Effects of Sitka spruce masting on phenology and demography of siskins Spinus spinus

Abstract Masting behaviour of Sitka spruce Picea sitchensis may influence Eurasian siskin Spinus spinus breeding ecology as breeding siskins specialize on spruce seeds. We caught siskins and other small passerines over 16 years using mist nets adjacent to large plantations of mature Sitka spruce. We...

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Autores principales:	Euan N. Furness, Robert W. Furness
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2021
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/71a47bb52b8444658003a3033a387dde
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:71a47bb52b8444658003a3033a387dde2021-12-02T13:19:30ZEffects of Sitka spruce masting on phenology and demography of siskins Spinus spinus10.1038/s41598-021-84471-82045-2322https://doaj.org/article/71a47bb52b8444658003a3033a387dde2021-03-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-84471-8https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Masting behaviour of Sitka spruce Picea sitchensis may influence Eurasian siskin Spinus spinus breeding ecology as breeding siskins specialize on spruce seeds. We caught siskins and other small passerines over 16 years using mist nets adjacent to large plantations of mature Sitka spruce. We sexed, aged, measured and weighed the birds and collected feather samples from fledglings to measure nitrogen and carbon stable isotope ratios. Siskins departed in late summer, and returned, and bred earlier in years of higher cone abundance. Nitrogen and carbon isotopes indicated that siskins fed their chicks on Sitka spruce seeds in most years, and more so in years of high cone production. More siskins were caught following heavy rainfall, when the cones had closed, encouraging the birds to seek alternative food sources. Fledglings were not heavier or larger in years with higher cone crops but were more numerous. However, the age ratio of siskins caught the following year was unaffected by cone crop. Given their reliance on Sitka spruce seeds, climate change may have a major impact on siskin numbers by altering the availability of Sitka spruce seeds, either through changes in masting patterns or cone opening, or due to climate-related changes in forestry practices. Siskins represent a valuable study system to conservation ecology, where a native species is ecologically reliant on introduced taxa.Euan N. FurnessRobert W. FurnessNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-12 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Euan N. Furness Robert W. Furness Effects of Sitka spruce masting on phenology and demography of siskins Spinus spinus
description	Abstract Masting behaviour of Sitka spruce Picea sitchensis may influence Eurasian siskin Spinus spinus breeding ecology as breeding siskins specialize on spruce seeds. We caught siskins and other small passerines over 16 years using mist nets adjacent to large plantations of mature Sitka spruce. We sexed, aged, measured and weighed the birds and collected feather samples from fledglings to measure nitrogen and carbon stable isotope ratios. Siskins departed in late summer, and returned, and bred earlier in years of higher cone abundance. Nitrogen and carbon isotopes indicated that siskins fed their chicks on Sitka spruce seeds in most years, and more so in years of high cone production. More siskins were caught following heavy rainfall, when the cones had closed, encouraging the birds to seek alternative food sources. Fledglings were not heavier or larger in years with higher cone crops but were more numerous. However, the age ratio of siskins caught the following year was unaffected by cone crop. Given their reliance on Sitka spruce seeds, climate change may have a major impact on siskin numbers by altering the availability of Sitka spruce seeds, either through changes in masting patterns or cone opening, or due to climate-related changes in forestry practices. Siskins represent a valuable study system to conservation ecology, where a native species is ecologically reliant on introduced taxa.
format	article
author	Euan N. Furness Robert W. Furness
author_facet	Euan N. Furness Robert W. Furness
author_sort	Euan N. Furness
title	Effects of Sitka spruce masting on phenology and demography of siskins Spinus spinus
title_short	Effects of Sitka spruce masting on phenology and demography of siskins Spinus spinus
title_full	Effects of Sitka spruce masting on phenology and demography of siskins Spinus spinus
title_fullStr	Effects of Sitka spruce masting on phenology and demography of siskins Spinus spinus
title_full_unstemmed	Effects of Sitka spruce masting on phenology and demography of siskins Spinus spinus
title_sort	effects of sitka spruce masting on phenology and demography of siskins spinus spinus
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/71a47bb52b8444658003a3033a387dde
work_keys_str_mv	AT euannfurness effectsofsitkasprucemastingonphenologyanddemographyofsiskinsspinusspinus AT robertwfurness effectsofsitkasprucemastingonphenologyanddemographyofsiskinsspinusspinus
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Effects of Sitka spruce masting on phenology and demography of siskins Spinus spinus

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