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Hammouda A, Ayadi T, Selmi S. Long-term Exposure to Industrial Chemical Contamination Affects the Magnitude of Predator-induced Immunosuppression in a Free-living Passerine. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2024; 112:42. [PMID: 38402343 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-024-03857-2] [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: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Industrial chemical contamination is known to have immuno-toxic effects on birds. It may also interfere with natural stressful conditions to further disrupt the immune responses, but these possible interactive effects are still poorly documented in free-living birds. Using the phytohaemagglutinin skin-swelling test, we assessed how the T-cell mediated immune response varied according to the perceived risk of predation in hybrid sparrows, Passer domesticus × Passer hispaniolensis, originating from two sites differentially impacted by industrial chemical contamination, in southern Tunisia. Results showed that T-cell mediated immune response decreased with increasing perceived risk of predation, but the extent of this predator-associated immunosuppression was weaker in birds from the contaminated site compared to those from the control site. The immune response of birds living in the contaminated site was so weak that it could not be further weakened by a predator-related stress. Overall, these results support the idea that chemical contamination interferes with natural environmental stressors, such as predators, thus entailing profound disruption of the immune responses, with possible deleterious repercussions on the ability of birds to cope with diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdessalem Hammouda
- 'Ecology of Terrestrial Fauna' research unit (UR17ES44), Faculty of Sciences, Gabès University, Zrig, 6072, Gabès, Tunisia.
| | - Tasnim Ayadi
- 'Ecology of Terrestrial Fauna' research unit (UR17ES44), Faculty of Sciences, Gabès University, Zrig, 6072, Gabès, Tunisia
| | - Slaheddine Selmi
- 'Ecology of Terrestrial Fauna' research unit (UR17ES44), Faculty of Sciences, Gabès University, Zrig, 6072, Gabès, Tunisia
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2
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Ross M, Corimanya JL, Kaplan R, Kilgour DAV, Linkous CR, Guindre-Parker S. Elevated lead (Pb) in urban European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) feathers is not correlated to physiology or behavior. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:168932. [PMID: 38048995 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168932] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization is rapidly changing the environment and creating new challenges in the lives of animals across the globe. Anthropogenic contaminants-like heavy metals-can persist within the environment for prolonged periods of time and present a widespread problem for those living near contaminated areas. Lead (Pb) was a commonly used heavy metal that continues to threaten the health of all organisms despite being phased out, especially in urban areas where historical use was more common. In this study, a common urban-adapter, the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), was trapped to explore whether feather Pb burden is greater in birds from urban habitats than rural habitats, as well as whether Pb burdens were correlated with behavior, physiology, and feather development. Across four sites (two rural and two urban), soil Pb concentrations were measured and 197 free-living starlings were captured to measure feather Pb concentrations. Using linear mixed models, this study found that urban starling nestlings had elevated feather Pb burdens compared to rural nestlings. In contrast, there was no correlation between Pb and urbanization in adult birds whose exposure to Pb may reflect a larger spatial range compared to nestlings. For both nestlings and adults, feather Pb was uncorrelated to corticosterone, testosterone, aggressive behavior, or feather growth rates. These findings suggest that starlings may be a useful biomonitoring tool to detect Pb in the local environment, however, the age and spatial range of birds is a critical consideration in applying this tool. Further work is needed to understand the intricate relationship between heavy metals, behavior, morphological development, and physiology in free-living organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Ross
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
| | - Joanna L Corimanya
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Rachel Kaplan
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA
| | - Denyelle A V Kilgour
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA; Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Courtney R Linkous
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA
| | - Sarah Guindre-Parker
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA.
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Brodin A, Watson H. Feather corticosterone reveals that urban great tits experience lower corticosterone exposure than forest individuals during dominance-rank establishment. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad033. [PMID: 37256103 PMCID: PMC10225983 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Although the consequences of urbanization for the physiological health of animals are the focus of much active research, an overlooked aspect is how physiology could be indirectly modulated by the urban environment via changes in intraspecific behavioural interactions, particularly among gregarious species. Both urbanization and the establishment, as well as maintenance, of hierarchical rank position are processes that could incur physiological stress. Measurements of glucocorticoids (GCs) in relation to urbanization, however, have yielded inconsistent results. In most cases, GCs have been measured in blood, offering only a 'snapshot' of an animal's current physiological state. Because circulating GCs are incorporated into growing feathers or hair, measurements of feather/hair GCs offer a longer term measure of stress exposure reflecting the whole period of feather/hair growth. During two calendar years, we collected tail feathers from 188 urban and forest great tits (P. major) across multiple sampling sites and analysed corticosterone (CORT-the main GC in birds) levels, reflecting CORT exposure during the extended period in late summer and early autumn when great tits moult and winter flocks are formed. Urban individuals exhibited consistently lower feather CORT (fCORT) levels than forest birds indicating lower overall exposure to CORT during this period. The lower fCORT levels in urban individuals could represent an adaptation to cope with the more challenging urban environment, physiological constraints on stress axis function or a trade-off between the ability to respond to stressors and predation risk during moult. Despite the expectation that CORT responses to urbanization are highly context-dependent, the spatial consistency of our results and agreement with a multi-population study of fCORT in European blackbirds (Turdus merula) suggests a generalization of the effect of urbanization on CORT exposure during post-breeding moult (i.e. not site- or species-specific).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Brodin
- Corresponding author: Department of Biology, Naturvetarvägen 6A, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden.
| | - Hannah Watson
- Department of Biology, Naturvetarvägen 6A, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
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4
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Herring G, Eagles-Smith CA, Buck JA. Anticoagulant rodenticides are associated with increased stress and reduced body condition of avian scavengers in the Pacific Northwest. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023:121899. [PMID: 37244534 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Anticoagulant rodenticides (AR) have been used globally to manage commensal rodents for decades. However their application has also resulted in primary, secondary, and tertiary poisoning in wildlife. Widespread exposure to ARs (primarily second generation ARs; SGARs) in raptors and avian scavengers has triggered considerable conservation concern over their potential effects on populations. To identify risk to extant raptor and avian scavenger populations in Oregon and potential future risk to the California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) flock recently established in northern California, we assessed AR exposure and physiological responses in two avian scavenger species (common ravens [Corvus corax] and turkey vultures [Cathartes aura]) throughout Oregon between 2013 and 2019. AR exposure was widespread with 51% (35/68) of common ravens and 86% (63/73) of turkey vultures containing AR residues. The more acutely toxic SGAR brodifacoum was present in 83% and 90% of AR exposed common ravens and turkey vultures. The odds of AR exposure in common ravens were 4.7-fold higher along the coastal region compared to interior Oregon. For common ravens and turkey vultures that were exposed to ARs, respectively, 54% and 56% had concentrations that exceeded the 5% probability of toxicosis (>20 ng/g ww; Thomas et al., 2011), and 20% and 5% exceeded the 20% probability of toxicosis (>80 ng/g ww; Thomas et al., 2011). Common ravens exhibited a physiological response to AR exposure with fecal corticosterone metabolites increasing with sum ARs (ΣAR) concentrations. Both female common raven and turkey vultures' body condition was negatively correlated with increasing ΣAR concentrations. Our results suggest avian scavengers in Oregon are experiencing extensive AR exposure and the newly established population of California condors in northern California will likely experience similar AR exposure if they feed in southern Oregon. Understanding the sources of ARs across the landscape is an important first step in reducing or eliminating AR exposure in avian scavengers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garth Herring
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA.
| | - Collin A Eagles-Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Jeremy A Buck
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office, Portland, OR, 97266, USA
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5
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Zamora-Camacho FJ, Burraco P, Zambrano-Fernández S, Aragón P. Ammonium effects on oxidative stress, telomere length, and locomotion across life stages of an anuran from habitats with contrasting land-use histories. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 862:160924. [PMID: 36526187 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the mechanistic implications behind wildlife responses to global changes is a central topic in eco-evolutionary research. In particular, anthropic pollution is known to impact wild populations across the globe, which may have even stronger consequences for species with complex life cycles. Among vertebrates, amphibians represent a paradigmatic example of metamorphosis, and their characteristics make them highly vulnerable to pollution. Here, we tested for differences in the redox status, telomere length, and locomotor performance across life stages of green frogs (Pelophylax perezi) from agrosystem and natural habitats, both constitutively and in response to an experimental ammonium exposure (10 mg/L). We found that larvae from the agrosystem constitutively showed an enhanced redox status (better antioxidant balance against H2O2, lower lipid peroxidation) but shorter telomeres as compared to larvae from the natural environment. The larval redox response to ammonium was, overall, similar in both habitats. In contrast, after metamorphosis, the redox status of individuals from the natural habitat seemed to cope better with ammonium exposure (denoted by lower lipid peroxidation), and differences between habitats in telomere length were no longer present. Intriguingly, while the swimming performance of larvae did not correlate with individual's physiology, metamorphs with lower glutathione reductase activity and longer telomeres had a better jumping performance. This may suggest that locomotor performance is both traded off with the production of reactive oxygen species and potentiated directly by longer telomeres or indirectly by the mechanisms that buffer their shortening. Overall, our study suggests that contrasting land-use histories can drive divergence in physiological pathways linked to individual health and lifespan. Since this pattern was life-stage dependent, divergent habitat conditions can have contrasting implications across the ontogenetic development of species with complex life cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Javier Zamora-Camacho
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Pablo Burraco
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Doñana Biological Station, Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | | | - Pedro Aragón
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
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6
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Salaberria C, Chávez-Zichinelli CA, López-Rull I, Romano MC, Schondube JE. Physiological status of House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) along an ozone pollution gradient. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2023; 32:261-272. [PMID: 36810751 PMCID: PMC10008774 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-023-02632-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Mexico City is one of the most polluted cities in the world, and one in which air contamination is considered a public health threat. Numerous studies have related high concentrations of particulate matter and ozone to several respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and a higher human mortality risk. However, almost all of those studies have focused on human health outcomes, and the effects of anthropogenic air pollution on wildlife species is still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the impacts of air pollution in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) on house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We assessed two physiological responses commonly used as biomarkers: stress response (the corticosterone concentration in feathers), and constitutive innate immune response (the concentration of both natural antibodies and lytic complement proteins), which are non-invasive techniques. We found a negative relationship between the ozone concentration and the natural antibodies response (p = 0.003). However, no relationship was found between the ozone concentration and the stress response or the complement system activity (p > 0.05). These results suggest that ozone concentrations in air pollution within MCMA may constrain the natural antibody response in the immune system of house sparrows. Our study shows, for the first time, the potential impact of ozone pollution on a wild species in the MCMA presenting the Nabs activity and the house sparrow as suitable indicators to assess the effect of air contamination on the songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Concepción Salaberria
- Área de Biodiversidad, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, España
| | | | - Isabel López-Rull
- Área de Biodiversidad, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, España
| | - Marta C Romano
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 07360, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Jorge E Schondube
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Morelia, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701, Colonia Ex Hacienda de San José de la Huerta, 58190, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.
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7
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Deviche P, Sweazea K, Angelier F. Past and future: Urbanization and the avian endocrine system. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 332:114159. [PMID: 36368439 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Urban environments are evolutionarily novel and differ from natural environments in many respects including food and/or water availability, predation, noise, light, air quality, pathogens, biodiversity, and temperature. The success of organisms in urban environments requires physiological plasticity and adjustments that have been described extensively, including in birds residing in geographically and climatically diverse regions. These studies have revealed a few relatively consistent differences between urban and non-urban conspecifics. For example, seasonally breeding urban birds often develop their reproductive system earlier than non-urban birds, perhaps in response to more abundant trophic resources. In most instances, however, analyses of existing data indicate no general pattern distinguishing urban and non-urban birds. It is, for instance, often hypothesized that urban environments are stressful, yet the activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis does not differ consistently between urban and non-urban birds. A similar conclusion is reached by comparing blood indices of metabolism. The origin of these disparities remains poorly understood, partly because many studies are correlative rather than aiming at establishing causality, which effectively limits our ability to formulate specific hypotheses regarding the impacts of urbanization on wildlife. We suggest that future research will benefit from prioritizing mechanistic approaches to identify environmental factors that shape the phenotypic responses of organisms to urbanization and the neuroendocrine and metabolic bases of these responses. Further, it will be critical to elucidate whether factors affect these responses (a) cumulatively or synergistically; and (b) differentially as a function of age, sex, reproductive status, season, and mobility within the urban environment. Research to date has used various taxa that differ greatly not only phylogenetically, but also with regard to ecological requirements, social systems, propensity to consume anthropogenic food, and behavioral responses to human presence. Researchers may instead benefit from standardizing approaches to examine a small number of representative models with wide geographic distribution and that occupy diverse urban ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Deviche
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
| | - Karen Sweazea
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Frederic Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372, CNRS - La Rochelle Universite, Villiers en Bois, France
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8
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Saulnier A, Bleu J, Boos A, Millet M, Zahn S, Ronot P, Masoudi IE, Rojas ER, Uhlrich P, Del Nero M, Massemin S. Reproductive differences between urban and forest birds across the years: importance of environmental and weather parameters. Urban Ecosyst 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-022-01305-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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9
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White JH, Heppner JJ, Ouyang JQ. Increased lead and glucocorticoid concentrations reduce reproductive success in house sparrows along an urban gradient. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2688. [PMID: 35754197 PMCID: PMC9722646 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization is increasing at a rapid pace globally. Understanding the links among environmental characteristics, phenotypes, and fitness enables researchers to predict the impact of changing landscapes on individuals and populations. Although avian reproductive output is typically lower in urban compared with natural areas, the underlying reasons for this discrepancy may lie at the intersection of abiotic and biotic environmental and individual differences. Recent advances in urban ecology highlight the effect of heavy metal contamination on stress physiology. As high levels of glucocorticoid hormones decrease parental investment, these hormones might be the link to decreased reproductive success in areas of high environmental pollution. In this study, we aimed to identify which abiotic stressors are linked to avian reproductive output in urban areas and whether this link is mediated by individual hormone levels. We used fine-scaled estimates (2 m2 spatial resolution) of nighttime light, noise, and urban density to assess their impacts on the physiological condition of adult house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We measured circulating levels of lead and glucocorticoid concentrations in 40 breeding pairs of free-living house sparrows and related these physiological traits to reproductive success. Using structural equation modeling, we found that increased urban density levels linked directly to increased plasma corticosterone and lead concentrations that subsequently led to decreased fledgling mass. Sparrows with increased lead concentrations in plasma also had higher corticosterone levels. Although urban areas may be attractive due to decreased natural predators and available nesting sites, they may act as ecological traps that increase physiological damage and decrease fitness. To illustrate, avian development is strongly explained by parental corticosterone levels, which vary significantly in response to urban density and lead pollution. With fine-scale ecological mapping for a species with small home ranges, we demonstrated the presence and impacts of urban stressors in a small city with high human densities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin H White
- Department of Economics and Geosciences, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
| | | | - Jenny Q Ouyang
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada Reno, Reno, Nevada, USA
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10
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Corsini M, Leanza P, Rodewald AD, Sudyka J, Dhondt AA, Szulkin M. Coping with novelty across an urban mosaic: Provisioning latency increases closer to roads and is associated with species-specific reproductive success in two urban adapters. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 847:157450. [PMID: 35863574 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Most research on urban avian ecology has focused on population- and community-level phenomena, whereas fewer studies have examined how urbanization affects individual behavioral responses to a sudden and novel stimulus, and how those translate to fitness. We measured between-individual variation in provisioning latency in two urban adapters - great tits and blue tits - in response to an infrared camera installed in the nestbox, encountered when offspring in the nest were at the peak of food demand (9-10-days old). For each nestbox, we quantified urbanization as intensity in human activity, distance to road and proportion of impervious surface area. In both species, provisioning latency increased closer to roads. Moreover, increased provisioning latency when exposed to a novel object was associated with higher reproductive success in great tits whose nestboxes were surrounded by high amounts of impervious surface. In contrast, increased provisioning latency was consistently associated with lower reproductive success in blue tits. Our results suggest that provisioning latency changes in relation to the environment surrounding the nest, and may be context- and species-specific when exposed to a novel stimulus, such as a novel object in the nest. To better understand the role of initial behavioral responses towards novelty across an individual's lifetime and, ultimately, its impact on fitness in the urban mosaic, further research explicitly testing different behavioral responses across the entire breeding cycle in wild model systems is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Corsini
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, ul. Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, 14850, NY, USA.
| | - Pietro Leanza
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, ul. Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Amanda D Rodewald
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, 14850, NY, USA; Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14850, NY, USA
| | - Joanna Sudyka
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - André A Dhondt
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, 14850, NY, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14850, NY, USA
| | - Marta Szulkin
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, ul. Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
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11
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Romero-Calderón AG, Alvarez-Legorreta T, Rendón von Osten J, González-Jáuregui M, Cedeño-Vázquez JR. Stress responses in captive Crocodylus moreletii associated with metal exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 308:119685. [PMID: 35764186 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119685] [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: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Environmental pollution by metals has repercussions on wildlife health. It is known that some metals can have an influence on the neuroendocrine stress response, and at the same time, metals have pro-oxidant effects that can overwhelm the antioxidant system and cause oxidative stress. This study evaluates the association of metals with neuroendocrine stress activity and biomarkers of oxidative stress in 42 captive female Morelet's crocodiles (Crocodylus moreletii). We measured five metals of ecotoxicological importance (Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn), and three biomarkers of the oxidative stress response in the liver: glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) as markers for antioxidant system and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) for oxidative damage. We also measured one biomarker of the neuroendocrine response to stress: corticosterone (B) in blood plasma. The mean ± SD concentrations of metals in the liver expressed in μg/g (dw) were: Cd: 0.004 ± 0.003, Hg: 0.014 ± 0.019, Cu: 0.017 ± 0.013, Zn: 0.043 ± 0.035, Pb: 0.16 ± 0.256. The mean ± SD of GSH was 0.42 ± 0.35 nmol/mg protein, the mean ± SD of GSSG was 0.24 ± 0.20 nmol/mg protein, the mean ± SD concentrations of TBARS were 0.36 ± 0.21 nmol/mg protein, and the mean ± SD of B was 393.57 ± 405.14 pg/mL. Hg presented a significant negative relationship with corticosterone. Cd had a negative relationship with both GSH and GSSG; meanwhile, Zn showed a negative relationship with TBARS levels, could be a protective element against hepatic oxidative damage. Finally, B had negative relationship with oxidative damage. The connection found between Hg and the neuroendocrine stress response, as well as the correlations of Cd and Zn with oxidative damage and antioxidant activity should be studied further, given their toxicological importance and implications for the conservation of C. moreletii and other crocodilians.
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Affiliation(s)
- A G Romero-Calderón
- Department of Sustainability Sciences. El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Av. Centenario Km 5.5, 77014, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
| | - T Alvarez-Legorreta
- Department of Sustainability Sciences. El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Av. Centenario Km 5.5, 77014, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
| | - J Rendón von Osten
- Instituto de Ecología, Pesquería y Oceanografía del Golfo de México (EPOMEX), Campus VI, Av. Héroes de Nacozari 480, Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, 24070, Campeche, Mexico.
| | - M González-Jáuregui
- Centro de Estudios de Desarrollo Sustentable y Aprovechamiento de la Vida Silvestre (CEDESU), Av. Héroes de Nacozari 480, Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, 24070, Campeche, Mexico.
| | - J R Cedeño-Vázquez
- Department of Systematics and Aquatic Ecology. El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Av. Centenario Km 5.5, 77014, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
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12
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Obrochta S, Savo Sardaro ML, Amato KR, Murray MH. Relationships Between Migration and Microbiome Composition and Diversity in Urban Canada Geese. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.742369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbiome analysis presents an opportunity to understand how urban environments affect avian physiology. For example, habitat use can affect microbiome diversity and composition, and hosts with more diverse gut microbiota are thought to be more resistant to pathogens and have increased fitness. However, the microbiome is an understudied aspect of avian ecology, particularly in the context of migration and urbanization in wild birds. For this study, we hypothesized that, within urban birds, migrants would exhibit greater microbial diversity and inter-individual variation in microbiome composition than residents because they are exposed to more diverse habitats. We focused on Canada geese (Branta canadensis), one of many migratory species that exhibit increasingly more year-round residency in cities. We used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to quantify microbiome taxonomic composition in fecal samples from 32 GPS-tracked Canada geese, 22 of which were year-round residents of the Chicago area and 10 of which were migrants. Similar to recent studies on wild species feeding near human habitation, urban resident geese had higher gut microbial diversity than migrants. They also had increased inter-individual variation in microbiome composition and, on average, lower relative abundances of bacteria in the phylum Firmicutes, and the genera Terrisporobacter, Turicibacter, and Cellulosilyticum, which all have metabolic functions that may aid in goose digestion. Therefore, the gut microbiome of resident geese may provide fewer potential health benefits. These patterns may be a result of anthropogenic influences on aspects of resident goose ecology, such as diet, as well the influence of migration on migrant goose ecology and biology. Overall, our results suggest that reduced migration for urban-adapted wildlife species may have important consequences for physiology and health.
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Chatelain M, Da Silva A, Celej M, Kurek E, Bulska E, Corsini M, Szulkin M. Replicated, urban-driven exposure to metallic trace elements in two passerines. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19662. [PMID: 34608262 PMCID: PMC8490372 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99329-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
While there are increasing examples of phenotypic and genotypic differences between urban and non-urban populations of plants and animals, few studies identified the mechanisms explaining those dissimilarities. The characterization of the urban landscape, which can only be achieved by measuring variability in relevant environmental factors within and between cities, is a keystone prerequisite to understand the effects of urbanization on wildlife. Here, we measured variation in bird exposure to metal pollution within 8 replicated urbanization gradients and within 2 flagship bird species in urban evolutionary ecology: the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) and the great tit (Parus major). We report on a highly significant, positive linear relationship between the magnitude of urbanization-inferred as either tree cover, impervious surface cover, or an urbanization score computed from several environmental variables, and copper, zinc and lead concentrations in bird feathers. The reverse relationship was measured in the case of mercury, while cadmium and arsenic did not vary in response to the urbanization level. This result, replicated across multiple cities and two passerine species, strongly suggests that copper, zinc, lead and mercury pollution is likely to trigger the emergence of parallel responses at the phenotypic and/or genotypic level between urban environments worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Chatelain
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland. .,Department of Zoology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Arnaud Da Silva
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta Celej
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Eliza Kurek
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ewa Bulska
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland ,grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michela Corsini
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta Szulkin
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
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Lemaire J, Bustamante P, Mangione R, Marquis O, Churlaud C, Brault-Favrou M, Parenteau C, Brischoux F. Lead, mercury, and selenium alter physiological functions in wild caimans (Caiman crocodilus). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 286:117549. [PMID: 34438486 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117549] [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: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Environmental contaminants affect ecosystems worldwide and have deleterious effects on biota. Non-essential mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) concentrations are well documented in some taxa and are described to cause multiple detrimental effects on human and wildlife. Additionally, essential selenium (Se) is known to be toxic at high concentrations but, at lower concentrations, Se can protect organisms against Hg toxicity. Crocodilians are known to bioaccumulate contaminants. However, the effects of these contaminants on physiological processes remain poorly studied. In the present study, we quantified Hg, Pb and Se concentrations in spectacled caimans (Caiman crocodilus) and investigated the effects of these contaminants on several physiological processes linked to osmoregulatory, hepatic, endocrine and renal functions measured through blood parameters in 23 individuals. Mercury was related to disruption of osmoregulation (sodium levels), hepatic function (alkaline phosphatase levels) and endocrine processes (corticosterone levels). Lead was related to disruption of hepatic functions (glucose and alanine aminotransferase levels). Selenium was not related to any parameters, but the Se:Hg molar ratio was positively related to the Na+ and corticosterone concentrations, suggesting a potential protective effect against Hg toxicity. Overall, our results suggest that Hg and Pb alter physiological mechanisms in wild caimans and highlight the need to thoroughly investigate the consequences of trace element contamination in crocodilians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémy Lemaire
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France; Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France.
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 rue Descartes, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Rosanna Mangione
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Marquis
- Sorbonne Université, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Parc Zoologique de Paris, 53 Avenue de Saint Maurice, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Carine Churlaud
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Maud Brault-Favrou
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Charline Parenteau
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
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15
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Lin YP, Anthony J, Mukhtar H, Lin CM. A spatial prioritization method for identifying potential eco-risk distributions of heavy metals in soil and birds. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 220:112383. [PMID: 34082242 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112383] [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: 01/02/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Geochemical approaches are popular for evaluations based on heavy metal concentrations in sediments or soils for eco-risk assessment. This study proposes a systematic geochemical approach (SymGeo) to explore six heavy metals in topsoils and bird tissues and organs of the target birds. We assume that the proposed approach based on field-collected heavy metals in topsoils and feathers can predict the areas with the potential risk of the heavy metals in birds. Finite mixture distribution modeling (FMDM) was used to identify background values of the heavy metal concentrations in topsoil. A spatial enrichment factor (EF), potential contamination index (PCI), contamination degree (Cod), and potential ecological risk index (PRI) based on FMDM results for topsoil, and a potential risk index (PRIbird) of heavy metals in the birds, were utilized for systematic prioritization of high eco-risk areas. Using multiple EF, PRI, and Cod results and multiple PRI-based maps of the heavy metals in feathers, we systematically prioritized risk areas where there is a high potential for heavy metal contamination in the birds. Our results indicate that heavy metal concentrations in the feather, liver, and kidney are not spatially cross-autocorrelated but are statistically significantly correlated with some heavy metals in topsoil due to external and internal depositions. Further, multiple EF, Cod, and RI distributions for topsoil, along with the PRI of the feather, showed that adequate coverages for potential risk for birds were greater than 71.05% in the top 30% and 84.69% in the top 20% potential eco-risk priority area of heavy metals in bird liver and kidney. Hence, our proposed approach suggests that assessments of heavy metals in bird feathers and topsoils without bird organs can be utilized to identify spatially high-risk areas. The proposed approach could be improved by incorporating water and sediment samples to enhance the crowdsourcing and the species-specific data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Pin Lin
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.
| | - Johnathen Anthony
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Hussnain Mukhtar
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Chiao-Ming Lin
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
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Knudtzon NC, Thorstensen H, Ruus A, Helberg M, Bæk K, Enge EK, Borgå K. Maternal transfer and occurrence of siloxanes, chlorinated paraffins, metals, PFAS and legacy POPs in herring gulls (Larus argentatus) of different urban influence. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 152:106478. [PMID: 33770583 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Urban herring gulls (Larus argentatus) are exposed to contaminants from aquatic, terrestrial and anthropogenic sources. We aim to assess if differences in urbanisation affect ecological niche and contaminant concentrations in female herring gulls. Furthermore, we investigated maternal transfer from mothers to eggs for all the target compounds, including chlorinated paraffins (CPs) and cyclic volatile methyl siloxane (cVMSs), which to our knowledge have not been assessed in herring gulls previously. We compare concentrations of legacy and emerging contaminants and metals in blood and eggs between two herring gull colonies located 51 km apart, in the urban influenced Norwegian Oslofjord. While both colonies are within an urbanised area, the inner fjord is more so, as it is surrounded by Oslo, the capital and largest city in Norway Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen indicated a more marine ecological niche in the outer than the inner fjord colony, although with overlap. Persistent organic pollutant (POP) concentrations were similar in the inner and outer fjord colonies, while the short-chained chlorinated paraffins (SCCP), which are recently added to the Stockholm convention and contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) varied, with higher concentrations of SCCP and the cVMS decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) in females and eggs of the inner fjord colony. Per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) concentrations were higher in the outer fjord colony, likely linked to releases from a point-source (airport and waste management facility with open access to food waste). In blood, chlorinated paraffins contributed most the total lipophilic contaminants (inner: 78%, outer: 56%), while polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were the most abundant lipophilic contaminants in eggs (inner: 62%, outer: 46%). Dechloranes and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) were detected in few samples. Maternal transfer, assessed by egg to blood ratios, of cVMSs were similar to the POPs with mean log ratio 0.39 (D5), while it was lower for SCCPs, with log ratios-0.77. Our results indicate comparable POP exposure of the herring gulls in the inner and outer Oslofjord, likely due to overlap in ecological niches between the colonies and wide distribution of POPs. The differences between the colonies in concentrations of PFAS, cVMS and CPs shows that point source exposures and urban influence may be more important than ecological niche for these compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina C Knudtzon
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Helene Thorstensen
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Anders Ruus
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0316 Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalleen 21, 0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Morten Helberg
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0316 Oslo, Norway; Østfold University College, B R A Veien 4, 1757 Halden, Norway
| | - Kine Bæk
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalleen 21, 0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Ellen K Enge
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Instituttveien 18, 2007 Kjeller, Norway
| | - Katrine Borgå
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0316 Oslo, Norway.
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17
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Bottini CLJ, MacDougall-Shackleton SA, Branfireun BA, Hobson KA. Feathers accurately reflect blood mercury at time of feather growth in a songbird. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 775:145739. [PMID: 33621875 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a globally distributed pollutant that can negatively affect wildlife. Bird feathers are often used as a monitoring tool of contaminant exposure, but variability in total mercury (THg) content in flight feathers has raised concerns over their utility. The objective of this study was to quantify blood and feather THg depuration through the progression of primary feather molt in order to clarify the relationship between blood and feather mercury concentration, and test the reliability of feather THg measurements as a monitoring tool in wild songbirds. Song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) were experimentally exposed to dietary MeHg and their blood and primary feather THg concentrations were measured during exposure and post-exposure periods of three months each. A rapid decrease in feather and blood THg concentration through molt progression was observed. Primary feather THg content was higher in feathers grown during the MeHg exposure period compared to those grown during the post-exposure period. Primary feather THg concentration was highly correlated with blood THg measured at the time of feather growth (R = 0.98), indicating that, although THg concentration is variable among flight feathers, this reflects temporally sequential molting patterns and declining blood concentration during depuration. Primary flight feathers thus provide an accurate and useful tool for estimating the mercury burden of birds at the time a chosen feather was grown, and have the potential to be an effective and reliable biomonitoring tool for species with well-characterized molt patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire L J Bottini
- The University of Western Ontario, Department of Biology, 1151 Richmond St., London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada; 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; The University of Western Ontario, Department of Psychology, 1151 Richmond St., London, Ontario, N6A 5C2, Canada
| | - Brian A Branfireun
- The University of Western Ontario, Department of Biology, 1151 Richmond St., London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada; Centre for Environment and Sustainability, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Keith A Hobson
- The University of Western Ontario, Department of Biology, 1151 Richmond St., London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada; Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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18
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Martín J, Recio P, Rodríguez-Ruiz G, Barja I, Gutiérrez E, García LV. Relationships between soil pollution by heavy metals and melanin-dependent coloration of a fossorial amphisbaenian reptile. Integr Zool 2021; 17:596-607. [PMID: 34047065 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Melanin is the basis of coloration in many animals, and although it is often used in communication, thermoregulation, or camouflage, melanin has many other physiological functions. For example, in polluted habitats, melanin can have a detoxifying function. Melanic coloration would help to sequester in the skin the heavy metal contaminants from inside the body, which will be expelled to the exterior when the skin is sloughed. Moreover, animals should have evolved more melanic colorations in more polluted habitats ("industrial melanism" hypothesis). We examined whether the fossorial amphisbaenian reptile, Trogonophis wiegmanni, is able to eliminate heavy metals, derived from soil pollution by seagull depositions, through sloughing its skin. Our results suggest a covariation between levels of soil pollution by heavy metals and the concentration of heavy metals in the sloughed skins of amphisbaenians. This suggests that amphisbaenians may expel heavy metals from their bodies when they slough the skins. We also tested whether amphisbaenians inhabiting soils with higher levels of heavy metal pollution had darker (melanin-dependent) body colorations. However, contrary to predictions from the "industrial melanization" hypothesis, we found a negative relationship between soil pollution and proportions of melanic coloration. This contradictory result could, however, be explained because heavy metals have endocrine disruption effects that increase physiological stress, and higher stress levels could result in decreased melanogenesis. We suggest that although amphisbaenians might have some detoxifying mechanism linked to melanin in the skin, this process might be negatively affected by stress and result ineffective under conditions of high soil pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Recio
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Rodríguez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Barja
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduardo Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Biogeoquímica, Ecología Vegetal y Microbiana, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Luis V García
- Departamento de Biogeoquímica, Ecología Vegetal y Microbiana, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
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Aziz B, Zubair M, Irshad N, Ahmad KS, Mahmood M, Tahir MM, Shah KH, Shaheen A. Biomonitoring of Toxic Metals in Feathers of Birds from North-Eastern Pakistan. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2021; 106:805-811. [PMID: 33743020 PMCID: PMC8049892 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-021-03184-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The current study was designed to determine the concentrations of toxic metals (Ni, Pb and Cr) in feathers of birds collected from four regions of NE Pakistan. Feather samples of birds (House Crow, Common Myna and House Sparrow) were collected from different areas. Atomic absorption spectrophotometer was used to determine the concentration of metals in feathers. Analysis of the data revealed that concentrations of Pb and Cr were significantly different (p < 0.05) among bird species, whereas no difference (p > 0.05) was detected among bird species (house crow, common myna and house sparrow) for Ni. A significant difference was found for the concentration of Pb and Ni in all the four studied regions. Whereas, non-significant difference was found in all the studied regions for the concentrating of Cr. It was revealed that there is significant rising concentration of metals (Pb, Cr) in feathers of birds in Azad Kashmir.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bushra Aziz
- Department of Zoology, University of Poonch Rawalakot (UPR), Rawalakot, 12350, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Zubair
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Poonch Rawalakot, Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan.
| | - Nausheen Irshad
- Department of Zoology, University of Poonch Rawalakot (UPR), Rawalakot, 12350, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan
| | - Khawaja Shafique Ahmad
- Department of Botany, University of Poonch Rawalakot (UPR), Rawalakot, 12350, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan
| | - Majid Mahmood
- Department of Zoology, University of Poonch Rawalakot (UPR), Rawalakot, 12350, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan
| | - Majid Mahmood Tahir
- Department of Soil and Environmental Science, University of Poonch Rawalakot (UPR), Rawalakot, 12350, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan
| | - Khizar Hussain Shah
- Department of Chemistry, Comsats University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Abbottabad, KPK, Pakistan
| | - Aqeela Shaheen
- Department of Soil and Environmental Science, University of Poonch Rawalakot (UPR), Rawalakot, 12350, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan
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20
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An altered microbiome in urban coyotes mediates relationships between anthropogenic diet and poor health. Sci Rep 2020; 10:22207. [PMID: 33335116 PMCID: PMC7746695 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78891-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Generalist species able to exploit anthropogenic food sources are becoming increasingly common in urban environments. Coyotes (Canis latrans) are one such urban generalist that now resides in cities across North America, where diseased or unhealthy coyotes are frequently reported in cases of human-wildlife conflict. Coyote health and fitness may be related to habitat use and diet via the gut microbiome, which has far-reaching effects on animal nutrition and physiology. In this study, we used stomach contents, stable isotope analysis, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, and measures of body condition to identify relationships among habitat use, diet, fecal microbiome composition, and health in urban and rural coyotes. Three distinct relationships emerged: (1) Urban coyotes consumed more anthropogenic food, which was associated with increased microbiome diversity, higher abundances of Streptococcus and Enterococcus, and poorer average body condition. (2) Conversely, rural coyotes harbored microbiomes rich in Fusobacteria, Sutterella, and Anaerobiospirillum, which were associated with protein-rich diets and improved body condition. (3) Diets rich in anthropogenic food were associated with increased abundances of Erysipelotrichiaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Coriobacteriaceae, which correlated with larger spleens in urban coyotes. Urban coyotes also had an increased prevalence of the zoonotic parasite Echinococcus multilocularis, but there were no detectable connections between parasite infection and microbiome composition. Our results demonstrate how the consumption of carbohydrate-rich anthropogenic food by urban coyotes alters the microbiome to negatively affect body condition, with potential relationships to parasite susceptibility and conflict-prone behavior.
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21
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Glucs ZE, Smith DR, Tubbs CW, Bakker VJ, Wolstenholme R, Dudus K, Burnett LJ, Clark M, Clark M, Finkelstein ME. Foraging behavior, contaminant exposure risk, and the stress response in wild California condors (Gymnogyps californianus). ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 189:109905. [PMID: 32738723 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Wild California condors (Gymnogyps californianus) are frequently exposed to lead via lead-based ammunition ingestion, and recent studies indicate significant exposure to organochlorines (e.g. dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)) for condors feeding on beach-cast marine mammals. We investigated the influence of contaminant exposure on condor glucocorticoid response through comparisons between wild and captive populations and identification of modifiers of glucocorticoid release in wild condors. We assessed the glucocorticoid response to routine trapping and handling events through measurement of plasma corticosterone and urate glucocorticoid metabolites (GCM). Comparison of peak urate GCM levels showed wild condors exhibited higher responses to handling-associated stressors (2300 ± 1400 ng/g dry wt, average ± SD, n = 27) than captive condors (910 ± 490 ng/g dry wt., n = 6, U = 28, p = 0.003). Multiple linear regression models and an information theoretic approach (AICc) identified several extrinsic variables (e.g., time captive in flight pen before sample collection) that were negatively associated with plasma corticosterone and urate GCM levels in wild condors, which explained ~25% of glucocorticoid variation. When accounting for these extrinsic variables we found that behavioral variables associated with increased lead and organochlorine exposure risk were positively associated with GCM levels, explaining an additional 15% of glucocorticoid variation among wild condors. Days absent from management area, a variable associated with reduced survival attributed to increased lead exposure risk, had a positive influence on plasma corticosterone levels (β = 53 ± 20 SE) and peak urate GCM levels (β = 1090 ± 586 SE). Years observed feeding on marine mammals, a variable positively associated with DDE and PCB exposure, positively influenced peak urate GCM (β = 1100 ± 520 SE) and the magnitude of GCM response (peak GCM - 1st urate GCM) (β = 1050 ± 500 SE). Our findings suggest that individual propensities for contaminant-associated foraging behaviors predict higher stress-induced glucocorticoid levels in wild condors, and that accounting for variables associated with trapping and handling is essential for assessing the impact of environmental stressors such as contaminants on the condor stress response. As an abnormal glucocorticoid response to stress is associated with reduced reproduction and survival in vertebrates, this work indicates the need for further investigations into the physiological impacts of sub-lethal contaminant exposures in scavenging species worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeka E Glucs
- Predatory Bird Research Group, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA; Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
| | - Donald R Smith
- Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Christopher W Tubbs
- San Diego Zoo Global, Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, CA, USA
| | | | - Rachel Wolstenholme
- National Park Service, Interior Regions 8, 9, 10, 12, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kristina Dudus
- National Park Service, Interior Region 2, Gulf Breeze, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Michael Clark
- Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Myra E Finkelstein
- Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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Mukhtar H, Chan CY, Lin YP, Lin CM. Assessing the association and predictability of heavy metals in avian organs, feathers, and bones using crowdsourced samples. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 252:126583. [PMID: 32443269 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Birds are bioindicators for research on the relationship between environmental heavy metal concentration levels and accumulation levels in bird tissues. We use roadkill samples, collected by citizen science participants, to investigate the accumulation levels and associations of seven heavy metals in internal organs (heart, liver, and kidney), feathers (primary and breast), and bones (sternum and femur) of two focal species, Amaurornis phoenicurus and Gallinula chloropus. We found that heavy metal accumulation varied by target tissue, and that variables are associated with bird species and heavy metal type. Although Zn and Cu were highest by concentration among both species, Cu was mostly accumulated in internal organs, As in feathers, and Pb in bones. Concentrations of As, Ni, and Pb in feathers of both focal species were lower than those reported in literature, whereas Cd and Cr were above toxic levels. The results also showed that spatial correlation for heavy metal concentration among bird tissues were weaker than non-spatial correlation, suggesting low spatial autocorrelations and variability. In addition, multiple regression analysis revealed significant correlation for Cr, As, and Pb estimations in A. phoenicurus heart, sternum, and kidney, respectively; and potentially Cr in G. chloropus femur by using feathers. These results support the feasibility of using feathers as indicators of As, Cr, and Pb heavy metal contamination to enhance our understanding of heavy metal accumulation in birds, although caution is required for feather-based estimations of Cd, Cu, and Ni concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussnain Mukhtar
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chieh-Yu Chan
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Pin Lin
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Chiao-Ming Lin
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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23
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Bauerová P, Krajzingrová T, Těšický M, Velová H, Hraníček J, Musil S, Svobodová J, Albrecht T, Vinkler M. Longitudinally monitored lifetime changes in blood heavy metal concentrations and their health effects in urban birds. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 723:138002. [PMID: 32213411 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Urban heavy metal pollution can impair the health of humans and other organisms inhabiting cities. While birds are suggested as one of the appropriate bioindicators for essential and non-essential trace element monitoring, the process of particular elements' accumulation in blood and its possible adverse health effects during ageing of individuals remain unexplored. We have investigated lifetime changes in blood lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As) and zinc (Zn) concentrations and searched for links to health-related traits in sub-urban free-living great tit (Parus major) population monitored over a long period of time. The blood As concentrations were under the limit of detection in most samples. The blood Pb levels showed a non-linear relationship to individuals age, where the highest Pb concentrations were measured in nestlings and in a very small group of highly senescent birds (over 7 years old), while no clear trend was observed for the majority of the adult age stages. No age-related patterns were found for blood Cd or Zn concentrations. The positive relationship between date of capture and blood Cd and Zn levels may reflect seasonal changes in diet composition. We did not reveal any anaemia-like conditions (decreased total erythrocyte count or increased immature erythrocyte count) in relation to blood heavy metal concentrations in the investigated birds. Total leukocyte counts, heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio and total heterophil and lymphocyte counts increased with increasing Pb, Cd and Zn concentrations in blood. This study demonstrates the suitability of avian blood for actual heavy metal spatial and temporal biomonitoring even in situations when the precise age of the individuals remains unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Bauerová
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Ecology, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic; Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Division of Air Quality, Tušimice Observatory, Tušimice 6, Kadaň 432 01, Czech Republic.
| | - Tereza Krajzingrová
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Těšický
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Velová
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Hraníček
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Hlavova 8, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Stanislav Musil
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Department of Trace Element Analysis, Veveří 97, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Svobodová
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Ecology, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Albrecht
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic; Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Vinkler
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
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Ibáñez-Álamo JD, Jimeno B, Gil D, Thomson RL, Aguirre JI, Díez-Fernández A, Faivre B, Tieleman BI, Figuerola J. Physiological stress does not increase with urbanization in European blackbirds: Evidence from hormonal, immunological and cellular indicators. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 721:137332. [PMID: 32169634 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization changes the landscape structure and ecological processes of natural habitats. While urban areas expose animal communities to novel challenges, they may also provide more stable environments in which environmental fluctuations are buffered. Species´ ecology and physiology may determine their capacity to cope with the city life. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying organismal responses to urbanization, and whether different physiological systems are equally affected by urban environments remain poorly understood. This severely limits our capacity to predict the impact of anthropogenic habitats on wild populations. In this study, we measured indicators of physiological stress at the endocrine, immune and cellular level (feather corticosterone levels, heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, and heat-shock proteins) in urban and non-urban European blackbirds (Turdus merula) across 10 European populations. Among the three variables, we found consistent differences in feather corticosterone, which was higher in non-urban habitats. This effect seems to be dependent on sex, being greater in males. In contrast, we found no significant differences between urban and non-urban habitats in the two other physiological indicators. The discrepancy between these different measurements of physiological stress highlights the importance of including multiple physiological variables to understand the impact of urbanization on species' physiology. Overall, our findings suggest that adult European blackbirds living in urban and non-urban habitats do not differ in terms of physiological stress at an organismal level. Furthermore, we found large differences among populations on the strength and direction of the urbanization effect, which illustrates the relevance of spatial replication when investigating urban-induced physiological responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Diego Ibáñez-Álamo
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain.
| | - Blanca Jimeno
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Diego Gil
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Robert L Thomson
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland
| | - José I Aguirre
- Departmento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alazne Díez-Fernández
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Bruno Faivre
- UMR CNRS Biogéosciences, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - B Irene Tieleman
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Seville, Spain
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25
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Grunst ML, Raap T, Grunst AS, Pinxten R, Parenteau C, Angelier F, Eens M. Early-life exposure to artificial light at night elevates physiological stress in free-living songbirds ☆. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 259:113895. [PMID: 31926393 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Artificial light at night (ALAN) can disrupt adaptive patterns of physiology and behavior that promote high fitness, resulting in physiological stress and elevation of steroid glucocorticoids (corticosterone, CORT in birds). Elevated CORT may have particularly profound effects early in life, with the potential for enduring effects that persist into adulthood. Research on the consequences of early-life exposure to ALAN remains limited, especially outside of the laboratory, and whether light exposure affects CORT concentrations in wild nestling birds particularly remains to be elucidated. We used an experimental setup to test the hypothesis that ALAN elevates CORT concentrations in developing free-living birds, by exposing nestling great tits (Parus major) to ALAN inside nest boxes. We measured CORT in feathers grown over the timeframe of the experiment (7 nights), such that CORT concentrations represent an integrative metric of hormone release over the period of nocturnal light exposure, and of development. We also assessed the relationships between feather CORT concentrations, body condition, nestling size rank and fledging success. In addition, we evaluated the relationship between feather CORT concentrations and telomere length. Nestlings exposed to ALAN had higher feather CORT concentrations than control nestlings, and nestlings in poorer body condition and smaller brood members also had higher CORT. On the other hand, telomere length, fledging success, and recruitment rate were not significantly associated with light exposure or feather CORT concentrations. Results indicate that exposure to ALAN elevates CORT concentrations in nestlings, which may reflect physiological stress. In addition, the organizational effects of CORT are known to be substantial. Thus, despite the lack of an effect on telomere length and survivorship, elevated CORT concentrations in nestlings exposed to ALAN may have subsequent impacts on later-life fitness and stress sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa L Grunst
- 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
| | - Andrea S 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
| | - Charline Parenteau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-ULR, UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-ULR, UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
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26
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Powolny T, Bassin N, Crini N, Fourel I, Morin C, Pottinger TG, Massemin S, Zahn S, Coeurdassier M. Corticosterone mediates telomere length in raptor chicks exposed to chemical mixture. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 706:135083. [PMID: 31841853 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Stressors experience early in life by animals may have carry over impacts on life-traits over the life cycle. Accelerated telomere attrition induced by stress during development and growth could play a role in such delayed effects. Among stressors, exposure to chemicals may modify telomere dynamic but, to date, the trends evidenced between exposure and telomere shortening remains inconsistent. Moreover, the role of corticosterone as a possible mediator of chemical impact on telomere is not yet clearly established. Here, we investigated in wild populations of Red kite whether nestling exposure to metals and pesticides was related to corticosterone concentrations in feathers and telomere length measured in 47 individuals. Lead and mercury concentrations in blood ranged from 2.3 to 59.0 µg L-1 and to 1.4 to 115.7 µg L-1, respectively, and were below the toxicity thresholds proposed for wildlife. Rodenticides were detected in 30% of the chicks. Corticosterone increased with mercury and lead in interaction, showing a synergistic effect of these 2 non-essential metals on this stress hormone. Telomere length was not linked to metals and/or rodenticide exposure while it was related negatively to corticosterone. The relationship between telomere and corticosterone was modulated by nestling's age, which suggests that the rate of telomere shortening is higher when corticosterone increases. Our findings propose an effect of low exposure of Red Kite nestlings to mercury and lead mixture to raise baseline corticosterone in feathers. The relationships established suggest the hypothesis that telomere attrition could be an indirect consequence of metal exposure mediated by corticosterone.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Powolny
- Laboratoire Chrono-environment - University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UMR/CNRS 6249, 16 route de Gray, 25030 Besançon, France.
| | - N Bassin
- Laboratoire Chrono-environment - University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UMR/CNRS 6249, 16 route de Gray, 25030 Besançon, France
| | - N Crini
- Laboratoire Chrono-environment - University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UMR/CNRS 6249, 16 route de Gray, 25030 Besançon, France
| | - I Fourel
- USC 1233 RS2GP, VetAgro Sup, INRA, Univ Lyon, 69280 Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - C Morin
- LPO Franche-Comté, 7 rue Voirin, 25000 Besançon, France
| | - T G Pottinger
- CEH, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, LA1 4AP, Lancaster, UK
| | - S Massemin
- IPHC - University of Strasbourg, 23 rue du Loess, 67038 Strasbourg, France
| | - S Zahn
- IPHC - University of Strasbourg, 23 rue du Loess, 67038 Strasbourg, France
| | - M Coeurdassier
- Laboratoire Chrono-environment - University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UMR/CNRS 6249, 16 route de Gray, 25030 Besançon, France
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27
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Öst M, Noreikiene K, Angelier F, Jaatinen K. Sex-specific effects of the in ovo environment on early-life phenotypes in eiders. Oecologia 2019; 192:43-54. [PMID: 31786666 PMCID: PMC6974505 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04569-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Maternal effects affect offspring phenotype and fitness. However, the roles of offspring sex-specific sensitivity to maternal glucocorticoids and sex-biased maternal investment remain unclear. It is also uncertain whether telomere length (a marker associated with lifespan) depends on early growth in a sex-specific manner. We assessed whether maternal traits including corticosterone (CORT; the main avian glucocorticoid) and in ovo growth rate are sex-specifically related to offspring CORT exposure, relative telomere length (RTL) and body condition in eiders (Somateria mollissima). We measured feather CORT (fCORT), RTL and body condition of newly hatched ducklings, and growth rate in ovo was expressed as tarsus length at hatching per incubation duration. Maternal traits included baseline plasma CORT, RTL, body condition and breeding experience. We found that fCORT was negatively associated with growth rate in daughters, while it showed a positive association in sons. Lower offspring fCORT was associated with higher maternal baseline plasma CORT, and fCORT was higher in larger clutches and in those hatching later. The RTL of daughters was negatively associated with maternal RTL, whereas that of males was nearly independent of maternal RTL. Higher fCORT in ovo was associated with longer RTL at hatching in both sexes. Duckling body condition was mainly explained by egg weight, and sons had a slightly lower body condition. Our correlational results suggest that maternal effects may have heterogeneous and even diametrically opposed effects between the sexes during early development. Our findings also challenge the view that prenatal CORT exposure is invariably associated with shorter telomeres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Öst
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland. .,Novia University of Applied Sciences, Ekenäs, Finland.
| | - Kristina Noreikiene
- Chair of Aquaculture, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi tn. 46, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Frederic Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, La Rochelle Université, UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Kim Jaatinen
- Nature and Game Management Trust Finland, Degerby, Finland
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28
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Jiménez-Peñuela J, Ferraguti M, Martínez-de la Puente J, Soriguer R, Figuerola J. Urbanization and blood parasite infections affect the body condition of wild birds. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 651:3015-3022. [PMID: 30463151 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 10/13/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Human landscape transformation, especially urbanization, strongly affects ecosystems worldwide. Both urban stressors and parasites have negative effects on organism health, however the potential synergy between those factors has been poorly investigated. We analysed the body condition (i.e. body mass after controlling for wing chord) of 2043 house sparrows (adults and yearlings) captured in 45 localities along an urbanization gradient in relation to Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon infection status. Body condition was negatively related to urbanization level and to urbanized land coverage but only in yearling birds from urban habitats. In addition, bird body condition tended to increase in rural habitats, significantly in the case of yearlings. Infected individuals by Plasmodium or Haemoproteus had higher body condition than un-infected birds, but this pattern could be due to a selective disappearance of infected individuals with lower body condition as suggested by the reduced variance in body condition in infected birds in urban habitats. These results provide support for a negative impact of urbanization on bird body condition, while Plasmodium and Haemoproteus may exert selection against individuals with lower body condition living in urban habitats, especially during earlier life stages, underlining the synergistic effects that urbanization and parasites may have on wild birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jéssica Jiménez-Peñuela
- Departamento de Ecología de Humedales, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio, 26, 41092 Seville, Spain.
| | - Martina Ferraguti
- Departamento de Ecología de Humedales, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio, 26, 41092 Seville, Spain.
| | - Josué Martínez-de la Puente
- Departamento de Ecología de Humedales, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio, 26, 41092 Seville, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain.
| | - Ramón Soriguer
- Departamento de Etología y Conservación de la Biodiversidad, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio, 26, 41092 Seville, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain.
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Departamento de Ecología de Humedales, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio, 26, 41092 Seville, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain.
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29
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Exposure to Pb impairs breeding success and is associated with longer lifespan in urban European blackbirds. Sci Rep 2019; 9:486. [PMID: 30679484 PMCID: PMC6345771 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36463-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Although several factors have been highlighted to explain the influence of urbanization on bird fitness and survival, the role of persistent toxicants such as lead (Pb), which is typically present in urban areas worldwide, has seldom been studied despite the ecological importance of such a widespread stressor. Studying free-living European blackbirds (Turdus merula) in city parks, we tested the hypothesis that low-dose chronic exposure to Pb could shape the life-history traits of urban birds. The feather concentrations of Pb and cadmium were typical of urban areas and low-to-moderate contamination of sites. Although the lifetime breeding success of females decreased with increasing exposure to Pb, the lifespan and survival probabilities of blackbirds increased with Pb contamination regardless of gender. Breeding effort-dependent patterns in the relationship between lifespan and Pb levels were highlighted. No significant relationships were detected between cadmium and life-history traits. The results suggest a possible trade-off between self-maintenance and reproduction, with the most affected birds redirecting allocations towards their own survival, which is consistent with the “stress hormone hypothesis”. These findings suggest that Pb pollution in urban environments may shape avian ecological features and be one of the drivers of wildlife responses to urbanization and that some urban areas may function as ecological traps driven by pollutants.
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30
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Leclaire S, Chatelain M, Pessato A, Buatois B, Frantz A, Gasparini J. Pigeon odor varies with experimental exposure to trace metal pollution. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2019; 28:76-85. [PMID: 30506322 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-018-2001-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Trace metals are chemical pollutants that have well-known noxious effects on wildlife and that are current major environmental issues in urban habitats. Previous studies have demonstrated their negative (e.g. lead) or positive (e.g. zinc) effects on body condition, immunity and reproductive success. Because of their effects on condition, trace metals are likely to influence the production of condition-dependent ornaments. The last decade has revealed that bird odors, like mammal odors, can convey information on individual quality and might be used as secondary sexual ornaments. Here, we used solid-phase microextraction headspace sampling with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to investigate whether plumage scent varied with experimental supplementation in lead and/or zinc in feral pigeons. Zinc supplementation (alone or in combination with lead) changed the proportion of several volatiles, including an increase in the proportion of hydroxy-esters. The production of these esters, that most likely originate from preen gland secretions, may be costly and might thus be reduced by stress induced by zinc deficiency. Although lead is known to negatively impact pigeon condition, it did not statistically affect feather scent, despite most of the volatiles that increased with zinc exposure tended to be decreased in lead-supplemented pigeons. Further studies should evaluate the functions of plumage volatiles to predict how trace metals can impact bird fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Leclaire
- Laboratoire Evolution & Diversité Biologique, UMR 5174 (CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, ENFA), 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse, 31062, France.
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, 1919 route de Mende, Montpellier, 34293, France.
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Marion Chatelain
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 75005, Paris, France
- Wild Urban Evolution and Ecology Lab, Center of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2C, Warsaw, 02-097, Poland
| | - Anaïs Pessato
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, 1919 route de Mende, Montpellier, 34293, France
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus, Victoria, 3217, Australia
| | - Bruno Buatois
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, 1919 route de Mende, Montpellier, 34293, France
| | - Adrien Frantz
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Julien Gasparini
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 75005, Paris, France
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31
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Edwards KL, Edes AN, Brown JL. Stress, Well-Being and Reproductive Success. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1200:91-162. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-23633-5_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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32
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Beaugeard E, Brischoux F, Henry P, Parenteau C, Trouvé C, Angelier F. Does urbanization cause stress in wild birds during development? Insights from feather corticosterone levels in juvenile house sparrows ( Passer domesticus). Ecol Evol 2019; 9:640-652. [PMID: 30680144 PMCID: PMC6342122 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Urban landscapes are associated with abiotic and biotic environmental changes that may result in potential stressors for wild vertebrates. Urban exploiters have physiological, morphological, and behavioral adaptations to live in cities. However, there is increasing evidence that urban exploiters themselves can suffer from urban conditions, especially during specific life-history stages. We looked for a link between the degree of urbanization and the level of developmental stress in an urban exploiter (the house sparrow, Passer domesticus), which has recently been declining in multiple European cities (e.g., London, UK). Specifically, we conducted a large-scale study and sampled juvenile sparrows in 11 urban and rural sites to evaluate their feather corticosterone (CORT) levels. We found that juvenile feather CORT levels were positively correlated with the degree of urbanization, supporting the idea that developing house sparrows may suffer from urban environmental conditions. However, we did not find any correlation between juvenile feather CORT levels and body size, mass, or body condition. This suggests either that the growth and condition of urban sparrows are not impacted by elevated developmental CORT levels, or that urban sparrows may compensate for developmental constraints once they have left the nest. Although feather CORT levels were not correlated with baseline CORT levels, we found that feather CORT levels were slightly and positively correlated with the CORT stress response in juveniles. This suggests that urban developmental conditions may potentially have long-lasting effects on stress physiology and stress sensitivity in this urban exploiter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Beaugeard
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC)UMR 7372 CNRS‐Université de La RochelleVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC)UMR 7372 CNRS‐Université de La RochelleVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
| | - Pierre‐Yves Henry
- Centre de Recherches sur la Biologie des Populations d’Oiseaux (CRBPO)CESCO UMR 7204 Sorbonne Universités‐MNHN‐CNRS‐UPMCParisFrance
| | - Charline Parenteau
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC)UMR 7372 CNRS‐Université de La RochelleVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
| | - Colette Trouvé
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC)UMR 7372 CNRS‐Université de La RochelleVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC)UMR 7372 CNRS‐Université de La RochelleVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
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Herring G, Eagles-Smith CA, Varland DE. Mercury and lead exposure in avian scavengers from the Pacific Northwest suggest risks to California condors: Implications for reintroduction and recovery. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 243:610-619. [PMID: 30218871 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 09/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) are widespread contaminants that pose risks to avian scavengers. In fact, Pb exposure is the primary factor limiting population recovery in the endangered California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) and Hg can impair avian reproduction at environmentally relevant exposures. The Pacific Northwest region of the US was historically part of the condor's native range, and efforts are underway to expand recovery into this area. To identify potential threats to reintroduced condors we assessed foraging habitats, Hg and Pb exposure, and physiological responses in two surrogate avian scavenger species (common ravens [Corvus corax] and turkey vultures [Cathartes aura] across the region between 2012 and 2016. Mercury exposure near the Pacific coast was 17-27-fold higher than in inland areas, and stable carbon and sulfur isotopes ratios indicated that coastal scavengers were highly reliant on marine prey. In contrast, Pb concentrations were uniformly elevated across the region, with 18% of the birds exposed to subclinical poisoning levels. Elevated Pb concentrations were associated with lower delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δ-ALAD) activity, and in ravens there was an interactive effect between Hg and Pb on fecal corticosterone concentrations. This interaction indicated that the effects of Hg and Pb exposure on the stress axis are bidirectional, and depend on the magnitude of simultaneous exposure to the other contaminant. Our results suggest that condors released to the Pacific Northwest may be exposed to both elevated Hg and Pb, posing challenges to management of future condor populations in the Pacific Northwest. Developing a robust monitoring program for reintroduced condors and surrogate scavengers will help both better understand the drivers of exposure and predict the likelihood of impaired health. These findings provide a strong foundation for such an effort, providing resource managers with valuable information to help mitigate potential risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garth Herring
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Collin A Eagles-Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA.
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Monclús L, Ballesteros-Cano R, De La Puente J, Lacorte S, Lopez-Bejar M. Influence of persistent organic pollutants on the endocrine stress response in free-living and captive red kites (Milvus milvus). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 242:329-337. [PMID: 29990940 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.06.086] [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: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have the potential to impair the endocrine regulation of organisms and alter their ability to respond to environmental changes. We studied whether polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) affected the endocrine regulation of free-living and captive red kites (Milvus milvus) through studying the dynamics of corticosterone (CORT) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). We sampled migratory free-living kites coming from northern Europe and captive kites born in a rehabilitation center in Spain. We used body feathers from the interscapular region as a minimally-invasive and integrative matrix. The most abundant compound detected in free-living kites was 4,4'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (4,4'-DDE; 6.10 ± 1.56 ng g-1 dw feather) followed by CB-153 (3.10 ± 0.63 ng g-1 dw feather) and CB-180 (2.43 ± 1.08 ng g-1 dw feather). In captive kites, the most abundant compounds were 4,4'-dichlorodyphenyltrichloroethane (4,4'-DDT; 2.38 ± 1.30 ng g-1 dw feather), CB-153 (2.15 ± 0.47 ng g-1 dw feather) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB; 2.03 ± 0.45 ng g-1 dw feather) at similar concentrations. Free-living kites showed higher levels of 4,4'-DDE and CB-180 in comparison to captive kites. Age influenced HCB and CB-101 levels, whereas body mass was inversely related to CB-180 and 4,4'-DDT. Interestingly, captive kites showed a ratio DDT/DDE higher than 1 suggesting a relatively recent exposure of DDT, in contrast to free-living kites. Regarding hormonal levels, free-living kites showed higher levels of CORT (3.30 ± 0.22 pg mm-1 feather) than captive (2.40 ± 0.16 pg mm-1 feather), reflecting higher allostatic load. In addition, a positive association between PCBs and DDTs and adrenal hormones was found in free-living kites, suggesting an increase of CORT as a response of the endocrine system to cope with stressors and a subsequent elevation of DHEA to ameliorate the potential negative effects that high CORT levels could cause to the organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Monclús
- Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Veterinary Faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain.
| | - Rubèn Ballesteros-Cano
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18, 08034, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Javier De La Puente
- SEO-Montícola Ornithological Group, Unidad de Zoología, Edificio de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Silvia Lacorte
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18, 08034, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Manel Lopez-Bejar
- Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Veterinary Faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain.
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Chatelain M, Gasparini J, Frantz A, Angelier F. Reproduction impairments in metal-polluted environments and parental hormones: No evidence for a causal association in an experimental study in breeding feral pigeons exposed to lead and zinc. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2018; 161:746-754. [PMID: 29957582 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.06.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Humans are responsible for land-cover changes resulting in the emission of hazardous chemical elements including metallic trace elements i.e. MTEs. As a consequence, urban wildlife is exposed to high concentrations of MTEs, which exposure is linked to reproductive impairments. MTE effects on reproduction outputs might result from MTE exposure disrupting the endocrine pathways involved in reproductive behaviours. In birds, there is strong evidence that prolactin, corticosterone and testosterone are all involved in the regulation of parental effort during incubation and chick rearing. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals might stimulate or inhibit the production of those hormones and consequently alter parental investment and reproductive success outcomes. We measured baseline corticosterone, prolactin and testosterone plasma levels, and the corticosterone stress response of breeding feral pigeons (Columba livia) experimentally exposed to ecologically relevant lead and/or zinc concentrations. Independently of lead and/or zinc exposure, male and female plasma levels of corticosterone and prolactin (but not testosterone) showed temporal variations along the reproduction stages (i.e. incubation, early rearing and late rearing). In addition, both hatching and fledging success were slightly correlated with corticosterone, prolactin and testosterone levels. However, our study did not find any influence of lead or zinc exposure on hormone levels, suggesting that MTE effects on reproductive outputs might not be explained by MTE-induced modifications of corticosterone, prolactin and testosterone-linked behaviours during incubation and rearing. Alternatively, MTE-induced reproductive impairments might result from MTE exposure having direct effects on offspring phenotypes or prenatal indirect effects on the embryo (e.g. maternal transfer of MTEs, hormones or immune compounds).
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Affiliation(s)
- M Chatelain
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, Paris, F-75005, France.
| | - J Gasparini
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, Paris, F-75005, France
| | - A Frantz
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, Paris, F-75005, France
| | - F Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-ULR, UMR 7372, F-79360 Villiers en Bois, France
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36
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Dupoué A, Rutschmann A, Le Galliard JF, Clobert J, Blaimont P, Sinervo B, Miles DB, Haussy C, Meylan S. Reduction in baseline corticosterone secretion correlates with climate warming and drying across wild lizard populations. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1331-1341. [PMID: 29701285 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Climate change should lead to massive loss of biodiversity in most taxa, but the detailed physiological mechanisms underlying population extinction remain largely elusive so far. In vertebrates, baseline levels of hormones such as glucocorticoids (GCs) may be indicators of population state as their secretion to chronic stress can impair survival and reproduction. However, the relationship between GC secretion, climate change and population extinction risk remains unclear. In this study, we investigated whether levels of baseline corticosterone (the main GCs in reptiles) correlate with environmental conditions and associated extinction risk across wild populations of the common lizard Zootoca vivipara. First, we performed a cross-sectional comparison of baseline corticosterone levels along an altitudinal gradient among 14 populations. Then, we used a longitudinal study in eight populations to examine the changes in corticosterone levels following the exposure to a heatwave period. Unexpectedly, baseline corticosterone decreased with increasing thermal conditions at rest in females and was not correlated with extinction risk. In addition, baseline corticosterone levels decreased after exposure to an extreme heatwave period. This seasonal corticosterone decrease was more pronounced in populations without access to standing water. We suggest that low basal secretion of corticosterone may entail downregulating activity levels and limit exposure to adverse climatic conditions, especially to reduce water loss. These new insights suggest that rapid population decline might be preceded by a downregulation of the corticosterone secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andréaz Dupoué
- CNRS, iEES Paris, UMR 7618, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Alexis Rutschmann
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, UMR 5321, Saint Girons, France
| | - Jean François Le Galliard
- CNRS, iEES Paris, UMR 7618, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.,Centre de recherche en écologie expérimentale et prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, UMS 3194, PSL Research University, Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours, France
| | - Jean Clobert
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, UMR 5321, Saint Girons, France
| | - Pauline Blaimont
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California
| | - Barry Sinervo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California
| | - Donald B Miles
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, UMR 5321, Saint Girons, France.,Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
| | - Claudy Haussy
- CNRS, iEES Paris, UMR 7618, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Meylan
- CNRS, iEES Paris, UMR 7618, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.,ESPE de Paris, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
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37
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Sepp T, McGraw KJ, Kaasik A, Giraudeau M. A review of urban impacts on avian life-history evolution: Does city living lead to slower pace of life? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:1452-1469. [PMID: 29168281 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The concept of a pace-of-life syndrome describes inter- and intraspecific variation in several life-history traits along a slow-to-fast pace-of-life continuum, with long lifespans, low reproductive and metabolic rates, and elevated somatic defences at the slow end of the continuum and the opposite traits at the fast end. Pace-of-life can vary in relation to local environmental conditions (e.g. latitude, altitude), and here we propose that this variation may also occur along an anthropogenically modified environmental gradient. Based on a body of literature supporting the idea that city birds have longer lifespans, we predict that urban birds have a slower pace-of-life compared to rural birds and thus invest more in self maintenance and less in annual reproduction. Our statistical meta-analysis of two key traits related to pace-of-life, survival and breeding investment (clutch size), indicated that urban birds generally have higher survival, but smaller clutch sizes. The latter finding (smaller clutches in urban habitats) seemed to be mainly a characteristic of smaller passerines. We also reviewed urbanization studies on other traits that can be associated with pace-of-life and are related to either reproductive investment or self-maintenance. Though sample sizes were generally too small to conduct formal meta-analyses, published literature suggests that urban birds tend to produce lower-quality sexual signals and invest more in offspring care. The latter finding is in agreement with the adult survival hypothesis, proposing that higher adult survival prospects favour investment in fewer offspring per year. According to our hypothesis, differences in age structure should arise between urban and rural populations, providing a novel alternative explanation for physiological differences and earlier breeding. We encourage more research investigating how telomere dynamics, immune defences, antioxidants and oxidative damage in different tissues vary along the urbanization gradient, and suggest that applying pace-of-life framework to studies of variation in physiological traits along the urbanization gradient might be the next direction to improve our understanding of urbanization as an evolutionary process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuul Sepp
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Kevin J McGraw
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Ants Kaasik
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Mathieu Giraudeau
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
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38
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Angelier F, Costantini D, Blévin P, Chastel O. Do glucocorticoids mediate the link between environmental conditions and telomere dynamics in wild vertebrates? A review. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 256:99-111. [PMID: 28705731 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Revised: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Following the discoveries of telomeres and of their implications in terms of health and ageing, there has been a growing interest into the study of telomere dynamics in wild vertebrates. Telomeres are repeated sequences of non-coding DNA located at the terminal ends of chromosomes and they play a major role in maintaining chromosome stability. Importantly, telomeres shorten over time and shorter telomeres seem to be related with lower survival in vertebrates. Because of this potential link with longevity, it is crucial to understand not only the ecological determinants of telomere dynamics but also the regulatory endocrine mechanisms that may mediate the effect of the environment on telomeres. In this paper, we review the relationships that link environmental conditions, glucocorticoids (GC, the main hormonal mediator of allostasis) and telomere length in vertebrates. First, we review current knowledge about the determinants of inter-individual variations in telomere length. We emphasize the potential strong impact of environmental stressors and predictable life-history events on telomere dynamics. Despite recent progress, we still lack crucial basic data to fully understand the costs of several life-history stages and biotic and abiotic factors on telomere length. Second, we review the link that exists between GCs, oxidative stress and telomere dynamics in vertebrates. Although circulating GC levels may be closely and functionally linked with telomere dynamics, data are still scarce and somewhat contradictory. Further laboratory and field studies are therefore needed not only to better assess the proximate link between GC levels and telomere dynamics, but also to ultimately understand to what extent GCs and telomere length could be informative to measure the fitness costs of specific life-history stages and environmental conditions. Finally, we highlight the importance of exploring the functional links that may exist between coping styles, the GC stress response, and telomere dynamics in a life-history framework. To conclude, we raise new hypotheses regarding the potential of the GC stress response to drive the trade-off between immediate survival and telomere protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-ULR, UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France.
| | - David Costantini
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, UMR 7221, Paris, France; Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Pierre Blévin
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-ULR, UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-ULR, UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
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39
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Bauerová P, Vinklerová J, Hraníček J, Čorba V, Vojtek L, Svobodová J, Vinkler M. Associations of urban environmental pollution with health-related physiological traits in a free-living bird species. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 601-602:1556-1565. [PMID: 28605873 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Urban environmental pollution results in contamination of the tissues of synanthropic organisms by toxic trace elements with potential impacts on human health. Passerine birds may serve as convenient indicators of such contamination. In this study we investigated the effect of blood and plumage contamination with heavy metals (lead Pb, cadmium Cd, copper Cu, chromium Cr) and arsenic metalloid (As) on condition, health and ornamental colour in free-living great tit (Parus major) males from 13 cities across the Czech Republic (EU), mist netted during the early breading season (April-May). Our results showed a significant association of heavy metal tissue contamination with immune function, namely leukocyte composition in the avian blood circulation. High heavy metal contamination in bird feathers was linked to a high heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio, indicating long-term stress in individuals inhabiting heavily polluted environments. In contrast, males with higher concentrations of heavy metals in blood had a lower H/L ratio, assumingly due to the direct toxicity of heavy metals in certain cell types. This is also supported by traits indicative of anaemia-like haemolytic conditions (decreased absolute erythrocyte count) and increased haematopoiesis (a tendency for increased frequencies of immature erythrocytes). We did not find any association of heavy metal contamination with the bacteriolytic activity of plasma complement, feather growth or ornamentation (black breast stripe area and yellow colouration). There was no significant relationship between heavy metal contamination in blood or feathers and PM10 pollution at the study sites. Our correlational study is the first to show on a large geographic scale that despite strict European air pollution regulations and regular monitoring that have allowed general improvements in atmospheric contamination, non-degradable heavy metals persistently contaminate animal blood and feathers in anthropogenic environments at levels that may have subclinical yet physiological effects with varied influence on health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Bauerová
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic, EU; Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Ecology, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic, EU
| | - Jitka Vinklerová
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic, EU
| | - Jakub Hraníček
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Hlavova 8, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic, EU
| | - Vojtěch Čorba
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic, EU
| | - Libor Vojtek
- Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, Department of Experimental Biology, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic, EU
| | - Jana Svobodová
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Ecology, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic, EU
| | - Michal Vinkler
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic, EU.
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40
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Carpenè E, Andreani G, Isani G. Trace elements in unconventional animals: A 40-year experience. J Trace Elem Med Biol 2017; 43:169-179. [PMID: 28215718 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2017.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The role of trace elements in animal health has attracted increasing interest in recent years. The essentiality and toxicity of these elements have been extensively investigated in humans, laboratory animal models and partially in domestic animals, whereas little is known about trace element metabolism in most living organisms. Forty years ago our research started on Cd metabolism in molluscs, thereafter expanding to Zn, Cu, and Fe metabolism in many unconventional animal species of veterinary interest. This review summarizes the main results obtained over this long period of time: some of the findings are original and have not been published to date. They are discussed in more detail and compared with data obtained in conventional animals, including man.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilio Carpenè
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giulia Andreani
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Bologna, Italy
| | - Gloria Isani
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Bologna, Italy.
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41
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Franceschini MD, Evers DC, Kenow KP, Meyer MW, Pokras M, Romero LM. Mercury correlates with altered corticosterone but not testosterone or estradiol concentrations in common loons. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2017; 142:348-354. [PMID: 28437726 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.04.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the relation between environmental mercury exposure and corticosterone concentrations in free-living adult common loons (Gavia immer). We determined blood and feather mercury concentrations and compared them to testosterone, estradiol, and stress-induced plasma corticosterone concentrations. Although neither testosterone nor estradiol correlated with Hg levels, there was a robust positive relation between blood Hg and stress-induced corticosterone concentrations in males, but not in females. The lack of an effect in females may have been due to overall less contamination in females. There were no significant correlations between feather Hg and stress-induced corticosterone in either sex. To help determine whether Hg had a causal effect on corticosterone, we investigated the impact of experimental Hg intake on the corticosterone stress response in captive juvenile loons. Juveniles were subjected to three different feeding regimes: 0, 0.4 and 1.2μg Hg (as MeHgCL)/g wet weight (ww) fish. We then measured baseline and 30min post-solitary confinement stressor corticosterone concentrations. The Hg fed chicks exhibited a decreased ability to mount a stress response. From these data, we conclude that Hg contamination does appear to alter the corticosterone response to stress, but not in a consistent predictable pattern. Regardless of the direction of change, however, exposure to mercury contamination and the resulting impact on the corticosterone stress response in common loons may substantially impact health, fitness and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, ME 04103, USA
| | - Kevin P Kenow
- US Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, WI 54603, USA
| | - Michael W Meyer
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Rhinelander, Wisconsin 54501, USA
| | - Mark Pokras
- Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, ME 04103, USA; Wildlife Clinic, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA
| | - L Michael Romero
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA.
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42
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Pollack L, Ondrasek NR, Calisi R. Urban health and ecology: the promise of an avian biomonitoring tool. Curr Zool 2017; 63:205-212. [PMID: 29491978 PMCID: PMC5804165 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zox011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Urban-dwelling birds have the potential to serve as powerful biomonitors that reveal the impact of environmental change due to urbanization. Specifically, urban bird populations can be used to survey cities for factors that may pose both public and wildlife health concerns. Here, we review evidence supporting the use of avian biomonitors to identify threats associated with urbanization, including bioaccumulation of toxicants and the dysregulation of behavior and physiology by related stressors. In addition, we consider the use of birds to examine how factors in the urban environment can impact immunity against communicable pathogens. By studying the behavior, physiology, and ecology of urban bird populations, we can elucidate not only how avian populations are responding to environmental change, but also how unintended consequences of urbanization affect the well-being of human and non-human inhabitants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Pollack
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Naomi R Ondrasek
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Rebecca Calisi
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Marteinson SC, Eulaers I, Jaspers VLB, Covaci A, Eens M, Letcher RJ, Fernie KJ. Transfer of hexabromocyclododecane flame retardant isomers from captive American kestrel eggs to feathers and their association with thyroid hormones and growth. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 220:441-451. [PMID: 27707600 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.09.086] [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] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Feathers are useful for monitoring contaminants in wild birds and are increasingly used to determine persistent organic pollutants. However, few studies have been conducted on birds with known exposure levels. We aimed to determine how well nestling feather concentrations reflect in ovo exposure to hexabromocyclododecane (α-, β- and γ-HBCDD), and to determine if feather concentrations are related to physiological biomarkers. Captive kestrels (n = 11) were exposed in ovo to maternally transferred HBCDD-isomers at concentrations of 127, 12 and 2 ng/g wet weight of α-, β- and γ-HBCDD (measured in sibling eggs), respectively, and compared to controls (n = 6). Nestling growth was monitored at 5 d intervals and circulating thyroid hormone concentrations assessed at d 20. Tail feathers were collected prior to the first molt and analyzed for HBCDD isomers. The mean ΣHBCDD concentration in feathers was 2405 pg/g dry weight (in exposed birds) and α-, β- and γ-HBCDD made up 32%, 13%, and 55%, respectively of the ΣHBCDD concentrations. This isomer distribution deviated from the typical dominance of α-HBCDD reported in vertebrate samples. Exposed chicks had significantly higher feather concentrations of β- and γ-HBCDD compared with controls (p = 0.007 and p = 0.001 respectively), while α-HBCDD concentrations did not differ between the two groups. Feather concentrations of α-HBCDD were best explained by egg concentrations of β- or γ-HBCDD concentrations (wi = 0.50, 0.30 respectively), while feather concentrations of β- and γ-HBCDD were influenced by growth parameters (rectrix length: wi = 0.61; tibiotarsus length: wi = 0.28). These results suggest that feather α-HBCDD concentrations may reflect internal body burdens, whereas β- and γ-HBCDD may be subject to selective uptake. The α-HBCDD concentrations in the feathers were negatively associated with the ratio of plasma free triiodothyronine to free thyroxine (T3:T4; p = 0.020), demonstrating for the first time that feather concentrations may be used to model the effect of body burdens on physiological endpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Marteinson
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
| | - Igor Eulaers
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Veerle L B Jaspers
- Environmental Toxicology, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Robert J Letcher
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kim J Fernie
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada.
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