干旱区生态环境知识资源中心(Arid): Linking diet switching to reproductive performance across populations of two critically endangered mammalian herbivores

Arid

DOI	10.1038/s42003-024-05983-3
	Linking diet switching to reproductive performance across populations of two critically endangered mammalian herbivores
	Sky, Nick Harvey; Britnell, Jake; Antwis, Rachael; Kartzinel, Tyler; Rubenstein, Daniel; Toye, Phil; Karani, Benedict; Njeru, Regina; Gaymer, Jamie; Mutisya, Samuel; Shultz, Susanne
通讯作者	Sky, NH
来源期刊	COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
EISSN	2399-3642
出版年	2024
卷号	7 期号:1
英文摘要	Optimal foraging theory predicts that animals maximise energy intake by consuming the most valuable foods available. When resources are limited, they may include lower-quality fallback foods in their diets. As seasonal herbivore diet switching is understudied, we evaluate its extent and effects across three Kenyan reserves each for Critically Endangered eastern black rhino (Diceros bicornis michaeli) and Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi), and its associations with habitat quality, microbiome variation, and reproductive performance. Black rhino diet breadth increases with vegetation productivity (NDVI), whereas zebra diet breadth peaks at intermediate NDVI. Black rhino diets associated with higher vegetation productivity have less acacia (Fabaceae: Vachellia and Senegalia spp.) and more grass suggesting that acacia are fallback foods, upending conventional assumptions. Larger dietary shifts are associated with longer calving intervals. Grevy's zebra diets in high rainfall areas are consistently grass-dominated, whereas in arid areas they primarily consume legumes during low vegetation productivity periods. Whilst microbiome composition between individuals is affected by the environment, and diet composition in black rhino, seasonal dietary shifts do not drive commensurate microbiome shifts. Documenting diet shifts across ecological gradients can increase the effectiveness of conservation by informing habitat suitability models and improving understanding of responses to resource limitation. Using metabarcoding, we found that seasonal dietary shifts were associated with slower breeding and acacia are fallback foods for black rhino. Grass was the highest value food for Grevy's zebra. Seasonal diet shifts did not drive microbiome shifts.
类型	Article
语种	英语
开放获取类型	gold
收录类别	SCI-E
WOS记录号	WOS:001185888500003
WOS关键词	PLANT SECONDARY METABOLITES ; FALLBACK FOODS ; BLACK RHINOCEROS ; SEQUENCE DATA ; GREEN-UP ; SAVANNA ; ECOLOGY ; TREE ; HABITAT ; RANGE
WOS类目	Biology ; Multidisciplinary Sciences
WOS研究方向	Life Sciences & Biomedicine - Other Topics ; Science & Technology - Other Topics
资源类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.177/qdio/handle/2XILL650/403226
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Sky, Nick Harvey,Britnell, Jake,Antwis, Rachael,et al. Linking diet switching to reproductive performance across populations of two critically endangered mammalian herbivores[J],2024,7(1).
APA	Sky, Nick Harvey.,Britnell, Jake.,Antwis, Rachael.,Kartzinel, Tyler.,Rubenstein, Daniel.,...&Shultz, Susanne.(2024).Linking diet switching to reproductive performance across populations of two critically endangered mammalian herbivores.COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY,7(1).
MLA	Sky, Nick Harvey,et al."Linking diet switching to reproductive performance across populations of two critically endangered mammalian herbivores".COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY 7.1(2024).