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Akrim F, Mahmood T, Belant JL, Nadeem MS, Qasim S, Zangi IUD, Asadi MA. Livestock depredations by leopards in Pir Lasura National Park, Pakistan: characteristics, control and costs. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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Petroelje TR, Kautz TM, Beyer DE, Belant JL. Interference competition between wolves and coyotes during variable prey abundance. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:1413-1431. [PMID: 33598141 PMCID: PMC7863399 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Interference competition occurs when two species have similar resource requirements and one species is dominant and can suppress or exclude the subordinate species. Wolves (Canis lupus) and coyotes (C. latrans) are sympatric across much of their range in North America where white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) can be an important prey species. We assessed the extent of niche overlap between wolves and coyotes using activity, diet, and space use as evidence for interference competition during three periods related to the availability of white-tailed deer fawns in the Upper Great Lakes region of the USA. We assessed activity overlap (Δ) with data from accelerometers onboard global positioning system (GPS) collars worn by wolves (n = 11) and coyotes (n = 13). We analyzed wolf and coyote scat to estimate dietary breadth (B) and food niche overlap (α). We used resource utilization functions (RUFs) with canid GPS location data, white-tailed deer RUFs, ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) and snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) densities, and landscape covariates to compare population-level space use. Wolves and coyotes exhibited considerable overlap in activity (Δ = 0.86-0.92), diet (B = 3.1-4.9; α = 0.76-1.0), and space use of active and inactive RUFs across time periods. Coyotes relied less on deer as prey compared to wolves and consumed greater amounts of smaller prey items. Coyotes exhibited greater population-level variation in space use compared to wolves. Additionally, while active and inactive, coyotes exhibited greater selection of some land covers as compared to wolves. Our findings lend support for interference competition between wolves and coyotes with significant overlap across resource attributes examined. The mechanisms through which wolves and coyotes coexist appear to be driven largely by how coyotes, a generalist species, exploit narrow differences in resource availability and display greater population-level plasticity in resource use.
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Fazzalari A, Basadonna G, Kucukural A, Tanriverdi K, Koupenova M, Pozzi N, Kakuturu J, Friedrich AKU, Korstanje R, Fowler N, Belant JL, Beyer DE, Brooks MB, Dickson EW, Blackwood M, Mueller C, Palesty JA, Freedman JE, Cahan MA. A Translational Model for Venous Thromboembolism: MicroRNA Expression in Hibernating Black Bears. J Surg Res 2021; 257:203-212. [PMID: 32858321 PMCID: PMC11026106 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2020.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hibernating American black bears have significantly different clotting parameters than their summer active counterparts, affording them protection against venous thromboembolism during prolonged periods of immobility. We sought to evaluate if significant differences exist between the expression of microRNAs in the plasma of hibernating black bears compared with their summer active counterparts, potentially contributing to differences in hemostasis during hibernation. MATERIALS AND METHODS MicroRNA sequencing was assessed in plasma from 21 American black bears in summer active (n = 11) and hibernating states (n = 10), and microRNA signatures during hibernating and active state were established using both bear and human genome. MicroRNA targets were predicted using messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts from black bear kidney cells. In vitro studies were performed to confirm the relationship between identified microRNAs and mRNA expression, using artificial microRNA and human liver cells. RESULTS Using the bear genome, we identified 15 microRNAs differentially expressed in the plasma of hibernating black bears. Of these microRNAs, three were significantly downregulated (miR-141-3p, miR-200a-3p, and miR-200c-3p), were predicted to target SERPINC1, the gene for antithrombin, and demonstrated regulatory control of the gene mRNA expression in cell studies. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that the hibernating black bears' ability to maintain hemostasis and achieve protection from venous thromboembolism during prolonged periods of immobility may be due to changes in microRNA signatures and possible upregulation of antithrombin expression.
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Davidson SC, Bohrer G, Gurarie E, LaPoint S, Mahoney PJ, Boelman NT, Eitel JUH, Prugh LR, Vierling LA, Jennewein J, Grier E, Couriot O, Kelly AP, Meddens AJH, Oliver RY, Kays R, Wikelski M, Aarvak T, Ackerman JT, Alves JA, Bayne E, Bedrosian B, Belant JL, Berdahl AM, Berlin AM, Berteaux D, Bêty J, Boiko D, Booms TL, Borg BL, Boutin S, Boyd WS, Brides K, Brown S, Bulyuk VN, Burnham KK, Cabot D, Casazza M, Christie K, Craig EH, Davis SE, Davison T, Demma D, DeSorbo CR, Dixon A, Domenech R, Eichhorn G, Elliott K, Evenson JR, Exo KM, Ferguson SH, Fiedler W, Fisk A, Fort J, Franke A, Fuller MR, Garthe S, Gauthier G, Gilchrist G, Glazov P, Gray CE, Grémillet D, Griffin L, Hallworth MT, Harrison AL, Hennin HL, Hipfner JM, Hodson J, Johnson JA, Joly K, Jones K, Katzner TE, Kidd JW, Knight EC, Kochert MN, Kölzsch A, Kruckenberg H, Lagassé BJ, Lai S, Lamarre JF, Lanctot RB, Larter NC, Latham ADM, Latty CJ, Lawler JP, Léandri-Breton DJ, Lee H, Lewis SB, Love OP, Madsen J, Maftei M, Mallory ML, Mangipane B, Markovets MY, Marra PP, McGuire R, McIntyre CL, McKinnon EA, Miller TA, Moonen S, Mu T, Müskens GJDM, Ng J, Nicholson KL, Øien IJ, Overton C, Owen PA, Patterson A, Petersen A, Pokrovsky I, Powell LL, Prieto R, Quillfeldt P, Rausch J, Russell K, Saalfeld ST, Schekkerman H, Schmutz JA, Schwemmer P, Seip DR, Shreading A, Silva MA, Smith BW, Smith F, Smith JP, Snell KRS, Sokolov A, Sokolov V, Solovyeva DV, Sorum MS, Tertitski G, Therrien JF, Thorup K, Tibbitts TL, Tulp I, Uher-Koch BD, van Bemmelen RSA, Van Wilgenburg S, Von Duyke AL, Watson JL, Watts BD, Williams JA, Wilson MT, Wright JR, Yates MA, Yurkowski DJ, Žydelis R, Hebblewhite M. Ecological insights from three decades of animal movement tracking across a changing Arctic. Science 2020; 370:712-715. [PMID: 33154141 DOI: 10.1126/science.abb7080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The Arctic is entering a new ecological state, with alarming consequences for humanity. Animal-borne sensors offer a window into these changes. Although substantial animal tracking data from the Arctic and subarctic exist, most are difficult to discover and access. Here, we present the new Arctic Animal Movement Archive (AAMA), a growing collection of more than 200 standardized terrestrial and marine animal tracking studies from 1991 to the present. The AAMA supports public data discovery, preserves fundamental baseline data for the future, and facilitates efficient, collaborative data analysis. With AAMA-based case studies, we document climatic influences on the migration phenology of eagles, geographic differences in the adaptive response of caribou reproductive phenology to climate change, and species-specific changes in terrestrial mammal movement rates in response to increasing temperature.
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Orning EK, Romanski MC, Moore S, Chenaux-Ibrahim Y, Hart J, Belant JL. Emigration and First-Year Movements of Initial Wolf Translocations to Isle Royale. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2020. [DOI: 10.1656/045.027.0410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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56
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Adhikari S, Sharma HP, Rimal B, Belant JL, Katuwal HB. Road as a major driver for potential distribution of the invasive giant African land snail in Nepal. Trop Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s42965-020-00115-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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57
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Michel ES, Strickland BK, Demarais S, Belant JL, Kautz TM, Duquette JF, Beyer DE, Chamberlain MJ, Miller KV, Shuman RM, Kilgo JC, Diefenbach DR, Wallingford BD, Vreeland JK, Ditchkoff SS, DePerno CS, Moorman CE, Chitwood MC, Lashley MA. Relative reproductive phenology and synchrony affect neonate survival in a nonprecocial ungulate. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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58
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Hill JE, DeVault TL, Belant JL. A review of ecological factors promoting road use by mammals. Mamm Rev 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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59
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Sharma S, Sharma HP, Katuwal HB, Belant JL. Knowledge of the Critically Endangered Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) by local people in Sindhupalchok, Nepal. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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60
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Noonan MJ, Fleming CH, Tucker MA, Kays R, Harrison A, Crofoot MC, Abrahms B, Alberts SC, Ali AH, Altmann J, Antunes PC, Attias N, Belant JL, Beyer DE, Bidner LR, Blaum N, Boone RB, Caillaud D, de Paula RC, de la Torre JA, Dekker J, DePerno CS, Farhadinia M, Fennessy J, Fichtel C, Fischer C, Ford A, Goheen JR, Havmøller RW, Hirsch BT, Hurtado C, Isbell LA, Janssen R, Jeltsch F, Kaczensky P, Kaneko Y, Kappeler P, Katna A, Kauffman M, Koch F, Kulkarni A, LaPoint S, Leimgruber P, Macdonald DW, Markham AC, McMahon L, Mertes K, Moorman CE, Morato RG, Moßbrucker AM, Mourão G, O'Connor D, Oliveira‐Santos LGR, Pastorini J, Patterson BD, Rachlow J, Ranglack DH, Reid N, Scantlebury DM, Scott DM, Selva N, Sergiel A, Songer M, Songsasen N, Stabach JA, Stacy‐Dawes J, Swingen MB, Thompson JJ, Ullmann W, Vanak AT, Thaker M, Wilson JW, Yamazaki K, Yarnell RW, Zieba F, Zwijacz‐Kozica T, Fagan WF, Mueller T, Calabrese JM. Effects of body size on estimation of mammalian area requirements. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2020; 34:1017-1028. [PMID: 32362060 PMCID: PMC7496598 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Accurately quantifying species' area requirements is a prerequisite for effective area-based conservation. This typically involves collecting tracking data on species of interest and then conducting home-range analyses. Problematically, autocorrelation in tracking data can result in space needs being severely underestimated. Based on the previous work, we hypothesized the magnitude of underestimation varies with body mass, a relationship that could have serious conservation implications. To evaluate this hypothesis for terrestrial mammals, we estimated home-range areas with global positioning system (GPS) locations from 757 individuals across 61 globally distributed mammalian species with body masses ranging from 0.4 to 4000 kg. We then applied block cross-validation to quantify bias in empirical home-range estimates. Area requirements of mammals <10 kg were underestimated by a mean approximately15%, and species weighing approximately100 kg were underestimated by approximately50% on average. Thus, we found area estimation was subject to autocorrelation-induced bias that was worse for large species. Combined with the fact that extinction risk increases as body mass increases, the allometric scaling of bias we observed suggests the most threatened species are also likely to be those with the least accurate home-range estimates. As a correction, we tested whether data thinning or autocorrelation-informed home-range estimation minimized the scaling effect of autocorrelation on area estimates. Data thinning required an approximately93% data loss to achieve statistical independence with 95% confidence and was, therefore, not a viable solution. In contrast, autocorrelation-informed home-range estimation resulted in consistently accurate estimates irrespective of mass. When relating body mass to home range size, we detected that correcting for autocorrelation resulted in a scaling exponent significantly >1, meaning the scaling of the relationship changed substantially at the upper end of the mass spectrum.
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Kellner KF, Hill JE, Gantchoff MG, Kramer DW, Bailey AM, Belant JL. Responses of sympatric canids to human development revealed through citizen science. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:8705-8714. [PMID: 32884652 PMCID: PMC7452815 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Measuring wildlife responses to anthropogenic activities often requires long-term, large-scale datasets that are difficult to collect. This is particularly true for rare or cryptic species, which includes many mammalian carnivores. Citizen science, in which members of the public participate in scientific work, can facilitate collection of large datasets while increasing public awareness of wildlife research and conservation. Hunters provide unique benefits for citizen science given their knowledge and interest in outdoor activities. We examined how anthropogenic changes to land cover impacted relative abundance of two sympatric canids, coyote (Canis latrans), and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) at a large spatial scale. In order to assess how land cover affected canids at this scale, we used citizen science data from bow hunter sighting logs collected throughout New York State, USA, during 2004-2017. We found that the two species had contrasting responses to development, with red foxes positively correlated and coyotes negatively correlated with the percentage of low-density development. Red foxes also responded positively to agriculture, but less so when agricultural habitat was fragmented. Agriculture provides food and denning resources for red foxes, whereas coyotes may select forested areas for denning. Though coyotes and red foxes compete in areas of sympatry, we did not find a relationship between species abundance, likely a consequence of the coarse spatial resolution used. Red foxes may be able to coexist with coyotes by altering their diets and habitat use, or by maintaining territories in small areas between coyote territories. Our study shows the value of citizen science, and particularly hunters, in collection of long-term data across large areas (i.e., the entire state of New York) that otherwise would unlikely be obtained.
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Mwampeta SB, Magige FJ, Belant JL. Spatial and temporal overlap of caracal and serval in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Afr J Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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63
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Jackson CR, Maddox T, Mbise FP, Stokke BG, Belant JL, Bevanger K, Durant SM, Fyumagwa R, Ranke PS, Røskaft E, May R, Fossøy F. A dead giveaway: Foraging vultures and other avian scavengers respond to auditory cues. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:6769-6774. [PMID: 32724549 PMCID: PMC7381568 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Carrion represents an unpredictable and widely distributed primary food source for vultures and other avian scavengers. Avian scavengers in African savanna ecosystems are reported to rely exclusively on visual stimuli to locate carcasses. However, carnivores' predation of large mammalian herbivores and subsequent competition for access to the carcass can result in considerable noise, often audible over long distances and for prolonged periods. Vultures and other avian scavengers may therefore detect and respond to these auditory cues, as do the mammalian carnivores alongside which vultures have coevolved, but this has not been investigated to date. Working in the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania, we used diurnal auditory broadcasts to simulate predation and competitive carnivore feeding interactions. Based on the current understanding of avian scavenger ecology, we hypothesized that avian responses to call-in stations would be evoked exclusively by visual, rather than auditory, cues. We therefore predicted that (a) the arrival of avian scavengers at call-in stations should be preceded and facilitated by mammalian carnivores and that (b) the arrival of avian scavengers would be positively correlated with the number of mammalian scavengers present, which would increase detectability. We recorded 482 birds during 122 separate playback events. In 22% of these instances, avian scavengers arrived first, ruling out responses based exclusively on visual observations of mammalian carnivores, thereby contradicting our first prediction. Furthermore, the first avian arrivals at survey sessions were inversely related to the number of hyenas and jackals present, contradicting our second prediction. Since no bait or carcasses were used during the experiments, these responses are indicative of the birds' ability to detect and respond to audio stimuli. Our findings challenge the current consensus of sensory perception and foraging in these species and provide evidence that avian scavengers have the ability to use sound to locate food resources.
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Mangipane LS, Lafferty DJR, Joly K, Sorum MS, Cameron MD, Belant JL, Hilderbrand GV, Gustine DD. Dietary plasticity and the importance of salmon to brown bear (Ursus arctos) body size and condition in a low Arctic ecosystem. Polar Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-020-02690-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
AbstractEcological flexibility within animal populations can allow for variation in resource use and foraging decisions. We estimated brown bear (Ursus arctos) diet composition in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska from 2013 to 2015 to evaluate how variation in foraging behavior influences body condition and size. We used stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope analyses of sectioned brown bear hair samples to evaluate assimilated diet. We then developed a set of a priori linear models to evaluate differences in the diet composition of brown bears (n = 80) in relation to body fat (%) and mass. The proportion of meat (salmon [Oncorhynchus keta] and terrestrial meat combined) in the diet from July through late September varied between male and female bears, with males ($$\stackrel{-}{x}$$
x
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= 62%, SD = 30) assimilating significantly more meat than females ($$\stackrel{-}{x}$$
x
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= 40%, SD = 29). Most of the meat consumed came from marine-derived resources for males (53% of the total diet or 86% of the meat) and females (31% of the total diet or 77% of the meat). As we found the range of observed diets was unrelated to physiological outcomes (i.e., percentage body fat), we suggest that ecological flexibility within populations may provide an adaptive advantage by allowing individuals to reduce competition with conspecifics by foraging on alternate food resources. Identifying variable foraging behaviors within a population can allow for a better understanding of complex behaviors and, ultimately, lead to more informed management decisions related to habitat use, development, and harvest.
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Gantchoff MG, Hill JE, Kellner KF, Fowler NL, Petroelje TR, Conlee L, Beyer DE, Belant JL. Mortality of a large wide-ranging mammal largely caused by anthropogenic activities. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8498. [PMID: 32444633 PMCID: PMC7244553 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65290-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
With efforts to restore large mammal populations following extirpations, it is vital to quantify how they are impacted by human activities and gain insights into population dynamics in relation to conservation goals. Our objective was to characterize cause-specific mortality of black bears (Ursus americanus) throughout their range. We first quantified cause-specific mortality for 247 black bears in one harvested and two non-harvested populations. We then simulated a small recolonizing population with and without anthropogenic mortality. Lastly, we conducted a meta-analysis of all published black bear mortality studies throughout North America (31 studies of 2630 bears). We found anthropogenic mortality was greater than natural mortality, non-harvest anthropogenic mortality (e.g. poaching, defense of property, etc.) was greater in non-harvested populations, and harvesting was one of the major causes of mortality for bears throughout their range. Our simulation indicated that removing anthropogenic mortality increased population size by an average of 23% in 15 years. We demonstrated that bears are exposed to high levels of anthropogenic mortality, and the potential for human activities to slow population growth in expanding populations. Management and conservation of wide-ranging mammals will depend on holistic strategies that integrate ecological factors with socio-economic issues to achieve successful conservation and coexistence.
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Sharma S, Sharma HP, Chaulagain C, Katuwal HB, Belant JL. Estimating occupancy of Chinese pangolin ( Manis pentadactyla) in a protected and non-protected area of Nepal. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:4303-4313. [PMID: 32489598 PMCID: PMC7246206 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Chinese pangolin is the world's most heavily trafficked small mammal for luxury food and traditional medicine. Although their populations are declining worldwide, it is difficult to monitor their population status because of its rarity and nocturnal behavior. We used site occupancy (presence/absence) sampling of pangolin sign (i.e., active burrows) in a protected (Gaurishankar Conservation Area) and non-protected area (Ramechhap District) of central Nepal with multiple environmental covariates to understand factors that may influence occupancy of Chinese pangolin. The average Chinese pangolin occupancy and detection probabilities were Ψ ^ ± SE = 0.77 ± 0.08; p ^ ± SE = 0.27 ± 0.05, respectively. The detection probabilities of Chinese pangolin were higher in PA ( p ^ ± SE = 0.33 ± 0.03) than compared to non-PA ( p ^ ± SE = 0.25 ± 0.04). The most important covariates for Chinese pangolin detectability were red soil (97%), food source (97.6%), distance to road (97.9%), and protected area (97%) and with respect to occupancy was elevation (97.9%). We recommended use of remote cameras and potentially GPS collar surveys to further investigate habitat use and site occupancy at regular intervals to provide more reliable conservation assessments.
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Hill JE, DeVault TL, Belant JL. Protected areas reduce poaching but not overall anthropogenic mortality of North American mammals. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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69
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Mariela G, Laura C, Belant JL. Planning for carnivore recolonization by mapping sex-specific landscape connectivity. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
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Kautz TM, Belant JL, Beyer DE, Strickland BK, Duquette JF. Influence of body mass and environmental conditions on winter mortality risk of a northern ungulate: Evidence for a late-winter survival bottleneck. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1666-1677. [PMID: 32076542 PMCID: PMC7029083 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
A relationship between winter weather and survival of northern ungulates has long been established, yet the possible roles of biological (e.g., nutritional status) and environmental (e.g., weather) conditions make it important to determine which potential limiting factors are most influential.Our objective was to examine the potential effects of individual (body mass and age) and extrinsic (winter severity and snowmelt conditions) factors on the magnitude and timing of mortality for adult (>2.5 years old) female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus [Zimmerman, 1780]) during February-May in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA.One hundred and fifty deer were captured and monitored during 2009-2015 in two areas with varying snowfall. February-May survival ranged from 0.24 to 0.89 (mean = 0.69) across years. Mortality risk increased 1.9% with each unit increase in cumulative winter severity index, decreased 8.2% with each cumulative snow-free day, and decreased 4.3% with each kg increase in body mass. Age and weekly snow depth did not influence weekly deer survival. Predation, primarily from coyote (Canis latrans [Say, 1823]) and wolves (Canis lupus [L., 1758]), accounted for 78% of known-cause mortalities.Our results suggest that cumulative winter severity, and possibly to a lesser degree deer condition entering winter, impacted deer winter survival. However, the timing of spring snowmelt appeared to be the most influential factor determining late-winter mortality of deer in our study. This supports the hypothesis that nutrition and energetic demands from weather conditions are both important to northern ungulate winter ecology. Under this model, a delay of several weeks in the timing of spring snowmelt could exert a large influence on deer survival, resulting in a survival bottleneck.
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Hill JE, DeVault TL, Belant JL. Impact of the human footprint on anthropogenic mortality of North American reptiles. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2019.103486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Wong ST, Belant JL, Sollmann R, Mohamed A, Niedballa J, Mathai J, Street GM, Wilting A. Influence of body mass, sociality, and movement behavior on improved detection probabilities when using a second camera trap. Glob Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
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Fowler NL, Belant JL, Wang G, Leopold BD. Ecological plasticity of denning chronology by American black bears and brown bears. Glob Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Petroelje TR, Belant JL, Beyer DE, Svoboda NJ. Subsidies from anthropogenic resources alter diet, activity, and ranging behavior of an apex predator (Canis lupus). Sci Rep 2019; 9:13438. [PMID: 31530832 PMCID: PMC6748928 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49879-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Acquisition of resources can be costly and individuals are predicted to optimize foraging strategies to maximize net energy gain. Wolves (Canis lupus) would be expected to scavenge on subsidies from anthropogenic resources when these resources provide an energetic benefit over the capture of wild prey. We examined the effects of subsidies from anthropogenic resources in the form of livestock carcass dumps (LCDs) on wolf space use, activity, tortuosity, and diet in portions of North America’s northern hardwood/boreal ecosystem. We fitted 19 wolves with global positioning system collars during May–August of 2009–2011 and 2013–2015. Wolves with LCDs within their home ranges used areas adjacent to LCDs greater than non-LCD sites and had decreased home ranges and activity as compared to wolves without LCDs in their home ranges. Additionally, cattle comprised at least 22% of wolf diet from scavenging in areas with LCDs present as compared to no cattle in the diet of wolves without access to LCDs. Subsidies from anthropogenic resources in the form of LCDs can serve as attractants for wolves and alter wolf diet, activity, and ranging behavior. Apex predators may alter their behavior where subsidies from anthropogenic resources occur and management of these subsidies should be considered when attempting to reduce the impacts of humans on wolf behavior.
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Hill JE, Devault TL, Belant JL. CauseSpec: a database of global terrestrial vertebrate cause-specific mortality. Ecology 2019; 100:e02865. [PMID: 31403701 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
As wildlife populations continue to decline worldwide, human-caused mortality of terrestrial vertebrates is of increasing importance. However, there is a limited understanding of how direct anthropogenic mortality compares in magnitude to natural mortality. Here, we present CauseSpec, a database of global terrestrial vertebrate cause-specific mortality. We compiled studies that used telemetry to monitor terrestrial vertebrates and determine cause of death. We distinguished between anthropogenic and natural mortality and also documented the specific mortality source where possible (e.g., harvest, vehicle collision, predation, and starvation). This database consists of 1,134 studies that collectively monitored the fates of 123,747 individual animals. From this, there are 43,998 deaths of known cause among 307 species. It is an updated version of the data set used in Hill et al. (2019) and will continue to be updated in the future. These data can be combined with data on species morphology and behavior to examine how species attributes influence susceptibility to various mortality sources. Our database also includes the geographic coordinates of the study site so that site attributes can be included in analyses. We also distinguish between adults and juveniles where possible, allowing for age-specific mortality analyses. Study start and end dates are available as well so that analyses of temporal changes in mortality are possible. Last, users can select all cause-specific mortality studies from a single species to perform a species-level analysis. The data set will allow users to circumvent a literature search, facilitating more rapid publication of large-scale vertebrate mortality studies and elucidating mortality patterns of terrestrial vertebrates around the world. There are no copyright or proprietary restrictions. We would like researchers to cite this paper if the associated database is used to find studies of interest for analysis.
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