The rates at which birds use energy may have profound effects on fitness, thereby influencing physiology, behavior, ecology and evolution. Comparisons of standardized metabolic rates （e.g., lower and upper limits of ...The rates at which birds use energy may have profound effects on fitness, thereby influencing physiology, behavior, ecology and evolution. Comparisons of standardized metabolic rates （e.g., lower and upper limits of metabolic power output） present a method for elucidating the effects of ecological and evolutionary factors on the interface between physiology and life history in birds. In this paper we review variation in avian metabolic rates [basal metabolic rate （BMR; minimum normothermic metabolic rate）, summit metabolic rate （Msum; maximal thermoregulatory metabolic rate）, and maximal metabolic rate （MMR; maximal exercise metabolic rate）], the factors associated with this variation, the evidence for functional links between these metabolic traits, and the ecological and evolutionary significance of avian metabolic diversity. Both lower and upper limits to metabolic power production are phenotypically flexible traits, and vary in association with numerous ecological and evolutionary factors. For both inter- and intraspecific comparisons, lower and upper limits to metabolic power production are generally upregulated in response to energetically demanding conditions and downregulated when energetic demands are relaxed, or under conditions of energetic scarcity. Positive correlations have been documented between BMR, Msum and MMR in some, but not all studies on birds, providing partial support for the idea of a functional link between lower and upper limits to metabolic power production, but more intraspecific studies are needed to determine the robustness of this conclusion. Correlations between BMR and field metabolic rate （or daily energy expenditure） in birds are variable, suggesting that the linkage between these traits is subject to behavioral adjustment, and studies of the relationship between field and maximal metabolic rates are lacking. Our understanding of avian metabolic diversity would benefit from future studies of： （1） the functional and mechanistic links between lower and upper limits of metabolic power output; （2） the environmental and ecological cues driving phenotypically flexible metabolic responses, and how responses to such cues might impact population responses to climate change; （3） the shapes of metabolic reaction norms and their association with environmental variability; and （4） the relationship of metabolic variation to fitness, including studies of repeatability and heritability of minimum and maximum metabolic power output [Current Zoology 56 （6）： 741-758, 2010].展开更多
This study aimed to discuss the energy budget of Elliot's pheasant Syrmaticus ellioti in different seasons, with life and health, good growth and normal digestion of Elliot's pheasant as the tested objects, Th...This study aimed to discuss the energy budget of Elliot's pheasant Syrmaticus ellioti in different seasons, with life and health, good growth and normal digestion of Elliot's pheasant as the tested objects, The energy budget of Elliot's pheasant was measured by daily collection of the trial pheasants' excrement in the biological garden of Guangxi Normal University from March 2011 to February 2012. The results showed that the gross energy consumption, metabolic energy and excrement energy varied by season, increasing as temperature decreased. There was significant difference in gross energy consumption, metabolic energy, excrement energy between adults and nonages. There was also a trend that food digestibility of pheasants increases as temperature increases. In the same season, the food digestibility of adults was better than that of nonages. Throughout spring, summer, autumn and winter, the metabolic energy of 4-year adults were 305.77±13.40 kJ/d, 263.67±11.89 kJ/d, 357.23±25.49 kJ/d and 403.12±24.91 kJ/d, respectively, and the nonages were 284.86±17.22 kJ/d, 284. 66±15.16 kJ/d, 402. 26±31.46 kJ/d and 420. 30±31.98 kJ/d, respectively. The minimum metabolic energies were 247.65±21.81 g, 265.86±26.53 g, respectively for each group, detected between 4-year adults and 1-year nonages. Further study is needed to determine whether 29.6 C is the optimal temperature for the Elliot's pheasant.展开更多
文摘The rates at which birds use energy may have profound effects on fitness, thereby influencing physiology, behavior, ecology and evolution. Comparisons of standardized metabolic rates （e.g., lower and upper limits of metabolic power output） present a method for elucidating the effects of ecological and evolutionary factors on the interface between physiology and life history in birds. In this paper we review variation in avian metabolic rates [basal metabolic rate （BMR; minimum normothermic metabolic rate）, summit metabolic rate （Msum; maximal thermoregulatory metabolic rate）, and maximal metabolic rate （MMR; maximal exercise metabolic rate）], the factors associated with this variation, the evidence for functional links between these metabolic traits, and the ecological and evolutionary significance of avian metabolic diversity. Both lower and upper limits to metabolic power production are phenotypically flexible traits, and vary in association with numerous ecological and evolutionary factors. For both inter- and intraspecific comparisons, lower and upper limits to metabolic power production are generally upregulated in response to energetically demanding conditions and downregulated when energetic demands are relaxed, or under conditions of energetic scarcity. Positive correlations have been documented between BMR, Msum and MMR in some, but not all studies on birds, providing partial support for the idea of a functional link between lower and upper limits to metabolic power production, but more intraspecific studies are needed to determine the robustness of this conclusion. Correlations between BMR and field metabolic rate （or daily energy expenditure） in birds are variable, suggesting that the linkage between these traits is subject to behavioral adjustment, and studies of the relationship between field and maximal metabolic rates are lacking. Our understanding of avian metabolic diversity would benefit from future studies of： （1） the functional and mechanistic links between lower and upper limits of metabolic power output; （2） the environmental and ecological cues driving phenotypically flexible metabolic responses, and how responses to such cues might impact population responses to climate change; （3） the shapes of metabolic reaction norms and their association with environmental variability; and （4） the relationship of metabolic variation to fitness, including studies of repeatability and heritability of minimum and maximum metabolic power output [Current Zoology 56 （6）： 741-758, 2010].
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(31160426 30560023)the Projects of Science and Technology Office of Hunan (2011FJ3071)
文摘This study aimed to discuss the energy budget of Elliot's pheasant Syrmaticus ellioti in different seasons, with life and health, good growth and normal digestion of Elliot's pheasant as the tested objects, The energy budget of Elliot's pheasant was measured by daily collection of the trial pheasants' excrement in the biological garden of Guangxi Normal University from March 2011 to February 2012. The results showed that the gross energy consumption, metabolic energy and excrement energy varied by season, increasing as temperature decreased. There was significant difference in gross energy consumption, metabolic energy, excrement energy between adults and nonages. There was also a trend that food digestibility of pheasants increases as temperature increases. In the same season, the food digestibility of adults was better than that of nonages. Throughout spring, summer, autumn and winter, the metabolic energy of 4-year adults were 305.77±13.40 kJ/d, 263.67±11.89 kJ/d, 357.23±25.49 kJ/d and 403.12±24.91 kJ/d, respectively, and the nonages were 284.86±17.22 kJ/d, 284. 66±15.16 kJ/d, 402. 26±31.46 kJ/d and 420. 30±31.98 kJ/d, respectively. The minimum metabolic energies were 247.65±21.81 g, 265.86±26.53 g, respectively for each group, detected between 4-year adults and 1-year nonages. Further study is needed to determine whether 29.6 C is the optimal temperature for the Elliot's pheasant.
