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DePasquale A, Hogan JD, Guadamuz Araya C, Dominy NJ, Melin AD. Aeroscapes and the Sensory Ecology of Olfaction in a Tropical Dry Forest. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.849281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aeroscapes—dynamic patterns of air speed and direction—form a critical component of landscape ecology by shaping numerous animal behaviors, including movement, foraging, and social and/or reproductive interactions. Aeroecology is particularly critical for sensory ecology: air is the medium through which many sensory signals and cues propagate, inherently linking sensory perception to variables such as air speed and turbulence. Yet, aeroscapes are seldom explicitly considered in studies of sensory ecology and evolution. A key first step towards this goal is to describe the aeroscapes of habitats. Here, we quantify the variation in air movement in two successional stages (early and late) of a tropical dry forest in Costa Rica. We recorded air speeds every 10 seconds at five different heights simultaneously. Average air speeds and turbulence increased with height above the ground, generally peaked midday, and were higher overall at the early successional forest site. These patterns of lower air speed and turbulence at ground level and overnight have important implications for olfactory foraging niches, as chemotaxis is most reliable when air movement is low and steady. We discuss our results in the context of possible selective pressures and observed variation in the foraging ecology, behaviors, and associated morphologies of resident vertebrates, with a focus on mammals. However, these data also have relevance to researchers studying socioecology, invertebrate biology, plant evolution, community ecology and more. Further investigation into how animals use different forest types, canopy heights and partition activities across different times of day will further inform our understanding of how landscape and sensory ecology are interrelated. Finally, we emphasize the timeliness of monitoring aeroecology as global wind patterns shift with climate change and human disturbance alters forest structure, which may have important downstream consequences for biological conservation.
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2
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Miler K, Scharf I. Wind impairs pit trap construction and hunting success in a pit‐building predator. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K. Miler
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals Polish Academy of Sciences Kraków Poland
- School of Zoology The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv Israel
| | - I. Scharf
- School of Zoology The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv Israel
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3
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Wood MJ, Canonne C, Besnard A, Lachish S, Fairhurst SM, Liedvogel M, Boyle D, Patrick SC, Josey S, Kirk H, Dean B, Guilford T, McCleery RM, Perrins CM, Horswill C. Demographic profiles and environmental drivers of variation relate to individual breeding state in a long-lived trans-oceanic migratory seabird, the Manx shearwater. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260812. [PMID: 34914747 PMCID: PMC8675709 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the points in a species breeding cycle when they are most vulnerable to environmental fluctuations is key to understanding interannual demography and guiding effective conservation and management. Seabirds represent one of the most threatened groups of birds in the world, and climate change and severe weather is a prominent and increasing threat to this group. We used a multi-state capture-recapture model to examine how the demographic rates of a long-lived trans-oceanic migrant seabird, the Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus, are influenced by environmental conditions experienced at different stages of the annual breeding cycle and whether these relationships vary with an individual's breeding state in the previous year (i.e., successful breeder, failed breeder and non-breeder). Our results imply that populations of Manx shearwaters are comprised of individuals with different demographic profiles, whereby more successful reproduction is associated with higher rates of survival and breeding propensity. However, we found that all birds experienced the same negative relationship between rates of survival and wind force during the breeding season, indicating a cost of reproduction (or central place constraint for non-breeders) during years with severe weather conditions. We also found that environmental effects differentially influence the breeding propensity of individuals in different breeding states. This suggests individual spatio-temporal variation in habitat use during the annual cycle, such that climate change could alter the frequency that individuals with different demographic profiles breed thereby driving a complex and less predictable population response. More broadly, our study highlights the importance of considering individual-level factors when examining population demography and predicting how species may respond to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt J. Wood
- School of Natural & Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Coline Canonne
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Aurélien Besnard
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Shelly Lachish
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Stace M. Fairhurst
- School of Natural & Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, United Kingdom
| | - Miriam Liedvogel
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Dave Boyle
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Samantha C. Patrick
- School of Natural & Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Josey
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Holly Kirk
- Oxford Navigation Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ben Dean
- Oxford Navigation Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Tim Guilford
- Oxford Navigation Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Robin M. McCleery
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Chris M. Perrins
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Cat Horswill
- ZSL Institute of Zoology, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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4
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Barreau E, Kato A, Chiaradia A, Ropert-Coudert Y. The consequences of chaos: Foraging activity of a marine predator remains impacted several days after the end of a storm. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254269. [PMID: 34242336 PMCID: PMC8270419 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
As extreme weather is expected to become more frequent with global climate change, it is crucial to evaluate the capacity of species to respond to short-term and unpredictable events. Here, we examined the effect of a strong storm event during the chick-rearing stage of little penguins (Eudyptula minor) from a mega colony in southern Australia. We investigated how a 3-day storm affected the foraging behaviour of little penguins by comparing their foraging activities and body mass change before, during and after the storm event. As strong winds deepened the mixed layer in the birds’ foraging zone during the storm, penguins increased their foraging trip duration, had a lower prey encounter rate and a lower body mass gain. The adverse effects on the foraging efficiency of little penguins continued several days after the storm ceased; even though the water column stratification had returned as before the storm, suggesting a prolonged effect of the storm event on the prey availability. Thus, short-term stochastic events can have an extended impact on the foraging efficiency of penguins. When occurring at a crucial stage of breeding, this may affect breeding success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Barreau
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS—La Rochelle Université, Villiers en Bois, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Akiko Kato
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS—La Rochelle Université, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Andre Chiaradia
- Conservation Department, Phillip Island Nature Parks, Cowes, VIC, Australia
| | - Yan Ropert-Coudert
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS—La Rochelle Université, Villiers en Bois, France
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5
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Orgeret F, Reisinger RR, Carpenter-Kling T, Keys DZ, Corbeau A, Bost CA, Weimerskirch H, Pistorius PA. Spatial segregation in a sexually dimorphic central place forager: Competitive exclusion or niche divergence? J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2404-2420. [PMID: 34091891 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Sexual competition is increasingly recognized as an important selective pressure driving species distributions. However, few studies have investigated the relative importance of interpopulation versus intrapopulation competition in relation to habitat availability and selection. To explain spatial segregation between sexes that often occurs in non-territorial and central place foragers, such as seabirds, two hypotheses are commonly used. The 'competitive exclusion' hypothesis states that dominant individuals should exclude subordinate individuals through direct competition, whereas the 'niche divergence' hypothesis states that segregation occurs due to past competition and habitat specialization. We tested these hypotheses in two populations of an extreme wide-ranging and sexually dimorphic seabird, investigating the relative role of intrapopulation and interpopulation competition in influencing sex-specific distribution and habitat preferences. Using GPS loggers, we tracked 192 wandering albatrosses Diomedea exulans during four consecutive years (2016-2019), from two neighbouring populations in the Southern Ocean (Prince Edward and Crozet archipelagos). We simulated pseudo-tracks to create a null spatial distribution and used Kernel Density Estimates (KDE) and Resource Selection Functions (RSF) to distinguish the relative importance of within- versus between-population competition. Kernel Density Estimates showed that only intrapopulation sexual segregation was significant for each monitoring year, and that tracks between the two colonies resulted in greater overlap than expected from the null distribution, especially for the females. RSF confirmed these results and highlighted key at-sea foraging areas, even if the estimated of at-sea densities were extremely low. These differences in selected areas between sites and sexes were, however, associated with high interannual variability in habitat preferences, with no clear specific preferences per site and sex. Our results suggest that even with low at-sea population densities, historic intrapopulation competition in wide-ranging seabirds may have led to sexual dimorphism and niche specialization, favouring the 'niche divergence' hypothesis. In this study, we provide a protocol to study competition within as well as between populations of central place foragers. This is relevant for understanding their distribution patterns and population regulation, which could potentially improve management of threatened populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Orgeret
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Department of Zoology, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Ryan R Reisinger
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Tegan Carpenter-Kling
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Department of Zoology, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.,DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick, Institute of African Ornithology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Danielle Z Keys
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Department of Zoology, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Alexandre Corbeau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 du CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Charles-André Bost
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 du CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 du CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Pierre A Pistorius
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Department of Zoology, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.,DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick, Institute of African Ornithology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
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6
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Acker P, Burthe SJ, Newell MA, Grist H, Gunn C, Harris MP, Payo-Payo A, Swann R, Wanless S, Daunt F, Reid JM. Episodes of opposing survival and reproductive selection cause strong fluctuating selection on seasonal migration versus residence. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210404. [PMID: 34004132 PMCID: PMC8131125 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantifying temporal variation in sex-specific selection on key ecologically relevant traits, and quantifying how such variation arises through synergistic or opposing components of survival and reproductive selection, is central to understanding eco-evolutionary dynamics, but rarely achieved. Seasonal migration versus residence is one key trait that directly shapes spatio-seasonal population dynamics in spatially and temporally varying environments, but temporal dynamics of sex-specific selection have not been fully quantified. We fitted multi-event capture-recapture models to year-round ring resightings and breeding success data from partially migratory European shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) to quantify temporal variation in annual sex-specific selection on seasonal migration versus residence arising through adult survival, reproduction and the combination of both (i.e. annual fitness). We demonstrate episodes of strong and strongly fluctuating selection through annual fitness that were broadly synchronized across females and males. These overall fluctuations arose because strong reproductive selection against migration in several years contrasted with strong survival selection against residence in years with extreme climatic events. These results indicate how substantial phenotypic and genetic variation in migration versus residence could be maintained, and highlight that biologically important fluctuations in selection may not be detected unless both survival selection and reproductive selection are appropriately quantified and combined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Acker
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Institutt for Biologi, NTNU, Norway
| | - Sarah J. Burthe
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, UK
| | - Mark A. Newell
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, UK
| | - Hannah Grist
- SAMS Research Services Ltd, European Marine Science Park, Oban, UK
| | - Carrie Gunn
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, UK
| | | | - Ana Payo-Payo
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK
| | | | - Sarah Wanless
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, UK
| | - Francis Daunt
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, UK
| | - Jane M. Reid
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Institutt for Biologi, NTNU, Norway
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7
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Acker P, Daunt F, Wanless S, Burthe SJ, Newell MA, Harris MP, Grist H, Sturgeon J, Swann RL, Gunn C, Payo‐Payo A, Reid JM. Strong survival selection on seasonal migration versus residence induced by extreme climatic events. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:796-808. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Acker
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Institutt for Biologi NTNU Trondheim Norway
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Hannah Grist
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
- Scottish Association for Marine Science Scottish Marine Institute Oban UK
| | - Jenny Sturgeon
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
| | | | - Carrie Gunn
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Midlothian UK
| | - Ana Payo‐Payo
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
| | - Jane M. Reid
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Institutt for Biologi NTNU Trondheim Norway
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8
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Favilla AB, Costa DP. Thermoregulatory Strategies of Diving Air-Breathing Marine Vertebrates: A Review. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.555509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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9
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De Pascalis F, Imperio S, Benvenuti A, Catoni C, Rubolini D, Cecere JG. Sex-specific foraging behaviour is affected by wind conditions in a sexually size dimorphic seabird. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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10
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Clay TA, Joo R, Weimerskirch H, Phillips RA, den Ouden O, Basille M, Clusella-Trullas S, Assink JD, Patrick SC. Sex-specific effects of wind on the flight decisions of a sexually dimorphic soaring bird. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1811-1823. [PMID: 32557603 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In a highly dynamic airspace, flying animals are predicted to adjust foraging behaviour to variable wind conditions to minimize movement costs. Sexual size dimorphism is widespread in wild animal populations, and for large soaring birds which rely on favourable winds for energy-efficient flight, differences in morphology, wing loading and associated flight capabilities may lead males and females to respond differently to wind. However, the interaction between wind and sex has not been comprehensively tested. We investigated, in a large sexually dimorphic seabird which predominantly uses dynamic soaring flight, whether flight decisions are modulated to variation in winds over extended foraging trips, and whether males and females differ. Using GPS loggers we tracked 385 incubation foraging trips of wandering albatrosses Diomedea exulans, for which males are c. 20% larger than females, from two major populations (Crozet and South Georgia). Hidden Markov models were used to characterize behavioural states-directed flight, area-restricted search (ARS) and resting-and model the probability of transitioning between states in response to wind speed and relative direction, and sex. Wind speed and relative direction were important predictors of state transitioning. Birds were much more likely to take off (i.e. switch from rest to flight) in stronger headwinds, and as wind speeds increased, to be in directed flight rather than ARS. Males from Crozet but not South Georgia experienced stronger winds than females, and males from both populations were more likely to take-off in windier conditions. Albatrosses appear to deploy an energy-saving strategy by modulating taking-off, their most energetically expensive behaviour, to favourable wind conditions. The behaviour of males, which have higher wing loading requiring faster speeds for gliding flight, was influenced to a greater degree by wind than females. As such, our results indicate that variation in flight performance drives sex differences in time-activity budgets and may lead the sexes to exploit regions with different wind regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Clay
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Rocío Joo
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, USA
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d'Étude Biologique de Chizé, CNRS UMR 7273, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Richard A Phillips
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK
| | - Olivier den Ouden
- R&D Seismology and Acoustics, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, De Bilt, The Netherlands.,Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Department of Geoscience and Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Mathieu Basille
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, USA
| | - Susana Clusella-Trullas
- Department of Botany and Zoology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Jelle D Assink
- R&D Seismology and Acoustics, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, De Bilt, The Netherlands
| | - Samantha C Patrick
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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11
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Rodríguez-Malagón MA, Camprasse ECM, Angel LP, Arnould JPY. Geographical, temporal and individual factors influencing foraging behaviour and consistency in Australasian gannets. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:181423. [PMID: 32537184 PMCID: PMC7277272 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Foraging is a behaviour that can be influenced by multiple factors and is highly plastic. Recent studies have shown consistency in individual foraging behaviour has serious ecological and evolutionary implications within species and populations. Such information is crucial to understand how species select habitats, and how such selection might allow them to adapt to the environmental changes they face. Five foraging metrics (maximum distance from the colony, bearing from the colony to the most distal point, tortuosity index, total number of dives and mean vectorial dynamic body acceleration were obtained using GPS tracking and accelerometry data in adult Australasian gannets (Morus serrator) from two colonies in southeastern Australia. Individuals were instrumented over two breeding seasons to obtain data to assess factors influencing foraging behaviour and behavioural consistency over multiple timescales (consecutive trips, breeding stages and years) and habitats (pelagic, mixed pelagic and inshore, and inshore). Colony, breeding stage and year were the factors which had the greatest influence on foraging behaviour, followed by sex. Behavioural consistency, measured as the contribution of the individual to the observed variance, was low to moderate for all foraging metrics (0.0-27.05%), with the higher values occurring over shorter timescales. In addition, behavioural consistency was driven by spatio-temporal factors rather than intrinsic characteristics. Behavioural consistency was higher in individuals foraging in inshore than pelagic habitats or mixed pelagic/inshore strategy, supporting suggestions that consistency is favoured in stable environments.
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12
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Hicks O, Green JA, Daunt F, Cunningham EJA, Newell M, Butler A, Burthe SJ. Sublethal effects of natural parasitism act through maternal, but not paternal, reproductive success in a wild population. Ecology 2019; 100:e02772. [PMID: 31165474 PMCID: PMC6851849 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Parasites are a major component of all animal populations. Males and females often differ in their levels of parasite prevalence, potentially leading to sex differences in the impact of parasitism on fitness, with important implications for the evolution of parasite and host traits including resistance, tolerance, and virulence. However, quantitative measures of the impact of parasitism under free‐living conditions are extremely rare, as they require detailed host demographic data with measures of parasite burden over time. Here, we use endoscopy for direct quantification of natural‐parasite burdens and relate these to reproductive success over 7 yr in a wild population of seabirds. Contrary to predictions, only female burdens were associated with negative impacts of parasitism on breeding success, despite males having significantly higher burdens. Female reproductive success declined by 30% across the range of natural parasite burdens. These effects persisted when accounting for interannual population differences in breeding success. Our results provide quantitative estimates of profound sub‐lethal effects of parasitism on the population. Importantly, they highlight how parasites act unpredictably to shape ecological and evolutionary processes in different components of the same population, with implications for demography and selection on host and parasite traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Hicks
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Nicholson Building, Liverpool, L69 3BX, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan A Green
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Nicholson Building, Liverpool, L69 3BX, United Kingdom
| | - Francis Daunt
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
| | - Emma J A Cunningham
- School of Biology, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Ashworth Laboratories King's Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Newell
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Butler
- Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland, James Clerk Maxwell Building, The King's Buildings, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FD, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah J Burthe
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
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13
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Shepard E, Cole EL, Neate A, Lempidakis E, Ross A. Wind prevents cliff-breeding birds from accessing nests through loss of flight control. eLife 2019; 8:43842. [PMID: 31188128 PMCID: PMC6561702 DOI: 10.7554/elife.43842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
For fast-flying birds, the ability to respond to wind during landing is critical, as errors can lead to injury or even death. Nonetheless, landing ability, and its ecological significance, remain unstudied. We show that for auks, 60% of attempts to land at their cliff nests fail in a strong breeze (80% in near-gale winds). This is most likely because wind interferes with the ability to maintain flight control in the last phase of landing. Their extreme flight costs mean that the energetic penalty for multiple landing attempts is high. We propose that exposure, and ability to respond to, such conditions will influence the suitability of breeding habitat. In support of this (i) auk colonies appear to be orientated away from prevailing winds and (ii) landing success within colonies is higher on crowded ledges with more airspace for manoeuvring. More generally, the interplay between wind and flight capacities could impact breeding distributions across species and scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Shepard
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom.,Max Planck Institute for Animal Behaviour, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Emma-Louise Cole
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Neate
- Department of Mathematics, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | | | - Andrew Ross
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
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14
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Gianuca D, Votier SC, Pardo D, Wood AG, Sherley RB, Ireland L, Choquet R, Pradel R, Townley S, Forcada J, Tuck GN, Phillips RA. Sex-specific effects of fisheries and climate on the demography of sexually dimorphic seabirds. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:1366-1378. [PMID: 31187479 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Many animal taxa exhibit sex-specific variation in ecological traits, such as foraging and distribution. These differences could result in sex-specific responses to change, but such demographic effects are poorly understood. Here, we test for sex-specific differences in the demography of northern (NGP, Macronectes halli) and southern (SGP, M. giganteus) giant petrels - strongly sexually size-dimorphic birds that breed sympatrically at South Georgia, South Atlantic Ocean. Both species feed at sea or on carrion on land, but larger males (30% heavier) are more reliant on terrestrial foraging than the more pelagic females. Using multi-event mark-recapture models, we examine the impacts of long-term changes in environmental conditions and commercial fishing on annual adult survival and use two-sex matrix population models to forecast future trends. As expected, survival of male NGP was positively affected by carrion availability, but negatively affected by zonal winds. Female survival was positively affected by meridional winds and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and negatively affected by sea ice concentration and pelagic longline effort. Survival of SGPs did not differ between sexes; however, survival of males only was positively correlated with the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). Two-sex population projections indicate that future environmental conditions are likely to benefit giant petrels. However, any potential increase in pelagic longline fisheries could reduce female survival and population growth. Our study reveals that sex-specific ecological differences can lead to divergent responses to environmental drivers (i.e. climate and fisheries). Moreover, because such effects may not be apparent when all individuals are considered together, ignoring sex differences could underestimate the relative influence of a changing environment on demography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimas Gianuca
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK.,British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK
| | - Stephen C Votier
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Deborah Pardo
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK
| | - Andrew G Wood
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK
| | - Richard B Sherley
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Louise Ireland
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK
| | - Remi Choquet
- CEFE, CNRS - Université Montpellier, Université P. Valéry - EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Roger Pradel
- CEFE, CNRS - Université Montpellier, Université P. Valéry - EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Stuart Townley
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Jaume Forcada
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Richard A Phillips
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK
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15
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Hicks O, Burthe SJ, Daunt F, Newell M, Butler A, Ito M, Sato K, Green JA. The energetic cost of parasitism in a wild population. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 285:rspb.2018.0489. [PMID: 29848646 PMCID: PMC5998108 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites have profound fitness effects on their hosts, yet these are often sub-lethal, making them difficult to understand and quantify. A principal sub-lethal mechanism that reduces fitness is parasite-induced increase in energetic costs of specific behaviours, potentially resulting in changes to time and energy budgets. However, quantifying the influence of parasites on these costs has not been undertaken in free-living animals. We used accelerometers to estimate energy expenditure on flying, diving and resting, in relation to a natural gradient of endo-parasite loads in a wild population of European shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis. We found that flight costs were 10% higher in adult females with higher parasite loads and these individuals spent 44% less time flying than females with lower parasite loads. There was no evidence for an effect of parasite load on daily energy expenditure, suggesting the existence of an energy ceiling, with the increase in cost of flight compensated for by a reduction in flight duration. These behaviour specific costs of parasitism will have knock-on effects on reproductive success, if constraints on foraging behaviour detrimentally affect provisioning of young. The findings emphasize the importance of natural parasite loads in shaping the ecology and life-history of their hosts, which can have significant population level consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Hicks
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK
| | - Sarah J Burthe
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, UK
| | - Francis Daunt
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, UK
| | - Mark Newell
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, UK
| | - Adam Butler
- Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland, James Clerk Maxwell Building, The King's Buildings, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, UK
| | - Motohiro Ito
- Department of Applied Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tokyo University, 1-1-1 Izumino, Itakura-machi, Ora-gun, Gunma 374-0193, Japan
| | - Katsufumi Sato
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture, 277-8564, Japan
| | - Jonathan A Green
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK
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16
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Hicks O, Burthe SJ, Daunt F, Newell M, Chastel O, Parenteau C, Green JA. The role of parasitism in the energy management of a free-ranging bird. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.190066. [PMID: 30397174 PMCID: PMC6307876 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.190066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Parasites often prompt sub-lethal costs to their hosts by eliciting immune responses. These costs can be hard to quantify but are crucial to our understanding of the host's ecology. Energy is a fundamental currency to quantify these costs, as energetic trade-offs often exist between key fitness-related processes. Daily energy expenditure (DEE) comprises of resting metabolic rate (RMR) and energy available for activity, which are linked via the energy management strategy of an organism. Parasitism may play a role in the balance between self-maintenance and activity, as immune costs can be expressed in elevated RMR. Therefore, understanding energy use in the presence of parasitism enables mechanistic elucidation of potential parasite costs. Using a gradient of natural parasite load and proxies for RMR and DEE in a wild population of breeding European shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), we tested the effect of parasitism on maintenance costs as well as the relationship between proxies for RMR and DEE. We found a positive relationship between parasite load and our RMR proxy in females but not males, and no relationship between proxies for RMR and DEE. This provides evidence for increased maintenance costs in individuals with higher parasite loads and suggests the use of an allocation energy management strategy, whereby an increase to RMR creates restrictions on energy allocation to other activities. This is likely to have fitness consequences as energy allocated to immunity is traded off against reproduction. Our findings demonstrate that understanding energy management strategies alongside fitness drivers is central to understanding the mechanisms by which these drivers influence individual fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Hicks
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK
| | - Sarah J Burthe
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, UK
| | - Francis Daunt
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, UK
| | - Mark Newell
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, UK
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 - CNRS & Université de La Rochelle, FR-79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Charline Parenteau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 - CNRS & Université de La Rochelle, FR-79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Jonathan A Green
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK
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17
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Thalinger B, Oehm J, Zeisler C, Vorhauser J, Traugott M. Sex-specific prey partitioning in breeding piscivorous birds examined via a novel, noninvasive approach. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:8985-8998. [PMID: 30271560 PMCID: PMC6157673 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Piscivorous birds frequently display sex-specific differences in their hunting and feeding behavior, which lead to diverging impacts on prey populations. Cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae), for example, were previously studied to examine dietary differences between the sexes and males were found to consume larger fish in coastal areas during autumn and winter. However, information on prey partitioning during breeding and generally on sex-specific foraging in inland waters is missing. Here, we assess sex-specific prey choice of Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) during two subsequent breeding seasons in the Central European Alpine foreland, an area characterized by numerous stagnant and flowing waters in close proximity to each other. We developed a unique, noninvasive approach and applied it to regurgitated pellets: molecular cormorant sexing combined with molecular fish identification and fish-length regression analysis performed on prey hard parts. Altogether, 364 pellets delivered information on both, bird sex, and consumed prey. The sexes differed significantly in their overall prey composition, even though Perca fluviatilis, Rutilus rutilus, and Coregonus spp. represented the main food source for both. Albeit prey composition did not indicate the use of different water bodies by the sexes, male diet was characterized by higher prey diversity within a pellet and the consumption of larger fish. The current findings show that female and male cormorants to some extent target the available prey spectrum at different levels. Finally, the comprehensive and noninvasive approach has great potential for application in studies of other piscivorous bird species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Johannes Oehm
- Institute of EcologyUniversity of InnsbruckInnsbruckAustria
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18
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Oro D, Álvarez D, Velando A. Complex demographic heterogeneity from anthropogenic impacts in a coastal marine predator. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 28:612-621. [PMID: 29297945 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Environmental drivers, including anthropogenic impacts, affect vital rates of organisms. Nevertheless, the influence of these drivers may depend on the physical features of the habitat and how they affect life history strategies depending on individual covariates such as age and sex. Here, the long-term monitoring (1994-2014) of marked European Shags in eight colonies in two regions with different ecological features, such as foraging habitat, allowed us to test several biological hypotheses about how survival changes by age and sex in each region by means of multi-event capture-recapture modeling. Impacts included fishing practices and bycatch, invasive introduced carnivores and the severe Prestige oil spill. Adult survival was constant but, unexpectedly, it was different between sexes. This difference was opposite in each region. The impact of the oil spill on survival was important only for adults (especially for females) in one region and lasted a single year. Juvenile survival was time dependent but this variability was not synchronized between regions, suggesting a strong signal of regional environmental variability. Mortality due to bycatch was also different between sex, age and region. Interestingly the results showed that the size of the fishing fleet is not necessarily a good proxy for assessing the impact of bycatch mortality, which may be more dependent on the fishing grounds and the fishing gears employed in each season of the year. Anthropogenic impacts affected survival differently by age and sex, which was expected for a long-lived organism with sexual size dimorphism. Strikingly, these differences varied depending on the region, indicating that habitat heterogeneity is demographically important to how environmental variability (including anthropogenic impacts) and resilience influence population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Oro
- Population Ecology Group, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
- Theoretical Ecology Lab, CEAB (CSIC), Blanes, Spain
| | | | - Alberto Velando
- Departamento de Ecología y Biología Animal, Universidad de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
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19
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Social behaviour as a predominant driver of sexual, age-dependent and reproductive segregation in Mediterranean mouflon. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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20
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Christensen-Dalsgaard S, May R, Lorentsen SH. Taking a trip to the shelf: Behavioral decisions are mediated by the proximity to foraging habitats in the black-legged kittiwake. Ecol Evol 2017; 8:866-878. [PMID: 29375761 PMCID: PMC5773323 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Revised: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
For marine top predators like seabirds, the oceans represent a multitude of habitats regarding oceanographic conditions and food availability. Worldwide, these marine habitats are being altered by changes in climate and increased anthropogenic impact. This is causing a growing concern on how seabird populations might adapt to these changes. Understanding how seabird populations respond to fluctuating environmental conditions and to what extent behavioral flexibility can buffer variations in food availability can help predict how seabirds may cope with changes in the marine environment. Such knowledge is important to implement proper long‐term conservation measures intended to protect marine predators. We explored behavioral flexibility in choice of foraging habitat of chick‐rearing black‐legged kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla during multiple years. By comparing foraging behavior of individuals from two colonies with large differences in oceanographic conditions and distances to predictable feeding areas at the Norwegian shelf break, we investigated how foraging decisions are related to intrinsic and extrinsic factors. We found that proximity to the shelf break determined which factors drove the decision to forage there. At the colony near the shelf break, time of departure from the colony and wind speed were most important in driving the choice of habitat. At the colony farther from the shelf break, the decision to forage there was driven by adult body condition. Birds furthermore adjusted foraging behavior metrics according to time of the day, weather conditions, body condition, and the age of the chicks. The study shows that kittiwakes have high degree of flexibility in their behavioral response to a variable marine environment, which might help them buffer changes in prey distribution around the colonies. The flexibility is, however, dependent on the availability of foraging habitats near the colony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Signe Christensen-Dalsgaard
- Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Trondheim Norway.,Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Trondheim Norway
| | - Roel May
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Trondheim Norway
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21
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Langbehn TJ, Varpe Ø. Sea-ice loss boosts visual search: fish foraging and changing pelagic interactions in polar oceans. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:5318-5330. [PMID: 28657128 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Light is a central driver of biological processes and systems. Receding sea ice changes the lightscape of high-latitude oceans and more light will penetrate into the sea. This affects bottom-up control through primary productivity and top-down control through vision-based foraging. We model effects of sea-ice shading on visual search to develop a mechanistic understanding of how climate-driven sea-ice retreat affects predator-prey interactions. We adapt a prey encounter model for ice-covered waters, where prey-detection performance of planktivorous fish depends on the light cycle. We use hindcast sea-ice concentrations (past 35 years) and compare with a future no-ice scenario to project visual range along two south-north transects with different sea-ice distributions and seasonality, one through the Bering Sea and one through the Barents Sea. The transect approach captures the transition from sub-Arctic to Arctic ecosystems and allows for comparison of latitudinal differences between longitudes. We find that past sea-ice retreat has increased visual search at a rate of 2.7% to 4.2% per decade from the long-term mean; and for high latitudes, we predict a 16-fold increase in clearance rate. Top-down control is therefore predicted to intensify. Ecological and evolutionary consequences for polar marine communities and energy flows would follow, possibly also as tipping points and regime shifts. We expect species distributions to track the receding ice-edge, and in particular expect species with large migratory capacity to make foraging forays into high-latitude oceans. However, the extreme seasonality in photoperiod of high-latitude oceans may counteract such shifts and rather act as a zoogeographical filter limiting poleward range expansion. The provided mechanistic insights are relevant for pelagic ecosystems globally, including lakes where shifted distributions are seldom possible but where predator-prey consequences would be much related. As part of the discussion on photoperiodic implications for high-latitude range shifts, we provide a short review of studies linking physical drivers to latitudinal extent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom J Langbehn
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Norway
| | - Øystein Varpe
- University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Norway
- Akvaplan-niva, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
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22
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Grist H, Daunt F, Wanless S, Burthe SJ, Newell MA, Harris MP, Reid JM. Reproductive performance of resident and migrant males, females and pairs in a partially migratory bird. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:1010-1021. [PMID: 28502109 PMCID: PMC6849534 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Quantifying among‐individual variation in life‐history strategies, and associated variation in reproductive performance and resulting demographic structure, is key to understanding and predicting population dynamics and life‐history evolution. Partial migration, where populations comprise a mixture of resident and seasonally migrant individuals, constitutes a dimension of life‐history variation that could be associated with substantial variation in reproductive performance. However, such variation has rarely been quantified due to the challenge of measuring reproduction and migration across a sufficient number of seasonally mobile males and females. We used intensive winter (non‐breeding season) resightings of colour‐ringed adult European shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) from a known breeding colony to identify resident and migrant individuals. We tested whether two aspects of annual reproductive performance, brood hatch date and breeding success, differed between resident and migrant males, females and breeding pairs observed across three consecutive winters and breeding seasons. The sex ratios of observed resident and migrant shags did not significantly differ from each other or from 1:1, suggesting that both sexes are partially migratory and that migration was not sex‐biased across surveyed areas. Individual resident males and females hatched their broods 6 days earlier and fledged 0.2 more chicks per year than migrant males and females on average. Resident individuals of both sexes therefore had higher breeding success than migrants. Hatch date and breeding success also varied with a pair's joint migratory strategy such that resident–resident pairs hatched their broods 12 days earlier than migrant–migrant pairs, and fledged 0.7 more chicks per year on average. However, there was no evidence of assortative pairing with respect to migratory strategy: observed frequencies of migrant–migrant and resident–resident pairs did not differ from those expected given random pairing. These data demonstrate substantial variation in two key aspects of reproductive performance associated with the migratory strategies of males, females and breeding pairs within a partially migratory population. These patterns could reflect direct and/or indirect mechanisms, but imply that individual variation in migratory strategy and variation in pairing among residents and migrants could influence selection on migration and drive complex population and evolutionary dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Grist
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.,Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Midlothian, UK.,Scottish Ornithologists' Club, Waterston House, Aberlady, UK.,Scottish Association for Marine Science, Argyll, UK
| | - Francis Daunt
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Midlothian, UK
| | - Sarah Wanless
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Midlothian, UK
| | - Sarah J Burthe
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Midlothian, UK
| | - Mark A Newell
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Midlothian, UK
| | - Mike P Harris
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Midlothian, UK
| | - Jane M Reid
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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23
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Kogure Y, Sato K, Watanuki Y, Wanless S, Daunt F. European shags optimize their flight behavior according to wind conditions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 219:311-8. [PMID: 26847559 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.131441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Aerodynamics results in two characteristic speeds of flying birds: the minimum power speed and the maximum range speed. The minimum power speed requires the lowest rate of energy expenditure per unit time to stay airborne and the maximum range speed maximizes air distance traveled per unit of energy consumed. Therefore, if birds aim to minimize the cost of transport under a range of wind conditions, they are predicted to fly at the maximum range speed. Furthermore, take-off is predicted to be strongly affected by wind speed and direction. To investigate the effect of wind conditions on take-off and cruising flight behavior, we equipped 14 European shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis with a back-mounted GPS logger to measure position and hence ground speed, and a neck-mounted accelerometer to record wing beat frequency and strength. Local wind conditions were recorded during the deployment period. Shags always took off into the wind regardless of their intended destination and take-off duration was correlated negatively with wind speed. We combined ground speed and direction during the cruising phase with wind speed and direction to estimate air speed and direction. Whilst ground speed was highly variable, air speed was comparatively stable, although it increased significantly during strong head winds, because of stronger wing beats. The increased air speeds in head winds suggest that birds fly at the maximum range speed, not at the minimum power speed. Our study demonstrates that European shags actively adjust their flight behavior to utilize wind power to minimize the costs of take-off and cruising flight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukihisa Kogure
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8564, Japan
| | - Katsufumi Sato
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8564, Japan
| | - Yutaka Watanuki
- Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Minato-cho 3-1-1, Hakodate 041-8611, Japan
| | - Sarah Wanless
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0QB, UK
| | - Francis Daunt
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0QB, UK
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24
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Cornioley T, Börger L, Ozgul A, Weimerskirch H. Impact of changing wind conditions on foraging and incubation success in male and female wandering albatrosses. J Anim Ecol 2016; 85:1318-27. [PMID: 27187714 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Wind is an important climatic factor for flying animals as by affecting their locomotion, it can deeply impact their life-history characteristics. In the context of globally changing wind patterns, we investigated the mechanisms underlying recently reported increase in body mass of a population of wandering albatrosses (Diomedea exulans) with increasing wind speed over time. We built a foraging model detailing the effects of wind on movement statistics and ultimately on mass gained by the forager and mass lost by the incubating partner. We then simulated the body mass of incubating pairs under varying wind scenarios. We tracked the frequency at which critical mass leading to nest abandonment was reached to assess incubation success. We found that wandering albatrosses behave as time minimizers during incubation as mass gain was independent of any movement statistics but decreased with increasing mass at departure. Individuals forage until their energy requirements, which are determined by their body conditions, are fulfilled. This can come at the cost of their partner's condition as mass loss of the incubating partner depended on trip duration. This behaviour is consistent with strategies of long-lived species which favoured their own survival over their current reproductive attempt. In addition, wind speed increased ground speed which in turn reduced trip duration and males foraged further away than females at high ground speed. Contrasted against an independent data set, the simulation performed satisfactorily for males but less so for females under current wind conditions. The simulation predicted an increase in male body mass growth rate with increasing wind speed, whereas females' rate decreased. This trend may provide an explanation for the observed increase in mass of males but not of females. Conversely, the simulation predicted very few nest abandonments, which is in line with the high breeding success of this species and is contrary to the hypothesis that wind patterns impact incubation success by altering foraging movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Cornioley
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, Wales SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Arpat Ozgul
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Station d'Écologie de Chizé-La Rochelle, CNRS UMR 7372, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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25
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Isaksson N, Evans TJ, Shamoun-Baranes J, Åkesson S. Land or sea? Foraging area choice during breeding by an omnivorous gull. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2016; 4:11. [PMID: 27186375 PMCID: PMC4868019 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-016-0078-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Generalist predators may vary their diet and use of habitat according to both internal state (e.g. breeding stage) and external (e.g. weather) factors. Lesser black-backed gulls Larus fuscus (Linnaeus 1758) are dietary generalists, foraging in both terrestrial and marine habitats during breeding. We investigate what affects the gulls' propensity to forage at sea or on land. We assess the importance of terrestrial foraging to gulls in the Baltic Sea (sub. sp. L. f. fuscus), looking especially at their use of agricultural fields. RESULTS Through the GPS tracking of 19 individuals across 3 years we tracked 1038 foraging trips and found that 21.2 % of foraging trips were predominantly terrestrial, 9.0 % were a mix of terrestrial and marine, and 68.5 % were exclusively marine. Terrestrial trips were (1) more frequent when departing around sunrise, whereas marine trips occurred throughout the day. Additionally, trips with mostly land-based foraging decreased as the breeding season progressed, suggesting dietary switching coincident with the onset of chick provisioning. (2) During cloudy and cold conditions terrestrial foraging trips were more likely. (3) We found no differences between sexes in their land-based foraging strategy. (4) Gull individuals showed great variation in foraging strategy. Using observations of agricultural fields, carried out for one year, we found that (5) gulls preferentially foraged on fields with short vegetation, and there was a positive association with occurrence of waders and other species of gulls. (6) The availability and use of these preferred fields decreased through the breeding period. CONCLUSIONS This study found high prevalence of terrestrial foraging during early breeding as well as support for dietary switching early in the breeding season. The overall tendency for marine or terrestrial foraging was consistent within individuals, with gull identity accounting for much of the variation observed in foraging trips. Our results suggest that anthropogenic terrestrial food sources may play a role in the low breeding success of these gulls through either variation in quantity and/or quality. Finally, our study demonstrates the potential of combining data from GPS-tracking of individual animals with the 'ground-truthing' of habitat visited to elucidate the otherwise nebulous behavior of a generalist predator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Isaksson
- />Centre for Animal Movement Research, Department of Biology, Ecology Building, Lund University, Lund, SE-223 62 Sweden
| | - Thomas J. Evans
- />Centre for Animal Movement Research, Department of Biology, Ecology Building, Lund University, Lund, SE-223 62 Sweden
| | - Judy Shamoun-Baranes
- />Computational Geo-Ecology, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94248, Amsterdam, 1090 GE The Netherlands
| | - Susanne Åkesson
- />Centre for Animal Movement Research, Department of Biology, Ecology Building, Lund University, Lund, SE-223 62 Sweden
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Lewis S, Phillips RA, Burthe SJ, Wanless S, Daunt F. Contrasting responses of male and female foraging effort to year-round wind conditions. J Anim Ecol 2015; 84:1490-6. [PMID: 26283625 PMCID: PMC4989534 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
There is growing interest in the effects of wind on wild animals, given evidence that wind speeds are increasing and becoming more variable in some regions, particularly at temperate latitudes. Wind may alter movement patterns or foraging ability, with consequences for energy budgets and, ultimately, demographic rates. These effects are expected to vary among individuals due to intrinsic factors such as sex, age or feeding proficiency. Furthermore, this variation is predicted to become more marked as wind conditions deteriorate, which may have profound consequences for population dynamics as the climate changes. However, the interaction between wind and intrinsic effects has not been comprehensively tested. In many species, in particular those showing sexual size dimorphism, males and females vary in foraging performance. Here, we undertook year-round deployments of data loggers to test for interactions between sex and wind speed and direction on foraging effort in adult European shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis, a pursuit-diving seabird in which males are c. 18% heavier. We found that foraging time was lower at high wind speeds but higher during easterly (onshore) winds. Furthermore, there was an interaction between sex and wind conditions on foraging effort, such that females foraged for longer than males when winds were of greater strength (9% difference at high wind speeds vs. 1% at low wind speeds) and when winds were easterly compared with westerly (7% and 4% difference, respectively). The results supported our prediction that sex-specific differences in foraging effort would become more marked as wind conditions worsen. Since foraging time is linked to demographic rates in this species, our findings are likely to have important consequences for population dynamics by amplifying sex-specific differences in survival rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sue Lewis
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Richard A Phillips
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
| | - Sarah J Burthe
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, UK
| | - Sarah Wanless
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, UK
| | - Francis Daunt
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, UK
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