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Prima MC, Garel M, Marchand P, Redcliffe J, Börger L, Barnier F. Combined effects of landscape fragmentation and sampling frequency of movement data on the assessment of landscape connectivity. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:63. [PMID: 39252118 PMCID: PMC11385819 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00492-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Network theory is largely applied in real-world systems to assess landscape connectivity using empirical or theoretical networks. Empirical networks are usually built from discontinuous individual movement trajectories without knowing the effect of relocation frequency on the assessment of landscape connectivity while theoretical networks generally rely on simple movement rules. We investigated the combined effects of relocation sampling frequency and landscape fragmentation on the assessment of landscape connectivity using simulated trajectories and empirical high-resolution (1 Hz) trajectories of Alpine ibex (Capra ibex). We also quantified the capacity of commonly used theoretical networks to accurately predict landscape connectivity from multiple movement processes. METHODS We simulated forager trajectories from continuous correlated biased random walks in simulated landscapes with three levels of landscape fragmentation. High-resolution ibex trajectories were reconstructed using GPS-enabled multi-sensor biologging data and the dead-reckoning technique. For both simulated and empirical trajectories, we generated spatial networks from regularly resampled trajectories and assessed changes in their topology and information loss depending on the resampling frequency and landscape fragmentation. We finally built commonly used theoretical networks in the same landscapes and compared their predictions to actual connectivity. RESULTS We demonstrated that an accurate assessment of landscape connectivity can be severely hampered (e.g., up to 66% of undetected visited patches and 29% of spurious links) when the relocation frequency is too coarse compared to the temporal dynamics of animal movement. However, the level of landscape fragmentation and underlying movement processes can both mitigate the effect of relocation sampling frequency. We also showed that network topologies emerging from different movement behaviours and a wide range of landscape fragmentation were complex, and that commonly used theoretical networks accurately predicted only 30-50% of landscape connectivity in such environments. CONCLUSIONS Very high-resolution trajectories were generally necessary to accurately identify complex network topologies and avoid the generation of spurious information on landscape connectivity. New technologies providing such high-resolution datasets over long periods should thus grow in the movement ecology sphere. In addition, commonly used theoretical models should be applied with caution to the study of landscape connectivity in real-world systems as they did not perform well as predictive tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Caroline Prima
- PatriNat (OFB - MNHN), 75005, Paris, France.
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Direction de la Recherche et de l'Appui Scientifique, Service Anthropisation et Fonctionnement des Ecosystèmes Terrestres, 38610, Gières, France.
| | - Mathieu Garel
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Direction de la Recherche et de l'Appui Scientifique, Service Anthropisation et Fonctionnement des Ecosystèmes Terrestres, 38610, Gières, France
| | - Pascal Marchand
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Direction de la Recherche et de l'Appui Scientifique, Service Anthropisation et Fonctionnement des Ecosystèmes Terrestres, 34990, Juvignac, France
| | - James Redcliffe
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, SA15HF, UK
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, SA15HF, UK
- Centre for Biomathematics, Swansea University, Swansea, SA15HF, UK
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Maltman JC, Coops NC, Rickbeil GJM, Hermosilla T, Burton AC. Quantifying forest disturbance regimes within caribou (Rangifer tarandus) range in British Columbia. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6520. [PMID: 38499725 PMCID: PMC10948814 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56943-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Habitat disturbance is a major driver of the decline of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Canada. Different disturbance agents and regimes negatively impact caribou populations to different degrees. It is therefore critical that land managers and scientists studying caribou have a detailed understanding of the disturbance regimes affecting caribou habitat. In this work we use recent advances in satellite-based disturbance detection to quantify polygonal forest disturbance regimes affecting caribou ecotypes and herds in British Columbia (BC) from 1985 to 2019. Additionally, we utilize this data to investigate harvesting rates since the implementation of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and publication of recovery strategies for caribou in BC. Southern Mountain caribou herds are the most threatened yet experienced the highest rates of disturbance, with 22.75% of forested habitat within their ranges disturbed during the study period. Over the study period, we found that in total, 16.4% of forested area was disturbed across all caribou herd ranges. Our findings indicate that caribou in BC face high, and in many cases increasing, levels of habitat disturbance. Our results provide a detailed understanding of the polygonal disturbance regimes affecting caribou in BC at the herd scale, and highlight the need for effective implementation of policies aimed at preserving caribou habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C Maltman
- Department of Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Nicholas C Coops
- Department of Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Gregory J M Rickbeil
- Ecofish Research, Suite 303-2012 Washington Street, Rossland, BC, V0G 1Y0, Canada
| | - Txomin Hermosilla
- Canadian Forest Service (Pacific Forestry Centre), Natural Resources Canada, 506 West Burnside Road, Victoria, BC, V8Z 1M5, Canada
| | - A Cole Burton
- Department of Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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St-Laurent MH, Boulanger Y, Cyr D, Manka F, Drapeau P, Gauthier S. Lowering the rate of timber harvesting to mitigate impacts of climate change on boreal caribou habitat quality in eastern Canada. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156244. [PMID: 35636534 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Many boreal populations of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) have declined in Canada, a trend essentially driven by the increasing footprint of anthropogenic disturbances and the resulting habitat-mediated apparent competition that increases predation pressure. However, the influence of climate change on these ecological processes remains poorly understood. We evaluated how climate change will affect boreal caribou habitat over the 2030-2100 horizon and in a 9.94 Mha study area, using a climate-sensitive simulation ensemble that integrates climate-induced changes in stand dynamics, fire regime, and different levels of commercial timber harvesting. We assessed the relative importance of these three drivers under projections made using different radiative forcing scenarios (RCP 2.6, 4.5, 8.5). Habitat quality was estimated from resource selection functions built with telemetry data collected from 121 caribou between 2004 and 2011 in 7 local populations. At the beginning of our simulations, caribou habitat was already structured along a south-to-north increasing quality gradient. Simulations revealed changes in forest cover that are driven by climate-induced variations in fire regime and scenarios of harvesting levels, resulting in the loss of older coniferous forests and an increase in deciduous stands. These changes induced a generalized decrease in the average habitat quality and in the percentage of high-quality habitat for caribou, and in a northward recession of suitable habitat. Timber harvesting was the most important agent of change for the 2030-2050 horizon, although it was slowly replaced by changes in fire regime until 2100. Our results clearly showed that it is possible to maintain the current average habitat quality for caribou in future scenarios that consider a reduction in harvested volumes, the only lever under our control. This suggests that we still have the capacity to conciliate socioeconomic development and caribou conservation imperatives in the face of climate change, an important issue debated throughout the species distribution range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin-Hugues St-Laurent
- Département de biologie, chimie et géographie, Centre for Forest Research, Centre for Northern Studies, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, Québec G5L 3A1, Canada.
| | - Yan Boulanger
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, 1055 rue du P.E.P.S., P.O. Box 10380, Stn. Sainte-Foy, Québec, Québec G1V 4C7, Canada
| | - Dominic Cyr
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Science and Technology Branch, 351 Boulevard Saint-Joseph, Gatineau, Quebec J8Y 3Z5, Canada
| | - Francis Manka
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, 1055 rue du P.E.P.S., P.O. Box 10380, Stn. Sainte-Foy, Québec, Québec G1V 4C7, Canada
| | - Pierre Drapeau
- Département des sciences biologiques, Centre for Forest Research, UQAT-UQAM Research Chair in Sustainable Forest Management, Université du Québec à Montréal, 141 Avenue du Président-Kennedy, Montréal, Québec H2X 1Y4, Canada
| | - Sylvie Gauthier
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, 1055 rue du P.E.P.S., P.O. Box 10380, Stn. Sainte-Foy, Québec, Québec G1V 4C7, Canada
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Lacerte R, Leblond M, St-Laurent MH. End of the road: Short-term responses of a large mammal community to forest road decommissioning. J Nat Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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5
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Donovan VM, Dwinnell SPH, Beck JL, Roberts CP, Clapp JG, Hiatt GS, Monteith KL, Twidwell D. Fire-driven landscape heterogeneity shapes habitat selection of bighorn sheep. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Patterns in disturbance severity and time since fire can drive landscape heterogeneity that is critical to conservation; however, there is limited understanding of how wildlife interact with the spatial–temporal complexities of disturbance outcomes and at what scales. We conducted multiscale modeling of habitat selection for male and female Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) over an 8-year period. We aimed to identify the spatial scales at which bighorn sheep responded to various habitat features and determine how fire severity and time since fire can shape habitat selection by bighorn sheep over different seasons and between sexes. With the exception of litter cover, spatial scales that extended beyond the finest spatial grain (i.e., a 30-m pixel) to include the surrounding landscape were better at predicting habitat selection. Escape terrain, elevation, fire severity, year, perennial and annual forb and grass cover, and shrub cover occurred in every best-supported model. Associations with escape terrain, elevation, and perennial and annual forb and grass cover varied by sex and season. In contrast, bighorn sheep were consistently positively associated with low- and high-severity fire. Females increased use of low- and high-severity burned areas with greater time since fire, while males tended to decrease use of areas that burned at high severity with greater time since fire. Our results support the importance of landscape heterogeneity created by fire severity and time since fire for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and reinforces calls to integrate disturbance-driven heterogeneity into our assessments and management of wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria M Donovan
- Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 66583-0915, USA
| | - Samantha P H Dwinnell
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 804 East Fremont Street, Laramie, WY 82072, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Beck
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, 1000 E University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Caleb P Roberts
- Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 66583-0915, USA
| | - Justin G Clapp
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, State of Wyoming, 260 Buena Vista Drive, Lander, WY 82520, USA
| | - Greg S Hiatt
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, State of Wyoming, P.O. Box 186, Sinclair, WY 82334, USA
| | - Kevin L Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 804 East Fremont Street, Laramie, WY 82072, USA
| | - Dirac Twidwell
- Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 66583-0915, USA
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Morin SJ, Bowman J, Marrotte RR, Fortin M. Fine-scale habitat selection by sympatric Canada lynx and bobcat. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:9396-9409. [PMID: 32953069 PMCID: PMC7487242 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and the bobcat (Lynx rufus) are closely related species with overlap at their range peripheries, but the factors that limit each species and the interactions between them are not well understood. Habitat selection is a hierarchical process, in which selection at higher orders (geographic range, home range) may constrain selection at lower orders (within the home range). Habitat selection at a very fine scale within the home range has been less studied for both lynx and bobcat compared to selection at broader spatiotemporal scales. To compare this fourth-order habitat selection by the two species in an area of sympatry, we tracked lynx and bobcat during the winters of 2017 and 2018 on the north shore of Lake Huron, Ontario. We found that both lynx and bobcat selected shallower snow, higher snowshoe hare abundance, and higher amounts of coniferous forest at the fourth order. However, the two species were spatially segregated at the second order, and lynx were found in areas with deeper snow, more snowshoe hare, and more coniferous forest. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that the lynx and bobcat select different resources at the second order, assorting along an environmental gradient in the study area, and that competition is unlikely to be occurring between the two species at finer scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J. Morin
- Environmental & Life Sciences Graduate ProgramTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Jeff Bowman
- Environmental & Life Sciences Graduate ProgramTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources & ForestryWildlife Research & Monitoring SectionTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Robby R. Marrotte
- Environmental & Life Sciences Graduate ProgramTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Marie‐Josée Fortin
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
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7
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Prima M, Duchesne T, Fortin A, Rivest L, Drapeau P, St‐Laurent M, Fortin D. A landscape experiment of spatial network robustness and space‐use reorganization following habitat fragmentation. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Thierry Duchesne
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics Université Laval Québec QC Canada
| | - André Fortin
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics Université Laval Québec QC Canada
| | - Louis‐Paul Rivest
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics Université Laval Québec QC Canada
| | - Pierre Drapeau
- Department of Biological Sciences Université du Québec à Montréal Montréal QC Canada
| | - Martin‐Hugues St‐Laurent
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and Geography Université du Québec à Rimouski Rimouski QC Canada
| | - Daniel Fortin
- Department of Biology Université Laval Québec QC Canada
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McMahon LA, Rachlow JL, Shipley LA, Forbey JS, Johnson TR. Habitat selection differs across hierarchical behaviors: selection of patches and intensity of patch use. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Laura A. McMahon
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow Idaho USA
| | - Janet L. Rachlow
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow Idaho USA
| | - Lisa A. Shipley
- School of the Environment Washington State University Pullman Washington USA
| | - Jennifer S. Forbey
- Department of Biological Sciences Boise State University Boise Idaho USA
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9
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Donovan VM, Brown GS, Mallory FF. The impacts of forest management strategies for woodland caribou vary across biogeographic gradients. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0170759. [PMID: 28234901 PMCID: PMC5325202 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss or alteration of forest ecosystems due to anthropogenic activities has prompted the need for mitigation measures aimed at protecting habitat for forest-dependent wildlife. Understanding how wildlife respond to such management efforts is essential for achieving conservation targets. Boreal caribou are a species of conservation concern due to the impacts of human induced habitat alteration; however the effects of habitat management activities are poorly understood. We assessed the relationship between large scale patterns in forest harvesting and caribou spatial behaviours over a 20-year period, spanning a change in forest management intended to protect caribou habitat. Caribou range size, fidelity, and proximity to forest harvests were assessed in relation to change in harvest patterns through time and across two landscapes that varied widely in natural disturbance and community dynamics. We observed up to 89% declines in total area harvested within our study areas, with declining harvest size and aggregation. These landscape outcomes were coincident with caribou exhibiting greater fidelity and spacing farther away from disturbances at smaller scales, hypothesized to be beneficial for acquiring food and avoiding predators. Contrary to our expectation that the large scale maintenance of habitat patches would permit caribou to space away from disturbance, their proximity to harvest blocks at the population range scale did not decrease through time, suggesting that movement toward landscape recovery for caribou in previously harvested regions will likely stretch over multiple decades. Caribou spatial behaviours varied across the two landscapes independently of forest management. Our study underlines the importance of understanding both changes in industry demands, as well as natural landscape variation in habitat when managing wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Glen S. Brown
- Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry c/o Trent University, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Frank F. Mallory
- Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
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10
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MacNearney D, Pigeon K, Stenhouse G, Nijland W, Coops NC, Finnegan L. Heading for the hills? Evaluating spatial distribution of woodland caribou in response to a growing anthropogenic disturbance footprint. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:6484-6509. [PMID: 27777724 PMCID: PMC5058522 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Revised: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic landscape change (i.e., disturbance) is recognized as an important factor in the decline and extirpation of wildlife populations. Understanding and monitoring the relationship between wildlife distribution and disturbance is necessary for effective conservation planning. Many studies consider disturbance as a covariate explaining wildlife behavior. However, we propose that there are several advantages to considering the spatial relationship between disturbance and wildlife directly using utilization distributions (UDs), including objective assessment of the spatially explicit overlap between wildlife and disturbance, and the ability to track trends in this relationship over time. Here, we examined how central mountain woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) distribution changed over time in relation to (i) anthropogenic disturbance, baseline range (defined using telemetry data from 1998 to 2005), and alpine habitat; and (ii) interannual climate variation (North Pacific Index; NPI). We developed seasonal UDs for caribou in west‐central Alberta and east‐central British Columbia, Canada, monitored with GPS collars between 1998 and 2013. We mapped the cumulative annual density of disturbance features within caribou range and used indices of overlap to determine the spatial relationship and trend between caribou UDs, anthropogenic disturbance, baseline range, alpine habitat, and the NPI. Anthropogenic disturbance increased over time, but the overlap between caribou UDs and disturbance did not. Caribou use of alpine habitat during spring, fall, and late winter increased over time, concurrent with a decrease in use of baseline range. Overlap between caribou UDs and disturbance increased during spring and fall following relatively cold, snowy winters (high NPI), but overall, climate did not explain changes in caribou distribution over time. We provide evidence supporting the hypothesis that caribou populations adjust their spatial distribution in relation to anthropogenic landscape change. Our findings could have implications for population persistence if distributional shifts result in greater use of alpine habitat during winter. Monitoring long‐term changes in the distribution of populations is a valuable component of conservation planning for species at risk in disturbed landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karine Pigeon
- fRI Research Caribou Program Hinton Alberta Canada; fRI Research Grizzly Bear Program Hinton Alberta Canada
| | | | - Wiebe Nijland
- Department of Forest Resources Management Faculty of Forestry University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada
| | - Nicholas C Coops
- Department of Forest Resources Management Faculty of Forestry University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada
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11
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Yannic G, St-Laurent MH, Ortego J, Taillon J, Beauchemin A, Bernatchez L, Dussault C, Côté SD. Integrating ecological and genetic structure to define management units for caribou in Eastern Canada. CONSERV GENET 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-015-0795-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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12
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Yannic G, Pellissier L, Le Corre M, Dussault C, Bernatchez L, Côté SD. Temporally dynamic habitat suitability predicts genetic relatedness among caribou. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 281:rspb.2014.0502. [PMID: 25122223 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Landscape heterogeneity plays a central role in shaping ecological and evolutionary processes. While species utilization of the landscape is usually viewed as constant within a year, the spatial distribution of individuals is likely to vary in time in relation to particular seasonal needs. Understanding temporal variation in landscape use and genetic connectivity has direct conservation implications. Here, we modelled the daily use of the landscape by caribou in Quebec and Labrador, Canada and tested its ability to explain the genetic relatedness among individuals. We assessed habitat selection using locations of collared individuals in migratory herds and static occurrences from sedentary groups. Connectivity models based on habitat use outperformed a baseline isolation-by-distance model in explaining genetic relatedness, suggesting that variations in landscape features such as snow, vegetation productivity and land use modulate connectivity among populations. Connectivity surfaces derived from habitat use were the best predictors of genetic relatedness. The relationship between connectivity surface and genetic relatedness varied in time and peaked during the rutting period. Landscape permeability in the period of mate searching is especially important to allow gene flow among populations. Our study highlights the importance of considering temporal variations in habitat selection for optimizing connectivity across heterogeneous landscape and counter habitat fragmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn Yannic
- Caribou Ungava, Département de Biologie and Centre d'Etudes Nordiques, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, Québec, Canada G1V 0A6 Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Pavillon Charles-Eugène-Marchand, Québec, Québec, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Loïc Pellissier
- Department of Biology Unit of Ecology and Evolution, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Maël Le Corre
- Caribou Ungava, Département de Biologie and Centre d'Etudes Nordiques, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, Québec, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Christian Dussault
- Direction de la Faune Terrestre et de l'Avifaune, Ministère du Développement Durable, de l'Environnement, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec, 880 chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec, Québec, Canada G1S 4X4
| | - Louis Bernatchez
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Pavillon Charles-Eugène-Marchand, Québec, Québec, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Steeve D Côté
- Caribou Ungava, Département de Biologie and Centre d'Etudes Nordiques, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, Québec, Canada G1V 0A6
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13
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Beauchesne D, Jaeger JAG, St-Laurent MH. Disentangling woodland caribou movements in response to clearcuts and roads across temporal scales. PLoS One 2013; 8:e77514. [PMID: 24223713 PMCID: PMC3818373 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although prey species typically respond to the most limiting factors at coarse spatiotemporal scales while addressing biological requirements at finer scales, such behaviour may become challenging for species inhabiting human altered landscapes. We investigated how woodland caribou, a threatened species inhabiting North-American boreal forests, modified their fine-scale movements when confronted with forest management features (i.e. clearcuts and roads). We used GPS telemetry data collected between 2004 and 2010 on 49 female caribou in a managed area in Québec, Canada. Movements were studied using a use--availability design contrasting observed steps (i.e. line connecting two consecutive locations) with random steps (i.e. proxy of immediate habitat availability). Although caribou mostly avoided disturbances, individuals nonetheless modulated their fine-scale response to disturbances on a daily and annual basis, potentially compromising between risk avoidance in periods of higher vulnerability (i.e. calving, early and late winter) during the day and foraging activities in periods of higher energy requirements (i.e. spring, summer and rut) during dusk/dawn and at night. The local context in which females moved was shown to influence their decision to cross clearcut edges and roads. Indeed, although females typically avoided crossing clearcut edges and roads at low densities, crossing rates were found to rapidly increase in greater disturbance densities. In some instance, however, females were less likely to cross edges and roads as densities increased. Females may then be trapped and forced to use disturbed habitats, known to be associated with higher predation risk. We believe that further increases in anthropogenic disturbances could exacerbate such behavioural responses and ultimately lead to population level consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Beauchesne
- Department of Geography, Planning and Environment & Centre for Northern Studies, Concordia University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Jochen AG. Jaeger
- Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Concordia University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Martin-Hugues St-Laurent
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Centre for Northern Studies & Centre for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Canada
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