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Heddell-Stevens P, Jöris O, Britton K, Matthies T, Lucas M, Scott E, Le Roux P, Meller H, Roberts P. Multi-isotope reconstruction of Late Pleistocene large-herbivore biogeography and mobility patterns in Central Europe. Commun Biol 2024; 7:568. [PMID: 38745082 PMCID: PMC11094090 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06233-2] [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: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Interpretations of Late Pleistocene hominin adaptative capacities by archaeologists have focused heavily on their exploitation of certain prey and documented contemporary behaviours for these species. However, we cannot assume that animal prey-taxa ecology and ethology were the same in the past as in the present, or were constant over archaeological timescales. Sequential isotope analysis of herbivore teeth has emerged as a particularly powerful method of directly reconstructing diet, ecology and mobility patterns on sub-annual scales. Here, we apply 87Sr/86Sr isotope analysis, in combination with δ18O and δ13C isotope analysis, to sequentially sampled tooth enamel of prevalent herbivore species that populated Europe during the Last Glacial Period, including Rangifer tarandus, Equus sp. and Mammuthus primigenius. Our samples come from two open-air archaeological sites in Central Germany, Königsaue and Breitenbach, associated with Middle Palaeolithic and early Upper Palaeolithic cultures, respectively. We identify potential inter- and intra-species differences in range size and movement through time, contextualised through insights into diet and the wider environment. However, homogeneous bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr across large parts of the study region prevented the identification of specific migration routes. Finally, we discuss the possible influence of large-herbivore behaviour on hominin hunting decisions at the two sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe Heddell-Stevens
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany.
- Institute of Oriental Studies, Indo-European Studies, Prehistoric and Early Historical Archaeology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany.
| | - Olaf Jöris
- Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie (LEIZA), MONREPOS Archaeological Research Centre and Museum for Human Behavioural Evolution, Neuwied, Germany
- Institue of Ancient Studies, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Kate Britton
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tim Matthies
- Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie (LEIZA), MONREPOS Archaeological Research Centre and Museum for Human Behavioural Evolution, Neuwied, Germany
- Institue of Ancient Studies, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Mary Lucas
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Arctic University Museum of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Erin Scott
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | - Petrus Le Roux
- Department of Geosciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Harald Meller
- State Office for Heritage Management and Archeology Saxony-Anhalt - State Museum of Prehistory, Halle, Germany
| | - Patrick Roberts
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- School of Social Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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Madsen AE, Lyon BE, Chaine AS, Block TA, Shizuka D. Loss of flockmates weakens winter site fidelity in golden-crowned sparrows ( Zonotrichia atricapilla). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2219939120. [PMID: 37523568 PMCID: PMC10410770 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2219939120] [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: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal social interactions have an intrinsic spatial basis as many of these interactions occur in spatial proximity. This presents a dilemma when determining causality: Do individuals interact socially because they happen to share space, or do they share space because they are socially linked? We present a method that uses demographic turnover events as a natural experiment to investigate the links between social associations and space use in the context of interannual winter site fidelity in a migratory bird. We previously found that golden-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia atricapilla) show consistent flocking relationships across years, and that familiarity between individuals influences the dynamics of social competition over resources. Using long-term data on winter social and spatial behavior across 10 y, we show that i) sparrows exhibit interannual fidelity to winter home ranges on the scale of tens of meters and ii) the precision of interannual site fidelity increases with the number of winters spent, but iii) this fidelity is weakened when sparrows lose close flockmates from the previous year. Furthermore, the effect of flockmate loss on site fidelity was higher for birds that had returned in more than 2 winters, suggesting that social fidelity may play an increasingly important role on spatial behavior across the lifetime of this migratory bird. Our study provides evidence that social relationships can influence site fidelity, and shows the potential of long-term studies for disentangling the relationship between social and spatial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia E. Madsen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE68588
| | - Bruce E. Lyon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA90560
| | - Alexis S. Chaine
- Station d´Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale du Centre National de la Recerche Scientifique (UAR2029), Moulis09200, France
| | - Theadora A. Block
- Research Department, National Headquarters, Canine Companions for Independence, Santa Rosa, CA95407
| | - Daizaburo Shizuka
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE68588
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Le Corre M, Grimes V, Lam R, Britton K. Comparison between strip sampling and laser ablation methods to infer seasonal movements from intra-tooth strontium isotopes profiles in migratory caribou. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3621. [PMID: 36869076 PMCID: PMC9984400 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30222-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Strontium isotopes analysis is a powerful tool in the study of past animal movements, notably the sequential analysis of tooth enamel to reconstruct individual movements in a time-series. Compared to traditional solution analysis, high resolution sampling using laser-ablation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS) has the potential to reflect fine scale mobility. However, the averaging of the 87Sr/86Sr intake during the enamel mineralization process may limit fine scale inferences. We compared solution and LA-MC-ICP-MS 87Sr/86Sr intra-tooth profiles from the second and third molars of 5 caribou from the Western Arctic herd, Alaska. Profiles from both methods showed similar trends, reflecting the seasonal migratory movements, but LA-MC-ICP-MS profiles showed a less damped 87Sr/86Sr signal than solution profiles. Geographic assignments of the profile endmembers to the known summer and winter ranges were consistent between methods and with the expected timing of enamel formation but showed discrepancy at a finer scale. Variations on LA-MC-ICP-MS profiles, consistent with expected seasonal movements, suggested more than an admixture of the endmember values. However, more work in understanding enamel formation in Rangifer, and other ungulates, and how 87Sr/86Sr daily intake translates into enamel are needed to assess the real resolution that can be achieved with LA-MC-ICP-MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mael Le Corre
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB252SU, UK.
| | - Vaughan Grimes
- Department of Archaeology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
- Department of Earth Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Rebecca Lam
- CREAIT Network, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Kate Britton
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB252SU, UK.
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Miller JH, Wald EJ, Druckenmiller P. Shed female caribou antlers extend records of calving activity on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by millennia. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1059456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) have among the longest annual migrations of any terrestrial mammal as they move from winter ranges to spring calving grounds. Biomonitoring records indicate broad consistencies in calving geography across the last several decades, but how long have herds used particular calving grounds? Furthermore, how representative are modern patterns of calving geography to periods that pre-date recent climatic perturbations and increased anthropogenic stresses? While modern ecological datasets are not long enough to address these questions, bones from past generations of caribou lying on the tundra provide unique opportunities to study historical calving geography. This is possible because female caribou shed their antlers within days of giving birth, releasing a skeletal indicator of calving. Today, the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Alaska) is a key calving ground for the Porcupine Caribou Herd (PCH). To test the duration across which caribou have used this area as a calving ground, we radiocarbon dated three highly weathered female antlers collected from tundra surfaces on the Coastal Plain. Calibrated radiocarbon dates indicate that these antlers were shed between ~1,600 and more than 3,000 calendar years ago. The antiquity of these shed antlers provides the first physical evidence of calving activity on the PCH calving grounds from previous millennia, substantiating the long ecological legacy of the Coastal Plain as a caribou calving ground. Comparisons to published lake core records also reveal that dates of two of the antlers correspond to periods with average summer temperatures that were warmer than has been typical during the last several decades of biomonitoring. This finding expands the range of climatic settings in which caribou are known to use the current PCH calving grounds and suggests that the Coastal Plain of the Arctic Refuge may remain an important caribou calving ground during at least portions of predicted future warming. Discarded skeletal materials provide opportunities to assess the historical states of living populations, including aspects of reproductive biology and migration. Particularly in high-latitude settings, these insights can extend across millennia and offer rare glimpses into the past that can inform current and future management policies.
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Couriot OH, Cameron MD, Joly K, Adamczewski J, Campbell MW, Davison T, Gunn A, Kelly AP, Leblond M, Williams J, Fagan WF, Brose A, Gurarie E. Continental synchrony and local responses: Climatic effects on spatiotemporal patterns of calving in a social ungulate. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ophélie H. Couriot
- Department of Environmental Biology State University of New York ‐ College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
- Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park Maryland USA
- National Socio‐Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) Annapolis Maryland USA
| | - Matthew D. Cameron
- National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network Fairbanks Alaska USA
| | - Kyle Joly
- National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network Fairbanks Alaska USA
| | - Jan Adamczewski
- Wildlife Division, Environment and Natural Resources Government of Northwest Territories Yellowknife Northwest Territories Canada
| | - Mitch W. Campbell
- Department of Environment Government of Nunavut Arviat Nunavut Canada
| | - Tracy Davison
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources Government of the Northwest Territories Inuvik Northwest Territories Canada
| | - Anne Gunn
- Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park Maryland USA
- CARMA Salt Spring Island British Columbia Canada
| | - Allicia P. Kelly
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources Government of the Northwest Territories Fort Smith Northwest Territories Canada
| | - Mathieu Leblond
- Science and Technology Branch Environment and Climate Change Canada Ottawa Ontario Canada
| | - Judy Williams
- Wildlife Division, Environment and Natural Resources Government of Northwest Territories Yellowknife Northwest Territories Canada
| | - William F. Fagan
- Department of Environmental Biology State University of New York ‐ College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
- Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park Maryland USA
| | - Anna Brose
- Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park Maryland USA
| | - Eliezer Gurarie
- Department of Environmental Biology State University of New York ‐ College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
- Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park Maryland USA
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Prichard AK, Joly K, Parrett LS, Cameron MD, Hansen DA, Person BT. Achieving a representative sample of marked animals: a spatial approach to evaluating post‐capture randomization. WILDLIFE SOC B 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kyle Joly
- National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network 4175 Geist Road Fairbanks AK 99709 USA
| | - Lincoln S. Parrett
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game 1300 College Road Fairbanks AK 99701 USA
| | - Matthew D. Cameron
- National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network 4175 Geist Road Fairbanks AK 99709 USA
| | | | - Brian T. Person
- North Slope Borough, Department of Wildlife Management Utqiaġvik AK 99723 USA
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Palm EC, Suitor MJ, Joly K, Herriges JD, Kelly AP, Hervieux D, Russell KLM, Bentzen TW, Larter NC, Hebblewhite M. Increasing fire frequency and severity will increase habitat loss for a boreal forest indicator species. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2549. [PMID: 35094462 PMCID: PMC9286541 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Climate change will lead to more frequent and more severe fires in some areas of boreal forests, affecting the distribution and availability of late-successional forest communities. These forest communities help to protect globally significant carbon reserves beneath permafrost layers and provide habitat for many animal species, including forest-dwelling caribou. Many caribou populations are declining, yet the mechanisms by which changing fire regimes could affect caribou declines are poorly understood. We analyzed resource selection of 686 GPS-collared female caribou from three ecotypes and 15 populations in a ~600,000 km2 region of northwest Canada and eastern Alaska. These populations span a wide gradient of fire frequency but experience low levels of human-caused habitat disturbance. We used a mixed-effects modeling framework to characterize caribou resource selection in response to burns at different seasons and spatiotemporal scales, and to test for functional responses in resource selection to burn availability. We also tested mechanisms driving observed selection patterns using burn severity and lichen cover data. Caribou avoided burns more strongly during winter relative to summer and at larger spatiotemporal scales relative to smaller scales. During the winter, caribou consistently avoided burns at both spatiotemporal scales as burn availability increased, indicating little evidence of a functional response. However, they decreased their avoidance of burns during summer as burn availability increased. Burn availability explained more variation in caribou selection for burns than ecotype. Within burns, caribou strongly avoided severely burned areas in winter, and this avoidance lasted nearly 30 years after a fire. Caribou within burns also selected higher cover of terrestrial lichen (an important caribou food source). We found a negative relationship between burn severity and lichen cover, confirming that caribou avoidance of burns was consistent with lower lichen abundance. Consistent winter avoidance of burns and severely burned areas suggests that caribou will experience increasing winter habitat loss as fire frequency and severity increase. Our results highlight the potential for climate-induced alteration of natural disturbance regimes to affect boreal biodiversity through habitat loss. We suggest that management strategies prioritizing protection of core winter range habitat with lower burn probabilities would provide important climate-change refugia for caribou.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric C. Palm
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W. A. Franke College of Forestry and ConservationUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMontanaUSA
| | - Michael J. Suitor
- Department of EnvironmentYukon GovernmentDawson CityYukon TerritoriesCanada
| | - Kyle Joly
- Yukon‐Charley Rivers National Preserve, National Park ServiceFairbanksAlaskaUSA
| | | | - Allicia P. Kelly
- Department of Environment and Natural ResourcesGovernment of the Northwest TerritoriesFort SmithNorthwest TerritoriesCanada
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Alberta Environment and Parks − Operations DivisionGrande PrairieAlbertaCanada
| | | | | | - Nicholas C. Larter
- Department of Environment and Natural ResourcesGovernment of the Northwest TerritoriesFort SimpsonNorthwest TerritoriesCanada
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W. A. Franke College of Forestry and ConservationUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMontanaUSA
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Theoret J, Cavedon M, Hegel T, Hervieux D, Schwantje H, Steenweg R, Watters M, Musiani M. Seasonal movements in caribou ecotypes of Western Canada. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:12. [PMID: 35272704 PMCID: PMC8908644 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00312-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several migratory ungulates, including caribou, are dramatically declining. Caribou of the Barren-ground ecotype, which forms its own subspecies, are known to be mainly migratory. By contrast, within the Woodland subspecies, animals of the Boreal ecotype are known to be mainly sedentary, while those within the Northern and Central Mountain ecotypes to be partially migratory, with only some individuals migrating. Promotion of conservation actions (e.g., habitat protection) that are specific to both residents and migrants, as well as to the areas they frequent seasonally (which may be separate for migrants), requires distinguishing migration from other movement behaviours, which might be a challenge. METHODS We aimed at assessing seasonal movement behaviours, including migratory, resident, dispersing, and nomadic, for caribou belonging to the Barren-ground and Woodland subspecies and ecotypes. We examined seasonal displacement, both planar and altitudinal, and seasonal ranges overlap for 366 individuals that were GPS-collared in Northern and Western Canada. Lastly, we assessed the ability of caribou individuals to switch between migratory and non-migratory movement behaviours between years. RESULTS We detected migratory behaviour within each of the studied subspecies and ecotypes. However, seasonal ranges overlap (an index of sedentary behaviour) varied, with proportions of clear migrants (0 overlap) of 40.94% for Barren-ground caribou and 23.34% for Woodland caribou, and of 32.95%, 54.87%, and 8.86% for its Northern Mountain, Central Mountain, and Boreal ecotype, respectively. Plastic switches of individuals were also detected between migratory, resident, dispersing, and nomadic seasonal movements performed across years. CONCLUSIONS Our unexpected findings of marked seasonal movement plasticity in caribou indicate that this phenomenon should be better studied to understand the resilience of this endangered species to habitat and climatic changes. Our results that a substantial proportion of individuals engaged in seasonal migration in all studied ecotypes indicate that caribou conservation plans should account for critical habitat in both summer and winter ranges. Accordingly, conservation strategies are being devised for the Woodland subspecies and its ecotypes, which were found to be at least partially migratory in this study. Our findings that migration is detectable with both planar and altitudinal analyses of seasonal displacement provide a tool to better define seasonal ranges, also in mountainous and hilly environments, and protect habitat there.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Theoret
- Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Maria Cavedon
- Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Troy Hegel
- Yukon Department of Environment, Whitehorse, YT, Y1A 2C6, Canada
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Alberta Environment and Parks, 4999 98 Ave., Edmonton, AB, T6B 2X3, Canada
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Alberta Environment and Parks, Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 6J4, Canada
| | - Helen Schwantje
- Wildlife and Habitat Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Government of British Columbia, 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 6J9, Canada
| | - Robin Steenweg
- Pacific Region, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, BC, V4K 3N2, Canada
| | - Megan Watters
- Land and Resource Specialist, 300 - 10003 110th Avenue, Fort St. John, BC, V1J 6M7, Canada
| | - Marco Musiani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Veterinary Medicine (Joint Appointment), University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
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Joly K, Gunn A, Côté SD, Panzacchi M, Adamczewski J, Suitor MJ, Gurarie E. Caribou and reindeer migrations in the changing Arctic. ANIMAL MIGRATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1515/ami-2020-0110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Caribou and reindeer, Rangifer tarandus, are the most numerous and socio-ecologically important terrestrial species in the Arctic. Their migrations are directly and indirectly affected by the seasonal nature of the northernmost regions, human development and population size; all of which are impacted by climate change. We review the most critical drivers of Rangifer migration and how a rapidly changing Arctic may affect them. In order to conserve large Rangifer populations, they must be allowed free passage along their migratory routes to reach seasonal ranges. We also provide some pragmatic ideas to help conserve Rangifer migrations into the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Joly
- Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network, National Park Service , 4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, Alaska, 99709, USA
| | - Anne Gunn
- Salt Spring Island , British Columbia V8K 1V1 Canada
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Département de biologie, Caribou Ungava & Centre d’études nordiques , Université Laval , Québec (QC), G1V 0A6 , Canada
| | - Manuela Panzacchi
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) , Høgskoleringen 9, NO-7034 Trondheim , Norway
| | - Jan Adamczewski
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories , Yellowknife, Northwest Territories , Canada
| | - Michael J. Suitor
- Fish and Wildlife Branch, Environment Yukon, Yukon Government , Dawson City , Yukon , Canada
| | - Eliezer Gurarie
- Department of Biology , University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland, 20742, USA , and Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry , Syracuse , NY 13210
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Pedersen ÅØ, Beumer LT, Aanes R, Hansen BB. Sea or summit? Wild reindeer spatial responses to changing high‐arctic winters. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Larissa T. Beumer
- Fram Centre Norwegian Polar Institute Tromsø 9296 Norway
- Department of Bioscience Aarhus University Roskilde 4000 Denmark
| | - Ronny Aanes
- Fram Centre Norwegian Polar Institute Tromsø 9296 Norway
| | - Brage B. Hansen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research Trondheim 7485 Norway
- Department of Biology Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim 7491 Norway
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Cameron MD, Eisaguirre JM, Breed GA, Joly K, Kielland K. Mechanistic movement models identify continuously updated autumn migration cues in Arctic caribou. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:54. [PMID: 34724991 PMCID: PMC8559358 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00288-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Migrations in temperate systems typically have two migratory phases, spring and autumn, and many migratory ungulates track the pulse of spring vegetation growth during a synchronized spring migration. In contrast, autumn migrations are generally less synchronous and the cues driving them remain understudied. Our goal was to identify the cues that migrants use in deciding when to initiate migration and how this is updated while en route. METHODS We analyzed autumn migrations of Arctic barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus) as a series of persistent and directional movements and assessed the influence of a suite of environmental factors. We fitted a dynamic-parameter movement model at the individual-level and estimated annual population-level parameters for weather covariates on 389 individual-seasons across 9 years. RESULTS Our results revealed strong, consistent effects of decreasing temperature and increasing snow depth on migratory movements, indicating that caribou continuously update their migratory decision based on dynamic environmental conditions. This suggests that individuals pace migration along gradients of these environmental variables. Whereas temperature and snow appeared to be the most consistent cues for migration, we also found interannual variability in the effect of wind, NDVI, and barometric pressure. The dispersed distribution of individuals in autumn resulted in diverse environmental conditions experienced by individual caribou and thus pronounced variability in migratory patterns. CONCLUSIONS By analyzing autumn migration as a continuous process across the entire migration period, we found that caribou migration was largely related to temperature and snow conditions experienced throughout the journey. This mechanism of pacing autumn migration based on indicators of the approaching winter is analogous to the more widely researched mechanism of spring migration, when many migrants pace migration with a resource wave. Such a similarity in mechanisms highlights the different environmental stimuli to which migrants have adapted their movements throughout their annual cycle. These insights have implications for how long-distance migratory patterns may change as the Arctic climate continues to warm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D. Cameron
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2090 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
- Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network, National Park Service, 4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709 USA
| | - Joseph M. Eisaguirre
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2140 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
- Present Address: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management, 1011 E. Tudor Rd., Anchorage, AK 99503 USA
| | - Greg A. Breed
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2090 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2140 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
| | - Kyle Joly
- Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network, National Park Service, 4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709 USA
| | - Knut Kielland
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2090 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2140 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
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Gurarie E, Potluri S, Cosner GC, Cantrell RS, Fagan WF. Memories of Migrations Past: Sociality and Cognition in Dynamic, Seasonal Environments. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.742920] [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
Seasonal migrations are a widespread and broadly successful strategy for animals to exploit periodic and localized resources over large spatial scales. It remains an open and largely case-specific question whether long-distance migrations are resilient to environmental disruptions. High levels of mobility suggest an ability to shift ranges that can confer resilience. On the other hand, a conservative, hard-wired commitment to a risky behavior can be costly if conditions change. Mechanisms that contribute to migration include identification and responsiveness to resources, sociality, and cognitive processes such as spatial memory and learning. Our goal was to explore the extent to which these factors interact not only to maintain a migratory behavior but also to provide resilience against environmental changes. We develop a diffusion-advection model of animal movement in which an endogenous migratory behavior is modified by recent experiences via a memory process, and animals have a social swarming-like behavior over a range of spatial scales. We found that this relatively simple framework was able to adapt to a stable, seasonal resource dynamic under a broad range of parameter values. Furthermore, the model was able to acquire an adaptive migration behavior with time. However, the resilience of the process depended on all the parameters under consideration, with many complex trade-offs. For example, the spatial scale of sociality needed to be large enough to capture changes in the resource, but not so large that the acquired collective information was overly diluted. A long-term reference memory was important for hedging against a highly stochastic process, but a higher weighting of more recent memory was needed for adapting to directional changes in resource phenology. Our model provides a general and versatile framework for exploring the interaction of memory, movement, social and resource dynamics, even as environmental conditions globally are undergoing rapid change.
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Variation in winter site fidelity within and among individuals influences movement behavior in a partially migratory ungulate. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258128. [PMID: 34591944 PMCID: PMC8483381 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258128] [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: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals migrate to take advantage of temporal and spatial variability in resources. These benefits are offset with costs like increased energetic expenditure and travel through unfamiliar areas. Differences in the cost-benefit ratio for individuals may lead to partial migration with one portion of a population migrating while another does not. We investigated migration dynamics and winter site fidelity for a long-distance partial migrant, barren ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) of the Teshekpuk Caribou Herd in northern Alaska. We used GPS telemetry for 76 female caribou over 164 annual movement trajectories to identify timing and location of migration and winter use, proportion of migrants, and fidelity to different herd wintering areas. We found within-individual variation in movement behavior and wintering area use by the Teshekpuk Caribou Herd, adding caribou to the growing list of ungulates that can exhibit migratory plasticity. Using a first passage time–net squared displacement approach, we classified 78.7% of annual movement paths as migration, 11.6% as residency, and 9.8% as another strategy. Timing and distance of migration varied by season and wintering area. Duration of migration was longer for fall migration than for spring, which may relate to the latter featuring more directed movement. Caribou utilized four wintering areas, with multiple areas used each year. This variation occurred not just among different individuals, but state sequence analyses indicated low fidelity of individuals to wintering areas among years. Variability in movement behavior can have fitness consequences. As caribou face the pressures of a rapidly warming Arctic and ongoing human development and activities, further research is needed to investigate what factors influence this diversity of behaviors in Alaska and across the circumpolar Arctic.
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