Conservation Physiology最新文献

{"title":"Variation in body condition, corticosterone response and immune function is related to the timing of nesting in Franklin's Gull.","authors":"Shawn Weissenfluh, Jeffrey Kittilson, Penelope Gibbs, Wendy L Reed, Mark E Clark","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coaf024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coaf024","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding individual variation in adult condition is necessary for developing hypotheses on how nest initiation, chick development and recruitment are related in many migratory birds. We quantified attributes of condition among Franklin's Gull (<i>Lecuophaeus pipixcan</i>) adults initiating nesting at different dates during the nesting period using four metrics: body measurements recorded from live-trapped birds, the corticosterone levels measured from blood samples collected serially from live-trapped birds, heterophil/lymphocyte ratios determined from blood smears and antimicrobial capacity of plasma. Variation in physiological condition was related to the timing of nesting such that individuals nesting later in the season had lower mass relative to skeletal size, increasing corticosterone concentrations measured 3-, 20- and 30-minute post-capture and reduced immune performance. Specifically, residual body mass decreased and keel bone exposure increased with laying date. Additionally, birds nesting later in the season show higher maximum corticosterone concentrations after exposure to acute capture stress along with reduced bacteria-killing capability of their plasma. Our findings indicate that timing of nesting is significantly related to the physiological condition of Franklin's Gull. Individual variation in condition may be related to time constraints observed in temperate latitudes and whether these birds are capital (i.e. acquiring resources outside the breeding area) or income (i.e. acquiring resources locally) breeders. Quantifying variation in physiological condition within the breeding season will aid in modelling population-level response to shifts in nesting phenology.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"13 1","pages":"coaf024"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11991692/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144021524","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":"Mercury exposure and health challenges in Rapa Nui green turtles: urging conservation and long-term monitoring in the South Pacific.","authors":"Rocío Álvarez-Varas, Eamy Ayala, Rocío Lagos, Irene Peña-Galindo, Victoria Palma-Rojas, Nels Hereveri, Nayade Campos, Gustavo Chiang, Carlos F Gaymer","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coaf019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coaf019","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The endangered green sea turtle (<i>Chelonia mydas;</i> hereafter <i>C. mydas</i>) plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems. However, its populations are highly vulnerable to various threats, including marine pollution. Rapa Nui (Easter Island), an isolated location in the southeastern Pacific, provides vital foraging habitats for both morphotypes of Pacific <i>C. mydas</i> (black and yellow). In this study, we examined the demographic structure (morphotype, life stage, sex) and health status (based on blood analytes and mercury-Hg concentration) of <i>C. mydas</i> on Rapa Nui during 2018 and 2023. Turtles from various life stages and sexes were observed, with a predominance of yellow morphotype juveniles, likely recently recruited or emerging from brumation. Haematological analyses revealed low levels of several key analytes (e.g. cholesterol, calcium, phosphorus, total protein, globulins), suggesting poor nutritional status, potentially related to the brumation process, limited food availability or poor food quality in the region. Alterations in both red and white blood cell lines, including anaemia and lymphopenia, indicate ongoing inflammatory states and infections, consistent with clinical observations. Rapa Nui turtles exhibited some of the highest blood Hg concentrations globally. Abnormalities in blood profiles, along with correlations between various analytes and blood Hg concentrations, suggest altered immune function and probable renal and liver dysfunction, likely resulting from both natural and anthropogenic sources of this heavy metal. Additionally, a very high body condition index in turtles with carapace lesions suggests a negative impact from human food subsidies in local bays, particularly from high-trophic-level fish, which may also serve as a pathway for Hg accumulation, both for the turtle aggregation and the human population. Our findings underscore the urgent need for long-term mercury monitoring and turtle movement studies to identify pollution sources, inform effective conservation strategies for this endangered species, and address potential public health concerns on this remote Pacific island.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"13 1","pages":"coaf019"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11981715/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144028767","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":"Home is where your heat is: local conditions forge a fish's temperature tolerance.","authors":"Zoe Storm","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coaf021","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coaf021","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"13 1","pages":"coaf021"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11973895/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143804729","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":"Etorphine induces pathophysiology in immobilized white rhinoceros through sympathomimesis that is attenuated by butorphanol.","authors":"Jordyn M Boesch, Robin D Gleed, Peter E Buss, Adrian S W Tordiffe, Gareth E Zeiler, Michele A Miller, Francois Viljoen, Brian H Harvey, Stephen A Parry, Leith C R Meyer","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coaf009","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coaf009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>White rhinoceros are a sentinel species for important ecosystems in southern Africa. Their conservation requires active management of their population, which, in turn, requires immobilization of individuals with an ultra-potent opioid such as etorphine. Unfortunately, when immobilized with etorphine, they develop severe hypoxaemia that may contribute to morbidity and mortality. We hypothesized that (i) etorphine causes sympathetic upregulation that is responsible for physiological complications that produce hypoxaemia and (ii) butorphanol, a partial μ opioid agonist, mitigates sympathetic upregulation, thereby improving arterial oxygen content (CaO₂) and delivery (DO₂). Six subadult male white rhinoceros were administered two treatments in random order: etorphine-saline (ES) and etorphine-butorphanol (EB). After intramuscular etorphine (~2.6 μg kg^-1), rhinoceros became recumbent (time 0 min [t0]) and were instrumented. Baseline data were collected at t30, butorphanol (0.026 mg/kg) or 0.9% saline was administered intravenously at t37, and data were collected again at t40 and t50. At baseline, plasma noradrenaline concentration was >40 ng ml^-1, approximately twice that of non-immobilized rhinoceros (<i>t</i> test, <i>P</i> < 0.05); cardiac output (Qt, by thermodilution) and metabolic rate (VO₂, by spirometry/indirect calorimetry) were greater than predicted allometrically (<i>t</i> test, <i>P</i> < 0.05), and pulmonary hypertension was present. After butorphanol, noradrenaline concentration remained greater than in non-immobilized rhinoceros; in EB, CaO₂ was greater, while Qt, DO₂, VO₂, and pulmonary pressures were less than in ES (linear mixed effect model, all <i>P</i> < 0.05). Increased noradrenaline concentration with increased Qt and hypermetabolism supports etorphine-induced sympathetic upregulation. Butorphanol partly attenuated these effects, increasing CaO₂ but reducing Qt and, thus, DO₂. Since plasma noradrenaline concentration remained increased after butorphanol administration while Qt, DO₂, and VO₂ decreased, a pathway independent of plasma noradrenaline concentration might contribute to the cardiopulmonary and hypermetabolic effects of etorphine. Developing treatments to combat this sympathomimesis could reduce capture-related morbidity in white rhinoceros.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"13 1","pages":"coaf009"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11974248/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143804728","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":"Variation of thermal tolerance during northward range expansion in the invasive golden star tunicate, <i>Botryllus schlosseri</i>.","authors":"Zachary J C Tobias, Gareth Miller, Carolyn K Tepolt","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coaf018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coaf018","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Populations within a species can differ with respect to their thermal physiology, with variation often observed across gradients in environmental temperature with latitude or elevation. The tempo at which phenotypic plasticity and/or local adaptation are able to shape variation in thermal tolerance has implications for species persistence in an increasingly volatile climate. Having encountered novel environments during introduction and subsequent range expansion, non-indigenous species present useful case studies for examining thermal tolerance differentiation on contemporary time scales. Here we test for differentiation of heat and cold tolerance among three populations of the invasive golden star tunicate, <i>Botryllus schlosseri</i> (Pallas), spanning a 24.3° latitudinal gradient in the Northeast Pacific. We observed differentiation of post-larval heat tolerance among our sites, with our southern, putatively warm-adapted population exhibiting a significantly higher LT₅₀ than the two more northern populations. We also found that adult cardiac performance at cold temperatures is progressively greater in colder, higher latitude populations. This pattern may suggest compensatory genetic adaptation to colder environmental temperatures. By examining both heat tolerance and cold performance simultaneously among populations of an invasive ascidian, we document how this marine ectotherm is capable of shifting its physiology to novel environmental conditions over compressed time scales, with implications for the spread of this invasive species and, more broadly, for species' responses to temperature in an era of global change.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"13 1","pages":"coaf018"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12042657/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144049923","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":"Keep them flapping: How anglers can reduce stress on flapper skates.","authors":"Zhong-Wen Jiang","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coaf017","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coaf017","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"13 1","pages":"coaf017"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11896965/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143617788","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":"Assessing the impact of climate change and a water management programme on white sturgeon physiology in the Nechako River, British Columbia.","authors":"Muhammed A Oyinlola, Mostafa Khorsandi, Rachael Penman, Madison L Earhart, Richard Arsenault, Steve McAdam, Colin J Brauner, André St-Hilaire","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coaf014","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coaf014","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Climate change is impacting river ecosystems, underlining the need for water management strategies to protect native species within these ecosystems. Here, we evaluate the impact of climate change and water management on the physiology of white sturgeon (<i>Acipenser transmontanus</i>) in the Nechako River, British Columbia (Canada). Using the CEQUEAU hydrological-thermal model, we simulated daily water temperatures from 1980 to 2099 under two climate scenarios (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5). We assessed thermal exposure risk (<i>T_e</i> ) for different developmental stages of white sturgeon, focusing on the warmest 6-month period. Our findings show that embryos and yolk-sac larvae exhibit resilience, with <i>T_e</i> values consistently <1 under both scenarios, signifying low thermal stress. In contrast, feeding larvae and juveniles experience elevated <i>T_e</i> values, indicating significant future thermal stress. For feeding larvae, <i>T_e</i> values exceeded 1 under both scenarios, reaching up to 1.5 by the mid-century (2050s) and up to 1.8 by the end of the century (2090s) under SSP5-8.5. Juvenile white sturgeon also faced increased thermal risks, with <i>T_e</i> values rising >1 during July and August, reaching 1.4 and 1.8 by the 2050s and 1.8 and 2.0 by the 2090s under SSP5-8.5, compared to the 1980s. These results underscore the need to evaluate the existing water management programme to better accommodate the projected changes in thermal conditions associated with climate change. Additionally, regulated river discharge, which can both increase and decrease downstream temperatures, offers a strategic opportunity to mitigate some climate impacts through strategic dam discharge management.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"13 1","pages":"coaf014"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11891139/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143598021","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":"Measuring polar bear health using allostatic load.","authors":"Sarah J Teman, Todd C Atwood, Sarah J Converse, Tricia L Fry, Kristin L Laidre","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coaf013","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coaf013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The southern Beaufort Sea polar bear sub-population (<i>Ursus maritimus</i>) has been adversely affected by climate change and loss of sea ice habitat. Even though the sub-population is likely decreasing, it remains difficult to link individual polar bear health and physiological change to sub-population effects. We developed an index of allostatic load, which represents potential physiological dysregulation. The allostatic load index included blood- and hair-based analytes measured in physically captured southern Beaufort bears in spring. We examined allostatic load in relation to bear body condition, age, terrestrial habitat use and, over time, for bear demographic groups. Overall, allostatic load had no relationship with body condition. However, allostatic load was higher in adult females without cubs that used terrestrial habitats the prior year, indicating potential physiological dysregulation with land use. Allostatic load declined with age in adult females without cubs. Sub-adult males demonstrated decreased allostatic load over time. Our study is one of the first attempts to develop a health scoring system for free-ranging polar bears, and our findings highlight the complexity of using allostatic load as an index of health in a wild species. Establishing links between individual bear health and population dynamics is important for advancing conservation efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"13 1","pages":"coaf013"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11884737/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143574217","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":"Microclimatic changes caused by plant invasions and warming: uncovering thermal costs and benefits to a tortoise.","authors":"Raquel A Garcia, Susana Clusella-Trullas","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coaf016","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coaf016","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Non-native plant invasions and climate warming alter the microclimatic conditions that organisms experience in their habitats, with potential implications for the fitness of native faunal species, particularly ectotherms. Predictions for species conservation increasingly use microclimate data at fine spatial scales relevant to organisms, but they typically overlook the modulating effect that vegetation changes have on the microclimates available in the habitat. Here we quantify the microclimatic changes imposed by invasive trees and simultaneous warming on native habitats and assess the resulting thermal benefits and costs to a small tortoise species (<i>Homopus areolatus</i>) from an organismal perspective and throughout its life cycle. We logged operative temperature above- and belowground in the field, covering the diversity of microhabitats across the four seasons of the year, and assessed the species' optimal temperature in the laboratory. Moving beyond the common use of averages, we applied a range of metrics to quantify differences between invaded and native areas in spatio-temporal temperature distributions, combined effects with warming and thermal habitat suitability for the species. We found that invaded areas became cooler and less exposed to temperatures above the species' optimal in summer. This buffering effect is expected to become more pronounced with further climate warming, turning invaded areas into potential thermal refugia. However, reduced spatial thermal heterogeneity during warm periods, more prevalent sub-optimal low temperatures in winter and colder underground incubation conditions in invaded areas could be detrimental to the species' long-term performance. Our results reveal the mixed nature of thermal effects of invasive plants on ectotherms, underscoring the importance of applying a suite of metrics to assess microclimate distribution changes. The approach used here illustrates the value of integrating thermal physiological and microclimatic information for a more mechanistic understanding of conservation problems.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"13 1","pages":"coaf016"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11884760/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143574377","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":"Short- and long-wavelength lights disrupt endocrine signalling but not immune function in a nocturnal marsupial.","authors":"Alicia M Dimovski, Kerry V Fanson, Amy M Edwards, Kylie A Robert","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae092","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coae092","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Natural light-dark cycles are responsible for synchronizing an animal's circadian clock with environmental conditions. Consequently, the endocrine system is vulnerable to changes in the external light environment, particularly short-wavelength blue light. Artificial light at night drastically changes the night-time environment by masking natural light cycles and disrupting well-established biological rhythms. The introduction of blue-rich lighting, such as white light-emitting diodes (LEDs), may increase the biological effects of light at night on wildlife. However, flexibility in the spectral composition of LED lighting presents options for wildlife-sensitive lighting, such as long-wavelength amber LEDs. Here we examine the effect of light spectra on circadian physiology in a nocturnal marsupial. Specifically, we investigate the effect of short-wavelength white (standard urban lighting) and long-wavelength amber LEDs (proposed wildlife-sensitive lighting) on circadian hormones and cell-mediated immunity in the Krefft's glider (<i>Petaurus notatus</i>). Melatonin and glucocorticoid secretion were disrupted following exposure to both short-wavelength white and long-wavelength amber LEDs. Both LEDs suppressed melatonin, whilst glucocorticoid secretion was suppressed under amber LEDs and increased under white LEDs. Despite this disturbance we did not detect any effect of light treatment on cell-mediated immune response. Our findings offer a novel contribution to understanding the physiological impacts of light at night on wildlife. We also provide evidence that long-wavelength amber LEDs can disrupt physiology and are not a wildlife-sensitive lighting option for all species.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"13 1","pages":"coae092"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11964822/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143781990","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}