Individual quality overwrites carry‐over effects across the annual cycle of a long‐distance migrant

• Published in: Journal of Animal Ecology
• Main Authors: Léandri‐breton, Don‐jean, Elliott, Kyle, H, Tarroux, Arnaud, Moe, Børge, Jouanneau, William, Amélineau, Françoise, Angelier, Frédéric, Blévin, Pierre, Sandøy Bråthen, Vegard, Fauchald, Per, Gabrielsen, Geir, W, Goutte, Aurélie, Parenteau, Charline, Tartu, Sabrina, Legagneux, Pierre, Chastel, Olivier
• Other Authors: Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University = Université McGill Montréal, Canada, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC), La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Norwegian Polar Institute, Ecosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution Rennes (ECOBIO), Université de Rennes (UR)-Institut Ecologie et Environnement - CNRS Ecologie et Environnement (INEE-CNRS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Rennes (OSUR), Université de Rennes (UR)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Akvaplan-Niva Tromsø, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Milieux Environnementaux, Transferts et Interactions dans les hydrosystèmes et les Sols (METIS), École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Laval Québec (ULaval)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2024
• Subjects: corticosterone; energy expenditure; geolocator; kittiwake; reproductive costs; seabird; seasonal interactions; winter distribution; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; [SDV.BA.ZV]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Vertebrate Zoology; Black-legged Kittiwake; rissa tridactyla
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-04603849; https://hal.science/hal-04603849/document; https://hal.science/hal-04603849/file/LBDJ_2024_1.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.14125

International audience In seasonal environments, the fitness of animals depends upon the successful integration of life‐history stages throughout their annual cycle. Failing to do so can lead to negative carry‐over effects where individuals are transitioning into the next season in different states, consequently affecting their future performance. However, carry‐over effects can be masked by individual quality when individuals vary in their efficiency at acquiring resources year after year (i.e. ‘quality’), leading to cross‐seasonal consistency in individual performance. Here we investigated the relative importance of carry‐over effects and individual quality in determining cross‐seasonal interactions and consequences for breeding success over the full annual cycle of a migratory seabird (black‐legged kittiwake Rissa tridactyla ). We monitored the reproduction and annual movement of kittiwakes over 13 years using geolocators to estimate their breeding success, distribution and winter energy expenditure. We combined this with an experimental approach (clutch removal experiment, 2 years) to manipulate the reproductive effort irrespective of individual quality. Piecewise path analyses showed that successful breeders reproduced earlier and were more likely to breed successfully again the following year. This positive interaction among consecutive breeding stages disappeared after controlling for individual quality, suggesting that quality was dominant in determining seasonal interactions. Moreover, controlling experimentally for individual quality revealed underlying carry‐over effects that were otherwise masked by quality, with breeding costs paid in higher energy expenditure and delayed onset of reproduction. We highlight the need to combine an experimental approach along with long‐term data while assessing apparent carry‐over effects in wild animals, and their potential impact on fitness and population demography.