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Koen EL, Newton EJ, Ellington EH. Evaluating potential sources of invasive wild pigs in Ontario. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:14744-14757. [PMID: 34765138 PMCID: PMC8571589 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are considered one of the most damaging species globally, and once they become established in an area, they are notoriously difficult to eliminate. As such, identifying the potential pathways of invasion, especially in places with emerging populations, is critical for preventing new or continued invasion. Wild pigs have been reported in Ontario, Canada, in recent years. We tested four nonexclusive hypotheses about the source of wild pigs in Ontario: (a) escapees from captive sources within Ontario; (b) invasion from neighboring jurisdictions; (c) existing wild populations within Ontario; and (d) translocation and illegal release. We found that sightings of Eurasian wild boar were closer to premises with wild boar than were random locations; wild boar sightings were an average of 16.3 km (SD = 25.4 km, min = 0.2 km, n = 20) from premises with wild boar. We also found that sightings of domestic pigs were closer to domestic pig farms than expected. Sightings of wild pigs in groups of more than four animals were rare. Our results suggest that wild pigs observed in Ontario are recent escapes from captivity, recognizing that there may be established groups of wild pigs that we have not yet detected. While not common, we also received reports indicating that in the past, wild pigs have been translocated and illegally released. Other North American jurisdictions that have been successful at eliminating wild pigs have removed existing populations and changed regulations to limit future invasion, such as prohibiting possession and transport of wild boar and prohibiting hunting of wild pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L. Koen
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring SectionOntario Ministry of Northern DevelopmentMines, Natural Resources, and ForestryPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Erica J. Newton
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring SectionOntario Ministry of Northern DevelopmentMines, Natural Resources, and ForestryPeterboroughONCanada
| | - E. Hance Ellington
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and ConservationRange Cattle Research and Education CenterUniversity of FloridaOnaFloridaUSA
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Ferretti F, Lazzeri L, Mori E, Cesaretti G, Calosi M, Burrini L, Fattorini N. Habitat correlates of wild boar density and rooting along an environmental gradient. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
In wild ungulates, habitat choice usually is influenced by foraging constraints and predator avoidance, potentially leading to spatial variation of population density (e.g., greater densities in food rich or safer habitats). Assessing habitat-correlates of abundance and foraging activity in turn is important in understanding determinants of distribution. We assessed habitat correlates of presence, density, and rooting, for wild boar Sus scrofa, the most widespread ungulate in the world, in six protected areas of central Italy. We worked along an altitudinal gradient ranging from the coast to mountains, in late spring-summer 2019. We surveyed 617 sampling plots randomly placed onto study areas with tessellation stratified sampling, where we used fecal counts to estimate wild boar density and visually estimated the proportion of rooted area. Overall estimates of density and rooting (± standard error) varied from 3.5 ± 2.0 to 17.9 ± 5.4 individuals/km2 and from 1.4 ± 0.8% to 10.9 ± 1.1% of rooted ground. Density and rooting showed a moderate yet nonsignificant correlation across sites. Probability of presence, abundance, and rooting in sampling plots were higher in ecotone habitats (transition habitats between wooded and open areas). Topography did not influence boar presence or local abundance. Rooting increased with decreasing slope and rock cover, as well as increasing elevation, possibly due to soil supporting forage of higher nutritional quality. Our results support the importance of ecotone habitats for wild boar, emphasizing the role of these transitional areas in the period of nursing/weaning of offspring, as well as when crops are actively growing. Differences in overall estimates of rooting across study sites may depend on site-specific features (soil moisture and availability of alternative food resources). Future studies should test the correlation between inter-annual differences of rooting and changes in population density. Notwithstanding the latter, we identified significant ecological drivers of wild boar density and rooting activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Ferretti
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology, and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Lazzeri
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology, and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Emiliano Mori
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology, and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche—Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri—Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
| | - Gloria Cesaretti
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology, and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Martina Calosi
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology, and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Lucia Burrini
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology, and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Niccolò Fattorini
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology, and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milano, Italy
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Deterring non-target birds from toxic bait sites for wild pigs. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19967. [PMID: 34620966 PMCID: PMC8497612 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99547-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxic baiting of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) is a potential new tool for population control and damage reduction in the US. Field trials testing a prototype toxic bait (HOGGONE 2 containing 5% sodium nitrite [SN]), though, revealed that wild pigs spilled small particles of toxic bait outside of bait stations which subsequently created hazards for non-target species that consumed those particles, primarily passerine birds. To deter non-target birds from consuming particles of spilled bait, we tested four deterrents at mock bait sites (i.e., baited with bird seed) in north-central Colorado, USA during April–May 2020. We found a programable, inflatable deterrent device (scare dancer) reduced bird visitation by an average of 96%. Then, we evaluated the deterrent devices at SN-toxic bait sites in north-central Texas, USA during July 2020, where the devices were activated the morning following deployment of SN-toxic bait. Overall, we found 139 dead wild pigs at 10 bait sites following one night of toxic baiting, which represented an average of 91% reduction in wild pigs visiting bait sites. We found that deterrent devices were 100% effective at deterring birds from toxic bait sites. We found two dead non-target mice at bait sites without deterrent devices. We noted that deploying toxic bait in mid-summer rather than late-winter/early-spring reduced hazards to migrating birds because they were not present in our study area during July. We recommend using deterrent devices (i.e., novel, programmable, battery operated, continuous and erratic movement, and snapping sounds) to reduce hazards to non-target birds at SN-toxic bait sites. We further recommend deploying SN-toxic bait during seasons when migrating birds are not as abundant until further research demonstrates minimal risks to migrating birds.
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Pedrosa F, Bercê W, Costa VE, Levi T, Galetti M. Diet of invasive wild pigs in a landscape dominated by sugar cane plantations. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms by which alien species become invasive can assure successful control programs and mitigate alien species’ impacts. The distribution of invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) has been sharply expanding throughout all regions of Brazil in the last few years. Here we demonstrate that large monocultural plantations provide the primary resource subsidies to invasive wild pigs in Brazil. We analyzed 106 stomach contents and carbon stable isotopes (δ13C) of 50 hair samples of wild pigs from a population immersed in a landscape dominated by sugar cane agriculture. Stomach contents were dominated by corn (41%), sugarcane (28.5%), vegetal matter (all other vegetation besides crops, 27%), and animal matter (vertebrates and invertebrates, 4%). Bayesian mixing model analysis of δ13C showed that food sources from C4 photosynthetic pathway (represented by corn and sugarcane) accounted for 94% of the long-term diet, while C3 food sources for only 6.2%. Our results indicate that corn and sugar cane are subsidizing the diet of wild pigs and can facilitate the population growth of this invasive species. Given that Brazil is a major agricultural producer and a hotspot of biodiversity, it is extremely concerning that extensive agriculture may accelerate the expansion of this invasive species, resulting in economic losses and cascading effects on natural habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Pedrosa
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
- Mão na Mata – Manejo e Soluções Ambientais, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - William Bercê
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
| | - Vladimir Eliodoro Costa
- Centro de Isótopos Estáveis, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Taal Levi
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Mauro Galetti
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
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Warrier R, Noon BR, Bailey LL. A Framework for Estimating Human-Wildlife Conflict Probabilities Conditional on Species Occupancy. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2021.679028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Managing human-wildlife conflicts (HWCs) is an important conservation objective for the many terrestrial landscapes dominated by humans. Forecasting where future conflicts are likely to occur and assessing risks to lives and livelihoods posed by wildlife are central to informing HWC management strategies. Existing assessments of the spatial occurrence patterns of HWC are based on either understanding spatial patterns of past conflicts or patterns of species distribution. In the former case, the absence of conflicts at a site cannot be attributed to the absence of the species. In the latter case, the presence of a species may not be an accurate measure of the probability of conflict occurrence. We present a Bayesian hierarchical modeling framework that integrates conflict reporting data and species distribution data, thus allowing the estimation of the probability that conflicts with a species are reported from a site, conditional on the species being present. In doing so, our model corrects for both false-positive and false-negative conflict reporting errors. We provide study design recommendations using simulations that explore the performance of the model under a range of conflict reporting probabilities. We applied the model to data on wild boar (Sus scrofa) space use and conflicts collected from the Central Terai Landscape (CTL), an important tiger conservation landscape in India. We found that tolerance for wildlife was a predictor of the probability with which farmers report conflict with wild boars from sites not used by the species. We also discuss useful extensions of the model when conflict data are verified for potential false-positive errors and when landscapes are monitored over multiple seasons.
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56
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Beasley JC, Clontz LM, Rakowski A, Snow NP, VerCauteren KC. Evaluation of a warfarin bait for controlling invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa). PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2021; 77:3057-3067. [PMID: 33644948 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) cause widespread environmental and economic damage, and as a result are subjected to extensive control. Current management strategies have proven insufficient, and there is growing interest in use of toxicants to control invasive populations of this species. In 2017 a low-dose warfarin bait was federally approved for use in controlling wild pigs in the United States. However, no states have allowed use of this bait due to unanswered questions regarding welfare concerns, field efficacy, and non-target impacts. RESULTS All captive wild pigs fed 0.005% warfarin baits in no choice feeding trials succumbed in an average of 8 days from exposure. Behavioral symptoms of warfarin exposure included vomiting, external bleeding, abnormal breathing, incoordination, and limping. Postmortem examinations revealed hemorrhaging in organs and muscles, particularly the legs, gastrointestinal tract, and abdomen. Warfarin residues in tissues averaged 1.0 mg kg-1 for muscle, 3.9 mg kg-1 for liver, and 2.8 mg kg-1 for small intestines. Field testing revealed wild pigs required extensive training to access bait within pig-specific bait stations, and once acclimated, exhibited reluctance to consume toxic baits, resulting in no mortalities across two separate field deployments of toxic bait. CONCLUSION Our results suggest wild pigs are susceptible to low-dose warfarin, and warfarin residues in pig tissues postmortem are generally low. However, although warfarin-based baits are currently approved for use by the US Environmental Protection Agency, further improvements to pig-specific bait delivery systems and bait palatability are needed, as well as additional research to quantify efficacy, cost, and non-target impacts prior to widespread implementation. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C Beasley
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Lindsay M Clontz
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Allison Rakowski
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA
| | - Nathan P Snow
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Kurt C VerCauteren
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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57
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The global impact of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) on terrestrial biodiversity. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13256. [PMID: 34168214 PMCID: PMC8225776 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92691-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species is a comprehensive database of over 120,000 species and is a powerful tool to evaluate the threat of invasive species to global biodiversity. Several problematic species have gained global recognition due to comprehensive threat assessments quantifying the threat these species pose to biodiversity using large datasets like the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. However, the global threat of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) to biodiversity is still poorly understood despite well-documented ecosystem level impacts. In this study, we utilized the IUCN Red List to quantify the impacts of this globally distributed species throughout its native and non-native range. Here we show that wild pigs threaten 672 taxa in 54 different countries across the globe. Most of these taxa are listed as critically endangered or endangered and 14 species have been driven to extinction as a direct result of impacts from wild pigs. Our results show that threats from wild pigs are pervasive across taxonomic groups and that island endemics and taxa throughout the non-native range of wild pigs are particularly vulnerable.
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58
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Rahimi O, Ohana‐Levi N, Brauner H, Inbar N, Hübner S, Drori E. Demographic and ecogeographic factors limit wild grapevine spread at the southern edge of its distribution range. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:6657-6671. [PMID: 34141248 PMCID: PMC8207413 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The spatial distribution of plants is constrained by demographic and ecogeographic factors that determine the range and abundance of the species. Wild grapevine (Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris) is distributed from Switzerland in the north to Israel in the south. However, little is known about the ecogeographic constraints of this species and its genetic and phenotypic characteristics, especially at the southern edge of its distribution range in the Levant region. In this study, we explore the population structure of southern Levantine wild grapevines and the correlation between demographic and ecogeographic characteristics. Based on our genetic analysis, the wild grapevine populations in this region can be divided into two major subgroups in accordance with a multivariate spatial and ecogeographical clustering model. The identified subpopulations also differ in morphological traits, mainly leaf hairiness which may imply adaptation to environmental stress. The findings suggest that the Upper Jordan River population was spread to the Sea of Galilee area and that a third smaller subpopulation at the south of the Golan Heights may represent a distinguished gene pool or a recent establishment of a new population. A spatial distribution model indicated that distance to water sources, Normalized difference vegetation index, and precipitation are the main environmental factors constraining V. v. sylvestris distribution at its southern distribution range. These factors in addition to limited gene flow between populations prevent further spread of wild grapevines southwards to semi-arid regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oshrit Rahimi
- Department of Chemical EngineeringAriel UniversityArielIsrael
| | | | - Hodaya Brauner
- The Samson Family Grape and Wine Research CenterEastern Regional R&D CenterArielIsrael
| | - Nimrod Inbar
- Department of Civil EngineeringAriel UniversityArielIsrael
- The Department of Geophysics and Space ScienceEastern Regional R&D CenterArielIsrael
| | - Sariel Hübner
- Galilee Research Institute (Migal)Tel‐Hai Academic CollegeUpper GalileeIsrael
| | - Elyashiv Drori
- Department of Chemical EngineeringAriel UniversityArielIsrael
- The Samson Family Grape and Wine Research CenterEastern Regional R&D CenterArielIsrael
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Hending D. Environmental drivers of Cheirogaleidae population density: Remarkable resilience of Madagascar's smallest lemurs to habitat degradation. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:5874-5891. [PMID: 34141190 PMCID: PMC8207435 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7449] [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: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Global animal populations are in decline due to destruction and degradation of their natural habitat. Understanding the factors that determine the distribution and density of threatened animal populations is therefore now a crucial component of their study and conservation. The Cheirogaleidae are a diverse family of small-bodied, nocturnal lemurs that are widespread throughout the forests of Madagascar. However, many cheirogaleid lemurs are now highly threatened with extinction and the environmental factors that determine their distribution and population density are still little known. Here, I investigated the environmental drivers of Cheirogaleidae population density at genus level. LOCATION Various forest sites across Madagascar. METHODS I investigated how six environmental variables affect Cheirogaleidae population density at the genus level via random-effect meta-analyses. I then used a generalized linear mixed-effects model to identify the primary predictors of Cheirogaleidae population density. Finally, I investigated how the population density of this family of lemurs varies between protected and unprotected areas of Madagascar via a GLM analysis. RESULTS My results indicate that the relationships between the tested environmental factors and population density are genus-specific among the Cheirogaleidae. Rather remarkably, the density of Microcebus appears to have a profoundly positive relationship with anthropogenic disturbance and a negative relationship with forest cover, a finding that is also reflected by larger population densities within unprotected areas in comparison with localities within Madagascar's protected area network. MAIN CONCLUSIONS The results of this study are highly encouraging for the conservation of the Cheirogaleidae and highlight the remarkable resilience of these lemurs to habitat degradation and anthropogenic activity. However, this study also outlines the dearth of knowledge that we have for many species, and why these data are urgently needed to understand the biogeography and ecology of threatened animal populations and implement successful conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Hending
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of BristolBristolUK
- Bristol Zoological SocietyClifton, BristolUK
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60
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Zero-inflated-censored Weibull and gamma regression models to estimate wild boar population dispersal distance. JAPANESE JOURNAL OF STATISTICS AND DATA SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s42081-021-00124-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe dynamics of the wild boar population has become a pressing issue not only for ecological purposes, but also for agricultural and livestock production. The data related to the wild boar dispersal distance can have a complex structure, including excess of zeros and right-censored observations, thus being challenging for modeling. In this sense, we propose two different zero-inflated-right-censored regression models, assuming Weibull and gamma distributions. First, we present the construction of the likelihood function, and then, we apply both models to simulated datasets, demonstrating that both regression models behave well. The simulation results point to the consistency and asymptotic unbiasedness of the developed methods. Afterwards, we adjusted both models to a simulated dataset of wild boar dispersal, including excess of zeros, right-censored observations, and two covariates: age and sex. We showed that the models were useful to extract inferences about the wild boar dispersal, correctly describing the data mimicking a situation where males disperse more than females, and age has a positive effect on the dispersal of the wild boars. These results are useful to overcome some limitations regarding inferences in zero-inflated-right-censored datasets, especially concerning the wild boar’s population. Users will be provided with an R function to run the proposed models.
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Epidemiological analysis of classical swine fever in wild boars in Japan. BMC Vet Res 2021; 17:188. [PMID: 33975588 PMCID: PMC8111369 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-021-02891-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Classical swine fever (CSF) is a contagious disease of pigs and wild boars that is transmitted through direct/indirect contact between animals or CSF virus-contaminated fomites. When the disease re-emerged in 2018 in Japan, a CSF-infected wild boar was reported shortly after the initial pig farm outbreak; subsequently, the disease spread widely. To control the disease spread among wild boars, intensive capturing, fencing, and oral bait vaccination were implemented with concomitant virological and serological surveillance. This study aimed to describe the disease spread in the wild boar population in Japan from September 2018, when the first case was reported, to March 2020, based on the surveillance data. We conducted statistical analyses using a generalized linear mixed model to identify factors associated with CSF infection among wild boars. Moreover, we descriptively assessed the effect of oral bait vaccination, which started in March 2019 in some municipalities in the affected areas. Results We observed a faster CSF infection spread in the wild boar population in Japan compared with the CSF epidemics in European countries. The infection probability was significantly higher in dead and adult animals. The influence of the multiple rounds of oral bait vaccination was not elucidated by the statistical modeling analyses. There was a decrease and increase in the proportion of infected and immune animals, respectively; however, the immunization in piglets remained insufficient after vaccination for 1 year. Conclusions Conditions regarding the wild boar habitat, including forest continuity, higher wild boar population density, and a larger proportion of susceptible piglets, were addressed to increase the infection risk in the wild boar population. These findings could improve the national control strategy against the CSF epidemic among wild boars. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12917-021-02891-0.
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Sawai K, Nishi T, Fukai K, Kato T, Hayama Y, Yamamoto T. Phylogenetic and phylodynamic analysis of a classical swine fever virus outbreak in Japan (2018-2020). Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:1529-1538. [PMID: 33890426 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
After 26 years, another classical swine fever virus (CSFV) outbreak in domestic pigs and wild boars occurred in Japan 2018. Herein, we investigated the entry and the spatial dynamics of the CSFV outbreak in Japan using the nearly complete genomes of strains isolated from both wild boars and domestic pigs during this epidemic. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of the Japanese lineage emerged 146 days (95% highest posterior density (HPD): 85-216 days) before the index case was detected. Based on epidemiological analysis, the period for the 95% HPD was 1 month earlier than the time of virus introduction into the index farm. The disease mainly spreads to the adjoining regions during the epidemic, with no spread to the nonadjacent regions. This result indicates that human activities, such as the movement of vehicles, contributed to the infection spread. As cases occurred in nonadjacent regions, the MRCA for the epidemic in the Saitama prefecture was estimated to have emerged 93 days before the date of detection in the initial farm in this region. Similarly, the MRCA for the epidemic in Okinawa prefecture, more than 1,300 km away from the other infected regions, was estimated to have emerged 34 days before the date of detection in the region's primary farm. Therefore, our results indicate that if exotic diseases emerge after a long period of absence or in a disease-free country, a longer period of time will elapse before detection, resulting in further spread. Additionally, subsequent infections occurring in regions distant from the original infected region will require less time for detection than in the original region. This study provides valuable insights into a CSFV outbreak that occurred in a previously CSFV-free country and thus beneficial in enhancing producers' awareness and allow for better preparation for infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kotaro Sawai
- Epidemiology Unit, Viral Disease and Epidemiology Research Division, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Nishi
- Exotic Disease Research Station, Division of Transboundary Animal Diseases, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Fukai
- Exotic Disease Research Station, Division of Transboundary Animal Diseases, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Tomoko Kato
- Exotic Disease Research Station, Division of Transboundary Animal Diseases, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Yoko Hayama
- Epidemiology Unit, Viral Disease and Epidemiology Research Division, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Takehisa Yamamoto
- Epidemiology Unit, Viral Disease and Epidemiology Research Division, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan
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Nieman WA, Schultz BC, Wilkinson A, Leslie AJ. Stakeholders’ perceptions of mammal occurrence and abundance on agricultural properties bordering the Boland Mountain Complex, South Africa. AFRICAN ZOOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2021.1885990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Willem A Nieman
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Brittany C Schultz
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
| | | | - Alison J Leslie
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
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Behavioral state resource selection in invasive wild pigs in the Southeastern United States. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6924. [PMID: 33767284 PMCID: PMC7994638 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86363-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Elucidating correlations between wild pig (Sus scrofa) behavior and landscape attributes can aid in the advancement of management strategies for controlling populations. Using GPS data from 49 wild pigs in the southeastern U.S., we used hidden Markov models to define movement path characteristics and assign behaviors (e.g., resting, foraging, travelling). We then explored the connection between these behaviors and resource selection for both sexes between two distinct seasons based on forage availability (i.e., low forage, high forage). Females demonstrated a crepuscular activity pattern in the high-forage season and a variable pattern in the low-forage season, while males exhibited nocturnal activity patterns across both seasons. Wild pigs selected for bottomland hardwoods and dense canopy cover in all behavioral states in both seasons. Males selected for diversity in vegetation types while foraging in the low-forage season compared to the high-forage season and demonstrated an increased use of linear anthropogenic features across seasons while traveling. Wild pigs can establish populations and home ranges in an array of landscapes, but our results demonstrate male and female pigs exhibit clear differences in movement behavior and there are key resources associated with common behaviors that can be targeted to improve the efficiency of management programs.
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65
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Chakraborty B, Baek H, Bairagi N. Diffusion-induced regular and chaotic patterns in a ratio-dependent predator-prey model with fear factor and prey refuge. CHAOS (WOODBURY, N.Y.) 2021; 31:033128. [PMID: 33810757 DOI: 10.1063/5.0035130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Population distribution of interacting species in a large scale natural system is heterogeneous and subject to change for various reasons. Here, we explore how behavioral modification in prey species due to fear of predator and mutual interference between predators can create different spatiotemporal patterns in population distribution. We show that the fear factor and diffusion in a ratio-dependent predator-prey model may show more complex dynamics than observed earlier. It is shown that when prey diffusivity is low, prey remains concentrated at different patches throughout the domain. However, prey density becomes low at the patches as they disperse at a higher rate. Mixed and stripe patterns are observed during the transition from a hot spot pattern at the lower prey diffusivity to a cold spot pattern at its higher value. Pattern transition is, however, completely opposite if the antipredator behavior is gradually increased. Our simulation results reveal that the spatiotemporal chaotic pattern may also be observed in the Hopf-Turing region of instability provided prey shows a higher level of antipredator behavior. The chaotic pattern of the Hopf-Turing region may be shifted to a spot type pattern of the Turing region depending on the refuge level of the habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhaskar Chakraborty
- Centre for Mathematical Biology and Ecology, Department of Mathematics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Hunki Baek
- Department of Mathematics Education, Catholic University of Daegu, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 712-702, South Korea
| | - Nandadulal Bairagi
- Centre for Mathematical Biology and Ecology, Department of Mathematics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India
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66
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Seaborn T, Goldberg CS, Crespi EJ. Drivers of distributions and niches of North American cold-adapted amphibians: evaluating both climate and land use. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e2236. [PMID: 33052615 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Species distribution estimates are often used to understand the niche of a species; however, these are often based solely on climatic predictors. When the influences of biotic factors are ignored, erroneous inferences about range and niche may be made. We aimed to integrate climate data with a unique set of available land cover and land use data for the six cold-adapted amphibians of North America (Ambystoma macrodactylum, Anaxyrus hemiophrys, Anaxyrus boreas, Pseudacris maculata, Rana sylvatica, Rana luteiventris) to determine the relative importance of climate and non-climate drivers through the use of ecological niche models for present-day range estimates. We compared climate-only, land use-only, and combination models of climate and land use, derived from two different model selection techniques, to determine which was most likely to drive current distributions of cold-adapted amphibian species. Land use layers included land cover type, human population, vegetation type, ecoregion, and the overall human footprint. The most supported models included both climate and land use, with climate and human footprint variables having the highest permutation importance and percent contribution. Models that incorporated climate and land use data performed best as measured with AIC and AUC, although qualitatively most underestimated the northern range edge, implying potential sampling bias or locations of reduced habitat quality for these species in the northern area of the ranges. There were small differences in overall combination models dependent on the method of model selection. The overall effect sizes of landscape factors within the combination models were small except for one landscape feature: human footprint, which incorporated multiple aspects of anthropogenic change on the landscape, including human population density, travel access, and agricultural impact. This aspect of the landscape was just as important as climate, and counter to what we expected, the association was mostly positive, with a negative response only occurring at very high levels. This highlights the importance of moving beyond climate only species range estimates as land cover, specifically human impact, may be driving the patterns of species' ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis Seaborn
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164, USA
| | - Caren S Goldberg
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164, USA
| | - Erica J Crespi
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164, USA
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67
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Snow NP, Halseth JM, Glow MP, Lavelle MJ, Fischer JW, Vannatta EH, VerCauTeren KC. Daily and Landscape Influences of Species Visitation to Toxic Bait Sites for Wild Pigs. WILDLIFE SOC B 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nathan P. Snow
- USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Ave. Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
| | - Joseph M. Halseth
- USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Ave. Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
| | - Michael P. Glow
- USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Ave. Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
| | - Michael J. Lavelle
- USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Ave. Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
| | - Justin W. Fischer
- USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Ave. Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
| | - Eric H. Vannatta
- USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Ave. Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
| | - Kurt C. VerCauTeren
- USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Ave. Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
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68
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Lyons KG, Mann M, Lenihan M, Roybal O, Carroll K, Reynoso K, Kivlin SN, Taylor DL, Rudgers JA. Culturable root endophyte communities are shaped by both warming and plant host identity in the Rocky Mountains, USA. FUNGAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2020.101002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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69
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Wetland hydroperiod predicts community structure, but not the magnitude of cross-community congruence. Sci Rep 2021; 11:429. [PMID: 33432086 PMCID: PMC7801406 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80027-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
A major focus in community ecology is understanding how biological interactions and environmental conditions shape horizontal communities. However, few studies have explored whether cross-community interactions are consistent or non-stationary across environmental gradients. Using the relative abundance of birds, aquatic macroinvertebrates and plants, we examined how cross-community congruence varied between short and long-hydroperiod prairie pothole wetlands in southern Alberta. These wetlands are structured by their hydroperiod: the length of time that ponded water is present in the wetland. We compared the strength of cross-community congruence and the strength of congruence between each horizontal community and wetland hydroperiod in wetlands that typically contain ponded water throughout the year to wetlands that dry up every summer. The strength of cross-community relationships was similar between more permanent and more ephemeral wetland classes, suggesting that biological interactions have a near equivalent role in shaping community composition, regardless of hydroperiod. However, because cross-community congruence, measured as the Procrustes pseudo-R value, was, on average, 77% ± SE 12% greater than that between each horizontal community and measures of wetland hydroperiod, we concluded that community structure is not shaped by hydroperiod alone. We attribute the observed cross-community congruence to (1) plants and aquatic macroinvertebrates influence birds through habitat and food provisioning, and (2) birds influence plants and aquatic macroinvertebrates by dispersing their propagules.
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70
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Shishir S, Mollah TH, Tsuyuzaki S, Wada N. Predicting the probable impact of climate change on the distribution of threatened Shorea robusta forest in Purbachal, Bangladesh. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
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71
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Petrokas R, Baliuckas V, Manton M. Successional Categorization of European Hemi-boreal Forest Tree Species. PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9101381. [PMID: 33081419 PMCID: PMC7603053 DOI: 10.3390/plants9101381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Developing forest harvesting regimes that mimic natural forest dynamics requires knowledge on typical species behaviors and how they respond to environmental conditions. Species regeneration and survival after disturbance depends on a species' life history traits. Therefore, forest succession determines the extent to which forest communities are able to cope with environmental change. The aim of this review was to (i) review the life history dynamics of hemi-boreal tree species in the context of ecological succession, and (ii) categorize each of these tree species into one of four successional development groups (gap colonizers, gap competitors, forest colonizers, or forest competitors). To do this we embraced the super-organism approach to plant communities using their life history dynamics and traits. Our review touches on the importance and vulnerability of these four types of successional groups, their absence and presence in the community, and how they can be used as a core component to evaluate if the development of the community is progressing towards the restoration of the climatic climax. Applying a theoretical framework to generate ideas, we suggest that forests should be managed to maintain environmental conditions that support the natural variety and sequence of tree species' life histories by promoting genetic invariance and to help secure ecosystem resilience for the future. This could be achieved by employing harvesting methods that emulate natural disturbances and regeneration programs that contribute to maintenance of the four successional groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raimundas Petrokas
- Department of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Institute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Kaunas distr LT-53101, Lithuania; (R.P.); (V.B.)
| | - Virgilijus Baliuckas
- Department of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Institute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Kaunas distr LT-53101, Lithuania; (R.P.); (V.B.)
| | - Michael Manton
- Institute of Forest Biology and Silviculture, Vytautas Magnus University, Studentu 11, Akademija, Kaunas LT-53361, Lithuania
- Correspondence:
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72
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Okita‐Ouma B, Langevelde F, Heitkönig IMA, Maina P, Wieren SE, Prins HHT. Relationships of reproductive performance indicators in black rhinoceros (
Diceros bicornis michaeli
) with plant available moisture, plant available nutrients and woody cover. Afr J Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benson Okita‐Ouma
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group Wageningen University Wageningen The Netherlands
- Kenya Wildlife Service Nairobi Kenya
- Save The Elephants Nairobi Kenya
| | - Frank Langevelde
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group Wageningen University Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Ignas M. A. Heitkönig
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group Wageningen University Wageningen The Netherlands
| | | | - Sip E. Wieren
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group Wageningen University Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Herbert H. T. Prins
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group Wageningen University Wageningen The Netherlands
- Department of Animal Sciences Wageningen University Wageningen The Netherlands
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73
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Historical range expansion and biological changes of Sus scrofa corresponding to domestication and feralization. MAMMAL RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-020-00534-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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74
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Kannan V. Adsorption studies on air pollutants using blue phosphorene nanosheet as a chemical sensor – DFT approach. COMPUT THEOR CHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.comptc.2020.112910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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75
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Taylor RA, Podgórski T, Simons RRL, Ip S, Gale P, Kelly LA, Snary EL. Predicting spread and effective control measures for African swine fever-Should we blame the boars? Transbound Emerg Dis 2020; 68:397-416. [PMID: 32564507 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
An ongoing, continually spreading, outbreak of African swine fever (ASF), following its identification in Georgia in 2007, has resulted in 17 European and 12 Asian countries reporting cases by April 2020, with cases occurring in both wild boar and domestic pigs. Curtailing further spread of ASF requires understanding of the transmission pathways of the disease. ASF is self-sustaining in the wild boar population, and they have been implicated as one of the main drivers of transmission within Europe. We developed a spatially explicit model to estimate the risk of infection with ASF in wild boar and pigs due to natural movement of wild boar that is applicable across the whole of Europe. We demonstrate the model by using it to predict the probability that early cases of ASF in Poland were caused by wild boar dispersion. The risk of infection in 2015 is computed due to wild boar cases in Poland in 2014, compared against reported cases in 2015, and then the procedure is repeated for 2015-2016. We find that long- and medium-distance spread of ASF (i.e. >30 km) is unlikely to have occurred due to wild boar dispersal, due in part to the generally short distances wild boar will travel (<20 km on average). We also predict the relative success of different control strategies in 2015, if they were implemented in 2014. Results suggest that hunting of wild boar reduces the number of new cases, but a larger region is at risk of ASF compared with no control measure. Alternatively, introducing wild boar-proof fencing reduces the size of the region at risk in 2015, but not the total number of cases. Overall, our model suggests wild boar movement is only responsible for local transmission of disease; thus, other pathways are more dominant in medium- and long-distance spread of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Taylor
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, UK
| | - Tomasz Podgórski
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland.,Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Robin R L Simons
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, UK
| | - Sophie Ip
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Paul Gale
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, UK
| | - Louise A Kelly
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, UK.,Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Emma L Snary
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, UK
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76
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Landscape-level determinants of the spread and impact of invasive grasses in protected areas. Biol Invasions 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-020-02307-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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77
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Strayer DL. Non-native species have multiple abundance-impact curves. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:6833-6843. [PMID: 32724554 PMCID: PMC7381559 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The abundance-impact curve is helpful for understanding and managing the impacts of non-native species. Abundance-impact curves can have a wide range of shapes (e.g., linear, threshold, sigmoid), each with its own implications for scientific understanding and management. Sometimes, the abundance-impact curve has been viewed as a property of the species, with a single curve for a species. I argue that the abundance-impact curve is determined jointly by a non-native species and the ecosystem it invades, so that a species may have multiple abundance-impact curves. Models of the impacts of the invasive mussel Dreissena show how a single species can have multiple, noninterchangeable abundance-impact curves. To the extent that ecosystem characteristics determine the abundance-impact curve, abundance-impact curves based on horizontal designs (space-for-time substitution) may be misleading and should be used with great caution, it at all. It is important for scientists and managers to correctly specify the abundance-impact curve when considering the impacts of non-native species. Diverting attention from the invading species to the invaded ecosystem, and especially to the interaction between species and ecosystem, could improve our understanding of how non-native species affect ecosystems and reduce uncertainty around the effects of management of populations of non-native species.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L. Strayer
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem StudiesMillbrookNYUSA
- Graham Sustainability InstituteUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
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78
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Varela-Castro L, Alvarez V, Sevilla IA, Barral M. Risk factors associated to a high Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex seroprevalence in wild boar (Sus scrofa) from a low bovine tuberculosis prevalence area. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231559. [PMID: 32302328 PMCID: PMC7164644 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal tuberculosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease caused principally by Mycobacterium bovis, a member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC). In southern Iberian Peninsula, wild reservoirs such as the wild boar, among other factors, have prevented the eradication of bovine tuberculosis. However, most of the studies have been focused on south-central Spain, where the prevalence of tuberculosis is high among wild ungulates and cattle herds. In northern regions, where wild boar density and bovine tuberculosis prevalence are lower, fewer studies have been carried out and the role of this species is still under debate. The aim of this study was to describe the temporal and spatial distribution of antibodies against MTC in wild boar from the Basque Country, northern Spain. Sera from 1902 animals were collected between 2010 and 2016. The seroprevalence was determined with an in house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the search of risk factors was assessed by Generalized Linear Models. Overall, 17% of wild boars (326/1902; 95%CI, [15.5%–18.9%]) showed antibodies against MTC. Risk factors associated with seropositivity were the year and location of sampling, the number of MTC positive cattle, the distance to positive farms and the percentage of shrub cover. Younger age classes were associated with increased antibody titres among seropositive individuals. The seroprevalence detected was higher than those previously reported in neighbouring regions. Hence, further studies are needed to better understand the role of wild boar in the epidemiology of tuberculosis in low tuberculosis prevalence areas and consequently, its relevance when developing control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Varela-Castro
- Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Vega Alvarez
- Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Iker A. Sevilla
- Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Marta Barral
- Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
- * E-mail:
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79
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McRae JE, Schlichting PE, Snow NP, Davis AJ, VerCauteren KC, Kilgo JC, Keiter DA, Beasley JC, Pepin KM. Factors Affecting Bait Site Visitation: Area of Influence of Baits. WILDLIFE SOC B 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacquelyn E. McRae
- U.S. Department of Agriculture—Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center 4101 Laporte Avenue Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
| | - Peter E. Schlichting
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia P.O. Drawer E Aiken SC 29802 USA
| | - Nathan P. Snow
- U.S. Department of Agriculture—Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center 4101 Laporte Avenue Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
| | - Amy J. Davis
- U.S. Department of Agriculture—Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center 4101 Laporte Avenue Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
| | - Kurt C. VerCauteren
- U.S. Department of Agriculture—Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center 4101 Laporte Avenue Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
| | - John C. Kilgo
- U.S. Department of Agriculture—Forest Service Southern Research Station P.O. Box 700 New Ellenton SC 29809 USA
| | - David A. Keiter
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia P.O. Drawer E Aiken SC 29802 USA
| | - James C. Beasley
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia P.O. Drawer E Aiken SC 29802 USA
| | - Kim M. Pepin
- U.S. Department of Agriculture—Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center 4101 Laporte Avenue Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
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80
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Smyser TJ, Tabak MA, Slootmaker C, Robeson MS, Miller RS, Bosse M, Megens HJ, Groenen MAM, Paiva SR, de Faria DA, Blackburn HD, Schmit BS, Piaggio AJ. Mixed ancestry from wild and domestic lineages contributes to the rapid expansion of invasive feral swine. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:1103-1119. [PMID: 32080922 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Invasive alien species are a significant threat to both economic and ecological systems. Identifying the processes that give rise to invasive populations is essential for implementing effective control strategies. We conducted an ancestry analysis of invasive feral swine (Sus scrofa, Linnaeus, 1758), a highly destructive ungulate that is widely distributed throughout the contiguous United States, to describe introduction pathways, sources of newly emergent populations and processes contributing to an ongoing invasion. Comparisons of high-density single nucleotide polymorphism genotypes for 6,566 invasive feral swine to a comprehensive reference set of S. scrofa revealed that the vast majority of feral swine were of mixed ancestry, with dominant genetic associations to Western heritage breeds of domestic pig and European populations of wild boar. Further, the rapid expansion of invasive feral swine over the past 30 years was attributable to secondary introductions from established populations of admixed ancestry as opposed to direct introductions of domestic breeds or wild boar. Spatially widespread genetic associations of invasive feral swine to European wild boar deviated strongly from historical S. scrofa introduction pressure, which was largely restricted to domestic pigs with infrequent, localized wild boar releases. The deviation between historical introduction pressure and contemporary genetic ancestry suggests wild boar-hybridization may contribute to differential fitness in the environment and heightened invasive potential for individuals of admixed domestic pig-wild boar ancestry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Smyser
- National Wildlife Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Michael A Tabak
- Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health, United States Department of Agriculture, Veterinary Services, Fort Collins, CO, USA.,Quantitative Science Consulting, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Chris Slootmaker
- National Wildlife Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Michael S Robeson
- National Wildlife Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, Fort Collins, CO, USA.,Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Ryan S Miller
- Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health, United States Department of Agriculture, Veterinary Services, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Mirte Bosse
- Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hendrik-Jan Megens
- Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martien A M Groenen
- Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Samuel Rezende Paiva
- Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Danielle Assis de Faria
- Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Harvey D Blackburn
- Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Brandon S Schmit
- National Wildlife Disease Program, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Antoinette J Piaggio
- National Wildlife Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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81
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Schlichting PE, Beasley JC, Boughton RK, Davis AJ, Pepin KM, Glow MP, Snow NP, Miller RS, VerCauteren KC, Lewis JS. A Rapid Population Assessment Method for Wild Pigs Using Baited Cameras at 3 Study Sites. WILDLIFE SOC B 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter E. Schlichting
- College of Integrative Sciences and Arts Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus, 6073 S Backus Mall Mesa AZ 85212 USA
| | - James C. Beasley
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia P.O. Drawer E Aiken SC 29802 USA
| | - Raoul K. Boughton
- University of Florida, Range Cattle Research and Education Center, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation 3401 Experiment Station Ona FL 33865 USA
| | - Amy J. Davis
- United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Avenue Fort Collins CO 80521‐2154 USA
| | - Kim M. Pepin
- United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Avenue Fort Collins CO 80521‐2154 USA
| | - Michael P. Glow
- United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Avenue Fort Collins CO 80521‐2154 USA
| | - Nathan P. Snow
- United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Avenue Fort Collins CO 80521‐2154 USA
| | - Ryan S. Miller
- United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health 2150B Center Avenue Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
| | - Kurt C. VerCauteren
- United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Avenue Fort Collins CO 80521‐2154 USA
| | - Jesse S. Lewis
- College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus, 6073 S Backus Mall Mesa AZ 85212 USA
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Wilber MQ, Chinn SM, Beasley JC, Boughton RK, Brook RK, Ditchkoff SS, Fischer JW, Hartley SB, Holmstrom LK, Kilgo JC, Lewis JS, Miller RS, Snow NP, VerCauteren KC, Wisely SM, Webb CT, Pepin KM. Predicting functional responses in agro-ecosystems from animal movement data to improve management of invasive pests. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 30:e02015. [PMID: 31596984 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Functional responses describe how changing resource availability affects consumer resource use, thus providing a mechanistic approach to prediction of the invasibility and potential damage of invasive alien species (IAS). However, functional responses can be context dependent, varying with resource characteristics and availability, consumer attributes, and environmental variables. Identifying context dependencies can allow invasion and damage risk to be predicted across different ecoregions. Understanding how ecological factors shape the functional response in agro-ecosystems can improve predictions of hotspots of highest impact and inform strategies to mitigate damage across locations with varying crop types and availability. We linked heterogeneous movement data across different agro-ecosystems to predict ecologically driven variability in the functional responses. We applied our approach to wild pigs (Sus scrofa), one of the most successful and detrimental IAS worldwide where agricultural resource depredation is an important driver of spread and establishment. We used continental-scale movement data within agro-ecosystems to quantify the functional response of agricultural resources relative to availability of crops and natural forage. We hypothesized that wild pigs would selectively use crops more often when natural forage resources were low. We also examined how individual attributes such as sex, crop type, and resource stimulus such as distance to crops altered the magnitude of the functional response. There was a strong agricultural functional response where crop use was an accelerating function of crop availability at low density (Type III) and was highly context dependent. As hypothesized, there was a reduced response of crop use with increasing crop availability when non-agricultural resources were more available, emphasizing that crop damage levels are likely to be highly heterogeneous depending on surrounding natural resources and temporal availability of crops. We found significant effects of crop type and sex, with males spending 20% more time and visiting crops 58% more often than females, and both sexes showing different functional responses depending on crop type. Our application demonstrates how commonly collected animal movement data can be used to understand context dependencies in resource use to improve our understanding of pest foraging behavior, with implications for prioritizing spatiotemporal hotspots of potential economic loss in agro-ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Q Wilber
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA
- USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80521-2154, USA
| | - Sarah M Chinn
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, South Carolina, 29081, USA
| | - James C Beasley
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, South Carolina, 29081, USA
| | - Raoul K Boughton
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Range Cattle Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Ona, Florida, 33865, USA
| | - Ryan K Brook
- Department of Animal & Poultry Science and Indigenous Land Management Institute, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5AB, Canada
| | - Stephen S Ditchkoff
- School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, 36849 , USA
| | - Justin W Fischer
- USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80521-2154, USA
| | - Steve B Hartley
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, 700 Cajundome Boulevarde, Lafayette, Louisiana, 70506, USA
| | - Lindsey K Holmstrom
- Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health, USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526, USA
| | - John C Kilgo
- USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, P.O. Box 700, New Ellenton, South Carolina, 29809, USA
| | - Jesse S Lewis
- College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, Arizona State University, Mesa, Arizona, 85212, USA
| | - Ryan S Miller
- Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health, USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526, USA
| | - Nathan P Snow
- USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80521-2154, USA
| | - Kurt C VerCauteren
- USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80521-2154, USA
| | - Samantha M Wisely
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA
| | - Colleen T Webb
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA
| | - Kim M Pepin
- USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80521-2154, USA
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83
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Brooks JP, Smith RK, Aldridge CA, Chaney B, Omer A, Dentinger J, Street GM, Baker BH. A preliminary investigation of wild pig (Sus scrofa) impacts in water quality. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 2020; 49:27-37. [PMID: 33016358 DOI: 10.1002/jeq2.20036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The United States, particularly the southern portion, has recently suffered drastic population expansion of wild pigs causing destruction of prime farmland. An associated concern, which has been understudied, is the potential transfer of nutrients and pathogens to surface water. This study aimed to identify the abiotic and biotic impacts of captive wild pigs on water quality, including nutrients, fecal indicator and pathogenic bacteria, and antimicrobial resistance. Overall, the study demonstrated that wild pigs harbored Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., Escherichia coli, and Clostridium perfringens, which were found in water runoff collected directly beneath the hog paddock, often 2 log10 greater than above-paddock levels. However, the impacts to downstream water quality were limited, perhaps because of a relatively large riparian buffer between the paddock and surface water. A higher rate of ammonium concentration changes over time was detected in the runoff water below the paddock; additionally, microbial releases detected in runoff were also time dependent, possibly associated with increasing pig numbers. Antibiotic resistance was generally not associated with the wild pigs. Antibiotic resistance genes were found in upstream as well as downstream surface water, suggesting that nonpoint sources of microbial contamination were present. Interestingly, intI1 levels were greater in below-paddock runoff by nearly 2 log10 . Overall, it appears that wild pigs potentially pose a threat to water quality but only if they have direct access to the water. Pathogen, fecal indicator bacteria, and some nutrient release were significantly associated with wild pigs, but riparian buffers limited water quality impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Brooks
- USDA-ARS, Genetics and Sustainable Agriculture Unit, 810 HWY 12 E., Mississippi State, MS, 39762-5367, USA
| | - Renotta K Smith
- USDA-ARS, Genetics and Sustainable Agriculture Unit, 810 HWY 12 E., Mississippi State, MS, 39762-5367, USA
| | - Caleb A Aldridge
- Dep. of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State Univ., 775 Stone Blvd., Mississippi State, MS, 39762-9690, USA
| | - Brent Chaney
- Dep. of Forestry, Mississippi State Univ., 775 Stone Blvd., Mississippi State, MS, 39762-9690, USA
| | - Austin Omer
- Dep. of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State Univ., 775 Stone Blvd., Mississippi State, MS, 39762-9690, USA
| | - Jane Dentinger
- Dep. of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State Univ., 775 Stone Blvd., Mississippi State, MS, 39762-9690, USA
| | - Garrett M Street
- Dep. of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State Univ., 775 Stone Blvd., Mississippi State, MS, 39762-9690, USA
| | - Beth H Baker
- Dep. of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State Univ., 775 Stone Blvd., Mississippi State, MS, 39762-9690, USA
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84
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Panthi S, Wang T, Sun Y, Thapa A. An assessment of human impacts on endangered red pandas ( Ailurus fulgens) living in the Himalaya. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:13413-13425. [PMID: 31871654 PMCID: PMC6912920 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 09/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic factors play an important role in shaping the distribution of wildlife species and their habitats, and understanding the influence of human activities on endangered species can be key to improving conservation efforts as well as the implementation of national strategies for sustainable development. Here, we used species distribution modeling to assess human impacts on the endangered red panda (Ailurus fulgens) in high-altitude regions of Nepal. We found that the distance to paths (tracks used by people and animals), livestock density, human population density, and annual mean temperature were the most important factors determining the habitat suitability for red pandas in Nepal. This is the first study that attempts to use comprehensive environmental and anthropogenic variables to predict habitat suitability for the red pandas at a national level. The suitable habitat identified by this study is important and could serve as a baseline for the development of conservation strategies for the red panda in Nepal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saroj Panthi
- Ministry of Industry, Tourism Forest, and EnvironmentPokharaNepal
| | - Tiejun Wang
- Department of Natural ResourcesFaculty of Geo‐Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC)University of TwenteEnschedeThe Netherlands
| | - Yiwen Sun
- Department of Natural ResourcesFaculty of Geo‐Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC)University of TwenteEnschedeThe Netherlands
| | - Arjun Thapa
- Small Mammals Conservation and Research FoundationKathmanduNepal
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85
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Prates I, Paz A, Brown JL, Carnaval AC. Links between prey assemblages and poison frog toxins: A landscape ecology approach to assess how biotic interactions affect species phenotypes. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:14317-14329. [PMID: 31938521 PMCID: PMC6953698 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 09/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecological studies of species pairs showed that biotic interactions promote phenotypic change and eco-evolutionary feedbacks. However, it is unclear how phenotypes respond to synergistic interactions with multiple taxa. We investigate whether interactions with multiple prey species explain spatially structured variation in the skin toxins of the neotropical poison frog Oophaga pumilio. Specifically, we assess how dissimilarity (i.e., beta diversity) of alkaloid-bearing arthropod prey assemblages (68 ant species) and evolutionary divergence between frog populations (from a neutral genetic marker) contribute to frog poison dissimilarity (toxin profiles composed of 230 different lipophilic alkaloids sampled from 934 frogs at 46 sites). We find that models that incorporate spatial turnover in the composition of ant assemblages explain part of the frog alkaloid variation, and we infer unique alkaloid combinations across the range of O. pumilio. Moreover, we find that alkaloid variation increases weakly with the evolutionary divergence between frog populations. Our results pose two hypotheses: First, the distribution of only a few prey species may explain most of the geographic variation in poison frog alkaloids; second, different codistributed prey species may be redundant alkaloid sources. The analytical framework proposed here can be extended to other multitrophic systems, coevolutionary mosaics, microbial assemblages, and ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Prates
- Department of Vertebrate ZoologyNational Museum of Natural HistorySmithsonian InstitutionWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Andrea Paz
- Department of BiologyCity College of New York, and Graduate CenterCity University of New YorkNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Jason L. Brown
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory & The Center for EcologySouthern Illinois UniversityCarbondaleILUSA
| | - Ana C. Carnaval
- Department of BiologyCity College of New York, and Graduate CenterCity University of New YorkNew YorkNYUSA
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86
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Morais T, Rosa C, Azevedo C, Viana-Junior A, Santos P, Passamani M. Factors affecting space use by wild boars (Sus scrofa) in high-elevation tropical forests. CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The wild boar (Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758) is considered one of the 100 worst invasive species in the world and is present in the high-elevation forests in Brazil. Our objective was to understand how landscape and atmospheric conditions affect space use by wild boars. We hypothesized that wild boars would be more frequent at lower elevations, warmer and wetter forested areas, and away from human disturbances. After three years of data collection (2013–2016) using 16 camera traps, 881 independent records were obtained with a mean of 4.44 ± 9.25 pigs per record. Wild boar frequency of occurrence was higher at lower elevations, in more humid and warmer areas, and farther away human disturbance factors, corroborating our initial hypothesis. Understanding space-use patterns of wild boars is necessary for the design of management strategies that target areas of more intense usage, as well as for defining more effective population-control techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- T.A. Morais
- Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, Praça Frei Orlando, 170, Centro, CEP 36307-352, São João del-Rei, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - C.A. Rosa
- Universidade Federal de Lavras, Departamento de Biologia. Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação de Mamíferos, Av. Central, s/n, Campus Universitário, CEP 37200-000, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - C.S. Azevedo
- Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, Bauxita, CEP 35.400-000, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | | | - P. Santos
- Universidade de Évora. Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, Departamento de Paisagem, Ambiente e Ordenamento, Largo dos Colegiais, 2, 7000, Évora, Portugal
| | - M. Passamani
- Universidade Federal de Lavras, Departamento de Biologia. Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação de Mamíferos, Av. Central, s/n, Campus Universitário, CEP 37200-000, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil
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87
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Markov N, Pankova N, Morelle K. Where winter rules: Modeling wild boar distribution in its north-eastern range. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 687:1055-1064. [PMID: 31412443 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Wild boars are distributed almost all over the Earth. Though, Northern Asia remained not inhabited by the species until the end of the 20th century. In the last two decades slowly but surely the wild boar has expanded the northeastern edge of its range to the northern border of the taiga. Investigating environmental factors that underlie range expansions is crucial for understanding its mechanism and predict future changes in species distribution and biodiversity. Here we investigated the distribution of wild boar in its northeastern range, comparing the role of habitat and climate variables at three spatial scales: the permanently occupied area, the area of potential expansion and the total area. We have shown that along the gradient of wild boar occupancy (from permanently to sporadically occupied to presently unoccupied) the importance of habitat variables decreases while importance of climatic variables increases. Our analysis suggests that the potential range increase of the species results from the combined effect of habitat and climatic variables. A possibility for future expansion, however, is rather related to climate change (particularly to the increase of temperature at high latitudes) than to the alteration of habitat or shifts in resource use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nickolay Markov
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology Ural Branch Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia.
| | - Nadezhda Pankova
- Oksky Biosphere Nature Reserve, Brykin Bor, Ryazanskaya Oblast, Russia 391072
| | - Kevin Morelle
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Bialowieza, Poland
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88
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O’Brien P, Vander Wal E, Koen EL, Brown CD, Guy J, van Beest FM, Brook RK. Understanding habitat co-occurrence and the potential for competition between native mammals and invasive wild pigs ( Sus scrofa) at the northern edge of their range. CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2018-0156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Invasive species are a major contributor to biodiversity loss worldwide. Wild pigs (Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758) are highly invasive in their introduced ranges; they modify habitat and threaten native species. As recent invaders in Canada, it is unknown what habitats wild pigs occupy at the northern edge of their range and how they affect mammalian diversity. We examined habitat factors that we predicted would affect co-occurrence of wild pigs with native mammals. We randomly placed 17 camera traps in four stratified habitat types (deciduous forest, grassland, cropland, and wetland) for 2 years to examine species co-occurrence in these habitats. We analyzed camera-trap data using nonmetric multidimensional scaling. Wild pig detection during winter was greatest in wetland and cropland and positively associated with occurrence of moose (Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758)) and coyote (Canis latrans Say, 1823) and negatively associated with the presence of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780)), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque, 1817)), and humans. In summer, we detected wild pigs only in grassland; these detections were positively associated with moose and mule deer and negatively associated with domesticated cattle (Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758), elk (Cervus canadensis Erxleben, 1777), and humans. We conclude that invasive wild pig occurrence at the northern edge of their Canadian range varies seasonally, by habitat, and is negatively affected by the presence of humans. Moreover, apparent co-occurrence with native fauna and avoidance of domestic species provides early evidence for potential competitive interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul O’Brien
- Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Erin L. Koen
- Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
- Department of Animal and Poultry Science, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8, Canada
| | - Carissa D. Brown
- Department of Geography, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Jenn Guy
- Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Floris M. van Beest
- Department of Animal and Poultry Science, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8, Canada
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ryan K. Brook
- Department of Animal and Poultry Science, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8, Canada
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89
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Miller RS, Pepin KM. BOARD INVITED REVIEW: Prospects for improving management of animal disease introductions using disease-dynamic models. J Anim Sci 2019; 97:2291-2307. [PMID: 30976799 PMCID: PMC6541823 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skz125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Management and policy decisions are continually made to mitigate disease introductions in animal populations despite often limited surveillance data or knowledge of disease transmission processes. Science-based management is broadly recognized as leading to more effective decisions yet application of models to actively guide disease surveillance and mitigate risks remains limited. Disease-dynamic models are an efficient method of providing information for management decisions because of their ability to integrate and evaluate multiple, complex processes simultaneously while accounting for uncertainty common in animal diseases. Here we review disease introduction pathways and transmission processes crucial for informing disease management and models at the interface of domestic animals and wildlife. We describe how disease transmission models can improve disease management and present a conceptual framework for integrating disease models into the decision process using adaptive management principles. We apply our framework to a case study of African swine fever virus in wild and domestic swine to demonstrate how disease-dynamic models can improve mitigation of introduction risk. We also identify opportunities to improve the application of disease models to support decision-making to manage disease at the interface of domestic and wild animals. First, scientists must focus on objective-driven models providing practical predictions that are useful to those managing disease. In order for practical model predictions to be incorporated into disease management a recognition that modeling is a means to improve management and outcomes is important. This will be most successful when done in a cross-disciplinary environment that includes scientists and decision-makers representing wildlife and domestic animal health. Lastly, including economic principles of value-of-information and cost-benefit analysis in disease-dynamic models can facilitate more efficient management decisions and improve communication of model forecasts. Integration of disease-dynamic models into management and decision-making processes is expected to improve surveillance systems, risk mitigations, outbreak preparedness, and outbreak response activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan S Miller
- Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health, United States Department of Agriculture-Veterinary Services, Fort Collins, CO
| | - Kim M Pepin
- National Wildlife Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture-Wildlife Services, Fort Collins, CO
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90
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Aschim RA, Brook RK. Evaluating Cost-Effective Methods for Rapid and Repeatable National Scale Detection and Mapping of Invasive Species Spread. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7254. [PMID: 31076638 PMCID: PMC6510748 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43729-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive species can spread rapidly at local and national scales, creating significant environmental and economic impacts. A central problem in mitigation efforts is identifying methods that can rapidly detect invasive species in a cost-effective and repeatable manner. This challenge is particularly acute for species that can spread over large areas (>1 million km2). Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are one of the most prolific invasive mammals on Earth and cause extensive damage to agricultural crops, native ecosystems, and livestock, and are reservoirs of disease. They have spread from their native range in Eurasia and North Africa into large areas of Australia, Africa, South America, and North America. We show that the range of invasive wild pigs has increased exponentially in Canada over the last 27 years following initial and ongoing releases and escapes from domestic wild boar farms. The cumulative range of wild pigs across Canada is 777,783 km2, with the majority of wild pig distribution occurring in the Prairie Provinces. We evaluate eight different data collection and evaluation/validation methods for mapping invasive species over large areas, and assess their benefits and limitations. Our findings effectively map the spread of a highly invasive large mammal and demonstrate that management efforts should ideally rely on a set of complementary independent monitoring methods. Mapping and evaluating resulting species occurrences provide baseline maps against which future changes can be rapidly evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth A Aschim
- Department of Animal and Poultry Science, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A8, Canada.
| | - Ryan K Brook
- Department of Animal and Poultry Science, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A8, Canada
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91
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Bista D, Paudel PK, Jnawali SR, Sherpa AP, Shrestha S, Acharya KP. Red panda fine-scale habitat selection along a Central Himalayan longitudinal gradient. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:5260-5269. [PMID: 31110677 PMCID: PMC6509368 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Red panda Ailurus fulgens, an endangered habitat specialist, inhabits a narrow distribution range in bamboo abundance forests along mountain slopes in the Himalaya and Hengduan Mountains. However, their habitat use may be different in places with different longitudinal environmental gradients, climatic regimes, and microclimate. This study aimed to determine the habitat variables affecting red panda distribution across different longitudinal gradients through a multivariate analysis. We studied habitat selection patterns along the longitudinal gradient in Nepal's Himalaya which is grouped into the eastern, central, and western complexes. We collected data on red panda presence and habitat variables (e.g., tree richness, canopy cover, bamboo abundance, water availability, tree diameter, tree height) by surveys along transects throughout the species' potential range. We used a multimodal inference approach with a generalized linear model to test the relative importance of environmental variables. Although the study showed that bamboo abundance had a major influence, habitat selection was different across longitudinal zones. Both canopy cover and species richness were unimportant in eastern Nepal, but their influence increased progressively toward the west. Conversely, tree height showed a decreasing influence on habitat selection from Eastern to Western Nepal. Red panda's habitat selection revealed in this study corresponds to the uneven distribution of vegetation assemblages and the dry climatic gradient along the eastern-western Himalayas which could be related to a need to conserve energy and thermoregulate. This study has further highlighted the need of importance of bamboo conservation and site-specific conservation planning to ensure long-term red panda conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damber Bista
- Red Panda NetworkKathmanduNepal
- Wildlife Science Unit, School of Agriculture and Food SciencesThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - Prakash Kumar Paudel
- Centre for Conservation BiologyKathmandu Institute of Applied SciencesKathmanduNepal
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92
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Porto LMV, Maestri R, Duarte LDS. Evolutionary relationships among life-history traits in Caninae (Mammalia: Carnivora). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Over the last few years, a debate about the relative roles of distinct factors on the evolution of lineages has gained prominence. The family Canidae is an excellent group for exploring this idea, owing to its rich fossil history. One of the most intriguing traits in canids is social organization, which varies from highly social to solitary species. However, we do not have a complete understanding of how sociality evolved in this clade. Here, we use a combination of phylogenetic analyses, ancestral character reconstructions and comparative methods on the only extant subfamily, Caninae, to understand how traits expressing ecological features evolved over the last 12.6 Myr. Our findings suggest that the evolution of low, medium and high sociality forms was abrupt and highly correlated with the evolution of hypo-, meso- and hypercarnivorous forms, respectively. In addition, our results suggest that the evolution of phenotypic traits in Caninae occurred through a sequential cause–effect relationship, where changes in habitat use and body size probably triggered changes in social behaviour, which in turn drove the evolution of diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Marafina Vieira Porto
- Laboratório de Ecomorfologia e Macroevolução, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Renan Maestri
- Laboratório de Ecomorfologia e Macroevolução, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Leandro Da Silva Duarte
- Laboratório de Ecologia Filogenética e Funcional, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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93
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Historical, current, and potential population size estimates of invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) in the United States. Biol Invasions 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-019-01983-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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94
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Snow NP, Lavelle MJ, Halseth JM, Glow MP, VanNatta EH, Davis AJ, Pepin KM, Tabor RT, Leland BR, Staples LD, VerCauteren KC. Exposure of a population of invasive wild pigs to simulated toxic bait containing biomarker: implications for population reduction. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2019; 75:1140-1149. [PMID: 30324708 DOI: 10.1002/ps.5235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An international effort to develop an acute and humane toxic bait for invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) is underway to curtail their expansion. We evaluated the ability to expose a population of wild pigs to a simulated toxic bait (i.e., placebo bait containing a biomarker, rhodamine B, in lieu of the toxic ingredient) to gain insight on potential population reduction. We used 28 GPS-collars and sampled 428 wild pigs to examine their vibrissae for evidence of consuming the bait. RESULTS We estimated that 91% of wild pigs within 0.75 km of bait sites (total area = 16.8 km2 ) consumed the simulated toxic bait, exposing them to possible lethal effects. Bait sites spaced 0.75-1.5 km apart achieved optimal delivery of the bait, but wild pigs ranging ≥ 3 km away were susceptible. Use of wild pig-specific bait stations resulted in no non-target species directly accessing the bait. CONCLUSION Results demonstrate the potential for exposing a large proportion of wild pigs to a toxic bait in similar ecosystems. Toxic baits may be an effective tool for reducing wild pig populations especially if used as part of an integrated pest management strategy. Investigation of risks associated with a field-deployment of the toxic bait is needed. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan P Snow
- USDA/APHIS/ Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Michael J Lavelle
- USDA/APHIS/ Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Joseph M Halseth
- USDA/APHIS/ Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Michael P Glow
- USDA/APHIS/ Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Eric H VanNatta
- USDA/APHIS/ Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Amy J Davis
- USDA/APHIS/ Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Kim M Pepin
- USDA/APHIS/ Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | | | - Linton D Staples
- Animal Control Technologies Australia Pty Ltd, Somerton, VIC, Australia
| | - Kurt C VerCauteren
- USDA/APHIS/ Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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95
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Pepin KM, Wolfson DW, Miller RS, Tabak MA, Snow NP, VerCauteren KC, Davis AJ. Accounting for heterogeneous invasion rates reveals management impacts on the spatial expansion of an invasive species. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kim M. Pepin
- National Wildlife Research Center USDA‐APHIS Wildlife Services 4101 Laporte Avenue Fort Collins Colorado 80521 USA
| | - David W. Wolfson
- Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health USDA‐APHIS Veterinary Services 2150 Centre Avenue Fort Collins Colorado 80526 USA
| | - Ryan S. Miller
- Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health USDA‐APHIS Veterinary Services 2150 Centre Avenue Fort Collins Colorado 80526 USA
| | - Michael A. Tabak
- Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health USDA‐APHIS Veterinary Services 2150 Centre Avenue Fort Collins Colorado 80526 USA
| | - Nathan P. Snow
- National Wildlife Research Center USDA‐APHIS Wildlife Services 4101 Laporte Avenue Fort Collins Colorado 80521 USA
| | - Kurt C. VerCauteren
- National Wildlife Research Center USDA‐APHIS Wildlife Services 4101 Laporte Avenue Fort Collins Colorado 80521 USA
| | - Amy J. Davis
- National Wildlife Research Center USDA‐APHIS Wildlife Services 4101 Laporte Avenue Fort Collins Colorado 80521 USA
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96
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Abstract
The abundance of feral pigs in Australia has been estimated previously and been a topic of some debate. This study aims to update a previous estimate of abundance (13.5 million, 95% CI: 3.5 million to 23.5 million) of feral pigs in Australia. Abundance estimates for the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s were collated from published literature. Mean abundances in the middle decades were estimated using the ratio method. The average abundance of feral pigs varied from 4.4 million (95% CI: 2.4 million to 6.3 million) in the 1980s, to 3.0 million (95% CI: 2.3 million to 3.7 million) in the 1990s, to 3.2 million (95% CI: 2.4 million to 4.0 million) in the 2000s. Mean density across all 142 studies was 1.03 pigs km–2. The average abundance of feral pigs in Australia during the 1980s to 2000s was much lower and more precise than estimated previously, so scientists and managers should update their use of abundance estimates. Density estimates are above, and below, estimates of threshold host densities for infectious exotic disease establishment.
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97
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Aparicio Á, Mercado IE, Ugalde AM, Gaona-Murillo E, Butterfield T, Macip-Ríos R. Ecological Observations of the Mexican Mud Turtle (Kinosternon integrum) in the Pátzcuaro Basin, Michoacán, México. CHELONIAN CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.2744/ccb-1305.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ángeles Aparicio
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Blvd. Valsequillo y Av
| | - Ivette Enríquez Mercado
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Blvd. Valsequillo y Av
| | - Alejandro Montiel Ugalde
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ant
| | - Eder Gaona-Murillo
- Facultad de Biología, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Gral. Francisco J. M´ ugica,
| | - Taggert Butterfield
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ant
| | - Rodrigo Macip-Ríos
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ant
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98
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Summer habitat use and activity patterns of wild boar Sus scrofa in rangelands of central Argentina. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0206513. [PMID: 30356269 PMCID: PMC6200264 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0206513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological invasions are one of the main components of human-caused global change and their negative impact on invaded ecosystems have long been recognized. Invasive mammals, in particular, can threaten native biodiversity and cause economic impacts in the region where they are introduced, often through a wide range of conflicts with humans. Although the wild boar, Sus scrofa, is considered by the IUCN as one of the 100 invasive species most damaging to biodiversity in the world, in Argentina there have only been a few studies focused on its ecology with most of them conducted in protected areas. In this study, we evaluated the effect of several factors related with human disturbance, landscape composition, degree of fragmentation and the presence of a potential competitor and a predator on the habitat use of wild boar using data from camera traps and site-occupancy modeling. Additionally, we described the daily activity pattern of the species and we studied the level of overlap with both a potential competitor and a predator. The sampling effort totaled 7,054 camera trap days. Farm density, proportion of shrubland and proportion of grassland with bushes were the detection variables included in the most supported model whereas proportion of grassland and capture rate of the Pampas fox Lycalopex gymnocercus were the occupancy variables included in the most supported model. However, the proportion of grassland was the only variable that showed statistically significant support in the averaged model, indicating that habitat use of wild boar in this area was significantly negatively affected by the level of grass cover. Wild boars were mostly nocturnal, with more activity between 21:00 and 3:00 and a peak around midnight. Wild boars showed a high level of overlap with the activity pattern of the Pampas fox and a low overlap with the activity pattern of the puma Puma concolor. Despite wild boar being introduced in Argentina a few decades ago, this study is the first landscape-scale research carried out in an agricultural landscape in Argentina and the first one based on camera-trapping data. Our study contributes valuable information that could be used to design strategies to reduce wild boar population or to minimize the damage caused by this invasive species in Argentina.
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99
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Tabak MA, Webb CT, Miller RS. Propagule size and structure, life history, and environmental conditions affect establishment success of an invasive species. Sci Rep 2018; 8:10313. [PMID: 29985418 PMCID: PMC6037743 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28654-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Population dynamics of species that are recently introduced into a new area, e.g., invasive species and species of conservation concern that are translocated to support global populations, are likely to be dominated by short-term, transient effects. Wild pigs (Sus scrofa, or wild boar) are pulsed-resource consumers of mast nuts that are commonly introduced into new areas. We used vital rate data (i.e., survival and fecundity) for wild pigs in Germany under varying forage conditions to simulate transient population dynamics in the 10-years following introduction into a new environment. In a low forage environment (i.e., conditions similar to their native range), simulated wild pig populations maintained a stable population size with low probability of establishment, while in environments with better quality forage (i.e., conditions similar to parts of their invasive range), high juvenile fecundity and survival facilitated rapid population growth and establishment probability was high. We identified a strategy for simulating population dynamics of species whose reproduction and survival depend on environmental conditions that fluctuate and for predicting establishment success of species introduced into a new environment. Our approach can also be useful in projecting near-term transient population dynamics for many conservation and management applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Tabak
- Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health, United States Department of Agriculture - Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, 2150 Centre Ave, Bldg B, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA.
| | - Colleen T Webb
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Ryan S Miller
- Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health, United States Department of Agriculture - Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, 2150 Centre Ave, Bldg B, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
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100
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