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Dryad

Capture history data for: Sub-seasonal correlation between growth and survival in three sympatric aquatic ectotherms

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Nov 02, 2022 version files 107.40 KB

Abstract

Animals experience seasonally changing conditions in temperate regions, thus population vital rates change seasonally. However, knowledge is lacking on patterns of seasonal correlation between growth and survival in sympatric ectotherms, and this knowledge gap limits our understanding of environmental change impacts on animal populations and communities. Here, we investigated sub-seasonal (2-month intervals) correlation between growth and survival in three stream fishes (bluehead chub Nocomis leptocephalus, creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus, and mottled sculpin Cottus bairdii) in South Carolina, USA, via a mark-recapture survey over 28 months. 

We found that the patterns of temporal correlation between growth and survival differed among the sympatric species. Growth increased and survival decreased with water temperature in two eurythermal species (bluehead chub and creek chub), resulting in a negative correlation between growth and survival. Growth peaked in sub-seasons with an intermediate water temperature range in a third stenothermal species (mottled sculpin), while survival decreased with water temperature for this species too. Consequently, there was no significant negative or positive correlation between sub-seasonal growth and survival in the stenothermal species. 

Negative correlation among population vital rates stabilizes population size over time and buffers animal populations from environmental change because the vital rates are not affected simultaneously in the same direction, indicating some degree of resiliency in the face of climate changes in the two eurythermal species. However, such a demographic mechanism of resiliency could be maintained so long as climate warming does not exceed optimal growth temperature, above which a negative correlation between growth and survival may no longer be maintained.