Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
Integr Zool. 2022 Jul;17(4):511-529. doi: 10.1111/1749-4877.12625. Epub 2022 Feb 11.
Models on climate change have predicted an increase of temperature over the earth's surface with potential drastic effects on living organisms. We analyzed the relationships between climatic conditions (temperature, rainfall, and wind speed) and the abundance of blood-sucking flying insects (biting midges and blackflies) and nest-dwelling ectoparasites (mites, fleas, and blowflies) collected from blue tit nests during bird breeding seasons for a period of 10 years. Average temperature, rainfall, and wind speed showed significant differences among years. Temperature and wind speed increased during the period of study while rainfall decreased. Biting midge, blackfly, and blowfly abundances increased across years but not flea and mite abundances. Hatching date decreased and brood size increased across years. Independently of year variation, parasites were related to climatic variables. For example, biting midge, blowfly, mite, and flea abundances were positive and significantly related to average temperature. We also found a positive and significant relationship between abundances of Haemoproteus infections and biting midge abundances during the first year of life of birds out of nests. However, abundance and prevalence of Lankesterella infections in yearlings were positive and significantly related to mite abundances during the year of birth of birds. Leucocytozoon and Lankesterella infections were also significantly related to climatic variables and Haemoproteus and Lankesterella infections increased across years. In addition, body condition of adult females and males were negatively related to flea larvae and blowfly abundance respectively. Nestling body condition was also negatively related to biting midge abundance. Changes in climatic conditions across years could therefore affect several parasites of birds but also to birds themselves.
气候变化模型预测地球表面温度将上升，这可能对生物产生剧烈影响。我们分析了气候条件（温度、降雨量和风速）与吸血飞行昆虫（蠓和黑蝇）和巢内寄生外寄生虫（螨虫、跳蚤和苍蝇）丰度之间的关系，这些昆虫是在鸟类繁殖季节从蓝山雀巢中收集的，时间跨度为 10 年。平均温度、降雨量和风速在不同年份之间存在显著差异。在研究期间，温度和风速升高，而降雨量减少。蠓、黑蝇和苍蝇的数量逐年增加，但跳蚤和螨虫的数量没有增加。出巢鸟类的孵化日期逐年减少，巢雏数量逐年增加。独立于年份变化，寄生虫与气候变量有关。例如，吸血蠓、苍蝇、螨虫和跳蚤的数量与平均温度呈正相关且显著相关。我们还发现，在鸟类出巢的第一年，血液原虫感染的数量与吸血蠓的数量呈正相关且显著相关。然而，在鸟类出生的那一年，幼鸟的 Lankesterella 感染的丰度和流行率与螨虫的丰度呈正相关且显著相关。Leucocytozoon 和 Lankesterella 感染也与气候变量显著相关，血液原虫和 Lankesterella 感染的数量逐年增加。此外，雌性和雄性成年个体的身体状况与跳蚤幼虫和苍蝇数量呈负相关。巢雏的身体状况也与吸血蠓的数量呈负相关。因此，多年来气候条件的变化可能会影响鸟类的几种寄生虫，也会影响鸟类本身。
