Conservation Physiology最新文献

{"title":"Influences of body protein and body fat on oestrus of yearling caribou.","authors":"Kristin Denryter","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag082","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag082","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Age of primiparity is a critical demographic parameter that influences lifetime reproductive success and fitness. Caribou (<i>Rangifer tarandus</i>) exhibit variation in age of primiparity but generally are considered sexually immature (i.e. do not ovulate or achieve pregnancy) until they are ≥2.5 years old, unless nutrition is exceptional. Using captive, female, yearling caribou, I tested the exceptional nutrition hypothesis, focusing on ovulation because caribou were not permitted to breed. I quantified faecal progesterone concentrations throughout the breeding season and compared those to estimates of body mass, body fat and body protein of caribou. Body mass of yearling caribou ranged from 90.9 to 122.7 kg, body fat varied almost 5-fold (6.3-31.1%) and body protein ranged from 13.7 to 21.2 kg. Faecal progesterone ranged from 89 to 3334 ng/mg (673 ± 13; mean ± SE). Despite highly variable nutritional condition, all <i>n</i> = 11 yearlings exhibited oestrus. Mean date of first oestrus among yearling females was 22 October (±3 days) and caribou initiated oestrus 3.8 days earlier for every 1 kg increase in body protein. Yearling caribou experienced 3-9 (5.6 ± 0.7) oestrous cycles and for every 1% point increase in ingesta-free body fat, number of oestrous cycles between October and March increased by 0.3. Yearlings ovulated even in relatively marginal nutritional condition, indicating exceptional nutrition was not required for ovulation. Population assessments assuming yearling caribou are largely sexually immature may require additional scrutiny or contextualization, particularly if they are used to gauge nutritional status of populations to inform alternative conservation and management strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag082"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13674547/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149217277","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Recent progress on the conservation physiology of birds and bats: facing a changing world on the wing.","authors":"Léa Lorrain-Soligon, Rodolfo O Anderson, Christine L Madliger, Nicholas C Wu","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag074","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coag074","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag074"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13662805/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149197501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Xenobiotic exposure may confound traditional stress biomarkers: evaluating perfluoropentanoic acid and cadmium effects on largemouth bass (<i>Micropterus nigricans</i>) leukocyte profiles.","authors":"Anthony Ryan Johnson, Tyler Steven Coleman, Jasmine B Nasser, Maggie McGreal, Kyle R Piller, Christopher M Murray","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag077","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag077","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding how contaminants influence physiological stress is vital for conserving aquatic organisms in increasingly altered environments. We examined whether exposure to cadmium (Cd) or perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)-a short-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance-altered neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLRs) in largemouth bass (Micropterus nigricans) under controlled laboratory conditions. Using NLR as a leukocyte-based biomarker associated with physiological stress responses, we compared five groups (control, Cd low, Cd high, PFPeA low, PFPeA high) across four sampling periods (baseline, post-treatment, 3 h after an abrupt salinity increase and 7 days later). High PFPeA exposure elevated NLR values within 4 days of treatment relative to the other groups. Following salinity exposure, all groups exhibited acute increases in NLR; however, elevated NLR persisted only in the high-PFPeA group 1 week later. Neither Cd treatment nor low PFPeA exposure altered NLR relative to controls. Our findings suggest that high PFPeA exposure may alter leukocyte dynamics and influence the interpretation of leukocyte-based stress biomarkers in freshwater fishes exposed to additional environmental stressors. More broadly, xenobiotic contaminants may complicate the interpretation of physiological biomarkers used in conservation and management contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag077"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13640471/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149118584","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterizing metabolic responses of <i>Eleutherodactylus</i> frogs in Puerto Rico to different thermal treatments: implications for conservation.","authors":"Rafael Chaparro, Ana C Rivera-Burgos, Adam J Terando, Mitchell J Eaton, Jaime A Collazo, Eloy Martinez","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag075","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag075","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Amphibians are increasingly vulnerable to extinction due to physiological stress induced by projected global warming and associated drying trends. Understanding the underlying mechanisms and consequences of these responses is crucial to developing effective conservation strategies. Puerto Rico hosts 15 endemic <i>Eleutherodactylus</i> frog species, which are particularly vulnerable to environmental changes due to poor vagility and narrow thermotolerance. In this study, we report routine metabolic rates (RMRs) of four species in response to four temperature treatments (15, 20, 25 and 30°C) at two temporal scales (24 and 72 hours) using indirect calorimetry. Results indicated that three species exhibited increased RMR with rising temperatures. The RMR at 25°C for <i>E. wightmanae</i> was spurious, and it was the only species that did not survive at 30°C. The Arrhenius breakpoint analysis indicated that <i>E. juanariveroi</i> RMR decreased between 25 and 30°C. In contrast, <i>E. antillensis</i> and <i>E. coqui</i> RMR increased with increasing assay temperatures. We discuss how diel metabolic demands decrease the scope at both thermal extremes for <i>E. antillensis</i> and <i>E. coqui</i>, and how habitat temperature may impinge energetic challenges to those coping with documented warming trends, such as <i>E. wightmanae</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag075"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13640470/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149118603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Humpback whales on maternity leave: when nursing mothers and growing calves can't afford to rest.","authors":"John Howieson","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag078","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coag078","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag078"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13632533/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149118561","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Beyond the hatchery: testing managed wetland impoundments as semi-natural rearing habitat for endangered Delta Smelt.","authors":"Florian Mauduit, Dennis E Cocherell, Shawn Acuña, Nann A Fangue","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coag076","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Conservation of the endangered Delta Smelt (<i>Hypomesus transpacificus</i>), endemic to the San Francisco Estuary (CA, USA), increasingly relies on captive propagation. Yet fish reared under standard hatchery conditions may not develop the behaviours and physiological traits necessary for survival following release. Semi-natural rearing environments that expose fish to natural environmental variability while maintaining protection from predators and other risks can address this challenge. We evaluated the potential of managed wetland impoundments equipped with floating wetland as semi-natural rearing habitats for Delta Smelt before supplementation. Three field deployments were conducted on Bouldin Island between winter 2022 and spring 2023. We monitored survival, growth, glycogen reserves, cortisol concentrations, environmental conditions and zooplankton communities. Survival was high during winter and early spring but declined later in spring as temperatures approached ca. 20-23°C and repeated low-oxygen events occurred. Growth responses varied among deployments and treatments. Fish exhibited depletion of glycogen reserves during field exposure, consistent with increased energetic demand or adjustment to natural foraging conditions. Cortisol concentrations increased over time, indicating rising physiological challenge as environmental conditions became more demanding. Floating wetlands slightly reduced diurnal fluctuations in temperature and dissolved oxygen but did not improve fish performance. Zooplankton communities were dominated by suboptimal prey taxa, suggesting prey quality may have constrained energetic condition. These results suggest that managed impoundments can function as transitional habitats that help prepare hatchery-reared Delta Smelt for natural conditions before release. However, their effectiveness will depend on seasonal timing, prey availability and water-quality conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag076"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13630425/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149118581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A migratory herbivore responds to rapid changes in food supply: diet and body condition of an arctic caribou herd at onset of green-up.","authors":"Cecelia J Giesen, Joelle Hepler, Shawna A Karpovich, Christopher S Swingley, Perry S Barboza","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag073","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag073","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Annual migration of ungulates is often correlated with regional and seasonal plant growth, but are smaller scale movements of individuals related to fitness? We investigated the response of wild caribou to variation in plant phenology. We used faecal transects to evaluate spatial differences in diet in one growing season after the onset of spring plant growth had occurred (green-up). We captured 110 females (1-15 years) from the Teshekpuk Caribou herd over three years (14-28 June 2022-2024). We measured diet and corresponding indices of body condition of captured caribou at various stages of green-up. Plant growth (normalized differentiation vegetation index) at capture locations was greatest in 2023 when captures followed the onset of green-up. We sampled faeces and blood to measure concentrations of albumin and urea N in serum, and to measure δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C to track N and C from diet. Faecal concentrations of N (crude protein) indicated that diet quality was highest in 2023 (20.3%) after onset of green-up when caribou were closest to the coast and lowest in 2022 (5.6%) before onset of green-up when caribou were furthest inland. Serum albumin (4.4 g/dL) and urea N (9.9 mmol/L) concentrations were greatest in 2023, which was consistent with high N supplies after onset of green-up. Faecal δ¹⁵N values were lowest in 2022 and highest in 2024, which suggests diets dominated by lichens and graminoids, respectively. In 2023, even though some samples were from later into green-up, intermediate values for δ¹⁵N and low values for δ¹³C in blood and faeces were consistent with browsing near the coast. Changes in diet that can influence gain of body protein and thus the growth and reproductive potential of females were related to locations of caribou in the 14d window of green-up.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag073"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13617160/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149076670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Heart rate biologging as a tool to understand the energetic needs of life history states.","authors":"Clare Stawski, Fritz Geiser, Gerhard Körtner, Shannon Currie","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag072","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag072","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Energy is vital for life, and the energetic needs of an organism can be quantified via its metabolic rate, for which measurements have traditionally been restricted to the laboratory. Alternatively, heart rate has been shown to be an excellent predictor of metabolic rate under laboratory conditions and can provide long-term measurements from free-ranging individuals at fine temporal resolution. We quantified the relationship between metabolic rate, heart rate and body temperature of a small arboreal marsupial, Krefft's glider (<i>Petaurus notatus;</i> ~125 g) and how their energetic needs are affected by reproductive condition. Gliders were housed in a large outdoor aviary that experienced natural weather variations. We measured heart rate and body temperature continuously with internal implanted data loggers, and metabolic rates were intermittently measured in a laboratory with open flow respirometry. In addition to establishing a positive curvilinear relationship between heart rate and metabolic rate, these data were also used to calculate daily energy expenditure while gliders were in the outdoor aviaries. Daily energy expenditure decreased from winter to spring, indicating a strong seasonal influence, which likely resulted in lactating females utilizing less energy during spring than gestating females during winter. Understanding the energetic requirements of species under different life history states is vital for understanding their ecology and ultimately conservation management.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag072"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13618255/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149076690","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quantifying iris pigmentation irregularities following an avian influenza outbreak: implications for population-level disease surveillance in a colonial seabird.","authors":"Christina Petalas, Jolene A Giacinti, Jean-Francois Rail, Raphaël A Lavoie, Jennifer F Provencher, Stephanie Avery-Gomm, Kyle H Elliott, Yannick Seyer","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag069","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag069","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Emerging infectious diseases can have catastrophic impacts on wildlife populations, yet identifying individuals that survived exposure, especially when external symptoms are absent, remains challenging. Since 2021, a virulent strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV; H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b) has caused unprecedented mortality in wild birds. Northern gannets (<i>Morus bassanus</i>) suffered dramatic mortality and reproductive failure at North America's largest colony in 2022. Following the outbreak, Lane <i>et al.</i> reported that a subset of gannets at a UK colony displayed darkened irises associated with HPAIV seropositivity. Here, we build on this work by quantifying iris pigmentation irregularity and evaluating whether greater irregularity predicts prior exposure, measured by anti-nucleoprotein (NP) and anti-hemagglutinin (H5) antibodies with standardized field-based photography. Iris pigmentation was strongly associated (<i>ρ</i> = -0.72) with NP antibody reactivity (S/N ratios), and the probability of NP seropositivity increased with irregularity (50% at 40% irregularity, 65% at 50%, and >90% above ~77%). We observed weaker positive associations with H5 antibody reactivity (percent inhibition, PI%; <i>ρ</i> = 0.30), consistent with differences in antibody persistence and detection dynamics. Among NP-seropositive individuals, NP antibody reactivity did not vary with iris irregularity, whereas H5 antibody reactivity increased with pigmentation extent. Pre-outbreak data defined a narrow range of iris pigmentation irregularity (≤8%), supporting a threshold separating baseline from elevated values. Our findings support earlier evidence that iris pigmentation irregularities reflect prior HPAIV exposure and demonstrate that quantifying their extent provides greater resolution for population-level monitoring. Iris scoring offers a rapid, minimally invasive approach for estimating prior exposure in post-outbreak contexts, particularly where serological sampling is limited. Rather than serving as a diagnostic proxy for individual exposure history, this metric provides an epidemiological indicator when interpreted alongside serological and ecological data. Future research should determine whether iris pigmentation remains stable, fades, progresses or changes, following subsequent HPAIV exposures.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag069"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13613985/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149066021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Resource use and associated energy expenditure of African crowned eagles (<i>Stephanoaetus coronatus</i>) in an urban-forest mosaic landscape.","authors":"Lara Howard, Varalika Jain, Shane C Sumasgutner, Jesús Bautista, Ralph Buij, Colleen T Downs, Susan J Cunningham, Petra Sumasgutner","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag068","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag068","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rapid urbanization is a major driver of global change, making it increasingly important to understand how wildlife persists in highly transformed landscapes. Using insights from movement (Global Positioning System, GPS) and activity (accelerometry, ACC) data, we aimed to understand the behavioral and physiological mechanisms associated with an apex predator's successful exploitation of heavily transformed landscapes. The African crowned eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus), a subtropical forest eagle, breeds at unusually high densities in Durban, eThekwini Municipality, South Africa. Here, crowned eagles inhabit an urban-forest mosaic, much of which falls within the Durban Metropolitan Open Space System (D'MOSS), a network of protected and semi-natural green spaces embedded within the city. Using data from five GPS/ACC-tagged crowned eagles, we assessed individual resource selection and determined how energy expenditure, inferred from overall dynamic body acceleration, varied across habitat types and with distance from the D'MOSS boundary. We found that crowned eagles selected forested habitats over built-up habitats when available. Energy expenditure was higher in built-up environments and increased with distance from the D'MOSS boundary. Our findings suggest that habitat structure may influence energy costs, although quantifying these relationships in heterogeneous urban landscapes remains challenging. We underscore the importance of protected habitat networks in cities and provide insights into the physiological costs of navigating urban-forest mosaic landscapes. These insights can inform urban planning to conserve natural habitat networks and ecosystem features that support the persistence of urban biodiversity, including apex predators.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag068"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13588711/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149009508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}