Ontogenetic niche shifts as a driver of seasonal migration

Fokkema, Wimke; Jeugd, Henk P. van der; Lameris, Thomas K.; Dokter, Adriaan M.; Ebbinge, B.S.; Roos, André M. de; Nolet, Bart A.; Piersma, Theunis; Olff, Han

doi:10.1007/s00442-020-04682-0

Cited by 22 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 121 publications

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“…The majority of all animal species undergo ontogenetic diet shifts [7]. Even in species that grow relatively little after birth, such as birds and mammals, niche shifts occur [7,37]. Because of their small size, newborn individuals are constrained in the type of food they can eat [38].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Competition among small individuals hinders adaptive radiation despite ecological opportunity

Brink

Seehausen

2022

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Ontogenetic diet shifts, where individuals change their resource use during development, are the rule rather than the exception in the animal world. Here, we aim to understand how such changes in diet during development affect the conditions for an adaptive radiation in the presence of ecological opportunity. We use a size-structured consumer–resource model and the adaptive dynamics approach to study the ecological conditions for speciation. We assume that small individuals all feed on a shared resource. Large individuals, on the other hand, have access to multiple food sources on which they can specialize. We find that competition among small individuals can hinder an adaptive radiation to unfold, despite plenty of ecological opportunity for large individuals. When small individuals experience strong competition for food, they grow slowly and only a few individuals are recruited to the larger size classes. Hence, competition for food among large individuals is weak and there is therefore no disruptive selection. In addition, initial conditions determine if an adaptive radiation occurs or not. A consumer population initially dominated by small individuals will not radiate. On the other hand, a population initially dominated by large individuals may undergo adaptive radiation and diversify into multiple species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Competition among small individuals hinders adaptive radiation despite ecological opportunity

Brink

Seehausen

2022

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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“…sea-ice loving) beluga, narwhal and bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus), which make seasonal migrations within the Arctic, cetaceans are seasonal visitors to the Arctic. In contrast to birds and ungulates that migrate to the Arctic for reproduction, migratory whales use the high latitude summer grounds exclusively for feeding, while reproduction occurs in low latitude winter grounds, where food availability is generally scarce or non-existent [63]. The mechanism driving this migra-tory pattern remains largely unknown.…”

Section: Cetacean Migrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Migratory vertebrates shift migration timing and distributions in a warming Arctic

et al. 2021

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Climate warming in the Arctic has led to warmer and earlier springs, and as a result, many food resources for migratory animals become available earlier in the season, as well as become distributed further northwards. To optimally profit from these resources, migratory animals are expected to arrive earlier in the Arctic, as well as shift their own spatial distributions northwards. Here, we review literature to assess whether Arctic migratory birds and mammals already show shifts in migration timing or distribution in response to the warming climate. Distribution shifts were most prominent in marine mammals, as expected from observed northward shifts of their resources. At least for many bird species, the ability to shift distributions is likely constrained by available habitat further north. Shifts in timing have been shown in many species of terrestrial birds and ungulates, as well as for polar bears. Within species, we found strong variation in shifts in timing and distributions between populations. Ou r review thus shows that many migratory animals display shifts in migration timing and spatial distribution in reaction to a warming Arctic. Importantly, we identify large knowledge gaps especially concerning distribution shifts and timing of autumn migration, especially for marine mammals. Our understanding of how migratory animals respond to climate change appears to be mostly limited by the lack of long-term monitoring studies.

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“…The high productivity of the Arctic summer is an important prerequisite for successfully raising offspring in herbivorous and insectivorous species (Fokkema et al, 2020), and is considered a main driver of migration to the Arctic (Sedinger & Raveling, 1986).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The high productivity of the Arctic summer is an important prerequisite for successfully raising offspring in herbivorous and insectivorous species (Fokkema et al., 2020 ), and is considered a main driver of migration to the Arctic (Sedinger & Raveling, 1986 ). Furthermore, 24‐hr daylight during Arctic summers dramatically improves the potential feeding time of animals that rely on eyesight to forage (Schekkerman et al., 2003 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Postnatal growth rate varies with latitude in range‐expanding geese: The role of plasticity and day length

Boom

Jeugd

Steffani

et al. 2021

Journal of Animal Ecology

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1. The postnatal growth period is a crucial life stage, with potential lifelong effects on an animal's fitness. How fast animals grow depends on their life-history strategy and rearing environment, and interspecific comparisons generally show higher growth rates at higher latitudes. However, to elucidate the mechanisms behind this gradient in growth rate, intraspecific comparisons are needed. Recently, barnacle geese expanded their Arctic breeding range from the RussianBarents Sea coast southwards, and now also breed along the Baltic and North Sea coasts. Baltic breeders shortened their migration, while barnacle geese breeding along the North Sea stopped migrating entirely.3. We collected cross-sectional data on gosling tarsus length, head length and body mass, and constructed population-specific growth curves to compare growth rates among three populations (Barents Sea, Baltic Sea and North Sea) spanning 17° in latitude. 4. Growth rate was faster at higher latitudes, and the gradient resembled the latitudinal gradient previously observed in an interspecific comparison of precocial species. Differences in day length among the three breeding regions could largely explain the observed differences in growth rate. In the Baltic, and especially in the Arctic population, growth rate was slower later in the season, most likely because of the stronger seasonal decline in food quality. 5. Our results suggest that differences in postnatal growth rate between the Arctic and temperate populations are mainly a plastic response to local environmental conditions. This plasticity can increase the individuals' ability to cope with annual variation in local conditions, but can also increase the potential to redistribute and adapt to new breeding environments.

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Ontogenetic niche shifts as a driver of seasonal migration

Cited by 22 publications

References 121 publications

Competition among small individuals hinders adaptive radiation despite ecological opportunity

Competition among small individuals hinders adaptive radiation despite ecological opportunity

Migratory vertebrates shift migration timing and distributions in a warming Arctic

Postnatal growth rate varies with latitude in range‐expanding geese: The role of plasticity and day length

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