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Disentangling climatic and nest predator impact on reproductive output reveals adverse high‐temperature effects regardless of helper number in an arid‐region cooperative bird
Author(s) -
D’Amelio Pietro B.,
Ferreira André C.,
Fortuna Rita,
Paquet Matthieu,
Silva Liliana R.,
Theron Franck,
Doutrelant Claire,
Covas Rita
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
ecology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.852
H-Index - 265
eISSN - 1461-0248
pISSN - 1461-023X
DOI - 10.1111/ele.13913
Subject(s) - nest (protein structural motif) , predation , adverse weather , predator , reproductive success , ecology , arid , extreme weather , biology , climate change , cooperative breeding , geography , demography , population , meteorology , sociology , biochemistry
Climate exerts a major influence on reproductive processes, and an understanding of the mechanisms involved and which factors might mitigate adverse weather is fundamental under the ongoing climate change. Here, we study how weather and nest predation influence reproductive output in a social species, and examine whether larger group sizes can mitigate the adverse effects of these factors. We used a 7‐year nest predator‐exclusion experiment on an arid‐region cooperatively breeding bird, the sociable weaver. We found that dry and, especially, hot weather were major drivers of nestling mortality through their influence on nest predation. However, when we experimentally excluded nest predators, these conditions were still strongly associated with nestling mortality. Group size was unimportant against nest predation and, although positively associated with reproductive success, it did not mitigate the effects of adverse weather. Hence, cooperative breeding might have a limited capacity to mitigate extreme weather effects.