An improved understanding of life-history responses to current environmental variability is required to predict species-specific responses to anthopogenic climate change. Previous research has suggested that cooperation in social groups may buffer individuals against some of the negative effects of unpredictable climates. We use a 15-year dataset on a cooperative breeding arid zone bird, the southern pied babbler Turdoides bicolor, to test (i) whether environmental conditions and group size correlate with survival of young during three development stages (egg, nestling, fledgling) and (ii) whether group size mitigates the impacts of adverse environmental conditions on survival of young. Exposure to high mean daily maximum temperatures (mean Tmax) during early development was associated with reduced survival probabilities of young in all three development stages. No young survived when mean Tmax > 38°C, across all group sizes. Low survival of young at high temperatures has broad implications for recruitment and population persistence in avian communities given the rapid pace of advancing climate change. Impacts of high temperatures on survival of young were not moderated by group size, suggesting that the availability of more helpers in a group is unlikely to buffer against compromised offspring survival as average and maximum temperatures increase with rapid anthropogenic climate change.

中文翻译：

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高温导致合作繁殖鸟类的后代死亡

需要更好地了解生命史对当前环境变化的反应，以预测物种对人为气候变化的特异性反应。先前的研究表明，社会团体中的合作可以缓冲个人免受不可预测气候的一些负面影响。我们使用 15 年的合作育种干旱区鸟类数据集，南部花斑鹬双色，以测试 (i) 环境条件和群体规模是否与三个发育阶段（卵、雏鸟、雏鸟）幼鸟的存活相关； (ii) 群体规模是否能减轻不利环境条件对幼崽生存的影响。在早期发育过程中暴露于高平均每日最高温度（平均 Tmax）与所有三个发育阶段的幼崽存活概率降低有关。在所有组大小中，当平均 Tmax > 38°C 时，没有幼崽存活。鉴于气候变化的快速推进，高温下年轻人的低存活率对鸟类社区的招募和种群持久性具有广泛的影响。高温对幼崽生存的影响不受群体规模的影响，这表明随着人为气候的快速变化，平均和最高温度升高，群体中更多助手的可用性不太可能缓冲后代生存受到影响。鉴于气候变化的快速推进，高温下年轻人的低存活率对鸟类社区的招募和种群持久性具有广泛的影响。高温对幼崽生存的影响不受群体规模的影响，这表明随着人为气候的快速变化，平均和最高温度升高，群体中更多助手的可用性不太可能缓冲后代生存受到影响。鉴于气候变化的快速推进，高温下年轻人的低存活率对鸟类社区的招募和种群持久性具有广泛的影响。高温对幼崽生存的影响不受群体规模的影响，这表明随着人为气候的快速变化，平均和最高温度升高，群体中更多助手的可用性不太可能缓冲后代生存受到影响。