Effect of Human Disturbance on Bird Telomere Length: An Experimental Approach

Zulima Tablado,Sylvie Massemin,Susanne Jenni-Eiermann,Yves Bötsch,Thibaut Powolny,Sandrine Zahn,Lukas Jenni

doi:10.3389/fevo.2021.792492

Abstract

Human recreational activities increase worldwide in space and frequency leading to higher rates of encounter between humans and wild animals. Because wildlife often perceive humans as predators, this increase in human disturbance may have negative consequences for the individuals and also for the viability of populations. Up to now, experiments on the effects of human disturbance on wildlife have mainly focused on individual behavioral and stress-physiological reactions, on breeding success, and on survival. However, the effects on other physiological parameters and trans-generational effects remain poorly understood. We used a low-intensity experimental disturbance in the field to explore the impacts of human disturbance on telomere length in great tit (Parus major) populations and found a clear effect of disturbance on telomere length. Adult males, but not females, in disturbed plots showed shorter telomere lengths when compared to control plot. Moreover, variation in telomere length of adult great tits was reflected in the next generation, as we found a positive correlation between telomere length of the chicks and of their fathers. Given that telomere length has been linked to animal lifespan, our study highlights that activities considered to be of little concern (i.e., low levels of disturbance) can have a long-lasting impact on the physiology and survival of wild animals and their next generation.

Highlights

Outdoor recreational activities are increasing worldwide, and areas that were previously only rarely accessed and disturbed are being exposed to an ever-greater amount of human visitation (Balmford et al, 2009; Buckley, 2009; Hammitt et al, 2015)
Most studies investigating the impact of human disturbance on wild animals focused on the behavioral and physiological reactions to human stressors, such as flushing behavior after a human approach (Stankowich and Blumstein, 2005; Blumstein, 2006; Møller, 2010; Bötsch et al, 2018a) or levels of baseline and stress-induced glucocorticoids in animals exposed to anthropogenic disturbance (Walker et al, 2006; French et al, 2010; Bonier, 2012; Muehlenbein et al, 2012)
We found an effect of experimental disturbance on adult telomere length, it varied according to sex

Summary

Introduction

Outdoor recreational activities are increasing worldwide, and areas that were previously only rarely accessed and disturbed are being exposed to an ever-greater amount of human visitation (Balmford et al, 2009; Buckley, 2009; Hammitt et al, 2015). This increases the frequency of human-wildlife encounters, which raises concerns among researchers and conservationists about the potential consequences for wildlife. The impact of human disturbance on the DNA, such as on telomere length or attrition, remains still largely unexplored in wild animals (but see Angelier et al, 2018; Injaian et al, 2019)

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