Poor Food Availability Research Articles

Health literacy at work to address overweight and obesity in adults: The development of the obesity action kit

Overweight and obesity are chronic conditions affecting approximately 68% of adults and 31.7% of children ages 2–19 in the United States. Our aim was to apply an ecological model of health literacy to better understand consumer needs relating to overweight and obesity, and use this information to develop an Obesity Action Kit for the New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's (DOHMH) Public Health Detailing Program.Methods included: (1) conducting a health literacy load analysis on a wide range of existing consumer messaging about overweight and obesity, (2) in-depth interviews with providers, and (3) focus groups with consumers. Provider themes included a universal concern about patient obesity and frustration with lack of success as well as an appreciation of the complexity of the issue, including its strong cultural drivers. Consumer themes included skepticism about providers' role in helping them manage weight; strong cultural contextualizing; emotional distress and self-blame; poor food availability; and the desire for positive, empowering messages about weight management. Findings were translated into the content of the Obesity Action Kit. Our target population included primary care providers visited by the Public Health Detailing Program and overweight residents residing in low-income communities of NYC.

Kleptoparasitism in Common Guillemots Uria aalge at two colonies during a period of poor food availability

Kleptoparasitism, the stealing of food items from other animals, is an important foraging strategy for many taxa. In many cases the kleptoparasites and hosts are different species but less commonly, prey items are stolen from conspecifics. Recent studies have highlighted the potential importance of intra-specific kleptoparasitism in food-stressed populations, and here we show facultative kleptoparasitism at two North Sea colonies of Common Guillemots Uria aalge during one year of poor breeding success and one year of near average breeding success. The frequency of kleptoparasitism differed between colonies and years, reflecting variation in the magnitude of the benefits from kleptoparasitism, which was probably associated with variation in prey availability at sea. Specialised foraging strategies such as kleptoparasitism may allow individuals to buffer adverse conditions more effectively than those foraging only at sea.

Amphibian phenotypic variation along a gradient in canopy cover: species differences and plasticity

The distributions of many freshwater organisms correlate with a gradient in canopy cover, ranging from sunny wetlands to closed woodland ponds. Little is known about mechanisms that exclude species from some sections of the gradient while allowing persistence in others. I addressed this question by manipulating shading in 740‐l outdoor mesocosms and measuring several ecologically‐relevant traits in three species of amphibian larva (Rana temporaria and Triturus alpestris, generalists occupying the entire gradient; and Hyla arborea, a specialist in open habitats). Shading caused delayed development, but had no effect on survival and increased the growth rate of R. temporaria. Body and tail color were darker in the shade. Plasticity in morphological shape, consisting of reduced gut width and increased tail size under shaded conditions, may reflect poor food availability and low dissolved oxygen. The canopy generalist R. temporaria increased activity in the shade, spent more time basking in shallow water, and maintained high larval performance. Unexpectedly, the specialist H. arborea was also highly plastic. These results describe extensive phenotypic plasticity induced by shade, and highlight traits that may influence performance along the canopy gradient.

Impacts of poor food availability on positive density dependence in a highly colonial seabird

For species with positive density dependence, costs and benefits of increasing density may depend on environmental conditions, but this has seldom been tested. By examining a colonial seabird (common guillemot) over a period of unprecedented poor food availability, we test two contrasting hypotheses suggesting that birds breeding at high density have: (i) greater leeway to increase foraging effort owing to more effective defence of unattended chicks against predators; and (ii) less leeway, owing to more attacks on unattended chicks by neighbouring adults. Supporting hypothesis 1, birds at high density increased provisioning rates and hence survival of chicks by foraging simultaneously with their partners, whereas at low density, unattended chicks were liable to be killed by predatory gulls and, unexpectedly, razorbills. Simultaneously, supporting hypothesis 2, heightened aggression towards unattended chicks at high density frequently resulted in infanticide, undermining benefits from collective defence against predators. Consequently, over 25 years, the magnitude of positive density dependence was independent of mean breeding success. These data indicate previously unsuspected trade-offs between costs and benefits of increasing density under changing environments. Previous generalizations about the importance of high density for reproductive success have so far remained robust, but such trade-offs could have unpredictable consequences for future population dynamics.

Climate change and phenological responses of two seabird species breeding in the high-Arctic

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 393:235-246 (2009) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08222 Climate change and phenological responses of two seabird species breeding in the high-Arctic Børge Moe1,2,*, Lech Stempniewicz3, Dariusz Jakubas3, Frédéric Angelier4,5, Olivier Chastel4, Frode Dinessen6, Geir W. Gabrielsen7, Frank Hanssen8, Nina J. Karnovsky9, Bernt Rønning1, Jorg Welcker7, Katarzyna Wojczulanis-Jakubas3, Claus Bech1 1Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway 2Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Division of Arctic Ecology, 9296 Tromsø, Norway 3Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, University of Gdansk, al. Legionów 9, 80-441 Gdansk, Poland 4Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France 5Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20008, USA 6Norwegian Meteorological Institute, 9293 Tromsø, Norway 7Norwegian Polar Institute, 9296 Tromsø, Norway 8Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), 7485 Trondheim, Norway 9Department of Biology, Pomona College, Claremont, California 91711, USA *Email: borge.moe@nina.no ABSTRACT: The timing of breeding is a life-history trait that can greatly affect fitness, because successful reproduction depends on the match between the food requirements for raising young and the seasonal peak in food availability. We analysed phenology (hatch dates) in relation to climate change for 2 seabird species breeding in the high-Arctic, little auks Alle alle and black-legged kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla, for the periods 1963–2008 and 1970–2008, respectively. We show that spring climate has changed during the study period, with a strong increase in both air temperature (TEMP) and sea surface temperature (SST) and a decrease in sea ice concentration. Little auks showed a trend for earlier breeding over the study period, while kittiwakes showed a non-significant trend for later breeding, demonstrating different phenological responses in these 2 species. Little auks and kittiwakes adjusted their timing of breeding to different environmental signals. Spring TEMP was the best predictor of little auk phenology, with a significant negative effect. Spring SST was the strongest predictor of kittiwake phenology, with a non-significant negative effect. Spring sea ice concentration and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) winter index had a low relative variable importance. Furthermore, in kittiwakes, years with late breeding were associated with low clutch size and mean annual breeding success, indicating poor investment and food availability. This study identifies some spring environmental factors important for regulating the timing of breeding in the high-Arctic, most likely through effects on snow cover limiting access to nest sites and the development of the polar marine food web. It remains to be investigated whether environmental factors are reliable predictors of marine prey phenology, and whether the decision to start breeding is constrained by food availability. KEY WORDS: Phenology · Climate change · Seabirds · Match-mismatch · Svalbard · Sea ice · Temperature · Timing of breeding Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Moe B, Stempniewicz L, Jakubas D, Angelier F and others (2009) Climate change and phenological responses of two seabird species breeding in the high-Arctic. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 393:235-246. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08222 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 393. Online publication date: October 30, 2009 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2009 Inter-Research.

Food-Coping Strategy Index Applied to a Community of Farm-Worker Households in South Africa

In South Africa, households living in informal urban settlements, in rural areas, and on commercial farms experience various levels of dietary variety, food intake, and household hunger. Low incomes, poor food production and availability, and low spending power characterize these households. Households employ various food-coping strategies to alleviate food stress or poor food availability. To apply an existing food-coping strategy (FCS) index to assess household hunger and its usefulness in identifying the level of food stress and the patterns of food coping in farm-worker households. A cross-sectional survey was conducted. Data were gathered from women (18 to 57 years of age) responsible for food provision in a small farm-worker community in Fouriesburg, South Africa. A structured food-coping questionnaire and a standardized FCS index were used to gather data. The two most common FCS used were relying on cheaper food (chicken feet, diluted soya-mince soup) or less preferred food (meat bones) and employing food-seeking strategies (gathering wild foods), followed by consumption of seed stock (maize) and reduced portion sizes (protein foods and side dishes), resulting in starch-based diets of poor variety. Seasonal strategies varied according to the level of food stress experienced. Patterns of food coping were identified. Negative FCS (limiting food choices, only consuming starchy staples) may cause poor health status. The FCS index was effectively used to assess farm-worker household food-coping behavior (early, clear signals of the level of food distress). These results could be used to allocate appropriate food aid (type of food) and to design nutrition education programs focused on positive FCS (food gathering or bartering) in a particular community to prevent suboptimal nutritional status.

Heat stress in a high-latitude seabird: effects of temperature and food supply on bathing and nest attendance of great skuasCatharacta skua

Birds such as great skuas Catharacta skua adapted for successful breeding at high latitudes may experience problems of heat dissipation in mild climates. Great skuas spend time bathing at freshwater sites close to breeding territories and here, we examine impacts of heat stress on bathing, foraging and nest attendance of adults during three breeding seasons with marked variation in the availability of prey (1-group sandeels Ammodytes marinus). Adults exhibited diurnal variation in bathing activity that matched heat-stress conditions. Moreover more birds bathed on days of higher average heat stress, suggesting that bathing plays a role in thermoregulation. Bathing numbers were lower in years of poor food availability, when adult attendance at territories was low, probably because lower attendance reduced the opportunity for parents to bathe without leaving chicks unattended. Chicks are normally guarded by female parents and fed by males but under conditions of low food availability territorial attendance of breeding pairs was particularly low on days of high heat stress, with chicks regularly left unattended at air temperatures exceeding 14 degrees C. Unattended chicks are at risk of being killed by neighbouring conspecifics and survival of chicks to fledging was low in the two years of low sandeel stocks. Our study indicates that for great skuas, indirect effects of climate change on prey stocks and direct effects on heat stress experienced by adults may be additive

Exclusive core areas and intrasexual territoriality in Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) revealed by incremental cluster polygon analysis

AbstractWhen animal home ranges overlap extensively in species lacking overt territorial behaviours, identifying exclusive core areas within individual ranges can be difficult. By analysing the size and overlap of successively smaller core areas among individual Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris), we determined exclusive areas within the home ranges of resident males and females. Possible effects of habitat composition and food supplies were explored by monitoring squirrels in different conifer forests and during years with low and high tree seed production. Using outlier‐exclusive cores (OEC) revealed that the total ranges consisted of large sally zones (on average, 35% of the total minimum convex polygon [MCP] range) around home ranges with multi‐nucleate cores. The mean OEC home range size did not differ between the sexes but was larger with poor food availability. Home ranges (99% incremental cluster polygons [ICP]) overlapped extensively between sexes (average overlap high food–low food: males by females 21–40%, females by males 43–45%) and among males (males by males 26–44%), while intrasexual overlap among females was low (9–10%). The overlap of inner cores among females rapidly approached zero, suggesting the intrasexual territoriality of 75% core areas. This was not the case among male squirrels, for which intrasexual overlap averaged only 4% at 50% but 18% at 75% core areas. Even the smallest inner cores had some degree of intersexual overlap, indicating that complete territoriality did not occur in this species. Female home ranges were more strongly affected by annual fluctuations in food supplies than male ranges. Females reduced the size of their food‐based intrasexual territories when food availability increases. Males probably benefit from using larger home ranges and core areas, which overlap with the ranges of several females, by increasing their probability of successful mating.

Food Shortage Disrupts Social Organization: The Case of Red Squirrels in Conifer Forests

A recent conceptual model of spatial organization in vertebrates, based upon changes in home range overlap with habitat quality, ‘the space-use model’, predicts large and strongly overlapping home ranges and absence of territorial behaviour in habitats with poor food availability. We investigated whether the model can be extended to predict intra-population variation in space-use in a habitat with strong temporal variation in resource abundance. We studied space use of Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) in subalpine conifer forests over 4 years with strong fluctuations in seed production. Norway spruce dominated forests are resource limited habitats for squirrels, and tree seed availability is gradually depleted in the year following a poor seed-crop. Male and female squirrels responded to spruce seed-crop failure in 2000 by strongly increasing their home ranges and core-areas in the following year (mean MCP ± SE in summer and autumn, respectively: 2001, 122.9±14.1 ha and 84.3±9.4 ha, against 43.0±6.4 ha and 20.8±3.8 ha in 2002, and 22.7±1.5 ha and 21.4±2.0 ha in 2003). In 2001, half of the animals, those with the poorest quality pre-dispersal home ranges, emigrated to areas with more larch. Residents had multi-nuclear core-areas. Also, intra-sexual core-area overlap (males by males, females by females) was higher in 2001 and summer 2002, than in autumn 2002 and in 2003 (means ± SE in summer and autumn, respectively: males by males, 2001, 52±8 and 44±7%, 2002, 80±30 and 15±11%, 2003, 37±19 and 26±14%; females by females 2001, 52±10 and 112±32%, 2002, 55±27 and 0±0%, 2003, 12±8 and 0.1±0%). Red squirrels responded to food shortage by moving to patches with other food resources and abandoned the spacing pattern of reduced core-area overlap among males and nearly exclusive core-areas among females, found in less variable habitats. After richer seed-crops in 2001 and 2002, it took squirrels about a year to reduce the size of their home ranges and core-areas and return to a spacing pattern of stable home ranges and intra-sexual territoriality of adult females. These results are consistent with the space-use model and show that spacing behaviour in red squirrels is a plastic, conditional strategy with individuals adapting the size and/or location of their home ranges in relation to local distribution and abundance of food resources.

FOOD AVAILABILITY AFFECTS ADULT SURVIVAL AS WELL AS BREEDING SUCCESS OF PARASITIC JAEGERS

Long-lived species are expected to reduce their current reproductive effort in adverse conditions in order not to jeopardize their future reproduction. Parasitic Jaegers (Stercorarius parasiticus) breeding in Shetland, United Kingdom, have declined substantially in numbers over the last 15 years, although the causes of this decline remain unclear. By carrying out a supplementary feeding experiment during the chick-rearing period, we tested the hypothesis that food availability has contributed to this decline. Data were collected on adult territory attendance, chick growth rates, and breeding success during the experimental season, and adult return rates, body condition, and laying dates during the following season. Differences in carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in the natural and supplementary food, analyzed in the chicks' feathers, showed that chicks received one-fifth of their protein requirements from the supplementary food, but this amount varied between broods. Compared with controls, supplemented pairs showed higher attendance on the territory, improved breeding success, and higher return rate. This emphasizes that adult return rate is more sensitive to food availability than has been assumed previously. Control birds may have maintained too high a current reproductive effort at the expense of future reproduction, perhaps due to the unpredictability of their main food source, sandeels, which seemed abundant early in the season but scarce during chick rearing. This study suggests that the consequences of poor food availability are shared between offspring and parents in this species.

Effects of Tagging on Behavior, Provisioning, and Reproduction in the Common Murre (Uria Aalge), A Diving Seabird

AbstractTelemetry devices used on seabirds have been shown to affect their behavior, reproduction, and survival. However, studies have primarily been limited to larger species, and results are occasionally equivocal. We quantified tag retention time and effects of attaching subcutaneous anchor radiotransmitters on behavior, provisioning, and reproduction in the Common Murre (Uria aalge), a medium-bodied seabird. Between 1999 and 2001, we tagged 48 Common Murres on Tatoosh Island, Washington. Subsequently, 46 birds were detected during colony observation, radiotracking, or both. Activity budgets and time spent at the nest site did not differ between tagged birds and their untagged mates. However, tagged birds made fewer but longer trips away from the nest and provisioned their chicks significantly less than their mates did (0.07 ± 0.02 fish h−1 and 0.18 ± 0.02 fish h−1, respectively). Prey size and energy content did not differ. Despite the disparity in provisioning rates at the individual level, tagged pairs and control pairs had equivalent energy-delivery rates and reproductive success. Tagging effects did not persist in the long term, because percentage of tagged birds returning to the colony the next breeding season was similar to percentage of birds without tags, and tagged birds' reproductive success was comparable to that of the rest of the colony. Subcutaneous anchor attachments compared favorably to glued tags and implanted transmitters in terms of retention time and survival, respectively. We recommend using subcutaneous anchor transmitters for medium-bodied seabirds that employ flexible foraging strategies. Possible exceptions are years of poor food availability, when the capacity to absorb tag effects may be lower.

Energetics of Growth and Maturation in Sympatric Passerines That Fledge at Different Ages

We studied the energetics of growth and maturation of sympatric Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) and Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) nestlings in the San Jacinto Mountains, Riverside County, California. Both species fledge at a body mass of 27-28 g, but the flycatcher leaves the nest 4-5 days earlier than the bluebird. The growth curves of these two species become asymptotic by 14 days of age. Energy budgets, derived from estimates of CO2 production and energy accumulation in tissues, demonstrate that the average daily total metabolizable energy requirement of the nestling flycatcher is approxi- mately 22% (range: 16-32%) higher than the nestling bluebird. Most of this difference is due to a significantly higher field metabolic rate throughout the nestling period of the flycatcher. We attribute this higher energy expenditure to a greater daily allocation of energy to the metabolic processes and activity associated with maturation, which allows the flycatcher to fledge at a younger age than the bluebird. Because of the nestling flycatcher's higher daily energy requirements, adult flycatchers must gather up to 20 g more food each day than bluebird parents with the same number of young. Nestling mortality indicates that Ash- throated Flycatchers may be more susceptible to nest failure than Western Bluebirds during periods of poor food availability. Received 7 October 1988, accepted 7 July 1990. THE ENERGY requirements of young in rela- tion to the parents' ability to provide sufficient food to meet those requirements is an intrinsic relationship that affects the reproductive strat- egies of birds. Many factors influence the en- ergy requirements of growing birds. Differ- ences in body size, growth pattern, and the thermal environment of the nest site can affect the peak energy demands of a brood (Fiala and Congdon 1983, Ricklefs and White 1981, Mer- tens 1969, O'Connor 1975, Bryant and Gardiner 1979, Drent and Daan 1980). Our purpose was to compare the energy ex- penditure of sympatric nestling Western Blue- birds (Sialia mexicana) and Ash-throated Fly- catchers (Myiarchus cinerascens). The adult mass of both species is similar (range: 25-30 g), and nestlings fledge at a body mass ca. 27-28 g. The age at fledging differs by 4-5 days (bluebird: 20-21 days; flycatcher: 16-17 days). These two species have very similar breeding ecologies. The species share the same habitat, both are cavity nesters, and both are insectivorous dur- ing the breeding season. Because the breeding

Seasonal cycles of reserves in relation to reproduction inSebastes

Seasonal cycles of reserve deposition and utilization in many fishes, amphibians and reptiles alleviate temporal mismatches of energy supply and demand. Utilization of reserves can be related to maintenance during periods of reduced food supply, to reproduction, particularly during periods of poor food availability, and to migration. Published data on the seasonal cycles of reserves and reproduction inSebastes suggest that reserves are important for maintenance during wintertime periods of low food availability. Unlike many other ectothermic vertebrates, some species ofSebastes deposit fat reserves at the same time as gametogenesis, a pattern consistent with the longevity and iteroparity evident in the genus. Other species ofSebastes have similar seasonal timing of fat cycles, but since reproduction takes place later in the year, the decline in reserves during winter coincides with the main period of reproductive activity. The significance of this is not clear. Interspecific differences in amounts of reserves may be related to geographical differences in the seasonality or abundance of food. Intraspecific variation in reserves, marked most strongly by allometry of reserves with regard to fish legth, bears further study, since it may link the proces of sexual maturation and the responses of repeat spawners to variability in food supply and other environmental factors.

Resource limitation in a generalist herbivore, the moose Alces alces: ecological constraints on behavioural decisions

The relationship between foraging behaviour and the time-energy budget of adult moose (Alces alces) cows was studied during the winter in two Norwegian populations. In the study area with lowest food availability, the moose foraged almost exclusively on birch (Betula pubescens) of poor quality (expressed as digestibility). In the other study area with higher food availability, a much more diversified species composition of the diet was found, including several Salix spp., rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), aspen (Populus tremula), and bird cherry (Prunus padus). Large differences in the daily activity of moose were found between the study areas. In the poor food availability area, moose browsed twigs of poor quality and were inactive a greater proportion of the time. They used a smaller area for foraging, but removed a much larger fraction of the available biomass from each browsing site than in the higher food quality study area. No significant difference was found between the study areas in the gross daily dry matter intake rate. A larger amount of feces was defecated in the low quality study area, resulting in a significantly higher net intake of digestible dry matter in the area with high food quality. Thus, because of digestive constraints, the quality of the forage determined the rate of energy gain from foraging. The interaction between moose and their food is therefore strongly dependent on factors that influence the digestibility of forage.

Male parental care and monogamy in snow buntings

We experimentally removed males from a random sample of 14 snow bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) pairs to determine the influence of male parental care on reproductive success. Widowed females increased their rate of food delivery to nestlings by increasing their feeding visit rate but not their load size. However, Widows were only able to achieve 73% of the food delivery rate of Control pairs and, as a result, they raised fewer offspring of lower quality (i.e. lower mass at fledging). Total brood mass raised by Widows was only 55% of that of Control pairs. Thus, in the year of our experiment, male parental care in the nestling period almost doubled the reproductive success realized from a brood. Our experiment, however, was done in a year of poor food availability and data from the previous year, when food supply was higher, indicate that males may not always be so important. Since nestling food supply appears to be unpredictable at the time of pair formation, we suggest that monogamy is a bet-hedging strategy in case of poor food availability. As a consequence the importance of male parental care in some years may explain why snow buntings are almost always monogamous.

Growth and spawning in the pectinid Chlamys opercularis in relation to temperature and phytoplankton concentration

Groups of queens, Chlamys opercularis (L.), were maintained under semi-natural conditions for a period of 18 months while growth rates and spawning conditions were monitored. Temperature and phytoplankton standing crop (as chlorophyll a) were also measured. The data suggest that only 1 major growth ring is formed in 1 year (in spring), although “disturbance” rings may be present. Rings are the result of the build-up of a number of small growth increments (striae) formed as successive lamellae are laid down. One lamella is probably laid down during 1 day, but a lamella is not necessarily laid down every day. Lamellae are laid down most regularly when temperature is moderately high and food availability is good. It seems likely, however, that poor food availability can limit growth and thus restrict the formation of lamellae even under field conditions. Spawning does not seem to induce the formation of growth checks.