Contrasting effects of climate change on the timing of reproduction and reproductive success of a temperate insectivorous bat

Lučan, Radek; Weiser, Martin; Hanák, Vladimír

doi:10.1111/jzo.12021

Cited by 52 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Our estimates of reproductive success each breeding season (2010–2017), appear to be representative of our study populations, being highly correlated with juvenile cohort sizes recorded per annum. Previous studies have failed to detect any such correspondence (Burles et al., ; Frick et al., ), or between breeding phenology, which was influenced by April temperatures, and reproductive success (Lučan et al., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Spring weather conditions influence breeding phenology and reproductive success in sympatric bat populations

Linton

Macdonald

2018

Journal of Animal Ecology

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Climate is known to influence breeding phenology and reproductive success in temperate-zone bats, but long-term population level studies and interspecific comparisons are rare. Investigating the extent to which intrinsic (i.e. age), and extrinsic (i.e. spring weather conditions), factors influence such key demographic parameters as the proportion of females becoming pregnant, or completing lactation, each breeding season, is vital to understanding of bat population ecology and life-history traits. Using data from 12 breeding seasons (2006-2017), encompassing the reproductive histories of 623 Myotis daubentonii and 436 Myotis nattereri adult females, we compare rates of recruitment to the breeding population and show that these species differ in their relative sensitivity to environmental conditions and climatic variation, affecting annual reproductive success at the population level. We demonstrate that (1) spring weather conditions influence breeding phenology, with warm, dry and calm conditions leading to earlier parturition dates and advanced juvenile development, whilst cold, wet and windy weather delays birth timing and juvenile growth; (2) reproductive rates in first-year females are influenced by spring weather conditions in that breeding season and in the preceding breeding season when each cohort was born. Pregnancy and lactation rates were both higher when favourable spring foraging conditions were more prevalent; (3) reproductive success increases with age in both species, but at different rates; (4) reproductive rates were consistently higher, and showed less interannual variation, in second-year and older M. daubentonii (mean 91.55% ± 0.05 SD) than M. nattereri (mean 72.74% ± 0.15 SD); (5) estimates of reproductive success at the population level were highly correlated with the size of the juvenile cohort recorded each breeding season. Improving understanding of the influence of environmental conditions, especially extreme climatic fluctuations, and the identification of critical periods (i.e. spring for reproductive female bats in temperate zones), which have disproportionate and lasting impacts on breeding phenology and reproductive success at a population level, is critical for improving predictions of the likely impact of climate change on bat populations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Spring weather conditions influence breeding phenology and reproductive success in sympatric bat populations

Linton

Macdonald

2018

Journal of Animal Ecology

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“…Therefore, bats must increase food consumption each night to fulfill the energy demands of lactation (Kunz et al 1995). As a consequence, reproductive success in bats is highly dependent on synchronizing reproduction with peaks of food supply (Arlettaz et al 2001, Lucan et al 2013. Mismatches can extend gestation periods (Grindal et al 1992), lower annual reproductive success, and delay breeding in young of the year (Lewis 1993).…”

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confidence: 99%

Resource availability and roosting ecology shape reproductive phenology of rain forest insectivorous bats

2017

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Bats in temperate and subtropical regions typically synchronize birth of a single young with peaks in resource availability driven by local climate patterns. In tropical rain forest, insects are available throughout the year, potentially allowing departures from seasonal monoestry. However, reproductive energy budgets may be constrained by the cost of commuting to foraging grounds from distant roosts. To test these hypotheses, we simultaneously tracked female reproductive activity of 11 insectivorous bat species, insect biomass, and local weather variables for 20 months in a Malaysian rain forest. Five species roost in forest structures and hence have low commuting costs, whereas six species depend on caves, which are limited in the landscape, and are presumed to incur higher commuting costs to foraging sites. Monthly insect biomass was positively correlated with monthly rainfall, and there was a significant relationship between insect biomass and lactation in cave‐roosting but not forest‐roosting species. Cave‐roosting species were seasonally monoestrus, with parturition confined to a two‐month period, whereas in forest‐roosting species, pregnancy and lactation were recorded throughout the year. Our results suggest that the energetic costs of commuting from roosts to foraging grounds shape annual reproductive patterns in tropical rain forest insectivorous bats. Ongoing changes in forest landscapes are likely to increase these costs for cave‐roosting bats, further restricting reproductive opportunities. Climate change is projected to influence the timing of rainfall events in many tropical habitats, which may disrupt relationships between rainfall, insect biomass, and bat reproductive timing, further compromising reproductive success.

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“…Like other animals, bats are vulnerable to climate change [15], with predicted and observed effects on their biogeographic patterns and reproductive success [8,[16][17][18]. Some of these changes can be attributed to direct effects of rising temperature on temperaturedependent processes, including hibernation and reproduction [19]; other indirect effects might be mediated by habitat degradation, changes in prey abundance and extreme weather events [15,19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global warming alters sound transmission: differential impact on the prey detection ability of echolocating bats

Luo

Koselj

Zsebők

et al. 2014

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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Climate change impacts the biogeography and phenology of plants and animals, yet the underlying mechanisms are little known. Here, we present a functional link between rising temperature and the prey detection ability of echolocating bats. The maximum distance for echo-based prey detection is physically determined by sound attenuation. Attenuation is more pronounced for high-frequency sound, such as echolocation, and is a nonlinear function of both call frequency and ambient temperature. Hence, the prey detection ability, and thus possibly the foraging efficiency, of echolocating bats and susceptible to rising temperatures through climate change. Using present-day climate data and projected temperature rises, we modelled this effect for the entire range of bat call frequencies and climate zones around the globe. We show that depending on call frequency, the prey detection volume of bats will either decrease or increase: species calling above a crossover frequency will lose and species emitting lower frequencies will gain prey detection volume, with crossover frequency and magnitude depending on the local climatic conditions. Within local species assemblages, this may cause a change in community composition. Global warming can thus directly affect the prey detection ability of individual bats and indirectly their interspecific interactions with competitors and prey.

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Contrasting effects of climate change on the timing of reproduction and reproductive success of a temperate insectivorous bat

Abstract: We used long-term datasets to analyse (1) the patterns of covariation between basic climatic variables (temperature and rainfall) and the timing of reproduction and reproductive success; and (2) long-term trends in both reproductive param

Cited by 52 publications

References 42 publications

Spring weather conditions influence breeding phenology and reproductive success in sympatric bat populations

Spring weather conditions influence breeding phenology and reproductive success in sympatric bat populations

Resource availability and roosting ecology shape reproductive phenology of rain forest insectivorous bats

Global warming alters sound transmission: differential impact on the prey detection ability of echolocating bats

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