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Prokopenko CM, Ellington EH, Robitaille A, Aubin JA, Balluffi-Fry J, Laforge M, Webber QMR, Zabihi-Seissan S, Vander Wal E. Friends because of foes: synchronous movement within predator-prey domains. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230374. [PMID: 39230459 PMCID: PMC11449165 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
For prey, movement synchrony represents a potent antipredator strategy. Prey, however, must balance the costs and benefits of using conspecifics to mediate risk. Thus, the emergent patterns of risk-driven sociality depend on variation in space and in the predators and prey themselves. We applied the concept of predator-prey habitat domain, the space in which animals acquire food resources, to test the conditions under which individuals synchronize their movements relative to predator and prey habitat domains. We tested the response of movement synchrony of prey to predator-prey domains in two populations of ungulates that vary in their gregariousness and predator community: (i) elk, which are preyed on by wolves; and (ii) caribou, which are preyed on by coyotes and black bears. Prey in both communities responded to cursorial predators by increasing synchrony during seasons of greater predation pressure. Elk moved more synchronously in the wolf habitat domain during winter and caribou moved more synchronously in the coyote habitat domains during spring. In the winter, caribou increased movement synchrony when coyote and caribou domains overlapped. By integrating habitat domains with movement ecology, we provide a compelling argument for social behaviours and collective movement as an antipredator response. This article is part of the theme issue 'The spatial-social interface: A theoretical and empirical integration'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M Prokopenko
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave , St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - E Hance Ellington
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave , St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
- Range Cattle Research and Education Center, University of Florida, 3401 Experiment Station Rd , Ona, FL, USA
| | - Alec Robitaille
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave , St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Jaclyn A Aubin
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's , NL, Canada
| | - Juliana Balluffi-Fry
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave , St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Michel Laforge
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave , St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Quinn M R Webber
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's , NL, Canada
| | - Sana Zabihi-Seissan
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave , St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave , St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's , NL, Canada
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2
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Thapa SK, de Jong JF, Hof AR, Subedi N, Liefting Y, Prins HHT. Integration of the landscape of fear concept in grassland management: An experimental study on subtropical monsoon grasslands in Bardia National Park, Nepal. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70098. [PMID: 39100204 PMCID: PMC11294578 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The 'landscape of fear' concept offers valuable insights into wildlife behaviour, yet its practical integration into habitat management for conservation remains underexplored. In this study, conducted in the subtropical monsoon grasslands of Bardia National Park, Nepal, we aimed to bridge this gap through a multi-year, landscape-scale experimental investigation in Bardia National Park, Nepal. The park has the highest density of tigers (with an estimated density of ~7 individuals per 100 km2) in Nepal, allowing us to understand the effect of habitat management on predation risk and resource availability especially for three cervid species: chital (Axis axis), swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii) and hog deer (Axis porcinus). We used plots with varying mowing frequency (0-4 times per year), size (ranging from small: 49 m2 to large: 3600 m2) and artificial fertilisation type (none, phosphorus, nitrogen) to assess the trade-offs between probable predation risk and resources for these cervid species, which constitute primary prey for tigers in Nepal. Our results showed distinct responses of these deer to perceived predation risk within grassland habitats. Notably, these deer exhibited heightened use of larger plots, indicative of a perceived sense of safety, as evidenced by the higher occurrence of pellet groups in the larger plots (mean = 0.1 pellet groups m-2 in 3600 m2 plots vs. 0.07 in 400 m2 and 0.05 in 49 m2 plots). Furthermore, the level of use by the deer was significantly higher in larger plots that received mowing and fertilisation treatments compared to smaller plots subjected to similar treatments. Of particular interest is the observation that chital and swamp deer exhibited greater utilisation of the centre (core) areas within the larger plots (mean = 0.21 pellet groups m-2 at the centre vs. 0.13 at the edge) despite the edge (periphery) also provided attractive resources to these deer. In contrast, hog deer did not display any discernible reaction to the experimental treatments, suggesting potential species-specific variations in response to perceived predation risk arising from management interventions. Our findings emphasise the importance of a sense of security as a primary determinant of habitat selection for medium-sized deer within managed grassland environments. These insights carry practical implications for park managers, providing a nuanced understanding of integrating the 'landscape of fear' into habitat management strategies. This study emphasises that the 'landscape of fear' concept can and should be integrated into habitat management to maintain delicate predator-prey dynamics within ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shyam Kumar Thapa
- National Trust for Nature ConservationLalitpurNepal
- Zoological Society of London, Nepal OfficeKathmanduNepal
| | - Joost F. de Jong
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation GroupWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Anouschka R. Hof
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation GroupWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | | | - Yorick Liefting
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation GroupWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
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3
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Wrege PH, Bambi FBD, Malonga PJF, Samba OJ, Brncic T. Early detection of human impacts using acoustic monitoring: An example with forest elephants. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0306932. [PMID: 39058671 PMCID: PMC11280225 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The impacts of human activities and climate change on animal populations often take considerable time before they are reflected in typical measures of population health such as population size, demography, and landscape use. Earlier detection of such impacts could enhance the effectiveness of conservation strategies, particularly for species with slow population growth. Passive acoustic monitoring is increasingly used to estimate occupancy and population size, but this tool can also monitor subtle shifts in behavior that might be early indicators of changing impacts. Here we use data from an acoustic grid, monitoring 1250 km2 of forest in northern Republic of Congo, to study how forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) assess risk associated with human impacts across a landscape that includes a national park as well as active and inactive logging concessions. By quantifying emerging patterns of behavior at the population level, arising from individual-based decisions, we gain an understanding of how elephants perceive their landscape along an axis of human disturbance. Forest elephants in relatively undisturbed forests are active nearly equally day and night. However, they become more nocturnal when exposed to a perceived risk such as poaching. We assessed elephant perception of risk by monitoring changes in the likelihood of nocturnal vocal activity relative to differing levels of human activity. We show that logging is perceived to be a risk on moderate time and small spatial scales, but with little effect on elephant density. However, risk avoidance persisted in areas with relatively easy access to poachers and in more open habitats where poaching has historically been concentrated. Increased nocturnal activity is a common response in many animals to human intrusion on the landscape. Provided a species is acoustically active, passive acoustic monitoring can measure changes in human impact at early stages of such change, informing management priorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter H. Wrege
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Frelcia Bien-Dorvillon Bambi
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
- Nouabalé-Ndoki Foundation, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Phael Jackel Ferdy Malonga
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
- Nouabalé-Ndoki Foundation, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Onesi Jared Samba
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
- Nouabalé-Ndoki Foundation, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Terry Brncic
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
- Nouabalé-Ndoki Foundation, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Nkwali Camp, Mfuwe, Zambia
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4
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Bollen M, Casaer J, Neyens T, Beenaerts N. When and where? Day-night alterations in wild boar space use captured by a generalized additive mixed model. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17390. [PMID: 38881858 PMCID: PMC11179635 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Wild boar (Sus scrofa), an abundant species across Europe, is often subjected to management in agro-ecosystems in order to control population size, or to scare them away from agricultural fields to safeguard crop yields. Wild boar management can benefit from a better understanding on changes in its space use across the diel cycle (i.e., diel space use) in relation to variable hunting pressures or other factors. Here, we estimate wild boar diel space use in an agro-ecosystem in central Belgium during four consecutive "growing seasons" (i.e., April-September). To achieve this, we fit generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) to camera trap data of wild boar aggregated over 1-h periods. Our results reveal that wild boar are predominantly nocturnal in all of the hunting management zones in Meerdaal, with activity peaks around sunrise and sunset. Hunting events in our study area tend to take place around sunrise and sunset, while non-lethal human activities occur during sunlight hours. Our GAMM reveals that wild boar use different areas throughout the diel cycle. During the day, wild boar utilized areas in the centre of the forest, possibly to avoid human activities during daytime. During the night, they foraged near (or in) agricultural fields. A post hoc comparison of space use maps of wild boar in Meerdaal revealed that their diurnal and nocturnal space use were uncorrelated. We did not find sufficient evidence to prove that wild boar spatiotemporally avoid hunters. Finally, our work reveals the potential of GAMMs to model variation in space across 24-h periods from camera trap data, an application that will be useful to address a range of ecological questions. However, to test the robustness of this approach we advise that it should be compared against telemetry-based methods to derive diel space use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martijn Bollen
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Flanders, Belgium
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
- Data Science Institute, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Flanders, Belgium
| | - Jim Casaer
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thomas Neyens
- Data Science Institute, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Flanders, Belgium
- Leuven Biostatistics and statistical Bioinformatics Centre, University of Leuven, Leuven, Flanders, Belgium
| | - Natalie Beenaerts
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Flanders, Belgium
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5
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Bontrager HL, Hinton TG, Okuda K, Beasley JC. The impact of sampling scale: A comparison of methods for estimating external contaminant exposure in free-ranging wildlife. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 921:171012. [PMID: 38369157 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171012] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
The impacts of contaminants on wildlife are dose dependent, and thus being able to track or predict exposure following contamination events is important for monitoring ecosystem health. However, the ability to track exposure in free-ranging wildlife is often severely limited. Consequently, researchers have predominantly relied on simple methods for estimating contaminant exposures in wildlife with little regard for spatial contaminant heterogeneity or an animal's use of diverse habitats. We evaluated the influence sampling scale (i.e., how finely contaminant distribution and organism's spatial use of the landscape is mapped) has on (1) realism and (2) conservativeness of exposure estimates. To do this, we monitored the actual exposure of wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Fukushima, Japan to radioactive contamination using GPS-coupled contaminant monitors placed on individual animals. We compared empirical exposures to estimates generated by combining varying amounts of information about an individual boar's location and/or movement, with the distribution of contamination on the landscape. We found that the most realistic exposure estimates were produced when finer-scale contaminant distribution surveys (e.g., airborne surveys) were combined with more accurate estimates of an individual's space use (e.g., home ranges or core areas). Importantly, estimates of exposure based on single point surveys at a trap site (a simple method commonly used in the literature), did not correlate with actual exposure rates, suggesting dose-effects studies using this method may result in spurious conclusions. These results suggest that researchers seeking realistic estimates of exposure, such as in dose-effect studies, should ensure they have adequately accounted for fine-scale contaminant distribution patterns and areas of higher use by study organisms. However, conservative estimates of exposure (i.e., intentionally over-predicting exposure as is done in initial tiers of ecological risk analyses) were not as scale sensitive and could be achieved with a single known location and coarse contaminant distribution maps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen L Bontrager
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC 29808, USA
| | - Thomas G Hinton
- Centre of Excellence in Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, N-1433 Ås, Norway; Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima City, Fukushima 960-1296, Japan
| | - Kei Okuda
- Faculty of Human Environmental Sciences, Hiroshima Shudo University, Hiroshima 731-3195, Japan
| | - James C Beasley
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC 29808, USA.
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6
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Brunet MJ, Huggler KS, Holbrook JD, Burke PW, Zornes M, Lionberger P, Monteith KL. Spatial prey availability and pulsed reproductive tactics: Encounter risk in a canid-ungulate system. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:447-459. [PMID: 38348546 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14056] [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: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Predation risk is a function of spatiotemporal overlap between predator and prey, as well as behavioural responses during encounters. Dynamic factors (e.g. group size, prey availability and animal movement or state) affect risk, but rarely are integrated in risk assessments. Our work targets a system where predation risk is fundamentally linked to temporal patterns in prey abundance and behaviour. For neonatal ungulate prey, risk is defined within a short temporal window during which the pulse in parturition, increasing movement capacity with age and antipredation tactics have the potential to mediate risk. In our coyote-mule deer (Canis latrans-Odocoileus hemionus) system, leveraging GPS data collected from both predator and prey, we tested expectations of shared enemy and reproductive risk hypotheses. We asked two questions regarding risk: (A) How does primary and alternative prey habitat, predator and prey activity, and reproductive tactics (e.g. birth synchrony and maternal defence) influence the vulnerability of a neonate encountering a predator? (B) How do the same factors affect behaviour by predators relative to the time before and after an encounter? Despite increased selection for mule deer and intensified search behaviour by coyotes during the peak in mule deer parturition, mule deer were afforded protection from predation via predator swamping, experiencing reduced per-capita encounter risk when most neonates were born. Mule deer occupying rabbit habitat (Sylvilagus spp.; coyote's primary prey) experienced the greatest risk of encounter but the availability of rabbit habitat did not affect predator behaviour during encounters. Encounter risk increased in areas with greater availability of mule deer habitat: coyotes shifted their behaviour relative to deer habitat, and the pulse in mule deer parturition and movement of neonatal deer during encounters elicited increased speed and tortuosity by coyotes. In addition to the spatial distribution of prey, temporal patterns in prey availability and animal behavioural state were fundamental in defining risk. Our work reveals the nuanced consequences of pulsed availability on predation risk for alternative prey, whereby responses by predators to sudden resource availability, the lasting effects of diversionary prey and inherent antipredation tactics ultimately dictate risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell J Brunet
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Katey S Huggler
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Joseph D Holbrook
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | | | - Mark Zornes
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Green River, Wyoming, USA
| | - Patrick Lionberger
- Bureau of Land Management, Rock Springs Field Office, Rock Springs, Wyoming, USA
| | - Kevin L Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
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7
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Cox DTC, Gaston KJ. Cathemerality: a key temporal niche. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:329-347. [PMID: 37839797 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Given the marked variation in abiotic and biotic conditions between day and night, many species specialise their physical activity to being diurnal or nocturnal, and it was long thought that these strategies were commonly fairly fixed and invariant. The term 'cathemeral', was coined in 1987, when Tattersall noted activity in a Madagascan primate during the hours of both daylight and darkness. Initially thought to be rare, cathemerality is now known to be a quite widespread form of time partitioning amongst arthropods, fish, birds, and mammals. Herein we provide a synthesis of present understanding of cathemeral behaviour, arguing that it should routinely be included alongside diurnal and nocturnal strategies in schemes that distinguish and categorise species across taxa according to temporal niche. This synthesis is particularly timely because (i) the study of animal activity patterns is being revolutionised by new and improved technologies; (ii) it is becoming apparent that cathemerality covers a diverse range of obligate to facultative forms, each with their own common sets of functional traits, geographic ranges and evolutionary history; (iii) daytime and nighttime activity likely plays an important but currently neglected role in temporal niche partitioning and ecosystem functioning; and (iv) cathemerality may have an important role in the ability of species to adapt to human-mediated pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel T C Cox
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Kevin J Gaston
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
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8
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Ganz TR, DeVivo MT, Wirsing AJ, Bassing SB, Kertson BN, Walker SL, Prugh LR. Cougars, wolves, and humans drive a dynamic landscape of fear for elk. Ecology 2024; 105:e4255. [PMID: 38361248 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
To manage predation risk, prey navigate a dynamic landscape of fear, or spatiotemporal variation in risk perception, reflecting predator distributions, traits, and activity cycles. Prey may seek to reduce risk across this landscape using habitat at times and in places when predators are less active. In multipredator landscapes, avoiding one predator could increase vulnerability to another, making the landscape of fear difficult to predict and navigate. Additionally, humans may shape interactions between predators and prey, and induce new sources of risk. Humans can function as a shield, providing a refuge for prey from human-averse carnivores, and as a predator, causing mortality through hunting and vehicle collisions and eliciting a fear response that can exceed that of carnivores. We used telemetry data collected between 2017 and 2021 from 63 Global Positioning System-collared elk (Cervus canadensis), 42 cougars (Puma concolor), and 16 wolves (Canis lupus) to examine how elk habitat selection changed in relation to carnivores and humans in northeastern Washington, USA. Using step selection functions, we evaluated elk habitat use in relation to cougars, wolves, and humans, diel period (daytime vs. nighttime), season (summer calving season vs. fall hunting season), and habitat structure (open vs. closed habitat). The diel cycle was critical to understanding elk movement, allowing elk to reduce encounters with predators where and when they would be the largest threat. Elk strongly avoided cougars at night but had a near-neutral response to cougars during the day, whereas elk avoided wolves at all times of day. Elk generally used more open habitats where cougars and wolves were most active, rather than altering the use of habitat structure depending on the predator species. Elk avoided humans during the day and ~80% of adult female mortality was human caused, suggesting that humans functioned as a "super predator" in this system. Simultaneously, elk leveraged the human shield against wolves but not cougars at night, and no elk were confirmed to have been killed by wolves. Our results add to the mounting evidence that humans profoundly affect predator-prey interactions, highlighting the importance of studying these dynamics in anthropogenic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor R Ganz
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Melia T DeVivo
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Spokane Valley, Washington, USA
| | - Aaron J Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sarah B Bassing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Brian N Kertson
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Snoqualmie, Washington, USA
| | | | - Laura R Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Masto NM, Blake-Bradshaw AG, Highway CJ, Keever AC, Feddersen JC, Hagy HM, Cohen BS. Human access constrains optimal foraging and habitat availability in an avian generalist. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 34:e2952. [PMID: 38417451 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2952] [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: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Animals balance costs of antipredator behaviors with resource acquisition to minimize hunting and other mortality risks and maximize their physiological condition. This inherent trade-off between forage abundance, its quality, and mortality risk is intensified in human-dominated landscapes because fragmentation, habitat loss, and degradation of natural vegetation communities is often coupled with artificially enhanced vegetation (i.e., food plots), creating high-risk, high-reward resource selection decisions. Our goal was to evaluate autumn-winter resource selection trade-offs for an intensively hunted avian generalist. We hypothesized human access was a reliable cue for hunting predation risk. Therefore, we predicted resource selection patterns would be spatiotemporally dependent upon levels of access and associated perceived risk. Specifically, we evaluated resource selection of local-scale flights between diel periods for 426 mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) relative to wetland type, forage quality, and differing levels of human access across hunting and nonhunting seasons. Mallards selected areas that prohibited human access and generally avoided areas that allowed access diurnally, especially during the hunting season. Mallards compensated by selecting for high-energy and greater quality foraging patches on allowable human access areas nocturnally when they were devoid of hunters. Postseason selection across human access gradients did not return to prehunting levels immediately, perhaps suggesting a delayed response to reacclimate to nonhunted activities and thus agreeing with the assessment mismatch hypothesis. Last, wetland availability and human access constrained selection for optimal natural forage quality (i.e., seed biomass and forage productivity) diurnally during preseason and hunting season, respectively; however, mallards were freed from these constraints nocturnally during hunting season and postseason periods. Our results suggest risk-avoidance of human accessible (i.e., hunted) areas is a primary driver of resource selection behaviors by mallards and could be a local to landscape-level process influencing distributions, instead of forage abundance and quality, which has long-been assumed by waterfowl conservation planners in North America. Broadly, even an avian generalist, well adapted to anthropogenic landscapes, avoids areas where hunting and human access are allowed. Future conservation planning and implementation must consider management for recreational access (i.e., people) equally important as foraging habitat management for wintering waterfowl.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M Masto
- Tennessee Technological University, College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Cookeville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Abigail G Blake-Bradshaw
- Tennessee Technological University, College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Cookeville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Cory J Highway
- Tennessee Technological University, College of Arts and Sciences, Cookeville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Allison C Keever
- Tennessee Technological University, College of Arts and Sciences, Cookeville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jamie C Feddersen
- Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Migratory Gamebird Program, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Heath M Hagy
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Refuge System, Stanton, Tennessee, USA
| | - Bradley S Cohen
- Tennessee Technological University, College of Arts and Sciences, Cookeville, Tennessee, USA
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10
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Monk JD, Donadio E, Gregorio PF, Schmitz OJ. Vicuña antipredator diel movement drives spatial nutrient subsidies in a high Andean ecosystem. Ecology 2024; 105:e4262. [PMID: 38351587 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Large animals could be important drivers of spatial nutrient subsidies when they ingest resources in some habitats and release them in others, even moving nutrients against elevational gradients. In high Andean deserts, vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna) move daily between nutrient-rich wet meadows, where there is abundant water and forage but high risk of predation by pumas (Puma concolor), and nutrient-poor open plains with lower risk of predation. In all habitats, vicuñas defecate and urinate in communal latrines. We investigated how these latrines impacted soil and plant nutrient concentrations across three habitats in the Andean ecosystem (meadows, plains, and canyons) and used stable isotope analysis to explore the source of fecal nutrients in latrines. Latrine soils had higher concentrations of nitrogen, carbon, and other nutrients than did nonlatrine soils across all habitats. These inputs corresponded with an increase in plant quality (lower C:N) at latrine sites in plains and canyons, but not in meadows. Stable isotope mixing models suggest that ~7% of nutrients in plains latrines originated from vegetation in meadows, which is disproportionately higher than the relative proportion of meadow habitat (2.6%) in the study area. In contrast, ~68% of nutrients in meadow latrines appear to originate from plains and canyon vegetation, though these habitats made up nearly 98% of the study area. Vicuña diel movements thus appear to concentrate nutrients in latrines within habitats and to drive cross-habitat nutrient subsidies, with disproportionate transport from low-lying, nutrient-rich meadows to more elevated, nutrient-poor plains. When these results are scaled up to the landscape scale, the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus subsidized in soil at plains latrines was of the same order of magnitude as estimates of annual atmospheric nitrogen and phosphorus deposition for this region (albeit far more localized and patchy). Thus, vicuña-mediated nutrient redistribution and deposition appears to be an important process impacting ecosystem functioning in arid Andean environments, on par with other major inputs of nutrients to the system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia D Monk
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Fundación Rewilding Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Pablo F Gregorio
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Ecofisiología de Fauna Silvestre, INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue-CONICET), San Martín de los Andes, Argentina
| | - Oswald J Schmitz
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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11
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Martijn B, Thomas N, Natalie B, Jim C. Impacts of zoning and landscape structure on the relative abundance of wild boar assessed through a Bayesian N-mixture model. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 911:168546. [PMID: 37979862 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168546] [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: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Increasing human-wild boar interactions have led to damage to agricultural crops, traffic collisions and disease transmissions. Dividing natural areas in zones with differential hunting pressure is one of the currently adopted management strategies. However, the effectiveness of this approach is under debate. Hence, there is a need to better understand how to mitigate negative human-wild boar interactions effectively. Camera traps are cost-efficient, and non-invasive tools to monitor animal populations. N-mixture models can reliably estimate spatial variation in relative abundances when animals are imperfectly detected and/or cannot be individually identified. Thus, they are useful tools to infer the impacts of several factors on the land-use intensity of wild boar, based on camera trap data. In a nature area in central Belgium, we compare "summer" (April-September) land-use intensity of wild boar from 2018 until 2021 between three zones: a hunting free core zone, a winter hunting zone where hunting only takes place between November and March, and a year-round hunting zone. The latter is also close to the forest edge, agricultural crops and settlements. We compare spatial abundance models that capture these zone effects, or attractive effects of croplands, repulsive effects of hunting and repulsive effects of non-lethal human disturbances. We reveal between zone differences in wild boar land-use intensities across all summers. Additionally, we find that non-lethal human disturbance and croplands also explain variation in wild boar land-use intensity, but do not find negative associations with hunting locations. Our results suggest that the effects of zoning on wild boar land-use patterns are relevant in medium-sized natural areas. Moreover, we identify the need to install additional cameras outside of the managed area in order to assess the impacts of hunting in combination with non-lethal human activities on wild boar to mitigate negative human-wild boar interactions in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bollen Martijn
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, UHasselt - Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Data Science Institute, UHasselt -Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Neyens Thomas
- Data Science Institute, UHasselt -Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Leuven Biostatistics and statistical Bioinformatics Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Beenaerts Natalie
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, UHasselt - Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Casaer Jim
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Brussels, Belgium
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12
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Crane AL, Feyten LEA, Preagola AA, Ferrari MCO, Brown GE. Uncertainty about predation risk: a conceptual review. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:238-252. [PMID: 37839808 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13019] [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: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Uncertainty has long been of interest to economists and psychologists and has more recently gained attention among ecologists. In the ecological world, animals must regularly make decisions related to finding resources and avoiding threats. Here, we describe uncertainty as a perceptual phenomenon of decision-makers, and we focus specifically on the functional ecology of such uncertainty regarding predation risk. Like all uncertainty, uncertainty about predation risk reflects informational limitations. When cues are available, they may be novel (i.e. unknown information), incomplete, unreliable, overly abundant and complex, or conflicting. We review recent studies that have used these informational limitations to induce uncertainty of predation risk. These studies have typically used either over-responses to novelty (i.e. neophobia) or memory attenuation as proxies for measuring uncertainty. Because changes in the environment, particularly unpredictable changes, drive informational limitations, we describe studies assessing unpredictable variance in spatio-temporal predation risk, intensity of predation risk, predator encounter rate, and predator diversity. We also highlight anthropogenic changes within habitats that are likely to have dramatic impacts on information availability and thus uncertainty in antipredator decisions in the modern world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Crane
- WCVM, Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Laurence E A Feyten
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Alexyz A Preagola
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Pl., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Maud C O Ferrari
- WCVM, Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Grant E Brown
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
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13
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Brivio F, Apollonio M, Anderwald P, Filli F, Bassano B, Bertolucci C, Grignolio S. Seeking temporal refugia to heat stress: increasing nocturnal activity despite predation risk. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20231587. [PMID: 38228177 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Flexibility in activity timing may enable organisms to quickly adapt to environmental changes. Under global warming, diurnally adapted endotherms may achieve a better energy balance by shifting their activity towards cooler nocturnal hours. However, this shift may expose animals to new or increased environmental challenges (e.g. increased predation risk, reduced foraging efficiency). We analysed a large dataset of activity data from 47 ibex (Capra ibex) in two protected areas, characterized by varying levels of predation risk (presence versus absence of the wolf-Canis lupus). We found that ibex increased nocturnal activity following warmer days and during brighter nights. Despite the considerable sexual dimorphism typical of this species and the consequent different predation-risk perception, males and females demonstrated consistent responses to heat in both predator-present and predator-absent areas. This supports the hypothesis that shifting activity towards nighttime may be a common strategy adopted by diurnal endotherms in response to global warming. As nowadays different pressures are pushing mammals towards nocturnality, our findings emphasize the urgent need to integrate knowledge of temporal behavioural modifications into management and conservation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Brivio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, via Vienna 2, Sassari 07100, Italy
| | - Marco Apollonio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, via Vienna 2, Sassari 07100, Italy
| | | | | | - Bruno Bassano
- Gran Paradiso National Park, Via Pio VII 9, Torino 10135, Italy
| | - Cristiano Bertolucci
- Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, via Borsari 46, Ferrara, 44121, Italy
| | - Stefano Grignolio
- Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, via Borsari 46, Ferrara, 44121, Italy
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14
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English HM, Börger L, Kane A, Ciuti S. Advances in biologging can identify nuanced energetic costs and gains in predators. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:7. [PMID: 38254232 PMCID: PMC10802026 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00448-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Foraging is a key driver of animal movement patterns, with specific challenges for predators which must search for mobile prey. These patterns are increasingly impacted by global changes, principally in land use and climate. Understanding the degree of flexibility in predator foraging and social strategies is pertinent to wildlife conservation under global change, including potential top-down effects on wider ecosystems. Here we propose key future research directions to better understand foraging strategies and social flexibility in predators. In particular, rapid continued advances in biologging technology are helping to record and understand dynamic behavioural and movement responses of animals to environmental changes, and their energetic consequences. Data collection can be optimised by calibrating behavioural interpretation methods in captive settings and strategic tagging decisions within and between social groups. Importantly, many species' social systems are increasingly being found to be more flexible than originally described in the literature, which may be more readily detectable through biologging approaches than behavioural observation. Integrating the effects of the physical landscape and biotic interactions will be key to explaining and predicting animal movements and energetic balance in a changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly M English
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Adam Kane
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Simone Ciuti
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
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15
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Diserens TA, Churski M, Bubnicki JW, Zalewski A, Brzeziński M, Kuijper DPJ. Badgers remain fearless in the face of simulated wolf presence near their setts. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10654. [PMID: 38187920 PMCID: PMC10767146 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Many mesocarnivores are fossorial and use burrow systems to avoid predators. But fossorial animals cannot stay safely underground forever; they must also risk emerging overground to forage and find mates. To make this trade-off effectively and maximise their own fitness, it is imperative they assess how risk varies in space and time and adapt their denning behaviour accordingly. We used the badger in Białowieża Forest, Poland, as a model for investigating how the denning behaviour of a fossorial mesocarnivore varies in response to short-term large carnivore risk. To this end, we experimentally simulated perceived wolf presence outside 10 badger setts using audio playbacks of wolves (their howls). We assayed two behavioural measures of fear: badger emergence time from setts on the day playbacks were broadcast and their presence in setts on the day after. We found that neither badger emergence time nor next-day sett use varied in response to wolf playbacks. The results of the present study contrast with a previous study of ours that found badgers used setts in areas with high landscape level perceived wolf risk less often than those in lower-risk areas. Together, these papers' findings suggest that different spatiotemporal scales of perceived risk can have differential effects on badger behaviour. We conclude that rather than take risk avoidance measures at all risky times and places, badgers likely display a diversity of reactions to large carnivore presence that depend on the context and spatiotemporal scale of the risk being perceived.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom A. Diserens
- Mammal Research InstitutePolish Academy of SciencesBiałowieżaPoland
- Faculty of BiologyUniversity of WarsawWarsawPoland
| | - Marcin Churski
- Mammal Research InstitutePolish Academy of SciencesBiałowieżaPoland
| | | | - Andrzej Zalewski
- Mammal Research InstitutePolish Academy of SciencesBiałowieżaPoland
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16
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Kügler A, Lammers MO, Pack AA, Tenorio-Hallé L, Thode AM. Diel spatio-temporal patterns of humpback whale singing on a high-density breeding ground. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:230279. [PMID: 38269074 PMCID: PMC10805604 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Humpback whale song chorusing dominates the marine soundscape in Hawai'i during winter months, yet little is known about spatio-temporal habitat use patterns of singers. We analysed passive acoustic monitoring data from five sites off Maui and found that ambient noise levels associated with song chorusing decreased during daytime hours nearshore but increased offshore. To resolve whether these changes reflect a diel offshore-onshore movement or a temporal difference in singing activity, data from 71 concurrently conducted land-based theodolite surveys were analysed. Non-calf pods (n = 3082), presumably including the majority of singers, were found further offshore with increasing time of the day. Separately, we acoustically localized 217 nearshore singers using vector-sensors. During the day, distances to shore and minimum distances among singers increased, and singers switched more between being stationary and singing while travelling. Together, these findings suggest that the observed diel trends in humpback whale chorusing off Maui represent a pattern of active onshore-offshore movement of singers. We hypothesize that this may result from singers attempting to reduce intraspecific acoustic masking when densities are high nearshore and avoidance of a loud, non-humpback, biological evening chorus offshore, creating a dynamic of movement of singers aimed at increasing the efficiency of their acoustic display.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke Kügler
- University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
- Bioacoustics and Behavioral Ecology Lab, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
- Oceanwide Science Institute, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Marc O. Lammers
- Oceanwide Science Institute, Honolulu, HI, USA
- Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, Kīhei, HI, USA
| | - Adam A. Pack
- University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Hilo, HI, USA
- The Dolphin Institute, Hilo, HI, USA
| | - Ludovic Tenorio-Hallé
- Marine Physical Laboratory, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Aaron M. Thode
- Marine Physical Laboratory, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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17
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Bełcik M, Lenda ML, Pustkowiak S, Woźniak B, Skórka P. Social information modifies the associations between forest fragmentation and the abundance of a passerine bird. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21386. [PMID: 38049553 PMCID: PMC10696010 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48512-8] [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: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Habitat loss and fragmentation are the main factors driving the occurrence and abundance of species in the landscape. However, the local occurrence and abundance of species may also depend on conspecific and heterospecific social information e.g. clues of animals' presence or their voices. We investigated the impact of the interaction between different types of social information and forest fragmentation on the abundance of the song thrush, Turdus philomelos, in Central Europe. Three types of social information (attractive, repulsive, and mixed) and procedural control were broadcasted via loudspeakers in 150 forest patches that varied in size and isolation metrics. Repulsive social information (cues of presence of predator) decreased abundance of song thrush. Also, the repulsive social information changed the association between forest patch isolation, size and the abundance. Attractive social information (songs of the studied thrush) had no effect on song thrush abundance. However, the attractive social information reversed the positive correlation between habitat patch size and the abundance. Mixed social information (both repulsive and attractive) had no impact on the abundance nor interacted with habitat fragmentation. The observed effects mostly did not last to the next breeding season. Overall, our findings indicate that lands of fear and social attraction could modify the effect of habitat fragmentation on the species abundance but these effects probably are not long-lasting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Bełcik
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120, Kraków, Poland.
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
| | - Magdalena Lidia Lenda
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120, Kraków, Poland
| | - Sylwia Pustkowiak
- Population Ecology Lab, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznań, Poland
| | - Bartłomiej Woźniak
- Department of Forest Zoology and Wildlife Management, Institute of Forest Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Skórka
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120, Kraków, Poland
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18
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Esattore B, Rossi AC, Bazzoni F, Riggio C, Oliveira R, Leggiero I, Ferretti F. Same place, different time, head up: Multiple antipredator responses to a recolonizing apex predator. Curr Zool 2023; 69:703-717. [PMID: 37876645 PMCID: PMC10591180 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Prey adjust their antipredator behavioral tactics to minimize the risk of an encounter with predators. Spatiotemporal responses of prey to predators have been reported, but the nature of antipredator response is not ubiquitous and it is the object of increasing interest, especially considering the recent recovery of large carnivores in Europe, and the potential for behavioral antipredator responses to elicit consequences at the ecosystem level. We have tested multiple antipredator responses by fallow deer Dama dama to wolf Canis lupus in a Mediterranean protected area recently recolonized by this apex predator. Through intensive camera trapping, we tested for temporal and spatial association between predator and prey, and we have also studied deer vigilance in forest habitats where focal observations are usually impossible. Wolf detection rates were spatially associated with those of fallow deer. Accordingly, no evidence was found for fallow deer avoiding sites with higher predator detection rates. Temporal activity patterns were significantly different between the 2 species, with the wolf being mainly nocturnal whereas fallow deer was active especially during daylight. A comparison with a preliminary study strongly suggests an increase in the diurnal activity of fallow deer along with the stabilization of wolf presence in the area. Both the rate and the duration of vigilance of female fallow deer increased with the local frequency of wolf activity. We suggest an antipredator response based on temporal-rather than spatial-avoidance, as well as increased vigilance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Esattore
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Přátelství 815,104 00, Uhříněves, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 00, Suchdol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Agnese Carlotta Rossi
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioral Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via Pier Andrea Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Francesco Bazzoni
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioral Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via Pier Andrea Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Chiara Riggio
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioral Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via Pier Andrea Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Raquel Oliveira
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioral Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via Pier Andrea Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Ivan Leggiero
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioral Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via Pier Andrea Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Francesco Ferretti
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioral Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via Pier Andrea Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo 90133, Italy
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Candler EM, Chakrabarti S, Severud WJ, Bump JK. Eat or be eaten: Implications of potential exploitative competition between wolves and humans across predator-savvy and predator-naive deer populations. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10694. [PMID: 38034341 PMCID: PMC10682566 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Recolonization of predators to their former ranges is becoming increasingly prevalent. Such recolonization places predators among their prey once again; the latter having lived without predation (from such predators) for a considerable time. This renewed coexistence creates opportunities to explore predation ecology at both fundamental and applied levels. We used a paired experimental design to investigate white-tailed deer risk allocation in the Upper and Lower Peninsulas (UP and LP) in Michigan, USA. Wolves are functionally absent in the LP, while deer in the UP coexist with a re-established wolf population. We treated 15 sites each in UP and LP with wolf olfactory cues and observed deer vigilance, activity, and visitation rates at the interface of habitat covariates using remote cameras. Such a paired design across wolf versus no-wolf areas allowed us to examine indirect predation effects while accounting for confounding parameters such as the presence of other predators and human activity. While wolf urine had no effect across most metrics in both UP and LP, we observed differences in deer activity in areas with versus without wolves. Sites treated with wolf urine in the UP showed a reduction in crepuscular deer activity, compared to control/novel-scent treated sites. Furthermore, we observed a strong positive effect of vegetation cover on deer vigilance in these sites. This indicates that simulated predator cues likely affect deer vigilance more acutely in denser habitats, which presumably facilitates predation success. Such responses were however absent among deer in the LP that are presumably naïve toward wolf predation. Where human and non-human predators hunt shared prey, such as in Michigan, predators may constrain human hunting success by increasing deer vigilance. Hunters may avoid such exploitative competition by choosing hunting/bait sites located in open areas. Our results pertaining to fundamental predation ecology have strong applied implications that can promote human-predator coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen M. Candler
- Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation BiologyUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | | | - William J. Severud
- Department of Natural Resource ManagementSouth Dakota State UniversityBrookingsSouth DakotaUSA
| | - Joseph K. Bump
- Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation BiologyUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA
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20
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Poulin MP, Cherry SG, Merkle JA. Dynamic balancing of risks and rewards in a large herbivore: Further extending predator-prey concepts to road ecology. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:1954-1965. [PMID: 37462330 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Animal behaviour is shaped by the ability to identify risks and profitably balance the levels of risks encountered with the payoffs experienced. Anthropogenic disturbances like roads generate novel risks and opportunities that wildlife must accurately perceive and respond to. Basic concepts in predator-prey ecology are often used to understand responses of animals to roads (e.g. increased vigilance, selection for cover in their vicinity). However, prey often display complex behaviours such as modulating space use given varying risks and rewards, and it is unclear if such dynamic balancing is used by animals in the context of road crossings. We tested whether animals dynamically balance risks and rewards relative to roads using extensive field-based and GPS collar data from elk in Yoho National Park (British Columbia, Canada), where a major highway completely bisects their range during most of the year. We analysed elk behaviour by combining hidden Markov movement models with a step-selection function framework. Rewards were indexed by a dynamic map of available forage biomass, and risks were indexed by road crossings and traffic volumes. We found that elk generally selected intermediate and high forage biomass, and avoided crossing the road. Most of the time, elk modulated their behaviour given varying risks and rewards. When crossing the highway compared with not crossing, elk selected for greater forage biomass and this selection was stronger as the number of highway crossings increased. However, with traffic volume, elk only balanced foraging rewards when they crossed a single time during a travel sequence. Using a road ecology system, we empirically tested an important component of predator-prey ecology-the ability to dynamically modulate behaviour in response to varying levels of risks and rewards. Such a test articulates how decision-making processes that consider the spatiotemporal variation in risks and rewards allow animals to successfully and profitably navigate busy roads. Applying well-developed concepts in predator-prey theory helps understand how animals respond to anthropogenic disturbances and anticipate the adaptive capacity for individuals and populations to adjust to rapidly changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Pier Poulin
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Seth G Cherry
- Parks Canada Agency, Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jerod A Merkle
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
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21
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Abernathy HN, Crawford DA, Chandler RB, Garrison EP, Conner LM, Miller KV, Cherry MJ. Rain, recreation and risk: Human activity and ecological disturbance create seasonal risk landscapes for the prey of an ambush predator. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:1840-1855. [PMID: 37415521 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Predation risk and prey responses exhibit fluctuations in space and time. Seasonal ecological disturbances can alter landscape structure and permeability to influence predator activity and efficacy, creating predictable patterns of risk for prey (seasonal risk landscapes). This may create corresponding seasonal shifts in antipredator behaviour, mediated by species ecology and trade-offs between risk and resources. Yet, how human recreation interacts with seasonal risk landscapes and antipredator behaviour remains understudied. In South Florida, we investigated the impact of a seasonal ecological disturbance, specifically flooding, which is inversely related to human activity, on interactions between Florida panthers (Puma concolor coryi) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We hypothesized that human activity and ecological disturbances would interact with panther-deer ecology, resulting in the emergence of two distinct seasonal landscapes of predation risk and the corresponding antipredator responses. We conducted camera trap surveys across southwestern Florida to collect detection data on humans, panthers and deer. We analysed the influence of human site use and flooding on deer and panther detection probability, co-occurrence and diel activity during the flooded and dry seasons. Flooding led to decreased panther detections and increased deer detections, resulting in reduced deer-panther co-occurrence during the flooded season. Panthers exhibited increased nocturnality and reduced diel activity overlap with deer in areas with higher human activity. Supporting our hypothesis, panthers' avoidance of human recreation and flooding created distinct risk schedules for deer, driving their antipredator behaviour. Deer utilized flooded areas to spatially offset predation risk during the flooded season while increasing diurnal activity in response to human recreation during the dry season. We highlight the importance of understanding how competing risks and ecological disturbances influence predator and prey behaviour, leading to the generation of seasonal risk landscapes and antipredator responses. We emphasize the role of cyclical ecological disturbances in shaping dynamic predator-prey interactions. Furthermore, we highlight how human recreation may function as a 'temporal human shield,' altering seasonal risk landscapes and antipredator responses to reduce encounter rates between predators and prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- H N Abernathy
- Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas, USA
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - D A Crawford
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas, USA
- Jones Center at Ichauway, Newton, Georgia, USA
| | - R B Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - E P Garrison
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - L M Conner
- Jones Center at Ichauway, Newton, Georgia, USA
| | - K V Miller
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - M J Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas, USA
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22
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Parsons MH, Stryjek R, Fendt M, Kiyokawa Y, Bebas P, Blumstein DT. Making a case for the free exploratory paradigm: animal welfare-friendly assays that enhance heterozygosity and ecological validity. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1228478. [PMID: 37600759 PMCID: PMC10436217 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1228478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael H. Parsons
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Rafal Stryjek
- Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Markus Fendt
- Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Yasushi Kiyokawa
- Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Piotr Bebas
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Daniel T. Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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23
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Painter LE, Beschta RL, Ripple WJ. Bison alter the northern Yellowstone ecosystem by breaking aspen saplings. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10369. [PMID: 37649706 PMCID: PMC10464599 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The American bison (Bison bison) is a species that strongly interacts with its environment, yet the effects of this large herbivore on quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) have received little study. We documented bison breaking the stems of aspen saplings (young aspen >2 m tall and ≤5 cm in diameter at breast height) and examined the extent of this effect in northern Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Low densities of Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis) after about 2004 created conditions conducive for new aspen recruitment in YNP's northern ungulate winter range (northern range). We sampled aspen saplings at local and landscape scales, using random sampling plots in 87 randomly selected aspen stands. Across the YNP northern range, we found that 18% of sapling stems had been broken. The causal attribution to bison was supported by multiple lines of evidence: (1) most broken saplings were in areas of high bison and low elk density; (2) saplings were broken in summer when elk were not foraging on them; (3) we directly observed bison breaking aspen saplings; and (4) mixed-effects modeling showed a positive association between scat density of bison and the proportion of saplings broken. In a stand heavily used by bison, most aspen saplings had been broken, and portions of the stand were cleared of saplings that were present in previous sampling in 2012. Bison numbers increased more than fourfold between 2004 and 2015, and their ecosystem effects have similarly increased, limiting and in some places reversing the nascent aspen recovery. This situation is further complicated by political constraints that prevent bison from dispersing to areas outside the park. Thus, one important conservation goal, the preservation of bison, is affecting another long-term conservation goal, the recovery of aspen and other deciduous woody species in northern Yellowstone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke E. Painter
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation SciencesOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregonUSA
| | - Robert L. Beschta
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and SocietyOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregonUSA
| | - William J. Ripple
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and SocietyOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregonUSA
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24
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Serieys LE, Bishop JM, Rogan MS, Smith JA, Suraci JP, O’Riain MJ, Wilmers CC. Anthropogenic activities and age class mediate carnivore habitat selection in a human-dominated landscape. iScience 2023; 26:107050. [PMID: 37534145 PMCID: PMC10391726 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Human activities increasingly challenge wild animal populations by disrupting ecological connectivity and population persistence. Yet, human-modified habitats can provide resources, resulting in selection of disturbed areas by generalist species. To investigate spatial and temporal responses of a generalist carnivore to human disturbance, we investigated habitat selection and diel activity patterns in caracals (Caracal caracal). We GPS-collared 25 adults and subadults in urban and wildland-dominated subregions in Cape Town, South Africa. Selection responses for landscape variables were dependent on subregion, animal age class, and diel period. Contrary to expectations, caracals did not become more nocturnal in urban areas. Caracals increased their selection for proximity to urban areas as the proportion of urban area increased. Differences in habitat selection between urban and wildland caracals suggest that individuals of this generalist species exhibit high behavioral flexibility in response to anthropogenic disturbances that emerge as a function of habitat context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel E.K. Serieys
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Panthera, New York, NY 10018, USA
- Cape Leopard Trust, Cape Town 7966, South Africa
| | - Jacqueline M. Bishop
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Matthew S. Rogan
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
- Natural State, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Justine A. Smith
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Justin P. Suraci
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Conservation Science Partners, Inc. Truckee, CA 96161, USA
| | - M. Justin O’Riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Christopher C. Wilmers
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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25
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Pringle RM, Abraham JO, Anderson TM, Coverdale TC, Davies AB, Dutton CL, Gaylard A, Goheen JR, Holdo RM, Hutchinson MC, Kimuyu DM, Long RA, Subalusky AL, Veldhuis MP. Impacts of large herbivores on terrestrial ecosystems. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R584-R610. [PMID: 37279691 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Large herbivores play unique ecological roles and are disproportionately imperiled by human activity. As many wild populations dwindle towards extinction, and as interest grows in restoring lost biodiversity, research on large herbivores and their ecological impacts has intensified. Yet, results are often conflicting or contingent on local conditions, and new findings have challenged conventional wisdom, making it hard to discern general principles. Here, we review what is known about the ecosystem impacts of large herbivores globally, identify key uncertainties, and suggest priorities to guide research. Many findings are generalizable across ecosystems: large herbivores consistently exert top-down control of plant demography, species composition, and biomass, thereby suppressing fires and the abundance of smaller animals. Other general patterns do not have clearly defined impacts: large herbivores respond to predation risk but the strength of trophic cascades is variable; large herbivores move vast quantities of seeds and nutrients but with poorly understood effects on vegetation and biogeochemistry. Questions of the greatest relevance for conservation and management are among the least certain, including effects on carbon storage and other ecosystem functions and the ability to predict outcomes of extinctions and reintroductions. A unifying theme is the role of body size in regulating ecological impact. Small herbivores cannot fully substitute for large ones, and large-herbivore species are not functionally redundant - losing any, especially the largest, will alter net impact, helping to explain why livestock are poor surrogates for wild species. We advocate leveraging a broad spectrum of techniques to mechanistically explain how large-herbivore traits and environmental context interactively govern the ecological impacts of these animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Pringle
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Joel O Abraham
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - T Michael Anderson
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Tyler C Coverdale
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA; Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Andrew B Davies
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | | | - Jacob R Goheen
- Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82072, USA
| | - Ricardo M Holdo
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Matthew C Hutchinson
- Department of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Duncan M Kimuyu
- Department of Natural Resources, Karatina University, Karatina, Kenya
| | - Ryan A Long
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
| | - Amanda L Subalusky
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Michiel P Veldhuis
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
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26
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Gilbert NA, McGinn KA, Nunes LA, Shipley AA, Bernath-Plaisted J, Clare JDJ, Murphy PW, Keyser SR, Thompson KL, Maresh Nelson SB, Cohen JM, Widick IV, Bartel SL, Orrock JL, Zuckerberg B. Daily activity timing in the Anthropocene. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:324-336. [PMID: 36402653 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Animals are facing novel 'timescapes' in which the stimuli entraining their daily activity patterns no longer match historical conditions due to anthropogenic disturbance. However, the ecological effects (e.g., altered physiology, species interactions) of novel activity timing are virtually unknown. We reviewed 1328 studies and found relatively few focusing on anthropogenic effects on activity timing. We suggest three hypotheses to stimulate future research: (i) activity-timing mismatches determine ecological effects, (ii) duration and timing of timescape modification influence effects, and (iii) consequences of altered activity timing vary biogeographically due to broad-scale variation in factors compressing timescapes. The continued growth of sampling technologies promises to facilitate the study of the consequences of altered activity timing, with emerging applications for biodiversity conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil A Gilbert
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Kate A McGinn
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Laura A Nunes
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Amy A Shipley
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Jacy Bernath-Plaisted
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - John D J Clare
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Penelope W Murphy
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Spencer R Keyser
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Kimberly L Thompson
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), 04103 Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Germany
| | - Scott B Maresh Nelson
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Jeremy M Cohen
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Ivy V Widick
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Savannah L Bartel
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - John L Orrock
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Benjamin Zuckerberg
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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27
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Dantzer B. Frank Beach Award Winner: The centrality of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in dealing with environmental change across temporal scales. Horm Behav 2023; 150:105311. [PMID: 36707334 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Understanding if and how individuals and populations cope with environmental change is an enduring question in evolutionary ecology that has renewed importance given the pace of change in the Anthropocene. Two evolutionary strategies of coping with environmental change may be particularly important in rapidly changing environments: adaptive phenotypic plasticity and/or bet hedging. Adaptive plasticity could enable individuals to match their phenotypes to the expected environment if there is an accurate cue predicting the selective environment. Diversifying bet hedging involves the production of seemingly random phenotypes in an unpredictable environment, some of which may be adaptive. Here, I review the central role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and glucocorticoids (GCs) in enabling vertebrates to cope with environmental change through adaptive plasticity and bet hedging. I first describe how the HPA axis mediates three types of adaptive plasticity to cope with environmental change (evasion, tolerance, recovery) over short timescales (e.g., 1-3 generations) before discussing how the implications of GCs on phenotype integration may depend upon the timescale under consideration. GCs can promote adaptive phenotypic integration, but their effects on phenotypic co-variation could also limit the dimensions of phenotypic space explored by animals over longer timescales. Finally, I discuss how organismal responses to environmental stressors can act as a bet hedging mechanism and therefore enhance evolvability by increasing genetic or phenotypic variability or reducing patterns of genetic and phenotypic co-variance. Together, this emphasizes the crucial role of the HPA axis in understanding fundamental questions in evolutionary ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Dantzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, MI 48109 Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, MI 48109, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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28
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Clare JDJ, Zuckerberg B, Liu N, Stenglein JL, Van Deelen TR, Pauli JN, Townsend PA. A phenology of fear: Investigating scale and seasonality in predator-prey games between wolves and white-tailed deer. Ecology 2023; 104:e4019. [PMID: 36882907 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Predators and prey engage in games where each player must counter the moves of the other, and these games include multiple phases operating at different spatiotemporal scales. Recent work has highlighted potential issues related to scale-sensitive inferences in predator-prey interactions, and there is growing appreciation that these may exhibit pronounced but predictable dynamics. Motivated by previous assertions about effects arising from foraging games between white-tailed deer and canid predators (coyotes and wolves), we used a large and year-round network of trail cameras to characterize deer and predator foraging games, with a particular focus on clarifying its temporal scale and seasonal variation. Linear features were strongly associated with predator detection rates, suggesting these play a central role in canid foraging tactics by expediting movement. Consistent with expectations for prey contending with highly mobile predators, deer responses were more sensitive to proximal risk metrics at finer spatiotemporal scales, suggesting that coarser but more commonly used scales of analysis may miss useful insights into prey risk-response. Time allocation appears to be a key tactic for deer risk management and was more strongly moderated by factors associated with forage or evasion heterogeneity (forest cover, snow and plant phenology) than factors associated with the likelihood of predator encounter (linear features). Trade-offs between food and safety appeared to vary as much seasonally as spatially, with snow and vegetation phenology giving rise to a "phenology of fear." Deer appear free to counter predators during milder times of year, but a combination of poor foraging state, reduced forage availability, greater movements costs, and reproductive state dampen responsiveness during winter. Pronounced intra-annual variation in predator-prey interactions may be common in seasonal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D J Clare
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Benjamin Zuckerberg
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Nanfeng Liu
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Jennifer L Stenglein
- Office of Applied Science, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 101 S. Webster Street, Box 7921, Madison, Wisconsin, 53707, USA
| | - Timothy R Van Deelen
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Jonathan N Pauli
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Philip A Townsend
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
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29
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Sovie AR, Romanski MC, Orning EK, Marneweck DG, Nichols R, Moore S, Belant JL. Temporal variation in translocated Isle Royale wolf diet. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9873. [PMID: 36937055 PMCID: PMC10019911 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Wolves (Canis lupus) can exert top-down pressure and shape ecological communities through the predation of ungulates and beavers (Castor spp.). Therefore, understanding wolf foraging is critical to estimating their ecosystem-level effects. Specifically, if wolves are consumers that optimize tradeoffs between the cost and benefits of prey acquisition, changes in these factors may lead to prey-switching or negative-density dependent selection with potential consequences for community stability. For wolves, factors affecting cost and benefits include prey vulnerability, risk, reward, and availability, which can vary temporally. We described the wolf diet by the frequency of occurrence and percent biomass and characterized the diet using prey remains found in wolf scats on Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, USA, during May-October 2019 and 2020. We used logistic regression to estimate prey consumption over time. We predicted prey with temporal variation in cost (availability and/or vulnerability) such as adult moose (Alces alces), calf moose, and beaver (Castor canadensis) to vary in wolf diets. We analyzed 206 scats and identified 62% of remains as beaver, 26% as moose, and 12% as other species (birds, smaller mammals, and wolves). Adult moose were more likely to occur in wolf scats in May when moose are in poor condition following winter. The occurrence of moose calves peaked during June-mid-July following birth but before calf vulnerability declined as they matured. By contrast, beaver occurrence in wolf scat did not change over time, reflecting the importance of low-handling cost prey items for recently introduced lone or paired wolves. Our results demonstrate that the wolf diet is responsive to temporal changes in prey costs. Temporal fluctuation in diet may influence wolves' ecological role if prey respond to increased predation risk by altering foraging or breeding behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adia R. Sovie
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
| | - Mark C. Romanski
- National Park ServiceIsle Royale National ParkHoughtonMichiganUSA
| | - Elizabeth K. Orning
- College of Environmental Science and ForestryState University of New YorkSyracuseNew YorkUSA
| | | | - Rachel Nichols
- Department of Biology and EnvironmentGrand Portage Band of Lake Superior ChippewaGrand PortageMinnesotaUSA
| | - Seth Moore
- Department of Biology and EnvironmentGrand Portage Band of Lake Superior ChippewaGrand PortageMinnesotaUSA
| | - Jerrold L. Belant
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
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30
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Russo LF, Fernández-González Á, Penteriani V, Delgado MDM, Palazón S, Loy A, Di Febbraro M. The Different Fate of the Pyrenean Desman ( Galemys pyrenaicus) and the Eurasian Otter ( Lutra lutra) under Climate and Land Use Changes. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13020274. [PMID: 36670813 PMCID: PMC9854453 DOI: 10.3390/ani13020274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate and land use change can affect biodiversity in different ways, e.g., determining habitat loss, altering reproduction periods or disrupting biotic interactions. Here, we investigate the effects of climate and land use change on the spatial distribution of two semi-aquatic mammals, the Pyrenean desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) and the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra). We first modeled the current potential distribution of the desman and the otter in the Iberian Peninsula, considering topographic, climatic and land use variables. Second, we predicted their potential distribution in 2050 under climate and land use change scenarios. We calculated the percentage of range gain/loss and shift predicted for the two species under such scenarios and quantified the present and future spatial overlap between the two species distribution. Irrespective of the scenario, desman models show loss of suitable habitat, whereas the otter will undergo an opposite trend. Aside from a preponderant habitat loss, the desman is predicted to increase its spatial overlap with otter range under the optimistic scenarios, potentially meaning it will face an exacerbated predation by otters. The potential increase of both habitat loss and otters' predation might represent a major threat for the desman, which may affect the long-term persistence of this endemic species in the Iberian Peninsula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Francesco Russo
- EnvixLab, Department of Biosciences and Territory, Università degli Studi del Molise, 86090 Pesche, Italy
| | | | - Vincenzo Penteriani
- National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN), Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), c/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - María del Mar Delgado
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IMIB), CSIC/UO/PA, Campus de Mieres, Edificio de Investigación, 33600 Mieres, Spain
| | - Santiago Palazón
- Direcció General de Polítiques Ambientals i Medi Natural, Generalitat of Catalonia, Carrer del Foc, 57, 08038 Barcelona, Spain
- Grupo Nutria, Sociedad Española Para la Conservación y Estudio de los Mamíferos (SECEM), 29080 Málaga, Spain
| | - Anna Loy
- EnvixLab, Department of Biosciences and Territory, Università degli Studi del Molise, 86090 Pesche, Italy
| | - Mirko Di Febbraro
- EnvixLab, Department of Biosciences and Territory, Università degli Studi del Molise, 86090 Pesche, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-087-4404-4147
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31
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Individual and collective behaviour of fish subject to differing risk-level treatments with a sympatric predator. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03269-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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32
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Raimundo RLG. How cougars and feral donkeys change desert wetlands: Novel interactions between native predators and non-native megaherbivores shape trophic cascades in the Anthropocene. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:2342-2347. [PMID: 36479678 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Research Highlight: Lundgren, E. J., Ramp, D., Middleton, O. S., Wooster, E. I. F., Kusch, E., Balisi, M., Ripple, W. J., Hasselerharm, C. D., Sanchez, J. N., Mills, M. & Wallach, A. D. (2022) A novel trophic cascade between cougars and feral donkeys shapes desert wetlands. Journal of Animal Ecology, (91, 2010-2022). https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13766. Despite being absent from most regions of the contemporary world, megafauna species dominated the dynamics of ecological communities until the late Pleistocene. Trophic rewilding is a promising approach to restoring megafauna interactions, their functional roles and the consequent trophic cascades. Unintentional rewilding with large non-native herbivores, such as equids, offers outstanding opportunities for ecologists to understand the outcomes of using replacement species to restore the ecological functions of extinct native megafauna. In this context, it is relevant to understand the extent to which extant native predators can impose top-down control on non-native megaherbivores and how trophic cascades arising from novel predator-prey interactions influences biodiversity and ecosystem functions. In Death Valley National Park (United States), Lundgren et al. depict a natural experiment showing compelling evidence of native cougars overcoming ecological naïveté-that is, the mismatches between predator and prey species that do not share a common evolutionary history-and are now successfully preying on younger individuals of feral donkeys. These non-native donkeys, whose growing wild populations threaten the native biota, became cougars' most frequent dietary item in that region. In areas with cougars, donkeys changed their spatiotemporal foraging patterns, becoming diurnal and less active. On the other hand, donkeys remain more active and forage throughout the day and night in areas without cougars. The cougar-donkey interaction triggered a behaviourally mediated trophic cascade emerging from a 'landscape of fear', that is, from the perception of spatial heterogeneity in predation risk by donkeys. Areas with cougars have less trampled ground, fewer donkey trails, and much more canopy cover and vegetation around water. Donkeys concentrate their activity mostly in topologically plain terrains lacking proper sites for the ambush behaviour of cougars and with more intense human presence, likely acting as a shield against the predators. Lundgren et al. present a promising model system for studying the effects of fearful grazers on community structure in the context of novel ecological interactions being established in the Anthropocene. Whether the emerging cascade is transient or persistent, the relative roles of consumptive and non-consumptive effects as underlying mechanisms, and their consequences for food web structure, functioning and stability, are questions of general interest. Addressing them can help us to elucidate the costs and benefits of using non-native megaherbivores in the functional restoration of permanently invaded ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael L G Raimundo
- Department of Engineering and Environment and Graduate Program in Ecology and Environmental Monitoring, Centre for Applied Sciences and Education, Federal University of Paraíba - Campus IV, Rio Tinto, PB, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Biological Sciences, Centre for Exact and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba - Campus I, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil
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Alston JM, Fleming CH, Kays R, Streicher JP, Downs CT, Ramesh T, Reineking B, Calabrese JM. Mitigating pseudoreplication and bias in resource selection functions with autocorrelation‐informed weighting. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.14025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse M. Alston
- Center for Advanced Systems Understanding Görlitz Germany
- Helmholtz‐Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf (HZDR) Dresden Germany
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson Arizona USA
| | - Christen H. Fleming
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park Front Royal Virginia USA
- Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park Maryland USA
| | - Roland Kays
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina USA
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Raleigh North Carolina USA
| | - Jarryd P. Streicher
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Pietermaritzburg South Africa
| | - Colleen T. Downs
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Pietermaritzburg South Africa
| | - Tharmalingam Ramesh
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Pietermaritzburg South Africa
- Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) Coimbatore Tamil Nadu India
| | - Björn Reineking
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INRAE, LESSEM Saint‐Martin‐d'Hères France
| | - Justin M. Calabrese
- Center for Advanced Systems Understanding Görlitz Germany
- Helmholtz‐Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf (HZDR) Dresden Germany
- Department of Ecological Modelling Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) Leipzig Germany
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Parsons AW, Wikelski M, Keeves von Wolff B, Dodel J, Kays R. Intensive hunting changes human-wildlife relationships. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14159. [PMID: 36248718 PMCID: PMC9563281 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Wildlife alter their behaviors in a trade-off between consuming food and fear of becoming food themselves. The risk allocation hypothesis posits that variation in the scale, intensity and longevity of predation threats can influence the magnitude of antipredator behavioral responses. Hunting by humans represents a threat thought to be perceived by wildlife similar to how they perceive a top predator, although hunting intensity and duration varys widely around the world. Here we evaluate the effects of hunting pressure on wildlife by comparing how two communities of mammals under different management schemes differ in their relative abundance and response to humans. Using camera traps to survey wildlife across disturbance levels (yards, farms, forests) in similar landscapes in southern Germany and southeastern USA, we tested the prediction of the risk allocation hypothesis: that the higher intensity and longevity of hunting in Germany (year round vs 3 months, 4x higher harvest/km2/year) would reduce relative abundance of hunted species and result in a larger fear-based response to humans (i.e., more spatial and temporal avoidance). We further evaluated how changes in animal abundance and behavior would result in potential changes to ecological impacts (i.e., herbivory and predation). We found that hunted species were relatively less abundant in Germany and less associated with humans on the landscape (i.e., yards and urban areas), but did not avoid humans temporally in hunted areas while hunted species in the USA showed the opposite pattern. These results are consistent with the risk allocation hypothesis where we would expect more spatial avoidance in response to threats of longer duration (i.e., year-round hunting in Germany vs. 3-month duration in USA) and less spatial avoidance but more temporal avoidance for threats of shorter duration. The expected ecological impacts of mammals in all three habitats were quite different between countries, most strikingly due to the decreases in the relative abundance of hunted species in Germany, particularly deer, with no proportional increase in unhunted species, resulting in American yards facing the potential for 25x more herbivory than German yards. Our results suggest that the duration and intensity of managed hunting can have strong and predictable effects on animal abundance and behavior, with the potential for corresponding changes in the ecological impacts of wildlife. Hunting can be an effective tool for reducing wildlife conflict due to overabundance but may require more intensive harvest than is seen in much of North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arielle Waldstein Parsons
- North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America,Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany,Max Planck-Yale Center for Biodiversity Movement and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | | | | | - Roland Kays
- North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America,North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
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Courbin N, Garel M, Marchand P, Duparc A, Debeffe L, Börger L, Loison A. Interacting lethal and nonlethal human activities shape complex risk tolerance behaviors in a mountain herbivore. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2640. [PMID: 35443100 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Animals perceive human activities as risky and generally respond with fear-induced proactive behaviors to buffer the circadian patterns of lethal and nonlethal disturbances, such as diel migrations (DMs) between risky places during safe nighttime and safer places during risky daytime. However, such responses potentially incur costs through movement or reduced foraging time, so individuals should adjust their tolerance when human activities are harmless, through habituation. Yet this is a challenging cognitive task when lethal and nonlethal risks co-occur, forming complex landscapes of fear. The consequences of this human-induced complexity have, however, rarely been assessed. We studied the individual DM dynamics of chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra), 89 GPS-tracked individual-years, from/to trails in the French Alps in areas with co-occurring lethal (hunting) and nonlethal (hiking and skiing) disturbances, with different intensities across seasons. We developed a conceptual framework relying on the risk-disturbance hypothesis and habituation to predict tolerance adjustments of chamois under various disturbance contexts and across contrasted seasonal periods. Based on spatial and statistical analyses combining periodograms and multinomial logistic models, we found that DM in relation to distance to a trail was a consistent response by chamois (~85% of individuals) to avoid human disturbance during daytime, especially during the hiking and hunting periods. Such behavior revealed a low tolerance of most chamois to human activities, although there was considerable interindividual heterogeneity in DM. Interestingly, there was an increased tolerance among the most disturbed diel migrants, potentially through habituation, with chamois performing shorter DMs in areas highly disturbed by hikers. Crucially, chamois that were most human-habituated during the hiking period remained more tolerant in the subsequent harvesting period, which could increase their risk of being harvested. In contrast, individuals less tolerant to hiking performed longer DMs when hunting risk increased, and compared to hiking, hunting exacerbated the threshold distance to trails triggering DMs. No carryover effect of hunting beyond the hunting period was observed. In conclusion, complex human-induced landscapes of fear with co-occurring disturbances by nature-based tourism and hunting may shape unexpected patterns of tolerance to human activities, whereby animal tolerance could become potentially deleterious for individual survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Courbin
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (LECA), UMR 5553, Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont-Blanc, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Le Bourget-du-Lac, France
| | - Mathieu Garel
- Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB), Direction de la Recherche et de l'Appui Scientifique - Service Anthropisation et Fonctionnement des Ecosystèmes Terrestres, Gières, France
| | - Pascal Marchand
- Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB), Direction de la Recherche et de l'Appui Scientifique - Service Anthropisation et Fonctionnement des Ecosystèmes Terrestres, Juvignac, France
| | - Antoine Duparc
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (LECA), UMR 5553, Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont-Blanc, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Le Bourget-du-Lac, France
| | - Lucie Debeffe
- Comportement et Ecologie de la Faune Sauvage (CEFS), Université de Toulouse, Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (INRAE), Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Anne Loison
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (LECA), UMR 5553, Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont-Blanc, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Le Bourget-du-Lac, France
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Huggler KS, Holbrook JD, Hayes MM, Burke PW, Zornes M, Thompson DJ, Clapp JG, Lionberger P, Valdez M, Monteith KL. Risky business: How an herbivore navigates spatiotemporal aspects of risk from competitors and predators. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2648. [PMID: 35535971 PMCID: PMC9787716 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Understanding factors that influence animal behavior is central to ecology. Basic principles of animal ecology imply that individuals should seek to maximize survival and reproduction, which means carefully weighing risk against reward. Decisions become increasingly complex and constrained, however, when risk is spatiotemporally variable. We advance a growing body of work in predator-prey behavior by evaluating novel questions where a prey species is confronted with multiple predators and a potential competitor. We tested how fine-scale behavior of female mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) during the reproductive season shifted depending upon spatial and temporal variation in risk from predators and a potential competitor. We expected female deer to avoid areas of high risk when movement activity of predators and a competitor were high. We used GPS data collected from 76 adult female mule deer, 35 adult female elk, 33 adult coyotes, and six adult mountain lions. Counter to our expectations, female deer exhibited selection for multiple risk factors, however, selection for risk was dampened by the exposure to risk within home ranges of female deer, producing a functional response in habitat selection. Furthermore, temporal variation in movement activity of predators and elk across the diel cycle did not result in a shift in movement activity by female deer. Instead, the average level of risk within their home range was the predominant factor modulating the response to risk by female deer. Our results counter prevailing hypotheses of how large herbivores navigate risky landscapes and emphasize the importance of accounting for the local environment when identifying effects of risk on animal behavior. Moreover, our findings highlight additional behavioral mechanisms used by large herbivores to mitigate multiple sources of predation and potential competitive interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katey S. Huggler
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
- Haub School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
| | - Joseph D. Holbrook
- Haub School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
| | - Matthew M. Hayes
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
- Haub School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
| | - Patrick W. Burke
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Green River RegionGreen RiverWyomingUSA
| | - Mark Zornes
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Green River RegionGreen RiverWyomingUSA
| | - Daniel J. Thompson
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Large Carnivore SectionLanderWyomingUSA
| | - Justin G. Clapp
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Large Carnivore SectionLanderWyomingUSA
| | - Patrick Lionberger
- Bureau of Land Management, Rock Springs Field OfficeRock SpringsWyomingUSA
| | - Miguel Valdez
- Bureau of Land Management, Rock Springs Field OfficeRock SpringsWyomingUSA
| | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
- Haub School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
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Anton CB, DeCesare NJ, Peterson C, Hayes TA, Bishop CJ. Climate, habitat interactions, and mule deer resource selection on winter landscapes. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Colby B. Anton
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | | | | | - Teagan A. Hayes
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Chad J. Bishop
- Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana Missoula MT 59812 USA
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Kihata N, Shikano I. Enemy-Risk Effects in Parasitoid-Exposed Diamondback Moth Larvae: Potential Mediation of the Interaction by Host Plants. INSECTS 2022; 13:818. [PMID: 36135519 PMCID: PMC9502935 DOI: 10.3390/insects13090818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Enemy-risk effects (i.e., non-consumptive effects) describe the non-lethal fitness costs incurred by animals when they perceive a risk of predation. These effects can result from fear-associated changes in behavior and physiology. Diamondback moth larvae (Plutella xylostella) are known to violently wriggle backwards and drop from their host plants, usually suspending themselves with a silk thread, when threatened by predators and parasitoids. Here, we investigated the developmental costs associated with this behavior when larvae were exposed to its specialist parasitoid wasp (Diadegma insulare). Additionally, the structural and chemical properties of plants are well-known to influence predation and parasitism rates of herbivorous insects. Yet, few studies have examined the influence of plants on enemy-risk effects. Therefore, we examined the developmental costs associated with parasitism risk on two host plants. Diamondback moth larvae were placed on either cabbage or Virginia pepperweed plants and exposed to gravid parasitoids with truncated ovipositors, which prevented piercing of the host cuticle without affecting host searching and attacking behaviors. On Virginia pepperweed, risk of parasitism resulted in reduced larval weight gain, longer development time, and smaller adult size compared to larvae that were not exposed to parasitoids. However, on cabbage, parasitoid exposure prolonged development time but had no significant effects on larval weight gain and adult size. On both plants, parasitoid-exposed larvae were found feeding on older foliage than younger foliage. Our findings demonstrate that the enemy-escape behavior of diamondback moths has developmental costs and that plants may mediate the intensity of these enemy-risk effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Kihata
- Colby College, Mayflower Hill Drive, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
| | - Ikkei Shikano
- Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, 3050 Maile Way, Gilmore Hall 513, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
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Wooster EIF, Ramp D, Lundgren EJ, O'Neill AJ, Yanco E, Bonsen GT, Wallach AD. Predator protection dampens the landscape of fear. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eamonn I. F. Wooster
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, Univ. of Technology Sydney Ultimo NSW Australia
| | - Daniel Ramp
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, Univ. of Technology Sydney Ultimo NSW Australia
| | - Erick J. Lundgren
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Dept of Biology, Aarhus Univ. Aarhus Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Dept of Biology, Aarhus Univ. Aarhus C Denmark
| | | | - Esty Yanco
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, Univ. of Technology Sydney Ultimo NSW Australia
| | - Gavin T. Bonsen
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, Univ. of Technology Sydney Ultimo NSW Australia
| | - Arian D. Wallach
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland Univ. of Technology Brisbane QLD Australia
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Aliperti JR, Jenderseck K, Van Vuren DH. Habitat selection in a fluctuating ground squirrel population: Density-dependence and fitness consequences. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9241. [PMID: 36052297 PMCID: PMC9424181 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Investigating individual-based habitat settlement decisions is a central theme in ecology, yet studies that quantify density-dependent habitat selection or tie fitness to resource selection decisions remain rare. We quantified habitat selection in golden-mantled ground squirrels (Callospermophilus lateralis) across two spatial scales (home-range placement, and occurrence within the home range) by using 11 consecutive years of data on individual space use, and we used resource selection functions and multilevel modeling to address how habitat preferences may be influenced by density or linked to fitness outcomes. Squirrels preferred dry meadow over other habitat types (wet meadow, aspen, spruce, and willow) at both spatial scales. Squirrels were more likely to use dry meadow that contained shorter vegetation and vision-enhancing prominences such as rocks ("perches"). The use of dry meadow at each scale was not influenced by changes in density. The use of dry meadow did not lead to increased litter size, pre-hibernation mass, or survival. However, squirrels that experienced a greater number of perches or lower local densities had higher survival rates. Our results suggest that a lack of visual obstruction, probably facilitating detection of predators, drives habitat selection in this system. Surprisingly, squirrels maintained their preference for dry meadow as density increased, and they experienced reduced survival as a result. This work furthers our understanding about the causes and consequences of changes in habitat use, informing wildlife management and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn R. Aliperti
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCAUSA
- Rocky Mountain Biological LaboratoryCrested ButteCOUSA
| | - Kimberly Jenderseck
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCAUSA
- Rocky Mountain Biological LaboratoryCrested ButteCOUSA
| | - Dirk H. Van Vuren
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCAUSA
- Rocky Mountain Biological LaboratoryCrested ButteCOUSA
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de Jonge IK, Olff H, Wormmeester R, Veldhuis MP. Spatiotemporal habitat use of large African herbivores across a conservation border. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12754] [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] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Inger K. de Jonge
- Conservation Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
- Systems Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Science Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Han Olff
- Conservation Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Remo Wormmeester
- Conservation Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Michiel P. Veldhuis
- Department of Environmental Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences Leiden University Leiden The Netherlands
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Dynamic landscapes of fear: understanding spatiotemporal risk. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:911-925. [PMID: 35817684 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The landscape of fear (LOF) concept posits that prey navigate spatial heterogeneity in perceived predation risk, balancing risk mitigation against other activities necessary for survival and reproduction. These proactive behavioral responses to risk can affect individual fitness, population dynamics, species interactions, and coexistence. Yet, antipredator responses in free-ranging prey often contradict expectations, raising questions about the generality and scalability of the LOF framework and suggesting that a purely spatial, static LOF conceptualization may be inadequate. Here, we outline a 'dynamic' LOF framework that explicitly incorporates time to account for predictable spatiotemporal variation in risk-resource trade-offs. This integrated approach suggests novel predictions about predator effects on prey behaviors to refine understanding of the role predators play in ecological communities.
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Boucher NP, Anderson M, Ladle A, Procter C, Marshall S, Kuzyk G, Starzomski BM, Fisher JT. Cumulative effects of widespread landscape change alter predator-prey dynamics. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11692. [PMID: 35804035 PMCID: PMC9270463 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15001-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Predator search efficiency can be enhanced by anthropogenic landscape change, leading to increased predator–prey encounters and subsequent prey population declines. Logging increases early successional vegetation, providing ungulate forage. This increased forage, however, is accompanied by linear feature networks that increase predator hunting efficiency by facilitating predator movement and increasing prey vulnerability. We used integrated step selection analyses to weigh support for multiple hypotheses representing the combined impact of logging features (cutblocks and linear features) on wolf (Canis lupus) movement and habitat selection in interior British Columbia. Further, we examine the relationship between logging and wolf kill-sites of moose (Alces alces) identified using spatiotemporal wolf location cluster analysis. Wolves selected for linear features, which increased their movement rates. New (0–8 years since harvest) cutblocks were selected by wolves. Moose kill-sites had a higher probability of occurring in areas with higher proportions of new and regenerating (9–24 years since harvest) cutblocks. The combined selection and movement responses by wolves to logging features, coupled with increased moose mortality sites associated with cutblocks, indicate that landscape change increases risk for moose. Cumulative effects of landscape change contribute to moose population declines, stressing the importance of cohesive management and restoration of anthropogenic features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole P Boucher
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada.
| | - Morgan Anderson
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, 2000 South Ospika Boulevard, Prince George, BC, V2N 4W5, Canada
| | - Andrew Ladle
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Chris Procter
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, 1259 Dalhousie Drive, Kamloops, BC, V2C 5Z5, Canada
| | - Shelley Marshall
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 6J9, Canada
| | - Gerald Kuzyk
- Government of Saskatchewan Fish, Wildlife and Lands Branch, Ministry of Environment, Unit #1-101 Railway Place, Box 607, Meadow Lake, SK, S9X 1Y5, Canada
| | - Brian M Starzomski
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Jason T Fisher
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada
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Blossey B, Hare D. Myths, Wishful Thinking, and Accountability in Predator Conservation and Management in the United States. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2022.881483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Large predators are thought of as ecological keystone species, posterchildren of conservation campaigns, and sought-after targets of tourists and photographers. At the same time, predators kill livestock and huntable animals, and occasionally people, triggering fears and antipathy among those living alongside them. Until the 1960’s government-sponsored eradication and persecution campaigns in the United States prioritized interests of livestock producers and recreational hunters, leading to eradication of wolves and bears over much of their range. Without large predators, subsidized by changes in agricultural practices and milder winters, ungulate populations erupted, triggering negative ecological impacts, economic damage, and human health crises (such as tick-borne diseases). Shifting societal preferences have ushered in more predator-friendly, but controversial wildlife policies, from passively allowing range expansion to purposeful reintroductions (such as release of wolves in Yellowstone National Park). Attempts to restore wolves or mountain lions in the U.S. and protecting coyotes appear to enjoy strong public support, but many state wildlife agencies charged with managing wildlife, and recreational hunters continue to oppose such efforts, because they perceive predators as competitors for huntable animals. There may be compelling reasons for restoring predators or allowing them to recolonize their former ranges. But if range expansion or intentional releases of large predators do not result in ecosystem recovery, reduced deer populations, or Lyme disease reductions, conservationists who have put their reputation on the line and assured decision makers and the public of the important functional role of large predators may lose public standing and trust. Exaggerated predictions by ranchers and recreational hunters of greatly reduced ungulate populations and rampant livestock killing by large carnivores may lead to poaching and illegal killing threatening recovery of predator populations. How the return of large carnivores may affect vegetation and successional change, ungulate population size, other biota, livestock and human attitudes in different landscapes has not been appropriately assessed. Societal support and acceptance of living alongside predators as they expand their range and increase in abundance requires development and monitoring of social, ecological and economic indicators to assess how return of large predators affects human and animal and plant livelihoods.
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Friedeberg-Gutiérrez DB, López-González CA, Lara-Díaz NE, MacKenzie D, Jesús-de la Cruz A, Juárez-Lopez R, Hidalgo-Mihart M. Landscape patterns in the occupancy of jaguars ( Panthera onca) and their primary prey species in a disturbed region of the Selva Maya in Mexico. MAMMALIA 2022. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2021-0149] [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]
Abstract
Abstract
In order to prioritize the conservation and management efforts to protect jaguars (Panthera onca), it is of utmost importance to determine their tolerance in face of human disturbances, habitat modifications and varying degrees of prey availability. We assessed the occupancy probability of jaguars and five of their most common prey species throughout a heterogeneous landscape in the Selva Maya in southern Mexico: armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), coati (Nasua narica), paca (Cuniculus paca), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and collared peccary (Dicotyles tajacu). Additionally, we projected prey and Jaguar occupancies onto a 5993 km2 landscape based on the habitat type in the area. We averaged the best prey models ranked by QAICc and found that white-tailed deer had the highest average occupancy probability of 0.72 ± 0.06 and paca the lowest with 0.14 ± 0.04. The average occupancy probability for jaguars was 0.35 ± 0.07 and the strongest predictor of jaguar occupancy was a positive effect of collared peccary occupancy. These findings support previous studies that show that predator distribution is largely influenced by their prey availability, even in the midst of degraded habitats, and underlies the essential need to incorporate protection plans for prey species in jaguar conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana B. Friedeberg-Gutiérrez
- Laboratorio de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro , Av. De las Ciencias S/N, Juriquilla, CP. 76230 , Querétaro , Mexico
- Panthera México , Stirling Dickinson #27 , col San Antonio San Miguel de Allende , 37750 Guanajuato , Mexico
| | - Carlos A. López-González
- Laboratorio de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro , Av. De las Ciencias S/N, Juriquilla, CP. 76230 , Querétaro , Mexico
| | - Nalleli E. Lara-Díaz
- Laboratorio de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro , Av. De las Ciencias S/N, Juriquilla, CP. 76230 , Querétaro , Mexico
| | - Darryl MacKenzie
- Proteus Wildlife Research Consultants , PO Box 5193 , Dunedin , New Zealand
| | - Alejandro Jesús-de la Cruz
- División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco , Villahermosa , Mexico
| | - Rugieri Juárez-Lopez
- División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco , Villahermosa , Mexico
| | - Mircea Hidalgo-Mihart
- División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco , Villahermosa , Mexico
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Frey S, Tejero D, Baillie‐David K, Burton AC, Fisher JT. Predator control alters wolf interactions with prey and competitor species over the diel cycle. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Frey
- School of Environmental Studies, Univ. of Victoria Victoria BC Canada
| | - Daniel Tejero
- Univ. de Alcalá de Henares, Alcalá de Henares Madrid Spain
| | | | - A. Cole Burton
- Dept of Forest Resources Management, Univ. of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
| | - Jason T. Fisher
- School of Environmental Studies, Univ. of Victoria Victoria BC Canada
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Smith JB, Spitz DB, Brown CL, Wisdom MJ, Rowland MM, Forrester TD, Johnson BK, Clark DA. Behavioral responses of male elk to hunting risk. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua B. Smith
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande 97850 OR USA
| | - Derek B. Spitz
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz 95064 CA USA
| | - Casey L. Brown
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande 97850 OR USA
| | - Michael J. Wisdom
- U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande 97850 OR USA
| | - Mary M. Rowland
- U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande 97850 OR USA
| | - Tavis D. Forrester
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande 97850 OR USA
| | - Bruce K. Johnson
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande 97850 OR USA
| | - Darren A. Clark
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande 97850 OR USA
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Weterings MJ, Meister N, Fey K, Jansen PA, van Langevelde F, Kuipers HJ. Context-dependent responses of naïve ungulates to wolf-sound playback in a human-dominated landscape. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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Suraci JP, Smith JA, Chamaillé‐Jammes S, Gaynor KM, Jones M, Luttbeg B, Ritchie EG, Sheriff MJ, Sih A. Beyond spatial overlap: harnessing new technologies to resolve the complexities of predator–prey interactions. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Justine A. Smith
- Dept of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, Univ. of California Davis CA USA
| | - Simon Chamaillé‐Jammes
- CEFE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
- Mammal Research Inst., Dept of Zoology&Entomology, Univ. of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
| | - Kaitlyn M. Gaynor
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Univ. of California Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Menna Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, Univ. of Tasmania Tasmania Australia
| | - Barney Luttbeg
- Dept of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State Univ. Stillwater OK USA
| | - Euan G. Ritchie
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin Univ. Burwood VIC Australia
| | | | - Andrew Sih
- Dept of Environmental Science and Policy, Univ. of California Davis CA USA
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Sexual differences in responses of meadow voles to environmental cues in the presence of mink odor. Anim Cogn 2022; 25:1003-1011. [PMID: 35190904 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01606-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
In rodents, defensive behaviors increase the chances of survival during a predator encounter. Observable rodent defensive behaviors have been shown to be influenced by the presence of predator odors and nearby environmental cues such as cover, odors from conspecifics and food availability. Our experiment tested whether a predator scent cue influenced refuge preference in meadow voles within a laboratory setting. We placed voles in an experimental apparatus with bedding soaked in mink scent versus olive oil as a control across from four tubes that either contained (a) a dark plastic covering, (b) opposite-sex conspecific odor, (c) a food pellet, or (d) an empty, unscented space. A three-way interaction of tube contents, subject sex, and the presence of mink or olive oil on the preference of meadow voles to spend time in each area of the experimental apparatus and their latency to enter each area of the apparatus revealed sex differences in the environmental preference of meadow voles facing the risk of predation. The environmental preference of female, but not male, meadow voles was altered by the presence of mink urine or olive oil. A similar trend was found in the latency of males and females to enter each area of the experimental apparatus. These differences suggest that each sex utilizes different methods to increase their fitness when experiencing a predation risk. The observed sex differences may be explained by the natural history of voles owing to the differences in territorial range and the dynamics of evasion of terrestrial predators.
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