Contraception can lead to trophic asynchrony between birth pulse and resources

PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e54972. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054972. Epub 2013 Jan 28.

Abstract

Abiotic inputs such as photoperiod and temperature can regulate reproductive cyclicity in many species. When humans perturb this process by intervening in reproductive cycles, the ecological consequences may be profound. Trophic mismatches between birth pulse and resources in wildlife species may cascade toward decreased survival and threaten the viability of small populations. We followed feral horses (Equus caballus) in three populations for a longitudinal study of the transient immunocontraceptive porcine zona pellucida (PZP), and found that repeated vaccinations extended the duration of infertility far beyond the targeted period. After the targeted years of infertility, the probability of parturition from post-treated females was 25.6% compared to 64.1% for untreated females, when the data were constrained only to females that had demonstrated fertility prior to the study. Estimated time to parturition increased 411.3 days per year of consecutive historical treatment. Births from untreated females in these temperate latitude populations were observed to peak in the middle of May, indicating peak conception occurred around the previous summer solstice. When the post-treated females did conceive and give birth, parturition was an estimated 31.5 days later than births from untreated females, resulting in asynchrony with peak forage availability. The latest neonate born to a post-treated female arrived 7.5 months after the peak in births from untreated females, indicating conception occurred within 24-31 days of the winter solstice. These results demonstrate surprising physiological plasticity for temperate latitude horses, and indicate that while photoperiod and temperature are powerful inputs driving the biological rhythms of conception and birth in horses, these inputs may not limit their ability to conceive under perturbed conditions. The protracted infertility observed in PZP-treated horses may be of benefit for managing overabundant wildlife, but also suggests caution for use in small refugia or rare species.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Contraception / adverse effects*
  • Female
  • Food Chain*
  • Horses / physiology*
  • Infertility, Female / physiopathology
  • Parturition / physiology*
  • Parturition / radiation effects
  • Photoperiod
  • Probability
  • Seasons
  • Survival Analysis
  • Temperature

Grants and funding

The late F.J. Singer acquired funding and initiated the precursor to this project with the assistance of L. Coates-Markle and A.J. Kane. This research was funded by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Wildlife Program and conducted through a cooperative effort between the USGS Fort Collins Science Center, Bureau of Land Management, United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and Colorado State University. No agency administration or funding program had a role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the United States Government.