Conservation Physiology最新文献

{"title":"Adrenal and metabolic hormones demonstrate risk-reward trade-offs for African elephants foraging in human-dominated landscapes.","authors":"Sandy Oduor, Nathaniel N Gichuki, Janine L Brown, Jenna Parker, Dennis Kimata, Suzan Murray, Shifra Z Goldenberg, Maurice Schutgens, George Wittemyer","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae051","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coae051","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A key driver of the African savannah elephant population decline is the loss of habitat and associated human-elephant conflict. Elephant physiological responses to these pressures, however, are largely unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we evaluated faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations as an indicator of adrenal activity and faecal thyroid metabolite (fT3) concentrations as an indicator of metabolic activity in relation to land use, livestock density, and human landscape modification, while controlling for the effects of seasonality and primary productivity (measured using the normalized difference vegetation index). Our best-fit model found that fGCM concentrations to be elevated during the dry season, in areas with higher human modification index values, and those with more agropastoral activities and livestock. There was also a negative relationship between primary productivity and fGCM concentrations. We found fT3 concentrations to be higher during the wet season, in agropastoral landscapes, in locations with higher human activity, and in areas with no livestock. This study highlights how elephants balance nutritional rewards and risks in foraging decisions when using human-dominated landscapes, results that can serve to better interpret elephant behaviour at the human-wildlife interface and contribute to more insightful conservation strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"12 1","pages":"coae051"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11295215/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141890947","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":"Nailing it: Investigation of elephant toenails for retrospective analysis of adrenal and reproductive hormones.","authors":"Garrett Rich, Rebecca Stennett, Marie Galloway, Mike McClure, Rebecca Riley, Elizabeth W Freeman, Kathleen E Hunt","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae048","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coae048","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hormone monitoring of at-risk species can be valuable for evaluation of individual physiological status. Traditional non-invasive endocrine monitoring from urine and faeces typically captures only a short window in time, poorly reflecting long-term hormone fluctuations. We examined toenail trimmings collected from African (<i>Loxodonta africana</i>) and Asian (<i>Elephas maximus</i>) elephants during routine foot care, to determine if long-term hormone patterns are preserved in these slow-growing keratinized tissues. We first measured the growth rate of elephant toenails biweekly for one year, to establish the temporal delay between deposition of hormones into nail tissue (at the proximal nail bed) and collection of toenail trimmings months later (at the distal tip of the nail). In African elephants, toenails grew ~0.18 ± 0.015 mm/day (mean ± SEM) and in Asian elephants, toenails grew ~0.24 ± 0.034 mm/day. This slow growth rate, combined with the large toenail size of elephants, may mean that toenails could contain a 'hormone timeline' of over a year between the nail bed and nail tip. Progesterone, testosterone and cortisol were readily detectable using commercial enzyme immunoassays, and all assays passed validations, indicating that these hormones can be accurately quantified in elephant toenail extract. In most cases, variations in hormone concentrations reflected expected physiological patterns for adult females and males (e.g. ovarian cycling and musth) and matched individual health records from participating zoos. Progesterone patterns aligned with our calculations of temporal delay, aligning with female ovarian cycling from over six months prior. Unexpectedly, male testosterone patterns aligned with current musth status at the time of sample collection (i.e. rather than prior musth status). Though this sample type will require further study, these results indicate that preserved hormone patterns in elephant toenails could give conservationists a new tool to aid management of elephant populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"12 1","pages":"coae048"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11295213/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141890948","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":"High water temperature significantly influences swimming performance of New Zealand migratory species.","authors":"Rachel M B Crawford, Eleanor M Gee, Deborah W E Dupont, Brendan J Hicks, Paul A Franklin","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae047","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coae047","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Anthropogenic structures in freshwater systems pose a significant threat by fragmenting habitats. Effective fish passage solutions must consider how environmental changes introduce variability into swimming performance. As temperature is considered the most important external factor influencing fish physiology, it is especially important to consider its effects on fish swimming performance. Even minor alterations in water properties, such as temperature and velocity, can profoundly affect fish metabolic demands, foraging behaviours, fitness and, consequently, swimming performance and passage success. In this study, we investigated the impact of varying water temperatures on the critical swimming speeds of four migratory New Zealand species. Our findings revealed a significant reduction in critical swimming speeds at higher water temperatures (26°C) compared to lower ones (8 and 15°C) for three out of four species (<i>Galaxias maculatus</i>, <i>Galaxias brevipinnis</i> and <i>Gobiomorphus cotidianus</i>). In contrast, <i>Galaxias fasciatus</i> exhibited no significant temperature-related changes in swimming performance, suggesting species-specific responses to temperature. The cold temperature treatment did not impact swimming performance for any of the studied species. As high water temperatures significantly reduce fish swimming performance, it is important to ensure that fish passage solutions are designed to accommodate a range of temperature changes, including spatial and temporal changes, ranging from diel to decadal fluctuations. Our research underscores the importance of incorporating temperature effects into fish passage models for habitat restoration, connectivity initiatives, and freshwater fish conservation. The influence of temperature on fish swimming performance can alter migration patterns and population dynamics, highlighting the need for adaptive conservation strategies. To ensure the resilience of freshwater ecosystems it is important to account for the impact of temperature on fish swimming performance, particularly in the context of a changing climate.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"12 1","pages":"coae047"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11289306/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141861648","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":"Erratum: Editor's Note on: Advancing urban ethnopharmacology: a modern concept of sustainability, conservation and cross-cultural adaptations of medicinal plant lore in the urban environment.","authors":"","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coae049","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab073.].</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"12 1","pages":"coae049"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11256927/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141724931","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":"Correction to: Advancing urban ethnopharmacology: a modern concept of sustainability, conservation and cross-cultural adaptations of medicinal plant lore in the urban environment.","authors":"","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coae050","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab073.].</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"12 1","pages":"coae050"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11256953/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141724930","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":"Viability and integrity of <i>Pinus densiflora</i> seeds stored for 20 years at three different temperatures.","authors":"Da-Eun Gu, Sim-Hee Han, Kyu-Suk Kang","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae046","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coae046","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Storage temperature is one of the most important factors determining seed longevity in the genebank. This study aimed to investigate the effect of storage temperature on the seed viability and physiological integrity after a 20-year storage period of <i>Pinus densiflora</i>, a tree species of ecological and economic significance in South Korea. To this end, seeds were collected and stored dry for 20 years at -18°C, 4°C and 25°C. Germination tests were conducted to assess seed viability and vigour, electrolyte leakage analysis was performed to assess cell membrane integrity, and carbohydrate analysis was conducted to assess metabolic integrity during germination. The results revealed that over 20 years, seeds stored at -18°C maintained a high germination percentage (GP; 89%), comparable to initial GP (91%), whilst those stored at 4°C exhibited a decline in GP (44%) along with a decrease in vigour. Seeds stored at 25°C lost their viability entirely. Electrical conductivity of the leachate and leakage of inorganic compounds and soluble sugars were higher with elevated storage temperature, indicating increased imbibition damage. Additionally, changes in carbohydrate content during germination revealed that the loss of viability according to storage temperature is associated with reduced storage reserve utilization and altered carbohydrate metabolism during germination. These results enhance our understanding of the effect of seed storage temperature on longevity and physiological changes of aging in the genebank, serving as a reference for establishing conservation strategies for <i>Pinus densiflora</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"12 1","pages":"coae046"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11231940/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141565123","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":"Thermal tolerance of giant salmonfly nymphs (<i>Pteronarcys californica</i>) varies across populations in a regulated river.","authors":"Christine E Verhille, Michael MacDonald, Ben Noble, Gavin Demorest, Alzada Roche, Kayleigh Frazier, Lindsey K Albertson","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae043","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coae043","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Warming of aquatic ecosystems is transforming the distribution, phenology and growth of the organisms dependent upon these ecosystems. Aquatic insects such as stoneflies are especially vulnerable to warming because the aquatic nymph stage of their life cycle depends on cool, well-oxygenated, flowing water habitat. We tracked thermal effects on available aerobic capacity of the aquatic nymph stage of an iconic and vulnerable stonefly species, the giant salmonfly (<i>Pteronarcys californica</i>), to compare habitat thermal regime measurements for two salmonfly populations from habitats separated by a gradient in summer weekly maximum temperatures. Contrary to expectations, the thermal optima range of the warmer habitat population was cooler than for the cooler habitat population. We posit that this unexpected interpopulation variation in thermal response is more strongly driven by diel and seasonal thermal variability than by the highest summer temperatures experienced within respective habitats. Additionally, we show that summer daily maximum temperatures could result in periodic limits in available aerobic capacity to support work of the warmer habitat nymphs and may be the mechanism underlying reduced abundance relative to the upstream cooler habitat population. Our findings provide insight into potential thermal and metabolic mechanisms that could regulate the success of ecological and culturally important aquatic insect species experiencing global change. We conclude that thermal regimes and thermal variation, not just mean and maximum temperatures, are critical drivers of aquatic insect responses to water temperatures.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"12 1","pages":"coae043"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11225080/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141555980","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":"Physiological carry-over effects of variable precipitation are mediated by reproductive status in a long-lived ungulate.","authors":"Joseph A Hediger, Bryan D Spencer, Michaela F Rice, Miranda L Hopper, Randy W DeYoung, J Alfonso Ortega-Santos, Timothy E Fulbright, David G Hewitt, Aaron M Foley, Landon R Schofield, Tyler A Campbell, Michael J Sheriff, Michael J Cherry","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae045","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coae045","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the age of global climate change, extreme climatic events are expected to increase in frequency and severity. Animals will be forced to cope with these novel stressors in their environment. Glucocorticoids (i.e. 'stress' hormones) facilitate an animal's ability to cope with their environment. To date, most studies involving glucocorticoids focus on the immediate physiological effects of an environmental stressor on an individual, few studies have investigated the long-term physiological impacts of such stressors. Here, we tested the hypothesis that previous exposure to an environmental stressor will impart lasting consequences to an individual's glucocorticoid levels. In semi-arid environments, variable rainfall drives forage availability for herbivores. Reduced seasonal precipitation can present an extreme environmental stressor potentially imparting long-term impacts on an individual's glucocorticoid levels. We examined the effects of rainfall and environmental characteristics (i.e. soil and vegetation attributes) during fawn-rearing (i.e. summer) on subsequent glucocorticoid levels of female white-tailed deer (<i>Odocoileus virginianus</i>) in autumn. We captured 124 adult (≥2.5-year-old) female deer via aerial net-gunning during autumn of 2015, 2016 and 2021 across four populations spanning a gradient of environmental characteristics and rainfall in the semi-arid environment of South Texas, USA. We found for every 1 cm decrease in summer rainfall, faecal glucocorticoid levels in autumn increased 6.9%, but only in lactating females. Glucocorticoid levels in non-lactating, female deer were relatively insensitive to environmental conditions. Our study demonstrates the long-lasting effects of environmental stressors on an individual's glucocorticoid levels. A better understanding of the long-term effects stressors impart on an individual's glucocorticoid levels will help to evaluate the totality of the cost of a stressor to an individual's welfare and predict the consequences of future climate scenarios.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"12 1","pages":"coae045"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11224986/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141555940","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":"Sex and season influence behaviour and physiology of lake trout following angling.","authors":"Bradley E Howell, Giulio Navarroli, Simon W DePasquale, Steven J Cooke, Caleb T Hasler","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae041","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coae041","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Catch-and-release angling exposes fish to challenges that may result in sub-lethal effects or mortality. Lake trout (<i>Salvelinus namaycush</i>) undergo high rates of release because of size-based harvest regulations or voluntary angler behaviour. Here, we examine short-term impairment in lake trout angled during the summer (<i>n</i> = 74) and fall spawning period (<i>n</i> = 33) to inform best practices for angling. Immediately following capture or 0.5 h post-capture, fish underwent reflex and barotrauma assessments, and a small blood sample was collected. Fish were also fitted with an externally mounted biologger equipped with depth, temperature and tri-axial acceleration sensors, that was tethered to allow retrieval of the logger after 14 min. In the summer, reflex impairment and barotrauma at 0 and 0.5 h were significantly correlated. Loss of orientation and bloating were the most observed indicators. Larger fish and those captured at increased depth had higher barotrauma scores, while prolonged fight times decreased the barotrauma score regardless of sampling time. Plasma cortisol, lactate and glucose increased 0.5 h after capture, and extracellular and intracellular pH decreased, all signs that angling was inducing a metabolic response. However, no relationships were found between blood indices and mortality (18.9%). The time required to reach maximum depth after release was longer for fish with increased air exposure but shorter for those with longer fight times. During the fall, fish displayed no mortality or reflex impairment. Anal prolapse was the most observed indicator of barotrauma but only observed in females. Blood indices were most altered 0.5 h after capture, with increased cortisol values for fish that were female, particularly large or captured at deeper depth. Locomotor activity was highest for males and increased with depth. Together, our findings suggest that the effects of catch-and-release angling may be dependent on several factors, including sex, season and angling depth.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"12 1","pages":"coae041"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11224997/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141555941","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":"Assessment of stress levels and reproductive condition in giant pandas: insights from hair, faecal and saliva samples.","authors":"Zheng Yan, Xiaoyan Liu, Haoqiu Liu, Haihong Xu, Yanhui Liu, Changqing Li, Bo Wang, Shengnan Cui, Ting Jia, Di Yang, Chenglin Zhang, Xuefeng Liu, Christina D Buesching, Dingzhen Liu","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae044","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coae044","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Concerted conservation efforts have brought the giant panda (<i>Ailuropoda melanoleuca</i>) back from the brink of extinction, but pandas continue to face anthropogenic threats in the wild and breeding success in captivity remains low. Because stress can have detrimental impacts on reproduction, monitoring stress- and sex-steroid levels would help assess the effectiveness of conservation mitigation measures in panda populations as well as monitor the welfare and reproductive health of captive animals. In this proof-of-concept study, we used faecal sex steroid and cortisol concentrations (<i>n</i> = 867 samples collected from five males and five females at Beijing Zoo every 4 days over the course of 12 months) as a reference to investigate if testosterone, estradiol, progesterone and cortisol can be meaningfully measured in panda hair (<i>n</i> = 10) using radio-immuno-assays. Additionally, we calculated the ratio of testosterone to cortisol (T:C ratio) for each male, which can provide a biomarker of stress and physical performance. Our findings revealed distinct monthly variations in faecal sex-steroid and cortisol concentrations, reflecting reproductive seasonality and visitor-related stress among individual pandas. Notably, the oldest male had a significantly lower T:C ratio than other males. Our results confirm that the level of sex steroids and cortisol can be assayed by panda hair, and the hair cortisol concentrations correlate significantly with that in faeces with one month lag behind (<i>r</i> = 0.68, <i>P</i> = 0.03). However, the concentrations of hormones detected in saliva are lower than those in faeces by two orders of magnitude, making it difficult to ensure accuracy. By assessing the applicability of hair, faecal and salivary sampling, we can infer their utility in monitoring the reproductive status and acute and chronic stress levels of giant pandas, thereby providing a means to gauge the success of ongoing habitat restoration efforts and to discuss the feasibility of sample collection from wild populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"12 1","pages":"coae044"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11221559/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141499644","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}