51
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Squires JR, Olson LE, Roberts EK, Ivan JS, Hebblewhite M. Winter recreation and Canada lynx: reducing conflict through niche partitioning. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- John R. Squires
- Rocky Mountain Research Station Forest Service 800 East Beckwith Avenue Missoula Montana 59801 USA
| | - Lucretia E. Olson
- Rocky Mountain Research Station Forest Service 800 East Beckwith Avenue Missoula Montana 59801 USA
| | - Elizabeth K. Roberts
- White River National Forest 900 Grand Avenue Glenwood Springs Colorado 81601 USA
| | - Jacob S. Ivan
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife 317 West Prospect Road Fort Collins Colorado 80526 USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation University of Montana 32 Campus Drive Missoula Montana 59812 USA
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52
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Cañadas Santiago S, Dias PAD, Garau S, Coyohua Fuentes A, Chavira Ramírez DR, Canales Espinosa D, Rangel Negrín A. Behavioral and physiological stress responses to local spatial disturbance and human activities by howler monkeys at Los Tuxtlas, Mexico. Anim Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Cañadas Santiago
- Primate Behavioral Ecology Lab Instituto de Neuroetología Universidad Veracruzana Xalapa México
- Posgrado en Neuroetología Instituto de Neuroetología Universidad Veracruzana Xalapa México
| | - P. A. D. Dias
- Primate Behavioral Ecology Lab Instituto de Neuroetología Universidad Veracruzana Xalapa México
| | - S. Garau
- Primate Behavioral Ecology Lab Instituto de Neuroetología Universidad Veracruzana Xalapa México
- Posgrado en Neuroetología Instituto de Neuroetología Universidad Veracruzana Xalapa México
| | - A. Coyohua Fuentes
- Primate Behavioral Ecology Lab Instituto de Neuroetología Universidad Veracruzana Xalapa México
| | - D. R. Chavira Ramírez
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán Ciudad de México México
| | - D. Canales Espinosa
- Primate Behavioral Ecology Lab Instituto de Neuroetología Universidad Veracruzana Xalapa México
| | - A. Rangel Negrín
- Primate Behavioral Ecology Lab Instituto de Neuroetología Universidad Veracruzana Xalapa México
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53
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Heinemeyer K, Squires J, Hebblewhite M, O'Keefe JJ, Holbrook JD, Copeland J. Wolverines in winter: indirect habitat loss and functional responses to backcountry recreation. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Heinemeyer
- Round River Conservation Studies 104 East Main Street Bozeman Montana 59715 USA
| | - John Squires
- Rocky Mountain Research Station United States Forest Service Missoula Montana 59802 USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation University of Montana Missoula Montana 59812 USA
| | - Julia J. O'Keefe
- Round River Conservation Studies 104 East Main Street Bozeman Montana 59715 USA
| | - Joseph D. Holbrook
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming 82072 USA
| | - Jeffrey Copeland
- Rocky Mountain Research Station United States Forest Service Missoula Montana 59802 USA
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54
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Westekemper K, Reinecke H, Signer J, Meißner M, Herzog S, Balkenhol N. Stay on trails – effects of human recreation on the spatiotemporal behavior of red deer Cervus elaphus in a German national park. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Horst Reinecke
- K. Westekemper (http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0181-0705) , H. Reinecke, J. Signe
| | - Johannes Signer
- K. Westekemper (http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0181-0705) , H. Reinecke, J. Signe
| | - Marcus Meißner
- M. Meißner and S. Herzog, Inst. of Wildlife Biology Göttingen & Dresden, Göttingen, Germany. SH also
| | - Sven Herzog
- M. Meißner and S. Herzog, Inst. of Wildlife Biology Göttingen & Dresden, Göttingen, Germany. SH also
| | - Niko Balkenhol
- K. Westekemper (http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0181-0705) , H. Reinecke, J. Signe
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55
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Bötsch Y, Tablado Z, Scherl D, Kéry M, Graf RF, Jenni L. Effect of Recreational Trails on Forest Birds: Human Presence Matters. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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56
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Moen GK, Ordiz A, Kindberg J, Swenson JE, Sundell J, Støen OG. Behavioral reactions of brown bears to approaching humans in Fennoscandia. ECOSCIENCE 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2018.1513387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gro Kvelprud Moen
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Andrés Ordiz
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Janne Sundell
- Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Lammi, Finland
| | - Ole-Gunnar Støen
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway
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57
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Olson LE, Squires JR, Roberts EK, Ivan JS, Hebblewhite M. Sharing the same slope: Behavioral responses of a threatened mesocarnivore to motorized and nonmotorized winter recreation. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:8555-8572. [PMID: 30250723 PMCID: PMC6144989 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Winter recreation is a widely popular activity and is expected to increase due to changes in recreation technology and human population growth. Wildlife are frequently negatively impacted by winter recreation, however, through displacement from habitat, alteration of activity patterns, or changes in movement behavior. We studied impacts of dispersed and developed winter recreation on Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) at their southwestern range periphery in Colorado, USA. We used GPS collars to track movements of 18 adult lynx over 4 years, coupled with GPS devices that logged 2,839 unique recreation tracks to provide a detailed spatial estimate of recreation intensity. We assessed changes in lynx spatial and temporal patterns in response to motorized and nonmotorized recreation, as well as differences in movement rate and path tortuosity. We found that lynx decreased their movement rate in areas with high-intensity back-country skiing and snowmobiling, and adjusted their temporal patterns so that they were more active at night in areas with high-intensity recreation. We did not find consistent evidence of spatial avoidance of recreation: lynx exhibited some avoidance of areas with motorized recreation, but selected areas in close proximity to nonmotorized recreation trails. Lynx appeared to avoid high-intensity developed ski resorts, however, especially when recreation was most intense. We conclude that lynx in our study areas did not exhibit strong negative responses to dispersed recreation, but instead altered their behavior and temporal patterns in a nuanced response to recreation, perhaps to decrease direct interactions with recreationists. However, based on observed avoidance of developed recreation, there may be a threshold of human disturbance above which lynx cannot coexist with winter recreation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucretia E. Olson
- Rocky Mountain Research StationUnited States Forest ServiceMissoulaMontana
| | - John R. Squires
- Rocky Mountain Research StationUnited States Forest ServiceMissoulaMontana
| | | | | | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology ProgramDepartment of Ecosystem and Conservation SciencesW.A. Franke College of Forestry and ConservationUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMontana
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58
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Bötsch Y, Gugelmann S, Tablado Z, Jenni L. Effect of human recreation on bird anti-predatory response. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5093. [PMID: 29942711 PMCID: PMC6015756 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildlife perceive humans as predators, and therefore normally flushes. Flight initiation distance (FID) is the distance a human can approach an animal at a steady pace until it flushes. Recently, several studies showed differences in within-species FID according to human presence by comparing urban and rural habitats, with urban birds showing reduced FIDs. However, urban and rural habitats also differ in structure, which might affect FID. Therefore, in order to understand the real effect of human presence, we investigated whether differences in FID are also present in natural habitats (forests), differing only in the intensity of human use for recreation. We found that human frequentation had a distinct effect on bird escape responses, with shorter FIDs in forests more-heavily frequented by humans than in forests rarely visited by humans. Whether this finding is driven by non-random spatial distribution of personalities (shy vs. bold) or phenotypic plasticity (habituation to humans) cannot be assessed with our data. Studies relying on FIDs should also incorporate human recreation intensity, as this affects the measurements strongly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves Bötsch
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland.,Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Lukas Jenni
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
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59
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Hernández M, Navarro-Castilla Á, Piñeiro A, Barja I. Wood mice aggressiveness and flight response to human handling: Effect of individual and environmental factors. Ethology 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ana Piñeiro
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria; Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida; Universidad Andres Bello; Santiago de Chile Chile
| | - Isabel Barja
- Departamento de Biología; Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; Madrid Spain
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60
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Phelps KL, Kingston T. Environmental and biological context modulates the physiological stress response of bats to human disturbance. Oecologia 2018; 188:41-52. [PMID: 29858693 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4179-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Environmental and biological context play significant roles in modulating physiological stress responses of individuals in wildlife populations yet are often overlooked when evaluating consequences of human disturbance on individual health and fitness. Furthermore, most studies gauge individual stress responses based on a single physiological biomarker, typically circulating glucocorticoid concentrations, which limits interpretation of the complex, multifaceted responses of individuals to stressors. We selected four physiological biomarkers to capture short-term and prolonged stress responses in a widespread cave-roosting bat, Hipposideros diadema, across multiple gradients of human disturbance in and around caves in the Philippines. We used conditional inference trees and random forest analysis to determine the role of environmental quality (cave complexity, available roosting area), assemblage composition (intra- and interspecific associations and species richness), and intrinsic characteristics of individuals (sex and reproductive status) in modulating responses to disturbance. Direct cave disturbance (hunting pressure and human visitation) was the primary driver of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios, with lower ratios associated with increased disturbance, while context-specific factors were more important in explaining total leukocyte count, body condition, and ectoparasite load. Moreover, conditional inference trees revealed complex interactions among human disturbance and modulating factors. Cave complexity often ameliorated individual responses to human disturbance, whereas conspecific abundance often compounded responses. Our study demonstrates the importance of an integrated approach that incorporates environmental and biological context when identifying drivers of physiological responses, and that assesses responses to gradients of direct and indirect disturbance using multiple complementary biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendra L Phelps
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA. .,Southeast Asian Bat Conservation Research Unit, Lubbock, USA. .,EcoHealth Alliance, 460 West 34th Street, New York, NY, 10001, USA.
| | - Tigga Kingston
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA.,Southeast Asian Bat Conservation Research Unit, Lubbock, USA
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61
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Langenhof MR, Komdeur J. Why and how the early-life environment affects development of coping behaviours. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018; 72:34. [PMID: 29449757 PMCID: PMC5805793 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2452-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Revised: 01/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the ways in which individuals cope with threats, respond to challenges, make use of opportunities and mediate the harmful effects of their surroundings is important for predicting their ability to function in a rapidly changing world. Perhaps one of the most essential drivers of coping behaviour of adults is the environment experienced during their early-life development. Although the study of coping, defined as behaviours displayed in response to environmental challenges, has a long and rich research history in biology, recent literature has repeatedly pointed out that the processes through which coping behaviours develop in individuals are still largely unknown. In this review, we make a move towards integrating ultimate and proximate lines of coping behaviour research. After broadly defining coping behaviours (1), we review why, from an evolutionary perspective, the development of coping has become tightly linked to the early-life environment (2), which relevant developmental processes are most important in creating coping behaviours adjusted to the early-life environment (3), which influences have been shown to impact those developmental processes (4) and what the adaptive significance of intergenerational transmission of coping behaviours is, in the context of behavioural adaptations to a fast changing world (5). Important concepts such as effects of parents, habitat, nutrition, social group and stress are discussed using examples from empirical studies on mammals, fish, birds and other animals. In the discussion, we address important problems that arise when studying the development of coping behaviours and suggest solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Rohaa Langenhof
- Behavioural Physiology and Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Behavioural Physiology and Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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62
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Geffroy B, Sadoul B, Bouchareb A, Prigent S, Bourdineaud JP, Gonzalez-Rey M, Morais RN, Mela M, Nobre Carvalho L, Bessa E. Nature-Based Tourism Elicits a Phenotypic Shift in the Coping Abilities of Fish. Front Physiol 2018; 9:13. [PMID: 29459828 PMCID: PMC5807742 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Nature-based tourism is gaining extensive popularity, increasing the intensity and frequency of human-wildlife contacts. As a consequence, behavioral and physiological alterations were observed in most exposed animals. However, while the majority of these studies investigated the effects of punctual exposure to tourists, the consequences of constant exposition to humans in the wild remains overlooked. This is an important gap considering the exponential interest for recreational outdoor activities. To infer long-term effects of intensive tourism, we capitalized on Odontostilbe pequira, a short-lived sedentary Tetra fish who spends its life close to humans, on which it feeds on dead skin. Hence, those fish are constantly exposed to tourists throughout their lifecycle. Here we provide an integrated picture of the whole phenomenon by investigating, for the first time, the expression of genes involved in stress response and neurogenesis, as well as behavioral and hormonal responses of animals consistently exposed to tourists. Gene expression of the mineralocorticoid (and cortisol) receptor (mr) and the neurogenic differentiation factor (NeuroD) were significantly higher in fish sampled in the touristic zone compared to those sampled in the control zone. Additionally, after a simulated stress in artificial and controlled conditions, those fish previously exposed to visitors produced more cortisol and presented increased behavioral signs of stress compared to their non-exposed conspecifics. Overall, nature-based tourism appeared to shift selection pressures, favoring a sensitive phenotype that does not thrive under natural conditions. The ecological implications of this change in coping style remain, nevertheless, an open question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Geffroy
- Center of Study of the Meridional Amazon, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Sinop, Brazil.,Institute of Biological, Human and Social Sciences, Federal University of Mato Grosso UFMT, Sinop, Brazil.,Ifremer, IRD, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR MARBEC, University of Montpellier, Palavas-Les-Flots, France
| | - Bastien Sadoul
- Ifremer, IRD, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR MARBEC, University of Montpellier, Palavas-Les-Flots, France.,Environmental Physiology and Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Amine Bouchareb
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sylvain Prigent
- Biogenouest, Biosit - UMS Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 3480/US INSERM 018, University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France
| | - Jean-Paul Bourdineaud
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5805, Aquatic Toxicology, University of Bordeaux, Arcachon, France
| | - Maria Gonzalez-Rey
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5805, Aquatic Toxicology, University of Bordeaux, Arcachon, France
| | - Rosana N Morais
- Department of Cellular Biology and Physiology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Maritana Mela
- Department of Cellular Biology and Physiology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Lucélia Nobre Carvalho
- Center of Study of the Meridional Amazon, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Sinop, Brazil.,Institute of Biological, Human and Social Sciences, Federal University of Mato Grosso UFMT, Sinop, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Bessa
- Graduate Program in Ecology, University of Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
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63
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Bötsch Y, Tablado Z, Jenni L. Experimental evidence of human recreational disturbance effects on bird-territory establishment. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.0846. [PMID: 28701563 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The worldwide increase in human outdoor activities raises concerns for wildlife. Human disturbances, even at low levels, are likely to impact species during sensitive periods of the annual cycle. However, experimental studies during the putative sensitive period of territory establishment of birds which not only investigate low disturbance levels, but which also exclude the effect of habitat modification (e.g. walking trails) are lacking. Here, we experimentally disturbed birds in forest plots by walking through twice a day during territory establishment. Later we compared the breeding bird community of experimentally disturbed plots with that of undisturbed control plots. We discovered that the number of territories (-15.0%) and species richness (-15.2%) in disturbed plots were substantially reduced compared with control plots. Species most affected included those sensitive to human presence (assessed by flight-initiation distances), open-cup nesters and above-ground foragers. Long-distance migrants, however, were unaffected due to their arrival after experimental disturbance took place. These findings highlight how territory establishment is a sensitive period for birds, when even low levels of human recreation may be perceived as threatening, and alter settlement decisions. This can have important implications for the conservation of species, which might go unnoticed when focusing only on already established birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves Bötsch
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland .,Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Zulima Tablado
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Jenni
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
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64
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65
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Mulero-Pázmány M, Jenni-Eiermann S, Strebel N, Sattler T, Negro JJ, Tablado Z. Unmanned aircraft systems as a new source of disturbance for wildlife: A systematic review. PLoS One 2017. [PMID: 28636611 PMCID: PMC5479521 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS; also known as “drones”) for professional and personal-leisure use is increasing enormously. UAS operate at low altitudes (<500 m) and in any terrain, thus they are susceptible to interact with local fauna, generating a new type of anthropogenic disturbance that has not been systematically evaluated. To address this gap, we performed a review of the existent literature about animals’ responses to UAS flights and conducted a pooled analysis of the data to determine the probability and intensity of the disturbance, and to identify the factors influencing animals’ reactions towards the small aircraft. We found that wildlife reactions depended on both the UAS attributes (flight pattern, engine type and size of aircraft) and the characteristics of animals themselves (type of animal, life-history stage and level of aggregation). Target-oriented flight patterns, larger UAS sizes, and fuel-powered (noisier) engines evoked the strongest reactions in wildlife. Animals during the non-breeding period and in large groups were more likely to show behavioral reactions to UAS, and birds are more prone to react than other taxa. We discuss the implications of these results in the context of wildlife disturbance and suggest guidelines for conservationists, users and manufacturers to minimize the impact of UAS. In addition, we propose that the legal framework needs to be adapted so that appropriate actions can be undertaken when wildlife is negatively affected by these emergent practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Mulero-Pázmány
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, Seville, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, Loja, Ecuador
- * E-mail:
| | | | | | | | - Juan José Negro
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, Seville, Spain
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66
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Finn HC, Stephens NS. The invisible harm: land clearing is an issue of animal welfare. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2017. [DOI: 10.1071/wr17018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Land clearing is a significant environmental issue in Australia and an area of active legislative reform. Despite evidence of the harm that land clearing causes to individual animals, such harm is either ignored or considered only indirectly in environmental decision-making. We argue that the harm that land clearing causes to animals ought to be identified and evaluated in decision-making relating to land clearing and consider the following three propositions in support: (1) land clearing causes deaths that are physically painful and psychologically distressing because of their traumatic and debilitating nature; (2) land clearing causes physical injuries, other pathological conditions, pain and psychological distress over a prolonged period as animals attempt to survive in the cleared environment or in the environments they are displaced to; and (3) on the basis of current clearing rates, more than 50million mammals, birds and reptiles are likely to be killed annually because of land clearing in Queensland and New South Wales. The scientific consensus about the harm caused by land clearing means that decisions to allow land clearing are decisions to allow most of the animals present to be killed and, as such, frameworks for decision-making ought to include proper evaluation of the harm to be imposed.
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67
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Remacha C, Delgado JA, Bulaic M, Pérez-Tris J. Human Disturbance during Early Life Impairs Nestling Growth in Birds Inhabiting a Nature Recreation Area. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0166748. [PMID: 27851816 PMCID: PMC5112931 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Nature recreation conflicts with conservation, but its impacts on wildlife are not fully understood. Where recreation is not regulated, visitors to natural areas may gather in large numbers on weekends and holidays. This may increase variance in fitness in wild populations, if individuals whose critical life cycle stages coincide with periods of high human disturbance are at a disadvantage. We studied nestling development of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) in a natural area where recreation activities intensify during weekends and other public holidays at picnic and leisure facilities, but not in the surrounding woods. In nests located near recreation facilities, blue tit nestlings that hatched during holidays developed slowly, and fledged with low body mass and poor body condition. However, nestlings that hatched outside of holidays and weekends in these nest boxes developed normally, eventually attaining similar phenotypes as those hatching in the surrounding woods. Within-brood variance in body mass was also higher in broods that began growing during holidays in disturbed areas. Our results show that early disturbance events may have negative consequences for wild birds if they overlap with critical stages of development, unveiling otherwise cryptic impacts of human activities. These new findings may help managers better regulate nature recreation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Remacha
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Ecology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Mateja Bulaic
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Pérez-Tris
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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68
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Kays R, Parsons AW, Baker MC, Kalies EL, Forrester T, Costello R, Rota CT, Millspaugh JJ, McShea WJ. Does hunting or hiking affect wildlife communities in protected areas? J Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Roland Kays
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences 11 West Jones St Raleigh NC 27601 USA
- Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources North Carolina State University Raleigh NC 27695 USA
- Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History 10th & Constitution Av NW Washington DC 20560 USA
| | - Arielle W. Parsons
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences 11 West Jones St Raleigh NC 27601 USA
| | - Megan C. Baker
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute 1500 Remount Rd. Front Royal VA 22630 USA
| | | | - Tavis Forrester
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute 1500 Remount Rd. Front Royal VA 22630 USA
| | - Robert Costello
- Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History 10th & Constitution Av NW Washington DC 20560 USA
| | - Christopher T. Rota
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences University of Missouri Columbia MO 65203 USA
- Division of Forestry and Natural Resources Wildlife and Fisheries Resources Program West Virginia University Morgantown WV 26506 USA
| | - Joshua J. Millspaugh
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences University of Missouri Columbia MO 65203 USA
| | - William J. McShea
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute 1500 Remount Rd. Front Royal VA 22630 USA
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Pasinelli G, Grendelmeier A, Gerber M, Arlettaz R. Rodent-avoidance, topography and forest structure shape territory selection of a forest bird. BMC Ecol 2016; 16:24. [PMID: 27160928 PMCID: PMC4860761 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-016-0078-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 04/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding the factors underlying habitat selection is important in ecological and evolutionary contexts, and crucial for developing targeted conservation action in threatened species. However, the key factors associated to habitat selection often remain poorly known. We evaluated hypotheses related to abiotic and biotic factors thought to affect territory selection of the wood warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix, a passerine living in an unpredictable environment owing to irregular rodent outbreaks and showing long-term declines particularly in Western Europe. Results Comparing breeding territories to unoccupied areas located close-by revealed that territory occupancy in north-western Switzerland was positively related to slope steepness (topographic hypothesis supported) as well as to numbers of tussocks and trees, respectively, while it showed a unimodal relationship to cover of herb layer (forest structure hypothesis supported). Furthermore, a strong negative correlation between breeding territory occupancy and rodent numbers was found, suggesting that wood warblers avoid areas with high rodent densities (rodent-avoidance hypothesis supported). Comparing breeding territories to abandoned territories showed that breeding territories were located on steeper slopes (topography hypothesis supported), at larger distance from the forest edge (anthropogenic disturbance hypothesis supported) and harboured more trees (forest structure hypothesis supported) than abandoned territories. Conclusions Aside from structural and topographic features of the habitat, wood warblers are affected by rodent numbers when settling, making habitat selection unpredictable from year to year. Forestry practices promoting relatively high tree densities, few bushes and an intermediate low-growing ground vegetation cover would enhance habitat quality for this declining passerine. In contrast, forestry practices aiming at increasing light in forests (selective thinning, group-felling) or keeping forest stands permanently covered with shrubs, bushes and trees of various sizes (continuous cover forestry) do not benefit the wood warbler. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12898-016-0078-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilberto Pasinelli
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland. .,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Alex Grendelmeier
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland.,Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Michael Gerber
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Schweizer Vogelschutz SVS/BirdLife Schweiz, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Raphaël Arlettaz
- Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Swiss Ornithological Institute, Valais Field Station, Sion, Switzerland
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