Abstract
Ecological impacts of urbanization include the loss of biodiversity, and changes in species composition and population densities. However, how the urban environment affects fundamental physiological parameters is largely unknown. Here, we investigated physiological components related to health and nutrition, namely, plasma fatty acids (FA) and lipid peroxidation at inter-habitat and interspecific levels. Specifically, we compared four passerine bird species – the great tit (Parus major), the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), the house sparrow (Passer domesticus), and the tree sparrow (P. montanus) – from urban and rural environments. Significant interactions between species and habitat were revealed for the majority of the FAs. Interestingly, the observed inter-habitat variation in FAs was frequently in opposite directions when comparing species from the two families (tits, Paridae; sparrows, Passeridae). These patterns suggest that sparrows and tits feed on different food sources, or modulate their FA metabolism differently, across the urban-rural gradient. By using canonical discriminant analyses (CDA), we further demonstrated species-specific signals in FA composition, with misclassification of species being < 1% within habitats and < 7 % between habitats. Finally, the urban-rural FA differences between species and families were manifested in two indices of health. Firstly, urban blue tits had a higher total ɷ-6/ɷ-3 polyunsaturated FA ratio than rural conspecifics, which is believed to increase inflammatory responses. Secondly, urban sparrows of both species showed higher peroxidation indices (indicating a higher susceptibility to lipid peroxidation if exposed to pro-oxidants), and consequently, a higher level of lipid peroxidation compared to their rural conspecifics. Collectively, the species- and habitat-specific differences in plasma FA composition, which are linked to nutrition and metabolism, suggest that the urban environment affect tits and sparrows via two different pathways – inflammation and oxidative stress, respectively – with potential consequences for the health of urban populations.
Highlights
Sampling was undertaken in deciduous forest stands on grassland, along hedgerows on rural farms, and in granaries on the same farms
Urban blue tits had a higher proportion of oleic acid compared to their rural conspecifics [F(1, 55) = 6.20, P = 0.016], whereas the opposite pattern was true for house sparrows [F(1, 46) = 13.97, P < 0.001] and tree sparrows [F(1, 51) = 5.46, P = 0.024]
The present study reveals interspecific and inter-habitat differences in fatty acids (FA) profiles and health markers associated with FA intake and physiology
Summary
Many urban-dwelling birds are declining, despite the suggested benefits of high abundance of anthropogenic food and artificial nesting holes in urban environments (Jokimäki et al, 1996; Jokimäki, 1999; Marzluff et al, 2001; Crick et al, 2002, 2003; McKinney, 2002; Beckerman et al, 2007; Grimm et al, 2008). Species that seemingly do well in urban environments often share a range of traits, such as a high degree of feeding innovation, high storage of dietary antioxidants, high annual fecundity, high adult survival, and large breeding ranges (Møller, 2009; Møller et al, 2010). Despite such similarities, the consequences of inhabiting an urban environment are likely to differ between species, such as between those classified as “urban adapters” vs “urban exploiters” (McKinney, 2002). This is unfortunate, because physiological data, such as biomarkers for health and nutritional status, may provide critical information on the underlying causations for why a species thrives in, or just copes with, the urban environment (Isaksson, 2015)
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