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Wilbrecht L, Lin WC, Callahan K, Bateson M, Myers K, Ross R. Experimental biology can inform our understanding of food insecurity. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246215. [PMID: 38449329 PMCID: PMC10949070 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Food insecurity is a major public health issue. Millions of households worldwide have intermittent and unpredictable access to food and this experience is associated with greater risk for a host of negative health outcomes. While food insecurity is a contemporary concern, we can understand its effects better if we acknowledge that there are ancient biological programs that evolved to respond to the experience of food scarcity and uncertainty, and they may be particularly sensitive to food insecurity during development. Support for this conjecture comes from common findings in several recent animal studies that have modeled insecurity by manipulating predictability of food access in various ways. Using different experimental paradigms in different species, these studies have shown that experience of insecure access to food can lead to changes in weight, motivation and cognition. Some of these studies account for changes in weight through changes in metabolism, while others observe increases in feeding and motivation to work for food. It has been proposed that weight gain is an adaptive response to the experience of food insecurity as 'insurance' in an uncertain future, while changes in motivation and cognition may reflect strategic adjustments in foraging behavior. Animal studies also offer the opportunity to make in-depth controlled studies of mechanisms and behavior. So far, there is evidence that the experience of food insecurity can impact metabolic efficiency, reproductive capacity and dopamine neuron synapses. Further work on behavior, the central and peripheral nervous system, the gut and liver, along with variation in age of exposure, will be needed to better understand the full body impacts of food insecurity at different stages of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Wilbrecht
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-1650, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Wan Chen Lin
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kathryn Callahan
- Psychiatric Research Institute of Montefiore and Einstein, Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Melissa Bateson
- Bioscience Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Kevin Myers
- Department of Psychology and Programs in Animal Behavior and Neuroscience, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA
| | - Rachel Ross
- Psychiatric Research Institute of Montefiore and Einstein, Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, NY 10467, USA
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Jeong YH, Choi SH, Banjade M, Jin SD, Park SM, Kunwar B, Oh HS. Spatiotemporal Niche Separation among Passeriformes in the Halla Mountain Wetland of Jeju, Republic of Korea: Insights from Camera Trap Data. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:724. [PMID: 38473109 DOI: 10.3390/ani14050724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
This study analyzed 5322 camera trap photographs from Halla Mountain Wetland, documenting 1427 independent bird sightings of 26 families and 49 species of Passeriformes. Key observations include morning activities in Cyanoptila cyanomelana and Horornis canturians and afternoon activity in Muscicapa dauurica and Phoenicurus auroreus. Wetlands were significantly preferred (P_i = 0.398) despite their smaller area, contrasting with underutilized grasslands (P_i = 0.181). Seasonal activity variations were notable, with overlap coefficients ranging from 0.08 to 0.81 across species, indicating diverse strategies in resource utilization and thermoregulation. Population density was found to be a critical factor in habitat usage, with high-density species showing more consistent activity patterns. The study's results demonstrate the ecological adaptability of Passeriformes in the Halla Mountain Wetland while highlighting the limitations of camera trapping methods. These limitations include their fixed field of view and intermittent recording capability, which may not fully capture the spectrum of complex avian behaviors. This research underlines the need for future studies integrating various methodologies, such as direct observation and acoustic monitoring, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of avian ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Hun Jeong
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Advanced Convergence Technology and Science, Jeju National University, Jeju-si 63243, Jeju-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Hwan Choi
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Advanced Convergence Technology and Science, Jeju National University, Jeju-si 63243, Jeju-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Maniram Banjade
- National Institute of Ecology, 1210 Geumgang-ro, Maseru-myeon, Seocheon-gun 33657, Chungcheongnam-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Seon-Deok Jin
- National Institute of Ecology, 1210 Geumgang-ro, Maseru-myeon, Seocheon-gun 33657, Chungcheongnam-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Seon-Mi Park
- Research Institute for Basic Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju-si 63243, Jeju-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Binod Kunwar
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Advanced Convergence Technology and Science, Jeju National University, Jeju-si 63243, Jeju-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Hong-Shik Oh
- Faculty of Science Education, Jeju National University, Jeju-si 63243, Jeju-do, Republic of Korea
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Garrett DR, Pelletier F, Garant D, Bélisle M. Combined influence of food availability and agricultural intensification on a declining aerial insectivore. ECOL MONOGR 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R. Garrett
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke Québec Canada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke Québec Canada
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke Québec Canada
| | - Marc Bélisle
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke Québec Canada
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Hierarchical habitat-use by an endangered steppe bird in fragmented landscapes is associated with large connected patches and high food availability. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19010. [PMID: 31831826 PMCID: PMC6908678 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55467-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Multidimensional approaches must be employed when addressing habitat use patterns. In this study, we aim to elucidate the hierarchical nature of space use by species inhabiting fragmented landscapes, using the threatened Dupont’s lark (Chersophilus duponti). The intensity of space use by Dupont’s lark was estimated using the Kernel Density Function on territory locations in 2015. We measured descriptors of habitat quality at metapopulation (connectivity and patch size), landscape (land-use types and anthropogenic disturbance) and microhabitat-scale (plant structure and composition, herbivore abundance and food availability) at 37 sampling stations. We fitted a Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) which yielded two components, accounting for 81% of total variance. Metapopulation-scale factors had the greatest explanatory power (32%), followed by microhabitat (17%) landscape (10%) and spatial predictors (3.6%). Connectivity and patch size were key factors explaining habitat use, and wind farms had a negative effect. At microhabitat-scale, space use was positively associated with Coleoptera, Orthoptera, Araneae and Diptera biomass, but negatively with Formicidae and Blattodea biomass, the cover of Stipa spp, Koeleria vallesiana and moss. This research highlights the hierarchical nature of habitat use in fragmented landscapes. Therefore, conservation measures should ensure connectivity, guarantee a minimum patch size, and improve habitat quality within patches.
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Shutt JD, Cabello IB, Keogan K, Leech DI, Samplonius JM, Whittle L, Burgess MD, Phillimore AB. The environmental predictors of spatio-temporal variation in the breeding phenology of a passerine bird. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190952. [PMID: 31409248 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Establishing the cues or constraints that influence avian timing of breeding is the key to accurate prediction of future phenology. This study aims to identify the aspects of the environment that predict the timing of two measures of breeding phenology (nest initiation and egg laying date) in an insectivorous woodland passerine, the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus). We analyse data collected from a 220 km, 40-site transect over 3 years and consider spring temperatures, tree leafing phenology, invertebrate availability and photoperiod as predictors of breeding phenology. We find that mean night-time temperature in early spring is the strongest predictor of both nest initiation and lay date and suggest this finding is most consistent with temperature acting as a constraint on breeding activity. Birch budburst phenology significantly predicts lay date additionally to temperature, either as a direct cue or indirectly via a correlated variable. We use cross-validation to show that our model accurately predicts lay date in two further years and find that similar variables predict lay date well across the UK national nest record scheme. This work refines our understanding of the principal factors influencing the timing of tit reproductive phenology and suggests that temperature may have both a direct and indirect effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack D Shutt
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, The University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Irene Benedicto Cabello
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, The University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Katharine Keogan
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, The University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - David I Leech
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU, UK
| | - Jelmer M Samplonius
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, The University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Lorienne Whittle
- Woodland Trust, Kempton Way, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 6LL, UK
| | - Malcolm D Burgess
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK.,Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, The University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Albert B Phillimore
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, The University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
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Tarwater CE, Arcese P. Individual fitness and the effects of a changing climate on the cessation and length of the breeding period using a 34-year study of a temperate songbird. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:1212-1223. [PMID: 28869682 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Studies of the phenological responses of animals to climate change typically emphasize the initiation of breeding although climatic effects on the cessation and length of the breeding period may be as or more influential of fitness. We quantified links between climate, the cessation and length of the breeding period, and individual survival and reproduction using a 34-year study of a resident song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) population subject to dramatic variation in climate. We show that the cessation and length of the breeding period varied strongly across years, and predicted female annual fecundity but not survival. Breeding period length was more influential of fecundity than initiation or cessation of breeding alone. Warmer annual temperature and drier winters and summers predicted an earlier cessation of breeding. Population density, the date breeding was initiated, a female's history of breeding success, and the number of breeding attempts initiated previously also predicted the cessation of breeding annually, indicating that climatic, population, and individual factors may interact to affect breeding phenology. Linking climate projections to our model results suggests that females will both initiate and cease breeding earlier in the future; this will have opposite effects on individual reproductive rate because breeding earlier is expected to increase fecundity, whereas ceasing breeding earlier should reduce it. Identifying factors affecting the cessation and length of the breeding period in multiparous species may be essential to predicting individual fitness and population demography. Given a rich history of studies on the initiation of breeding in free-living species, re-visiting those data to estimate climatic effects on the cessation and length of breeding should improve our ability to predict the impacts of climate change on multiparous species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey E Tarwater
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Peter Arcese
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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McDermott ME, DeGroote LW. Linking phenological events in migratory passerines with a changing climate: 50 years in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174247. [PMID: 28403152 PMCID: PMC5389623 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Advanced timing of both seasonal migration and reproduction in birds has been strongly associated with a warming climate for many bird species. Phenological responses to climate linking these stages may ultimately impact fitness. We analyzed five decades of banding data from 17 migratory bird species to investigate 1) how spring arrival related to timing of breeding, 2) if the interval between arrival and breeding has changed with increasing spring temperatures, and 3) whether arrival timing or breeding timing best predicted local productivity. Four of 17 species, all mid- to long-distance migrants, hatched young earlier in years when migrants arrived earlier to the breeding grounds (~1:1 day advancement). The interval between arrival on breeding grounds and appearance of juveniles shortened with warmer spring temperatures for 12 species (1-6 days for every 1°C increase) and over time for seven species (1-8 days per decade), suggesting that some migratory passerines adapt to climate change by laying more quickly after arrival or reducing the time from laying to fledging. We found more support for the former, that the rate of reproductive advancement was higher than that for arrival in warm years. Timing of spring arrival and breeding were both poor predictors of avian productivity for most migrants analyzed. Nevertheless, we found evidence that fitness benefits may occur from shifts to earlier spring arrival for the multi-brooded Song Sparrow. Our results uniquely demonstrate that co-occurring avian species are phenologically plastic in their response to climate change on their breeding grounds. If migrants continue to show a weaker response to temperatures during migration than breeding, and the window between arrival and optimal breeding shortens further, biological constraints to plasticity may limit the ability of species to adapt successfully to future warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly E. McDermott
- Powdermill Nature Reserve, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Rector, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Lucas W. DeGroote
- Powdermill Nature Reserve, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Rector, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Vafidis JO, Vaughan IP, Jones TH, Facey RJ, Parry R, Thomas RJ. The Effects of Supplementary Food on the Breeding Performance of Eurasian Reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus; Implications for Climate Change Impacts. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159933. [PMID: 27467171 PMCID: PMC4965089 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms by which climate variation can drive population changes requires information linking climate, local conditions, trophic resources, behaviour and demography. Climate change alters the seasonal pattern of emergence and abundance of invertebrate populations, which may have important consequences for the breeding performance and population change of insectivorous birds. In this study, we examine the role of food availability in driving behavioural changes in an insectivorous migratory songbird; the Eurasian reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus. We use a feeding experiment to examine the effect of increased food supply on different components of breeding behaviour and first-brood productivity, over three breeding seasons (2012-2014). Reed warblers respond to food-supplementation by advancing their laying date by up to 5.6 days. Incubation periods are shorter in supplemented groups during the warmest mean spring temperatures. Nestling growth rates are increased in nests provisioned by supplemented parents. In addition, nest predation is reduced, possibly because supplemented adults spend more time at the nest and faster nestling growth reduces the period of vulnerability of eggs and nestlings to predators (and brood parasites). The net effect of these changes is to advance the fledging completion date and to increase the overall productivity of the first brood for supplemented birds. European populations of reed warblers are currently increasing; our results suggest that advancing spring phenology, leading to increased food availability early in the breeding season, could account for this change by facilitating higher productivity. Furthermore, the earlier brood completion potentially allows multiple breeding attempts. This study identifies the likely trophic and behavioural mechanisms by which climate-driven changes in invertebrate phenology and abundance may lead to changes in breeding phenology, nest survival and net reproductive performance of insectivorous birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- James O. Vafidis
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Ian P. Vaughan
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - T. Hefin Jones
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J. Facey
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Rob Parry
- Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, Parc Slip, Tondu, Bridgend, CF32 0EW, United Kingdom
| | - Robert J. Thomas
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
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Context-dependent effects of an experimental increase of hunger level in house sparrow nestlings. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2115-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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