Showing papers by "Ruedi G. Nager published in 2014"
University of Paris-Sud1, University of Antwerp2, Russian Academy of Sciences3, University of Valencia4, Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University5, Centre national de la recherche scientifique6, Institut national de la recherche agronomique7, University of Lausanne8, University of Haifa9, Jagiellonian University10, University of Palermo11, Museum and Institute of Zoology12, University of Turku13, University of Burgundy14, Cardiff University15, University of Oulu16, University of La Laguna17, University of Gloucestershire18, Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology19, University of Montpellier20, Uppsala University21, Lancaster University22, University of Helsinki23, University of Tartu24, Spanish National Research Council25, Rzeszów University26, University of Jyväskylä27, University of Glasgow28, Lund University29, Life Sciences Institute30, Instituto Superior de Agronomia31, Palacký University, Olomouc32, University of Bern33, University of A Coruña34, University of Oslo35, University of Sussex36, Eötvös Loránd University37, Åbo Akademi University38
TL;DR: Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that bird species have a general reaction norm reflecting the relationship between nest size and clutch size and suggest that scientists may influence the clutch size decisions of hole-nesting birds through the provisioning of nest boxes of varying sizes.
Abstract: Nests are structures built to support and protect eggs and/or offspring from predators, parasites, and adverse weather conditions. Nests are mainly constructed prior to egg laying, meaning that parent birds must make decisions about nest site choice and nest building behavior before the start of egg-laying. Parent birds should be selected to choose nest sites and to build optimally sized nests, yet our current understanding of clutch size-nest size relationships is limited to small-scale studies performed over short time periods. Here, we quantified the relationship between clutch size and nest size, using an exhaustive database of 116 slope estimates based on 17,472 nests of 21 species of hole and non-hole-nesting birds. There was a significant, positive relationship between clutch size and the base area of the nest box or the nest, and this relationship did not differ significantly between open nesting and hole-nesting species. The slope of the relationship showed significant intraspecific and interspecific heterogeneity among four species of secondary hole-nesting species, but also among all 116 slope estimates. The estimated relationship between clutch size and nest box base area in study sites with more than a single size of nest box was not significantly different from the relationship using studies with only a single size of nest box. The slope of the relationship between clutch size and nest base area in different species of birds was significantly negatively related to minimum base area, and less so to maximum base area in a given study. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that bird species have a general reaction norm reflecting the relationship between nest size and clutch size. Further, they suggest that scientists may influence the clutch size decisions of hole-nesting birds through the provisioning of nest boxes of varying sizes.
50 citations
University of Paris-Sud1, University of Antwerp2, Russian Academy of Sciences3, University of Valencia4, Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University5, Centre national de la recherche scientifique6, Institut national de la recherche agronomique7, University of Haifa8, University of Lausanne9, Jagiellonian University10, University of Palermo11, University of Lyon12, Museum and Institute of Zoology13, University of Turku14, University of Burgundy15, Cardiff University16, University of Oulu17, University of La Laguna18, Tel Aviv University19, University of Gloucestershire20, Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology21, Uppsala University22, Lancaster University23, The Lodge24, University of Helsinki25, University of Tartu26, Spanish National Research Council27, Rzeszów University28, University of Jyväskylä29, University of Glasgow30, Lund University31, Life Sciences Institute32, Instituto Superior de Agronomia33, Palacký University, Olomouc34, University of Bern35, University of Oslo36, University of Sussex37, Eötvös Loránd University38, Åbo Akademi University39
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that the size of nest boxes and material used to construct nest boxes can differentially affect clutch size in different species, and suggested that the nest box design may affect not only focal species, but also indirectly other species through the effects of nestbox design on productivity and therefore potentially population density and hence interspecific competition.
Abstract: Secondary hole-nesting birds that do not construct nest holes themselves and hence regularly breed in nest boxes constitute important model systems for field studies in many biological disciplines with hundreds of scientists and amateurs involved. Those research groups are spread over wide geographic areas that experience considerable variation in environmental conditions, and researchers provide nest boxes of varying designs that may inadvertently introduce spatial and temporal variation in reproductive parameters. We quantified the relationship between mean clutch size and nest box size and material after controlling for a range of environmental variables in four of the most widely used model species in the Western Palaearctic: great tit Parus major, blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus, pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca and collared flycatcher F.albicollis from 365 populations and 79610 clutches. Nest floor area and nest box material varied non-randomly across latitudes and longitudes, showing that scientists did not adopt a random box design. Clutch size increased with nest floor area in great tits, but not in blue tits and flycatchers. Clutch size of blue tits was larger in wooden than in concrete nest boxes. These findings demonstrate that the size of nest boxes and material used to construct nest boxes can differentially affect clutch size in different species. The findings also suggest that the nest box design may affect not only focal species, but also indirectly other species through the effects of nest box design on productivity and therefore potentially population density and hence interspecific competition.
41 citations
TL;DR: Under more challenging environmental conditions usually encountered in the wild, the reduced incubation attentiveness of inbred females could provide one proximate explanation for the consistent finding of decreased hatching success with increasing maternal inbreeding in birds.
17 citations
TL;DR: The seasonal abundance of Latrodectus katipo Powell, 1871, a declining spider species endemic to coastal dunes in New Zealand, was observed in two different plant communities: an endemic sedge, Ficinia spiralis A. Rich.
Abstract: The seasonal abundance of Latrodectus katipo Powell, 1871, a declining spider species endemic to coastal dunes in New Zealand, was observed in two different plant communities: an endemic sedge, Ficinia spiralis A. Rich. and an exotic grass, Ammophila arenaria (L.) Link. Using artificial cover objects (ACOs), presence/absence data was collected for L. katipo in the two plant communities. ACOs were positioned at Kaitorete Spit, which supports a healthy population of L. katipo, adjacent to F. spiralis or A. arenaria. ACOs were checked over four seasons. L. katipo were found significantly more often in ACOs placed next to F. spiralis as opposed to A. arenaria and its presence was highest in summer. Conserving L. katipo will involve reducing the amount of A. arenaria in New Zealand’s sand dunes. Studies monitoring L. katipo population dynamics should do so in summer when they are most abundant.
7 citations