Migration distance is a fundamental axis of the slow-fast continuum of life history in boreal birds

The Auk ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin M Winger ◽  
Teresa M Pegan
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Reproductive Investment ◽  
Seasonal Migration ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Vital Rates ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Migration Distance ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Survival And Reproduction

Abstract Seasonal migration is intrinsically connected to the balance of survival and reproduction, but whether migratory behavior influences species’ position on the slow-fast continuum of life history is poorly understood. We found that boreal-breeding birds that migrate long distances exhibit higher annual adult survival and lower annual reproductive investment relative to co-distributed boreal species that migrate shorter distances to winter closer to their breeding grounds. Our study uses “vital rates” data on reproductive output and survivorship compiled from the literature for a species assemblage of 45 species of mostly passerine birds. These species breed sympatrically in North American boreal forests but migrate to a diversity of environments for the northern winter. After controlling for body size and phylogeny, migration distance and apparent annual adult survival are positively related across species. Both migration distance and survival are positively correlated with wintering in environments that are warmer, wetter, and greener. At the same time, longer migrations are associated with reduced time spent on the breeding grounds, lower clutch sizes, and lower fecundity (clutch size × maximum number of broods per year). Although seasonal migration is often associated with high mortality, our results suggest that long-distance migration imposes selection pressures that both confer and demand high adult survival rates. That is, owing to the reproductive cost of long-distance migration, this strategy can only persist if balanced by high adult survival. Our study supports the idea that migration evolves to promote survival of species breeding in seasonal environments. In boreal birds, the evolution of the longest migrations yields the highest survival, but at an inherent cost to annual fecundity. Our results therefore reveal migratory distance as a fundamental axis of the slow-fast continuum that predicts, and is inextricable from, the balance of survival and reproduction.

scholarly journals The evolution of seasonal migration and the slow-fast continuum of life history in birds

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin M. Winger ◽  
Teresa M. Pegan
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Seasonal Migration ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Migratory Species ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Evolutionary Context ◽  
Survival And Reproduction ◽  
Northern Winter

AbstractSeasonal migration is a widespread adaptation in environments with predictable periods of resource abundance and scarcity. Migration is frequently associated with high mortality, suggesting that migratory species live on the “fast” end of the slow-fast continuum of life history. However, few interspecific comparative studies have tested this assumption and prior assessments have been complicated by environmental variation among breeding locations. We evaluate how migration distance influences the tradeoff between reproduction and survival in 45 species of mostly passerine birds that breed sympatrically in North American boreal forests but migrate to a diversity of environments and latitudes for the northern winter. We find, after accounting for mass and phylogeny, that longer distance migrations to increasingly amenable winter environments are correlated with reduced annual reproductive output, but also result in increased adult survival compared to shorter-distance migrations. Non-migratory boreal species have life history parameters more similar to long-distance migrants than to shorter-distance migrants. These results suggest that long-distance migration and other highly specialized strategies for survival in seasonal environments impose selection pressures that both confer and demand high adult survival rates. That is, owing to the reproductive cost of long-distance migration, this strategy can only persist if balanced by high adult survival. Our results reveal migratory distance as a fundamental life history parameter that predicts, and is inextricable from, the balance of survival and reproduction. Our study further provides evolutionary context for understanding the annual cycle demography of migratory species and the strategies long-distance migrants use to maximize survival on their journeys.

scholarly journals Philopatry, Site Tenacity, Mate Fidelity, and Adult Survival in Sabine's Gulls

The Condor ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 416-423
Author(s):  
Iain J. Stenhouse ◽  
Gregory J. Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Vital Rates ◽  
Breeding Area ◽  
Xema Sabini ◽  
East Bay ◽  
Sabine’S Gull ◽  
Historia De Vida

AbstractQuantifying the dynamics of populations is fundamental to understanding life-history strategies, and essential for population modeling and conservation biology. Few details of the demography and life history of the Sabine's Gull (Xema sabini) are known. Uniquely color banded Sabine's Gulls breeding in East Bay, Southampton Island, Nunavut, in the eastern Canadian Arctic, were examined from 1998–2002 to quantify vital rates. Generally, birds banded as chicks first returned to the breeding area in their third year, and the earliest case of first breeding was confirmed at three years of age. Sabine's Gull pairs showed strong tenacity to their breeding site from year to year, with most pairs nesting within approximately 100 m of the previous year's site, regardless of nest success. Individuals also showed strong year-to-year fidelity to their mates. However, birds whose previous partner failed to return, or returned late, were quick to remate. On rare occasions, birds were not seen in the study area in a particular year, but seen again in later years, either because they were missed, had dispersed temporarily outside the study area, or did not return to the breeding area in some years. Standard Capture-Mark-Recapture analyses were used to calculate local resighting and survival rates. Local annual survival rate of adult Sabine's Gulls was 0.89 ± 0.03, similar to annual adult survival estimates recently reported for other small to medium-sized gulls and terns.Filopatría, Apego al Sitio de Nidificación, Fidelidad a la Pareja y Supervivencia de los Adultos en Xema sabiniResumen. Cuantificar la dinámica de las poblaciones es fundamental para entender las estrategias de historia de vida y es esencial para la realización de modelos poblacionales y para la conservación biológica. Se conocen pocos detalles sobre la demografía e historia de vida de la gaviota Xema sabini. Para cuantificar sus tasas vitales, en este estudio se examinaron gaviotas anilladas que estaban criando en East Bay, Southampton Island, Nunavut (ártico canadiense) entre 1998 y 2002. Generalmente, las aves que fueron anilladas como pichones regresaron al área de cría en su tercer año, y el caso de primer apareamiento más temprano fue confirmado a los tres años de edad. Las parejas exhibieron un fuerte apego a su sitio de nidificación de año a año: la mayoría nidificaron a menos de aproximadamente 100 m del lugar en donde lo hicieron el año anterior, independientemente de su éxito de nidificación. Los individuos también mostraron gran fidelidad a sus parejas año a año. Sin embargo, las aves cuyas parejas no regresaron o lo hicieron tardíamente, encontraron nuevas parejas rápidamente. En raras ocasiones, algunas aves no fueron vistas en el área de estudio durante un año particular, pero fueron vistas en años siguientes, ya sea porque no fueron detectadas a pesar de estar presentes, porque se habían dispersado hacia afuera del área de estudio temporalmente o porque no regresaron al área de cría en algunos años. Se emplearon análisis estándar de captura, marcado y recaptura para calcular las tasas locales de reavistamiento y supervivencia. La tasa de supervivencia anual de los adultos de X. sabini fue 0.89 ± 0.03, un valor similar a los valores estimados de supervivencia anual de adultos documentados recientemente para gaviotines y otras gaviotas de tamaño medio.

scholarly journals Preliminary survival and movement data for a declining population of Flesh-footed Shearwater Ardenna carneipes in Western Australia provides insights into marine threats

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
JENNIFER L. LAVERS ◽  
SIMEON LISOVSKI ◽  
ALEXANDER L. BOND
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Seabird Species ◽  
Movement Data ◽  
Central Indian Ocean ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Wintering Areas ◽  
Fisheries Bycatch ◽  
Western Australian

SummarySeabirds face diverse threats on their breeding islands and while at sea. Human activities have been linked to the decline of seabird populations, yet over-wintering areas typically receive little or no protection. Adult survival rates, a crucial parameter for population persistence in long-lived species, tend to be spatially or temporally restricted for many seabird species, limiting our understanding of factors driving population trends at some sites. We used bio-loggers to study the migration of Western Australian Flesh-footed Shearwaters Ardenna carneipes carneipes and estimated adult survival over five years. Western Australia is home to around 35% of the world’s breeding Flesh-footed Shearwaters, a population which was up-listed to Vulnerable in 2015. During the austral winter, shearwaters migrated across the central Indian Ocean to their non-breeding grounds off western Sri Lanka. Low site fidelity on breeding islands, mortality of adult birds at sea (e.g. fisheries bycatch), and low annual breeding frequency likely contributed to the low estimated annual adult survival (2011–2015: ϕ = 0.634-0.835).

scholarly journals Corticosterone, testosterone and life-history strategies of birds

2010 ◽  
Vol 277 (1697) ◽  
pp. 3203-3212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaela Hau ◽  
Robert E. Ricklefs ◽  
Martin Wikelski ◽  
Kelly A. Lee ◽  
Jeffrey D. Brawn
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Tropical Species ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Season Length

Steroid hormones have similar functions across vertebrates, but circulating concentrations can vary dramatically among species. We examined the hypothesis that variation in titres of corticosterone (Cort) and testosterone (T) is related to life-history traits of avian species. We predicted that Cort would reach higher levels under stress in species with higher annual adult survival rates since Cort is thought to promote physiological and behavioural responses that reduce risk to the individual. Conversely, we predicted that peak T during the breeding season would be higher in short-lived species with high mating effort as this hormone is known to promote male fecundity traits. We quantified circulating hormone concentrations and key life-history traits (annual adult survival rate, breeding season length, body mass) in males of free-living bird species during the breeding season at a temperate site (northern USA) and a tropical site (central Panama). We analysed our original data by themselves, and also combined with published data on passerine birds to enhance sample size. In both approaches, variation in baseline Cort (Cort0) among species was inversely related to breeding season length and body mass. Stress-induced corticosterone (MaxCort) also varied inversely with body mass and, as predicted, also varied positively with annual adult survival rates. Furthermore, species from drier and colder environments exhibited lower MaxCort than mesic and tropical species; T was lowest in species from tropical environments. These findings suggest that Cort0, MaxCort and T modulate key vertebrate life-history responses to the environment, with Cort0 supporting energetically demanding processes, MaxCort promoting survival and T being related to mating success.

scholarly journals Population dynamics of the endangered mountain ecotype of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in British Columbia, Canada

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heiko Wittmer ◽  
BN McLellan ◽  
DR Seip ◽  
JA Young ◽  
TA Kinley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus Caribou ◽  
Vital Rates ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Annual Survival

We used census results and radiotelemetry locations of >380 collared individuals sampled over the entire distribution of the endangered mountain ecotype of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou (Gmelin, 1788)) in British Columbia, Canada, to delineate population structure and document the size and trend of the identified populations. We also describe the spatial pattern of decline and the causes and timing of adult mortality and provide estimates of vital rates necessary to develop a population viability analysis. Our results indicate that the abundance of mountain caribou in British Columbia is declining. We found adult female annual survival rates below annual survival rates commonly reported for large ungulates. The major proximate cause of population decline appears to be predation on adult caribou. Spatial patterns of population dynamics revealed a continuous range contraction and an increasing fragmentation of mountain caribou into smaller, isolated subpopulations. The population fragmentation process predominantly occurs at the outer boundaries of the current distribution. Our results indicate that recovery strategies for mountain caribou should be directed at factors contributing to the fragmentation and isolation of mountain caribou populations as well as management strategies aimed at increasing adult survival. © 2005 NRC Canada.

scholarly journals The influence of climate variability on demographic rates of avian Afro-palearctic migrants

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomáš Telenský ◽  
Petr Klvaňa ◽  
Miroslav Jelínek ◽  
Jaroslav Cepák ◽  
Jiří Reif
Keyword(s):  
Climate Variability ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Demographic Rates ◽  
Temporal Variance ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Trophic Mismatch

Abstract Climate is an important driver of changes in animal population size, but its effect on the underlying demographic rates remains insufficiently understood. This is particularly true for avian long-distance migrants which are exposed to different climatic factors at different phases of their annual cycle. To fill this knowledge gap, we used data collected by a national-wide bird ringing scheme for eight migratory species wintering in sub-Saharan Africa and investigated the impact of climate variability on their breeding productivity and adult survival. While temperature at the breeding grounds could relate to the breeding productivity either positively (higher food availability in warmer springs) or negatively (food scarcity in warmer springs due to trophic mismatch), water availability at the non-breeding should limit the adult survival and the breeding productivity. Consistent with the prediction of the trophic mismatch hypothesis, we found that warmer springs at the breeding grounds were linked with lower breeding productivity, explaining 29% of temporal variance across all species. Higher water availability at the sub-Saharan non-breeding grounds was related to higher adult survival (18% temporal variance explained) but did not carry-over to breeding productivity. Our results show that climate variability at both breeding and non-breeding grounds shapes different demographic rates of long-distance migrants.

scholarly journals Human pressures filter out the less resilient demographic strategies in natural populations of plants and animals worldwide

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Merrien ◽  
Katrina Joan Davis ◽  
Pol Capdevila ◽  
Moreno Di Marco ◽  
Roberto Salguero-Gomez
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Vital Rates ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Animal Populations

The exponential growth that has characterised human societies since the industrial revolution has fundamentally modified our surroundings. Examples include rapid increases in agricultural fields, now accounting for 37% of the land surface, as well as increases in urban areas, projected to triple worldwide by 2030. As such, understanding how species have adapted to and will respond to increasing human pressures is of key importance. Resilience, the ability of an ecological system to resist, recover, and even benefit from disturbances, is a key concept in this regard. Here, using a recently develop comparative demographic framework, we examine how the inherent ability of 921 natural populations of 279 plants and 45 animal species worldwide to respond to disturbances correlates with human settlement size and human activities. We develop a spatially and phylogenetically explicit model parameterised with life history traits and metrics of demographic resilience using the open-access COMPADRE and COMADRE databases, coupled with high-resolution human impact information via the Human Footprint database. We expected: (H1) populations located nearer urban areas to have a greater ability to resist, recover, or benefit from human-related disturbances compared to pristine habitats; (H2) human effects on the responses of animal populations to disturbances to depend on the ability for long-distance mobility; and (H3): human pressures to constrain the repertoire of life history strategies of animal and plant species via their effects on underlying vital rates and life history traits. We find that: (1) urban areas host a limited diversity of strategies that achieve demographic resilience with, on average, more resistant and faster-recovery populations located near human activities than in pristine habitats; (2) species with limited mobility tend to be more strongly affected by human activities than those with long-distance mobility; and (3) human pressures correlate with a limited set of vital rates and life history traits, including the ability to shrink, and reproduce earlier. Our results provide a tangible picture of how, having drastically transformed terrestrial landscapes, humans have shaped the ways animals and plants respond to disturbances.

scholarly journals Predation and survival in reintroduced populations of the Common hamster Cricetus cricetus in the Netherlands

2020 ◽  
Vol 100 (6) ◽  
pp. 569-579
Author(s):  
Maurice J. J. La Haye ◽  
Ruud J. M. van Kats ◽  
Gerard J. D. M. Müskens ◽  
Caspar A. Hallmann ◽  
Eelke Jongejans
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Cricetus Cricetus ◽  
Active Season ◽  
Common Hamster ◽  
Viable Population ◽  
Survival And Reproduction ◽  
Small Mustelids

AbstractEuropean populations of Common hamster (Cricetus cricetus) have dramatically declined in the last decades, and in many EU countries, the species is on the brink of extinction. In the Netherlands, a research and reintroduction program was started in three areas with hamster-friendly management to reverse the decline of the species. Since 2002, more than 800 captive-bred and wild-born hamsters were monitored using implant radiotransmitters to quantify survival rates and discover the main causes of death after release compared to those of wild individuals. Individuals with a transmitter were regularly checked at their burrow. Predation by foxes, birds of prey, and small mustelids was the most important cause of mortality of this medium-sized rodent, while crop type and harvest regime were also likely to be important drivers as they influenced survival rates through the presence or absence of protective cover. The fitted weekly survival model showed that male hamsters had much lower survival rates during the active season than females, which corresponds with the ‘risky male hypothesis’. Survival rates of females appeared too low to keep populations at a stable level. To establish a viable population, more optimal environmental conditions for both survival and reproduction of the hamsters are necessary. Using electric fences around fields with hamsters significantly increased the survival of females. However, hamster conservationists need to consider not just subadult and adult survival rates, but also habitat connectivity, weather effects on reproduction, and alternative agricultural practices on a landscape scale.

Life in the Slow Lane: Ecology and Conservation of Long-Lived Marine Animals

1999 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Population Growth Rates ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
The Status

<em>Abstract.</em> —Seabirds become mature at a late age, experience low annual fecundity, often refrain from breeding, and enjoy annual adult survival rates as high as 98%. This suite of life history characteristics limits the capacity for seabird populations to recover quickly from major perturbations, and presents important conservation challenges. Concern over anthropogenic impacts on seabird populations has led to the initiation of long-term field programs to monitor seabird reproductive performance and population dynamics. In addition, seabirds have been recognized as potentially useful and economical indicators of the state of the marine environment and, in particular, the status of commercially important prey stocks. This paper reviews demographic and life history attributes of seabird populations and uses this information to explore the consequences of longevity from the respective standpoints of conservation and monitoring goals. Analysis of a simplified life cycle model reveals that maximum potential population growth rates (λ) under ideal circumstances fall within the range of 1.03–1.12 for most species, though growth rates realized in nature will always be lower. Elasticity analysis confirms that seabird population growth rates are extremely sensitive to small variations in adult survival rates, and dictates that survival monitoring should be considered an essential component of conservation strategies. As in other organisms with long life spans, ecological and physiological costs of reproduction are expected to figure prominently in seabird reproductive decisions. Consequently, understanding how seabirds allocate reproductive effort in response to varying environmental conditions is an important prerequisite for correctly interpreting field data from monitoring studies.

Life-history reference points for management of an exploited tropical seahorse

2013 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siân K. Morgan ◽  
Amanda C. J. Vincent
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Reef Fishes ◽  
Reproductive Activity ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Growth Equation ◽  
Vital Rates ◽  
Underwater Visual Census ◽  
Population Turnover

The present research provides the first demographic reference points for tropical seahorses, relevant to conservation of this largely tropical genus Hippocampus, which is listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II. Findings defined the life-history and in situ vital rates of the tiger tail seahorse, H. comes, expanding previous understanding of demographic diversity in reef fishes. We quantified growth, reproduction and survival rates, drawing on mark–recapture intervals from focal observations, underwater visual census and fisheries landings data. The smallest settled individual was 2.7 cm and first benthic cohorts measured 3.0–4.0 cm. Assuming individually variable growth, the mean parameters for the von Bertalanffy growth equation were Linf = 16.7 cm, K = 2.9 year–1 and t0 = 0.03. Physical maturity occurred at 9.3 cm, reproductive activity at 11.6 cm and annual recruitment during the dry, inter-monsoon window from February to May. Size-dependent survivorship ranged from 3.5% to 45.0% year–1 and longevity was ≥2.5 years. In H. comes, characteristics governing population turnover align with opportunistic strategists, whereas reproductive traits align more closely with equilibrium strategists. Non-extractive marine reserves are one management approach that could serve such intermediate strategists, providing refugia for colonisation, while protecting important large, fecund adults.

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