A Noninvasive Technique to Evaluate Human‐Generated Stress in the Black Grouse

Abstract

The continuous development of tourism and related leisure activities is exerting an increasingly intense pressure on wildlife. In this study, a novel noninvasive method for measuring stress in the black grouse, an endangered, emblematic species of European ecosystems that is currently declining in several parts of its European range, is tested and physiologically validated. A radiometabolism study and an ACTH challenge test were performed on four captive black grouse (two of each sex) in order to get basic information about the metabolism and excretion of corticosterone and to find an appropriate enzyme-immunoassay (EIA) to measure its metabolites in the feces. Peak radioactivity in the droppings was detected within 1 to 2 hours. Injected (3)H-corticosterone was excreted as polar metabolites and by itself was almost absent. A cortisone-EIA was chosen from among seven tested EIAs for different groups of glucocorticoid metabolites, because it cross-reacted with some of the formed metabolites and best reflected the increase of excreted corticosterone metabolites, after the ACTH challenge test. Concentrations of the metabolites from fecal samples collected from snow burrows of free-ranging black grouse were within the same range as in captive birds. The noninvasive method described may be appropriate for evaluating the stress faced by free-living black grouse populations in the wild, particularly in mountain ecosystems where human disturbance, especially by winter sports, is of increasing conservation concern.

Disturbance of wildlife by outdoor winter recreation: allostatic stress response and altered activity–energy budgets

“…Most of the day is spent in snow burrows (''igloos''), which appears to be an efficient anti-predator and energysaving strategy (Marjakangas 1986, Spidsø et al 1997), although we lack quantitative assessments of energetic constraints and limits in this species. Since Black Grouse dig a new igloo after each foraging bout (i.e., two igloos per day), it is possible to collect fecal samples to carry out noninvasive stress hormone investigations (Baltic et al 2005, Arlettaz et al 2007). Moreover, fecal material is conserved at low temperatures in the snow, thus impeding bacterial and enzymatic degradation of the hormones and/or their metabolites (Baltic et al 2005).…”

“…Since Black Grouse dig a new igloo after each foraging bout (i.e., two igloos per day), it is possible to collect fecal samples to carry out noninvasive stress hormone investigations (Baltic et al 2005, Arlettaz et al 2007). Moreover, fecal material is conserved at low temperatures in the snow, thus impeding bacterial and enzymatic degradation of the hormones and/or their metabolites (Baltic et al 2005). Consequently, Black Grouse are an ideal model for studying the physiological impact of anthropogenic disturbance on alpine wildlife.…”

Non-invasive measurement of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites in Upland Geese Chloephaga picta

“…Non-invasive methods originally developed for research into animal welfare (Wasser et al 2000; have become a tool in ecology and conservation biology (Nakagawa et al 2003;Baltic et al 2005;Walker et al 2005;Thiel et al 2008). Enzyme immunoassays (EIA) that measure faecal glucocorticoid (GC) metabolites have enabled researchers to associate behavioural changes in free-ranging animals with the physiological costs they generate and to quantify the impact of natural or anthropogenic-induced stress (Kotrschal et al 1998;Dehnhard et al 2003;Quillfeldt and Möstl 2003;Tempel and Gutiérrez 2004).…”

Resposta endócrina à contenção física e isolamento em papagaios-verdadeiros

“…Estudos utilizando gansos (Baltic et al 2005) e corvos (Stöwe et al 2008, Stocker et al 2016) afirmam que a organização social influencia o metabolismo e a excreção de glicocorticoides fazendo-os variar entre indivíduos da mesma espécie. Em corvo-comum (Corvus corax), aves com maior grau de dominância tendem a apresentar maiores concentrações de MG que os subordinados (Stöwe et al 2008) e aves com forte interação social podem revelar menores concentrações de MG quando mantidas em grupo (Stocker et al 2016).…”