Invasive parasites, habitat change and heavy rainfall reduce breeding success in Darwin's finches
| Autor: | Birgit Fessl, Sabine Tebbich, Markus Zöttl, Francesca Cunninghame, Michael Dvorak, Patrick Meidl, Angel Ulloa, Arno Cimadom, Elisabet Zöttl, Erwin Nemeth |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2014 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Rain Population Dynamics lcsh:Medicine Introduced species Breeding Warbler Behavioral Ecology Risk Factors lcsh:Science Avian Biology Conservation Science education.field_of_study Multidisciplinary 576 Genetics and evolution Ecology Animal Behavior biology Muscidae Veterinary Diseases Sympatric speciation Camarhynchus parvulus Female Ecuador Research Article Population Microbiology Philornis downsi Animals Parasite Evolution education Ecosystem Life Cycle Stages Evolutionary Biology Reproductive success Herbicides Ecology and Environmental Sciences lcsh:R Parasite Physiology Biology and Life Sciences Darwin's finches Veterinary Parasitology biology.organism_classification Evolutionary Ecology Predatory Behavior Parasitology Veterinary Science lcsh:Q Finches Zoology Entomology |
| Zdroj: | PLoS ONE, Vol 9, Iss 9, p e107518 (2014) PLoS ONE |
| ISSN: | 1932-6203 |
| Popis: | Invasive alien parasites and pathogens are a growing threat to biodiversity worldwide, which can contribute to the extinction of endemic species. On the Galapagos Islands, the invasive parasitic fly Philornis downsi poses a major threat to the endemic avifauna. Here, we investigated the influence of this parasite on the breeding success of two Darwin's finch species, the warbler finch (Certhidea olivacea) and the sympatric small tree finch (Camarhynchus parvulus), on Santa Cruz Island in 2010 and 2012. While the population of the small tree finch appeared to be stable, the warbler finch has experienced a dramatic decline in population size on Santa Cruz Island since 1997. We aimed to identify whether warbler finches are particularly vulnerable during different stages of the breeding cycle. Contrary to our prediction, breeding success was lower in the small tree finch than in the warbler finch. In both species P. downsi had a strong negative impact on breeding success and our data suggest that heavy rain events also lowered the fledging success. On the one hand parents might be less efficient in compensating their chicks'; energy loss due to parasitism as they might be less efficient in foraging on days of heavy rain. On the other hand, intense rainfalls might lead to increased humidity and more rapid cooling of the nests. In the case of the warbler finch we found that the control of invasive plant species with herbicides had a significant additive negative impact on the breeding success. It is very likely that the availability of insects (i.e. food abundance) is lower in such controlled areas, as herbicide usage led to the removal of the entire understory. Predation seems to be a minor factor in brood loss. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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