[ad_1]
“ Live fast and die young ”: Migratory animals are on the decline because their fast-paced lifestyles mean they are less able to adapt to changes in climate and habits, study says
- Experts from the University of Exeter studied the “pace of life” of 1,296 species
- They looked at metrics including longevity and playback rate
- The team found that migrants often grow faster, reproduce earlier and die younger
- Airborne migrants are typically smaller than their static counterparts
- However, migratory animals that swim or walk are often larger
Changing climate and habits pose a greater risk to migrating animals, especially those that fly, because they “live fast, die young” and are therefore less able to adapt.
Exeter experts studied nearly 1,300 species of mammals and birds, finding that those who migrate typically grow faster, have offspring earlier, and die younger.
The findings could help explain why many migrant species appear to be in decline, as they are less capable, for example, of delaying poor breeding conditions.
They could also help predict how migratory species might respond to environmental changes in the future.
The team also noted that migratory animals that swim or walk are typically larger than their non-migratory equivalents, while flying migrants are typically smaller.
Changing climate and habits pose a greater risk to migrating animals, especially those that fly, because they “live fast, die young” and are therefore less able to adapt. In the photo, a flock of fruit bats migrate across the sky as the sun begins to set
“Many species migrate over long distances and this requires significant amounts of energy,” said article author and conservation biologist Andrea Soriano-Redondo of the University of Exeter.
“This energy cannot be used for other purposes such as self-maintenance or reproduction, so we would expect animals to regulate the amount of energy they use for these things,” he added.
“By prioritizing reproduction over survival, ‘fast-living’ species have the potential to increase numbers more rapidly, which may balance the long-term energy costs and short-term risks of migration.”
In their study, Dr Soriano-Redondo and colleagues looked at the so-called “pace of life” of 1,296 species, looking at parameters such as longevity, the age at which females reach sexual maturity, and reproduction rates.
“We have long thought migration is risky behavior,” said article author and animal ecologist Stuart Bearhop, also of the University of Exeter.
“Animals often take risks when they migrate, hoping to find the right conditions in their destination,” he added.
“In the case of birds that migrate to the High Arctic, they arrive in spring and have a short period of time to reproduce.”
“Some will only attempt to do so if the conditions are right and if climate change degrades habitats, these ‘fast-living’ species could completely miss their chance.”
“We have long thought migration is risky behavior,” said animal ecologist Stuart Bearhop of the University of Exeter. “Animals often take risks when they migrate, hoping to find the right conditions in their destination,” he added. In the photo, migrating geese
“We believe that walking and swimming migrants are generally larger because only large animals can store enough energy and use it efficiently enough to carry out long-distance land or sea migrations,” added Dave Hodgson, ecologist and author. of the article.
“Among flying species, the opposite is true, as a large body mass makes flying more expensive in terms of energy,” he explained.
The full results of the study were published in the journal Nature Communications.
WHY DO MIGRANT BIRDS FLY IN V-FORMATION?
Birds fly in V-shaped formation to help them fly more efficiently, staying in flight while spending as little energy as possible.
Scientists learned the secrets of migratory bird aviation after connecting tiny logging devices to a flock of 14 northern bald ibises who not only tracked their location and speed via satellite, but measured every flap of their wings.
The 14 birds used in the study were hand reared at the Vienna Zoo in Austria by the Waldrappteam, an Austrian conservation group that is reintroducing the Northern Bald Ibises to Europe.
Birds fly in V-shaped formation to help them fly more efficiently, staying in flight and consuming as little energy as possible (stock image)
The birds were studied flying alongside an ultralight on their migration route from Austria to their winter home in Tuscany, Italy.
Lead researcher Dr Steve Portugal, of the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, said: “ The distinctive V-shaped formation of bird flocks has long intrigued researchers and continues to attract both scientific and popular attention, however a definitive account of the aerodynamic implications of these formations have remained elusive until now.
“The intricate mechanisms involved in V-formation flight indicate a remarkable awareness and ability of birds to respond to the wing path of nearby flocks of companions. The birds in V-formation appear to have developed complex timing strategies to cope with the dynamic contrails produced from the beating of the wings. “
When flying in a V-shaped formation, the bird’s wing flaps were roughly “in phase,” meaning that all wing tips followed roughly the same path, the scientists found.
This helped each bird catch an extra lift from the sucking of the neighbor in front.
Occasional position shifts within the formation meant that birds sometimes flew directly behind each other.
When this happened, the birds changed their wing beats in an out of phase pattern to avoid being caught by the downwash.
.
[ad_2]
Source link
