Meeting Abstract

P1-238  Thursday, Jan. 4 15:30 – 17:30  The Influence of Environmental and Physiological Interplay on the Condition and Movement Behavior of Subpopulations Under Unpredictable Climatic Conditions LIPINSKI, A.R.*; FONTAINE, J.J.; BACHMAN, G.C.; NE Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Univ. of Nebraska–Lincoln; USGS Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Univ. of Nebraska–Lincoln; Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln alipinski2@unl.edu

External environmental conditions and organism physiology often influence one another in an iterative cycle that can have substantial effects on the behavior and fitness of individuals and groups of individuals. We aimed to examine relationships between the environment and the physiology of organisms within that environment to assess ultimate and proximate factors determining observed differences in behavior and fitness. We used northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) in Nebraska as a study system due to the highly variable climate and land use context found in the state and the organization of quail in winter social groups (coveys), allowing for examination of individual and subpopulation responses to environmental stimuli. We marked 18 coveys with VHF radio-collars and tracked covey movements from January 2017 to June 2017, as well as assessed body condition, baseline corticosterone levels, and survival. Preliminary results suggest that environmental context is correlated with variation in individual and subpopulation physiology and movement behavior. Observed variation in physical condition and behavior can have far-reaching effects on subpopulation persistence and broader population dynamics.