Recent changes in climate have increased public attention and scientific evaluation of climate impacts on wild animals and plants. Variation in local weather and regional climate may affect breeding success in birds. Migratory species may be sensitive to these changes as breeding and wintering areas may experience different climate variations; some insectivorous species may be unable to alter timing of migration or laying dates and experience a mismatch between timing of nesting and peak insect availability for their nestlings. Therefore, I investigated the influence of local weather variables and regional climate on breeding performance of an insectivorous migrant songbird, the Tree Swallow (<i>Tachycineta bicolor</i>), and tried to examine effects of a mismatch between the timing of breeding and food availability.<p>I used a 14 year data set from St. Denis, Saskatchewan, Canada, 1991-2004, to evaluate correlations among local weather, wetland conditions, aerial insects and regional climate indices and their relationships with variation in clutch initiation date, clutch size, and fledging success. Swallows returned to the study site in late April each year. Annual variation in median clutch initiation date was best explained by mean minimum temperatures during 1-15 May. Larger clutches were laid in years with higher pond water levels (possibly an indication of increased insect availability) and when the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) was positive (representing La Niña conditions). Fledging success was not influenced greatly by any explanatory variable; however, fledging success tended to increase in years with higher average temperatures. Individual variation in clutch initiation date was examined using path analysis. I found high correlations between initiation date and both local environmental variables and regional climate indices; earlier nesting was associated with warmer temperatures (increased local temperatures, more positive North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAOI) values and more negative SOI values) and decreased moisture (more positive NAOI values). Two reduced data sets, including female age or insect abundance, were also examined. Clutches were initiated earlier by older females and during springs with higher abundance of aerial insects.<p>I applied two heating treatments to nest boxes used by pre-laying swallows and compared reproductive measures (timing of nesting, laying sequence, clutch size, egg weight and fledging success) of birds using heated boxes to those of females attending unheated control boxes. However, I was unable to directly examine the predictions of the mismatch hypothesis because nest box heating failed to advance laying dates. Furthermore, no increases in clutch size, egg weight and fledging success were detected between treatment and control nests. Although box heating increased nest temperatures an average of 6.1C (+ 0.8 SE) over controls, length of time females spent in heated boxes may have been too short to alleviate energetic constraints on egg production, or energy savings associated with box use were insufficient to supersede the influence of ambient environmental conditions that control food availability and energy expenditure of foraging swallows. My results demonstrated that local and regional climate variation strongly affected timing of nesting in swallows, likely via their effects on food supply.

Recent changes in climate have increased public attention and scientific evaluation of climate impacts on wild animals and plants. Variation in local weather and regional climate may affect breeding success in birds. Migratory species may be sensitive to these changes as breeding and wintering areas may experience different climate variations; some insectivorous species may be unable to alter timing of migration or laying dates and experience a mismatch between timing of nesting and peak insect availability for their nestlings. Therefore, I investigated the influence of local weather variables and regional climate on breeding performance of an insectivorous migrant songbird, the Tree Swallow (<i>Tachycineta bicolor</i>), and tried to examine effects of a mismatch between the timing of breeding and food availability.<p>I used a 14 year data set from St. Denis, Saskatchewan, Canada, 1991-2004, to evaluate correlations among local weather, wetland conditions, aerial insects and regional climate indices and their relationships with variation in clutch initiation date, clutch size, and fledging success. Swallows returned to the study site in late April each year. Annual variation in median clutch initiation date was best explained by mean minimum temperatures during 1-15 May. Larger clutches were laid in years with higher pond water levels (possibly an indication of increased insect availability) and when the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) was positive (representing La Niña conditions). Fledging success was not influenced greatly by any explanatory variable; however, fledging success tended to increase in years with higher average temperatures. Individual variation in clutch initiation date was examined using path analysis. I found high correlations between initiation date and both local environmental variables and regional climate indices; earlier nesting was associated with warmer temperatures (increased local temperatures, more positive North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAOI) values and more negative SOI values) and decreased moisture (more positive NAOI values). Two reduced data sets, including female age or insect abundance, were also examined. Clutches were initiated earlier by older females and during springs with higher abundance of aerial insects.<p>I applied two heating treatments to nest boxes used by pre-laying swallows and compared reproductive measures (timing of nesting, laying sequence, clutch size, egg weight and fledging success) of birds using heated boxes to those of females attending unheated control boxes. However, I was unable to directly examine the predictions of the mismatch hypothesis because nest box heating failed to advance laying dates. Furthermore, no increases in clutch size, egg weight and fledging success were detected between treatment and control nests. Although box heating increased nest temperatures an average of 6.1C (+ 0.8 SE) over controls, length of time females spent in heated boxes may have been too short to alleviate energetic constraints on egg production, or energy savings associated with box use were insufficient to supersede the influence of ambient environmental conditions that control food availability and energy expenditure of foraging swallows. My results demonstrated that local and regional climate variation strongly affected timing of nesting in swallows, likely via their effects on food supply.

Submitted by Mariana Dornelles Vargas (marianadv) on 2015-05-04T14:37:06Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ecologia_reprodutiva.pdf: 5894767 bytes, checksum: fbc8661025167b9eb4559c7b3bbbb661 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-04T14:37:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ecologia_reprodutiva.pdf: 5894767 bytes, checksum: fbc8661025167b9eb4559c7b3bbbb661 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Nenhuma / A variação nos padrões de larga escala, como o clima e a disponibilidade de recursos, podem influenciar a fenologia e o sucesso reprodutivo dos indivíduos. Em menor escala, características como qualidade do adulto, composição e localização dos ninhos são cruciais para o sucesso reprodutivo. O objetivo do estudo é descrever a fenologia e avaliar o sucesso reprodutivo de Skua Marrom na Ilha Elefante, Arquipélago das Shetlands do Sul, além de avaliar algumas características dos ninhos que podem influenciar a variação destes fatores. Os dados foram coletados em 2009/10 e 2010/11, em Stinker Point, Ilha Elefante, sendo monitorados periodicamente 37 e 40 pares reprodutivos, respectivamente. A cada visita foram registradas as datas de postura, de nascimento, o número de ovos e filhotes nos ninhos. A posição geográfica dos ninhos e das colônias de aves reprodutivas (recursos) foi registrada com receptor de GPS. As distâncias dos ninhos para os recursos e para o vizinho mais próximo (DVProx) foram calculadas no software Arcgis. A proporção dos componentes dos ninhos (musgos, líquens e rochas) foi obtida através do processamento das fotografias dos ninhos no software Envi. Nenhum padrão, que relacione estes componentes às datas de postura e ao sucesso reprodutivo, foi constatado. A postura dos ovos ocorreu, em média, na primeira quinzena de dezembro. O sucesso reprodutivo variou significativamente entre estações (χ2=20,25 P<0,001) e a probabilidade de sobrevivência dos filhotes em relação a data de postura dos ovos (Nagelkerke R²=0.137 P=0,01), sendo maior nos meses de dezembro, independente do período (Nagelkerke R²= 0.137 P= 0,01). Observou-se uma relação significativa entre o sucesso reprodutivo e a distância da colônia de Pygoscelis antarctica em 2009/10 (Nagelkerke R2=0,20 P=0,03) e em 2010/11 (Nagelkerke R²=0.177 P=0,02). A DVProx influenciou negativamente na sobrevivência dos filhotes (Nagelkerke R2=0,30 P=0,02). As distâncias dos recursos e DVProx não variaram em relação às datas de postura. A menor probabilidade de sobrevivência dos filhotes mais próximos aos recursos não corrobora com o descrito na literatura, porém, dois fatores observados podem justificar tal padrão: ninhos próximos aos recursos estão mais agregados, aumentando a competição e predação intraespecífica; e o acesso à informação social, observado através da diferença nas datas de postura, resulta na maior concentração de indivíduos nestes locais, e consequentemente em diferentes probabilidades de sobrevivência dos filhotes. / Large scale patterns, as climate and resources show time fluctuations, what can influence individuals phenology and reproductive success. On a smaller scale, factors like adult quality, nest composition and location are also important to reproductive success. We aim to describe and evaluate Brown Skua phenology and reproductive success at Elephant Island, South Shetlands, and to evaluate how some nests characteristics can influence those factors fluctuations. Data were collected at 2009/10 and 2010/11 reproductive seasons at Stinker Point, Elephant Island, where 37 and 40 reproductive pairs were monitored each season. Laying and hatching date, number of chicks and eggs were recorded each nest visit. Nests and other seabird colonies (resources) location were recorded using a handheld GPS receiver. Distances of the nests to resources and to the nearest neighbor (NND) were calculated by means of Arcgis software. Nest components proportion (mosses, lichens and rocks) were obtained through photo classification at Envi software. There is no pattern on egg laying date and reproductive success in relation to nest components. Mean egg laying date were at early December. Reproductive success differed between seasons (χ2=20,25 P<0,001) and chick survival probability varied according to laying order (Nagelkerke R²=0.137 P=0,01), being higher at December both seasons (Nagelkerke R²= 0.137 P= 0,01). Reproductive success was related to the distance from nests to Pygoscelis antarctica breeding colonies at 2009/10 (Nagelkerke R2=0,20 P=0,03) and 2010/11 (Nagelkerke R²=0.177 P=0,02). NND were negatively correlated to chick survival (Nagelkerke R2=0,30 P=0,02). Egg laying date did not differ according to NND neither according to nest distance from other seabirds breeding colonies. We found a lower chick survival probability at nests closer to recourses, what differ from what is described at literature, nevertheless, two factors observed could explain this pattern, which are: nests located near to resources are found to be densely distributed, what increases competition and conspecific predation; social information access, based on egg laying date, results on a higher nests concentration and consequently on different chick survival probabilities.

The aim of the thesis was to document patterns in breeding and migration in Swedish Canada geese Branta canadensis, to explain these against the genetic and historical background of the population, and to test predictions of hypotheses pertaining to parental investment. The Canada goose population in Sweden was founded by the introduction of a few individuals in the 1930's. DNA fingerprint similarity between geese breeding in Sweden was on average at the same level as between inbred close relatives in other wild bird species. The genetic variability of the population appeared to be considerably reduced in comparison to that of Canada geese breeding in North America. Dispersal and migration patterns were studied using plastic neck-bands that could be identified at long distance. Most Canada goose females nested at the lake where they grew up. Males were more prone to disperse than females, although most of them still returned to breed close to their area of origin. Geese from three breeding areas in Sweden had different winter distributions, although wintering areas overlapped considerably. Individual geese tended to return to the same wintering area as they had used in previous years. The females' investment in the egg clutch was related to the migration distance from spring foraging areas to the nesting area, suggesting an energetic cost of migration for egg production. Within breeding seasons, clutch size decreased with later initiation of nesting, but only in years with early breeding. A probable reason for this decrease was that body reserves available for egg production were larger in early layers. In years with late breeding, clutch size did not decrease, most likely because late-nesting females could supplement their body reserves by foraging on fresh vegetation. Nest defence intensity was studied by recording the behaviour of the female geese when a human approached the nest. The results largely confirmed predictions for nest defence intensity extracted from parental investment theory. / <p>Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 1993, härtill 6 uppsatser</p> / digitalisering@umu