The Impact of Climate Change on Social Networks in Cooperative Breeding Species Across Disturbance Gradients

Abstract

Climate change has significant impacts on animal populations, especially on species with complex social structures, such as cooperative breeders. These species are dependent on stable social networks to increase reproductive success and survival, and individuals cooperate in activities such as food provisioning, territory defense, and offspring care. But growing climate variability, including droughts, fires and heatwaves, is interfering with these networks by altering the availability of habitats, food resources and environmental conditions. The article examines the impact of climate change on social relationships in cooperatively-breeding species in varying disturbance gradients. A combination of field observations, social network analysis, and modeling of climate data enabled us to evaluate changes in social interactions, breeding success, and group cohesion in species such as the superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) and the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus). The climate disturbances increase, the social networks become less stable in terms of reproductive success. To cite an example, breeding success of wild dogs was reduced by a factor of 25 in high and low disturbance areas (F = 4.72, p < 0.05). Individuals in poorly bonded social groups were stressed and less cooperative. These results show how cooperative breeders are susceptible to climate change and how the social structures help conserve them. The paper will conclude with recommendations for specific conservation measures, such as habitat rehabilitation, reduced human-wildlife conflict, and social network resilience, to mitigate the impacts of climate change on cooperative breeders.