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Kibble diet is associated with higher faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in zoo-managed red wolves (Canis rufus) Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-02-27 Morgan Bragg, Carly R Muletz-Wolz, Nucharin Songsasen, Elizabeth W Freeman
The red wolf (Canis rufus) is a critically endangered canid that exists solely because of the establishment of the ex situ population in the late 1980s. Yet, the population under human care suffers from gastrointestinal (GI) disease in captivity. While the cause of GI disease is unknown, it is speculated that environmental factors can influence GI health of zoo-managed red wolves. The goal of the present
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Same, same, but different: dissimilarities in the hydrothermal germination performance of range-restricted endemics emerge despite microclimatic similarities Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-02-23 Rajapakshe P V G S W Rajapakshe, Sean Tomlinson, Emily P Tudor, Shane R Turner, Carole P Elliott, Wolfgang Lewandrowski
Seed germination responses for most narrow-range endemic species are poorly understood, imperilling their conservation management in the face of warming and drying terrestrial ecosystems. We quantified the realized microclimatic niches and the hydrothermal germination thresholds in four threatened taxa (Tetratheca erubescens, Tetratheca harperi, Tetratheca paynterae subsp. paynterae and Tetratheca
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Health parameters for wild Carnaby's cockatoo (Zanda latirostris) nestlings in Western Australia: results of a long-term study Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-02-21 Anna T Le Souëf, Mieghan Bruce, Amanda Barbosa, Jill M Shephard, Peter R Mawson, Rick Dawson, Denis A Saunders, Kristin S Warren
The collection of baseline health data is an essential component of an endangered species conservation program. As for many wildlife species, there are minimal health data available for wild populations of the endangered Carnaby’s cockatoo (Zanda latirostris). In this study, 426 wild Carnaby’s cockatoo nestlings were sampled from nine breeding sites throughout the range of the species over an 11-year
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The impacts of diel thermal variability on growth, development and performance of wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) from two thermally distinct rivers Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-02-12 Sean Andrew, Sula Swart, Stephanie McKenna, Jenna Morissette, Carole-Anne Gillis, Tommi Linnansaari, Suzanne Currie, Andrea J Morash
Temperature in many natural aquatic environments follows a diel cycle, but to date, we know little on how diel thermal cycles affect fish biology. The current study investigates the growth, development and physiological performance of wild Atlantic salmon collected from the Miramichi and Restigouche rivers (NB, Canada). Fish were collected as parr and acclimated to either 16–21 or 19–24°C diel thermal
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Effects of temperature acclimation on the upper thermal tolerance of two Arctic fishes Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-02-10 Carolyn R Waterbury, Trent M Sutton, Amanda L Kelley, J Andrés López
The thermally dynamic nearshore Beaufort Sea, Alaska, is experiencing climate change-driven temperature increases. Measuring thermal tolerance of broad whitefish (Coregonus nasus) and saffron cod (Eleginus gracilis), both important species in the Arctic ecosystem, will enhance understanding of species-specific thermal tolerances. The objectives of this study were to determine the extent that acclimating
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Non-invasive assessment of hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy in guanacos (Lama guanicoe) and its application in a wild population Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-02-09 A Marozzi, V I Cantarelli, A Panebianco, F M Gomez, R Ovejero, P F Gregorio, F Peña, M F Ponzio, P D Carmanchahi
Obtaining endocrinological profiles using non-invasive methodologies by the measurement of hormone fecal metabolites is a widely used method to monitor ovarian activity and pregnancy in wild species. These tools allow the obtention of physiological information without causing capture-related stress on the individuals. In this research, we aimed to 1) biologically validate a non-invasive method to assess
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Handling heatwaves: balancing thermoregulation, foraging and bumblebee colony success Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Tiffany Bretzlaff, Jeremy T Kerr, Charles-A Darveau
Climate changes pose risks for bumblebee populations, which have declined relative to the growing frequency and severity of warmer temperature extremes. Bumblebees might mitigate the effects of such extreme weather through colonial behaviours. In particular, fanning behaviour to dissipate heat is an important mechanism that could reduce exposure of thermally sensitive offspring to detrimental nest
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Divergent impacts of the neonicotinoid insecticide, clothianidin, on flight performance metrics in two species of migratory butterflies Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-02-02 Staci Cibotti, Phineas J Saum, Andrew J Myrick, Rudolf J Schilder, Jared G Ali
Long-distance flight is crucial for the survival of migratory insects, and disruptions to their flight capacity can have significant consequences for conservation. In this study, we examined how a widely used insecticide, clothianidin (class: neonicotinoid), impacted the flight performance of two species of migratory butterflies, monarchs (Danaus plexippus) and painted ladies (Vanessa cardui). To do
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The habitat quality paradox: loss of riparian forest cover leads to decreased risk of parasitism and improved body condition in an imperiled amphibian Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-01-29 Catherine M Bodinof Jachowski, Valentina Alaasam, Arden Blumenthal, Andrew K Davis, William A Hopkins
Amphibian declines are a global phenomenon but responses of populations to specific threats are often context dependent and mediated by individual physiological condition. Habitat degradation due to reduced riparian forest cover and parasitism are two threats facing the hellbender salamander (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis), but their potential to interact in nature remains largely unexplored. We investigated
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Validation of an enzyme immunoassay for the detection of corticosterone metabolites from northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) feces Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-01-29 Jeremiah Leach, Hannah N Suber, Katelyn Conley, Regan Rivera, James Surles, Benjamin Hames, Ronald J Kendall
Interest in the effects of stressors on wildlife has grown substantially over the past few decades. As this interest has grown, so has the need for minimally invasive and reliable methods for estimating differences in the levels of stress hormones. An enzyme immunoassay using standardized methods was validated for detecting concentrations of corticosterone (cort) metabolites from northern bobwhite
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Aerobic metabolic scope mapping of an invasive fish species with global warming Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-12-14 Giovanni Quattrocchi, Emil Christensen, Matteo Sinerchia, Stefano Marras, Andrea Cucco, Paolo Domenici, Jane W Behrens
Climate change will exacerbate the negative effects associated with the introduction of non-indigenous species in marine ecosystems. Predicting the spread of invasive species in relation to environmental warming is therefore a fundamental task in ecology and conservation. The Baltic Sea is currently threatened by several local stressors and the highest increase in sea surface temperature of the world’s
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Are current seed storage approaches suitable for Macrozamia fraseri (Cycadales), a temperate species used in restoration? Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-12-14 Shane R Turner, Simone Pedrini, Michael Just, Damian Grose, David Willyams, Kingsley W Dixon
In this study, we focused on understanding key storage traits of seeds from Macrozamia fraseri, an unusual though important species that is impacted by mining. To support current restoration activities, large amounts of seed from M. fraseri have been regularly collected and stored for up to 8 years under standard seed banking conditions (5°C and 20% relative humidity), though in situ recruitment from
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Critical review of the phytohemagglutinin assay for assessing amphibian immunity Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Lauren Hawley, Kelly L Smalling, Scott Glaberman
Infectious diseases are a major driver of the global amphibian decline. In addition, many factors, including genetics, stress, pollution, and climate change can influence the response to pathogens. Therefore, it is important to be able to evaluate amphibian immunity in the laboratory and in the field. The phytohemagglutinin (PHA) assay is an inexpensive and relatively non-invasive tool that has been
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Seasonal temperatures in South Eleuthera, The Bahamas, have considerable impacts on the cardiorespiratory function and swimming performance of Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-12-07 E S Porter, A K Gamperl
Surprisingly, the impacts of environmental changes on the physiology of tropical/subtropical marine fishes have received limited attention. Given that (i) temperature is considered to be a key factor controlling the biology of fishes; (ii) no published data are available on the swimming performance, metabolic capacity or cardiac function of any of the ~165 grouper species worldwide; and (iii) the Nassau
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Intake and growth histories modulate bone morphology, microarchitecture, and mineralization in juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-12-07 Morgan C Abell, José A Sánchez Hernández, Robin Bast, Karen A Bjorndal, Alan B Bolten, Alison M Roark
Compensatory growth (CG) is accelerated growth that occurs when food availability increases after food restriction. This rapid growth may be associated with sublethal consequences. In this study, we investigated the effects of food restriction and subsequent realimentation and CG on bone structure in juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas). Turtles were fed ad libitum food for 12 weeks (AL), restricted
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Capture and transport of white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum) cause shifts in their fecal microbiota composition towards dysbiosis Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-11-25 Friederike Pohlin, Carolin Frei, Leith C R Meyer, Franz-Ferdinand Roch, Narciso M Quijada, Beate Conrady, Viktoria Neubauer, Markus Hofmeyr, Dave Cooper, Gabrielle Stalder, Stefanie U Wetzels
Translocations of Rhinocerotidae are commonly performed for conservation purposes but expose the animals to a variety of stressors (e.g. prolonged fasting, confinement, novel environment, etc.). Stress may change the composition of gut microbiota, which can impact animal health and welfare. White rhinoceroses in particular can develop anorexia, diarrhea and enterocolitis after translocation. The aim
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Physiological plasticity in elephants: highly dynamic glucocorticoids in African and Asian elephants Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-11-25 Sanjeeta Sharma Pokharel, Janine L Brown
Slowly reproducing and long-lived terrestrial mammals are often more at risk from challenges that influence fitness and survival. It is, therefore, important to understand how animals cope with such challenges and how coping mechanisms translate over generations and affect phenotypic plasticity. Rapidly escalating anthropogenic challenges may further diminish an animal’s ability to reinstate homeostasis
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Fasting durations of Steller sea lion pups vary among subpopulations—evidence from two plasma metabolites Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-11-25 Stephanie G Crawford, Robert H Coker, Todd M O’Hara, Greg A Breed, Tom Gelatt, Brian Fadely, Vladimir Burkanov, Patricia M Rivera, Lorrie D Rea
Geographic differences in population growth trends are well-documented in Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), a species of North Pacific pinniped listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 1990 following a marked decline in population abundance that began during the 1970s. As population growth is intrinsically linked to pup production and survival, examining factors related to pup physiological
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Dynamics of stored lipids in fall migratory monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus): Nectaring in northern Mexico allows recovery from droughts at higher latitudes Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-11-25 Keith A Hobson, Orley Taylor, M Isabel Ramírez, Rogelio Carrera-Treviño, John Pleasants, Royce Bitzer, Kristen A Baum, Blanca X Mora Alvarez, Jude Kastens, Jeremy N McNeil
The eastern population of the North American monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) overwinters from November through March in the high-altitude (3000 m+) forests of central Mexico during which time they rely largely on stored lipids. These are acquired during larval development and the conversion of sugars from floral nectar by adults. We sampled fall migrant monarchs from southern Canada through the
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Functional traits and drought strategy predict leaf thermal tolerance Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-11-14 Justin M Valliere, Kekoa C Nelson, Marco Castañeda Martinez
Heat stress imposes an important physiological constraint on native plant species—one that will only worsen with human-caused climate change. Indeed, rising temperatures have already contributed to large-scale plant mortality events across the globe. These impacts may be especially severe in cities, where the urban heat island effect amplifies climate warming. Understanding how plant species will respond
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Simultaneous determination of steroid hormones and pharmaceuticals in killer whale (Orcinus orca) faecal samples by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-11-13 Andrew R S Ross, Xiangjun Liao, Tanya M Brown
We describe a non-invasive method for profiling selected hormones, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in killer whales (Orcinus orca) based on analysis of faecal samples by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The method targets 21 compounds of interest including glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, androgens, estrogens, progestogens, selective serotonin uptake
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Assessing variation in faecal glucocorticoid concentrations in gray whales exposed to anthropogenic stressors Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-11-13 Enrico Pirotta, Alejandro Fernandez Ajó, KC Bierlich, Clara N Bird, C Loren Buck, Samara M Haver, Joseph H Haxel, Lisa Hildebrand, Kathleen E Hunt, Leila S Lemos, Leslie New, Leigh G Torres
Understanding how individual animals respond to stressors behaviourally and physiologically is a critical step towards quantifying long-term population consequences and informing management efforts. Glucocorticoid (GC) metabolite accumulation in various matrices provides an integrated measure of adrenal activation in baleen whales and could thus be used to investigate physiological changes following
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Birds living near airports do not show consistently higher levels of feather corticosterone Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-10-20 Renata D Alquezar, Lucía Arregui, Regina H Macedo, Diego Gil
Noise represents a threat to human and wildlife health, triggering physiological and behavioral challenges to individuals living close to sources of extreme noise. Here, we considered airport environments as sources of potentially stressful stimuli for birds and tested if those living near airports are under higher physiological stress than birds living in quiet sites. We used measurements of CORT
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Assay validation of saliva glucocorticoids in Columbia spotted frogs and effects of handling and marking Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-10-13 Brian J Tornabene, Blake R Hossack, Creagh W Breuner
Non-invasive methods are important to the field of conservation physiology to reduce negative effects on organisms being studied. Glucocorticoid (GC) hormones are often used to assess health of individuals, but collection methods can be invasive. Many amphibians are imperiled worldwide, and saliva is a non- or semi-invasive matrix to measure GCs that has been partially validated for only four amphibian
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What are the Metabolic Rates of Marine Mammals and What Factors Impact this Value: A review. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-10-02 S R Noren,David A S Rosen
Over the past several decades, scientists have constructed bioenergetic models for marine mammals to assess potential population-level consequences following exposure to a disturbance, stressor, or environmental change, such as under the Population Consequences of Disturbance (pCOD) framework. The animal's metabolic rate (rate of energy expenditure) is a cornerstone for these models, yet the cryptic
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Estimating pregnancy rate from blubber progesterone levels of a blindly biopsied beluga population poses methodological, analytical and statistical challenges. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-09-26 L-A Renaud,X Bordeleau,N M Kellar,G Pigeon,R Michaud,Y Morin,S Lair,A Therien,V Lesage
Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) from the St. Lawrence Estuary, Canada, have been declining since the early 2000s, suggesting recruitment issues as a result of low fecundity, abnormal abortion rates or poor calf or juvenile survival. Pregnancy is difficult to observe in cetaceans, making the ground truthing of pregnancy estimates in wild individuals challenging. Blubber progesterone concentrations were
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Assessing the effects of a drought experiment on the reproductive phenology and ecophysiology of a wet tropical rainforest community. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-09-19 Nara Vogado,Susan G Laurance,Michael J Liddell,Jayden E Engert,Christopher M Wurster,Michele Schiffer,Andrew Thompson,Cassandra Nichols,Lucas A Cernusak
Climate change is expected to increase the intensity and occurrence of drought in tropical regions, potentially affecting the phenology and physiology of tree species. Phenological activity may respond to a drying and warming environment by advancing reproductive timing and/or diminishing the production of flowers and fruits. These changes have the potential to disrupt important ecological processes
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Smaller herring larval size-at-stage in response to environmental changes is associated with ontogenic processes and stress response Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-09-13 Léa J Joly, Maarten Boersma, Carolina Giraldo, David Mazurais, Lauriane Madec, Sophie Collet, José-Luis Zambonino-Infante, Cédric L Meunier
Global change puts coastal systems under pressure, affecting the ecology and physiology of marine organisms. In particular, fish larvae are sensitive to environmental conditions, and their fitness is an important determinant of fish stock recruitment and fluctuations. To assess the combined effects of warming, acidification and change in food quality, herring larvae were reared in a control scenario
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Plant physiological indicators for optimizing conservation outcomes. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-09-12 Leonie Schönbeck,Marc Arteaga,Humera Mirza,Mitchell Coleman,Denise Mitchell,Xinyi Huang,Haile Ortiz,Louis S Santiago
Plant species of concern often occupy narrow habitat ranges, making climate change an outsized potential threat to their conservation and restoration. Understanding the physiological status of a species during stress has the potential to elucidate current risk and provide an outlook on population maintenance. However, the physiological status of a plant can be difficult to interpret without a reference
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Correction to: Temminck's pangolins relax the precision of body temperature regulation when resources are scarce in a semi-arid environment. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-09-12
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad068.].
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Mussel mass mortality in the Clinch River, USA: metabolomics detects affected pathways and biomarkers of stress Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-09-06 Joel G Putnam, John N Steiner, Jordan C Richard, Eric Leis, Tony L Goldberg, Christopher D Dunn, Rose Agbalog, Susan Knowles, Diane L Waller
Biologists monitoring freshwater mussel (order Unionida) populations rely on behavioral, often subjective, signs to identify moribund (“sick”) or stressed mussels, such as gaping valves and slow response to probing, and they lack clinical indicators to support a diagnosis. As part of a multi-year study to investigate causes of reoccurring mortality of pheasantshell (Ortmanniana pectorosa; synonym Actinonaias
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Germination physiology of Cochlospermum fraseri (Bixaceae), a deciduous tree from Northern Australia with physical seed dormancy Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-09-04 Michael Just, Shane Turner, Adam Cross, Wolfgang Lewandrowski, Simone Pedrini, Kingsley Dixon
Cochlospermum fraseri (‘Kapok’, Bixaceae) is a deciduous tree widely distributed throughout semi-arid and monsoon tropical northern Australia, and an important species for ecological restoration in the region. We aimed to better understand the seed biology and ecology of C. fraseri to determine the mechanisms by which seed dormancy might be alleviated, and the conditions that support germination to
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Effect of elevated embryonic incubation temperature on the temperature preference of juvenile lake (Coregonus clupeaformis) and round whitefish (Prosopium cylindraceum) Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-31 Adam Harman, Hannah Mahoney, William Andrew Thompson, Meghan L M Fuzzen, Bhuvan Aggarwal, Lisa Laframboise, Douglas R Boreham, Richard G Manzon, Christopher M Somers, Joanna Y Wilson
Anthropogenic impacts can lead to increased temperatures in freshwater environments through thermal effluent and climate change. Thermal preference of aquatic organisms can be modulated by abiotic and biotic factors including environmental temperature. Whether increased temperature during embryogenesis can lead to long-term alterations in thermal preference has not been explicitly tested in native
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Characterization of sperm and implications for male fertility in the last of the Rhynchocephalians Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-31 Sarah K Lamar, Nicola J Nelson, Diane K Ormsby
Managing a species of conservation concern can be best achieved when there is information on the reproductive physiology of both sexes available; however, many species lack this critical, baseline information. One such species, the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), is the last surviving member of one of the four reptile orders (Rhynchocephalia) and is the only reptile known to lack a male intromittent
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Estimating fat content in barred owls (Strix varia) with predictive models developed from direct measures of proximate body composition. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-30 Ryan C Baumbusch,Katie M Dugger,J David Wiens
Body condition indices and related metrics can help assess habitat quality and other ecological processes, and ideally, these metrics are based on measures of lipids directly extracted from the species of interest. In recent decades, barred owls (Strix varia) have become a species of conservation concern as they invaded older forests of the US Pacific Northwest, and caused population declines of the
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Exploring water-borne corticosterone collection as a non-invasive tool in amphibian conservation physiology: benefits, limitations and future perspectives Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-29 Katharina Ruthsatz, Rafael Rico-Millan, Paula Cabral Eterovick, Ivan Gomez-Mestre
Global change exposes wildlife to a variety of environmental stressors and is affecting biodiversity worldwide, with amphibian population declines being at the forefront of the global biodiversity crisis. The use of non-invasive methods to determine the physiological state in response to environmental stressors is therefore an important advance in the field of conservation physiology. The glucocorticoid
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Temminck pangolins relax the precision of body temperature regulation when resources are scarce in a semi-arid environment Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-29 Wendy Panaino, Francesca Parrini, Peter R Kamerman, Robyn S Hetem, Leith C R Meyer, Dylan Smith, Gus van Dyk, Andrea Fuller
Climate change is impacting mammals both directly (for example, through increased heat) and indirectly (for example, through altered food resources). Understanding the physiological and behavioural responses of mammals in already hot and dry environments to fluctuations in the climate and food availability allows for a better understanding of how they will cope with a rapidly changing climate. We measured
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Responses to pathogen exposure in sentinel juvenile fall-run Chinook salmon in the Sacramento River, CA. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-28 Samah M R Abdelrazek,Richard E Connon,Camilo Sanchez,Benjamin Atencio,Florian Mauduit,Brendan Lehman,Sascha L Hallett,Stephen D Atkinson,J Scott Foott,Miles E Daniels
This study investigated how the deployment of juvenile Chinook salmon in ambient river conditions and the subsequent exposure to and infection by pathogens was associated with the changes in the expression of genes involved in immune system functioning, general stress and host development. Juvenile fish were deployed in sentinel cages for 21 days in the Sacramento River, CA, USA. Gill, kidney and intestinal
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Are the effects of catch-and-release angling evident in changes to mRNA abundances related to metabolism, acid–base regulation and stress in lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) gills? Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-25 Simon W DePasquale, Bradley E Howell, Giulio Navarroli, Kenneth M Jeffries, Steven J Cooke, Sanoji Wijenayake, Jennifer D Jeffrey, Caleb T Hasler
Catch-and-release (C&R) angling is a conservation-oriented practice intended to reduce the impact recreational angling has on fish populations. Even though most recreationally angled fish are released, little is known about how C&R angling impacts fish at the cellular or tissue level. As the first to explore the impacts of C&R angling on mRNA abundances, our study aimed to identify how the stress of
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Oxidative physiology of two small and highly migratory Arctic seabirds: Arctic terns (Sterna paradisaea) and long-tailed jaegers (Stercorarius longicaudus) Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-22 Melinda A. Fowler, Joanna B. Wong, Autumn-Lynn Harrison
Arctic ecosystems are changing rapidly. The tundra supports nesting migratory seabirds that spend most of their year over the ocean. Migrations are demanding, but it is unclear how physiological capability may equip organisms to respond to their changing environments. For two migratory seabird species nesting in Alaska, USA, the Arctic tern (n = 10) and the long-tailed jaeger (n = 8), we compared oxidative
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The fast-food effect: costs of being a generalist in a human-dominated landscape Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-15 Sergio Guerrero-Sanchez, Liesbeth Frias, Silvester Saimin, Pablo Orozco-terWengel, Benoit Goossens
Agricultural expansion in Southeast Asia has converted most natural landscapes into mosaics of forest interspersed with plantations, dominated by the presence of generalist species that benefit from resource predictability. Dietary shifts, however, can result in metabolic alterations and the exposure of new parasites that can impact animal fitness and population survival. Our study focuses on the Asian
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Quantifying microplastic ingestion, degradation and excretion in insects using fluorescent plastics Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-15 Marshall W Ritchie, Alexandra Cheslock, Madelaine P T Bourdages, Bonnie M Hamilton, Jennifer F Provencher, Jane E Allison, Heath A MacMillan
Plastic pollution is a growing threat to our natural environment. Plastic waste/pollution results from high emissions of both macro (>5 mm) and microplastics (MPs; <5 mm) as well as environmental fractioning of macroplastics into MPs. MPs have been shown to have a range of negative impacts on biota. Harmonized methods to accurately measure and count MPs from animal samples are limited, but what methods
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Responses to saltwater exposure vary across species, populations and life stages in anuran amphibians Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-15 Molly A Albecker, Michael W McCoy
To predict the impacts of environmental change on species, we must first understand the factors that limit the present-day ranges of species. Most anuran amphibians cannot survive at elevated salinities, which may drive their distribution in coastal locations. Previous research showed that coastal Hyla cinerea are locally adapted to brackish habitats in North Carolina, USA. Although Hyla squirella
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Effects of three immobilizing drug combinations on ventilation, gas exchange and metabolism in free-living African lions (Panthera leo) Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-11 Ashleigh Claire Donaldson, Peter Erik Buss, Andrea Fuller, Leith Carl Rodney Meyer
Free-living lions (12 per group) were immobilized with tiletamine-zolazepam-medetomidine (TZM), ketamine-medetomidine (KM), or ketamine-butorphanol-medetomidine (KBM). During immobilization, respiratory, blood gas and acid–base variables were monitored for 30 minutes. Respiratory rates were within expected ranges and remained constant throughout the immobilizations. Ventilation increased in lions over
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A novel method for measuring acute thermal tolerance in fish embryos Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-09 Zara-Louise Cowan, Anna H Andreassen, Jeremy De Bonville, Leon Green, Sandra A Binning, Lorena Silva-Garay, Fredrik Jutfelt, Josefin Sundin
Aquatic ectotherms are vulnerable to thermal stress, with embryos predicted to be more sensitive than juveniles and adults. When examining the vulnerability of species and life stages to warming, comparable methodology must be used to obtain robust conclusions. Critical thermal methodology is commonly used to characterize acute thermal tolerances in fishes, with critical thermal maximum (CTmax) referring
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Life cycle complexity and body mass drive erratic changes in climate vulnerability across ontogeny in a seasonally migrating butterfly. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-03 Osmary A Medina-Báez,Angie Lenard,Rut A Muzychuk,Carmen R B da Silva,Sarah E Diamond
Physiological traits are often used for vulnerability assessments of organismal responses to climate change. Trait values can change dramatically over the life cycle of organisms but are typically assessed at a single developmental stage. Reconciling ontogenetic changes in physiological traits with vulnerability assessments often reveals early life-stage vulnerabilities. The degree to which ontogenetic
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Validation of a field-friendly faeces drying and storage method for quantifying faecal glucocorticoid metabolites in African elephants (Loxodonta africana) opens up new perspectives for conservationists Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-02 Laura Lacomme, Chloé Guerbois, Hervé Fritz, André Ganswindt, Benjamin Rey
Faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCMs) are a relevant means of non-invasively assessing adrenocortical activity and thus, a key physiological stress response in wildlife populations. However, the widespread use of fGCMs as a stress-related biomarker in conservation biology is often hampered by the logistical challenge of storing collected faecal material frozen until it reaches the laboratory for
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Conservation of thermal physiology in tropical intertidal snails following an evolutionary transition to a cooler ecosystem: climate change implications Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-01 David J Marshall, Nurshahida Mustapha, Cristián J Monaco
Predictions for animal responses to climate warming usually assume that thermal physiology is adapted to present-day environments, and seldom consider the influence of evolutionary background. Little is known about the conservation of warm-adapted physiology following an evolutionary transition to a cooler environment. We used cardiac thermal performance curves (cTPCs) of six neritid gastropod species
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Serum Virome of Southern Beaufort Sea polar bears (Ursus maritimus) during a period of rapid climate change Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-07-28 Tricia L Fry, Leah A Owens, Alison C Ketz, Todd C Atwood, Emily Dunay, Tony L Goldberg
Climate change affects the behavior, physiology and life history of many Arctic wildlife species. It can also influence the distribution and ecology of infectious agents. The southern Beaufort Sea (SB) subpopulation of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) has experienced dramatic behavioral changes due to retreating sea ice and other climate-related factors, but the effects of these changes on physiology
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Leaf acclimation to soil flooding and light availability underlies photosynthetic capacity of Lindera melissifolia, an endangered shrub of bottomland forests in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, USA Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-07-20 Emile S Gardiner, Theodor D Leininger, Kristina F Connor, Margaret S Devall, Paul B Hamel, Nathan M Schiff, A Dan Wilson
Lindera melissifolia is an endangered shrub indigenous to the broadleaf forest of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV). In this region, extant colonies of the species are found in periodically ponded habitats where a diversity of broadleaf trees can form well-developed overstory and sub-canopies—these habitat characteristics suggest that soil flooding and light availability are primary drivers of
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Energy budgets of captive Chinese pangolins (Manis pentadactyla) Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-07-14 Hongmei Yan, Fuyu An, Quansheng Liu, Qingsheng Chi, Kai Wang, Xuelin Xu, Yingjie Kuang, Zhidong Zhang, Yan Hua
The Chinese pangolin is an endangered species, and ex situ conservation and captive rescue are important conservation measures. This requires reliable information on nutritional energy requirements and expenditure characteristics. However, we lack sufficient knowledge of their energy physiology to determine their energy requirements for maintenance and growth. An open-flow respirometry system was used
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Can portable glucose and lactate meters be a useful tool in quantifying stress of juvenile Chinook salmon? Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-07-07 Benjamin M Vaage, Stephanie A Liss, Eric S Fischer, Fenton Khan, James S Hughes
Blood plasma analyses can provide researchers, aquaculture facilities and fisheries managers with valuable insights into the physiological state and welfare of fish. For example, glucose and lactate are part of the secondary stress response system, and elevated concentrations are indicators of stress. However, analysing blood plasma in the field can be logistically difficult and typically involves
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New insights into risk variables associated with gas embolism in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) caught in trawls and gillnets Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-07-07 Daniel Garcia-Parraga, Jose Luis Crespo-Picazo, Blair Sterba-Boatwright, Vicente Marco, Marta Muñoz-Baquero, Nathan J Robinson, Brian Stacy, Andreas Fahlman
Tissue and blood gas embolism (GE) associated with fisheries bycatch are likely a widespread, yet underestimated, cause of sea turtle mortality. Here, we evaluated risk factors associated with tissue and blood GE in loggerhead turtles caught incidentally by trawl and gillnet fisheries on the Valencian coastline of Spain. Of 413 turtles (303 caught by trawl, 110 by gillnet fisheries), 54% (n = 222)
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Behavioral evidence of olfactory imprinting during embryonic and larval stages in lake sturgeon Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-07-03 Jacob G Kimmel, Tyler J Buchinger, Douglas L Larson, Edward A Baker, Troy G Zorn, Kim T Scribner, Weiming Li
Many migratory fishes are thought to navigate to natal streams using olfactory cues learned during early life stages. However, direct evidence for early-life olfactory imprinting is largely limited to Pacific salmon, and other species suspected to imprint show life history traits and reproductive strategies that raise uncertainty about the generality of the salmonid-based conceptual model of olfactory
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Effects of turbidity, temperature and predation cue on the stress response of juvenile delta smelt Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-06-27 Christina Pasparakis, Toni Lohroff, Felix Biefel, Dennis E Cocherell, Evan W Carson, Tien-Chieh Hung, Richard E Connon, Nann A Fangue, Anne E Todgham
The San Francisco Estuary (SFE) is one of the most degraded ecosystems in the United States, and organisms that inhabit it are exposed to a suite of environmental stressors. The delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), a small semi-anadromous fish endemic to the SFE and considered an indicator species, is close to extinction in the wild. The goal of this study was to investigate how environmental alterations
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Growth in marine mammals: a review of growth patterns, composition and energy investment Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-06-24 Stephanie K Adamczak, Elizabeth A McHuron, Fredrik Christiansen, Robin Dunkin, Clive R McMahon, Shawn Noren, Enrico Pirotta, David Rosen, James Sumich, Daniel P Costa
Growth of structural mass and energy reserves influences individual survival, reproductive success, population and species life history. Metrics of structural growth and energy storage of individuals are often used to assess population health and reproductive potential, which can inform conservation. However, the energetic costs of tissue deposition for structural growth and energy stores and their
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Intraspecific variation among Chinook Salmon populations indicates physiological adaptation to local environmental conditions Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-06-20 Kenneth W Zillig, Alyssa M FitzGerald, Robert A Lusardi, Dennis E Cocherell, Nann A Fangue
Understanding interpopulation variation is important to predicting species responses to climate change. Recent research has revealed interpopulation variation among several species of Pacific salmonids; however, the environmental drivers of population differences remain elusive. We tested for local adaptation and countergradient variation by assessing interpopulation variation among six populations
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A body composition model with multiple storage compartments for polar bears (Ursus maritimus) Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-06-20 Stephanie R Penk, Pranav Sadana, Louise C Archer, Anthony M Pagano, Marc R L Cattet, Nicholas J Lunn, Gregory W Thiemann, Péter K Molnár
Climate warming is rapidly altering Arctic ecosystems. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) need sea ice as a platform from which to hunt seals, but increased sea-ice loss is lengthening periods when bears are without access to primary hunting habitat. During periods of food scarcity, survival depends on the energy that a bear has stored in body reserves, termed storage energy, making this a key metric in
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Energetic costs increase with faster heating in an aquatic ectotherm Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-06-12 Lucy Harding, Andrew L Jackson, Nicholas Payne
The thermal sensitivity of metabolism is widely studied due to its perceived importance for organismal fitness and resilience to future climate change. Almost all such studies estimate metabolism at a variety of constant temperatures, with very little work exploring how metabolism varies during temperature change. However, temperature in nature is rarely static, so our existing understanding from experiments
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Assessing stress physiology within a conservation breeding program for an endangered species Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-06-09 S Falconer, M McAdie, G Mastromonaco, A I Schulte-Hostedde
Conservation breeding programs typically involve the management of individuals both in and ex situ, so it is vital to understand how the physiology of managed species changes in these environments to maximize program outcomes. The Vancouver Island marmot (VIM; Marmota vancouverensis) is one species that has been managed in a conservation breeding program to recover the critically low wild population