Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2024-01-27eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad102
Isabella K DeAnglis, Benjamin R Andrews, Lauren R Lock, Kristin E Dyer, Anni Yang, Dmitriy V Volokhov, M Brock Fenton, Nancy B Simmons, Cynthia J Downs, Daniel J Becker
{"title":"Bat cellular immunity varies by year and dietary habit amidst land conversion.","authors":"Isabella K DeAnglis, Benjamin R Andrews, Lauren R Lock, Kristin E Dyer, Anni Yang, Dmitriy V Volokhov, M Brock Fenton, Nancy B Simmons, Cynthia J Downs, Daniel J Becker","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coad102","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coad102","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Monitoring the health of wildlife populations is essential in the face of increased agricultural expansion and forest fragmentation. Loss of habitat and habitat degradation can negatively affect an animal's physiological state, possibly resulting in immunosuppression and increased morbidity or mortality. We sought to determine how land conversion may differentially impact cellular immunity and infection risk in Neotropical bats species regularly infected with bloodborne pathogens, and to evaluate how effects may vary over time and by dietary habit. We studied common vampire bats (<i>Desmodus rotundus</i>), northern yellow-shouldered bats (<i>Sturnira parvidens</i>) and Mesoamerican mustached bats (<i>Pteronotus mesoamericanus</i>), representing the dietary habits of sanguivory, frugivory and insectivory respectively, in northern Belize. We compared estimated total white blood cell count, leukocyte differentials, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and infection status with two bloodborne bacterial pathogens (<i>Bartonella</i> spp. and hemoplasmas) of 118 bats captured in a broadleaf, secondary forest over three years (2017-2019). During this period, tree cover decreased by 14.5% while rangeland expanded by 14.3%, indicating increasing habitat loss and fragmentation. We found evidence for bat species-specific responses of cellular immunity between years, with neutrophil counts significantly decreasing in <i>S. parvidens</i> from 2017 to 2018, but marginally increasing in <i>D. rotundus</i>. However, the odds of infection with <i>Bartonella</i> spp. and hemoplasmas between 2017 and 2019 did not differ between bat species, contrary to our prediction that pathogen prevalence may increase with land conversion. We conclude that each bat species invested differently in cellular immunity in ways that changed over years of increasing habitat loss and fragmentation. We recommend further research on the interactions between land conversion, immunity and infection across dietary habits of Neotropical bats for informed management and conservation.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10823333/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139643369","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}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2024-01-27eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad105
Oluwaseun Ojelade, Zoe Storm, Cheng Fu, Daphne Cortese, Amelia Munson, Sarah Boulamail, Mar Pineda, Daiani Kochhann, Shaun Killen
{"title":"Capture and discard practises associated with an ornamental fishery affect the metabolic rate and aerobic capacity of three-striped dwarf cichlids <i>Apistogramma trifasciata</i>.","authors":"Oluwaseun Ojelade, Zoe Storm, Cheng Fu, Daphne Cortese, Amelia Munson, Sarah Boulamail, Mar Pineda, Daiani Kochhann, Shaun Killen","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coad105","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coad105","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fishing causes direct removal of individuals from wild populations but can also cause a physiological disturbance in fish that are released or discarded after capture. While sublethal physiological effects of fish capture have been well studied in commercial and recreational fisheries, this issue has been overlooked for the ornamental fish trade, where it is common to capture fish from the wild and discard non-target species. We examined metabolic responses to capture and discard procedures in the three-striped dwarf cichlid <i>Apistogramma trifasciata</i>, a popular Amazonian aquarium species that nonetheless may be discarded when not a target species. Individuals (<i>n</i> = 34) were tagged and exposed to each of four treatments designed to simulate procedures during the capture and discard process: 1) a non-handling control; 2) netting; 3) netting +30 seconds of air exposure; and 4) netting +60 seconds of air exposure. Metabolic rates were estimated using intermittent-flow respirometry, immediately following each treatment then throughout recovery overnight. Increasing amounts of netting and air exposure caused an acute increase in oxygen uptake and decrease in available aerobic scope. In general, recovery occurred quickly, with rapid decreases in oxygen uptake within the first 30 minutes post-handling. Notably, however, male fish exposed to netting +60 seconds of air exposure showed a delayed response whereby available aerobic scope was constrained <75% of maximum until ~4-6 hours post-stress. Larger fish showed a greater initial increase in oxygen uptake post-stress and slower rates of recovery. The results suggest that in the period following discard, this species may experience a reduced aerobic capacity for additional behavioural/physiological responses including feeding, territory defence and predator avoidance. These results are among the first to examine impacts of discard practises in the ornamental fishery and suggest ecophysiological research can provide valuable insight towards increasing sustainable practises in this global trade.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10823353/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139643370","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}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2024-01-27eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad108
Chantelle E Klaczek, Greg G Goss, Chris N Glover
{"title":"Mechanistic characterization of waterborne selenite uptake in the water flea, <i>Daphnia magna</i>, indicates water chemistry affects toxicity in coal mine-impacted waters.","authors":"Chantelle E Klaczek, Greg G Goss, Chris N Glover","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coad108","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coad108","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Concentrations of selenium that exceed regulatory guidelines have been associated with coal mining activities and have been linked to detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems and the organisms therein. Although the major route of selenium uptake in macroinvertebrates is via the diet, the uptake of waterborne selenite (HSeO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup>), the prominent form at circumneutral pH, can be an important contributor to selenium body burden and thus selenium toxicity. In the current study, radiolabelled selenite (Se<sup>75</sup>) was used to characterize the mechanism of selenite uptake in the water flea, <i>Daphnia magna</i>. The concentration dependence (1-32 μM) of selenite uptake was determined in 1-hour uptake assays in artificial waters that independently varied in bicarbonate, chloride, sulphate, phosphate and selenate concentrations. At concentrations representative of those found in highly contaminated waters, selenite uptake was phosphate-dependent and inhibited by foscarnet, a phosphate transport inhibitor. At higher concentrations, selenite uptake was dependent on waterborne bicarbonate concentration and inhibited by the bicarbonate transporter inhibitor DIDS (4,4'-diisothiocyano-2,2'-stilbenedisulfonic acid). These findings suggest that concentrations of phosphate in coal mining-affected waters could alter selenite uptake in aquatic organisms and could ultimately affect the toxic impacts of selenium in such waters.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10823350/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139643371","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}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2024-01-03eCollection Date: 2023-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad107
{"title":"Correction to: Physiological plasticity in elephants: highly dynamic glucocorticoids in African and Asian elephants.","authors":"","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coad107","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coad107","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad088.].</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11026651/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140871189","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}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2023-12-28eCollection Date: 2023-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad100
Luke W J Cameron, William K Roche, Katy Beckett, Nicholas L Payne
{"title":"A review of elasmobranch catch-and-release science: synthesis of current knowledge, implications for best practice and future research directions.","authors":"Luke W J Cameron, William K Roche, Katy Beckett, Nicholas L Payne","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coad100","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coad100","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Until relatively recently commercial fisheries have been considered the main driving factor for elasmobranch population declines. However, this belief has begun to shift with the realization that recreational elasmobranch catches may equal or exceed commercial catches in some regions. Many recreational angling fisheries for elasmobranchs involve high participation in catch-and-release angling practices. However, high release rates may not necessarily equate to high survival rates. Therefore, to assist accurate assessment of the potential impact of recreational angling on elasmobranchs, we attempted to summarize and integrate currently available information on specific risk factors associated with recreational angling, alongside associated mortality rates, as well as information on angler behaviour as it relates to identified risk factors. We categorized the major angling-related effects into two groups: injury-induced effects; and biochemical disruption-induced effects; providing a summary of each group and outlining the main lethal and sub-lethal outcomes stemming from these. These outcomes include immediate and delayed post-release mortality, behavioural recovery periods (which may in-turn confer increased predation risks), chronic health impacts and capture-induced parturition and abortion. Additionally, we detailed a range of angling practices and equipment, including hook-type, hook removal and emersion (i.e. air exposure), as well as inter- and intra-specific factors, including aerobic scope, respiratory mode, body size and species-specific behaviours, which are likely to influence injury and/or mortality rates and should therefore be considered when assessing angling-related impacts. We then utilized these data to provide a range of actionable recommendations for both anglers and policymakers which would serve to reduce the population-level impact of recreational angling on these enigmatic animals.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10756054/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139075877","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}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2023-12-15eCollection Date: 2023-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad099
Loïck Ducros, Mohamed Touaibia, Nicolas Pichaud, Simon G Lamarre
{"title":"Resilience and phenotypic plasticity of Arctic char (<i>Salvelinus alpinus</i>) facing cyclic hypoxia: insights into growth, energy stores and hepatic metabolism.","authors":"Loïck Ducros, Mohamed Touaibia, Nicolas Pichaud, Simon G Lamarre","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coad099","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coad099","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Arctic char (<i>Salvelinus alpinus</i>) is facing the decline of its southernmost populations due to several factors including rising temperatures and eutrophication. These conditions are also conducive to episodes of cyclic hypoxia, another possible threat to this species. In fact, lack of oxygen and reoxygenation can both have serious consequences on fish as a result of altered ATP balance and an elevated risk of oxidative burst. Thus, fish must adjust their phenotype to survive and equilibrate their energetic budget. However, their energy allocation strategy could imply a reduction in growth which could be deleterious for their fitness. Although the impact of cyclic hypoxia is a major issue for ecosystems and fisheries worldwide, our knowledge on how salmonid deal with high oxygen fluctuations remains limited. Our objective was to characterize the effects of cyclic hypoxia on growth and metabolism in Arctic char. We monitored growth parameters (specific growth rate, condition factor), hepatosomatic and visceral indexes, relative heart mass and hematocrit of Arctic char exposed to 30 days of cyclic hypoxia. We also measured the hepatic protein synthesis rate, hepatic triglycerides as well as muscle glucose, glycogen and lactate and quantified hepatic metabolites during this treatment. The first days of cyclic hypoxia slightly reduce growth performance with a downward trend in specific growth rate in mass and condition factor variation compared to the control group. This acute exposure also induced a profound metabolome reorganization in the liver with an alteration of amino acid, carbohydrate and lipid metabolisms. However, fish rebalanced their metabolic activities and successfully maintained their growth and energetic reserves after 1 month of cyclic hypoxia. These results demonstrate the impressive ability of Arctic char to cope with its changing environment but also highlight a certain vulnerability of this species during the first days of a cyclic hypoxia event.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10724465/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138809832","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}
Giovanni Quattrocchi, Emil Christensen, Matteo Sinerchia, Stefano Marras, Andrea Cucco, Paolo Domenici, Jane W Behrens
{"title":"Aerobic metabolic scope mapping of an invasive fish species with global warming","authors":"Giovanni Quattrocchi, Emil Christensen, Matteo Sinerchia, Stefano Marras, Andrea Cucco, Paolo Domenici, Jane W Behrens","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coad094","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coad094","url":null,"abstract":"Climate change will exacerbate the negative effects associated with the introduction of non-indigenous species in marine ecosystems. Predicting the spread of invasive species in relation to environmental warming is therefore a fundamental task in ecology and conservation. The Baltic Sea is currently threatened by several local stressors and the highest increase in sea surface temperature of the world’s large marine ecosystems. These new thermal conditions can further favour the spreading of the invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), a fish of Ponto-Caspian origin, currently well established in the southern and central parts of the Baltic Sea. This study aims to assess the thermal habitat suitability of the round goby in the Baltic Sea considering the past and future conditions. The study combines sightings records with known physiological models of aerobic performance and sea surface temperatures. Physiological models read these temperatures, at sighting times and locations, to determine their effects on the aerobic metabolic scope (AMS) of the fish, a measure of its energetic potential in relation to environmental conditions. The geographical mapping of the AMS was used to describe the changes in habitat suitability during the past 3 decades and for climatic predictions (until 2100) showing that the favourable thermal habitat in the Baltic Sea has increased during the past 32 years and will continue to do so in all the applied climate model predictions. Particularly, the predicted new thermal conditions do not cause any reduction in the AMS of round goby populations, while the wintertime cold ranges are likely expected to preserve substantial areas from invasion. The results of this research can guide future monitoring programs increasing the chance to detect this invader in novel areas.","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138680590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shane R Turner, Simone Pedrini, Michael Just, Damian Grose, David Willyams, Kingsley W Dixon
{"title":"Are current seed storage approaches suitable for Macrozamia fraseri (Cycadales), a temperate species used in restoration?","authors":"Shane R Turner, Simone Pedrini, Michael Just, Damian Grose, David Willyams, Kingsley W Dixon","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coad096","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coad096","url":null,"abstract":"In this study, we focused on understanding key storage traits of seeds from Macrozamia fraseri, an unusual though important species that is impacted by mining. To support current restoration activities, large amounts of seed from M. fraseri have been regularly collected and stored for up to 8 years under standard seed banking conditions (5°C and 20% relative humidity), though in situ recruitment from directly sown seed is poor. To investigate the underlying constraints to germination on demand, we set out to assess the viability of M. fraseri seeds that had been stored in a restoration seed bank from 6 to 66 months. Seed moisture content (MC) (fresh weight basis) was also determined for seeds with different storage histories to ascertain whether M. fraseri seeds display traits (i.e. high MC) that might suggest non-orthodox seed storage behaviour. The youngest seed accession (6 months old) was found to have a high MC (45.8 ± 5.4%—fresh weight basis), and &gt;50% viability. In comparison, older (&gt;30 months old) accessions were observed to have a marked reduction in both seed MC (10–35% MC) and viability (0–29.4%). While preliminary, we conclude that M. fraseri seeds appear to lose viability during conventional storage with younger accessions displaying both a higher seed MC and viability, compared to accessions stored for longer. Given the significance of these results, future research activities are recommended to better understand the interplay between seed MC and storage environment and how this relates to the seasonally dry Mediterranean climate where this species naturally occurs. As well, storage and propagation approaches are proposed to increase success when using M. fraseri for conservation and restorative activities.","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138680507","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2023-12-14eCollection Date: 2023-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad095
Kate Riordan, Nicole M Thometz, Francesca I Batac, Teri E Nicholson, Heather E M Liwanag
{"title":"Effects of ontogeny and oiling on the thermal function of southern sea otter (<i>Enhydra lutris nereis</i>) fur.","authors":"Kate Riordan, Nicole M Thometz, Francesca I Batac, Teri E Nicholson, Heather E M Liwanag","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coad095","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coad095","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>During the evolution of most marine mammals, fur as an insulator has been replaced with more buoyant, energy storing and streamlining blubber. By contrast, the sea otter (<i>Enhydra lutris</i>) relies on insulation from its dense, air-trapping pelage, which differs morphologically between natal and adult stages. In this study, we investigated the ontogenetic changes in thermal function of southern sea otter (<i>Enhydra lutris nereis</i>) pelts in air, in water, and when saturated with crude oil. Pelt thermal conductivity, thickness, and thermal resistance were measured for six age classes: neonate (<1 month), small pup (1-2 months), large pup (3-5 months), juvenile (6 months-1 year), subadult (1-3 years), and adult (4-9 years). Thermal conductivity was significantly higher for pelts in air than in water, with oiled pelts exhibiting the highest values (<i>P</i> < 0.001). Oiled pelts had the lowest thermal resistance, which suggests that regardless of age, all sea otters are vulnerable to the effects of oiling (<i>P</i> < 0.001). To scale up our laboratory findings, we used a volume-specific geometric model of conductive heat transfer for a simplified sea otter body, representing all tested age classes and treatments. Neonates, small pups, and large pups are more vulnerable to the effects of oiling compared with older age classes (<i>P</i> < 0.0001) due to a higher surface area-to-volume ratio. These results are consistent with the known thermal conductance values for adult sea otter pelts, yet this is the first time such thermal differences have been demonstrated in young otters. Overall, body size and age play a more important role in the thermal abilities of sea otters than previously thought.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10724463/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138809737","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}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2023-12-13eCollection Date: 2023-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad097
Mandy J Keogh, Daniel P Thompson, John A Crouse
{"title":"Tracking reproductive events: Hoof growth and steroid hormone concentrations in hair and hoof tissues in moose (<i>Alces alces</i>).","authors":"Mandy J Keogh, Daniel P Thompson, John A Crouse","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coad097","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coad097","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Measurements of reproductive and stress-related hormones in keratinous tissues (e.g. hair, claws, hooves, baleen) can provide a record of stress and reproductive response in wildlife. We evaluated a method to collect keratin tissue from hooves of immobilized moose (<i>Alces alces</i>) and validated enzyme immunoassays for measuring cortisol and progesterone in hooves and hair. We also measured the annual growth and wear rates of moose hooves. Progesterone (range: 1.0-43.7 pg/mg) and cortisol (range: 0.05-2.9 pg/mg) were measurable and showed variation among hoof samples and moose. Pregnant females had twice as high progesterone concentrations (18.00 ± 3.73 pg/mg) from hoof sample locations post breeding compared to non-pregnant moose (9.40 ± 0.25 pg/mg). Annual hoof growth differed between the front (5.58 ± 0.12 cm) and rear (4.73 ± 0.13 cm) hooves and varied by season with higher growth rates during summer which decreased into autumn and winter. Adult female hooves represented between 1.6 and 2.1 years of growth and included up to two reproductive cycles. We established a method to estimate hoof growth rate and applied this to postmortem samples and were able to detect previous pregnancies. Shoulder guard hairs grew between August and March including during late gestation; however, hair progesterone concentrations (range: 2-107.1 pg/mg) were not related to reproductive state. Hair cortisol concentrations in our study (range: 0.2-15.9 pg/mg) were within the range of values previously reported for cervids. Our study supports the use of hooves for longitudinal sampling and measuring reproductive and stress-related hormones, providing a new tool for tracking reproductive events and understanding what variables may contribute to population level changes in reproduction.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10722880/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138809858","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}