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Smith GD, Wilcoxen TE, Hudson SB, Virgin EE, Durso AM, Van der Walt M, Spence AR, Neuman‐Lee LA, Webb AC, Terletzky PA, French SS. Anthropogenic and climatic factors interact to influence reproductive timing and effort. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11306. [PMID: 38737567 PMCID: PMC11082630 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Reproduction, although absolutely essential to a species' persistence, is in itself challenging. As anthropogenic change increasingly affects every landscape on Earth, it is critical to understand how specific pressures impact the reproductive efforts of individuals, which directly contribute to the success or failure of populations. However, organisms rarely encounter a single burden at a time, and the interactions of environmental challenges can have compounding effects. Understanding environmental and physiological pressures is difficult because they are often context-dependent and not generalizable, but long-term monitoring across variable landscapes and weather patterns can improve our understanding of these complex interactions. We tested the effects of urbanization, climate, and individual condition on the reproductive investment of wild side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana) by measuring physiological/reproductive metrics from six populations in urban and rural areas over six consecutive years of variable precipitation. We observed that reproductive stage affected body condition, corticosterone concentration, and oxidative stress. We also observed that reproductive patterns differed between urban and rural populations depending on rainfall, with rural animals increasing reproductive investment during rainier years compared to urban conspecifics, and that reproductive decisions appeared to occur early in the reproductive process. These results demonstrate the plastic nature of a generalist species optimizing lifetime fitness under varying conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey D. Smith
- Department of Biological SciencesUtah Tech UniversitySt. GeorgeUtahUSA
| | | | - Spencer B. Hudson
- Department of BiologyUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
- Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Emily E. Virgin
- Department of BiologyUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
- Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Andrew M. Durso
- Department of Biological SciencesFlorida Gulf Coast UniversityFt. MyersFloridaUSA
| | | | - Austin R. Spence
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation BiologyUniversity of California ‐ DavisDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Alison C. Webb
- Department of BiologyUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
- Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Patricia A. Terletzky
- Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
- Department of Wildland ResourcesUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Susannah S. French
- Department of BiologyUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
- Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
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Kilgour DAV, Romero LM, Reed JM. Feather corticosterone is lower in translocated and historical populations of the endangered Laysan duck ( Anas laysanensis). Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240330. [PMID: 38772417 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Identifying reliable bioindicators of population status is a central goal of conservation physiology. Physiological stress measures are often used as metrics of individual health and can assist in managing endangered species if linked to fitness traits. We analysed feather corticosterone, a cumulative physiological stress metric, of individuals from historical, translocated, and source populations of an endangered endemic Hawaiian bird, the Laysan duck (Anas laysanensis). We hypothesized that feather corticosterone would reflect the improved reproduction and survival rates observed in populations translocated to Midway and Kure Atolls from Laysan Island. We also predicted less physiological stress in historical Laysan birds collected before ecological conditions deteriorated and the population bottleneck. All hypotheses were supported: we found lower feather corticosterone in the translocated populations and historical samples than in those from recent Laysan samples. This suggests that current Laysan birds are experiencing greater physiological stress than historical Laysan and recently translocated birds. Our initial analysis suggests that feather corticosterone may be an indicator of population status and could be used as a non-invasive physiological monitoring tool for this species with further validation. Furthermore, these preliminary results, combined with published demographic data, suggest that current Laysan conditions may not be optimal for this species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - J Michael Reed
- Department of Biology, Tufts University , , MA 02155, USA
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Dezetter M, Le Galliard JF, Leroux-Coyau M, Brischoux F, Angelier F, Lourdais O. Two stressors are worse than one: combined heatwave and drought affect hydration state and glucocorticoid levels in a temperate ectotherm. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274818. [PMID: 35319758 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Heatwaves and droughts are becoming more intense and frequent with climate change. These extreme weather events often occur simultaneously and may alter organismal physiology, yet their combined impacts remain largely unknown. Here, we experimentally investigated physiological responses of a temperate ectotherm, the asp viper (Vipera aspis), to a simulated heatwave and drought. We applied a two-by-two factorial design by manipulating the daily temperature cycle (control vs. heatwave) and the water availability (water available vs. water-deprived) over a month followed by exposure to standard thermal conditions with ad libium access to water. Simulated heatwave and water deprivation additively increased mass loss, while water deprivation led to greater plasma osmolality (dehydration). Mass gain from drinking after the treatment period was higher in vipers from the heatwave and water-deprived group suggesting that thirst was synergistically influenced by thermal and water constraints. Heatwave conditions and water deprivation also additively increased baseline corticosterone levels but did not influence basal metabolic rates and plasma markers of oxidative stress. Our results demonstrate that a short-term exposure to combined heatwave and drought can exacerbate physiological stress through additive effects, and interactively impact behavioral responses to dehydration. Considering combined effects of temperature and water availability is thus crucial to assess organismal responses to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Dezetter
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement (iEES Paris), 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 5, France.,Centre d'étude biologique de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, , 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Jean-François Le Galliard
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement (iEES Paris), 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 5, France.,Ecole normale supérieure, PSL University, Département de biologie, CNRS, UMS 3194, Centre de recherche en écologie expérimentale et prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), 11 chemin de Busseau, 77140 Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours, France
| | - Mathieu Leroux-Coyau
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement (iEES Paris), 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 5, France
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d'étude biologique de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, , 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Fréderic Angelier
- Centre d'étude biologique de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, , 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Olivier Lourdais
- Centre d'étude biologique de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, , 79360, Villiers en Bois, France.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, USA
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Friesen CR, Uhrig EJ, Mason RT. Dehydrated males are less likely to dive into the mating pool. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The hydration state of animals vying for reproductive success may have implications for the tempo and mode of sexual selection, which may be salient in populations that experience increasing environmental fluctuations in water availability. Using red-sided garter snakes as a model system, we tested the effect of water supplementation on courtship, mating behavior, and copulatory plug (CP) production during a drought year. Over 3 days of mating trials, water-supplemented males (WET males, n = 45) outperformed a control group that was not supplemented with water (DRY males, n = 45). Over 70% of WET males mated but just 33% of DRY males did so. As a group, WET males mated 79 times versus 28 times by DRY males. On the last day of mating trials, over 70% of WET males were still courting, with 19 of them mating, whereas less than 25% of DRY males were courting and only one mated. CP deposition accounted for 4–6% of the mass lost by mating males, but hydration did not affect CP mass or water content. These findings suggest that, in years of low water availability, the number of courting males and the intensity of their courtship declines, thereby affecting sexual selection and conflict, at least within that year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Friesen
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Building 35, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, 3029 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Bldg F22, Life Earth and Environmental Sciences (LEES) Building, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Emily J Uhrig
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, 3029 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Center for Research on Sustainable Forests, University of Maine, 5755 Nutting Hall, Room 263, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Robert T Mason
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, 3029 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
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Ashley EA, Davis AK, Terrell VK, Lake C, Carden C, Head L, Choe R, Maerz JC. Effects of Salinity on Hatchling Diamond-Backed Terrapin ( Malaclemys terrapin) Growth, Behavior, and Stress Physiology. HERPETOLOGICA 2021; 77:45-55. [PMID: 35356092 PMCID: PMC8963197 DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-20-00028.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Diamond-backed Terrapins inhabit coastal salt marshes along the eastern and Gulf coasts of North America. Terrapins are adapted to intermediate salinities yet frequently face saltwater-inundated marsh habitat exceeding 25 ppt (or grams/kilogram). We investigated the effect of salinity on the growth of hatchling terrapins and on their compensatory responses to salinity stress. We randomly assigned 30 terrapin hatchlings each to one of five salinity treatments (1, 5, 10, 20, or 35 ppt). Over 75 d, we regularly monitored behavior, appetite, and changes in growth; and calculated ratios of heterophils to lymphocytes (H:L ratio) to assess responses to prolonged salinity stress. Consistent with prior studies, chronic exposure to high salinity significantly reduced hatchling growth. Hatchlings in 20-ppt and 35-ppt salinities exhibited appetite suppression and saltwater avoidance and were more likely to show freshwater-seeking behaviors. H:L ratios were higher among hatchlings in 20-and 35-ppt salinities, consistent with a corticosterone-driven stress response to sustained high-salinity exposure, which may play a role in limiting growth. Our findings suggest hatchling growth and distribution among local habitats will vary spatially depending on habitat salinity and freshwater accessibility. The growth-limiting effects of chronically high salinity or limited access to freshwater could therefore increase hatchling mortality and be an important driver of spatial variation in terrapin demography and abundance. However, when freshwater sources are available, compensatory behaviors might reduce growth-limiting effects. Terrapin recruitment is likely to be impacted as rising sea levels, increased human water use, land development, and other anthropogenic changes alter freshwater inputs to coastal marshes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Ashley
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 140 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Andrew K. Davis
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 140 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Vanessa K. Terrell
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Connor Lake
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Cady Carden
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Lauren Head
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Rebacca Choe
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - John C. Maerz
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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Dezetter M, Le Galliard JF, Guiller G, Guillon M, Leroux-Coyau M, Meylan S, Brischoux F, Angelier F, Lourdais O. Water deprivation compromises maternal physiology and reproductive success in a cold and wet adapted snake Vipera berus. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab071. [PMID: 34512993 PMCID: PMC8415537 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Droughts are becoming more intense and frequent with climate change. These extreme weather events can lead to mass mortality and reproduction failure, and therefore cause population declines. Understanding how the reproductive physiology of organisms is affected by water shortages will help clarify whether females can adjust their reproductive strategy to dry conditions or may fail to reproduce and survive. In this study, we investigated the consequences of a short period of water deprivation (2 weeks) during early pregnancy on the physiology and behaviour of a cold- and wet-adapted ectotherm (Vipera berus). We also examined water allocation to developing embryos and embryonic survival. Water-deprived females exhibited significant dehydration, physiological stress and loss of muscle mass. These effects of water deprivation on water balance and muscle loss were correlated with the number of developing embryos. While water-deprived females maintained water transfer to embryos at the expense of their own maintenance, water deprivation also led to embryonic mortality. Overall, water deprivation amplifies the reproductive costs of water allocation to support embryonic development. The deleterious impacts of water deprivation on female current reproductive performance and on potential survival and future reproduction could lead to severe population declines in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Dezetter
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement (iEES Paris), 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 5, France
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé CNRS, UMR 7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- Corresponding author: Centre d’Étude Biologique de Chizé CNRS, UMR 7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France. Tel: + 33 (0) 5 49 09 35 52. Fax: + 33 (0) 5 49 09 65 26.
| | - Jean François Le Galliard
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement (iEES Paris), 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 5, France
- Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Département de Biologie, CNRS, UMS 3194, Centre de Recherche en Écologie Expérimentale et Prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), 11 Chemin de Busseau, 77140 Saint-Pierre lès-Nemours, France
| | | | - Michaël Guillon
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé CNRS, UMR 7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Mathieu Leroux-Coyau
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement (iEES Paris), 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 5, France
| | - Sandrine Meylan
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement (iEES Paris), 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 5, France
- INSPE de Paris, Université Sorbonne, 10 rue Molitor, 75016 Paris, France
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé CNRS, UMR 7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Fréderic Angelier
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé CNRS, UMR 7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Olivier Lourdais
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé CNRS, UMR 7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, USA
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