Ecological correlates of fecal corticosterone metabolites in female Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)
Abstract
Measurement of physiological responses can reveal effects of ecological conditions on an animal and correlate with demographic parameters. Ecological conditions for many animal species have deteriorated as a function of invasive plants and habitat fragmentation. Expansion of juniper (genus Juniperus L.) trees and invasion of annual grasses into sagebrush (genus Artemisia L.) ecosystems have contributed to habitat degradation for Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus (Bonaparte, 1827); hereinafter Sage-Grouse), a species of conservation concern throughout its range. We evaluated relationships between habitat use in a landscape modified by juniper expansion and annual grasses and corticosterone metabolite levels (stress responses) in feces (FCORTm) of female Sage-Grouse. We used remotely sensed data to estimate vegetation cover within the home ranges of hens and accounted for factors that influence FCORTm in other vertebrates, such as age and weather. We collected 35 fecal samples from 22 radio-collared hens during the 2017–2018 brood-rearing season (24 May–26 July) in southwestern Idaho (USA). Concentrations of corticosterone increased with home range size but decreased with reproductive effort and temperature. The importance of home range size suggests that maintaining or improving habitats that promote smaller home ranges would likely facilitate a lower stress response by hens, which should benefit Sage-Grouse survival and reproduction.
Résumé
La mesure de réactions physiologiques peut révéler des effets de conditions écologiques sur un animal et être corrélée à des paramètres démographiques. Les conditions écologiques pour de nombreuses espèces animales se sont dégradées en raison de plantes envahissantes et de la fragmentation des habitats. L’expansion des genévriers (genre Juniperus L.) et l’envahissement de graminées annuelles dans les écosystèmes à armoises (genre Artemisia L.) ont contribué à la dégradation des habitats pour le tétras des armoises (Centrocercus urophasianus (Bonaparte, 1827)), une espèce dont la conservation est préoccupante dans toute son aire de répartition. Nous évaluons les relations entre l’utilisation de l’habitat dans un paysage modifié par l’expansion des genévriers et des graminées annuelles et les concentrations de métabolites de corticostérone (réaction de stress) dans les fèces (FCORTm) de tétras des armoises femelles. Nous utilisons des données de télédétection pour estimer le couvert végétal à l’intérieur des domaines vitaux des femelles et intégrons des facteurs qui influencent la FCORTm chez d’autres vertébrés, comme l’âge et la météo. Nous avons prélevé 35 échantillons fécaux de 22 femelles dotés d’un collier émetteur durant la période de soins à la couvée (du 24 mai au 26 juillet) dans le sud-ouest de l’Idaho (États-Unis), en 2017–2018. Les concentrations de corticostérone augmentent parallèlement à la taille du domaine vital, mais diminuent parallèlement à l’effort de reproduction et à la température. L’importance de la taille du domaine vital donne à penser que le maintien ou l’amélioration des habitats qui favorisent de plus petits domaines vitaux se traduirait vraisemblablement par des réactions de stress moins fortes chez les femelles, ce qui devrait être bénéfique pour la survie et la reproduction des tétras des armoises. [Traduit par la Rédaction]
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Published In
Canadian Journal of Zoology
Volume 99 • Number 9 • September 2021
Pages: 812 - 822
History
Received: 23 October 2020
Accepted: 31 March 2021
Accepted manuscript online: 12 July 2021
Version of record online: 12 July 2021
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© 2021.
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J.C. Rabon, C.M.V. Nuñez, P.S. Coates, M.A. Ricca, and T.N. Johnson. 2021. Ecological correlates of fecal corticosterone metabolites in female Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Canadian Journal of Zoology.
99(9): 812-822. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2020-0258
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