| How avian nest site selection responds to predation risk: testing an 'adaptive peak hypothesis' | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 21848943 Owner: NLM Status: Publisher |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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1. Nest predation limits avian fitness, so birds should favour nest sites that minimize predation risk. Nevertheless, preferred nest microhabitat features are often uncorrelated with apparent variation in predation rates. 2. This lack of congruence between theory-based expectation and empirical data may arise when birds already occupy 'adaptive peaks'. If birds nest exclusively in low-predation microhabitats, microhabitat and nest predation may no longer be correlated even though predation ultimately shaped microhabitat selection. 3. This 'adaptive peak hypothesis' was tested for a population of Yellow Warblers (Dendroica petechia) focusing on two nest microhabitat features: concealment and height. Experimental nests measured relative predation risk both within and outside the microhabitat range typically occupied by natural nests to examine whether nest site choices made by birds restricted our ability to detect microhabitat effects on predation. 4. Within the natural range (30-80% concealment, >75 cm height), microhabitat-predation relationships were weak and inconsistent, and similar for experimental and natural nests. Over an extended range, however, experimental predation rates were elevated in exposed sites (<30% concealed), indicating a concealment-related 'adaptive plateau'. 5. Clay egg bite data revealed a concealment effect on avian predators, and the abundance of one avian predator group correlated with nest concealment among years, suggesting these predators may cue birds to modulate nest concealment choices. 6. This study demonstrates how avian responses to predation pressure can obscure the adaptive significance of nest site selection, so predation influences may be more important than apparent from published data. |
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Authors:
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Quresh S Latif; Sacha K Heath; John T Rotenberry |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE Date: 2011-8-16 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: The Journal of animal ecology Volume: - ISSN: 1365-2656 ISO Abbreviation: - Publication Date: 2011 Aug |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2011-8-18 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 0376574 Medline TA: J Anim Ecol Country: - |
Other Details:
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Languages: ENG Pagination: - Citation Subset: - |
Copyright Information:
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© 2011 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2011 British Ecological Society. |
Affiliation:
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Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92521, USA Center for Conservation Biology, 1303 Webber Hall, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92521, USA PRBO Conservation Science, 3820 Cypress Drive #11, Petaluma, CA 94954, USA; Department of Wildlife, Humboldt State University, 1 Harpst St., Arcata, CA 95521, USA. |
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From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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