Spatial heterogeneity in the effects of climate and density-dependence on dispersal in a house sparrow metapopulation - PubMed (original) (raw)

Spatial heterogeneity in the effects of climate and density-dependence on dispersal in a house sparrow metapopulation

Henrik Pärn et al. Proc Biol Sci. 2012.

Abstract

Dispersal plays a key role in the response of populations to climate change and habitat fragmentation. Here, we use data from a long-term metapopulation study of a non-migratory bird, the house sparrow (Passer domesticus), to examine the influence of increasing spring temperature and density-dependence on natal dispersal rates and how these relationships depend on spatial variation in habitat quality. The effects of spring temperature and population size on dispersal rate depended on the habitat quality. Dispersal rate increased with temperature and population size on poor-quality islands without farms, where house sparrows were more exposed to temporal fluctuations in weather conditions and food availability. By contrast, dispersal rate was independent of spring temperature and population size on high-quality islands with farms, where house sparrows had access to food and shelter all the year around. This illustrates large spatial heterogeneity within the metapopulation in how population density and environmental fluctuations affect the dispersal process.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.

Figure 1.

The house sparrow metapopulation study system on the coast of Norway (66° N, 13° E). The 18 study islands are marked with either a triangle (island with cattle farms) or a circle (islands without farms). The farm islands are assumed to represent superior habitat for the house sparrows, whereas the non-farm islands represent inferior habitat. The nine natal populations included in this study are labelled with the island name. Temperature data were collected from a weather station on the study island Myken (not included as natal population, but indicated with name).

Figure 2.

Figure 2.

The relationship between mean annual dispersal rate in a house sparrow metapopulation in northern Norway and: (a) year, (b) spring temperature, (c) egg laying day for the clutch from which the individual hatched, (d) adult population size and (e) total population size (adults plus juveniles). The dispersal rates were estimated as the proportion of second-year individuals (i.e. recruits) that dispersed from their natal island. Data on 558 individuals were used, 474 philopatric and 84 dispersers. The regression lines are predicted values from generalized linear models with binomial error and logit link function. For further information about the pattern of interchange of individuals among islands, see the electronic supplementary material, table S1.

Figure 3.

Figure 3.

The relationship between annual dispersal rate (i.e. the proportion of recruits that dispersed from their natal island) in a house sparrow metapopulation in northern Norway and (a) spring temperature, (b) onset of breeding estimated as mean day of first egg and (c) total population size (adults plus juveniles) on the natal islands. Islands were categorized as farm islands (open circles and dashed lines; in total 371 philopatric and 36 dispersing individuals) or non-farm islands (grey circles and solid lines; in total 103 philopatric and 48 dispersing individuals). The dispersal rates were estimated as the proportion of recruits that performed inter-island natal dispersal. The regression lines are predicted values from generalized linear models with binomial error and logit link function. For further information about the pattern of interchange of individuals among islands, see the electronic supplementary material, table S1.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Clobert J., Danchin E., Dhondt A. A., Nichols J. D. 2001. Dispersal. New York, NY: Oxford University Press
    1. Travis J. M. J. 2003. Climate change and habitat destruction: a deadly anthropogenic cocktail. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 270, 467–47310.1098/rspb.2002.2246 (doi:10.1098/rspb.2002.2246) - DOI - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Parmesan C. 2006. Ecological and evolutionary responses to recent climate change. Ann. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst. 37, 637–66910.1146/annurev.ecolsys.37.091305.110100 (doi:10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.37.091305.110100) - DOI - DOI
    1. Best A. S., Johst K., Münkemüller T., Travis J. M. J. 2007. Which species will succesfully track climate change? The influence of intraspecific competition and density dependent dispersal on range shifting dynamics. Oikos 116, 1531–153910.1111/j.2007.0030-1299.16047.x (doi:10.1111/j.2007.0030-1299.16047.x) - DOI - DOI
    1. Brooker R. W., Travis J. M. J., Clark E. J., Dytham C. 2007. Modelling species' range shifts in a changing climate: the impacts of biotic interactions, dispersal distance and the rate of climate change. J. Theor. Biol. 245, 59–6510.1016/j.jtbi.2006.09.033 (doi:10.1016/j.jtbi.2006.09.033) - DOI - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources