Linking diet switching to reproductive performance across populations of two critically endangered mammalian herbivores
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 acro...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | Inglés |
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Springer
2024
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148828 |
| _version_ | 1855513010961907712 |
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| author | Harvey Sky, N. Britnell, J. Antwis, R. Kartzine, T. Rubenstein, D. Toye, Philip G. Karani, Benedict E. Njeru, Regina Hinchcliffe, D. Gaymer, J. Mutisya, S. Shultz, S. |
| author_browse | Antwis, R. Britnell, J. Gaymer, J. Harvey Sky, N. Hinchcliffe, D. Karani, Benedict E. Kartzine, T. Mutisya, S. Njeru, Regina Rubenstein, D. Shultz, S. Toye, Philip G. |
| author_facet | Harvey Sky, N. Britnell, J. Antwis, R. Kartzine, T. Rubenstein, D. Toye, Philip G. Karani, Benedict E. Njeru, Regina Hinchcliffe, D. Gaymer, J. Mutisya, S. Shultz, S. |
| author_sort | Harvey Sky, N. |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | 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. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace148828 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publishDateRange | 2024 |
| publishDateSort | 2024 |
| publisher | Springer |
| publisherStr | Springer |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1488282025-12-08T10:11:39Z Linking diet switching to reproductive performance across populations of two critically endangered mammalian herbivores Harvey Sky, N. Britnell, J. Antwis, R. Kartzine, T. Rubenstein, D. Toye, Philip G. Karani, Benedict E. Njeru, Regina Hinchcliffe, D. Gaymer, J. Mutisya, S. Shultz, S. animal breeding genetics 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. 2024 2024-07-02T04:30:07Z 2024-07-02T04:30:07Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148828 en Open Access Springer Harvey Sky, N., Britnell, J., Antwis, R., Kartzine, T., Rubenstein, D., Toye, P., Karani, B., Njeru, R., Hinchcliffe, D., Gaymer, J., Mutisya, S. and Shultz, S. 2024. Linking diet switching to reproductive performance across populations of two critically endangered mammalian herbivores. Communications Biology 7:333. |
| spellingShingle | animal breeding genetics Harvey Sky, N. Britnell, J. Antwis, R. Kartzine, T. Rubenstein, D. Toye, Philip G. Karani, Benedict E. Njeru, Regina Hinchcliffe, D. Gaymer, J. Mutisya, S. Shultz, S. Linking diet switching to reproductive performance across populations of two critically endangered mammalian herbivores |
| title | Linking diet switching to reproductive performance across populations of two critically endangered mammalian herbivores |
| title_full | Linking diet switching to reproductive performance across populations of two critically endangered mammalian herbivores |
| title_fullStr | Linking diet switching to reproductive performance across populations of two critically endangered mammalian herbivores |
| title_full_unstemmed | Linking diet switching to reproductive performance across populations of two critically endangered mammalian herbivores |
| title_short | Linking diet switching to reproductive performance across populations of two critically endangered mammalian herbivores |
| title_sort | linking diet switching to reproductive performance across populations of two critically endangered mammalian herbivores |
| topic | animal breeding genetics |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148828 |
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