageningen University, 6700 EA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Eva Millesi
- Department of Behavioural Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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27
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Grunst AS, Grunst ML, Thys B, Raap T, Daem N, Pinxten R, Eens M. Variation in personality traits across a metal pollution gradient in a free-living songbird. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 630:668-678. [PMID: 29494975 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Revised: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic contaminants could alter traits central to animal behavioral types, or personalities, including aggressiveness, boldness and activity level. Lead and other toxic metals are persistent inorganic pollutants that affect organisms worldwide. Metal exposure can alter behavior by affecting neurology, endocrinology, and health. However, the direction and magnitude of the behavioral effects of metal exposure remain equivocal. Moreover, the degree to which metal exposure simultaneously affects suites of correlated behavioral traits (behavioral syndromes) that are controlled by common mechanisms remains unclear, with most studies focusing on single behaviors. Using a model species for personality variation, the great tit (Parus major), we explored differences in multiple behavioral traits across a pollution gradient where levels of metals, especially lead and cadmium, are elevated close to a smelter. We employed the novel environment exploration test, a proxy for variation in personality type, and also measured territorial aggressiveness and nest defense behavior. At polluted sites birds of both sexes displayed slower exploration behavior, which could reflect impaired neurological or physiological function. Territorial aggression and nest defense behavior were individually consistent, but did not vary with proximity to the smelter, suggesting that metal exposure does not concurrently affect exploration and aggression. Rather, exploration behavior appears more sensitive to metal pollution. Effects of metal pollution on exploration behavior, a key animal personality trait, could have critical effects on fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea S Grunst
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Melissa L Grunst
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Bert Thys
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Thomas Raap
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Natasha Daem
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Rianne Pinxten
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Faculty of Social Sciences, Antwerp School of Education, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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28
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van den Brink NW, Scheiber IBR, de Jong ME, Braun A, Arini A, Basu N, van den Berg H, Komdeur J, Loonen MJJE. Mercury associated neurochemical response in Arctic barnacle goslings (Branta leucopsis). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 624:1052-1058. [PMID: 29929222 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Revised: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nico W van den Brink
- Wageningen University, Div. Toxicology, Box 8000, 6700 EA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Isabella B R Scheiber
- University Groningen, Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences, Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, PO. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Margje E de Jong
- Arctic Centre, University Groningen, P.O. Box 716, 9700 AS Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Anna Braun
- University Groningen, Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences, Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, PO. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Adeline Arini
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Niladri Basu
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Hans van den Berg
- Wageningen University, Div. Toxicology, Box 8000, 6700 EA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Komdeur
- University Groningen, Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences, Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, PO. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten J J E Loonen
- Arctic Centre, University Groningen, P.O. Box 716, 9700 AS Groningen, The Netherlands
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29
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Morran SAM, Elliott JE, Young JML, Eng ML, Basu N, Williams TD. Ecologically-relevant exposure to methylmercury during early development does not affect adult phenotype in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2018; 27:259-266. [PMID: 29313303 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-017-1890-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/16/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury causes behavioural and reproductive effects in adult mammals via early developmental exposure. Similar studies in birds are limited and mostly focussed on aquatic systems, but recent work has reported high blood mercury concentrations in terrestrial, passerine songbirds. We used the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) as a model to explore the long-term effects of early developmental exposure to methylmercury exposure. Chicks were dosed orally with either the vehicle control, 0.0315 µg Hg/g bw/day, or 0.075 µg Hg/g bw/day throughout the nestling period (days 1-21 post-hatching). We then measured (a) short-term effects on growth, development, and behaviour (time to self-feeding, neophobia) until 30 days of age (independence), and (b) long-term effects on courtship behaviour and song (males) and reproduction (females) once methylmercury-exposed birds reached sexual maturity (90 days post-hatching). High methylmercury treated birds had mean blood mercury of 0.734 ± 0.163 µg/g at 30 days post-hatching, within the range of values reported for field-sampled songbirds at mercury contaminated sites. However, there were no short-term effects of treatment on growth, development, and behaviour of chicks, and no long-term effects on courtship behaviour and song in males or reproductive performance in females. These results suggest that the nestling period is not a critical window for sensitivity to mercury exposure in zebra finches. Growing nestlings can reduce blood mercury levels through somatic growth and depuration into newly growing feathers, and as a result they might actually be less susceptible compared to adult birds receiving the same level of exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer A M Morran
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - John E Elliott
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Science & Technology Branch, Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, Delta, BC, Canada
| | - Jessica M L Young
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Margaret L Eng
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Niladri Basu
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Tony D Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
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30
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Ma Y, Perez CR, Branfireun BA, Guglielmo CG. Dietary exposure to methylmercury affects flight endurance in a migratory songbird. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 234:894-901. [PMID: 29253830 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Revised: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Although there has been much speculation in the literature that methylmercury (MeHg) exposure can reduce songbird fitness, little is known about its effects on migration. Migrating songbirds typically make multiple flights, stopping to refuel for short periods between flights. How refueling at MeHg-contaminated stopover sites would contribute to MeHg bioaccumulation, and how such exposure could affect subsequent flight performance during migration has not been determined. In a dosing experiment we show that migratory yellow-rumped warblers (Setophaga coronata) rapidly accumulate dietary MeHg in blood, brain and muscle, liver and kidneys in just 1-2 weeks. We found that exposure to a 0.5 ppm diet did not affect vertical takeoff performance, but in 2-h wind tunnel flights, MeHg-treated warblers had a greater median number of strikes (landing or losing control) in the first 30 min, longer strike duration, and shorter flight duration. The number of strikes in the first 30 min of 0.5 ppm MeHg-exposed warblers was related to mercury concentration in blood in a sigmoid, dose-dependent fashion. Hyperphagic migratory songbirds may potentially bioaccumulate MeHg rapidly, which can lead to decreased migratory endurance flight performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanju Ma
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Cristina R Perez
- Department of Agriculture, Nutrition and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Brian A Branfireun
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Centre for Environment and Sustainability, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christopher G Guglielmo
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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31
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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. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 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] [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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32
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Whitney MC, Cristol DA. Impacts of Sublethal Mercury Exposure on Birds: A Detailed Review. REVIEWS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2018; 244:113-163. [PMID: 28710647 DOI: 10.1007/398_2017_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant known to accumulate in, and negatively affect, fish-eating and oceanic bird species, and recently demonstrated to impact some terrestrial songbirds to a comparable extent. It can bioaccumulate to concentrations of >1 μg/g in tissues of prey organisms such as fish and insects. At high enough concentrations, exposure to mercury is lethal to birds. However, environmental exposures are usually far below the lethal concentrations established by dosing studies.The objective of this review is to better understand the effects of sublethal exposure to mercury in birds. We restricted our survey of the literature to studies with at least some exposures >5 μg/g. The majority of sublethal effects were subtle and some studies of similar endpoints reached different conclusions. Strong support exists in the literature for the conclusion that mercury exposure reduces reproductive output, compromises immune function, and causes avoidance of high-energy behaviors. For some endpoints, notably certain measures of reproductive success, endocrine and neurological function, and body condition, there is weak or contradictory evidence of adverse effects and further study is required. There was no evidence that environmentally relevant mercury exposure affects longevity, but several of the sublethal effects identified likely do result in fitness reductions that could adversely impact populations. Overall, 72% of field studies and 91% of laboratory studies found evidence of deleterious effects of mercury on some endpoint, and thus we can conclude that mercury is harmful to birds, and the many effects on reproduction indicate that bird population declines may already be resulting from environmental mercury pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret C Whitney
- Department of Biology, Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23187, USA
| | - Daniel A Cristol
- Department of Biology, Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23187, USA.
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33
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Finger JW, Botero J, Zhang Y, Still SE, Hoffman AJ, Kavazis AN, Cristol DA, Wada H. No Effect of Lifelong Methylmercury Exposure on Oxidative Status in Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata): A Demonstration of Methylmercury-Induced Selection? BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2017; 99:668-672. [PMID: 29080113 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-017-2202-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Songbirds exposed to methylmercury (MeHg) often exhibit reduced reproductive success and cognitive abilities. To better understand whether oxidative stress plays a role, we dosed zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) with a contaminated (1.2 ppm MeHg-cysteine) or control diet for their entire lives, including during development in the egg. Levels of antioxidant enzymes [superoxide dismutase (SOD1 and SOD2)], oxidative damage (4-hydroxynonenal; 4-HNE), and antioxidant transcription factors [nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2; Nrf2] were measured in the liver and pectoralis muscle of adults. MeHg treatment did not affect levels of 4-HNE or liver SOD2 or Nrf2. Birds in the MeHg treatment differed significantly from controls in pectoralis SOD1 and Nrf2, and tended to differ in liver SOD1 and pectoralis SOD2; however, we detected no overall pattern of effect of MeHg on oxidative status in dosed finches. We suspect that this is a consequence of the differential survival of MeHg-tolerant birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W Finger
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.
| | - Juan Botero
- Department of Biology, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, USA
| | - Yufeng Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Shelby E Still
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Alexander J Hoffman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | | | - Daniel A Cristol
- Department of Biology, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, USA
| | - Haruka Wada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
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34
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Santos CSA, Blondel L, Sotillo A, Müller W, Stienen EWM, Boeckx P, Soares AMVM, Monteiro MS, Loureiro S, de Neve L, Lens L. Offspring Hg exposure relates to parental feeding strategies in a generalist bird with strong individual foraging specialization. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 601-602:1315-1323. [PMID: 28605850 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Generalist species can potentially exploit a wide variety of resources, but at the individual level they often show a certain degree of foraging specialization. Specific foraging strategies, however, may increase exposure to environmental contaminants that can alter the cost-benefit balance of consuming particular food items. The Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) is known to opportunistically feed on a wide range of marine and terrestrial prey that differ in contaminant load, such as mercury (Hg) that strongly biomagnifies through the aquatic food web. The hypothesis tested in this study were: i) a predominant use of marine prey by females during egg-formation and by both parents during chick rearing increases the exposure to Hg during embryonic development and chick growth, and ii) this affects parental investment in clutch volume, chick growth and body condition. Total Hg burden and isotopic signatures of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) were determined for eggs, down feathers, and primary feathers of L. fuscus chicks collected at a coastal colony in Belgium. As expected, eggs and feathers of chicks from parents with a stable isotope signature that suggested a predominantly marine diet had higher levels of Hg. The use of marine resources by females during the egg-formation period positively correlated to maternal investment in egg size, though entailing the cost of increased Hg-concentrations which in turn negatively affected clutch volume. Furthermore, it is shown that the use of chick down feathers is a suitable matrix to non-lethally estimate Hg concentrations in eggs. Contrary to our expectations, no relationship between Hg exposure and chick growth or chick body condition was found, which may be due the low concentrations found. We conclude that currently Hg contamination does not constitute a risk for development and condition of L. fuscus offspring at the levels currently observed at the Belgian coast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cátia S A Santos
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal..
| | - Léa Blondel
- Redpath Museum, Biology Department, McGill University, 859 Sherbrooke, Montréal, QC H3A 0C4, Canada
| | - Alejandro Sotillo
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Wendt Müller
- Department of Biology - Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Eric W M Stienen
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Kliniekstraat 25, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pascal Boeckx
- Isotope Bioscience Laboratory (ISOFYS), Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Amadeu M V M Soares
- Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Marta S Monteiro
- Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Susana Loureiro
- Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Liesbeth de Neve
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luc Lens
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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35
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Abeysinghe KS, Qiu G, Goodale E, Anderson CWN, Bishop K, Evers DC, Goodale MW, Hintelmann H, Liu S, Mammides C, Quan RC, Wang J, Wu P, Xu XH, Yang XD, Feng X. Mercury flow through an Asian rice-based food web. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 229:219-228. [PMID: 28599206 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.05.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a globally-distributed pollutant, toxic to humans and animals. Emissions are particularly high in Asia, and the source of exposure for humans there may also be different from other regions, including rice as well as fish consumption, particularly in contaminated areas. Yet the threats Asian wildlife face in rice-based ecosystems are as yet unclear. We sought to understand how Hg flows through rice-based food webs in historic mining and non-mining regions of Guizhou, China. We measured total Hg (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in soil, rice, 38 animal species (27 for MeHg) spanning multiple trophic levels, and examined the relationship between stable isotopes and Hg concentrations. Our results confirm biomagnification of THg/MeHg, with a high trophic magnification slope. Invertivorous songbirds had concentrations of THg in their feathers that were 15x and 3x the concentration reported to significantly impair reproduction, at mining and non-mining sites, respectively. High concentrations in specialist rice consumers and in granivorous birds, the later as high as in piscivorous birds, suggest rice is a primary source of exposure. Spiders had the highest THg concentrations among invertebrates and may represent a vector through which Hg is passed to vertebrates, especially songbirds. Our findings suggest there could be significant population level health effects and consequent biodiversity loss in sensitive ecosystems, like agricultural wetlands, across Asia, and invertivorous songbirds would be good subjects for further studies investigating this possibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasun S Abeysinghe
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation (under state evaluation status), College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530005, China; Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Guangle Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China.
| | - Eben Goodale
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation (under state evaluation status), College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530005, China.
| | - Christopher W N Anderson
- Soil and Earth Sciences, Institute of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Kevin Bishop
- Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen, Uppsala 16, 752 36, Sweden; Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lennart Hjelmsväg 9, Uppsala, SE 75007, Sweden
| | - David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME 04103, United States
| | - Morgan W Goodale
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME 04103, United States
| | - Holger Hintelmann
- Trent University, Chemistry Department, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - Shengjie Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China; Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Christos Mammides
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
| | - Rui-Chang Quan
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
| | - Jin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China; Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Pianpian Wu
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lennart Hjelmsväg 9, Uppsala, SE 75007, Sweden
| | - Xiao-Hang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China; Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiao-Dong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
| | - Xinbin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
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Peterson EK, Buchwalter DB, Kerby JL, LeFauve MK, Varian-Ramos CW, Swaddle JP. Integrative behavioral ecotoxicology: bringing together fields to establish new insight to behavioral ecology, toxicology, and conservation. Curr Zool 2017; 63:185-194. [PMID: 29491976 PMCID: PMC5804166 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zox010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The fields of behavioral ecology, conservation science, and environmental toxicology individually aim to protect and manage the conservation of wildlife in response to anthropogenic stressors, including widespread anthropogenic pollution. Although great emphasis in the field of toxicology has been placed on understanding how single pollutants affect survival, a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach that includes behavioral ecology is essential to address how anthropogenic compounds are a risk for the survival of species and populations in an increasingly polluted world. We provide an integrative framework for behavioral ecotoxicology using Tinbergen’s four postulates (causation and mechanism, development and ontogeny, function and fitness, and evolutionary history and phylogenetic patterns). The aims of this review are: 1) to promote an integrative view and re-define the field of integrative behavioral ecotoxicology; 2) to demonstrate how studying ecotoxicology can promote behavior research; and 3) to identify areas of behavioral ecotoxicology that require further attention to promote the integration and growth of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K Peterson
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York-Albany, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - David B Buchwalter
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Jacob L Kerby
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
| | - Matthew K LeFauve
- Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | | | - John P Swaddle
- Biology Department, Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795, USA
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37
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Swaddle JP, Diehl TR, Taylor CE, Fanaee AS, Benson JL, Huckstep NR, Cristol DA. Exposure to dietary mercury alters cognition and behavior of zebra finches. Curr Zool 2017; 63:213-219. [PMID: 29491979 PMCID: PMC5804164 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zox007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental stressors can negatively affect avian cognitive abilities, potentially reducing fitness, for example by altering response to predators, display to mates, or memory of locations of food. We expand on current knowledge by investigating the effects of dietary mercury, a ubiquitous environmental pollutant and known neurotoxin, on avian cognition. Zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata were dosed for their entire lives with sub-lethal levels of mercury, at the environmentally relevant dose of 1.2 parts per million. In our first study, we compared the dosed birds with controls of the same age using tests of three cognitive abilities: spatial memory, inhibitory control, and color association. In the spatial memory assay, birds were tested on their ability to learn and remember the location of hidden food in their cage. The inhibitory control assay measured their ability to ignore visible but inaccessible food in favor of a learned behavior that provided the same reward. Finally, the color association task tested each bird's ability to associate a specific color with the presence of hidden food. Dietary mercury negatively affected spatial memory ability but not inhibitory control or color association. Our second study focused on three behavioral assays not tied to a specific skill or problem-solving: activity level, neophobia, and social dominance. Zebra finches exposed to dietary mercury throughout their lives were subordinate to, and more active than, control birds. We found no evidence that mercury exposure influenced our metric of neophobia. Together, these results suggest that sub-lethal exposure to environmental mercury selectively harms neurological pathways that control different cognitive abilities, with complex effects on behavior and fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Swaddle
- Biology Department, College of William and Mary, Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795, USA
| | - Tessa R Diehl
- Biology Department, College of William and Mary, Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795, USA
| | - Capwell E Taylor
- Biology Department, College of William and Mary, Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795, USA
| | - Aaron S Fanaee
- Biology Department, College of William and Mary, Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795, USA
| | - Jessica L Benson
- Biology Department, College of William and Mary, Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795, USA
| | - Neil R Huckstep
- Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 1405 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Daniel A Cristol
- Biology Department, College of William and Mary, Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795, USA
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38
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Ackerman JT, Eagles-Smith CA, Herzog MP, Hartman CA, Peterson SH, Evers DC, Jackson AK, Elliott JE, Vander Pol SS, Bryan CE. Avian mercury exposure and toxicological risk across western North America: A synthesis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 568:749-769. [PMID: 27093907 PMCID: PMC5365029 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.03.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Revised: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury contamination of the environment is an important issue globally, and birds are useful bioindicators for mercury monitoring programs. The available data on mercury contamination of birds in western North America were synthesized. Original data from multiple databases were obtained and a literature review was conducted to obtain additional mercury concentrations. In total, 29219 original bird mercury concentrations from 225 species were compiled, and an additional 1712 mean mercury concentrations, representing 19998 individuals and 176 species, from 200 publications were obtained. To make mercury data comparable across bird tissues, published equations of tissue mercury correlations were used to convert all mercury concentrations into blood-equivalent mercury concentrations. Blood-equivalent mercury concentrations differed among species, foraging guilds, habitat types, locations, and ecoregions. Piscivores and carnivores exhibited the greatest mercury concentrations, whereas herbivores and granivores exhibited the lowest mercury concentrations. Bird mercury concentrations were greatest in ocean and salt marsh habitats and lowest in terrestrial habitats. Bird mercury concentrations were above toxicity benchmarks in many areas throughout western North America, and multiple hotspots were identified. Additionally, published toxicity benchmarks established in multiple tissues were summarized and translated into a common blood-equivalent mercury concentration. Overall, 66% of birds sampled in western North American exceeded a blood-equivalent mercury concentration of 0.2 μg/g wet weight (ww; above background levels), which is the lowest-observed effect level, 28% exceeded 1.0 μg/g ww (moderate risk), 8% exceeded 3.0 μg/g ww (high risk), and 4% exceeded 4.0 μg/g ww (severe risk). Mercury monitoring programs should sample bird tissues, such as adult blood and eggs, that are most-easily translated into tissues with well-developed toxicity benchmarks and that are directly relevant to bird reproduction. Results indicate that mercury contamination of birds is prevalent in many areas throughout western North America, and large-scale ecological attributes are important factors influencing bird mercury concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, California 95620, United States.
| | - Collin A Eagles-Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, United States
| | - Mark P Herzog
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, California 95620, United States
| | - C Alex Hartman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, California 95620, United States
| | - Sarah H Peterson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, California 95620, United States
| | - David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, Maine, 04103, United States
| | - Allyson K Jackson
- Oregon State University, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, United States
| | - John E Elliott
- Environment Canada, Science and Technology Branch, Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, Delta, British Columbia, V4K 3N2, Canada
| | - Stacy S Vander Pol
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, South Carolina, 29412, United States
| | - Colleen E Bryan
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, South Carolina, 29412, United States
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39
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Buck KA, Varian-Ramos CW, Cristol DA, Swaddle JP. Blood Mercury Levels of Zebra Finches Are Heritable: Implications for the Evolution of Mercury Resistance. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162440. [PMID: 27668745 PMCID: PMC5036838 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mercury is a ubiquitous metal contaminant that negatively impacts reproduction of wildlife and has many other sub-lethal effects. Songbirds are sensitive bioindicators of mercury toxicity and may suffer population declines as a result of mercury pollution. Current predictions of mercury accumulation and biomagnification often overlook possible genetic variation in mercury uptake and elimination within species and the potential for evolution in affected populations. We conducted a study of dietary mercury exposure in a model songbird species, maintaining a breeding population of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) on standardized diets ranging from 0.0-2.4 μg/g methylmercury. We applied a quantitative genetics approach to examine patterns of variation and heritability of mercury accumulation within dietary treatments using a method of mixed effects modeling known as the 'animal model'. Significant variation in blood mercury accumulation existed within each treatment for birds exposed at the same dietary level; moreover, this variation was highly repeatable for individuals. We observed substantial genetic variation in blood mercury accumulation for birds exposed at intermediate dietary concentrations. Taken together, this is evidence that genetic variation for factors affecting blood mercury accumulation could be acted on by selection. If similar heritability for mercury accumulation exists in wild populations, selection could result in genetic differentiation for populations in contaminated locations, with possible consequences for mercury biomagnification in food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenton A. Buck
- Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Claire W. Varian-Ramos
- Biology Department, Colorado State University – Pueblo, Pueblo, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Daniel A. Cristol
- Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - John P. Swaddle
- Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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