1
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Klingler KB, Nichols LB, Hekkala ER, Stewart JAE, Peacock MM. Life on the edge-a changing genetic landscape within an iconic American pika metapopulation over the last half century. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15962. [PMID: 37790628 PMCID: PMC10542391 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Declines and extirpations of American pika (Ochotona princeps) populations at historically occupied sites started being documented in the literature during the early 2000s. Commensurate with global climate change, many of these losses at peripheral and lower elevation sites have been associated with changes in ambient air temperature and precipitation regimes. Here, we report on a decline in available genetic resources for an iconic American pika metapopulation, located at the southwestern edge of the species distribution in the Bodie Hills of eastern California, USA. Composed of highly fragmented habitat created by hard rock mining, the ore dumps at this site were likely colonized by pikas around the end of the 19th century from nearby natural talus outcrops. Genetic data extracted from both contemporary samples and archived natural history collections allowed us to track population and patch-level genetic diversity for Bodie pikas across three distinct sampling points during the last half- century (1948-1949, 1988-1991, 2013-2015). Reductions in within-population allelic diversity and expected heterozygosity were observed across the full time period. More extensive sampling of extant patches during the 1988-1991 and 2013-2015 periods revealed an increase in population structure and a reduction in effective population size. Furthermore, census records from the last 51 years as well as archived museum samples collected in 1947 from a nearby pika population in the Wassuk range (Nevada, USA) provide further support of the increasing isolation and genetic coalescence occurring in this region. This study highlights the importance of museum samples and long-term monitoring in contextualizing our understanding of population viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly B. Klingler
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Lyle B. Nichols
- Department of Life Sciences, Santa Monica College, Santa Monica, California, United States
| | - Evon R. Hekkala
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, New York, United States
| | - Joseph A. E. Stewart
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States
| | - Mary M. Peacock
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada, United States
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2
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Zhou R, Hua R, Tang Z, Hua L. Daily and Seasonal Activity Patterns of Plateau Pikas ( Ochotona curzoniae) on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, and Their Relationship with Weather Condition. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13101689. [PMID: 37238118 DOI: 10.3390/ani13101689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Exploring the activity patterns of small mammals is important for understanding the survival strategies of these animals, such as foraging and mating. The purpose of the present study was to determine the activity of free-living plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) in different months and seasons (cold and warm seasons), with a particular emphasis on the effects of weather condition. Based on a camera-trapping survey conducted from October 2017 to September 2018, we evaluated the activity patterns and activity levels of plateau pikas inhabiting the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. The effects of environmental factors on the activity of plateau pikas were examined using the generalized additive mixed model (GAMM). The results showed that: (1) The plateau pikas exhibited unimodal patterns of activity during the cold season (October-April). During the warm season (May-September), the activity patterns of the plateau pikas were bimodal. Their activity levels were highest in June. (2) During the cold season, their activity levels rose gradually over the course of the day to a peak near noon, and they were not significantly higher after sunrise than they were before sunset. During the warm season, their activity peaks were in the morning and afternoon, and their activity levels were substantially lower after sunrise than they were before sunset. (3) The plateau pikas were more active under conditions with lower ambient temperatures and precipitation during the cold and warm seasons. While relative air humidity was positively correlated with the activity of the plateau pikas during the warm season, wind speed was negatively correlated with the pikas' activity during the cold season. Overall, these results collectively indicate that plateau pikas occupy habitats with cool and less windy microclimates during the cold season, and with cool and moist microclimates during the warm season. Information on the time allocation of pikas' activity levels during different seasons should provide a baseline for understanding their potential for adaptation to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem of the Ministry of Education, College of Grassland Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
- Qinghai Academy of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
| | - Rui Hua
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem of the Ministry of Education, College of Grassland Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Zhuangsheng Tang
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem of the Ministry of Education, College of Grassland Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Limin Hua
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem of the Ministry of Education, College of Grassland Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
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3
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Genome-wide analysis reveals associations between climate and regional patterns of adaptive divergence and dispersal in American pikas. Heredity (Edinb) 2021; 127:443-454. [PMID: 34537819 PMCID: PMC8551249 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-021-00472-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the role of adaptation in species' responses to climate change is important for evaluating the evolutionary potential of populations and informing conservation efforts. Population genomics provides a useful approach for identifying putative signatures of selection and the underlying environmental factors or biological processes that may be involved. Here, we employed a population genomic approach within a space-for-time study design to investigate the genetic basis of local adaptation and reconstruct patterns of movement across rapidly changing environments in a thermally sensitive mammal, the American pika (Ochotona princeps). Using genotypic data at 49,074 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we analyzed patterns of genome-wide diversity, structure, and migration along three independent elevational transects located at the northern extent (Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada) and core (North Cascades National Park, Washington, USA) of the Cascades lineage. We identified 899 robust outlier SNPs within- and among-transects. Of those annotated to genes with known function, many were linked with cellular processes related to climate stress including ATP-binding, ATP citrate synthase activity, ATPase activity, hormone activity, metal ion-binding, and protein-binding. Moreover, we detected evidence for contrasting patterns of directional migration along transects across geographic regions that suggest an increased propensity for American pikas to disperse among lower elevation populations at higher latitudes where environments are generally cooler. Ultimately, our data indicate that fine-scale demographic patterns and adaptive processes may vary among populations of American pikas, providing an important context for evaluating biotic responses to climate change in this species and other alpine-adapted mammals.
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4
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Billman PD, Beever EA, McWethy DB, Thurman LL, Wilson KC. Factors influencing distributional shifts and abundance at the range core of a climate-sensitive mammal. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:4498-4515. [PMID: 34236759 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Species are frequently responding to contemporary climate change by shifting to higher elevations and poleward to track suitable climate space. However, depending on local conditions and species' sensitivity, the nature of these shifts can be highly variable and difficult to predict. Here, we examine how the American pika (Ochotona princeps), a philopatric, montane lagomorph, responds to climatic gradients at three spatial scales. Using mixed-effects modeling in an information-theoretic approach, we evaluated a priori model suites regarding predictors of site occupancy, relative abundance, and elevational-range retraction across 760 talus patches, nested within 64 watersheds across the Northern Rocky Mountains of North America, during 2017-2020. The top environmental predictors differed across these response metrics. Warmer temperatures in summer and winter were associated with lower occupancy, lower relative abundances, and greater elevational retraction across watersheds. Occupancy was also strongly influenced by habitat patch size, but only when combined with climate metrics such as actual evapotranspiration. Using a second analytical approach, acute heat stress and summer precipitation best explained retraction residuals (i.e., the relative extent of retraction given the original elevational range of occupancy). Despite the study domain occurring near the species' geographic-range center, where populations might have higher abundances and be at lower risk of climate-related stress, 33.9% of patches showed evidence of recent extirpations. Pika-extirpated sites averaged 1.44℃ warmer in summer than did occupied sites. Additionally, the minimum elevation of pika occupancy has retracted upslope in 69% of watersheds (mean: 281 m). Our results emphasize the nuance associated with evaluating species' range dynamics in response to climate gradients, variability, and temperature exceedances, especially in regions where species occupy gradients of conditions that may constitute multiple range edges. Furthermore, this study highlights the importance of evaluating diverse drivers across response metrics to improve the predictive accuracy of widely used, correlative models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Billman
- Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Erik A Beever
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, MT, USA
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - David B McWethy
- Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Lindsey L Thurman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, MT, USA
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Kenneth C Wilson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
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5
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Occurrence of favorable local habitat conditions in an atypical landscape: Evidence of Japanese pika microrefugia. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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6
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Whipple AL, Ray C, Wasser M, Kitchens JN, Hove AA, Varner J, Wilkening JL. Temporal vs. spatial variation in stress-associated metabolites within a population of climate-sensitive small mammals. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab024. [PMID: 34026212 PMCID: PMC8127223 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Temporal variation in stress might signify changes in an animal's internal or external environment, while spatial variation in stress might signify variation in the quality of the habitats that individual animals experience. Habitat-induced variations in stress might be easiest to detect in highly territorial animals, and especially in species that do not take advantage of common strategies for modulating habitat-induced stress, such as migration (escape in space) or hibernation (escape in time). Spatial and temporal variation in response to potential stressors has received little study in wild animals, especially at scales appropriate for relating stress to specific habitat characteristics. Here, we use the American pika (Ochotona princeps), a territorial small mammal, to investigate stress response within and among territories. For individually territorial animals such as pikas, differences in habitat quality should lead to differences in stress exhibited by territory owners. We indexed stress using stress-associated hormone metabolites in feces collected non-invasively from pika territories every 2 weeks from June to September 2018. We hypothesized that differences in territory quality would lead to spatial differences in mean stress and that seasonal variation in physiology or the physical environment would lead to synchronous variation across territories through time. We used linear mixed-effects models to explore spatiotemporal variation in stress using fixed effects of day-of-year and broad habitat characteristics (elevation, aspect, site), as well as local variation in habitat characteristics hypothesized to affect territory quality for this saxicolous species (talus depth, clast size, available forage types). We found that temporal variation within territories was greater than spatial variation among territories, suggesting that shared seasonal stressors are more influential than differences in individual habitat quality. This approach could be used in other wildlife studies to refine our understanding of habitat quality and its effect on individual stress levels as a driver of population decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L Whipple
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of
Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of
Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Chris Ray
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of
Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of
Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Max Wasser
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of
Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - James N Kitchens
- Department of Biology, Warren Wilson College,
Asheville, NC 28778, USA
| | - Alisa A Hove
- Department of Biology, Warren Wilson College,
Asheville, NC 28778, USA
| | - Johanna Varner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Colorado Mesa
University, Grand Junction, CO 81501, USA
| | - Jennifer L Wilkening
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Southern Nevada Fish and Wildlife
Office, Las Vegas, NV 89130, USA
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7
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Johnston AN, Christophersen RG, Beever EA, Ransom JI. Freezing in a warming climate: Marked declines of a subnivean hibernator after a snow drought. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:1264-1279. [PMID: 33598129 PMCID: PMC7863385 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent snow droughts associated with unusually warm winters are predicted to increase in frequency and affect species dependent upon snowpack for winter survival. Changes in populations of some cold-adapted species have been attributed to heat stress or indirect effects on habitat from unusually warm summers, but little is known about the importance of winter weather to population dynamics and how responses to snow drought vary among sympatric species. We evaluated changes in abundance of hoary marmots (Marmota caligata) over a period that included a year of record-low snowpack to identify mechanisms associated with weather and snowpack. To consider interspecies comparisons, our analysis used the same a priori model set as a concurrent study that evaluated responses of American pikas (Ochotona princeps) to weather and snowpack in the same study area of North Cascades National Park, Washington, USA. We hypothesized that marmot abundance reflected mechanisms related to heat stress, cold stress, cold exposure without an insulating snowpack, snowpack duration, atmospheric moisture, growing-season precipitation, or select combinations of these mechanisms. Changes in marmot abundances included a 74% decline from 2007 to 2016 and were best explained by an interaction of chronic dryness with exposure to acute cold without snowpack in winter. Physiological stress during hibernation from exposure to cold, dry air appeared to be the most likely mechanism of change in marmot abundance. Alternative mechanisms associated with changes to winter weather, including early emergence from hibernation or altered vegetation dynamics, had less support. A post hoc assessment of vegetative phenology and productivity did not support vegetation dynamics as a primary driver of marmot abundance across years. Although marmot and pika abundances were explained by strikingly similar models over periods of many years, details of the mechanisms involved likely differ between species because pika abundances increased in areas where marmots declined. Such differences may lead to diverging geographic distributions of these species as global change continues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron N. Johnston
- U. S. Geological SurveyNorthern Rocky Mountain Science CenterBozemanMTUSA
- School of Environmental and Forest SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
| | | | - Erik A. Beever
- U. S. Geological SurveyNorthern Rocky Mountain Science CenterBozemanMTUSA
- Department of EcologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMTUSA
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8
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Brice EM, Miller BA, Zhang H, Goldstein K, Zimmer SN, Grosklos GJ, Belmont P, Flint CG, Givens JE, Adler PB, Brunson MW, Smith JW. Impacts of climate change on multiple use management of Bureau of Land Management land in the Intermountain West, USA. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Elaine M. Brice
- Department of Wildland Resources Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
- Climate Adaptation Science Program Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
- Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
| | - Brett A. Miller
- Climate Adaptation Science Program Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
- Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Anthropology Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
| | - Hongchao Zhang
- Climate Adaptation Science Program Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
- Department of Environment and Society Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
- Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
| | - Kirsten Goldstein
- Climate Adaptation Science Program Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
- Department of Environment and Society Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
| | - Scott N. Zimmer
- Department of Wildland Resources Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
- Climate Adaptation Science Program Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
| | - Guenchik J. Grosklos
- Climate Adaptation Science Program Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
| | - Patrick Belmont
- Climate Adaptation Science Program Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
- Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
- Department of Watershed Sciences Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
| | - Courtney G. Flint
- Climate Adaptation Science Program Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
- Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Anthropology Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
| | - Jennifer E. Givens
- Climate Adaptation Science Program Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
- Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Anthropology Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
| | - Peter B. Adler
- Department of Wildland Resources Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
- Climate Adaptation Science Program Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
- Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
| | - Mark W. Brunson
- Climate Adaptation Science Program Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
- Department of Environment and Society Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
| | - Jordan W. Smith
- Climate Adaptation Science Program Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
- Department of Environment and Society Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
- Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Utah State University Logan Utah84322USA
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9
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Benedict LM, Wiebe M, Plichta M, Batts H, Johnson J, Monk E, Ray C. Microclimate and Summer Surface Activity in the American Pika (Ochotona princeps). WEST N AM NATURALIST 2020. [DOI: 10.3398/064.080.0303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Meghan Wiebe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado–Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Maxwell Plichta
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado–Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Heather Batts
- Department of Biology, Advanced Inquiry Program, Miami University, Oxford, OH
| | - Jessica Johnson
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Emily Monk
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado–Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Chris Ray
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado–Boulder, Boulder, CO
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10
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Abstract
Abstract
The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is commonly perceived as a species that is at high risk of extinction due to climate change. The purpose of this review is two-fold: to evaluate the claim that climate change is threatening pikas with extinction, and to summarize the conservation status of the American pika. Most American pikas inhabit major cordilleras, such as the Rocky Mountain, Sierra Nevada, and Cascade ranges. Occupancy of potential pika habitat in these ranges is uniformly high and no discernible climate signal has been found that discriminates between the many occupied and relatively few unoccupied sites that have been recently surveyed. Pikas therefore are thriving across most of their range. The story differs in more marginal parts of the species range, primarily across the Great Basin, where a higher percentage of available habitat is unoccupied. A comprehensive review of Great Basin pikas revealed that occupied sites, sites of recent extirpation, and old sites, were regularly found within the same geographic and climatic space as extant sites, and suggested that pikas in the Great Basin tolerated a broader set of habitat and climatic conditions than previously understood. Studies of a small subset of extirpated sites in the Great Basin and in California found that climate variables (most notably measures of hot temperature) were associated more often with extirpated sites than occupied sites. Importantly, upward contraction of the lower elevation boundary also was found at some sites. However, models that incorporated variables other than climate (such as availability of upslope talus habitat) often were better predictors of site persistence. Many extirpations occurred on small habitat patches, which were subject to stochastic extinction, as informed by a long-term pika metapopulation study in Bodie, California. In addition, several sites may have been compromised by cattle grazing or other anthropogenic factors. In contrast, several low, hot sites (Bodie, Mono Craters, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Lava Beds National Monument, Columbia River Gorge) retain active pika populations, demonstrating the adaptive capacity and resilience of pikas in response to adverse environmental conditions. Pikas cope with warm temperatures by retreating into cool interstices of their talus habitat and augment their restricted daytime foraging with nocturnal activity. Pikas exhibit significant flexibility in their foraging tactics and are highly selective in their choice of available vegetation. The trait that places pikas at greatest risk from climate change is their poor dispersal capability. Dispersal is more restricted in hotter environments, and isolated low-elevation sites that become extirpated are unlikely to be recolonized in a warming climate. The narrative that American pikas are going extinct appears to be an overreach. Pikas are doing well across most of their range, but there are limited, low-elevation losses that are likely to be permanent in what is currently marginal pika habitat. The resilience of pikas in the face of climate change, and their ability or inability to persist in marginal, hot environments, will continue to contribute to our understanding of the impact of climate change on individual species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T Smith
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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11
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Westover M, Lizewski K, Klingler K, Smith F. Isotopic niche of the American pika (Ochotona princeps) through space and time. CAN J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Anthropogenic climate change is influencing the ecology and distribution of animals. The American pika (Ochotona princeps (Richardson, 1828)) is considered a model species for studying the effects of climate on small alpine mammals and has experienced local extirpation across its range. Using stable isotope analysis of two seasonal molts and bone collagen, we characterize the isotopic carbon and nitrogen niche of pika populations across their range and through time. We find pika isotopic diet to be stable across both time and space compared with other animals and considering the geographic and environmental extent of their range. We find that climatic, not geographic, factors explain part of the isotopic variation across their range. Both δ13C and δ15N from the fall-onset molt decrease with relative humidity of the environment and δ15N values from bone collagen increase with temperature and precipitation. We find a small but significant seasonal difference in δ13C, which could be explained by microbial enrichment of cached haypiles. We establish a baseline of pika isotopic diet and patterns related to climate across their range. We conclude that differences in isotopic signature between pika populations likely reflect the physiology of their forage plants in different environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- M.L. Westover
- University of New Mexico, Department of Biology, MSC03-2020, 219 Yale Boulevard Northeast, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - K.A. Lizewski
- University of New Mexico, Department of Biology, MSC03-2020, 219 Yale Boulevard Northeast, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - K.B. Klingler
- University of Nevada, Reno, Department of Biology, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - F.A. Smith
- University of New Mexico, Department of Biology, MSC03-2020, 219 Yale Boulevard Northeast, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
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12
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Westover ML, Smith FA. Investigating the role of environment in pika (Ochotona) body size patterns across taxonomic levels, space, and time. J Mammal 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa041] [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
Abstract
Body size is an important trait in animals because it influences a multitude of additional life history traits. The causal mechanisms underlying body size patterns across spatial, temporal, and taxonomic hierarchies are debated, and of renewed interest in this era of climate change. Here, we tested multiple hypotheses regarding body mass patterns at the intraspecific and interspecific levels. We investigated body size patterns within a climate-sensitive small mammal species, Ochotona princeps (n = 2,873 individuals), across their range with local environmental variables. We also examined body mass of populations over time to determine if body size has evolved in situ in response to environmental change. At the interspecific level we compared the mean mass of 26 pika species (genus Ochotona) to determine if environmental temperatures, food availability, habitat variability, or range area influence body size. We found correlations between temperature, vegetation, and particularly precipitation variables, with body mass within O. princeps, but no linear relationship between body size and any climate or habitat variable for Ochotona species. Body size trends in relation to climate were stronger at the intraspecific than the interspecific level. Our results suggest that body size within O. princeps likely is related to food availability, and that body size evolution is not always a viable response to temperature change. Different mechanisms may be driving body size at the interspecific and intraspecific levels and factors other than environment, such as biotic interactions, may also be influential in determining body size over space and time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie L Westover
- Department of Biology, MSC03 2020, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Felisa A Smith
- Department of Biology, MSC03 2020, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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13
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Camp MJ, Shipley LA, Varner J, Waterhouse BD. Activity Patterns and Foraging Behavior of American Pikas (Ochotona princeps) Differ between Craters of the Moon and Alpine Talus in Idaho. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2020. [DOI: 10.3398/064.080.0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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14
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Wilkening JL, Cole EJ, Beever EA. Evaluating mechanisms of plant‐mediated effects on herbivore persistence and occupancy across an ecoregion. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Wilkening
- Southern Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive Las Vegas Nevada 89130 USA
| | - Evan J. Cole
- Department of Environmental Science University of San Francisco 1843A Powell Street San Francisco California 94133 USA
| | - Erik A. Beever
- Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center U.S. Geological Survey 2327 University Avenue, Suite 2 Bozeman Montana 59715 USA
- Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana 59717 USA
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15
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Holsinger L, Parks SA, Parisien M, Miller C, Batllori E, Moritz MA. Climate change likely to reshape vegetation in North America's largest protected areas. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.50] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Holsinger
- Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, Rocky Mountain Research StationUSDA Forest Service Missoula Montana
| | - Sean A. Parks
- Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, Rocky Mountain Research StationUSDA Forest Service Missoula Montana
| | - Marc‐André Parisien
- Northern Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest ServiceNatural Resources Canada Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | - Carol Miller
- Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, Rocky Mountain Research StationUSDA Forest Service Missoula Montana
| | | | - Max A. Moritz
- University of California Cooperative Extension and Bren School of Environmental Science and ManagementUniversity of California at Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California
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16
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Johnston AN, Bruggeman JE, Beers AT, Beever EA, Christophersen RG, Ransom JI. Ecological consequences of anomalies in atmospheric moisture and snowpack. Ecology 2019; 100:e02638. [PMID: 30710338 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Although increased frequency of extreme-weather events is one of the most secure predictions associated with contemporary climate change, effects of such events on distribution and abundance of climate-sensitive species remain poorly understood. Montane ecosystems may be especially sensitive to extreme weather because of complex abiotic and biotic interactions that propagate from climate-driven reductions in snowpack. Snowpack not only protects subnivean biotas from extreme cold, but also influences forage availability through timing of melt-off and water availability. We related relative abundances of an alpine mammal, the American pika (Ochotona princeps), to measures of weather and snowpack dynamics over an 8-yr period that included before and after a year of record-low snowpack in Washington, USA. We sought to (1) quantify any change in pika abundance associated with the snowpack anomaly and (2) identify aspects of weather and snowpack that influenced abundance of pikas. Pikas showed a 1-yr lag response to the snowpack anomaly and exhibited marked declines in abundance at elevations below 1,400 m simultaneous with increased abundances at higher elevations. Atmospheric moisture, indexed by vapor pressure deficit (VPD), was especially important, evidenced by strong support for the top-ranked model that included the interaction of VPD with snowpack duration. Notably, our novel application of VPD from gridded climate data for analyses of animal abundances shows strong potential for improving species distribution models because VPD represents an important aspect of weather that influences the physiology and habitat of biota. Pikas were apparently affected by cold stress without snowpack at mid elevations, whereas changes to forage associated with snowpack and VPD were influential at high and low elevations. Our results reveal context dependency in pika responses to weather and illustrate how snow drought can lead to rapid change in the abundance of subnivean animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron N Johnston
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, 2327 University Way, Suite 2, Bozeman, Montana, 59715, USA.,School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA
| | - Jason E Bruggeman
- Beartooth Wildlife Research, 4157 West 145th Street, Savage, Minnesota, 55378, USA.,Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, 200 Hodson Hall, 1980 Folwell Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55108, USA
| | - Aidan T Beers
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, 1900 Pleasant Street, UCB 334, Boulder, Colorado, 80302, USA.,Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, UCB 450, Boulder, Colorado, 80309, USA.,Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, 5230 Old Main Hill, NR 206, Logan, Utah, 84322, USA
| | - Erik A Beever
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, 2327 University Way, Suite 2, Bozeman, Montana, 59715, USA.,Department of Ecology, Montana State University, P.O. Box 173460, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
| | - Roger G Christophersen
- National Park Service, North Cascades National Park Service Complex, 810 State Route 20, Sedro Woolley, Washington, 98284, USA
| | - Jason I Ransom
- National Park Service, North Cascades National Park Service Complex, 810 State Route 20, Sedro Woolley, Washington, 98284, USA
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17
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18
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Rodhouse TJ, Jeffress MR, Sherrill KR, Mohren SR, Nordensten NJ, Magnuson ML, Schwalm D, Castillo JA, Shinderman M, Epps CW. Geographical variation in the influence of habitat and climate on site occupancy turnover in American pika (
Ochotona princeps
). DIVERS DISTRIB 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J. Rodhouse
- National Park Service Upper Columbia Basin Network Oregon State University‐Cascades Bend Oregon
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Donelle Schwalm
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon
| | - Jessica A. Castillo
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon
| | - Matthew Shinderman
- Human and Ecosystem Resilience and Sustainability Lab Oregon State University‐Cascades Bend Oregon
| | - Clinton W. Epps
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon
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19
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Waterhouse MD, Erb LP, Beever EA, Russello MA. Adaptive population divergence and directional gene flow across steep elevational gradients in a climate-sensitive mammal. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:2512-2528. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D. Waterhouse
- Department of Biology; University of British Columbia; Kelowna British Columbia Canada
| | - Liesl P. Erb
- Departments of Biology and Environmental Studies; Warren Wilson College; Asheville North Carolina
| | - Erik A. Beever
- U.S. Geological Survey; Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center; Bozeman Montana
- Department of Ecology; Montana State University; Bozeman Montana
| | - Michael A. Russello
- Department of Biology; University of British Columbia; Kelowna British Columbia Canada
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20
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Kohl KD, Varner J, Wilkening JL, Dearing MD. Gut microbial communities of American pikas (
O
chotona princeps
): Evidence for phylosymbiosis and adaptations to novel diets. J Anim Ecol 2017; 87:323-330. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin D. Kohl
- Department of Biological Sciences Vanderbilt University Nashville TN USA
- Department of Biology University of Utah Salt Lake City UT USA
| | - Johanna Varner
- Department of Biology Colorado Mesa University Grand Junction CO USA
| | - Jennifer L. Wilkening
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
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