Nest concealment is associated with reproductive traits across sympatric bird species

Autor: Guopan Li, Han Yan, Shaobin Li, Jinlong Liu
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Ecology and Evolution, Vol 11, Iss 20, Pp 14079-14087 (2021)
Ecology and Evolution
ISSN: 2045-7758
Popis: Nest‐site characteristics are thought to play an important role in reproductive performance in birds (e.g., influencing reproductive success and predation risk). Nest‐site characteristics such as concealment may be particularly critical at high elevation where nests are exposed to challenging environmental conditions. In this study, we conducted both conventional and phylogenetically controlled analyses to investigate whether nest concealment affected several reproductive traits across 21 sympatric bird species living on Tibet Plateau (3,400 m altitude). Qualitatively equivalent results were reached in analyses, regardless of phylogenetic controls. We found that clutch size, incubation period, nestling period, and nest success were strongly and positively associated with nest concealment across species. Our study addressed such a high‐elevation bird community that is lacking in the previous studies. This study adds to theory that while there are a few exceptions, overall evidence supports a positive effect of nest concealment on reproductive performance across coexisting alpine species.
Phylogenetic comparative analyses and conventional analyses suggest that nest concealment positively affects reproductive traits across sympatric species at high altitude. This study adds to the evidence that there is a positive effect of nest concealment on reproductive performance across species.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz: