Cold winters have morph-specific effects on natal dispersal distance in a wild raptor
(2022) In Behavioral Ecology 33(2). p.419-427- Abstract
Dispersal is a key process with crucial implications in spatial distribution, density, and genetic structure of species' populations. Dispersal strategies can vary according to both individual and environmental features, but putative phenotype-by-environment interactions have rarely been accounted for. Melanin-based color polymorphism is a phenotypic trait associated with specific behavioral and physiological profiles and is, therefore, a good candidate trait to study dispersal tactics in different environments. Here, using a 40 years dataset of a population of color polymorphic tawny owls (Strix aluco), we investigated natal dispersal distance of recruiting gray and pheomelanic reddish-brown (hereafter brown) color morphs in relation... (More)
Dispersal is a key process with crucial implications in spatial distribution, density, and genetic structure of species' populations. Dispersal strategies can vary according to both individual and environmental features, but putative phenotype-by-environment interactions have rarely been accounted for. Melanin-based color polymorphism is a phenotypic trait associated with specific behavioral and physiological profiles and is, therefore, a good candidate trait to study dispersal tactics in different environments. Here, using a 40 years dataset of a population of color polymorphic tawny owls (Strix aluco), we investigated natal dispersal distance of recruiting gray and pheomelanic reddish-brown (hereafter brown) color morphs in relation to post-fledging winter temperature and individual characteristics. Because morphs are differently sensitive to cold winters, we predicted that morphs' natal dispersal distances vary according to winter conditions. Winter temperature did not affect the proportion of brown (or gray) among recruits. We found that dispersal distances correlate with winter temperature in an opposite manner in the two morphs. Although the gray morph undertakes larger movements in harsher conditions, likely because it copes better with winter severity, the brown morph disperses shorter distances when winters are harsher. We discuss this morph-specific natal dispersal pattern in the context of competition for territories between morphs and in terms of costs and benefits of these alternative strategies. Our results stress the importance of considering the interaction between phenotype and environment to fully disentangle dispersal movement patterns and provide further evidence that climate affects the behavior and local distribution of this species.
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- author
- Passarotto, Arianna LU ; Morosinotto, Chiara LU ; Brommer, Jon E. ; Aaltonen, Esa ; Ahola, Kari ; Karstinen, Teuvo and Karell, Patrik LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2022-03-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- climate change, distribution pattern, genotype by environment, melanism, movement ecology, population dynamics
- in
- Behavioral Ecology
- volume
- 33
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 9 pages
- publisher
- Oxford University Press
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85129988553
- pmid:35444494
- ISSN
- 1045-2249
- DOI
- 10.1093/beheco/arab149
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology.
- id
- ea2308df-2632-4d36-b8d2-d3d0b812529b
- date added to LUP
- 2022-08-18 11:50:25
- date last changed
- 2024-06-12 03:24:25
@article{ea2308df-2632-4d36-b8d2-d3d0b812529b,
abstract = {{<p>Dispersal is a key process with crucial implications in spatial distribution, density, and genetic structure of species' populations. Dispersal strategies can vary according to both individual and environmental features, but putative phenotype-by-environment interactions have rarely been accounted for. Melanin-based color polymorphism is a phenotypic trait associated with specific behavioral and physiological profiles and is, therefore, a good candidate trait to study dispersal tactics in different environments. Here, using a 40 years dataset of a population of color polymorphic tawny owls (Strix aluco), we investigated natal dispersal distance of recruiting gray and pheomelanic reddish-brown (hereafter brown) color morphs in relation to post-fledging winter temperature and individual characteristics. Because morphs are differently sensitive to cold winters, we predicted that morphs' natal dispersal distances vary according to winter conditions. Winter temperature did not affect the proportion of brown (or gray) among recruits. We found that dispersal distances correlate with winter temperature in an opposite manner in the two morphs. Although the gray morph undertakes larger movements in harsher conditions, likely because it copes better with winter severity, the brown morph disperses shorter distances when winters are harsher. We discuss this morph-specific natal dispersal pattern in the context of competition for territories between morphs and in terms of costs and benefits of these alternative strategies. Our results stress the importance of considering the interaction between phenotype and environment to fully disentangle dispersal movement patterns and provide further evidence that climate affects the behavior and local distribution of this species. </p>}},
author = {{Passarotto, Arianna and Morosinotto, Chiara and Brommer, Jon E. and Aaltonen, Esa and Ahola, Kari and Karstinen, Teuvo and Karell, Patrik}},
issn = {{1045-2249}},
keywords = {{climate change; distribution pattern; genotype by environment; melanism; movement ecology; population dynamics}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{03}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{419--427}},
publisher = {{Oxford University Press}},
series = {{Behavioral Ecology}},
title = {{Cold winters have morph-specific effects on natal dispersal distance in a wild raptor}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arab149}},
doi = {{10.1093/beheco/arab149}},
volume = {{33}},
year = {{2022}},
}