Physiological stress in koala populations near the arid edge of their distribution

N.A. Davies; G. Gramotnev; C. McAlpine; L. Seabrook; G. Baxter; D. Lunney; J.R. Rhodes; A. Bradley

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0079136

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Physiological stress in koala populations near the arid edge of their distribution

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Physiological stress in koala populations near the arid edge of their distribution

N.A. Davies, G. Gramotnev, C. McAlpine, L. Seabrook, G. Baxter, D. Lunney, J.R. Rhodes and A. Bradley

PLoS ONE, Vol.8(11), e79136

2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0079136

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Abstract

Recent research has shown that the ecology of stress has hitherto been neglected, but it is in fact an important influence on the distribution and numbers of wild vertebrates. Environmental changes have the potential to cause physiological stress that can affect population dynamics. Detailed information on the influence of environmental variables on glucocorticoid levels (a measure of stress) at the trailing edge of a species’ distribution can highlight stressors that potentially threaten species and thereby help explain how environmental challenges, such as climate change, will affect the survival of these populations. Rainfall determines leaf moisture and/or nutritional content, which in turn impacts on cortisol concentrations. We show that higher faecal cortisol metabolite (FCM) levels in koala populations at the trailing arid edge of their range in southwestern Queensland are associated with lower rainfall levels (especially rainfall from the previous two months), indicating an increase in physiological stress when moisture levels are low. These results show that koalas at the semi-arid, inland edge of their geographic range, will fail to cope with increasing aridity from climate change. The results demonstrate the importance of integrating physiological assessments into ecological studies to identify stressors that have the potential to compromise the long-term survival of threatened species. This finding points to the need for research to link these stressors to demographic decline to ensure a more comprehensive understanding of species’ responses to climate change.

Details

Title: Physiological stress in koala populations near the arid edge of their distribution
Authors/Creators: N.A. Davies (Author/Creator) - The University of Queensland
G. Gramotnev (Author/Creator) - The University of Queensland
C. McAlpine (Author/Creator) - The University of Queensland
L. Seabrook (Author/Creator) - The University of Queensland
G. Baxter (Author/Creator) - The University of Queensland
D. Lunney (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
J.R. Rhodes (Author/Creator) - The University of Queensland
A. Bradley (Author/Creator) - The University of Queensland
Publication Details: PLoS ONE, Vol.8(11), e79136
Publisher: Public Library of Science
Identifiers: 991005542642107891
Copyright: © 2013 Davies et al.
Murdoch Affiliation: School of Veterinary and Life Sciences
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article
Note: This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.35 Zoology & Animal Ecology; 3.35.693 Primate Behavior
Web Of Science research areas: Ecology
ESI research areas: Plant & Animal Science