Great Tit (Parus major) Nestlings Have Longer Telomeres in Old‐Growth Forests Than in Young Forests
ABSTRACT Modification and deterioration of old‐growth forests by industrial forestry have seriously threatened species diversity worldwide. The loss of natural habitats increases the concentration of circulating glucocorticoids and incurs chronic stress in animals, influencing the immune system, gro...
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Wiley
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70823 |
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| author | Ronalds Krams Dina Cīrule Maris Munkevics Sergejs Popovs Priit Jõers Jorge Contreras Garduño Indrikis A. Krams Tatjana Krama |
| author_facet | Ronalds Krams Dina Cīrule Maris Munkevics Sergejs Popovs Priit Jõers Jorge Contreras Garduño Indrikis A. Krams Tatjana Krama |
| author_sort | Ronalds Krams |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Modification and deterioration of old‐growth forests by industrial forestry have seriously threatened species diversity worldwide. The loss of natural habitats increases the concentration of circulating glucocorticoids and incurs chronic stress in animals, influencing the immune system, growth, survival, and lifespan of animals inhabiting such areas. In this study, we tested whether great tit (Parus major) nestlings grown in old‐growth unmanaged coniferous forests have longer telomeres than great tit nestlings developing in young managed coniferous forests. This study showed that the patches of young managed coniferous forests had lower larval biomass than old‐growth forests. Since insect larvae are the preferred food for great tit nestlings, the shortage of food may divert energy resources away from growth, which can show up as physiological stress, often raising the heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio. The H/L ratio revealed a significant difference in stress levels, being the highest in great tit nestlings developing in young‐managed pine forests. We also found that the development of great tit nestlings in young managed forests had significantly shorter telomeres than in old‐growth forests. Although nestling survival did not differ between the habitats, nestlings growing up in old‐growth forests had greater telomere lengths, which can positively affect their lifespan. Our results suggest that the forest habitats affected by industrial forestry may represent ecological traps, as the development of young birds in deteriorated environments can affect the age structure of populations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a79186eb3e7544a183ef3e7f0412ba20 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-a79186eb3e7544a183ef3e7f0412ba202025-01-29T05:08:41ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-01-01151n/an/a10.1002/ece3.70823Great Tit (Parus major) Nestlings Have Longer Telomeres in Old‐Growth Forests Than in Young ForestsRonalds Krams0Dina Cīrule1Maris Munkevics2Sergejs Popovs3Priit Jõers4Jorge Contreras Garduño5Indrikis A. Krams6Tatjana Krama7Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre Riga LatviaInstitute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment "BIOR" Riga LatviaSection of Ecology, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences University of Latvia Riga LatviaDepartment of Biodiversity, Institute of Life Sciences and Technologies Daugavpils University Daugavpils LatviaInstitute of Molecular and Cell Biology University of Tartu Tartu EstoniaEscuala Nacional de Estudios Superiores National Autonomous University of Mexico Morelia MexicoLatvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre Riga LatviaLatvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre Riga LatviaABSTRACT Modification and deterioration of old‐growth forests by industrial forestry have seriously threatened species diversity worldwide. The loss of natural habitats increases the concentration of circulating glucocorticoids and incurs chronic stress in animals, influencing the immune system, growth, survival, and lifespan of animals inhabiting such areas. In this study, we tested whether great tit (Parus major) nestlings grown in old‐growth unmanaged coniferous forests have longer telomeres than great tit nestlings developing in young managed coniferous forests. This study showed that the patches of young managed coniferous forests had lower larval biomass than old‐growth forests. Since insect larvae are the preferred food for great tit nestlings, the shortage of food may divert energy resources away from growth, which can show up as physiological stress, often raising the heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio. The H/L ratio revealed a significant difference in stress levels, being the highest in great tit nestlings developing in young‐managed pine forests. We also found that the development of great tit nestlings in young managed forests had significantly shorter telomeres than in old‐growth forests. Although nestling survival did not differ between the habitats, nestlings growing up in old‐growth forests had greater telomere lengths, which can positively affect their lifespan. Our results suggest that the forest habitats affected by industrial forestry may represent ecological traps, as the development of young birds in deteriorated environments can affect the age structure of populations.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70823developmenthabitat qualityhematological stressParus majortelomeres |
| spellingShingle | Ronalds Krams Dina Cīrule Maris Munkevics Sergejs Popovs Priit Jõers Jorge Contreras Garduño Indrikis A. Krams Tatjana Krama Great Tit (Parus major) Nestlings Have Longer Telomeres in Old‐Growth Forests Than in Young Forests Ecology and Evolution development habitat quality hematological stress Parus major telomeres |
| title | Great Tit (Parus major) Nestlings Have Longer Telomeres in Old‐Growth Forests Than in Young Forests |
| title_full | Great Tit (Parus major) Nestlings Have Longer Telomeres in Old‐Growth Forests Than in Young Forests |
| title_fullStr | Great Tit (Parus major) Nestlings Have Longer Telomeres in Old‐Growth Forests Than in Young Forests |
| title_full_unstemmed | Great Tit (Parus major) Nestlings Have Longer Telomeres in Old‐Growth Forests Than in Young Forests |
| title_short | Great Tit (Parus major) Nestlings Have Longer Telomeres in Old‐Growth Forests Than in Young Forests |
| title_sort | great tit parus major nestlings have longer telomeres in old growth forests than in young forests |
| topic | development habitat quality hematological stress Parus major telomeres |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70823 |
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