1
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Wilkinson BP, Jodice PGR. Support for the fasting endurance hypothesis of partial migration in a nearshore seabird. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bradley P. Wilkinson
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Clemson University Clemson South Carolina USA
| | - Patrick G. R. Jodice
- U.S. Geological Survey South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation Clemson University Clemson South Carolina USA
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2
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Garrett DR, Pelletier F, Garant D, Bélisle M. Interacting effects of cold snaps, rain, and agriculture on the fledging success of a declining aerial insectivore. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2645. [PMID: 35474622 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Climate change predicts the increased frequency, duration, and intensity of inclement weather periods such as unseasonably low temperatures (i.e., cold snaps) and prolonged precipitation. Many migratory species have advanced the phenology of important life history stages and, as a result, are likely to be exposed to these periods of inclement spring weather more often, therefore risking reduced fitness and population growth. For declining avian species, including aerial insectivores, anthropogenic landscape changes such as agricultural intensification are another driver of population declines. These landscape changes may affect the foraging ability of food provisioning parents and reduce the survival of nestlings exposed to inclement weather through, for example, pesticide exposure impairing thermoregulation and punctual anorexia. Breeding in agro-intensive landscapes may therefore exacerbate the negative effects of inclement weather under climate change. We observed that a significant reduction in the availability of insect prey occurred when daily maximum temperatures fell below 18.3°C, and thereby defined any day when the maximum temperature fell below this value as a day witnessing a cold snap. We then combined daily information on the occurrence of cold snaps and measures of precipitation to assess their impact on the fledging success of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) occupying a nest box system placed across a gradient of agricultural intensification. Estimated fledging success of this declining aerial insectivore was 36.2% lower for broods experiencing 4 cold-snap days during the 12 days post-hatching period versus broods experiencing none, and this relationship was worsened when facing more precipitation. We further found that the overall negative effects of a brood experiencing periods of inclement weather was exacerbated in more agro-intensive landscapes. Our results indicate that two of the primary hypothesized drivers of many avian population declines may interact to further increase the rate of declines in certain landscape contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Garrett
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Marc Bélisle
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
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3
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Garrett DR, Pelletier F, Garant D, Bélisle M. Negative effects of agricultural intensification on the food provisioning rate of a declining aerial insectivore. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke Québec Canada
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke Québec Canada
| | - Marc Bélisle
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke Québec Canada
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4
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Neumann LK, Fuhlendorf SD, Davis CD, Wilder SM. Climate alters the movement ecology of a non-migratory bird. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8869. [PMID: 35475174 PMCID: PMC9034450 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Global climate change is causing increased climate extremes threatening biodiversity and altering ecosystems. Climate is comprised of many variables including air temperature, barometric pressure, solar radiation, wind, relative humidity, and precipitation that interact with each other. As movement connects various aspects of an animal's life, understanding how climate influences movement at a fine-temporal scale will be critical to the long-term conservation of species impacted by climate change. The sedentary nature of non-migratory species could increase some species risk of extirpation caused by climate change. We used Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter bobwhite) as a model to better understand the relationship between climate and the movement ecology of a non-migratory species at a fine-temporal scale. We collected movement data on bobwhite from across western Oklahoma during 2019-2020 and paired these data with meteorological data. We analyzed movement in three different ways (probability of movement, hourly distance moved, and sinuosity) using two calculated movement metrics: hourly movement (displacement between two consecutive fixes an hour apart) and sinuosity (a form of tortuosity that determines the amount of curvature of a random search path). We used generalized linear-mixed models to analyze probability of movement and hourly distance moved, and used linear-mixed models to analyze sinuosity. The interaction between air temperature and solar radiation affected probability of movement and hourly distance moved. Bobwhite movement increased as air temperature increased beyond 10°C during low solar radiation. During medium and high solar radiation, bobwhite moved farther as air temperature increased until 25-30°C when hourly distance moved plateaued. Bobwhite sinuosity increased as solar radiation increased. Our results show that specific climate variables alter the fine-scale movement of a non-migratory species. Understanding the link between climate and movement is important to determining how climate change may impact a species' space use and fitness now and in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Landon K. Neumann
- Oklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOklahomaUSA,Natural Resource Ecology and ManagementOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOklahomaUSA
| | - Samuel D. Fuhlendorf
- Natural Resource Ecology and ManagementOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOklahomaUSA
| | - Craig D. Davis
- Natural Resource Ecology and ManagementOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOklahomaUSA
| | - Shawn M. Wilder
- Department of Integrative BiologyOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOklahomaUSA
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5
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Wilkinson BP, Robuck AR, Lohmann R, Pickard HM, Jodice PGR. Urban proximity while breeding is not a predictor of perfluoroalkyl substance contamination in the eggs of brown pelicans. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 803:150110. [PMID: 34525704 PMCID: PMC8595685 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Identifying sources of exposure to chemical stressors is difficult when both target organisms and stressors are highly mobile. While previous studies have demonstrated that populations of some organisms proximal to urban centers may display increased burdens of human-created chemicals compared to more distal populations, this relationship may not be universal when applied to organisms and stressors capable of transboundary movements. We examined eggs of brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis), a nearshore seabird with daily movements ranging from local to 50 km and annual migrations ranging from year-round residency to 1500 km. Thirty-six eggs from three breeding colonies located at increasing distances to a major urban center (Charleston, South Carolina, USA) were analyzed for concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Areas of high use for each colony during the breeding season were also assessed via the tracking of adult pelicans from each colony using GPS-PTT satellite transmitters and overlapped with measures of relative urbanization via land cover data. We report potentially significant ∑PFAS concentrations in the eggs of pelicans (175.4 ± 120.1 ng/g w wt. SD), driven largely by linear perfluorooctane sulfonate (n-PFOS) (48-546 ng/g w wt.). Residues of the precursor compound perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA) were also present in pelican eggs, suggesting continued exposure of local wildlife beyond implemented phaseouts of some PFAS. For most analytes, egg concentrations did not exhibit a significant spatial structure despite some differentiation in high-use areas unlike similar data for another regional apex predator, the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). We suggest that the partially migratory nature of brown pelicans during the non-breeding season, combined with daily ranges that may extend to 50 km from local point sources, may have homogenized exposure across individuals. Charleston likely remains a major source for PFAS in the overall region, however, given the high concentrations observed as well as known releases of PFAS in the nearshore environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley P Wilkinson
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
| | - Anna R Robuck
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Rainer Lohmann
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Heidi M Pickard
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Patrick G R Jodice
- U.S. Geological Survey South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
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6
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James WR, Santos RO, Rehage JS, Doerr JC, Nelson JA. E-scape: Consumer-specific landscapes of energetic resources derived from stable isotope analysis and remote sensing. J Anim Ecol 2021; 91:381-390. [PMID: 34783357 PMCID: PMC9299161 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Energetic resources and habitat distribution are inherently linked. Energetic resource availability is a major driver of the distribution of consumers, but estimating how much specific habitats contribute to the energetic resource needs of a consumer can be problematic. We present a new approach that combines remote sensing information and stable isotope ecology to produce maps of energetic resources (E-scapes). E-scapes project species-specific resource use information onto the landscape to classify areas based on energetic importance. Using our E-scapes, we investigated the relationship between energetic resource distribution and white shrimp distribution and how the scale used to generate the E-scape mediated this relationship. E-scapes successfully predicted the size, abundance, biomass, and total energy of a consumer in salt marsh habitats in coastal Louisiana, USA at scales relevant to the movement of the consumer. Our E-scape maps can be used alone or in combination with existing models to improve habitat management and restoration practices and have potential to be used to test fundamental movement theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Ryan James
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA.,Department of Earth and Environment, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Rolando O Santos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
| | - Jennifer S Rehage
- Department of Earth and Environment, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Jennifer C Doerr
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Galveston Laboratory, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - James A Nelson
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, USA
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7
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Jagielski PM, Dey CJ, Gilchrist HG, Richardson ES, Love OP, Semeniuk CAD. Polar bears are inefficient predators of seabird eggs. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210391. [PMID: 33868701 PMCID: PMC8025307 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Climate-mediated sea-ice loss is disrupting the foraging ecology of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) across much of their range. As a result, there have been increased reports of polar bears foraging on seabird eggs across parts of their range. Given that polar bears have evolved to hunt seals on ice, they may not be efficient predators of seabird eggs. We investigated polar bears' foraging performance on common eider (Somateria mollissima) eggs on Mitivik Island, Nunavut, Canada to test whether bear decision-making heuristics are consistent with expectations of optimal foraging theory. Using aerial-drones, we recorded multiple foraging bouts over 11 days, and found that as clutches were depleted to completion, bears did not exhibit foraging behaviours matched to resource density. As the season progressed, bears visited fewer nests overall, but marginally increased their visitation to nests that were already empty. Bears did not display different movement modes related to nest density, but became less selective in their choice of clutches to consume. Lastly, bears that capitalized on visual cues of flushing eider hens significantly increased the number of clutches they consumed; however, they did not use this strategy consistently or universally. The foraging behaviours exhibited by polar bears in this study suggest they are inefficient predators of seabird eggs, particularly in the context of matching behaviours to resource density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M. Jagielski
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON Canada, N9B 3P4
| | - Cody J. Dey
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON Canada, N9B 3P4
| | - H. Grant Gilchrist
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON Canada
| | - Evan S. Richardson
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Winnipeg, MB Canada
| | - Oliver P. Love
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON Canada
| | - Christina A. D. Semeniuk
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON Canada, N9B 3P4
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8
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Carpenter‐Kling T, Reisinger RR, Orgeret F, Connan M, Stevens KL, Ryan PG, Makhado A, Pistorius PA. Foraging in a dynamic environment: Response of four sympatric sub-Antarctic albatross species to interannual environmental variability. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:11277-11295. [PMID: 33144964 PMCID: PMC7593157 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal and annual climate variations are linked to fluctuations in the abundance and distribution of resources, posing a significant challenge to animals that need to adjust their foraging behavior accordingly. Particularly during adverse conditions, and while energetically constrained when breeding, animals ideally need to be flexible in their foraging behavior. Such behavioral plasticity may separate "winners" from "losers" in light of rapid environmental changes due to climate change. Here, the foraging behavior of four sub-Antarctic albatross species was investigated from 2015/16 to 2017/18, a period characterized by pronounced environmental variability. Over three breeding seasons on Marion Island, Prince Edward Archipelago, incubating wandering (WA, Diomedea exulans; n = 45), grey-headed (GHA, Thalassarche chrysostoma; n = 26), sooty (SA, Phoebetria fusca; n = 23), and light-mantled (LMSA, P. palpebrata; n = 22) albatrosses were tracked with GPS loggers. The response of birds to environmental variability was investigated by quantifying interannual changes in their foraging behavior along two axes: spatial distribution, using kernel density analysis, and foraging habitat preference, using generalized additive mixed models and Bayesian mixed models. All four species were shown to respond behaviorally to environmental variability, but with substantial differences in their foraging strategies. WA was most general in its habitat use defined by sea surface height, eddy kinetic energy, wind speed, ocean floor slope, and sea-level anomaly, with individuals foraging in a range of habitats. In contrast, the three smaller albatrosses exploited two main foraging habitats, with habitat use varying between years. Generalist habitat use by WA and interannually variable use of habitats by GHA, SA, and LMSA would likely offer these species some resilience to predicted changes in climate such as warming seas and strengthening of westerly winds. However, future investigations need to consider other life-history stages coupled with demographic studies, to better understand the link between behavioral plasticity and population responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tegan Carpenter‐Kling
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU)Department of ZoologyInstitute for Coastal and Marine ResearchNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
- DST‐NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
| | - Ryan R. Reisinger
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU)Department of ZoologyInstitute for Coastal and Marine ResearchNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
- LOCEAN‐IPSLUMR 7159 CNRS‐IRD‐MNHNSorbonne UniversitéParisFrance
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de ChizéUMR 7372 du CNRS‐Université de La RochelleVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
| | - Florian Orgeret
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU)Department of ZoologyInstitute for Coastal and Marine ResearchNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
| | - Maëlle Connan
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU)Department of ZoologyInstitute for Coastal and Marine ResearchNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
| | - Kim L. Stevens
- FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyDST‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownRondeboschSouth Africa
| | - Peter G. Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyDST‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownRondeboschSouth Africa
| | - Azwianewi Makhado
- FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyDST‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownRondeboschSouth Africa
- Department of Environment, Forestry and FisheriesOceans and Coasts ResearchCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Pierre A. Pistorius
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU)Department of ZoologyInstitute for Coastal and Marine ResearchNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
- DST‐NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
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