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Climate and body size influence nest survival in a fish with parental care
Author(s) -
SUSKI C. D.,
RIDGWAY M. S.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of animal ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.134
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1365-2656
pISSN - 0021-8790
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2007.01242.x
Subject(s) - nest (protein structural motif) , ecology , covariate , phenology , biology , geography , demography , environmental science , statistics , biochemistry , mathematics , sociology
Summary1 The current study examined the effect of broad‐scale climate and individual‐specific covariates on nest survival in smallmouth bass over a 20‐year period. 2 Large‐scale climate indices [winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and winter El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO)] and body size of parental males were important covariates in nest survival along with nest age and a quadratic trend in survival. 3 We did not find an effect due to a habitat covariate (total effective fetch) or a phenology covariate (degree‐days at start of nesting) on nest survival. 4 Male size in the second half of the nesting season was a more influential covariate on nest success than male size in the first half or throughout the nesting period. 5 We present evidence showing that winter NAO/ENSO indices establish limnological conditions the following spring that influence thermal stability of the lake during the nesting period. 6 The combined climate and body size covariates point to nest survival as a function of lagged climate‐scale influences on limnology and the individual‐scale influence of bioenergetics on the duration of parental care and nest success.