1
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Watchorn DJ, Doherty TS, Wilson BA, Garkaklis MJ, Driscoll DA. How do invasive predators and their native prey respond to prescribed fire? Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11450. [PMID: 38783847 PMCID: PMC11112300 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11450] [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: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Fire shapes animal communities by altering resource availability and species interactions, including between predators and prey. In Australia, there is particular concern that two highly damaging invasive predators, the feral cat (Felis catus) and European red fox (Vulpes vulpes), increase their activity in recently burnt areas and exert greater predation pressure on the native prey due to their increased exposure. We tested how prescribed fire occurrence and extent, along with fire history, vegetation, topography, and distance to anthropogenic features (towns and farms), affected the activity (detection frequency) of cats, foxes, and the native mammal community in south-eastern Australia. We used camera traps to quantify mammal activity before and after a prescribed burn and statistically tested how the fire interacted with these habitat variables to affect mammal activity. We found little evidence that the prescribed fire influenced the activity of cats and foxes and no evidence of an effect on kangaroo or small mammal (<800 g) activity. Medium-sized mammals (800-2000 g) were negatively associated with prescribed fire extent, suggesting that prescribed fire has a negative impact on these species in the short term. The lack of a clear activity increase from cats and foxes is likely a positive outcome from a fire management perspective. However, we highlight that their response is likely dependent upon factors like fire size, severity, and prey availability. Future experiments should incorporate GPS-trackers to record fine-scale movements of cats and foxes in temperate ecosystems immediately before and after prescribed fire to best inform management within protected areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darcy J. Watchorn
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood Campus)Deakin UniversityGeelongVictoriaAustralia
| | - Tim S. Doherty
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesThe University of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Biodiversity and Conservation ScienceDepartment of Biodiversity, Conservation and AttractionsWoodvaleWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Barbara A. Wilson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood Campus)Deakin UniversityGeelongVictoriaAustralia
| | | | - Don A. Driscoll
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood Campus)Deakin UniversityGeelongVictoriaAustralia
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2
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White CQ, Bush JP, Sacks BN. Deer dietary responses to wildfire: Optimal foraging, individual specialization, or opportunism? Mol Ecol 2023; 32:6953-6968. [PMID: 37905672 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17185] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Increasing impacts of wildfire on arid regions of the world fuelled by climate change highlight the need to better understand how natural communities respond to fire. We took advantage of a large (1660-km2 ) wildfire that erupted in northern California during an in-progress study of black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) to investigate deer use of and diets within burned and unburned habitats before and after the fire. We compared deer diet breadth to predictions of optimal foraging theory, the niche variation hypothesis, and opportunistic (i.e., generalist) foraging expectations under the assumption that overall availability and diversity of forage in burned areas declined immediately after the fire and increased as the plant community recovered in the next 3 years after the fire. We used faecal pellet counts to document space use and metabarcoding to study diet during pre-fire, post-fire, and recovery periods. Pellet counts supported predictions that deer increased use of unburned sites and reduced use of burn sites after the fire and began to return to burned sites in subsequent sampling years. Diet diversity did not differ significantly between control and burn sites before the fire, but was lower in burn than control sites post-fire (p < .001), when and where diet was dominated by oak (Quercus spp). In contrast, during subsequent years, diet diversity was higher (including more herbaceous plants) in burn than control sites (p < .05). In contrast to predictions of optimal foraging and niche variation hypotheses, individual deer foraged as generalists for which changes in dietary niche breadth paralleled fire-induced changes in diversity of the plant community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly Q White
- Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit of the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Joshua P Bush
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Rancho Cordova, California, USA
| | - Benjamin N Sacks
- Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit of the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
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3
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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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4
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Gallagher MR, Kreye JK, Machtinger ET, Everland A, Schmidt N, Skowronski NS. Can restoration of fire-dependent ecosystems reduce ticks and tick-borne disease prevalence in the eastern United States? ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2637. [PMID: 35426200 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2637] [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: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Over the past century, fire suppression has facilitated broad ecological changes in the composition, structure, and function of fire-dependent landscapes throughout the eastern US, which are in decline. These changes have likely contributed mechanistically to the enhancement of habitat conditions that favor pathogen-carrying tick species, key wildlife hosts of ticks, and interactions that have fostered pathogen transmission among them and to humans. While the long-running paradigm for limiting human exposure to tick-borne diseases focuses responsibility on individual prevention, the continued expansion of medically important tick populations, increased incidence of tick-borne disease in humans, and emergence of novel tick-borne diseases highlights the need for additional approaches to stem this public health challenge. Another approach that has the potential to be a cost-effective and widely applied but that remains largely overlooked is the use of prescribed fire to ecologically restore degraded landscapes that favor ticks and pathogen transmission. We examine the ecological role of fire and its effects on ticks within the eastern United States, especially examining the life cycles of forest-dwelling ticks, shifts in regional-scale fire use over the past century, and the concept that frequent fire may have helped moderate tick populations and pathogen transmission prior to the so-called fire-suppression era that has characterized the past century. We explore mechanisms of how fire and ecological restoration can reduce ticks, the potential for incorporating the mechanisms into the broader strategy for managing ticks, and the challenges, limitations, and research needs of prescribed burning for tick reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jesse K Kreye
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Erika T Machtinger
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alexis Everland
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Forest Fire Service, New Lisbon, New Jersey, USA
| | - Nathaniel Schmidt
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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5
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Ganz TR, DeVivo MT, Kertson BN, Roussin T, Satterfield L, Wirsing AJ, Prugh LR. Interactive effects of wildfires, season, and predator activity shape mule deer movements. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:2273-2288. [PMID: 36071537 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Wildfires are increasing in size, frequency, and severity due to climate change and fire suppression, but the direct and indirect effects on wildlife remain largely unresolved. Fire removes forest canopy, which can improve forage for ungulates but also reduce snow interception, leading to a deeper snowpack and potentially increased vulnerability to predation in winter. If ungulates exhibit predator-mediated foraging, burns should generally be selected for in summer to access high-quality forage and avoided in winter to reduce predation risk in deep snow. Fires also typically increase the amount of deadfall and initiate growth of dense understory vegetation, creating obstacles that may confer a hunting advantage to stalking predators and a disadvantage to coursing predators. To minimize risk, ungulates may therefore avoid burns when and where stalking predators are most active, and use burns when and where coursing predators are most active. We used telemetry data from GPS-collared mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), cougars (Puma concolor), and wolves (Canis lupus) to develop step selection functions to examine how mule deer navigated species-specific predation risk across a landscape in northern Washington, USA that has experienced substantial wildfire activity during the past several decades. We considered a diverse array of wildfire impacts, accounting for both the severity of the fire and time since the burn (1 to 35 years) in our analyses. We observed support for the predator mediating foraging hypothesis: mule deer generally selected for burned areas in summer and avoided burns in winter. In addition, deer increased use of burned areas when and where wolf activity was high and avoided burns when and where cougar use was high in winter, suggesting the hunting mode of resident predators mediated the seasonal response of deer to burns. Deer were not more likely to die by predation in burned than in unburned areas, indicating that they adequately manage fire-induced changes to predation risk. As fire activity increases with climate change, our findings indicate the impact on ungulates will depend on tradeoffs between enhanced summer forage and functionally reduced winter range, mediated by characteristics of the predator community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor R Ganz
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Melia T DeVivo
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Spokane Valley, WA, USA
| | - Brian N Kertson
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Snoqualmie, WA, USA
| | - Trent Roussin
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Colville, WA, USA
| | - Lauren Satterfield
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Aaron J Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Laura R Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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6
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Connor T, Tripp E, Tripp B, Saxon BJ, Camarena J, Donahue A, Sarna‐Wojcicki D, Macaulay L, Bean T, Hanbury‐Brown A, Brashares J. Karuk ecological fire management practices promote elk habitat in northern California. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Connor
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
| | - Emilio Tripp
- Wildlife Division Karuk Department of Natural Resources Orleans CA USA
| | - Bill Tripp
- Karuk Department of Natural Resources University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
| | - B. J. Saxon
- Wildlife Division Karuk Department of Natural Resources Orleans CA USA
| | - Jessica Camarena
- Wildlife Division Karuk Department of Natural Resources Orleans CA USA
| | - Asa Donahue
- Wildlife Division Karuk Department of Natural Resources Orleans CA USA
| | - Daniel Sarna‐Wojcicki
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
| | - Luke Macaulay
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
| | - Tim Bean
- Department of Biological Sciences California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo CA USA
| | - Adam Hanbury‐Brown
- Energy and Resources Group Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
| | - Justin Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
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7
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Thapa SK, Jong JF, Hof AR, Subedi N, Joshi LR, Prins HHT. Fire and forage quality: Postfire regrowth quality and pyric herbivory in subtropical grasslands of Nepal. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8794. [PMID: 35432936 PMCID: PMC9006228 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Fire is rampant throughout subtropical South and Southeast Asian grasslands. However, very little is known about the role of fire and pyric herbivory on the functioning of highly productive subtropical monsoon grasslands lying within the Cwa climatic region. We assessed the temporal effect of fire on postfire regrowth quality and associated pyric‐herbivory in the subtropical monsoon grasslands of Bardia National Park, Nepal. Every year, grasslands are burned as a management intervention in the park, especially between March and May. Within a week after fire, at the end of March 2020, we established 60 m × 60 m plots within patches of burned grassland in the core area of the Park. We collected grass samples from the plots and determined physical and chemical properties of the vegetation at regular 30‐day intervals from April to July 2020, starting from 30 days after fire to assess postfire regrowth forage quality. We counted pellet groups of cervids that are abundant in the area for the same four months from 2 m × 2 m quadrats that were permanently marked with pegs along the diagonal of each 60 m × 60 m plot to estimate intensity of use by deer to the progression of postfire regrowth. We observed strong and significant reductions in crude protein (mean value 9.1 to 4.1 [55% decrease]) and phosphorus (mean value 0.2 to 0.11 [45% decrease]) in forage collected during different time intervals, that is, from 30 days to 120 days after fire. Deer utilized the burned areas extensively for a short period, that is, up to two months after fire when the burned areas contained short grasses with a higher level of crude protein and phosphorus. The level of use of postfire regrowth by chital (Axis axis) differed significantly over time since fire, with higher intensity of use at 30 days after fire. The level of use of postfire regrowth by swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii) did not differ significantly until 90 days after fire, however, decreased significantly after 90 days since fire. Large‐scale single event fires, thus, may not fulfil nutritional requirements of all species in the deer assemblage in these subtropical monsoon grasslands. This is likely because the nutritional requirements of herbivores differ due to differences in body size and physiological needs—maintenance, reproduction, and lactation. We recommend a spatiotemporal manipulation of fire to reinforce grazing feedback and to yield forage of high quality for the longest possible period for a sustainable high number of deer to maintain a viable tiger population within the park.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shyam Kumar Thapa
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group Wageningen University and Research Wageningen The Netherlands
- National Trust for Nature Conservation Lalitpur Nepal
| | - Joost F. Jong
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group Wageningen University and Research Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Anouschka R. Hof
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group Wageningen University and Research Wageningen The Netherlands
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) Umeå Sweden
| | - Naresh Subedi
- National Trust for Nature Conservation Lalitpur Nepal
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8
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Doherty TS, Geary WL, Jolly CJ, Macdonald KJ, Miritis V, Watchorn DJ, Cherry MJ, Conner LM, González TM, Legge SM, Ritchie EG, Stawski C, Dickman CR. Fire as a driver and mediator of predator-prey interactions. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1539-1558. [PMID: 35320881 PMCID: PMC9546118 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Both fire and predators have strong influences on the population dynamics and behaviour of animals, and the effects of predators may either be strengthened or weakened by fire. However, knowledge of how fire drives or mediates predator–prey interactions is fragmented and has not been synthesised. Here, we review and synthesise knowledge of how fire influences predator and prey behaviour and interactions. We develop a conceptual model based on predator–prey theory and empirical examples to address four key questions: (i) how and why do predators respond to fire; (ii) how and why does prey vulnerability change post‐fire; (iii) what mechanisms do prey use to reduce predation risk post‐fire; and (iv) what are the outcomes of predator–fire interactions for prey populations? We then discuss these findings in the context of wildlife conservation and ecosystem management before outlining priorities for future research. Fire‐induced changes in vegetation structure, resource availability, and animal behaviour influence predator–prey encounter rates, the amount of time prey are vulnerable during an encounter, and the conditional probability of prey death given an encounter. How a predator responds to fire depends on fire characteristics (e.g. season, severity), their hunting behaviour (ambush or pursuit predator), movement behaviour, territoriality, and intra‐guild dynamics. Prey species that rely on habitat structure for avoiding predation often experience increased predation rates and lower survival in recently burnt areas. By contrast, some prey species benefit from the opening up of habitat after fire because it makes it easier to detect predators and to modify their behaviour appropriately. Reduced prey body condition after fire can increase predation risk either through impaired ability to escape predators, or increased need to forage in risky areas due to being energetically stressed. To reduce risk of predation in the post‐fire environment, prey may change their habitat use, increase sheltering behaviour, change their movement behaviour, or use camouflage through cryptic colouring and background matching. Field experiments and population viability modelling show instances where fire either amplifies or does not amplify the impacts of predators on prey populations, and vice versa. In some instances, intense and sustained post‐fire predation may lead to local extinctions of prey populations. Human disruption of fire regimes is impacting faunal communities, with consequences for predator and prey behaviour and population dynamics. Key areas for future research include: capturing data continuously before, during and after fires; teasing out the relative importance of changes in visibility and shelter availability in different contexts; documenting changes in acoustic and olfactory cues for both predators and prey; addressing taxonomic and geographic biases in the literature; and predicting and testing how changes in fire‐regime characteristics reshape predator–prey interactions. Understanding and managing the consequences for predator–prey communities will be critical for effective ecosystem management and species conservation in this era of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim S Doherty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - William L Geary
- Biodiversity Strategy and Knowledge Branch, Biodiversity Division, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne, VIC, 3002, Australia.,Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood Campus), Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3216, Australia
| | - Chris J Jolly
- School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Gungalman Drive, Albury, NSW, 2640, Australia.,School of Natural Sciences, G17, Macquarie University, 205B Culloden Road, Macquarie Park, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Kristina J Macdonald
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood Campus), Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3216, Australia
| | - Vivianna Miritis
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Darcy J Watchorn
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood Campus), Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3216, Australia
| | - Michael J Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, MSC 218, Kingsville, TX, 78363, U.S.A
| | - L Mike Conner
- The Jones Center at Ichauway, 3988 Jones Center Drive, Newton, GA, 39870, U.S.A
| | - Tania Marisol González
- Laboratorio de Ecología del Paisaje y Modelación de Ecosistemas ECOLMOD, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Edificio 421, Bogotá, 111321, Colombia
| | - Sarah M Legge
- Fenner School of Environment & Society, The Australian National University, Linnaeus Way, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.,Centre for Biodiversity Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Level 5 Goddard Building, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Euan G Ritchie
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood Campus), Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3216, Australia
| | - Clare Stawski
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NO-7491, Norway.,School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, QLD, 4558, Australia
| | - Chris R Dickman
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
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9
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Robertson EP, Tanner EP, Elmore RD, Fuhlendorf SD, Mays JD, Knutson J, Weir JR, Loss SR. Fire management alters the thermal landscape and provides multi-scale thermal options for a terrestrial turtle facing a changing climate. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:782-796. [PMID: 34741780 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
As effects of climate change intensify, there is a growing need to understand the thermal properties of landscapes and their influence on wildlife. A key thermal property of landscapes is vegetation structure and composition. Management approaches can alter vegetation and consequently the thermal landscape, potentially resulting in underappreciated consequences for wildlife thermoregulation. Consideration of spatial scale can clarify how management overlaid onto existing vegetation patterns affects thermal properties of landscapes relevant to wildlife. We examined effects of temperature, fire management, and vegetation structure on multi-scale habitat selection of an ectothermic vertebrate (the turtle Terrapene carolina triunguis) in the Great Plains of the central United States by linking time-since-fire data from 18 experimental burn plots to turtle telemetry locations and thermal and vegetation height data. Within three 60-ha experimental landscapes, each containing six 10-ha sub-blocks that are periodically burned, we found that turtles select time-since-fire gradients differently depending on maximum daily ambient temperature. At moderate temperatures, turtles selected sub-blocks with recent (<1 year) time-since-fire, but during relatively hot and cool conditions, they selected sub-blocks with later (2-3 year) time-since-fire that provided thermal buffering compared with recently burned sub-blocks. Within 10-ha sub-blocks, turtles selected locations with taller vegetation during warmer conditions that provided thermal buffering. Thermal performance curves revealed that turtle activity declined as temperatures exceeded ~24-29°C, and on "heat days" (≥29°C) 73% of turtles were inactive compared with 37% on non-heat days, emphasizing that thermal extremes may lead to opportunity costs (i.e., foregone benefits turtles could otherwise accrue if active). Our results indicate that management approaches that promote a mosaic of vegetation heights, like spatiotemporally dynamic fire, can provide thermal refuges at multiple spatial scales and thus be an actionable way to provide wildlife with multiple thermal options in the context of ongoing and future climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen P Robertson
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
- South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Evan P Tanner
- Department of Rangeland and Wildlife Science, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas, USA
| | - R Dwayne Elmore
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Samuel D Fuhlendorf
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Jonathan D Mays
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Jennifer Knutson
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - John R Weir
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Scott R Loss
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
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10
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Flanagan SA, Hiers JK, Callaham MA, Goodrick S, O’Brien JJ, Starr G, Wiesner S, Klepzig KD, Loudermilk EL. A model comparison of fire return interval impacts on carbon and species dynamics in a southeastern U.S. pineland. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Steven A. Flanagan
- Wildland Fire Science Program Tall Timbers Research Station 13093 Henry Beadel Drive Tallahassee Florida 32312 USA
| | - J. Kevin Hiers
- Wildland Fire Science Program Tall Timbers Research Station 13093 Henry Beadel Drive Tallahassee Florida 32312 USA
| | - Mac A. Callaham
- Center for Forest Disturbance Science Southern Research Center U.S. Forest Service 320 Green Street Athens Georgia 30602 USA
| | - Scott Goodrick
- Center for Forest Disturbance Science Southern Research Center U.S. Forest Service 320 Green Street Athens Georgia 30602 USA
| | - Joseph J. O’Brien
- Center for Forest Disturbance Science Southern Research Center U.S. Forest Service 320 Green Street Athens Georgia 30602 USA
| | - Gregory Starr
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alabama Tuscaloosa Alabama 35487 USA
| | - Susanne Wiesner
- Department of Biological System Engineering University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin 53706 USA
| | - Kier D. Klepzig
- The Jones Center at Ichauway 3988 Jones Center Drive Newton Georgia 39870 USA
| | - E. Louise Loudermilk
- Center for Forest Disturbance Science Southern Research Center U.S. Forest Service 320 Green Street Athens Georgia 30602 USA
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11
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Bartel SL, Orrock JL. Past agricultural land use affects multiple facets of ungulate antipredator behavior. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Antipredator behavior affects prey fitness, prey demography, and the strength of ecological interactions. Although predator-prey interactions increasingly occur in habitats that experience multiple forms of human-generated disturbance, it is unclear how different forms of disturbance might affect antipredator behavior. Fire is a contemporary disturbance that has dramatic effects on terrestrial habitats. Such habitats may have also experienced past disturbances, like agricultural land use, that leave lasting legacies on habitat structure (e.g., overstory and understory composition). It is unclear how these past and present disturbances affect the use of different antipredator behaviors, like temporal avoidance and vigilance. We examined whether variation in disturbance regimes generates differences in ungulate antipredator behavior by using cameras to measure white-tailed deer vigilance and activity time across 24 longleaf pine woodlands that vary in past land use and contemporary fire regime. Regardless of land-use history, woodlands with high fire frequencies had 4 times less vegetation cover than low-fire woodlands, generating riskier habitats for deer; however, deer responded to fire with different antipredator strategies depending on land-use history. In nonagricultural woodlands, fire affected deer activity time such that activity was nocturnal in low-fire woodlands and crepuscular in high-fire woodlands. In post-agricultural woodlands, fire affected vigilance and not activity time such that deer were more vigilant in high-fire woodlands than in low-fire woodlands. These results suggest that ungulate antipredator behavior may vary spatially depending on past land use and contemporary fire regime, and such disturbances may generate “landscapes of fear” that persist for decades after agricultural use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah L Bartel
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison , 363 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Dr., Madison, WI , USA
| | - John L Orrock
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison , 363 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Dr., Madison, WI , USA
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Abstract
Natural disturbances are an integral part of forested ecosystem function and successional pathways. In many forested ecosystems, wildfires are critical to shaping composition and structure, which, in turn, has major implications for wildlife usage and behavior. In July 2018, a wildfire burned 225 ha of the Altona Flat Rock pine barrens in northern New York. This event presented the opportunity to study how wildlife respond to the immediate effects of disturbance in this unique habitat but also how that response would change through time as regeneration progressed. Game cameras were deployed from September 2018 to September 2020 at two reference (unburned) and two disturbed (burned) sites within the pine barrens. We analyzed total and seasonal occurrences, to determine how usage differed between disturbed and reference conditions, and with time since disturbance. Additionally, for coyote (Canis latrans, Say), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus, Zimmermann), and snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus, Erxleben), we evaluated daily activity patterns and overlap to determine how predator–prey relationships differed between conditions, and with time since disturbance. Over 730 days, a total of 1048 wildlife occurrences were captured across 23 wildlife species. Fifty-seven percent of all occurrences were at reference sites with over 100 more occurrences than at disturbed sites; however, differences were most pronounced immediately following the fire and overall occurrences have grown more similar between the sites over time. Specifically, deer and hare were found more often at reference sites immediately following the fire, but shifted to using both conditions equally by the first growing season. Habitat overlap among sympatric prey (deer, hare) can be explained by understory regeneration increasing foraging opportunities and concealment cover in the disturbed condition, while predators (coyotes) tracked prey availability regardless of the habitat condition. This study provides wildlife management guidance on habitat use and response to disturbance for these unique sandstone pavement barrens.
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13
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Crawford DA, Conner LM, Morris G, Cherry MJ. Predation risk increases intraspecific heterogeneity in white-tailed deer diel activity patterns. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Prey species often mitigate predation risk through alteration of spatiotemporal diel activity patterns whereby prey access high-quality resources in risky areas during predator downtimes. However, dominance hierarchies exist in some prey species, and temporal partitioning is a mechanism thought to reduce aggressive intraspecific interactions. How demographic-specific responses to predation risk influence intraspecific temporal partitioning in prey are largely unknown and could be key to understanding the effects of predators on intraspecific interactions in prey. To assess the effects of predation risk on intraspecific interactions in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), we monitored deer diel activity during the fawning season in four pairs of predator exclusion and control plots (~40 ha) from 2015 to 2018 using 16 camera traps. We examined the effect of predation risk on diel activity of males, females, and nursery groups by comparing the within-group coefficient of activity overlap (d̂) across predator exclusion and control plots. We then examined within-treatment activity overlap between groups in the predator exclosure and control plots. All groups maintained different diel activity patterns in safe and risky areas. Unconstrained by predation risk, all groups behaved more similarly, and interspecific group overlap was greater in the predator exclusion plots than control plots. Male-nursery group overlap exhibited the strongest treatment effect, increasing 24% in predator exclusion plots (d̂ = 0.91, confidence interval [CI]: 0.87–0.95) relative to control plots (d̂ = 0.67, CI: 0.57–0.76). Our results suggest predators increase heterogeneity in prey behavior and may be important drivers of behavioral processes, such as temporal partitioning, that minimize antagonistic intraspecific interactions of prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Crawford
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Department of Rangeland and Wildlife Sciences, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Michael J Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Department of Rangeland and Wildlife Sciences, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX, USA
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Peters RM, Cherry MJ, Kilgo JC, Chamberlain MJ, Miller KV. White‐Tailed Deer Population Dynamics Following Louisiana Black Bear Recovery. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M. Peters
- Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Michael J. Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University—Kingsville Kingsville TX 78363 USA
| | - John C. Kilgo
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station P.O. Box 700 New Ellenton SC 29809 USA
| | - Michael J. Chamberlain
- Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Karl V. Miller
- Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens GA 30602 USA
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Gaynor KM, Cherry MJ, Gilbert SL, Kohl MT, Larson CL, Newsome TM, Prugh LR, Suraci JP, Young JK, Smith JA. An applied ecology of fear framework: linking theory to conservation practice. Anim Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn M. Gaynor
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
| | - Michael J. Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute Texas A&M University‐Kingsville Kingsville Texas USA
| | - Sophie L. Gilbert
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow Idaho USA
| | - Michel T. Kohl
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
| | | | - Thomas M. Newsome
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Laura R. Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle WA USA
| | - Justin P. Suraci
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research Environmental Studies Department University of California Santa Cruz CA USA
| | - Julie K. Young
- Predator Research Facility USDA‐National Wildlife Research Center Millville Utah USA
| | - Justine A. Smith
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology University of California, Davis Davis CA USA
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Blossey B, Curtis P, Boulanger J, Dávalos A. Red oak seedlings as indicators of deer browse pressure: Gauging the outcome of different white-tailed deer management approaches. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:13085-13103. [PMID: 31871631 PMCID: PMC6912884 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
After decades of high deer populations, North American forests have lost much of their previous biodiversity. Any landscape-level recovery requires substantial reductions in deer herds, but modern societies and wildlife management agencies appear unable to devise appropriate solutions to this chronic ecological and human health crisis. We evaluated the effectiveness of fertility control and hunting in reducing deer impacts at Cornell University. We estimated spring deer populations and planted Quercus rubra seedlings to assess deer browse pressure, rodent attack, and other factors compromising seedling performance. Oak seedlings protected in cages grew well, but deer annually browsed ≥60% of unprotected seedlings. Despite female sterilization rates of >90%, the deer population remained stable. Neither sterilization nor recreational hunting reduced deer browse rates and neither appears able to achieve reductions in deer populations or their impacts. We eliminated deer sterilization and recreational hunting in a core management area in favor of allowing volunteer archers to shoot deer over bait, including at night. This resulted in a substantial reduction in the deer population and a linear decline in browse rates as a function of spring deer abundance. Public trust stewardship of North American landscapes will require a fundamental overhaul in deer management to provide for a brighter future, and oak seedlings may be a promising metric to assess success. These changes will require intense public debate and may require new approaches such as regulated commercial hunting, natural dispersal, or intentional release of important deer predators (e.g., wolves and mountain lions). Such drastic changes in deer management will be highly controversial, and at present, likely difficult to implement in North America. However, the future of our forest ecosystems and their associated biodiversity will depend on evidence to guide change in landscape management and stewardship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Blossey
- Department of Natural ResourcesCornell UniversityIthacaNYUSA
| | - Paul Curtis
- Department of Natural ResourcesCornell UniversityIthacaNYUSA
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Mesocarnivores affect hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) body mass. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14615. [PMID: 31602009 PMCID: PMC6787243 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51168-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Predator communities are changing worldwide: large carnivores are declining while mesocarnivores (medium-sized mammalian predators) are increasing in number and ecological influence. Predator choice of prey is not random and different predators select prey with different characteristics. Changes in predator communities can change predation patterns experienced by prey. Little is known about how mesocarnivore communities influence prey morphology. We used 14 years of mark-recapture data to investigate how mesocarnivore exclusion affected body mass of hispid cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus). Finding adult male cotton rats were 9% heavier with mesocarnivore exclusion, we developed hypotheses to explain this observation. Greater adult male body mass in exclosures resulted from: (1) a non-significant trend of increased survival of large males, (2) faster juvenile male growth during the fall and a similar non-significant trend among adult males, and (3) spatial partitioning by size among males. Taxa-specific predation rates (i.e., rates of predation by snakes, raptors, or mesocarnivores) did not differ among male body mass classes. Mesocarnivores disproportionately preyed on large females while raptors targeted small females, but female body mass was not influenced by mesocarnivore exclusion. Changes in predator communities can result in multiple small effects that collectively result in large differences in prey morphology.
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Higdon SD, Diggins CA, Cherry MJ, Ford WM. Activity patterns and temporal predator avoidance of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) during the fawning season. J ETHOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-019-00599-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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19
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Blanchard P, Lauzeral C, Chamaillé-Jammes S, Brunet C, Lec'hvien A, Péron G, Pontier D. Coping with change in predation risk across space and time through complementary behavioral responses. BMC Ecol 2018; 18:60. [PMID: 30572866 PMCID: PMC6302475 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-018-0215-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Our picture of behavioral management of risk by prey remains fragmentary. This partly stems from a lack of studies jointly analyzing different behavioral responses developed by prey, such as habitat use and fine-scale behavior, although they are expected to complement each other. We took advantage of a simple system on the Kerguelen archipelago, made of a prey species, European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus, a predator, feral cat Felis catus, and a mosaic of closed and open foraging patches, allowing reliable assessment of spatio-temporal change in predation risk. We investigated the way such a change triggered individual prey decisions on where, when and how to perform routine activities. Results Rabbit presence and behavior were recorded both day and night in patches with similar foraging characteristics, but contrasted in terms of openness. Cats, individually recognizable, were more active at night and in closed patches, in line with their expected higher hunting success in those conditions. Accordingly, rabbits avoided using closed patches at night and increased their vigilance if they did. Both day and night, rabbits increased their use of closed patches as compared to open patches in windy conditions, thereby probably reducing the thermoregulatory costs expected under such harsh environmental conditions. Conclusions Overall, our data map the landscape of fear in this study system and indicate that prey habitat use and vigilance complement each other. Solely focusing on one or the other tactic may lead to erroneous conclusions regarding the way predation risk triggers prey decisions. Finally, future studies should investigate inter-individual variability in the relative use of these different types of complementary behavioral responses to perceived risk, along with the determinants and outcomes of such tactics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierrick Blanchard
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, CNRS, UMR 5174, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.
| | - Christine Lauzeral
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, CNRS, UMR 5174, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Simon Chamaillé-Jammes
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Montpellier, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier, Ecole Pratiques des Hautes Etudes (EPHE), 1919 Route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Clément Brunet
- Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS, UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon I Claude Bernard, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Arnaud Lec'hvien
- Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS, UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon I Claude Bernard, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Guillaume Péron
- Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS, UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon I Claude Bernard, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Dominique Pontier
- Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS, UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon I Claude Bernard, Villeurbanne, France
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Gulsby WD, Cherry MJ, Johnson JT, Conner LM, Miller KV. Behavioral response of white-tailed deer to coyote predation risk. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- William D. Gulsby
- School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences; Auburn University; Auburn Alabama 36849 USA
| | - Michael J. Cherry
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Blacksburg Virginia 24060 USA
| | - James T. Johnson
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; Athens Georgia 30602 USA
| | - L. Mike Conner
- Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center; Newton Georgia 39870 USA
| | - Karl V. Miller
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; Athens Georgia 30602 USA
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