Extreme climatic events constrain space use and survival of a ground‐nesting bird

Tanner, Evan P.; Elmore, R. Dwayne; Fuhlendorf, Samuel D.; Davis, Craig A.; Dahlgren, David K.; Orange, Jeremy P.

doi:10.1111/gcb.13505

Cited by 69 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 105 publications

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“…Similar results have been reported for northern bobwhites in Oklahoma, USA, where high temperatures may limit the amount habitat usable by northern bobwhites by >75% (Tanner et al. ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Temperature influences resource use by chestnut‐bellied scaled quail

et al. 2019

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Animals use physiological and behavioral adaptations to maintain constant body temperatures when environmental temperatures are outside of their thermoneutral zone. We define the temperature suitability bounds as the range of temperatures above and below which animals avoid locations because of unfavorable thermal conditions. Temperatures outside the temperature suitability bounds may trigger behavioral responses such as movement to cooler locations. We tested the hypothesis that temperature during late April to August influences resource selection using chestnut‐bellied scaled quail (Callipepla squamata castanogastris) as our study species. We estimated temperature suitability bounds for scaled quail and tested the prediction that ground surface temperature is a better predictor of habitat space use than black globe temperature. We compared models containing ground surface temperature and woody vegetation structure variables to test the hypothesis that including woody vegetation variables improves prediction of relative probability of use. We trapped scaled quail at five different locations in southern Texas. We located quail fitted with necklace‐style transmitters three times/week during 2013–2014. We measured ground surface and black globe temperatures at locations used by scaled quail and at random locations. We estimated percent canopy cover of cacti, subshrubs, and woody plants using 20 × 50 cm Daubenmire frames at each used and random location. We also estimated height and vertical obstruction of woody vegetation. Temperature suitability bounds of scaled were 24–43°C for the ground surface and 23–39°C for black globes. Ground surface temperature was a better predictor of relative probability of use than black globe temperature. Ground surface temperature during the warmest time of day (early afternoon, 13:30–17:29) decreased with increasing vertical obstruction after accounting for the influence of other structural variables. The best model for predicting relative probability of use by scaled quail during the warmest time of day included ground surface temperature and vertical obstruction. Use of microsites where vegetation structure is conducive to cooler temperatures is an important driver of resource selection by scaled quail during the warmest time of day in southern Texas, but availability of thermal refugia appears to be limited.

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“…Similar results have been reported for northern bobwhites in Oklahoma, USA, where high temperatures may limit the amount habitat usable by northern bobwhites by >75% (Tanner et al. ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Temperature influences resource use by chestnut‐bellied scaled quail

et al. 2019

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“…, Tanner et al. ). By capturing near‐continuous measures of survival through radio‐frequency identification, we were able to resolve the mismatch between biological observations and dynamic weather conditions that typically occur when trying to address how biological systems respond to weather extremes (Ummenhofer and Meehl ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, Tanner et al. ). This has prompted calls for improving the way climate data are collected at finer scales and integrated into population vulnerability assessments (Potter et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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How extreme is extreme? Demographic approaches inform the occurrence and ecological relevance of extreme events

Latimer

Zuckerberg

2019

Ecological Monographs

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Projected increases in the variability of both temperature and precipitation will result in the greater likelihood and magnitude of extreme weather (e.g., cold snaps, droughts, heat waves) with potential implications for animal populations. Despite the ecological consequences of extreme weather, there are several challenges in identifying extreme events and measuring their influence on key demographic processes in free‐living animals. First, there is often a mismatch between the spatial and/or temporal resolution of biological and climate data that could hinder our ability to draw accurate inferences about how species and populations respond to extreme events. Second, there are multiple approaches for identifying an extreme event ranging from statistical definitions (e.g., standardized deviates) to species‐specific biological thresholds. Lastly, the impacts of extreme weather on species can vary as a function of differences in exposure and intrinsic sensitivity to climate variability. In the Northern Hemisphere, rapid warming has contributed to a “wobblier” jet stream that promotes the higher likelihood of cold Arctic air moving southward and leading to more extreme winter conditions. Due to these conditions, the Upper Midwest experienced two of the coldest winters in the past 35 yr during 2014 and 2015. We combined radiofrequency identification technologies with fine‐scale weather data and standard capture–mark–recapture analyses to estimate weekly and overwinter survival rates of a common winter passerine, the Black‐capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus), in a near continuous fashion. Using both statistical and biological definitions of weather extremes, we found that declining ambient temperatures reduced survival (despite the presence of favorable microclimates), and that biologically defined thresholds of extreme weather were better at explaining variation in survival than statistical ones. Moreover, habitat fragmentation interacted with temperature to modify the exposure of birds to extreme weather with survival consequences, but sensitivity, as measured by body condition, did not appear to play a significant role. These results provide a novel contribution to the understanding of how extreme weather may interact with local‐ and landscape features to influence the demography of species and populations, and suggest potential opportunities for climate‐change adaptation in human‐dominated landscapes.

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“…Predation and environmental constraints broadly influence animal habitat selection, survival, and reproductive output (Caro, ; Parmesan, Root, & Willig, ; Tanner et al., ). Our results further illustrate how vegetation and weather variables associated with olfactory cover influence nest site selection and survival, respectively, for a suite of ground‐nesting birds in grasslands.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of olfactory and visual cover on nest site selection and nest success for grassland‐nesting birds

Fogarty

Elmore

Fuhlendorf

et al. 2017

Ecology and Evolution

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Habitat selection by animals is influenced by and mitigates the effects of predation and environmental extremes. For birds, nest site selection is crucial to offspring production because nests are exposed to extreme weather and predation pressure. Predators that forage using olfaction often dominate nest predator communities; therefore, factors that influence olfactory detection (e.g., airflow and weather variables, including turbulence and moisture) should influence nest site selection and survival. However, few studies have assessed the importance of olfactory cover for habitat selection and survival. We assessed whether ground‐nesting birds select nest sites based on visual and/or olfactory cover. Additionally, we assessed the importance of visual cover and airflow and weather variables associated with olfactory cover in influencing nest survival. In managed grasslands in Oklahoma, USA, we monitored nests of Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna), and Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) during 2015 and 2016. To assess nest site selection, we compared cover variables between nests and random points. To assess factors influencing nest survival, we used visual cover and olfactory‐related measurements (i.e., airflow and weather variables) to model daily nest survival. For nest site selection, nest sites had greater overhead visual cover than random points, but no other significant differences were found. Weather variables hypothesized to influence olfactory detection, specifically precipitation and relative humidity, were the best predictors of and were positively related to daily nest survival. Selection for overhead cover likely contributed to mitigation of thermal extremes and possibly reduced detectability of nests. For daily nest survival, we hypothesize that major nest predators focused on prey other than the monitored species’ nests during high moisture conditions, thus increasing nest survival on these days. Our study highlights how mechanistic approaches to studying cover informs which dimensions are perceived and selected by animals and which dimensions confer fitness‐related benefits.

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Extreme climatic events constrain space use and survival of a ground‐nesting bird

Cited by 69 publications

References 105 publications

Temperature influences resource use by chestnut‐bellied scaled quail

Temperature influences resource use by chestnut‐bellied scaled quail

How extreme is extreme? Demographic approaches inform the occurrence and ecological relevance of extreme events

Influence of olfactory and visual cover on nest site selection and nest success for grassland‐nesting birds

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