Timing is everything: flexible phenology and shifting selection in a colonial seabird

Reed, Thomas E.; Warzybok, Pete; Wilson, Alastair J.; Bradley, Russell W.; Wanless, Sarah; Sydeman, William J.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2656.2008.01503.x

Cited by 105 publications

(100 citation statements)

References 61 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Concurrently, hatching was progressively delayed at both colonies, in contrast to many other studies documenting that earlier breeding is a common response of seabirds to a warming climate (e.g. Moe et al 2009, Reed et al 2009, Votier et al 2009, Watanuki et al 2009). Delayed breeding parallel to increasing temperatures has, however, also been demonstrated for some seabird populations in both the northern (Frederiksen et al 2004, Moe et al 2009, Shultz et al 2009) and southern hemisphere (e.g.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 90%

Forage fish abundance is a predictor of timing of breeding and hatching brood size in a coastal seabird

Lorentsen¹,

Anker‐Nilssen²,

Erikstad³

et al. 2015

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Current and future climate alterations might impact ecological processes like timing of breeding. We used multivariate linear models to assess the importance of food availability and climate on timing of breeding and hatching brood size of European shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis in 2 colonies, Sklinna (65° N) and Røst (67° N), in the Norwegian Sea over 21 yr (1989 to 2009). Predictor variables were ICES abundance estimates of young saithe Pollachius virens, the staple food of shags in these colonies, the previous winter's North Atlantic Oscillation index (wNAO), and sea surface and air temperatures. Annual population size was included to control for density-dependent effects. The best model for hatching date explained 15% (Sklinna) and 70% (Røst) of the variation and showed that shags bred earlier when 1 yr old saithe were more abundant. The model for Røst also included 2 yr old saithe and wNAO. The best model for hatching brood size explained 40% (Sklinna) and 48% (Røst) and included a positive effect of population size at both sites. The model for Røst also included a positive effect of 1 yr old saithe. Our study demonstrates that abundance of 1 yr old saithe is a key factor for the breeding performance of shags in both colonies, whereas the climate variables were of less importance. Delayed breeding and low brood size were not associated with a high population of breeders, indicating breeding performance was density-independent and that the positive relationship between breeding numbers and saithe abundance mainly reflected variation in non-breeding among established breeders.

show abstract

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 90%

Forage fish abundance is a predictor of timing of breeding and hatching brood size in a coastal seabird

Lorentsen¹,

Anker‐Nilssen²,

Erikstad³

et al. 2015

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Unfortunately, we lack data on the seasonal variation in food web components to estimate all the time lags involved. However, other studies on Farallon seabird phenology (Abraham & Sydeman 2004, Reed et al 2009, Wolf et al 2009) and seabird phenology elsewhere in the world (Frederiksen et al 2004, Barbraud & Weimerskirch 2006, Reed et al 2006 have inferred, rather than demonstrated, that environmental relationships are due to variation in prey resources. In short, it seems that wintertime upwelling 'pre-conditions' the system and is important to the growth and development of many prey species that are likely related to the foraging success, body condition, and timing of breeding for these seabirds.…”

Section: Ecosystem Pre-conditioningmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Also, January through March is a very active period of fertilization/ parturition for some species of rockfish in the California Current (Eschevarria & Lenarz 1984). Reed et al (2009) used estimates of juvenile rockfish to show a relationship with murre phenology, although the forage fish data were obtained in May to June, after the egg-laying period of murres. Unfortunately, we lack data on the seasonal variation in food web components to estimate all the time lags involved.…”

Section: Ecosystem Pre-conditioningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Winter pre-conditioning of seabird phenology in the California Current

Schroeder¹,

Sydeman²,

Sarkar³

et al. 2009

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Climate change is predicted to affect the phasing and amplitude of upwelling in eastern boundary current marine ecosystems. Effects may be strongest during the spring or summer 'upwelling season,' but may also be influential during winter before the spring transition. We tested the hypothesis that wintertime environmental forcing 'pre-conditions' the ecosystem and affects the timing and success of breeding in 2 species of seabird, Cassin's auklet Ptychoramphus aleuticus and common murre Uria aalge, reproducing in the central California Current. Time series of the mean and variance of egg-laying dates were correlated with regional winds and sea surface temperature, which were used as proxies for the forcing and oceanic response of coastal upwelling, respectively. Winter proxies of upwelling were the most significant determinants of seabird reproductive phenology, with anomalously strong upwelling in January to March leading to earlier dates of egg-laying in both species. We hypothesized that anomalous (early) winter upwelling, even of weak magnitude or short duration, could seed the region with sufficient nutrients to enhance productivity and prey availability, leading to a healthier adult breeding population and an earlier start to the breeding season. The magnitude of the previous year's November winds were also positively correlated with the variance of egg-laying dates for the common murre, with upwelling-favorable winds leading to greater synchrony in egg-laying. We conclude that winter environmental conditions are important determinants of ecosystem dynamics in the California Current, and that seabird phenology is a particularly useful ecosystem indicator.

show abstract

“…The response of populations and species to climate change is strongly linked to ecological and evolutionary processes [9]. Such processes rely on genetic adaptation and/or phenotypic plasticity [10,11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phenological response of sea turtles to environmental variation across a species' northern range

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Variations in environmental parameters (e.g. temperature) that form part of global climate change have been associated with shifts in the timing of seasonal events for a broad range of organisms. Most studies evaluating such phenological shifts of individual taxa have focused on a limited number of locations, making it difficult to assess how such shifts vary regionally across a species range. Here, by using 1445 records of the date of first nesting for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) at different breeding sites, on different continents and in different years across a broad latitudinal range (25 -398 0 N), we demonstrate that the gradient of the relationship between temperature and the date of first breeding is steeper at higher latitudes, i.e. the phenological responses to temperature appear strongest at the poleward range limit. These findings support the hypothesis that biological changes in response to climate change will be most acute at the poleward range limits and are in accordance with the predictions of MacArthur's hypothesis that poleward range limit for species range is environmentally limited. Our findings imply that the poleward populations of loggerheads are more sensitive to climate variations and thus they might display the impacts of climate change sooner and more prominently.

show abstract

Timing is everything: flexible phenology and shifting selection in a colonial seabird

Cited by 105 publications

References 61 publications

Forage fish abundance is a predictor of timing of breeding and hatching brood size in a coastal seabird

Forage fish abundance is a predictor of timing of breeding and hatching brood size in a coastal seabird

Winter pre-conditioning of seabird phenology in the California Current

Phenological response of sea turtles to environmental variation across a species' northern range

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About