Meeting Abstract
Vertebrate animals respond to changes in the environment with hormonal responses, such as glucocorticoids, to maintain homeostasis. Glucocorticoids are steroid hormones that influence metabolism and the immune system. Corticosterone (i.e., the primary avian glucocorticoid) is elevated in birds infected with parasites, although why this relationship exists is unclear. Little is still known about the interactions between parasite prevalence and the hormonal stress response in the wild, or the differing roles of glucocorticoid concentrations in mediating parasite colonization. Elevational zones are excellent models for investigating these interactions in nature because there are known parasite trends across differing elevations. This study investigates the interactions between avian glucocorticoids, parasite prevalence, and environmental elevation to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning elevational refugia from disease, with implications for disease transmission and species survival under climate change scenarios. We present preliminary results from two field seasons and discuss them within the context of the ongoing project.
