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Long-term repeatability of winter basal metabolic rate and mass in a wild passerine

Broggi, Juli ; Hohtola, Esa ; Koivula, Kari ; Orell, Markku and Nilsson, Jan-Åke LU (2009) In Functional Ecology 23(4). p.768-773
Abstract
P>Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is an important trait in the study of energy management of an individual, especially in small wintering passerines from the north which have one of the highest energy turnover rates in vertebrates. Laboratory studies have shown the trait to be repeatable and heritable, despite its plastic nature. However there is currently a lack of empirical data from wild passerine populations. We studied within- and between-year repeatability of BMR, body mass and mass-independent BMR from two populations of wintering great tits (Parus major) at the northern range of their distribution. We found body mass, BMR and mass-independent BMR to be highly repeatable both within and between years. Our results provide the first... (More)
P>Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is an important trait in the study of energy management of an individual, especially in small wintering passerines from the north which have one of the highest energy turnover rates in vertebrates. Laboratory studies have shown the trait to be repeatable and heritable, despite its plastic nature. However there is currently a lack of empirical data from wild passerine populations. We studied within- and between-year repeatability of BMR, body mass and mass-independent BMR from two populations of wintering great tits (Parus major) at the northern range of their distribution. We found body mass, BMR and mass-independent BMR to be highly repeatable both within and between years. Our results provide the first evidence from a wild small passerine that, despite a large environmentally induced variation in metabolic rate, individuals show consistent metabolic strategies over periods even longer than a year. Homeotherm species exposed to new or changing environmental conditions may be able to evolve specific energetic strategies in the wild, as previously found in captive species. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
winter energetics, Parus major, ecological physiology, BMR, great tit
in
Functional Ecology
volume
23
issue
4
pages
768 - 773
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • wos:000267539000012
  • scopus:67649774549
ISSN
1365-2435
DOI
10.1111/j.1365-2435.2009.01561.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
cc5b1438-5e7d-4739-8bec-758b80283c53 (old id 1463223)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:36:44
date last changed
2024-01-09 02:40:56
@article{cc5b1438-5e7d-4739-8bec-758b80283c53,
  abstract     = {{P>Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is an important trait in the study of energy management of an individual, especially in small wintering passerines from the north which have one of the highest energy turnover rates in vertebrates. Laboratory studies have shown the trait to be repeatable and heritable, despite its plastic nature. However there is currently a lack of empirical data from wild passerine populations. We studied within- and between-year repeatability of BMR, body mass and mass-independent BMR from two populations of wintering great tits (Parus major) at the northern range of their distribution. We found body mass, BMR and mass-independent BMR to be highly repeatable both within and between years. Our results provide the first evidence from a wild small passerine that, despite a large environmentally induced variation in metabolic rate, individuals show consistent metabolic strategies over periods even longer than a year. Homeotherm species exposed to new or changing environmental conditions may be able to evolve specific energetic strategies in the wild, as previously found in captive species.}},
  author       = {{Broggi, Juli and Hohtola, Esa and Koivula, Kari and Orell, Markku and Nilsson, Jan-Åke}},
  issn         = {{1365-2435}},
  keywords     = {{winter energetics; Parus major; ecological physiology; BMR; great tit}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{768--773}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Functional Ecology}},
  title        = {{Long-term repeatability of winter basal metabolic rate and mass in a wild passerine}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2009.01561.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1365-2435.2009.01561.x}},
  volume       = {{23}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}