A putative effect of ambient temperature during the rut on time of calving in young red deer hinds

Fisher, M. W.; Johnstone, P. D.

doi:10.1080/00288233.2002.9513520

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…after rainfall; Clutton-Brock et al 1982;Douchard et al 2013). Therefore, we can only speculate that: (i) the conception advance observed might be associated with higher male activity as vocalization, smell or visualization of preferred males can advance hind ovulation (McComb 1987;Komers et al 1999); (ii) rainfall at the end of summer (September) has been described as a crucial factor for acorn maturation (García-Mozo et al 2012), allowing hinds to faster recover body condition and, hence, ovulation is advanced (Asher & Pollard 2003); and (iii) rainfall or temperature act as a predictive cue to induce estrus along with photoperiod (Fisher & Johnstone 2002;Wolcott et al 2015;Kourkgy et al 2016). Nevertheless, these hypotheses should be further explored in an experimental study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the temperate zone, red deer mating is rigidly controlled by photoperiod, which has been considered the principal factor influencing the timing of the rutting season (Jaczewski 1954;Lincoln 1998;Asher et al 2011). In Mediterranean areas, it has been manifested in the popular literature that the onset of the deer breeding season is triggered, apart from the photoperiod, by environmental cues, such as the moon phase (although the theory has been repeatedly rejected; Moe et al 2007;Dye et al 2012) or the beginning of autumn rains, which to the extent of our knowledge, has not yet been scientifically tested on red deer (but see Fisher & Johnstone 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Climate, female traits and population features as drivers of breeding timing in Mediterranean red deer populations

Peláez

Miguel

Rodrı́guez-Vigal³

et al. 2017

Integrative Zoology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Understanding the factors that lead to variation in the timing of breeding in widespread species such as red deer (Cervus elaphus) is crucial to predict possible responses of wild populations to different climate scenarios. Here, we sought to further understand the causes of inter-annual variation in the reproduction timing of female deer in Mediterranean environments. An integrative approach was used to identify the relative importance of individual, population and climate traits in the date of conception of free-ranging deer, based on a dataset of 829 hinds culled during 12 years. We found that a population trait, density, was the most important factor explaining the variation in conception dates, with greater densities causing later conception dates. Body mass was the second in importance, with heavier females conceiving earlier than lighter ones. Almost equally important was the spring real bioclimatic index, a measure of plant productivity, causing later conception dates in the least productive springs (drier and hotter). Another climatic component, the end of summer drought, showed that the sooner the autumn arrives (greater rainfalls and cooler temperatures) the earlier the conception dates. Interestingly, age class was found to be a minor factor in determining conception date. Only older females (≥10 years old) conceived significantly later, suggesting reproductive senescence. This study highlights not only the importance of population and individual traits but also the influence of climatic parameters on the deer reproductive cycle in Mediterranean environments, giving valuable insight into how reproductive phenology may respond to seasonality and global climate changes.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate, female traits and population features as drivers of breeding timing in Mediterranean red deer populations

Peláez

Miguel

Rodrı́guez-Vigal³

et al. 2017

Integrative Zoology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Later onset of autumn delayed parturition the following spring, most likely because low temperatures and therefore decreased vegetation quality may act as a cue to induce conception. Indeed, ambient temperature has been recorded to affect the timing of the onset of breeding season in domestic animals (Dutt & Bush ; Godley, Wilson & Hurst ; Sadleir ; Fisher & Johnstone ). In pasture‐farmed red deer hinds, an earlier calving date of 3 days for every 1°C drop in minimum air temperature during the rut was reported (Fisher & Johnstone ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Environmental variables such as food availability and temperatures may act as cues to induce these important stages of their reproductive cycle. For instance, in domestic animals, ambient temperatures impact the onset of the breeding season (Dutt & Bush ; Godley, Wilson & Hurst ; Sadleir ; Fisher & Johnstone ). Therefore, lower temperatures and plant senescence appearing at the onset of autumn are likely to initiate conception in wild herbivores and could thus be a driver of phenological biological events in species living in seasonal environment, although it has to our knowledge rarely been investigated in temperate species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Onset of autumn shapes the timing of birth in Pyrenean chamois more than onset of spring

Kourkgy

Garel

Appolinaire

et al. 2016

Journal of Animal Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In seasonal environments, birth dates are a central component for a species' life history, with potential long-term fitness consequences. Yet our understanding of selective pressures of environmental changes on birth dates is limited in wild mammals due to the difficulty of data collection. In a context of rapid climate change, the question of a possible mismatch between plant phenology and birth phenology also remains unanswered for most species. We assessed whether and how the timing of birth in a mountain mammal (isard, also named Pyrenean chamois, Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica) tracked changes in plant growing season, accounting for maternal traits, individual heterogeneity and population density. We not only focused on spring conditions but also assessed to what extent onset of autumn can be a driver of phenological biological events and compared the magnitude of the response to the magnitude of the environmental changes. We relied on a 22-year study based on intensively monitored marked individuals of known age. Births were highly synchronized (80% of kids born within 25 days) and highly repeatable (84%; between-female variation of 9.6 days, within-female variation of 4.2 days). Individual phenotypic plasticity allows females to respond rapidly to interannual changes in plant phenology but did not prevent the existence of a mismatch: a 10-day advance in the autumn or spring plant phenology led to 3.9 and 1.3 days advance in birth dates, respectively. Our findings suggest that plant phenology may act as a cue to induce important stages of the reproductive cycle (e.g. conception and gestation length), subsequently affecting parturition dates, and stressed the importance of focusing on long-term changes during spring for which females may show much lower adaptive potential than during autumn. These results also question the extent to which individual plasticity along with high heterogeneity among individuals will allow species to cope with demographic consequences of climate changes.

show abstract

“…In Mediterranean areas, it has been manifested in the popular literature that the onset of the deer breeding season is triggered, apart from the photoperiod, by environmental cues, such as the moon phase (although the theory has been repeatedly rejected; Moe et al, 2007;Dye et al, 2012) or the beginning of autumn rains, which to the extent of our knowledge, has not yet been scientifically tested on red deer (but see Fisher & Johnstone, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of environmental variation on the reproduction of two widespread cervid species

Beato¹

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A putative effect of ambient temperature during the rut on time of calving in young red deer hinds

Cited by 4 publications

References 15 publications

Climate, female traits and population features as drivers of breeding timing in Mediterranean red deer populations

Climate, female traits and population features as drivers of breeding timing in Mediterranean red deer populations

Onset of autumn shapes the timing of birth in Pyrenean chamois more than onset of spring

Effects of environmental variation on the reproduction of two widespread cervid species

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About