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Marín-García PJ, Rouco C, Llobat L, Larsen T, Hedemann MS. Targeted and untargeted metabolomic profiles in wild rabbit does (Oryctolagus cuniculus) of different breeding states (pregnant and lactating). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 341:743-752. [PMID: 38651595 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Ecological nutrition aims to unravel the extensive web of nutritional links that drives animals in their interactions with their ecological environments. Nutrition plays a key role in the success of European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and could be affected by the breeding status of the animals and reflected in the metabolome of this species. As nutritional needs are considerably increased during pregnancy and lactation, the main objective of this work was to determine how the breeding status (pregnant and lactating) of European wild rabbit does affects nutritional requirements and their metabolome (using targeted and untargeted metabolomics), aiming to find a useful biomarker of breeding status and for monitoring nutritional requirements. To address this gap, 60 wild European rabbits were studied. Animals were divided according to their breeding status and only pregnant (n = 18) and lactating (n = 11) rabbit does were used (n = 29 in total). The body weight and length of each animal were analyzed. The relative and absolute chemical composition of the gastric content and whole blood sample were taken, and targeted and untargeted metabolomics were analyzed. As a main result, there were no differences in biometric measurements, gastric content, and targeted metabolomics, except for live weight and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), as pregnant animals showed higher live weight (+12%; p = 0.0234) and lower NEFA acid levels (-46%; p = 0.0262) than lactating females. Regarding untargeted metabolomics, a good differentiation of the metabolome of the two breeding groups was confirmed, and it was proven that pregnant animals showed higher plasmatic levels of succinic anhydride (3.48 more times; p = 0.0236), succinic acid (succinate) (3.1 more times; p = 0.0068) and propionic acid (3.98 more times; p = 0.0121) than lactating animals. However, lactating animals showed higher levels of N-[(3a,5b,7b)-7-hydroxy-24-oxo-3-(sulfoxide) cholan-24-yl]-Glycine (cholestadien) (2.4 more times; p < 0.0420), 4-maleyl-acetoacetate (MAA) (3.2 more times; p < 0.0364) and irilone (2.2 more times; p = 0.0451) than pregnant animals, any of these metabolites could be used as a potential biomarker. From these results, it can be concluded that the most notable changes were observed in the metabolome of individuals, with most of the changes observed being due to energy and protein mobilisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Jesús Marín-García
- Department of Animal Production and Health, Veterinary Public Health and Food Science and Technology (PASAPTA), Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, Valencia, Spain
| | - Carlos Rouco
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Lola Llobat
- Department of Animal Production and Health, Veterinary Public Health and Food Science and Technology (PASAPTA), Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, Valencia, Spain
| | - Torben Larsen
- Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
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Marín-García PJ, Llobat L, Aguayo-Adán JA, Franch J, Cambra-López M, Blas E, Pascual JJ, Rouco C. Nutritional ecology of European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus): Factors affecting chemical composition of gastric content. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2023; 107:1495-1501. [PMID: 37270694 DOI: 10.1111/jpn.13849] [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: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Nutritional ecology seeks to unravel the extensive web of nutritional links that directs animals in their interactions with their ecological and social environments. European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations its endemic locations are declining and it is considered a keystone species of the Mediterranean ecosystem prompteing the interest in its conservation. The main aim of this study was to determine the nutritional composition of the diet of European rabbits through the relative and absolute chemical composition of the gastric content. To address this objective, gastric content was collected from 80 European rabbits in a Mediterranean area for the analysis of its chemical composition. To this end, gastric content was analyzed for dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), ash, crude protein (CP), highly digestible nonnitrogenous nutrients (HDNN), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and lignin. The rabbits were divided into two groups: EMPTY and FULL, depending on the level of stomach filling, directly related to food intake. Our results revealed a positive correlation between the rabbits weight with DM in the gastric content, total gastric content with DM in the gastric content, and DM in gastric content with all chemical parameters analysed. The mean relative values obtained were 8.8%, 25.5%, 40.4% and 25.4%, for ash, CP, NDF and HDNN, respectively. Moreover, EMPTY rabbits had both a proportional (+19%, p = 0.002 and -40%; p = 0.004, on NDF and HDNN, respectively) and absolute (-38%, p = 0.014, -52%; p = 0.012, -52%; p = 0.011 and +83%; p = 0.008 for OM, ash, HDNN, and lignin, respectively) different proportion of nutrients in gastric contents than FULL animals. Since there is a connection between this availability and the fitness of this species, understanding the chemical composition of the rabbit's diet can be utilised to delve into its biology. Our study provides information that will help elucidate the factors affecting the chemical composition of the gastric content of European rabbits to assist land use planners and conservationists in identifying sites for conservation in Mediterranean ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Jesús Marín-García
- Department of Animal Production and Health, Veterinary Public Health and Food Science and Technology (PASAPTA), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, Valencia, Spain
| | - Lola Llobat
- Department of Animal Production and Health, Veterinary Public Health and Food Science and Technology (PASAPTA), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Jorge Franch
- Department of Animal Production and Health, Veterinary Public Health and Food Science and Technology (PASAPTA), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, Valencia, Spain
- Institute for Animal Science and Technology, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - María Cambra-López
- Institute for Animal Science and Technology, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Enrique Blas
- Institute for Animal Science and Technology, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Juan José Pascual
- Institute for Animal Science and Technology, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Carlos Rouco
- Ecology Area, Faculty of Science, University of Córdoba, Cordoba, Spain
- Sociedad, Ecología y Gestión del Medio Ambiente, UCO-IESA, Unidad Asociada al CSIC, Córdoba, Spain
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3
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Raubenheimer D, Simpson SJ. Protein appetite as an integrator in the obesity system: the protein leverage hypothesis. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220212. [PMID: 37661737 PMCID: PMC10475875 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the large volume and extensive range of obesity research, there is substantial disagreement on the causes and effective preventative strategies. We suggest the field will benefit from greater emphasis on integrative approaches that examine how various potential contributors interact, rather than regarding them as competing explanations. We demonstrate the application of nutritional geometry, a multi-nutrient integrative framework developed in the ecological sciences, to obesity research. Such studies have shown that humans, like many other species, regulate protein intake more strongly than other dietary components, and consequently if dietary protein is diluted there is a compensatory increase in food intake-a process called protein leverage. The protein leverage hypothesis (PLH) proposes that the dilution of protein in modern food supplies by fat and carbohydrate-rich highly processed foods has resulted in increased energy intake through protein leverage. We present evidence for the PLH from a variety of sources (mechanistic, experimental and observational), and show that this mechanism is compatible with many other findings and theories in obesity research. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Causes of obesity: theories, conjectures and evidence (Part II)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Stephen J. Simpson
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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Sovie AR, Romanski MC, Orning EK, Marneweck DG, Nichols R, Moore S, Belant JL. Temporal variation in translocated Isle Royale wolf diet. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9873. [PMID: 36937055 PMCID: PMC10019911 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Wolves (Canis lupus) can exert top-down pressure and shape ecological communities through the predation of ungulates and beavers (Castor spp.). Therefore, understanding wolf foraging is critical to estimating their ecosystem-level effects. Specifically, if wolves are consumers that optimize tradeoffs between the cost and benefits of prey acquisition, changes in these factors may lead to prey-switching or negative-density dependent selection with potential consequences for community stability. For wolves, factors affecting cost and benefits include prey vulnerability, risk, reward, and availability, which can vary temporally. We described the wolf diet by the frequency of occurrence and percent biomass and characterized the diet using prey remains found in wolf scats on Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, USA, during May-October 2019 and 2020. We used logistic regression to estimate prey consumption over time. We predicted prey with temporal variation in cost (availability and/or vulnerability) such as adult moose (Alces alces), calf moose, and beaver (Castor canadensis) to vary in wolf diets. We analyzed 206 scats and identified 62% of remains as beaver, 26% as moose, and 12% as other species (birds, smaller mammals, and wolves). Adult moose were more likely to occur in wolf scats in May when moose are in poor condition following winter. The occurrence of moose calves peaked during June-mid-July following birth but before calf vulnerability declined as they matured. By contrast, beaver occurrence in wolf scat did not change over time, reflecting the importance of low-handling cost prey items for recently introduced lone or paired wolves. Our results demonstrate that the wolf diet is responsive to temporal changes in prey costs. Temporal fluctuation in diet may influence wolves' ecological role if prey respond to increased predation risk by altering foraging or breeding behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adia R. Sovie
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
| | - Mark C. Romanski
- National Park ServiceIsle Royale National ParkHoughtonMichiganUSA
| | - Elizabeth K. Orning
- College of Environmental Science and ForestryState University of New YorkSyracuseNew YorkUSA
| | | | - Rachel Nichols
- Department of Biology and EnvironmentGrand Portage Band of Lake Superior ChippewaGrand PortageMinnesotaUSA
| | - Seth Moore
- Department of Biology and EnvironmentGrand Portage Band of Lake Superior ChippewaGrand PortageMinnesotaUSA
| | - Jerrold L. Belant
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
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Gonnerman M, Shea SA, Sullivan K, Kamath P, Overturf K, Blomberg E. Dynamic winter weather moderates movement and resource selection of wild turkeys at high-latitude range limits. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2734. [PMID: 36057107 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2734] [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: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
For wide-ranging species in temperate environments, populations at high-latitude range limits are subject to more extreme conditions, colder temperatures, and greater snow accumulation compared with their core range. As climate change progresses, these bounding pressures may become more moderate on average, while extreme weather occurs more frequently. Individuals can mitigate temporarily extreme conditions by changing daily activity budgets and exhibiting plasticity in resource selection, both of which facilitate existence at and expansion of high-latitude range boundaries. However, relatively little work has explored how animals moderate movement and vary resource selection with changing weather, and a general framework for such investigations is lacking. We applied hidden Markov models and step selection functions to GPS data from wintering wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) near their northern range limit to identify how weather influenced transition among discrete movement states, as well as state-specific resource selection. We found that turkeys were more likely to spend time in a stationary state as wind chill temperatures decreased and snow depth increased. Both stationary and roosting turkeys selected conifer forests and avoided land covers associated with foraging, such as agriculture and residential areas, while shifting their strength of selection for these features during poor weather. In contrast, mobile turkeys showed relatively weak resource selection, with less response in selection coefficients during poor weather. Our findings illustrate that behavioral plasticity in response to weather was context dependent, but movement behaviors most associated with poor weather were also those in which resource selection was most plastic. Given our results, the potential for wild turkey range expansion will partly be determined by the availability of habitat that allows them to withstand periodic inclement weather. Combining hidden Markov models with step selection functions is broadly applicable for evaluating plasticity in animal behavior and dynamic resource selection in response to changing weather. We studied turkeys at northern range limits, but this approach is applicable for any system expected to experience significant changes in the coming decade, and may be particularly relevant to populations existing at range peripheries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Gonnerman
- Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Stephanie A Shea
- School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Kelsey Sullivan
- Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Bangor, Maine, USA
| | - Pauline Kamath
- School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Kaj Overturf
- Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Erik Blomberg
- Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
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Unravelling the Role of Metabolites for Detecting Physiological State of Wild Animals: European Rabbit's ( Oryctolagus cuniculus) Case. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12223225. [PMID: 36428452 PMCID: PMC9686955 DOI: 10.3390/ani12223225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) has been defined as a keystone species in the Mediterranean ecosystem. Rabbits have been classed as "endangered" by the IUCN within their native range. In this sense, animal nutrition may play a fundamental and limiting role in the conservation of wild species. The overarching goal of ecological nutrition is to unravel the extensive web of nutritional links that direct animals in their interactions with their ecological environments. The main aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of different feed intake, geographic location, animal sex, and reproductive stage on glucose, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), and plasmatic urea nitrogen (PUN), albumin, glutamate, and total protein metabolites. Additionally, we examined the potential of these metabolites as biomarkers. Full stomach contents and blood samples were collected from European wild rabbits (n = 89) for the analysis of the metabolites described above. Our work shows that the levels of these metabolites are affected by the sex of the animals, as well as by their reproductive stage (glucose, NEFA and albumin). There were signs of better optimisation of resources by females than by other groups of animals. These data may be interesting in the study of nutritional components that could be affecting physiological state of this species.
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Marín-García PJ, Llobat L, Rouco C, Aguayo-Adán JA, Larsen T, Cambra-López M, Blas E, Pascual JJ. Nutritional Metabolites as Biomarkers of Previous Feed Intake in European Rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus): Applications on Conservation. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12192608. [PMID: 36230348 PMCID: PMC9558996 DOI: 10.3390/ani12192608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations have drastically reduced, and recently, rabbits have been classed as “endangered” by the IUCN. This animal plays an important ecological role in Mediterranean ecosystems and its introduction could significantly contribute to ecological restoration. Rabbits have high nutrient requirements that apparently cannot be covered in all ecosystems, and there are clues that nutrition can limit their abundance and density. On the other hand, some studies reflect the effects of food availability on the metabolomic status of other animal species, but there are no specific studies on this keystone species. The main aim of this work is to find biomarkers to assess the previous levels of ingestion of European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). To address this gap, gastric content and blood samples were collected from European rabbits (n = 99) in a Mediterranean area for the analysis of glucose, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), plasmatic urea nitrogen (PUN), albumin, glutamate and total protein metabolites. Depending on their previous feed intake (gastric content and the ratio between the gastric content and the weight of the animal), the animals were divided into two groups (lower and normal previous feed intake). Our work shows that the metabolomic profiles of the animals were affected. Levels of glucose (+82%; p = 0.0003), NEFA (−61%; p = 0.0040) and PUN (+139%; p < 0.001) were different in the animals with lower previous feed intake than the animals with normal previous feed intake. This work summarises that metabolic phenotype can be interesting when seeking to discover the limiting nutrients and food availability in diets that could affect the ecological fitness and conservation of European wild rabbits. It is important to mention that in this work, only the effects on six different metabolites have been analysed and more studies are necessary to complement the knowledge of possible metabolites that indicate the level of ingestion in this species and others. These (and new) biomarkers could be used as a tool to provide information about individual or population characteristics that other physiological parameters cannot detect, improving the conservation physiology field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Jesús Marín-García
- Department of Animal Production and Health, Veterinary Public Health and Food Science and Technology (PASAPTA), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46113 Valencia, Spain
- Correspondence: (P.J.M.-G.); (L.L.)
| | - Lola Llobat
- Department of Animal Production and Health, Veterinary Public Health and Food Science and Technology (PASAPTA), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46113 Valencia, Spain
- Correspondence: (P.J.M.-G.); (L.L.)
| | - Carlos Rouco
- Ecology Area, Faculty of Science, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
- Sociedad, Ecología y Gestión del Medio Ambiente, UCO-IESA, Unidad Asociada al CSIC, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
| | | | - Torben Larsen
- Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark
| | - María Cambra-López
- Institute for Animal Science and Technology, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Enrique Blas
- Institute for Animal Science and Technology, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Juan José Pascual
- Institute for Animal Science and Technology, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
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8
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Ny V, Needham T, Ceacero F. Potential benefits of amino acid supplementation for cervid performance and nutritional ecology, with special focus on lysine and methionine: A review. ANIMAL NUTRITION 2022; 11:391-401. [PMID: 36382203 PMCID: PMC9633987 DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2022.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Deer farming is a thriving industry for venison, velvet antlers, trophy hunting, and other by-products. Feeding and nutrition are important factors for improving production performance, especially dietary protein and amino acids (AAs), as they are the main components of all tissues. Only a few studies on AA supplementation (Lys, Met, Arg) have been performed on cervids, which show positive effects on weight gain, ADG, feed-:gain ratio, plasma AAs, carcass weight, dressing percentage, yield of high-quality muscles, storage of internal fat during winter, DM and CP digestibility, plasma protein- and fat-related metabolite concentrations, antler burr perimeter, weight, length and mineralisation, velvet antler yield, rumen volatile fatty acids, and microbiome composition. All these effects are relevant for supporting the production of cervids products, from venison to velvet or trophy antlers, as well as their general performance and well-being of captive-bred cervids. The current available information suggests that AA supplementation can be especially interesting for animals fed low protein rations, and growing animals, but should be avoided in high rations and during winter, since it may promote the accumulation of internal fat. Potential effects on milk production and the concentrations of different hormones involved in the regulation of the antler cycle should be further explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veit Ny
- Department of Animal Science and Food Processing, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Cattle Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Prague, Czech Republic
- Food Research Institute Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tersia Needham
- Department of Animal Science and Food Processing, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Francisco Ceacero
- Department of Animal Science and Food Processing, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic
- Corresponding author.
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9
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Marshal JP, Tshabalala T, Parrini F. Selection of Vegetation Greenness by Nyala Antelopes on a Resource Productivity Gradient. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.3957/056.051.0193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jason P. Marshal
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, 2050 South Africa
| | - Thulani Tshabalala
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, 2050 South Africa
| | - Francesca Parrini
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, 2050 South Africa
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10
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Rosenblatt E, DeBow J, Blouin J, Donovan T, Murdoch J, Creel S, Rogers W, Gieder K, Fortin N, Alexander C. Juvenile moose stress and nutrition dynamics related to winter ticks, landscape characteristics, climate-mediated factors and survival. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab048. [PMID: 34249363 PMCID: PMC8266538 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Moose populations in the northeastern United States have declined over the past 15 years, primarily due to the impacts of winter ticks. Research efforts have focused on the effects of winter tick infestation on moose survival and reproduction, but stress and nutritional responses to ticks and other stressors remain understudied. We examined the influence of several environmental factors on moose calf stress hormone metabolite concentrations and nutritional restriction in Vermont, USA. We collected 407 fecal and 461 snow urine samples from 84 radio-collared moose calves in the winters of 2017-2019 (January-April) to measure fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCM) concentrations and urea nitrogen:creatinine (UN:C) ratios. We used generalized mixed-effects models to evaluate the influence of individual condition, winter ticks, habitat, climate and human development on stress and nutrition in calf moose. We then used these physiological data to build generalized linear models to predict calf winter survival. Calf fGCM concentrations increased with nutritional restriction and snow depth during adult winter tick engorgement. Calf UN:C ratios increased in calves with lighter weights and higher tick loads in early winter. Calf UN:C ratios also increased in individuals with home ranges composed of little deciduous forests during adult winter tick engorgement. Our predictive models estimated that winter survival was negatively related to UN:C ratios and positively related to fGCM concentrations, particularly in early winter. By late March, as winter ticks are having their greatest toll and endogenous resources become depleted, we estimated a curvilinear relationship between fGCM concentrations and survival. Our results provide novel evidence linking moose calf stress and nutrition, a problematic parasite and challenging environment and winter survival. Our findings provide a baseline to support the development of non-invasive physiological monitoring for assessing environmental impacts on moose populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Rosenblatt
- Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Jacob DeBow
- Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Joshua Blouin
- Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Therese Donovan
- US Geological Survey, Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - James Murdoch
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Scott Creel
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Will Rogers
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | | | - Nick Fortin
- Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Rutland, VT 05701, USA
| | - Cedric Alexander
- Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819, USA
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11
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Laforge MP, Bonar M, Vander Wal E. Tracking snowmelt to jump the green wave: phenological drivers of migration in a northern ungulate. Ecology 2021; 102:e03268. [PMID: 33326603 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
In northern climates, spring is a time of rapid environmental change: for migrating terrestrial animals, melting snow facilitates foraging and travel, and newly emergent vegetation provides a valuable nutritional resource. These changes result in selection on the timing of important life-history events such as migration and parturition occurring when high-quality resources are most abundant. We examined the timing of female caribou (Rangifer tarandus, n = 94) migration and parturition in five herds across 7 yr in Newfoundland, Canada, as a function of two measures of environmental change-snowmelt and vegetation green-up. We generated resource selection functions to test whether caribou selected for areas associated with snowmelt and green-up during migration and following calving. We found that caribou migrated approximately 1 wk prior to snowmelt, with the flush of emergent vegetation occurring during the weeks following parturition. The results indicate that caribou "jump" the green wave of emergent forage and do so by tracking the receding edge of melting snow, likely reducing movement and foraging costs related to snow cover. Our research further broadens the ecological scope of resource tracking in animals. We demonstrate that resource tracking extends beyond resources directly related to foraging to those related to movement. We also show that snowmelt provides an environmental cue that may provide a buffer against changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel P Laforge
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Maegwin Bonar
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1B 3X9, Canada.,Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Suite A211, Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1B 3X9, Canada.,Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1B 3X9, Canada
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12
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Gilbert SL, Hundertmark KJ, Lindberg MS, Person DK, Boyce MS. The Importance of Environmental Variability and Transient Population Dynamics for a Northern Ungulate. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.531027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathways through which environmental variability affects population dynamics remain poorly understood, limiting ecological inference and management actions. Here, we use matrix-based population models to examine the vital rate responses to environmental variability and individual traits, and subsequent transient dynamics of the population in response to the environment. Using Sitka black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis) in Southeast Alaska as a study system, we modeled effects of inter-annual process variance of covariates on female survival, pregnancy rate, and fetal rate, and summer and winter fawn survival. To examine the influence of environmental variance on population dynamics, we compared asymptotic and transient perturbation analysis (elasticity analysis, a life-table response experiment, and transience simulation). We found that summer fawn survival was primarily determined by black bear (Ursus americanus) predation and was positively influenced by mass at birth and female sex. Winter fawn survival was determined by malnutrition in deep-snow winters and was influenced by an interaction between date of birth and snow depth, with late-born fawns at greater risk in deep-snow winters. Adult female survival was the most influential vital rate based on classic elasticity analysis, however, elasticity analysis based on process variation indicated that winter and summer fawn survival were most variable and thus most influential to variability in population growth. Transient dynamics produced by non-stable stage distributions produced realized annual growth rates different from predicted asymptotic growth rates in all years, emphasizing the importance of winter perturbations to population dynamics of this species.
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13
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Marshal JP, D'ammando G, Parrini F. Seasonal Habitat Selection by Eland in an Insular Nature Reserve. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.3957/056.050.0132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jason P. Marshal
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, 2050 South Africa
| | - Giacomo D'ammando
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, 2050 South Africa
| | - Francesca Parrini
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, 2050 South Africa
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14
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Machovsky-Capuska GE, Amiot C, Denuncio P, Grainger R, Raubenheimer D. A nutritional perspective on plastic ingestion in wildlife. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 656:789-796. [PMID: 30530148 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Although the perils of plastics to living organisms including humans have been neglected for decades, they have recently been recognized as a major environmental problem worldwide. Little progress has been made on understanding the factors that drive species' and populations' susceptibilities to the ingestion of plastic. Here, we propose using nutritional ecology as a multidisciplinary framework for bridging the gaps that link nutrition, behavior, plastics, physiology and ecology. We show that nutritional niches are tightly linked to plastic ingestion, illustrating the application of our framework in the context of nutritional niche theory, habitat-specific foraging from species to populations, and transfer patterns in food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christophe Amiot
- Université d'Angers, LETG-Angers, LEESA UMR 6554 CNRS, UFR Sciences, France
| | - Pablo Denuncio
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras, Departamento de Ciencias Marinas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, CONICET, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata B7602AYL, Argentina
| | - Richard Grainger
- The University of Sydney, Charles Perkins Centre, Sydney, Australia; The University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Sydney, Australia
| | - David Raubenheimer
- The University of Sydney, Charles Perkins Centre, Sydney, Australia; The University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Sydney, Australia
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15
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Cui Z, Shao Q, Grueter CC, Wang Z, Lu J, Raubenheimer D. Dietary diversity of an ecological and macronutritional generalist primate in a harsh high‐latitude habitat, the Taihangshan macaque (
Macaca mulatta tcheliensis
). Am J Primatol 2019; 81:e22965. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhenwei Cui
- School of Life Sciences Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou China
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology, Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou China
- Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Qi Shao
- School of Life Sciences Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou China
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology, Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou China
| | - Cyril C. Grueter
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia Perth Western Australia Australia
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Perth Western Australia Australia
| | - Zhenlong Wang
- School of Life Sciences Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou China
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology, Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou China
| | - Jiqi Lu
- School of Life Sciences Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou China
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology, Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou China
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
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16
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Felton AM, Wam HK, Stolter C, Mathisen KM, Wallgren M. The complexity of interacting nutritional drivers behind food selection, a review of northern cervids. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Annika M. Felton
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre Faculty of Forest Sciences Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences P.O. Box 49 Alnarp SE‐230 53 Sweden
| | - Hilde K. Wam
- Division of Forestry and Forest Resources NIBIO P.O. Box 115 Ås NO‐1431 Norway
| | - Caroline Stolter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation Institute of Zoology University of Hamburg Hamburg 20146 Germany
| | - Karen M. Mathisen
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences Institute of Forestry and Wildlife Management ‐ Evenstad Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences P.O. Box 400 Elverum NO‐2418 Norway
| | - Märtha Wallgren
- Forestry Research Institute of Sweden Uppsala Science Park Uppsala SE‐751 83 Sweden
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies Faculty of Forest Sciences Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå SE‐901 83 Sweden
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17
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Gilbert SL, Hundertmark KJ, Person DK, Lindberg MS, Boyce MS. Behavioral plasticity in a variable environment: snow depth and habitat interactions drive deer movement in winter. J Mammal 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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18
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Sperfeld E, Wagner ND, Halvorson HM, Malishev M, Raubenheimer D. Bridging Ecological Stoichiometry and Nutritional Geometry with homeostasis concepts and integrative models of organism nutrition. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erik Sperfeld
- Department of Experimental Limnology Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Alte Fischerhütte 2 OT Neuglobsow 16775 Stechlin Germany
- School of Biological Sciences and The Charles Perkins Centre The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales2006 Australia
| | - Nicole D. Wagner
- Environmental and Life Science Graduate Program Trent University Peterborough Ontario K9L7B8 Canada
| | - Halvor M. Halvorson
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Arkansas Fayetteville Arkansas72701 USA
| | - Matthew Malishev
- Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis (CEBRA) School of BioSciences University of Melbourne Melbourne Victoria3010 Australia
| | - David Raubenheimer
- School of Biological Sciences and The Charles Perkins Centre The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales2006 Australia
- Faculty of Veterinary Science The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales2006 Australia
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19
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Sperfeld E, Halvorson HM, Malishev M, Clissold FJ, Wagner ND. Woodstoich III: Integrating tools of nutritional geometry and ecological stoichiometry to advance nutrient budgeting and the prediction of consumer‐driven nutrient recycling. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.03529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erik Sperfeld
- Leibniz‐Inst. of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Dept Experimental Limnology Alte Fischerhütte 2 OT Neuglobsow DE‐16775 Stechlin Germany
- School of Biological Sciences and Charles Perkins Centre The University of Sydney Sydney Australia
| | | | - Matthew Malishev
- Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis (CEBRA), School of BioSciences Univ. of Melbourne Melbourne VIC Australia
| | - Fiona J. Clissold
- Clissold, School of Biological Sciences and The Charles Perkins Centre The Univ. of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Nicole D. Wagner
- Environmental and Life Science Graduate Program Trent University, Peterborough ON Canada
- Environmental NMR Centre and Dept of Physical and Environmental Sciences Univ. of Toronto Scarborough ON Canada
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20
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Geometry of nutrition in field studies: an illustration using wild primates. Oecologia 2014; 177:223-34. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3142-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2014] [Accepted: 11/03/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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21
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Taillon J, Barboza PS, Côté SD. Nitrogen allocation to offspring and milk production in a capital breeder. Ecology 2013; 94:1815-27. [DOI: 10.1890/12-1424.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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22
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Marshal JP, Grange S, Marneweck D. Seasonal Variation in Body Condition of Impala at Manyeleti Game Reserve, South Africa. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.3957/056.042.0212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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23
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Raubenheimer D, Simpson SJ, Tait AH. Match and mismatch: conservation physiology, nutritional ecology and the timescales of biological adaptation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2012; 367:1628-46. [PMID: 22566672 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Conservation physiology (CP) and nutritional ecology (NE) are both integrative sciences that share the fundamental aim of understanding the patterns, mechanisms and consequences of animal responses to changing environments. Here, we explore the high-level similarities and differences between CP and NE, identifying as central themes to both fields the multiple timescales over which animals adapt (and fail to adapt) to their environments, and the need for integrative models to study these processes. At one extreme are the short-term regulatory responses that modulate the state of animals in relation to the environment, which are variously considered under the concepts of homeostasis, homeorhesis, enantiostasis, heterostasis and allostasis. In the longer term are developmental responses, including phenotypic plasticity and transgenerational effects mediated by non-genomic influences such as parental physiology, epigenetic effects and cultural learning. Over a longer timescale still are the cumulative genetic changes that take place in Darwinian evolution. We present examples showing how the adaptive responses of animals across these timescales have been represented in an integrative framework from NE, the geometric framework (GF) for nutrition, and close with an illustration of how GF can be applied to the central issue in CP, animal conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Raubenheimer
- Nutritional Ecology Research Group, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand.
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24
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Marshal JP, Bleich VC, Krausman PR, Reed ML, Neibergs A. Overlap in Diet and Habitat Between the Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and Feral Ass (Equus asinus) in the Sonoran Desert. SOUTHWEST NAT 2012. [DOI: 10.1894/0038-4909-57.1.16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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25
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McLellan ML, Serrouya R, McLellan BN, Furk K, Heard DC, Wittmer HU. Implications of body condition on the unsustainable predation rates of endangered mountain caribou. Oecologia 2011; 169:853-60. [PMID: 22183706 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-011-2227-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2011] [Accepted: 12/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L McLellan
- Columbia Mountains Caribou Project, 4667 Carlson Rd., Nelson, BC, V1L 6X3, Canada
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26
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Zweifel-Schielly B, Leuenberger Y, Kreuzer M, Suter W. A herbivore's food landscape: seasonal dynamics and nutritional implications of diet selection by a red deer population in contrasting Alpine habitats. J Zool (1987) 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2011.00853.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- B. Zweifel-Schielly
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL; Zürcherstrasse 111; CH-8903; Birmensdorf; Switzerland
| | - Y. Leuenberger
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL; Zürcherstrasse 111; CH-8903; Birmensdorf; Switzerland
| | - M. Kreuzer
- ETH Zurich; Institute of Agricultural Sciences; Universitätsstrasse 2; CH-8092; Zurich; Switzerland
| | - W. Suter
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL; Zürcherstrasse 111; CH-8903; Birmensdorf; Switzerland
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27
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Ochiai K, Susaki K, Mochizuki T, Okasaka Y, Yamada Y. Relationships Among Habitat Quality, Home Range Size, Reproductive Performance and Population Density: Comparison of Three Populations of the Japanese Serow (Capricornis crispus). MAMMAL STUDY 2010. [DOI: 10.3106/041.035.0406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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28
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Scale-dependent selection of greenness by African elephants in the Kruger-private reserve transboundary region, South Africa. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-010-0462-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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29
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RAFFERTY CHRISTINEM, LAMONT BYRONB, HANLEY MICKE. Herbivore feeding preferences in captive and wild populations. AUSTRAL ECOL 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2009.02031.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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30
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Long RA, Kie JG, Terry Bowyer R, Hurley MA. Resource Selection and Movements by Female Mule DeerOdocoileus hemionus: Effects of Reproductive Stage. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2009. [DOI: 10.2981/09-003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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31
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Molnár PK, Klanjscek T, Derocher AE, Obbard ME, Lewis MA. A body composition model to estimate mammalian energy stores and metabolic rates from body mass and body length, with application to polar bears. J Exp Biol 2009; 212:2313-23. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.026146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Many species experience large fluctuations in food availability and depend on energy from fat and protein stores for survival, reproduction and growth. Body condition and, more specifically, energy stores thus constitute key variables in the life history of many species. Several indices exist to quantify body condition but none can provide the amount of stored energy. To estimate energy stores in mammals, we propose a body composition model that differentiates between structure and storage of an animal. We develop and parameterize the model specifically for polar bears (Ursus maritimus Phipps)but all concepts are general and the model could be easily adapted to other mammals. The model provides predictive equations to estimate structural mass,storage mass and storage energy from an appropriately chosen measure of body length and total body mass. The model also provides a means to estimate basal metabolic rates from body length and consecutive measurements of total body mass. Model estimates of body composition, structural mass, storage mass and energy density of 970 polar bears from Hudson Bay were consistent with the life history and physiology of polar bears. Metabolic rate estimates of fasting adult males derived from the body composition model corresponded closely to theoretically expected and experimentally measured metabolic rates. Our method is simple, non-invasive and provides considerably more information on the energetic status of individuals than currently available methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Péter K. Molnár
- Centre for Mathematical Biology, Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2G1
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Tin Klanjscek
- Department for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruder BoškovićInstitute, POB. 180, Bijenička 54, HR-10002 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Andrew E. Derocher
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Martyn E. Obbard
- Wildlife Research and Development Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, DNA Building, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough,ON, Canada K9J 7B8
| | - Mark A. Lewis
- Centre for Mathematical Biology, Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2G1
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2E9
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33
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Miyashita T, Suzuki M, Takada M, Fujita G, Ochiai K, Asada M. Landscape structure affects food quality of sika deer (Cervus nippon) evidenced by fecal nitrogen levels. POPUL ECOL 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s10144-007-0046-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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34
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35
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The Efficacy of Remote Sensing in Quantifying Natural Water Sources in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. WILDLIFE SOC B 2006. [DOI: 10.2193/0091-7648(2006)34[637:teorsi]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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36
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Bowyer RT, Kie JG. Effects of scale on interpreting life-history characteristics of ungulates and carnivores. DIVERS DISTRIB 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1366-9516.2006.00247.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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37
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Barboza PS, Parker KL. Body Protein Stores and Isotopic Indicators of N Balance in Female Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) during Winter. Physiol Biochem Zool 2006; 79:628-44. [PMID: 16691528 DOI: 10.1086/502811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/01/2005] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
We studied bred and unbred female reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) during 12 wk of winter when ambient temperatures were low and nitrogen (N) demand for fetal growth is highest in pregnant females. Animals were fed a complete pelleted diet ad lib. that contained 2.54% N in dry matter that was 80% +/- 2% (X +/- SD) digestible. Female reindeer lost 64% +/- 14% of body fat but gained 34% +/- 11% of lean mass from 10 wk prepartum to parturition. These changes were equivalent to average balances of -14.14 +/- 2.35 MJ d(-1) and 10 +/- 3 g N d(-1). Blood cells, serum, and urine declined in (15)N/(14)N in late winter as body protein was gained from the diet. Blood cells of newborn calves were more enriched in (15)N and (13)C than that of their mothers, indicating the deposition of fetal protein from maternal stores. To quantify pathways of N flow in reindeer, N balance was measured by confining animals to cages for 10 d at 4 wk from parturition. N balance was inversely related to (15)N/(14)N in urea-N but not related to (15)N/(14)N of blood cells, creatinine, and feces. The proportion of urea-N derived from body protein increased above 0.46 as N balance fell below -200 mg N kg(-0.75) d(-1). Proportions of urea-N from body protein were -0.01 +/- 0.21 in pregnant females before and after caging and were consistent with average body protein gain in winter. Storage of protein allows reindeer and caribou to tolerate diets that are low in N without impairing fetal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perry S Barboza
- Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, 99775-7000, USA.
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38
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Barboza PS, Hume ID. Physiology of intermittent feeding: integrating responses of vertebrates to nutritional deficit and excess. Physiol Biochem Zool 2006; 79:250-64. [PMID: 16555185 DOI: 10.1086/499984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/25/2005] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Food intakes of wild animals may not match their requirements for nutrients and energy but may vary between periods of nutritional excess (hyperphagia) and nutritional deficit (hypophagia) at timescales that vary from days to months. We present a simple model of feeding patterns and requirements of vertebrates. Frequent fasts and high intakes are typical of endothermic predators and migratory birds, whereas slow cycles and long deficits typify feeding patterns of ectothermic predators and ungulates in seasonal environments. We propose that hyperphagia is constrained by the ability to increase processes of digestion, absorption, intermediary metabolism, net deposition in tissue, and excretion to match loads of digesta and metabolites. Hyperphagia on high-quality diets is limited by the clearance of metabolites, whereas digestive tract capacity and flow limit consumption of low-quality diets. Of all digestive strategies, small omnivores with simple digestive systems may be the most tolerant of frequent hyperphagia. Tolerance of hypophagia favors large endogenous stores or low mass-specific rates of metabolism and reproductive output. Large animals may be most able to sustain reproduction during prolonged deficits in seasonal environments. Responses to excessive and deficient intakes of food are constrained by the length of the feeding cycle. Animals adapted to short feeding cycles may be best suited to unpredictable food supplies but at the energetic cost of maintaining spare capacity for digestion and absorption. Predictions of the response to food disruption are best evaluated in the context of body size, nutritional physiology, and life history of the species and the time for internal response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perry S Barboza
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, Institute of Arctic Biology, P.O. Box 757000, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, USA.
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Raubenheimer D, Zemke-White WL, Phillips RJ, Clements KD. ALGAL MACRONUTRIENTS AND FOOD SELECTION BY THE OMNIVOROUS MARINE FISH GIRELLA TRICUSPIDATA. Ecology 2005. [DOI: 10.1890/04-1472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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40
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41
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Nordengren C, Ball JP. A field assessment of the SpalingerHobbs mechanistic foraging model: free-ranging moose in winter. CAN J ZOOL 2005. [DOI: 10.1139/z05-029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The mechanistic foraging models introduced by Spalinger and Hobbs in 1992 have been very influential in studies of herbivory at a variety of scales. However, almost no field study has evaluated whether the assumption regarding invariability of parameters with time holds for large herbivores with long foraging bouts, and most studies have obtained the model parameters from very short trials. We used free-ranging moose, Alces alces (L., 1758), to test this assumption of invariability and to compare intake calculated by the SpalingerHobbs model using parameters obtained from 10-min trials with intake calculated using data obtained from entire bouts. Our results revealed that the invariance assumption was not fully met: moose increased bite and chew rates and took smaller bites the longer a bite or chew sequence lasted, which resulted in declining intake rates. As a result, the original model misestimated intake by more than double for mountain birch (Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii (Orlova) Hämet-Ahti) and by up to 23% for willow (Salix spp.). Compared with data from entire foraging bouts, parameters derived from only the first 10 min of a bout overestimated intake of mountain birch by 31% and underestimated intake of willow by up to 24%. Our results suggest that for herbivores with long foraging bouts, one could modify the model to allow some parameters to vary with time but, more simply, one should parameterize the model using data from entire foraging bouts.
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