City comfort: weaker metabolic response to changes in ambient temperature in urban red squirrels
Abstract The ecophysiological responses of species to urbanisation reveal important information regarding the processes of successful urban colonization and biodiversity patterns in urban landscapes. Investigating these responses will also help uncover whether synurban species are indeed urban ‘winn...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-28624-x |
| _version_ | 1811175871029968896 |
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| author | Bianca Wist B. Karina Montero Kathrin H. Dausmann |
| author_facet | Bianca Wist B. Karina Montero Kathrin H. Dausmann |
| author_sort | Bianca Wist |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The ecophysiological responses of species to urbanisation reveal important information regarding the processes of successful urban colonization and biodiversity patterns in urban landscapes. Investigating these responses will also help uncover whether synurban species are indeed urban ‘winners’. Yet we still lack basic knowledge about the physiological costs and overall energy budgets of most species living in urban habitats, especially for mammals. Within this context, we compared the energetic demands of Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) from the core of an urban environment with those from a nearby forest. We measured oxygen consumption as a proxy for resting metabolic rate (RMR) of 20 wild individuals (13 urban, 7 forest), at naturally varying ambient temperature (Ta) in an outdoor-enclosure experiment. We found that the variation in RMR was best explained by the interaction between Ta and habitat, with a significant difference between populations. Urban squirrels showed a shallower response of metabolic rate to decreasing Ta than woodland squirrels. We suggest that this is likely a consequence of urban heat island effects, as well as widespread supplemental food abundance. Our results indicate energy savings for urban squirrels at cooler temperatures, yet with possible increased costs at higher temperatures compared to their woodland conspecifics. Thus, the changed patterns of metabolic regulation in urban individuals might not necessarily represent an overall advantage for urban squirrels, especially in view of increasing temperatures globally. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T19:42:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-47183596c4914c3592df2556a382d2e8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T19:42:56Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-47183596c4914c3592df2556a382d2e82023-01-29T12:10:41ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-01-0113111110.1038/s41598-023-28624-xCity comfort: weaker metabolic response to changes in ambient temperature in urban red squirrelsBianca Wist0B. Karina Montero1Kathrin H. Dausmann2Functional Ecology, Institute of Cell and Systems Biology of Animals, Universität HamburgBiodiversity Research Institute (CSIC, Oviedo University, Principality of Asturias), Campus of Mieres, University of OviedoFunctional Ecology, Institute of Cell and Systems Biology of Animals, Universität HamburgAbstract The ecophysiological responses of species to urbanisation reveal important information regarding the processes of successful urban colonization and biodiversity patterns in urban landscapes. Investigating these responses will also help uncover whether synurban species are indeed urban ‘winners’. Yet we still lack basic knowledge about the physiological costs and overall energy budgets of most species living in urban habitats, especially for mammals. Within this context, we compared the energetic demands of Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) from the core of an urban environment with those from a nearby forest. We measured oxygen consumption as a proxy for resting metabolic rate (RMR) of 20 wild individuals (13 urban, 7 forest), at naturally varying ambient temperature (Ta) in an outdoor-enclosure experiment. We found that the variation in RMR was best explained by the interaction between Ta and habitat, with a significant difference between populations. Urban squirrels showed a shallower response of metabolic rate to decreasing Ta than woodland squirrels. We suggest that this is likely a consequence of urban heat island effects, as well as widespread supplemental food abundance. Our results indicate energy savings for urban squirrels at cooler temperatures, yet with possible increased costs at higher temperatures compared to their woodland conspecifics. Thus, the changed patterns of metabolic regulation in urban individuals might not necessarily represent an overall advantage for urban squirrels, especially in view of increasing temperatures globally.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-28624-x |
| spellingShingle | Bianca Wist B. Karina Montero Kathrin H. Dausmann City comfort: weaker metabolic response to changes in ambient temperature in urban red squirrels Scientific Reports |
| title | City comfort: weaker metabolic response to changes in ambient temperature in urban red squirrels |
| title_full | City comfort: weaker metabolic response to changes in ambient temperature in urban red squirrels |
| title_fullStr | City comfort: weaker metabolic response to changes in ambient temperature in urban red squirrels |
| title_full_unstemmed | City comfort: weaker metabolic response to changes in ambient temperature in urban red squirrels |
| title_short | City comfort: weaker metabolic response to changes in ambient temperature in urban red squirrels |
| title_sort | city comfort weaker metabolic response to changes in ambient temperature in urban red squirrels |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-28624-x |
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