Temporal constraints influence reproductive characteristics that are related to the pace‐of‐life continuum in geese
Among avian species, particularly those with altricial young, life‐history strategies are characterized by a ‘slow’ pace‐of‐life at lower latitudes, where relatively low annual investments in reproduction are traded‐off for increased survival. Evidence for this pattern in precocial species, however,...
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crwiley:10.1111/ibi.13301 2024-09-15T18:00:21+00:00 Temporal constraints influence reproductive characteristics that are related to the pace‐of‐life continuum in geese Gurney, Kirsty E. B. Alisauskas, Ray T. Stalwick, Jordyn A. Fondell, Thomas F. U.S. Geological Survey 2024 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ibi.13301 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ibi.13301 en eng Wiley http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Ibis volume 166, issue 3, page 844-856 ISSN 0019-1019 1474-919X journal-article 2024 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.13301 2024-06-25T04:12:43Z Among avian species, particularly those with altricial young, life‐history strategies are characterized by a ‘slow’ pace‐of‐life at lower latitudes, where relatively low annual investments in reproduction are traded‐off for increased survival. Evidence for this pattern in precocial species, however, is equivocal, and questions about ecological drivers of latitudinal variation in reproduction remain. To better understand spatial variation in pace‐of‐life and related reproductive traits across bird species and to test a hypothesis that might explain observed spatial patterns, we analysed breeding data from closely related Canada Geese Branta canadensis and Cackling Geese Branta hutchinsii , hereafter Canada‐type geese, comprising eight sub‐species from 16 sites across a broad gradient of latitude (32°N to 69°N) and season length. Unlike the pattern reported for many altricial species, Canada‐type geese did not show reduced annual fecundity at lower latitudes, and instead this reduced reproductive investment was at higher latitudes. For three of five reproductive traits, the relative influence of growing season length (GSL; an index of the time available to breed) was greater than that of latitude. A shorter GSL resulted in later nest initiations, shorter pre‐laying intervals and higher seasonal rates of clutch size decline. Our results suggest that these and other species of geese are able to circumvent nutritional and temporal constraints imposed by shorter GSL by storing and using nutrient reserves for egg laying and incubation. Relative flexibility in reproductive traits may permit Canada‐type geese to accommodate predicted increases in climatic variability, compared to species with more rigid reproductive strategies. Article in Journal/Newspaper Branta canadensis Wiley Online Library Ibis |
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Wiley Online Library |
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crwiley |
language |
English |
description |
Among avian species, particularly those with altricial young, life‐history strategies are characterized by a ‘slow’ pace‐of‐life at lower latitudes, where relatively low annual investments in reproduction are traded‐off for increased survival. Evidence for this pattern in precocial species, however, is equivocal, and questions about ecological drivers of latitudinal variation in reproduction remain. To better understand spatial variation in pace‐of‐life and related reproductive traits across bird species and to test a hypothesis that might explain observed spatial patterns, we analysed breeding data from closely related Canada Geese Branta canadensis and Cackling Geese Branta hutchinsii , hereafter Canada‐type geese, comprising eight sub‐species from 16 sites across a broad gradient of latitude (32°N to 69°N) and season length. Unlike the pattern reported for many altricial species, Canada‐type geese did not show reduced annual fecundity at lower latitudes, and instead this reduced reproductive investment was at higher latitudes. For three of five reproductive traits, the relative influence of growing season length (GSL; an index of the time available to breed) was greater than that of latitude. A shorter GSL resulted in later nest initiations, shorter pre‐laying intervals and higher seasonal rates of clutch size decline. Our results suggest that these and other species of geese are able to circumvent nutritional and temporal constraints imposed by shorter GSL by storing and using nutrient reserves for egg laying and incubation. Relative flexibility in reproductive traits may permit Canada‐type geese to accommodate predicted increases in climatic variability, compared to species with more rigid reproductive strategies. |
author2 |
U.S. Geological Survey |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Gurney, Kirsty E. B. Alisauskas, Ray T. Stalwick, Jordyn A. Fondell, Thomas F. |
spellingShingle |
Gurney, Kirsty E. B. Alisauskas, Ray T. Stalwick, Jordyn A. Fondell, Thomas F. Temporal constraints influence reproductive characteristics that are related to the pace‐of‐life continuum in geese |
author_facet |
Gurney, Kirsty E. B. Alisauskas, Ray T. Stalwick, Jordyn A. Fondell, Thomas F. |
author_sort |
Gurney, Kirsty E. B. |
title |
Temporal constraints influence reproductive characteristics that are related to the pace‐of‐life continuum in geese |
title_short |
Temporal constraints influence reproductive characteristics that are related to the pace‐of‐life continuum in geese |
title_full |
Temporal constraints influence reproductive characteristics that are related to the pace‐of‐life continuum in geese |
title_fullStr |
Temporal constraints influence reproductive characteristics that are related to the pace‐of‐life continuum in geese |
title_full_unstemmed |
Temporal constraints influence reproductive characteristics that are related to the pace‐of‐life continuum in geese |
title_sort |
temporal constraints influence reproductive characteristics that are related to the pace‐of‐life continuum in geese |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ibi.13301 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ibi.13301 |
genre |
Branta canadensis |
genre_facet |
Branta canadensis |
op_source |
Ibis volume 166, issue 3, page 844-856 ISSN 0019-1019 1474-919X |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.13301 |
container_title |
Ibis |
_version_ |
1810437520898392064 |