When to stay, when to go: trade-offs for southern African arid-zone birds in times of drought

Arid environments remind one of the punctuated equilibriumtheory of evolution: they experience long periods of stasis and low productivity, interrupted with episodic rainfall which spurs reproduction and movement. Birds, as highly dispersive organisms, are among the most dramatic indicators of these...

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Main Authors: W.R.J. Dean, P. Barnard, M.D. Anderson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Academy of Science of South Africa 2009-12-01
Series:South African Journal of Science
Online Access:http://192.168.0.121/index.php/sajs/article/view/10060
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spelling doaj-2fee2c73289d4f03a237790a3348bc2e2021-04-06T13:39:37ZengAcademy of Science of South AfricaSouth African Journal of Science1996-74892009-12-011051/2When to stay, when to go: trade-offs for southern African arid-zone birds in times of droughtW.R.J. DeanP. BarnardM.D. AndersonArid environments remind one of the punctuated equilibriumtheory of evolution: they experience long periods of stasis and low productivity, interrupted with episodic rainfall which spurs reproduction and movement. Birds, as highly dispersive organisms, are among the most dramatic indicators of these fluctuations. Here we review birds' two main strategies, residency and nomadism, and the trade-offs faced by individuals in uncertain times. In general, wet years stimulate higher densities of nests (i.e. smaller territories), larger clutch sizes, unseasonal breeding, and at some times of year, higher breeding success. Rainfall above a certain threshold triggers breeding in resident species and an influx of nomadic species which breed and then move on. The environmental cues which trigger nomadism are sometimes poorly understood, but include distant thunderstorms for aquatic species, and perhaps for insectivores. Environmental cues that draw nomadic granivores to areas that have had recent rain are not known.http://192.168.0.121/index.php/sajs/article/view/10060
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author W.R.J. Dean
P. Barnard
M.D. Anderson
spellingShingle W.R.J. Dean
P. Barnard
M.D. Anderson
When to stay, when to go: trade-offs for southern African arid-zone birds in times of drought
South African Journal of Science
author_facet W.R.J. Dean
P. Barnard
M.D. Anderson
author_sort W.R.J. Dean
title When to stay, when to go: trade-offs for southern African arid-zone birds in times of drought
title_short When to stay, when to go: trade-offs for southern African arid-zone birds in times of drought
title_full When to stay, when to go: trade-offs for southern African arid-zone birds in times of drought
title_fullStr When to stay, when to go: trade-offs for southern African arid-zone birds in times of drought
title_full_unstemmed When to stay, when to go: trade-offs for southern African arid-zone birds in times of drought
title_sort when to stay, when to go: trade-offs for southern african arid-zone birds in times of drought
publisher Academy of Science of South Africa
series South African Journal of Science
issn 1996-7489
publishDate 2009-12-01
description Arid environments remind one of the punctuated equilibriumtheory of evolution: they experience long periods of stasis and low productivity, interrupted with episodic rainfall which spurs reproduction and movement. Birds, as highly dispersive organisms, are among the most dramatic indicators of these fluctuations. Here we review birds' two main strategies, residency and nomadism, and the trade-offs faced by individuals in uncertain times. In general, wet years stimulate higher densities of nests (i.e. smaller territories), larger clutch sizes, unseasonal breeding, and at some times of year, higher breeding success. Rainfall above a certain threshold triggers breeding in resident species and an influx of nomadic species which breed and then move on. The environmental cues which trigger nomadism are sometimes poorly understood, but include distant thunderstorms for aquatic species, and perhaps for insectivores. Environmental cues that draw nomadic granivores to areas that have had recent rain are not known.
url http://192.168.0.121/index.php/sajs/article/view/10060
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