Stress physiological responses to tourist pressure in a wild population of European pine marten

Barja, Isabel; Silván, Gema; Rosellini, Stefano; Piñeiro, Ana; González-Gil, Alfredo; Camacho, Laura; Illera, Juan Carlos

doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2007.03.008

Cited by 90 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 27 publications

(52 reference statements)

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“…Hormones were extracted using methods for similar carnivore species (Brown et al, 1994) and for European pine martens (Barja et al, 2007). The efficiency of extraction was tested by the addition of radiolabeled hormones ( 3 H-cortisol, 3 H-testosterone, 3 H-progesterone, and 3 H-estradiol; 4,000-8,000 dpm; ICN, California, USA) prior to extraction of a parallel set of fecal samples.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sex steroid hormones (SSH) act on sexual organs, thus contributing to the development of reproductive processes, and are crucial in regulating patterns of reproductive behavior (Nelson, 2005). Studies on different carnivores indicate that concentrations of these hormones increase during the reproductive season (Velloso et al, 1998;Soto et al, 2004;Barja et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Physiological Stress Responses, Fecal Marking Behavior, and Reproduction in Wild European Pine Martens (Martes martes)

et al. 2011

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The relationship among physiological stress responses, fecal marking behavior, and reproduction in male and female European pine martens was investigated. Between July 2004 and June 2007, 145 fresh fecal samples were collected in a protected area of northwest Spain. Fecal DNA was used for specific identification by using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. Glucocorticoids (cortisol) and sex steroid hormones (P, progesterone; E, estradiol; T, testosterone) were quantified by enzyme immunoassays. Sex was assigned according to concentrations of T+P+E and the T/P ratio. Fecal cortisol concentrations were higher in males than in females. Feces with a presumptive marking function (on conspicuous substrates, above ground level, and/or in latrines) had higher mean levels of cortisol than those that were on inconspicuous substrates and/or at ground level, for both males and females. Fecal mark density was highest in spring, when mean levels of fecal cortisol were more elevated. Therefore, the higher physiological stress levels in females could be due to female physiological state (late-term pregnancy and lactation), competition for resources connected to birth, or food resources for offspring rearing. In males, the increase could be due to higher male competition for access to females during pro-estrus and estrus. Our results suggest that scent marking in European pine martens is related to reproduction and is involved in intersexual and intrasexual communication.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physiological Stress Responses, Fecal Marking Behavior, and Reproduction in Wild European Pine Martens (Martes martes)

et al. 2011

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“…Several studies suggest that traffic exposure negatively impacts wildlife (White and Thurow 1985, Yarmoloy et al 1988, Creel et al 2002, Arlettaz et al 2007, Barja et al 2007, Thiel et al 2008), but effects on survival and reproductive success have rarely been quantified (for a recent review see Barber et al 2009). By contrast, physiological impacts of traffic exposure are relatively well-documented (Walker et al 2006, Creel et al 2002, Wasser et al 1997).…”

Section: Disturbance Impacts On Wildlifementioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of acute and long-term vehicle exposure on physiology and reproductive success of the northern spotted owl

Hayward

Bowles

et al. 2011

Ecosphere

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Abstract. Stress physiologists posit that multiple simultaneous demands faced by an organism may have non-additive effects on the magnitude of their response to disturbance. The environmental assessment literature emphasizes a similar phenomenon at the population level, arguing that populations can compensate for perturbations up to a threshold, beyond which disturbance impacts may be greatly magnified-and even cause system collapse. We integrated these two approaches to examine the roles of environment, life history stage, prior disturbance experience, and their interactions on vulnerability to disturbance in a free-living species. Specifically, we examined the effects of off-highway vehicle use on the federally threatened northern spotted owl (NSO), Strix occidentalis caurina, by measuring fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCs), which reflect disturbance; fecal thyroid hormone metabolites (fT3), which reflect nutrition; and the number of offspring fledged within a season. We experimentally applied one hour of motorcycle exposure to NSOs during periods of incubation (May) and fledging (July), comparing fGC levels of treated NSO with those of non-exposed controls. Acute vehicle exposure generally increased fGCs in the short term. Males showed the highest glucocorticoid response to vehicle disturbance in May when they were typically solely responsible for feeding themselves, their mates and their nestlings. By contrast, response to motorcycle exposure among females depended on their level of fT3 and their number of young. Levels of fGCs were highest post treatment among females that lacked young and had high fT3 (good nutrition); fGC levels were lower in treated females compared to controls among females with two young and low fT3 (compromised nutrition), possibly reflecting allostatic overload. The correlational approach showed that NSO close to roads had higher levels of fT3, suggesting better nutrition. Surprisingly, fGC levels were unrelated to proximity of roads, irrespective of noise. Presumably, the tendency for traffic exposure to increase fGCs over the long-term was offset by nutritional gains (i.e., reduced fGCs and high fT3) associated with proximity to roads. Sound level meters enabled us to quantify road noise on a subset of NSO territories. NSO close to noisy roads fledged significantly fewer young than NSO near quiet roads, indicating that routine traffic exposure may decrease NSO reproductive success over time.

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“…Even so, a number of studies, also based on genetic analyses of scats, showed a high accuracy of the involved surveyors (Zuercher et al 2003;Prugh and Ritland 2005;Barja et al 2007;Harrington et al 2008;Rosellini et al 2008;. Furthermore, results from other studies indirectly showed the reliability and suitability of the methods based on feces when performed by experienced field researchers (e.g., Tuyttens et al 2001;Sadlier et al 2004;Webbon et al 2004;).…”

Section: Wildcat Scat Surveysmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, to become a good surveyor, much time is needed for training (although less time must be spent, around 1 year, if the surveyor specializes only in a particular region). It is surely true that identification of scats from very similar species is difficult or even impossible (e.g., Barja et al 2007;Harrington et al 2010). Even so, the simplest and most parsimonious explanation for contradictory results about scat identification obtained in studies dealing with mustelids in Europe, for instance, compare Davison et al (2002) with Rosellini et al (2008) in relation to identifying European pine marten scats or works by Harrington et al (2008Harrington et al ( , 2010) on mink scat identification in different parts of the UK, is that observers misidentifying scats really did not have enough experience to carry out the surveys in some particular study areas (where more training was probably needed).…”

Section: Scat Surveys For Monitoring Wildcat Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring European wildcat Felis silvestris populations using scat surveys in central Spain: are population trends related to wild rabbit dynamics or to landscape features?

2013

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Background: Accurate data on the European wildcat Felis silvestris population trends are scarce for most of its range, despite this information being essential in assessing the threat status of the species. Moreover, ecological correlates of these population trends have never been evaluated. The aim of this study was to describe population trends of the European wildcat in a central region of Spain during the period 1997 to 2005 on both regional and local scales. Putative associations with several landscape features and wild rabbit population trajectories were also examined. Analyses were based on temporal variations of abundance indexes calculated for both species, which were derived from the respective frequencies of occurrence of scats along linear transects. Moreover, we propose monitoring wildcat populations across their range using scat surveys. Results: Results showed that wildcat populations remained stable between the two survey periods considered, and variations in wildcat abundances were not associated with either habitat features or changes in rabbit abundances. Moreover, results suggested that wildcat predation does not limit the growth capacity of rabbit populations. Conclusions:We propose standardized scat surveys as the most efficient methodology for monitoring wildcat populations across European regions. Problems with genetic analyses for correctly identifying carnivore scats are noted, which indicate that the best complementary method for monitoring wildcats is probably camera trapping (especially where hybridization is suspected). Furthermore, results showed that controlling wildcats to protect the rabbit populations is not justified.

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Stress physiological responses to tourist pressure in a wild population of European pine marten

Cited by 90 publications

References 27 publications

Physiological Stress Responses, Fecal Marking Behavior, and Reproduction in Wild European Pine Martens (Martes martes)

Physiological Stress Responses, Fecal Marking Behavior, and Reproduction in Wild European Pine Martens (Martes martes)

Impacts of acute and long-term vehicle exposure on physiology and reproductive success of the northern spotted owl

Monitoring European wildcat Felis silvestris populations using scat surveys in central Spain: are population trends related to wild rabbit dynamics or to landscape features?

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