scholarly journals Nest site selection and nutritional provision through excreta: a form of parental care in a tropical endogeic earthworm

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel I. Ortiz-Ceballos ◽  
Diana Pérez-Staples ◽  
Paulino Pérez-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Site Selection ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Pontoscolex Corethrurus ◽  
Medium Quality

Nest construction is a common form of parental care in soil organisms. However, it is unknown whether the tropical earthwormPontoscolex corethrurusproduces nests in soils with low nutritional quality habitat. Here we studied the reproductive behaviour and nest site selection ofP. corethrurus, and tested the hypothesis whetherP. corethrurusproduces more cocoons in habitats with low nutritional quality. In bidimensional terrariums we evaluated the combined effect of the nutritional quality of habitat: (Poor Quality Habitat = PQH, Medium Quality Habitat = MQH, High Quality Habitat = HQH) and soil depth (Shallow, Intermediate, Deep) in a factorial 32design. The number and biomass of cocoons, progeny and the production of internal and external excreta were evaluated. The quality habitat and depth of soil and their interaction had a significant effect on nest site construction and the deposition of internal excreta. Pontoscolex corethrurus built a higher amount of nests in the PQH-Intermediate and MQH-Intermediate treatments while more internal excreta were found in the HQH-Intermediate treatment. Offspring biomass was positively associated with internal excreta in the PQH (soil only) and MQH (soil + grass) treatments, suggesting that this could be a form of parental care. SinceP. corethrurusproduces more cocoons in low and medium quality habitats, while produces more internal excreta at high quality habitats, there does not seem to be an association between number of offspring and parental care. We suggestP. corethruruscould have two reproductive strategies that act as diversified bet-hedging (do not put all cocoons in one basket) behavior in unpredictable environment, and thus build a higher amount of nests in low and medium quality habitats; and another where they produce more internal excreta as a form of parental care in high quality habitats. Parental care in the form of internal excreta may be particularly important in poor and medium quality habitats where offspring biomass increased with internal excreta. Further research is needed on the ecological conditions that favour the evolution of parental care in earthworms according to their ecological category (anecic, endogeic and anecic).

scholarly journals Nest site selection and nutritional provision through excreta: a form of parental care in a tropical endogeic earthworm

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel I. Ortiz-Ceballos ◽  
Diana Pérez-Staples ◽  
Paulino Pérez-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Site Selection ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
Nest Construction ◽  
Selection Of

Nest construction is a common form of parental care in soil organisms. However, it is unknown whether the tropical earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus selects sites for nest construction when the nutritional quality of the soil is irregular. Here we studied the reproductive behaviour and nest site selection of P. corethrurus. In tridimensional terrariums we evaluated the combined effect of the food quality (soil only = S, soil+grass = G, soil+legume = L) and soil depth (0-9 cm = Shallow, 10-18 cm = Intermediate, 19-27 cm = Deep) in a factorial 32 design. The number and biomass of cocoons, progeny and the production of internal and external excreta were evaluated. The nutritional quality and depth of soil and their interaction had a significant effect on nest site construction and the deposition of internal excreta. P. corethrurus built a higher amount of nests in the S-Intermediate and G-Intermediate treatments while more internal excreta were found in the L-Intermediate treatment. Offspring biomass was positively associated with internal excreta in the S (soil only) and G (soil + grass) treatments. We conclude that P. corethrurus shows parental care when selecting sites for its offspring in the form of nest construction and excreta deposition. Further research is needed on the ecological conditions that favour the evolution of parental care in earthworms according to their ecological category (anecic, endogeic and anecic).

scholarly journals Nest site selection and nutritional provision through excreta: a form of parental care in a tropical endogeic earthworm

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel I. Ortiz-Ceballos ◽  
Diana Pérez-Staples ◽  
Paulino Pérez-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Site Selection ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
Nest Construction ◽  
Selection Of

Nest construction is a common form of parental care in soil organisms. However, it is unknown whether the tropical earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus selects sites for nest construction when the nutritional quality of the soil is irregular. Here we studied the reproductive behaviour and nest site selection of P. corethrurus. In tridimensional terrariums we evaluated the combined effect of the food quality (soil only = S, soil+grass = G, soil+legume = L) and soil depth (0-9 cm = Shallow, 10-18 cm = Intermediate, 19-27 cm = Deep) in a factorial 32 design. The number and biomass of cocoons, progeny and the production of internal and external excreta were evaluated. The nutritional quality and depth of soil and their interaction had a significant effect on nest site construction and the deposition of internal excreta. P. corethrurus built a higher amount of nests in the S-Intermediate and G-Intermediate treatments while more internal excreta were found in the L-Intermediate treatment. Offspring biomass was positively associated with internal excreta in the S (soil only) and G (soil + grass) treatments. We conclude that P. corethrurus shows parental care when selecting sites for its offspring in the form of nest construction and excreta deposition. Further research is needed on the ecological conditions that favour the evolution of parental care in earthworms according to their ecological category (anecic, endogeic and anecic).

Indirect cue of paternity uncertainty does not affect nest site selection or parental care in a Pacific toadfish

2020 ◽  
Vol 74 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aneesh P. H. Bose ◽  
Noah Houpt ◽  
Madeline Rawlins ◽  
Jessica S. Miller ◽  
Francis Juanes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Site Selection ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
Paternity Uncertainty

scholarly journals Making good choices with variable information: a stochastic model for nest-site selection by honeybees

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin S Perdriau ◽  
Mary R Myerscough
Keyword(s):  
Site Selection ◽  
Information Transfer ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
Site Quality ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Stochastic Effects ◽  
Final Choice ◽  
Markov Process Model

A density-dependent Markov process model is constructed for information transfer among scouts during nest-site selection by honeybees ( Apis mellifera ). The effects of site quality, competition between sites and delays in site discovery are investigated. The model predicts that bees choose the better of two sites more reliably when both sites are of low quality than when both sites are of high quality and that delay in finding a second site has most effect on the final choice when both sites are of high quality. The model suggests that stochastic effects in honeybee nest-site selection confer no advantage on the swarm.

VIEWING HABITAT THROUGH ANOTHER LENS: BIRD NEST-SITE SELECTION AND PRODUCTIVITY ACROSS A BEACH THERMAL LANDSCAPE

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Schaale ◽  
◽  
Joseph Baxley ◽  
Narcisa Pricope ◽  
Raymond M. Danner
Keyword(s):  
Site Selection ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
Bird Nest

scholarly journals Nest site selection and breeding ecology of the Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) in Algeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. e01524
Author(s):  
Karim Loucif ◽  
Mohamed Cherif Maazi ◽  
Moussa Houhamdi ◽  
Haroun Chenchouni
Keyword(s):  
Site Selection ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
Breeding Ecology

scholarly journals Territory and Nest-Site Selection of Cerulean Warblers in Eastern Ontario

The Auk ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 727-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Jones ◽  
Raleigh J. Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Site Selection ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
Population Characteristics ◽  
Dendroica Cerulea ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
Eastern Ontario ◽  
Cerulean Warblers

Abstract We examined habitat selection by breeding Cerulean Warblers (Dendroica cerulea) at three spatial scales in eastern Ontario over three years (1997–1999). Territories were characterized by well-spaced large trees, with high canopies and dense foliage cover at heights between 12–18 m. Nesting habitat additionally was characterized by dense foliage cover above 18 m. The results of our nest-patch (0.04 ha circle around nest) and nest-site (0.01 ha circle) analyses indicate that male Cerulean Warblers may take active roles in nest-site selection when selecting territories. We conclude from our nest-patch and nest-site selection analyses that territories likely contain multiple nest patches and sites and that male Cerulean Warblers may defend areas with multiple nest patches or sites, which may attract females to settle with them. Whether or not Cerulean Warbler females use nest-site availability as a mate- or territory-choice cue remains unknown. We also tested the validity of a commonly made assumption that a random sampling of habitat by researchers is representative of the habitat actually available to birds and found that, in our study area, the assumption was invalid. Taken together, our results point toward the need to maintain sizeable stands of mature, deciduous forest to ensure the persistence of Cerulean Warblers in eastern Ontario. Population characteristics such as lower minimum area requirements and a resilience to habitat disturbance may make that an easier job in eastern Ontario than elsewhere in this species' breeding range.

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