TY - JOUR
T1 - The reliance on distant resources for egg formation in high Arctic breeding barnacle geese Branta leucopsis
AU - Hahn, S.M.
AU - Loonen, M.J.J.E.
AU - Klaassen, M.R.J.
N1 - Reporting year: 2011
Metis note: 5020; WAG; AnE
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Breeding in the high Arctic is time constrained and animals should therefore start with their annual reproduction as early
as possible. To allow for such early reproduction in migratory birds, females arrive at the breeding grounds either with
body stores or they try to rapidly develop their eggs after arrival using local resources. Svalbard breeding barnacle geese
Branta leucopsis have to fly non-stop for about 1100 km from their last continental staging site to the archipelago making
the transport of body stores costly. However, environmental conditions at the breeding grounds are highly unpredictable
favouring residual body stores allowing for egg production after arrival on the breeding grounds. We estimated the
reliance on southern continental resources, i.e. body stores for egg formation, in barnacle geese using stable isotope ratios
in the geese’s forage along the flyway and in their eggs. Females adopted mixed breeding strategies by using southern
resources as well as local resources to varying extents for egg formation. Southern capital in lipid-free yolk averaged 41%
(range: 23 65%), early laid eggs containing more southern capital than eggs laid late in the season. Yolk lipids and
albumen did not vary over time and averaged a southern capital proportion of 54% (range: 32 73%) and 47% (range:
25 88%), respectively. Our findings indicate that female geese vary the use of southern resources when synthesising their
eggs and this allocation also varies among egg tissues. Their mixed and flexible use of distant and local resources
potentially allows for adaptive adjustments to environmental conditions encountered at the archipelago just before
breeding.
AB - Breeding in the high Arctic is time constrained and animals should therefore start with their annual reproduction as early
as possible. To allow for such early reproduction in migratory birds, females arrive at the breeding grounds either with
body stores or they try to rapidly develop their eggs after arrival using local resources. Svalbard breeding barnacle geese
Branta leucopsis have to fly non-stop for about 1100 km from their last continental staging site to the archipelago making
the transport of body stores costly. However, environmental conditions at the breeding grounds are highly unpredictable
favouring residual body stores allowing for egg production after arrival on the breeding grounds. We estimated the
reliance on southern continental resources, i.e. body stores for egg formation, in barnacle geese using stable isotope ratios
in the geese’s forage along the flyway and in their eggs. Females adopted mixed breeding strategies by using southern
resources as well as local resources to varying extents for egg formation. Southern capital in lipid-free yolk averaged 41%
(range: 23 65%), early laid eggs containing more southern capital than eggs laid late in the season. Yolk lipids and
albumen did not vary over time and averaged a southern capital proportion of 54% (range: 32 73%) and 47% (range:
25 88%), respectively. Our findings indicate that female geese vary the use of southern resources when synthesising their
eggs and this allocation also varies among egg tissues. Their mixed and flexible use of distant and local resources
potentially allows for adaptive adjustments to environmental conditions encountered at the archipelago just before
breeding.
U2 - 10.1111/j.1600-048X.2010.05189.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1600-048X.2010.05189.x
M3 - Article
SN - 0908-8857
VL - 42
SP - 159
EP - 168
JO - Journal of Avian Biology
JF - Journal of Avian Biology
IS - 2
ER -