Effects of increased vegetation cover on nesting behavior of sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) |
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Authors: | Ulrika Candolin Tiina Salesto |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, 00014 Helsinki, Finland |
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Abstract: | To maximize reproductive success, reproductive behaviors have to be adjusted to environmental conditions. The breeding habitats
of the threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus are presently changing in the Baltic Sea due to eutrophication and enhanced growth of filamentous green algae. Earlier studies
show that high algae density reduces mate encounter rate and the intensity of selection on a few sexually selected traits,
but the willingness of males to nest under the new conditions, and their investment into reproduction, have not been investigated.
Here, we investigated the effect that increased algae growth has on nesting behavior of sticklebacks. We allowed males to
build nests in aquaria with either a sparse or a dense vegetation structure and recorded male nest building behavior and nest
characters. Males that nested in dense vegetation showed a longer latency before commencing nest building and also completed
nest building later since there was no difference in time spent building. There was no effect of vegetation cover on nest
characters. These results suggest that males prefer to nest in sparser vegetation, but that they eventually nest in dense
vegetation if more open habitats are not available. This may arise from a negative effect of vegetation on visibility and
mate encounter rate and thus on expected reproductive success. This implies that human-induced changes in the environment
may force sticklebacks to breed in non-preferred habitats. Since the intensity of sexual selection is reduced in these areas,
this could influence the further evolution of the population. |
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Keywords: | Adaptation Anthropogenic disturbance Eutrophication Habitat structure Reproductive behavior Sexual selection |
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