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Otte PJ, Cromsigt JPGM, Smit C, Hofmeester TR. Snow cover-related camouflage mismatch increases detection by predators. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 341:327-337. [PMID: 38247310 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Camouflage expressed by animals is an adaptation to local environments that certain animals express to maximize survival and fitness. Animals at higher latitudes change their coat color according to a seasonally changing environment, expressing a white coat in winter and a darker coat in summer. The timing of molting is tightly linked to the appearance and disappearance of snow and is mainly regulated by photoperiod. However, due to climate change, an increasing mismatch is observed between the coat color of these species and their environment. Here, we conducted an experiment in northern Sweden, with white and brown decoys to study how camouflage (mis)-match influenced (1) predator attraction to decoys, and (2) predation events. Using camera trap data, we showed that mismatching decoys attracted more predators and experienced a higher likelihood of predation events in comparison to matching decoys, suggesting that camouflage mismatched animals experience increased detection by predators. These results provide insight into the function of a seasonal color coat and the need for this adaptation to maximize fitness in an environment that is exposed to high seasonality. Thus, our results suggest that, with increasing climate change and reduced snow cover, animals expressing a seasonal color coat will experience a decrease in survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter J Otte
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Joris P G M Cromsigt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Zoology, Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa
| | - Christian Smit
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tim R Hofmeester
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
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Anderson DP, Rouco C, Latham MC, Warburton B. Understanding spatially explicit capture–recapture parameters for informing invasive animal management. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Carlos Rouco
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Lincoln New Zealand
- Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology University of Cordoba Córdoba Spain
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3
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Oñate-Casado J, Porteš M, Beran V, Petrusek A, Petrusková T. An experience to remember: lifelong effects of playback-based trapping on behaviour of a migratory passerine bird. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Andrewartha TA, Evans MJ, Batson WG, Manning AD, Price C, Gordon IJ, Barton PS. Outfoxing the fox: Effect of prey odor on fox behavior in a pastoral landscape. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tim A. Andrewartha
- Fenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University Acton Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Maldwyn J. Evans
- Fenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University Acton Australian Capital Territory Australia
- Department of Ecosystem Studies, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan
| | - William G. Batson
- Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary ACT Parks and Conservation Service Forde Australian Capital Territory Australia
- Capital Woodlands and Wetlands Conservation Trust Forde Australian Capital Territory Australia
- NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Blue Mountains Branch Blackheath New South Wales Australia
| | - Adrian D. Manning
- Fenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University Acton Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Catherine Price
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Iain J. Gordon
- Fenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University Acton Australian Capital Territory Australia
- Division of Tropical Environments & Societies James Cook University Townsville Queensland Australia
- The James Hutton Institute Cragiebuckler, Aberdeen Scotland UK
- Land & Water, CSIRO Townsville Australia
| | - Philip S. Barton
- Fenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University Acton Australian Capital Territory Australia
- School of Science, Psychology and Sport Federation University Australia, University Drive Mount Helen Victoria Australia
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Norbury GL, Price CJ, Latham MC, Brown SJ, Latham ADM, Brownstein GE, Ricardo HC, McArthur NJ, Banks PB. Misinformation tactics protect rare birds from problem predators. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/11/eabe4164. [PMID: 33692107 PMCID: PMC7946364 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe4164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Efficient decision-making integrates previous experience with new information. Tactical use of misinformation can alter choice in humans. Whether misinformation affects decision-making in other free-living species, including problem species, is unknown. Here, we show that sensory misinformation tactics can reduce the impacts of predators on vulnerable bird populations as effectively as lethal control. We repeatedly exposed invasive mammalian predators to unprofitable bird odors for 5 weeks before native shorebirds arrived for nesting and for 8 weeks thereafter. Chick production increased 1.7-fold at odor-treated sites over 25 to 35 days, with doubled or tripled odds of successful hatching, resulting in a 127% increase in modeled population size in 25 years. We demonstrate that decision-making processes that respond to changes in information reliability are vulnerable to tactical manipulation by misinformation. Altering perceptions of prey availability offers an innovative, nonlethal approach to managing problem predators and improving conservation outcomes for threatened species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant L Norbury
- Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, Alexandra 9340, New Zealand.
| | - Catherine J Price
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Nikki J McArthur
- Wildlife Management International Ltd., Blenheim 7201, New Zealand
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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Klug PE, Yackel Adams AA, Reed RN. Olfactory lures in predator control do not increase predation risk to birds in areas of conservation concern. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/wr21022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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7
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Management Policies for Invasive Alien Species: Addressing the Impacts Rather than the Species. Bioscience 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Effective long-term management is needed to address the impacts of invasive alien species (IAS) that cannot be eradicated. We describe the fundamental characteristics of long-term management policies for IAS, diagnose a major shortcoming, and outline how to produce effective IAS management. Key international and transnational management policies conflate addressing IAS impacts with controlling IAS populations. This serious purpose–implementation gap can preclude the development of broader portfolios of interventions to tackle IAS impacts. We posit that IAS management strategies should directly address impacts via impact-based interventions, and we propose six criteria to inform the choice of these interventions. We review examples of interventions focused on tackling IAS impacts, including IAS control, which reveal the range of interventions available and their varying effectiveness in counteracting IAS impacts. As the impacts caused by IAS increase globally, stakeholders need to have access to a broader and more effective set of tools to respond.
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Price CJ, Banks PB, Brown S, Latham MC, Latham ADM, Pech RP, Norbury GL. Invasive mammalian predators habituate to and generalize avian prey cues: a mechanism for conserving native prey. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 30:e02200. [PMID: 32573866 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Invasive mammalian predators can cause the decline and extinction of vulnerable native species. Many invasive mammalian predators are dietary generalists that hunt a variety of prey. These predators often rely upon olfaction when foraging, particularly at night. Little is understood about how prey odor cues are used to inform foraging decisions. Prey cues can vary spatially and temporally in their association with prey and can either reveal the location of prey or lead to unsuccessful foraging. Here we examine how two wild-caught invasive mammalian bird predator species (European hedgehogs Erinaceus europaeus and ferrets Mustela putorius furo) respond to unrewarded bird odors over successive exposures, first demonstrating that the odors are perceptually different using house mice (Mus musculus) as a biological olfactometer. We aim to test if introduced predators categorize odor cues of similar prey together, a tactic that could increase foraging efficiency. We exposed house mice to the odors using a standard habituation/dishabituation test in a laboratory setting, and wild-caught European hedgehogs and ferrets in an outdoor enclosure using a similar procedure. Mice discriminated among all bird odors presented, showing more interest in chicken odor than quail or gull odor. Both predator species showed a decline in interest toward unrewarded prey odor (i.e., habituation), but only ferrets generalized their response from one unrewarded bird odor to another bird odor. Hedgehog responses to unrewarded bird odors were highly variable between individuals. Taken together, our results reveal interspecific and intraspecific differences in response to prey odors, which we argue are a consequence of different diet breadth, life and evolutionary histories, and the conditions in each experiment. Generalization of prey odors may have enabled some species of invasive predators to efficiently hunt a range of intraguild prey species, for example, ground-nesting shorebirds. Olfactory manipulation of predators may be a useful conservation tool for threatened prey if it reduces the conspicuousness of vulnerable prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine J Price
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Samantha Brown
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
| | - M Cecilia Latham
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
| | - A David M Latham
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
| | - Roger P Pech
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
| | - Grant L Norbury
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, PO Box 282, Alexandra, 9340, New Zealand
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Garvey PM, Banks PB, Suraci JP, Bodey TW, Glen AS, Jones CJ, McArthur C, Norbury GL, Price CJ, Russell JC, Sih A. Leveraging Motivations, Personality, and Sensory Cues for Vertebrate Pest Management. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:990-1000. [PMID: 32900547 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Managing vertebrate pests is a global conservation challenge given their undesirable socio-ecological impacts. Pest management often focuses on the 'average' individual, neglecting individual-level behavioural variation ('personalities') and differences in life histories. These differences affect pest impacts and modify attraction to, or avoidance of, sensory cues. Strategies targeting the average individual may fail to mitigate damage by 'rogues' (individuals causing disproportionate impact) or to target 'recalcitrants' (individuals avoiding standard control measures). Effective management leverages animal behaviours that relate primarily to four core motivations: feeding, fleeing, fighting, and fornication. Management success could be greatly increased by identifying and exploiting individual variation in motivations. We provide explicit suggestions for cue-based tools to manipulate these four motivators, thereby improving pest management outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M Garvey
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand.
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Justin P Suraci
- Centre for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Thomas W Bodey
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Alistair S Glen
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Private Bag 92170, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Chris J Jones
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand
| | - Clare McArthur
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Grant L Norbury
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand
| | - Catherine J Price
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - James C Russell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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