title: Carry-over effects of food supplementation on recruitment and breeding performance of long-lived seabirds.
abstract: Supplementation of food to wild animals is extensively applied as a conservation tool to increase local production of young. However, in long-lived migratory animals, the carry-over effects of food supplementation early in life on the subsequent recruitment of individuals into natal populations and their lifetime reproductive success are largely unknown. We examine how experimental food supplementation early in life affects: (i) recruitment as breeders of kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla born in a colony on Middleton Island (Alaska) between 1996 and 2006 (n = 1629) that bred in the same colony through 2013 (n = 235); and (ii) breeding success of individuals that have completed their life cycle at the colony (n = 56). Birds were raised in nests that were either supplemented with food (Fed) or unsupplemented (Unfed). Fledging success was higher in Fed compared with Unfed nests. After accounting for hatching rank, growth and oceanic conditions at fledging, Fed fledglings had a lower probability of recruiting as breeders in the Middleton colony than Unfed birds. The per-nest contribution of breeders was still significantly higher for Fed nests because of their higher productivity. Lifetime reproductive success of a subset of kittiwakes that thus far had completed their life cycle was not affected by the food supplementation during development. Our results cast light on the carry-over effects of early food conditions on the vital rates of long-lived animals and support food supplementation as an effective conservation strategy for long-lived seabirds.
authors.affiliation: Center for Stock Assessment Research, University of California Santa Cruz, 110 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, Via Ponzio 34/5, Milan 20133, Italy Department of Biology and Wildlife, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 902 North Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA simon.vincenz@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vincenzi
authors.affiliation: US Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, 12850 Mountain Place, Anchorage, AK 99516, USA.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hatch
authors.affiliation: EDB (Laboratoire Evolution and Diversité Biologique), CNRS, UPS, ENFA, 118 Route de Narbonne, Toulouse 31062, France UMR5174, Université de Toulouse, 118 Route de Narbonne, Toulouse 31062, France.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Merkling
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Wildlife, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 902 North Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA.
authors.forename: Alexander S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kitaysky
mesh_terms: D000413:Alaska; D000818:Animals; D046091:Charadriiformes / Q000502:physiology*; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009425:Nesting Behavior; D012098:Reproduction
keywords: individual quality; long-lived animals; supplemental feeding; viability selection