scholarly journals Field Metabolism and Water Flux of Carolina Chickadees During Breeding and Nonbreeding Seasons: A Test of the “Peak-Demand” and “Reallocation” Hypotheses

The Condor ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
pp. 370-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul F. Doherty ◽  
Joseph B. Williams ◽  
Thomas C. Grubb

AbstractWe tested the “peak-demand” and “reallocation” hypotheses of seasonal energy expenditure which predict, respectively, that energy expenditure is greatest during the breeding season or varies little seasonally. We tested these predictions by utilizing the doubly labeled water technique to estimate energy expenditure and water flux of Carolina Chickadees (Poecile carolinensis) in both the breeding and nonbreeding seasons. Similar to Weathers et al. (1999), we did not find support for either of these hypotheses, finding instead that energy expenditure was greater during the nonbreeding season. The fact that our study site was at the northern edge of the species' range, where winters are severe, may have influenced this result. Comparisons with other parid studies were equivocal because body size was an important factor in explaining seasonal energetics, and only the larger species have been examined during the breeding season.

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 555-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland Vernet ◽  
Claude Grenot ◽  
Saïd Nouira

Water flux and daily energy expenditure were measured with doubly labeled water (3HH18O) in two insectivorous sympatric species of Lacertidae of Kerkennah islands (Tunisia), Eremias olivieri (mean body mass: 1.1 g) and Acanthodactylus pardalis (4.5 g) in a semiarid environment. Water turnover and field metabolic rate of Eremias olivieri (174 μL H2O g−1 d−1 and 250 J g−1 d−1) were, respectively, 2.5 and 5 times higher than those of Acanthodactylus pardalis (70 μL H2O g−1 d−1 and 52 J g−1 d−1). The water turnover of Eremias olivieri is one of the highest known among insectivorous lizards, and the daily energy expenditure of Acanthodactylus pardalis one of the lowest. The most plausible explanations are the differences in the size of the prey eaten by each species at this time of the season and in the duration of daily activity; the daily activity of Acanthodactylus pardalis is short (4.5 h d−1) although it is a sit-and-wait predator, whereas Eremias olivieri is active regularly every day for a longer period (7.5 h d−1) although it is an active forager. The high values of water turnover in Eremias olivieri suggest that food is not the only source of water for lizards in this particular insular environment.


1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (5) ◽  
pp. 1001-1006 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. P. Brown ◽  
R. S. Thorpe ◽  
J. R. Speakman

Within-island microgeographic variation in body size of the Gran Canarian skink, Chalcides sexlineatus, is described. Clear latitudinal patterns of variation were found for both males and females. Using Mantel tests we rejected within-island altitude-related ecological variation as the cause of the geographic variation, but found a significant relationship between body size and the pattern of lush–arid variation. Larger body size was found in populations from the lusher northern areas, and small body size in populations from the arid south. Studies with doubly labelled water showed higher energy expenditure per animal in a studied northern population than in a southern population, due to larger body size in the former. Mean mass-specific energy expenditure was found to be low in this species compared with other lizards, and did not differ significantly between populations (north, 150.1 J∙g−0.80∙d−1; south, 124.7 J∙g−0.80∙d−1). Mean mass-specific water fluxes were similar for lizards at both study sites (14.79 and 14.20 mL H2O∙kg−0.91∙d−1, respectively). Previous explanations invoking differences in water stress as the cause of variation in body size among populations of arid-zone lizards do not appear to be applicable to C. sexlineatus.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascual LÓPEZ-LÓPEZ ◽  
Arturo M PERONA ◽  
Olga EGEA-CASAS ◽  
Jon ETXEBARRIA MORANT ◽  
Vicente URIOS

Abstract Cutting-edge technologies are extremely useful to develop new workflows in studying ecological data, particularly to understand animal behaviour and movement trajectories at the individual level. Although parental care is a well-studied phenomenon, most studies have been focused on direct observational or video recording data, as well as experimental manipulation. Therefore, what happens out of our sight still remains unknown. Using high-frequency GPS/GSM dataloggers and tri-axial accelerometers we monitored 25 Bonelli’s eagles (Aquila fasciata) during the breeding season to understand parental activities from a broader perspective. We used recursive data, measured as number of visits and residence time, to reveal nest attendance patterns of biparental care with role specialization between sexes. Accelerometry data interpreted as the Overall Dynamic Body Acceleration, a proxy of energy expenditure, showed strong differences in parental effort throughout the breeding season and between sexes. Thereby, males increased substantially their energetic requirements, due to the increased workload, while females spent most of the time on the nest. Furthermore, during critical phases of the breeding season, a low percentage of suitable hunting spots in eagles’ territories led them to increase their ranging behaviour in order to find food, with important consequences in energy consumption and mortality risk. Our results highlight the crucial role of males in raptor species exhibiting biparental care. Finally, we exemplify how biologging technologies are an adequate and objective method to study parental care in raptors as well as to get deeper insight into breeding ecology of birds in general.


2003 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 645-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaas R. Westerterp

Activity intensity is a potential determinant of activity-induced energy expenditure. Tri-axial accelerometery is the most objective measurement technique for the assessment of activity intensity, in combination with doubly-labelled water for the measurement of energy expenditure under free-living conditions. Data on the effects of subject characteristics, including body size and age, and exercise training on the relationship between activity intensity and daily energy expenditure are reviewed. Average daily metabolic rate and non-basal energy expenditure are positively related to body size. The duration and intensity of physical activities do not need to be equivalent to the energy spent on activity. Obese subjects spend more energy on physical activity but can perform fewer activities, especially high-intensity (weight-bearing) activities, because of their higher body weight. Physical activity generally declines gradually from about 60 years of age onwards. Most subjects >80 years have an activity level well below the level defined for sedentary middle-aged adults. Spending relatively more time on low-intensity activities has a negative effect on the mean physical activity level. To obtain a higher physical activity level does not necessarily imply high-intensity activities. In an average subject 25% of the activity-induced energy expenditure may be attributed to high-intensity activities. Exercise training, as a form of high-intensity activity, affects the physical activity level more in younger subjects than in elderly subjects.


2004 ◽  
Vol 96 (4) ◽  
pp. 1357-1364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise C. Mâsse ◽  
Janet E. Fulton ◽  
Kathleen L. Watson ◽  
Matthew T. Mahar ◽  
Michael C. Meyers ◽  
...  

This study investigated the influence of two approaches (mathematical transformation and statistical procedures), used to account for body composition [body mass or fat-free mass (FFM)], on associations between two measures of physical activity and energy expenditure determined by doubly labeled water (DLW). Complete data for these analyses were available for 136 African American (44.1%) and Hispanic (55.9%) women (mean age 50 ± 7.3 yr). Total energy expenditure (TEE) by DLW was measured over 14 days. Physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) was computed as 0.90 × TEE - resting metabolic rate. During week 2, participants wore an accelerometer for 7 consecutive days and completed a 7-day diary. Pearson's product-moment correlations and three statistical procedures (multiple regressions, partial correlations, and allometric scaling) were used to assess the effect of body composition on associations. The methods-comparison analysis was used to study the effect of body composition on agreement. The statistical procedures demonstrated that associations improved when body composition was included in the model. The accelerometer explained a small but meaningful portion of the variance in TEE and PAEE after body mass was accounted for. The methods-comparison analysis confirmed that agreement with DLW was affected by the transformation. Agreement between the diary (transformed with body mass) and TEE reflected the association that exists between body mass and TEE. These results suggest that the accelerometer and diary accounted for a small portion of TEE and PAEE. Most of the variance in DLW-measured energy expenditure was explained by body mass or FFM.


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