Article
Behavioral Sciences
Amanda R. Bourne, Amanda R. Ridley, Susan J. Cunningham
Summary: Cooperative breeding is common in bird species globally and can improve breeding outcomes. However, high temperatures can negatively affect breeding outcomes in cooperative species. In the Southern Pied Babbler, helpers' contribution to incubation is influenced by temperature.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Amanda R. Bourne, Amanda R. Ridley, Andrew E. McKechnie, Claire N. Spottiswoode, Susan J. Cunningham, Steven Cooke
Summary: High air temperatures have negative impacts on reproduction in wild animal populations, specifically affecting the physiology and behavior of southern pied babblers during incubation. Research indicates that hot temperatures can lead to hatching failure, continuous nest incubation by the birds, potential risk of bird embryo death due to overheating, and weight loss in incubating groups on hot days.
CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Amanda R. Ridley, Martha J. Nelson-Flower, Elizabeth M. Wiley, David J. Humphries, Hanna Kokko
Summary: This study highlights the occurrence of kidnapping as a distinct intergroup interaction behavior in the cooperative breeding pied babbler, emphasizing its impact on the fate of young within groups and group survival.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
David J. Humphries, Martha J. Nelson-Flower, Matthew B. V. Bell, Fiona M. Finch, Amanda R. Ridley
Summary: This study examined vocal kin recognition in southern pied babblers and found that it is primarily based on familiarity rather than genetic relatedness, with limited discrimination abilities.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Vrinda Kalia, Stacy S. Schuur, Keith A. Hobson, Howard H. Chang, Lance A. Waller, Steven R. Hare, Matthew O. Gribble
Summary: The study examined the relationship between sea-surface temperature variability and the ecotoxicology of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in eggs of two avian species with different trophic positions. It found that the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) predicted trophic position and levels of POPs in thick-billed murres but not in common murres. This suggests that facultative changes in foraging behavior, reflected in trophic position, can determine how POPs flow through and alter ecosystems under climate change.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Paulo Ceppi, Stephan Fueglistaler
Summary: The study reveals that the radiative anomalies induced by El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are mainly caused by sea surface temperature (SST) pattern effect, mediated by changes in tropical-mean tropospheric stability. These stability changes are triggered by SST anomalies migrating from climatologically cool to warm regions over the ENSO cycle, suggesting a two-way coupling between SST variability and radiation. The results also indicate that ENSO-induced radiative changes may feedback onto SST during ENSO.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
N. T. Krell, B. E. Morgan, D. Gower, K. K. Caylor
Summary: The study highlights the importance of selecting drought-avoidant crop varieties in the face of increasing rainfall variability and intensity. Early maturing crops have shown to have lower likelihood of failure in water deficit conditions, despite the potential for higher-yielding, late maturing varieties. The historical probability of crop failure was lowest in the past due to higher rainfall totals, but is now increasing with reduced rainfall amounts.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shanlong Lu, Yong Wang, Jinfeng Zhou, Alice C. Hughes, Mingyang Li, Cong Du, Xiaohong Yang, Yutong Xiong, Feng Zi, Wenzhong Wang, Zhaoxian Zheng, Chun Fang, Shunli Yu
Summary: Protecting and restoring degraded arid lakes is a globally urgent issue. This study documents the potential recovery of the dried salt-lake Lop Nur in China through analyzing the changes and relationship of surface water with climate parameters and groundwater over the last 30 years. The findings show that increased surface water in the basin has led to a positive response in the groundwater level of Lop Nur since 2015, with a slower rate of decline. This study provides an encouraging case for the protection and restoration of degraded lakes in dryland regions worldwide.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Ryan J. Longman, Courtney L. Peterson, Madeline Baroli, Abby G. Frazier, Zachary Cook, Elliott W. Parsons, Maude Dinan, Katie L. Kamelamela, Caitriana Steele, Reanna Burnett, Chris Swanston, Christian P. Giardina
Summary: The event provided practical training for natural resources management professionals working in Hawaiian forests and native ecosystems to consider climate change information and identify adaptation actions.
BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Pietro B. D'Amelio, Andre C. Ferreira, Rita Fortuna, Matthieu Paquet, Liliana R. Silva, Franck Theron, Claire Doutrelant, Rita Covas
Summary: Climate plays a significant role in reproductive processes, and this study investigated the effects of weather and nest predation on reproductive output in a social species. The results showed that larger group sizes have limited capacity to mitigate the effects of adverse weather.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sara Labrousse, David Nerini, Alexander D. Fraser, Leonardo Salas, Michael Sumner, Frederic Le Manach, Stephanie Jenouvrier, David Iles, Michelle Larue
Summary: By using satellite imagery and ice metrics, researchers have identified diverse habitats for emperor penguins across Antarctica and found clear geographic partitioning based on habitat characteristics. This study provides crucial information for predicting species survival and implementing conservation measures.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Liping Zhang, Thomas L. Delworth, Sarah Kapnick, Jie He, William Cooke, Andrew T. Wittenberg, Nathaniel C. Johnson, Anthony Rosati, Xiaosong Yang, Feiyu Lu, Mitchell Bushuk, Colleen McHugh, Hiroyuki Murakami, Fanrong Zeng, Liwei Jia, Kai-Chih Tseng, Yushi Morioka
Summary: This study uses multiple climate models to investigate the role of the Southern Ocean meridional overturning circulation (MOC) in the observed multidecadal surface cooling trend. The results indicate that various processes, including internal variability, global warming, and high-latitude freshening, contribute to the cooling trend. Understanding the characteristics of internal low-frequency variability in the Southern Ocean and its response to global warming is crucial for better understanding the causes of the observed trend.
JOURNAL OF CLIMATE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Li-Chiao Wang, Yong-Fu Lin, Chau-Ron Wu
Summary: Long-term reanalysis data were used to investigate the inter-decadal to decadal modulations of the North Equatorial Current (NEC) bifurcation in the Pacific after the early 1990s. It was found that the wind stress curl anomaly (WSCA) in the C-BOX region has been remotely modulated by the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) since the early 1990s, leading to a shift in NEC bifurcation towards the equator.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Mengmeng Lu, Song Yang, Congwen Zhu, Junbin Wang, Shuheng Lin, Wei Wei, Hanjie Fan
Summary: The thermal effect of the Tibetan Plateau weakens the Southeast Asian summer monsoon, and this impact is modulated by the sea surface temperature in the tropical Atlantic. The South Asian high strengthens and extends eastward, causing convergence and sinking motion that weaken the monsoon over Southeast Asia. The relationship between the Tibetan Plateau and the Southeast Asian summer monsoon is enhanced by the anomalous heating over the tropical Atlantic through wave trains and tropical zonal circulation.
JOURNAL OF CLIMATE
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Ryan L. Fogt, Charlotte J. Connolly
Summary: This study analyzes the spatial pattern of pressure variability across the Southern Hemisphere in the early twentieth century, revealing synchronous but opposite-signed pressure relationships between Antarctica and the midlatitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, especially in the summer and autumn. In addition to connections with the southern annular mode, regional and shorter duration pressure trends are found to be associated with influences from tropical variability and potentially the zonal wavenumber 3 pattern.
JOURNAL OF CLIMATE
(2021)
Article
Ornithology
Amanda R. Bourne, Susan J. Cunningham, Lisa J. Nupen, Andrew E. McKechnie, Amanda R. Ridley
Summary: Sex-biased mortality in response to environmental adversity during early development is prominent in various bird species. Three main theories propose that the heterogametic sex, the larger sex, or the sex with more complex endocrine system may experience higher mortality when faced with challenging conditions. Research on Southern Pied Babblers showed that high temperatures negatively impact nestling body mass, tarsus length, and fledgling survival, raising concerns about population replacement and species persistence under advancing climate change.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Joseph G. Sollis, Benjamin J. Ashton, Elizabeth M. Speechley, Amanda R. Ridley
Summary: A robust understanding of cognitive variation at the individual level is essential to understand selection for and against cognitive traits. However, the effects of test order and test number on individual cognitive performance have received limited attention in animal cognition studies. In this study, we found that neither test number nor test order had an effect on the cognitive performance of individual magpies.
Article
Ornithology
Grace Blackburn, Amanda R. Ridley, Mylene Dutour
Summary: This study found that Western Australian Magpies are able to distinguish between individuals within and outside of their social group based on territorial carolling calls, using only vocal signals.
Article
Ornithology
Bukola D. A. Braimoh-Azaki, Susan J. Cunningham, Will Cresswell
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between incubation bout length and environmental variables in African Black Oystercatchers. The results showed that incubation bout length was longer at high tide and at night, and decreased with increases in temperature. These findings suggest that oystercatchers adjust their incubation bout lengths according to the changing environmental conditions to meet their energy, hydration, and thermoregulatory needs.
JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Amanda R. Bourne, Amanda R. Ridley, Susan J. Cunningham
Summary: Cooperative breeding is common in bird species globally and can improve breeding outcomes. However, high temperatures can negatively affect breeding outcomes in cooperative species. In the Southern Pied Babbler, helpers' contribution to incubation is influenced by temperature.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Mylene Dutour, Sarah L. Walsh, Grace Blackburn, Amanda R. Ridley
Summary: Many animals use alarm calls to provide information about predator proximity. Western Australian magpies produce alarm calls with fewer notes when predators are further away. A study conducted playbacks to test if magpies can respond to urgency information in conspecific alarm calls. The results showed that magpies responded more to high-urgency calls compared to low-urgency and control calls, providing evidence of their ability to respond to urgency information.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Petra Sumasgutner, Susan J. Cunningham, Arne Hegemann, Arjun Amar, Hannah Watson, Johan F. Nilsson, Martin N. Andersson, Caroline Isaksson
Summary: Climate change and urbanisation pose significant threats to biodiversity, yet their combined effects are often overlooked. Understanding how species respond to the interactive impacts of rising temperatures and urbanisation is crucial in global change biology, especially for birds. This article highlights the potential mechanisms and knowledge gaps in the effects of climate and urban drivers on avian responses, emphasizing the need for further research in this important field.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Peter Mikula, Oldrich Tomasek, Dusan Romportl, Timothy K. Aikins, Jorge E. Avendano, Bukola D. A. Braimoh-Azaki, Adams Chaskda, Will Cresswell, Susan J. Cunningham, Svein Dale, Gabriela R. Favoretto, Kelvin S. Floyd, Hayley Glover, Tomas Grim, Dominic A. W. Henry, Tomas Holmern, Martin Hromada, Soladoye B. Iwajomo, Amanda Lilleyman, Flora J. Magige, Rowan O. Martin, Marina de A. Maximiano, Eric D. Nana, Emmanuel Ncube, Henry Ndaimani, Emma Nelson, Johann H. van Niekerk, Carina Pienaar, Augusto J. Piratelli, Penny Pistorius, Anna Radkovic, Chevonne Reynolds, Eivin Roskaft, Griffin K. Shanungu, Paulo R. Siqueira, Tawanda Tarakini, Nattaly Tejeiro-Mahecha, Michelle L. Thompson, Wanyoike Wamiti, Mark Wilson, Donovan R. C. Tye, Nicholas D. Tye, Aki Vehtari, Piotr Tryjanowski, Michael A. Weston, Daniel T. Blumstein, Tomas Albrecht
Summary: This study investigates the factors influencing avian tolerance towards humans in open tropical ecosystems. It finds that rural bird populations and those exposed to lower human disturbance have lower tolerance, while larger species with larger clutches and enhanced flight ability are also less tolerant. The study also shows that escape distances increase during the wet season and from longer starting distances.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
David J. Humphries, Martha J. Nelson-Flower, Matthew B. V. Bell, Fiona M. Finch, Amanda R. Ridley
Summary: This study examined vocal kin recognition in southern pied babblers and found that it is primarily based on familiarity rather than genetic relatedness, with limited discrimination abilities.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Marion Cordonnier, Amanda R. Ridley, Thierry Lengagne, Mylene Dutour
Summary: Given the current pace of climate change, it is crucial and urgent to predict the behavioral impacts of high temperatures on songbirds, particularly their acoustic communication. However, there is limited study on the effects of high temperatures on bird responses to antipredator signals. In this study, we found that high temperatures led to reduced approach and calling behavior in great tits, indicating a shift in their defensive tactic.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Stephanie L. Payne, Susan J. Cunningham, Caroline G. Howes, Andrew E. McKechnie
Summary: Trait-based assessments are useful for evaluating species' vulnerability to climate change, but should consider interspecific variation in behavioral and physiological traits. This study assessed the vulnerability of 241 bird species in southern Africa to increasing air temperature associated with climate change. The results identified species with high vulnerability and highlighted the importance of considering overlooked species in conservation efforts.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Grace Blackburn, Benjamin J. Ashton, Alex Thornton, Sarah Woodiss-Field, Amanda R. Ridley
Summary: This study investigated the effects of anthropogenic noise on the behavior and anti-predator response of Western Australian magpies, and found that anthropogenic noise had significant effects on the foraging, vocalization, and anti-predator response of the birds. Additionally, the study found that individual cognitive performance influenced their behavioral response to anthropogenic noise.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Shannon R. Conradie, Michael R. Kearney, Blair O. Wolf, Susan J. Cunningham, Marc T. Freeman, Ryno Kemp, Andrew E. McKechnie
Summary: This study evaluated the performance of a biophysical model in predicting water loss, metabolic rate, and thermoregulatory responses of arid-zone birds. The results showed that the model accurately predicted these variables and captured the adaptive responses to hot weather.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sarah L. Walsh, Sabrina Engesser, Simon W. Townsend, Amanda R. Ridley
Summary: Comparative studies have shown that animals have the ability to combine vocal segments within- or between-calls, but little is known about whether they can combine beyond one level. In this study, we used quantitative analysis to describe the vocal repertoire of Western Australian magpies and found that they can combine multiple acoustic segments to create a larger number of calls, which are further combined into larger call combinations. These findings challenge the idea that multi-level combinatoriality is unique to human language, and contribute to the growing evidence of language-specific traits in the animal kingdom.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2023)