title: Impacts of extreme climatic events on the energetics of long-lived vertebrates: the case of the greater flamingo facing cold spells in the Camargue.
abstract: Most studies analyzing the effects of global warming on wild populations focus on gradual temperature changes, yet it is also important to understand the impact of extreme climatic events. Here we studied the effect of two cold spells (January 1985 and February 2012) on the energetics of greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) in the Camargue (southern France). To understand the cause of observed flamingo mass mortalities, we first assessed the energy stores of flamingos found dead in February 2012, and compared them with those found in other bird species exposed to cold spells and/or fasting. Second, we evaluated the monthly energy requirements of flamingos across 1980-2012 using the mechanistic model Niche Mapper. Our results show that the body lipids of flamingos found dead in 2012 corresponded to 2.6±0.3% of total body mass, which is close to results found in woodcocks (Scolopax rusticola) that died from starvation during a cold spell (1.7±0.1%), and much lower than in woodcocks which were fed throughout this same cold spell (13.0±2%). Further, Niche Mapper predicted that flamingo energy requirements were highest (+6-7%) during the 1985 and 2012 cold spells compared with 'normal' winters. This increase was primarily driven by cold air temperatures. Overall, our findings strongly suggest that flamingos starved to death during both cold spells. This study demonstrates the relevance of using mechanistic energetics modelling and body condition analyses to understand and predict the impact of extreme climatic events on animal energy balance and winter survival probabilities.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche de la Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, 13200 Arles, France Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE-CNRS), 1919 Route de Mende, 34090 Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Anne-Sophie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Deville
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche de la Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, 13200 Arles, France.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Labaude
authors.affiliation: Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7178 CNRS-ULP, 23 Rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Patrice
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Robin
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche de la Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, 13200 Arles, France.
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Béchet
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche de la Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, 13200 Arles, France Departement Chrono-Environnement, UMR UFC/CNRS 6249 USC INRA, Université de Franche-Comté, 25030 Besançon, France.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gauthier-Clerc
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 250 N. Mills Street, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
authors.forename: Warren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 250 N. Mills Street, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fitzpatrick
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 250 N. Mills Street, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mathewson
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE-CNRS), 1919 Route de Mende, 34090 Montpellier, France FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa david.gremillet@cefe.cnrs.fr.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grémillet
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D046091:Charadriiformes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D002980:Climate; D003080:Cold Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005602:France; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D008954:Models, Biological; D012621:Seasons; D013217:Starvation / Q000401:mortality*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids
keywords: Bioenergetics; Body condition; Energy requirements; Energy stores; Fasting; Mechanistic modelling; Niche Mapper™; Winter stress