Trophic interactions of migrating birds
Migrating insectivorous birds feed on a variety of arthropods throughout their life. Their diet is especially likely to change during migration due to differences in habitat type and prey availability along their migration route. Many bird species use stopover sites as refueling stations during migration and they are crucial for bird survival and reproduction. Thus, studying the trophic interactions of birds (and variations in their diet) in these specific sites is important for their conservation.
In this study, we aim to identify the food items that are crucial for the survival of migrating insectivorous birds in various stopover sites, with the ultimate goal to assist future conservation efforts.
Microbiomes of migrating birds
All animals are inhabited by microorganisms, which significantly influence their fitness, biology, and evolution. The microbiome (including bacteria, protists, yeasts, archaea, viruses, and their genomes), particularly the gut microbiome, is known to influence metabolism, nutrition, immunity, reproduction, physiology and cognition. While the microbiomes of mammals and insects have been studied extensively, the avian microbiome, especially of wild species, has received little attention.
Diet is considered the most critical factor shaping avian gut microbiome. Migratory birds travel long distances annually, encountering various diets and environments throughout their journey. This may affect host-microbe interactions. Many migrating birds utilize stopover sites (such as the Hula Lake in Israel) to rest and refuel. Foraging in these food-rich sites exposes birds to local microorganisms which may potentially alter their microbiomes, a process that may ultimately affect their fitness and survival. In this study, we aim to investigate the effects of migration on the dynamics of the bird microbiome.
Large mammalian herbivores and arthropod interactions
Controlled Behavioral
Experiments
Bioinformatics
Metagenomics
High-Throughput Sequencing
Molecular Biology
Fieldwork
MAIN TECHNIQUES
Cascading effects of large mammalian herbivores on microbial communities
of arthropods
Large mammalian herbivores greatly influence the functioning of grassland ecosystems. They modify biodiversity, nutrient cycling, and soil properties through plant consumption, excreta, and trampling. Large mammalian herbivores can also alter soil and rhizosphere bacterial communities, but their effect on the microbiome of other animals in the habitat (such as insects) is unknown.
We discovered that cattle grazing influences the microbial community composition of spring webworm caterpillars (Ocnogyna loewii) which share the same habitat and food plants (see Berman et al. 2018). Following this finding, we aim to study the mechanisms by which large mammalian herbivores may alter insect microbiomes and how these changes in the microbiome may affect PDA development and survival.
Trophic and microbe-host interactions
of migratory birds
Israel is considered a primary bird migration route, connecting Europe, Asia and Africa. Twice a year, in autumn and spring, millions of birds fly over Israel from their nesting grounds in Eurasia to their wintering grounds in Africa, and vice versa. Israel is an important stopover site in which birds pause to refuel before and after crossing the Sahara Desert, providing a unique opportunity to study different aspects of their migration.