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Hediger JA, Spencer BD, Rice MF, Hopper ML, DeYoung RW, Ortega-Santos JA, Fulbright TE, Hewitt DG, Foley AM, Schofield LR, Campbell TA, Sheriff MJ, Cherry MJ. Physiological carry-over effects of variable precipitation are mediated by reproductive status in a long-lived ungulate. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 12:coae045. [PMID: 38974502 PMCID: PMC11224986 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coae045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
In the age of global climate change, extreme climatic events are expected to increase in frequency and severity. Animals will be forced to cope with these novel stressors in their environment. Glucocorticoids (i.e. 'stress' hormones) facilitate an animal's ability to cope with their environment. To date, most studies involving glucocorticoids focus on the immediate physiological effects of an environmental stressor on an individual, few studies have investigated the long-term physiological impacts of such stressors. Here, we tested the hypothesis that previous exposure to an environmental stressor will impart lasting consequences to an individual's glucocorticoid levels. In semi-arid environments, variable rainfall drives forage availability for herbivores. Reduced seasonal precipitation can present an extreme environmental stressor potentially imparting long-term impacts on an individual's glucocorticoid levels. We examined the effects of rainfall and environmental characteristics (i.e. soil and vegetation attributes) during fawn-rearing (i.e. summer) on subsequent glucocorticoid levels of female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in autumn. We captured 124 adult (≥2.5-year-old) female deer via aerial net-gunning during autumn of 2015, 2016 and 2021 across four populations spanning a gradient of environmental characteristics and rainfall in the semi-arid environment of South Texas, USA. We found for every 1 cm decrease in summer rainfall, faecal glucocorticoid levels in autumn increased 6.9%, but only in lactating females. Glucocorticoid levels in non-lactating, female deer were relatively insensitive to environmental conditions. Our study demonstrates the long-lasting effects of environmental stressors on an individual's glucocorticoid levels. A better understanding of the long-term effects stressors impart on an individual's glucocorticoid levels will help to evaluate the totality of the cost of a stressor to an individual's welfare and predict the consequences of future climate scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A Hediger
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University –Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - Bryan D Spencer
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University –Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - Michaela F Rice
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 500 Lafayette Road North, Saint Paul, MN 55155, USA
| | - Miranda L Hopper
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University –Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - Randy W DeYoung
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University –Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - J Alfonso Ortega-Santos
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University –Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - Timothy E Fulbright
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University –Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - David G Hewitt
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University –Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - Aaron M Foley
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University –Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - Landon R Schofield
- East Foundation, 200 Concord Plaza Drive, Suite 410, San Antonio, TX 78216, USA
| | - Tyler A Campbell
- East Foundation, 200 Concord Plaza Drive, Suite 410, San Antonio, TX 78216, USA
| | - Michael J Sheriff
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, 285 Old Westport Road, Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA
| | - Michael J Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University –Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
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Martín J, Ortega J, García-Roa R, Rodríguez-Ruiz G, Pérez-Cembranos A, Pérez-Mellado V. Coping with drought? Effects of extended drought conditions on soil invertebrate prey and diet selection by a fossorial amphisbaenian reptile. Curr Zool 2023; 69:367-376. [PMID: 37614919 PMCID: PMC10443610 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Arid climates are characterized by a summer drought period to which animals seem adapted. However, in some years, the drought can extend for unusually longer periods. Examining the effects of these current extreme weather events on biodiversity can help to understand the effects of climate change, as models predict an increase in drought severity. Here, we examined the effects of "unusual" extended drought on soil invertebrate prey availability and on diet composition (based on fecal contents) and diet selection of a fossorial amphisbaenian, the checkerboard worm lizard Trogonophis wiegmanni. Weather data show interannual variations in summer drought duration. The abundance and diversity of soil invertebrates in spring were high, and similar to those found in a "normal" early autumn, after some rain had ended with the summer drought. In contrast, in years with "unusual" extended drought, abundance, and diversity of soil invertebrates in early autumn were very low. Also, there were seasonal changes in amphisbaenians' diet; in autumn with drought, prey diversity, and niche breadth decreased with respect to spring and autumns after some rain had fallen. Amphisbaenians did not eat prey at random in any season, but made some changes in prey selection that may result from drought-related restrictions in prey availability. Finally, in spite that amphisbaenians showed some feeding flexibility, their body condition was lower in autumn than in spring, and much lower in autumn with drought. If extended drought became the norm in the future, amphisbaenians might suffer important negative effects for their health state.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Ortega
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roberto García-Roa
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Ethology Lab, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Rodríguez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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Foley AM, Lewis JS, Cortez O, Hellickson MW, Hewitt DG, DeYoung RW, DeYoung CA, Schnupp MJ. Accuracies and biases of ageing white-tailed deer in semiarid environments. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/wr21050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Context The ability to accurately estimate age of animals is important for both research and management. The two methods for age estimation in ungulates are tooth replacement and wear (TRW) and cementum annuli (CA). Errors in estimated TRW ages are commonly attributed to environmental conditions; however, the influence of environmental variables on tooth wear has not been quantified. Further, the performance of CA in environments with weak seasonality has not been thoroughly evaluated. Aims The study had the following three goals: identify environmental and morphological factors that influenced estimated ages, quantify accuracy of TRW and CA, and develop TRW ageing criteria that minimise error. Methods We used data from harvested (n = 5117) and free-ranging, known-age white-tailed deer (n = 134) collected in southern Texas, USA, to quantify environmental and morphological influences on estimated TRW ages, and assess biases in both methods. Key results We observed substantial variation in age estimates for both TRW and CA. Soil, drought and supplemental nutrition had minor effects on tooth wear, insufficient to alter age estimates by ≥1 year. Body mass and antler size influenced age estimates for TRW only for extreme outliers. Both methods were biased and tended to under-estimate ages of adult deer, especially TRW. Wear on the first molar was most correlated with the known age (r2 = 0.78) and allowed biologists to correctly place known-age deer into age classes of 2, 3–5, and ≥6 years old 72%, 73% and 68% of the time, an improvement compared with the 79%, 48% and 28% accuracy from pooled TRW. Conclusions We observed substantial inter- and intra-individual variation in tooth-wear patterns that became more pronounced in older deer. Individual variation had a greater influence on TRW ages than did environmental covariates, whereas CA ages appeared unaffected by environment. Although variable, age estimates were ±1 year of the true age 87% and 93% of the time for TRW and CA respectively. Implications Managers, ecologists and epidemiologists often incorporate ages into population models. The high inter-individual variation in estimated ages, the tendency to underestimate ages of older deer, and the ageing method need to be considered.
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Borges FJA, Loyola R. Searching for synthetic mechanisms on how biological traits mediate species responses to climate change. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2021. [DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2021-1204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract: Climate change will likely be the most significant challenge faced by species in this century, and species’ ability to cope with climate change depends on their life history and ecological and evolutionary traits. Understanding how these traits mediate species’ responses is beneficial for identifying more vulnerable species or prone to extinction risk. Here, we carried out a literature review describing how four traits commonly used in vulnerability assessments (i.e. clutch size, diet breadth, dispersal ability, and climatic tolerance) may determine species vulnerability. We also portray the possible mechanisms that explain how these traits govern species responses to climate change. The literature suggests different mechanisms operating for the evaluated traits. The mechanism of response to climate change differs between species inhabiting tropical and temperate regions: while species from the temperate areas may respond positively to temperature rise, tropical species may be severely affected. Since ectotherms depend on environment temperature, they are more sensitive and present different response mechanisms from endotherms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rafael Loyola
- Universidade Federal de Goiás, Brasil; Fundação Brasileira para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável, Brasil
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DeYoung CA, Fulbright TE, Hewitt DG, Wester DB, Draeger DA, DeYoung CA, Fulbright TE, Hewitt DG, Wester DB, Draeger DA, Gann KR, Folks DJ, Hewitt DG, DeYoung CA, Fulbright TE, Wester DB, Draeger DA, Darr RL, Williamson KM, Garver LW, Hewitt DG, DeYoung CA, Fulbright TE, Gann KR, Wester DB, Draeger DA, Gann WJ, Fulbright TE, Hewitt DG, DeYoung CA, Grahmann ED, Wester DB, Felts BL, Phillips LM, Gage RT, Draeger DA, Cook NS, Donohue RN, DeYoung CA, Hewitt DG, Fulbright TE, Wester DB, Draeger DA, DeYoung CA, Hewitt DG, Fulbright TE, Wester DB, Draeger DA. Linking White‐Tailed Deer Density, Nutrition, and Vegetation in a Stochastic Environment. WILDLIFE MONOGRAPHS 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/wmon.1040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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Cain JW, Gedir JV, Marshal JP, Krausman PR, Allen JD, Duff GC, Jansen BD, Morgart† JR. Extreme precipitation variability, forage quality and large herbivore diet selection in arid environments. OIKOS 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- James W. Cain
- US Geological Survey, New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, New Mexico State Univ.; Las Cruces NM USA
| | - Jay V. Gedir
- Dept of Fish; Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State Univ.; Las Cruces NM USA
| | - Jason P. Marshal
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of the Witwatersrand; Wits South Africa
| | - Paul R. Krausman
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, Univ. of Arizona; Tucson AZ USA
| | - Jamison D. Allen
- Dept of Animal Sciences; Univ. of Arizona; Tucson AZ USA
- School of Agricultural Sciences, Northwest Missouri State Univ.; Maryville MO USA
| | - Glenn C. Duff
- Dept of Animal Sciences; Univ. of Arizona; Tucson AZ USA
- Dept of Animal and Range Sciences; New Mexico State Univ.; Las Cruces NM USA
| | - Brian D. Jansen
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, Univ. of Arizona; Tucson AZ USA
- Arizona Game and Fish Dept; Yuma AZ USA
| | - John R. Morgart†
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge; Ajo AZ USA
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Flexibility in the food selection by the European hare (Lepus europaeus) along the altitudinal gradient of the Southern Andean Precordillera (Argentina). MAMMAL RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-016-0288-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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