Energetics of Postnatal Growth

Weathers, Wesley W.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4613-0425-8_13

Cited by 74 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…As a proportion of the total nestling energy budget, FMR varied from a low of 77% of TME in Antarctic petrels and fulmars to a high of 85% in snow petrels. Retained energy (RE=TME-FMR) comprised 15-22% of TME, ignoring losses due to mass recession (Fig.·5); the value was similar to the 13-28% value typical of birds generally (Roby, 1991;Weathers and Sullivan, 1991;Drent et al, 1992;Weathers, 1996). Drent et al (1992) suggested that RE scales linearly with fledging mass and thus that the proportion of TME devoted to RE is relatively independent of body size.…”

Section: Nestling Energy Budgetssupporting

confidence: 56%

“…These relatively high DME values reflect the rapid growth rates of fulmarine petrels and the high costs of thermoregulation. Arctic species similarly have higher peak DME values than predicted (Weathers, 1996), a result that parallels the latitudinal gradient in hatchling metabolism (Klaassen and Drent, 1991). High TME and peak DME values suggest that obtaining sufficient food is generally not a constraint for adult fulmarine petrels, and that factors operating at the tissue level .…”

Section: Nestling Energy Budgetsmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…We employed logistic equations for mass versus age until peak mass was reached, and linear regression equations to describe mass once mass recession began. We calculated nestling energy content (EC, kJ) using the following equation from Weathers (1996): EC=[3.51+4.82(mM -1 )]m, where m=wet mass in g for the current day and M=adult mass. We calculated the daily increment in retained energy (RE, kJ·d -1 ) by subtracting the previous day's EC value from the current day's EC.…”

Section: Nestling Energy Budgetsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The consequences of growth rate variation on nestling energy requirement is complex, however, and depends upon whether one considers the total energy metabolized during growth or the energy metabolized per day. A reciprocal relationship exists between total metabolizable energy (TME) and daily metabolizable energy (DME), such that nestlings that spend longer in the nest than predicted from their mass generally have lower DME but higher TME values than nestlings that fledge sooner (Weathers, 1992(Weathers, , 1996. Consequently, although lengthening the nestling period decreases the amount of food that parents must provide their nestlings on a daily basis, it increases the total energy required per offspring and thus might negatively impact production at the population level in energy-limited environments.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Energetics of nestling growth and parental effort in Antarctic fulmarine petrels

Hodum

Weathers

2003

Journal of Experimental Biology

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One of the main evolutionary options available to birds for balancing food supply and production is to vary nestling growth rate (Ricklefs et al., 1998). The consequences of growth rate variation on nestling energy requirement is complex, however, and depends upon whether one considers the total energy metabolized during growth or the energy metabolized per day. A reciprocal relationship exists between total metabolizable energy (TME) and daily metabolizable energy (DME), such that nestlings that spend longer in the nest than predicted from their mass generally have lower DME but higher TME values than nestlings that fledge sooner (Weathers, 1992(Weathers, , 1996. Consequently, although lengthening the nestling period decreases the amount of food that parents must provide their nestlings on a daily basis, it increases the total energy required per offspring and thus might negatively impact production at the population level in energy-limited environments.Antarctic fulmarine petrels are an excellent group in which to investigate linkages between nestling energetics, growth rate, and parental effort. Like other procellariiform seabirds, they exhibit a suite of life-history traits that have long been viewed as adaptations to energy limitation arising from a patchy and unpredictable food supply (Ashmole, 1971) -production of a single chick, slow growth, a long juvenile period and high adult survival (reviewed by Warham, 1990). Yet Antarctic fulmarine petrels differ from most procellariiform species in that their chicks can grow twice as fast as predicted allometrically (Warham, 1990;Hodum, 1999). Furthermore, they breed in some of the coldest conditions encountered by any bird, with air temperatures as low as -25°C (Bech et al., 1988). Relatively fast growth in a cold environment should increase nestling energy demand and concomitantly affect parental provisioning effort.In this study, we used the doubly labeled water (DLW) technique to measure adult and nestling energy requirements in four of the five fulmarine petrel species that breed in Antarctica: the Antarctic fulmar Antarctic fulmarine petrels breed in some of the coldest conditions encountered by any bird and their young grow twice as fast as predicted allometrically. To examine the energetic consequences of fast growth in a cold environment, we used the doubly labeled water technique to measure field metabolic rates of adults (three species) and different-aged nestlings (four species) of Antarctic fulmarine petrels in the Rauer Islands, East Antarctica: Antarctic fulmar Fulmarus glacialoides, Antarctic petrel Thalassoica antarctica, Cape petrel Daption capense and snow petrel Pagodroma nivea. We used our data to assess parental effort and, together with literature values on nestling growth and resting metabolic rate, to construct and partition nestling energy budgets. Nestling total energy expenditure and peak daily metabolic rate were significantly higher than predicted allometrically (33-73% and 17-66% higher, respectively), and the relative cost of grow...

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Section: Nestling Energy Budgetssupporting

confidence: 56%

Section: Nestling Energy Budgetsmentioning

confidence: 72%

Section: Nestling Energy Budgetsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Energetics of nestling growth and parental effort in Antarctic fulmarine petrels

Hodum

Weathers

2003

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…This rigid pattern of structural growth was accompanied by a rigid development of maturity (LDF) of the muscles and the visceral organs (except intestine). The energy devoted to maintenance and growth constitute substantial parts of the total energy budget during postnatal development (Weathers, 1996). Slowing of structural growth has been regarded as one of the means to lower RMR during temporal food shortage (Schew and Ricklefs, 1998).…”

Section: Energy Allocation To Growthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developmental plasticity of physiology and morphology in diet-restricted European shag nestlings (Phalacrocorax aristotelis)

Moe

Brunvoll

Mork

et al. 2004

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Growing animals may exhibit developmental plasticity as an adaptation to variability in the environmental conditions during development. We examined physiological and morphological responses to short-term food shortage of 12-16-day-old European shag nestlings kept under laboratory conditions. After 4·days on a weight maintenance diet, the resting metabolic rate (RMR) of diet-restricted nestlings was 36.5% lower compared with control fed nestlings, after controlling for body mass. This response was accompanied by a reduction in body temperature (T b ) and by reductions in the size of several visceral organs, muscles and lipid stores, while the overall structural growth was maintained almost in line with the age-specific growth rate of controls. Hence, the pattern of energy allocation reflected a very high priority to structural growth at the expense of visceral organs, lipid deposits and muscles. The reduced T b and size of the liver served as important physiological processes behind the observed reductions in RMR. We discuss the possible adaptive significance of this differential developmental plasticity during temporal food shortage. This is the first study of avian developmental plasticity to report substantial energy saving in combination with a high structural growth rate.

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Landscape heterogeneity provides co‐benefits to predator and prey

Kuntze,

Pauli,

Zulla

et al. 2023

Ecological Applications

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Predator populations are imperiled globally, due in part to changing habitat and trophic interactions. Theoretical and laboratory studies suggest that heterogeneous landscapes containing prey refuges acting as source habitats can benefit both predator and prey populations, although the importance of heterogeneity in natural systems is uncertain. Here, we tested the hypothesis that landscape heterogeneity mediates predator–prey interactions between the California spotted owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) – a mature forest species – and one of its principal prey, the dusky‐footed woodrat (Neotoma fuscipes) – a younger forest species – to the benefit of both. We did so by combining estimates of woodrat density and survival from live‐trapping and VHF tracking with direct observations of prey deliveries to dependent young by owls in both heterogeneous and homogeneous home ranges. Woodrat abundance was approximately 2.5x higher in owl home ranges (1412 hectares) featuring greater heterogeneity in vegetation types (1805.0 ± 50.2 SE) compared to those dominated by mature forest (727.3 ± 51.9 SE), in large part because of high densities in young forests appearing to act as sources promoting woodrat densities in nearby mature forests. Woodrat mortality rates were low across vegetation types and did not differ between heterogeneous and homogeneous home ranges, yet all observed predation by owls occurred within mature forests, suggesting young forests may act as woodrat refuges. Owls exhibited a type 1 functional response, consuming approximately 2.5x more woodrats in heterogeneous (31.1/month ±5.2 SE) versus homogeneous (12.7/month ±3.7 SE) home ranges. While consumption of smaller‐bodied alternative prey partially compensated for lower woodrat consumption in homogeneous home ranges, owls nevertheless consumed 30% more biomass in heterogeneous home ranges – approximately equivalent to the energetic needs of producing one additional offspring. Thus, a mosaic of vegetation types including young forest patches increased woodrat abundance and availability that, in turn, provided energetic and potentially reproductive benefits to mature forest‐associated spotted owls. More broadly, our findings provide strong empirical evidence that heterogeneous landscapes containing prey refuges can benefit both predator and prey populations. As anthropogenic activities continue to homogenize landscapes globally, promoting heterogeneous systems with prey refuges may benefit imperiled predators.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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Energetics of Postnatal Growth

Cited by 74 publications

References 69 publications

Energetics of nestling growth and parental effort in Antarctic fulmarine petrels

Energetics of nestling growth and parental effort in Antarctic fulmarine petrels

Developmental plasticity of physiology and morphology in diet-restricted European shag nestlings (Phalacrocorax aristotelis)

Landscape heterogeneity provides co‐benefits to predator and prey

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