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Schultz EA, Ellison‐Neary N, Boudreau MR, Street GM, Jones LR, Evans KO, Iglay RB. On the move: Influence of animal movements on count error during drone surveys. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70287. [PMID: 39355112 PMCID: PMC11439628 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70287] [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: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 10/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The use of remote sensing to monitor animal populations has greatly expanded during the last decade. Drones (i.e., Unoccupied Aircraft Systems or UAS) provide a cost- and time-efficient remote sensing option to survey animals in various landscapes and sampling conditions. However, drone-based surveys may also introduce counting errors, especially when monitoring mobile animals. Using an agent-based model simulation approach, we evaluated the error associated with counting a single animal across various drone flight patterns under three animal movement strategies (random, directional persistence, and biased toward a resource) among five animal speeds (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 m/s). Flight patterns represented increasing spatial independence (ranging from lawnmower pattern with image overlap to systematic point counts). Simulation results indicated that flight pattern was the most important variable influencing count accuracy, followed by the type of animal movement pattern, and then animal speed. A awnmower pattern with 0% overlap produced the most accurate count of a solitary, moving animal on a landscape (average count of 1.1 ± 0.6) regardless of the animal's movement pattern and speed. Image overlap flight patterns were more likely to result in multiple counts even when accounting for mosaicking. Based on our simulations, we recommend using a lawnmower pattern with 0% image overlap to minimize error and augment drone efficacy for animal surveys. Our work highlights the importance of understanding interactions between animal movements and drone survey design on count accuracy to inform the development of broad applications among diverse species and ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma A. Schultz
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippiUSA
- Quantitative Ecology and Spatial Technologies LabMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippiUSA
| | - Natasha Ellison‐Neary
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippiUSA
- Quantitative Ecology and Spatial Technologies LabMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippiUSA
| | - Melanie R. Boudreau
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippiUSA
- Quantitative Ecology and Spatial Technologies LabMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippiUSA
| | - Garrett M. Street
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippiUSA
- Quantitative Ecology and Spatial Technologies LabMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippiUSA
| | - Landon R. Jones
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippiUSA
- Quantitative Ecology and Spatial Technologies LabMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippiUSA
| | - Kristine O. Evans
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippiUSA
- Quantitative Ecology and Spatial Technologies LabMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippiUSA
| | - Raymond B. Iglay
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippiUSA
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2
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Sato I, Narita D. Does expanding wild venison consumption substitute livestock meat consumption? Evidence from the demand systems analysis of meat products in Hokkaido, Japan. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 945:173980. [PMID: 38879030 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173980] [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: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
In many countries, growing deer populations cause environmental, economic, and traffic safety problems. This study sheds light on the potential implications of expanding the consumption of venison from hunted wild deer through deer population management efforts. It focuses on changes in environmental impacts resulting from changes in the demand for livestock meat due to increased consumption of wild venison. We analyzed the demand system between them using the Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS) model and scanner data from a grocery store chain in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. The results show that wild venison is a substitute good for pork and lamb. By contrast, wild venison is a complementary good for imported and domestic beef. Based on the estimated demand system model, we conducted an environmental footprint analysis to estimate the changes in environmental impacts when venison consumption increased. This shows that the greenhouse gas, water, and land footprints would increase, indicating greater environmental impacts, under a scenario of expanded venison consumption. The results demonstrate that increased venison consumption does not necessarily reduce the net environmental impacts of meat consumption, which depends on the demand system for meat products and the environmental footprint intensities of the respective products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ichiro Sato
- Graduate Program on Environmental Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.
| | - Daiju Narita
- Graduate Program on Environmental Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
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3
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Curveira-Santos G, Marion S, Sutherland C, Beirne C, Herdman EJ, Tattersall ER, Burgar JM, Fisher JT, Burton AC. Disturbance-mediated changes to boreal mammal spatial networks in industrializing landscapes. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 34:e3004. [PMID: 38925578 DOI: 10.1002/eap.3004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Compound effects of anthropogenic disturbances on wildlife emerge through a complex network of direct responses and species interactions. Land-use changes driven by energy and forestry industries are known to disrupt predator-prey dynamics in boreal ecosystems, yet how these disturbance effects propagate across mammal communities remains uncertain. Using structural equation modeling, we tested disturbance-mediated pathways governing the spatial structure of multipredator multiprey boreal mammal networks across a landscape-scale disturbance gradient within Canada's Athabasca oil sands region. Linear disturbances had pervasive direct effects, increasing site use for all focal species, except black bears and threatened caribou, in at least one landscape. Conversely, block (polygonal) disturbance effects were negative but less common. Indirect disturbance effects were widespread and mediated by caribou avoidance of wolves, tracking of primary prey by subordinate predators, and intraguild dependencies among predators and large prey. Context-dependent responses to linear disturbances were most common among prey and within the landscape with intermediate disturbance. Our research suggests that industrial disturbances directly affect a suite of boreal mammals by altering forage availability and movement, leading to indirect effects across a range of interacting predators and prey, including the keystone snowshoe hare. The complexity of network-level direct and indirect disturbance effects reinforces calls for increased investment in addressing habitat degradation as the root cause of threatened species declines and broader ecosystem change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonçalo Curveira-Santos
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- CIBIO Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO Associated Laboratory, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Solène Marion
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Chris Sutherland
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Christopher Beirne
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Erin R Tattersall
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Joanna M Burgar
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | - Jason T Fisher
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | - A Cole Burton
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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4
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Gaston MV, Barnas AF, Smith RM, Murray S, Fisher JT. Native prey, not landscape change or novel prey, drive cougar ( Puma concolor) distribution at a boreal forest range edge. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11146. [PMID: 38571804 PMCID: PMC10985369 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11146] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Many large carnivores, despite widespread habitat alteration, are rebounding in parts of their former ranges after decades of persecution and exploitation. Cougars (Puma concolor) are apex predator with their remaining northern core range constricted to mountain landscapes and areas of western North America; however, cougar populations have recently started rebounding in several locations across North America, including northward in boreal forest landscapes. A camera-trap survey of multiple landscapes across Alberta, Canada, delineated a range edge; within this region, we deployed an array of 47 camera traps in a random stratified design across a landscape spanning a gradient of anthropogenic development relative to the predicted expansion front. We completed multiple hypotheses in an information-theoretic framework to determine if cougar occurrence is best explained by natural land cover features, anthropogenic development features, or competitor and prey activity. We predicted that anthropogenic development features from resource extraction and invading white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virgianius) explain cougar distribution at this boreal range edge. Counter to our predictions, the relative activity of native prey, predominantly snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), was the best predictor of cougar occurrence at this range edge. Small-bodied prey items are particularly important for female and sub-adult cougars and may support breeding individuals in the northeast boreal forest. Also, counter to our predictions, there was not a strong relationship detected between cougar occurrence and gray wolf (Canis lupus) activity at this range edge. However, further investigation is recommended as the possibility of cougar expansion into areas of the multi-prey boreal system, where wolves have recently been controlled, could have negative consequences for conservation goals in this region (e.g. the recovery of woodland caribou [Rangifer tarandus caribou]). Our study highlights the need to monitor contemporary distributions to inform conservation management objectives as large carnivores recover across North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Millicent V. Gaston
- School of Environmental StudiesUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Andrew F. Barnas
- School of Environmental StudiesUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Rebecca M. Smith
- School of Environmental StudiesUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Sean Murray
- School of Environmental StudiesUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Jason T. Fisher
- School of Environmental StudiesUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
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5
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Dickie M, Serrouya R, Becker M, DeMars C, Noonan MJ, Steenweg R, Boutin S, Ford AT. Habitat alteration or climate: What drives the densities of an invading ungulate? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17286. [PMID: 38660810 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Anthropogenic habitat alteration and climate change are two well-known contributors to biodiversity loss through changes to species distribution and abundance; yet, disentangling the effects of these two factors is often hindered by their inherent confound across both space and time. We leveraged a contrast in habitat alteration associated with the jurisdictional boundary between two Canadian provinces to evaluate the relative effects of spatial variation in habitat alteration and climate on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) densities. White-tailed deer are an invading ungulate across much of North America, whose expansion into Canada's boreal forest is implicated in the decline of boreal caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), a species listed as Threatened in Canada. We estimated white-tailed deer densities using 300 remote cameras across 12 replicated 50 km2 landscapes over 5 years. White-tailed deer densities were significantly lower in areas where winter severity was higher. For example, predicted deer densities declined from 1.83 to 0.35 deer/km2 when winter severity increased from the lowest value to the median value. There was a tendency for densities to increase with increasing habitat alteration; however, the magnitude of this effect was approximately half that of climate. Our findings suggest that climate is the primary driver of white-tailed deer populations; however, understanding the mechanisms underpinning this relationship requires further study of over-winter survival and fecundity. Long-term monitoring at the invasion front is needed to evaluate the drivers of abundance over time, particularly given the unpredictability of climate change and increasing prevalence of extreme weather events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Dickie
- Wildlife Science Centre, Biodiversity Pathways, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
- Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Robert Serrouya
- Wildlife Science Centre, Biodiversity Pathways, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Marcus Becker
- Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Craig DeMars
- Wildlife Science Centre, Biodiversity Pathways, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael J Noonan
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
- Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services, The University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Computer Science, Math, Physics, and Statistics, The University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Robin Steenweg
- Canadian Wildlife Service - Pacific Region, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Adam T Ford
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
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6
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Johnson-Bice SM, Gable TD, Homkes AT, Windels SK, Bump JK, Bruggink JG. Logging, linear features, and human infrastructure shape the spatial dynamics of wolf predation on an ungulate neonate. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2911. [PMID: 37602927 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Humans are increasingly recognized as important players in predator-prey dynamics by modifying landscapes. This trend has been well-documented for large mammal communities in North American boreal forests: logging creates early seral forests that benefit ungulates such as white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), while the combination of infrastructure development and resource extraction practices generate linear features that allow predators such as wolves (Canis lupus) to travel and forage more efficiently throughout the landscape. Disturbances from recreational activities and residential development are other major sources of human activity in boreal ecosystems that may further alter wolf-ungulate dynamics. Here, we evaluate the influence that several major types of anthropogenic landscape modifications (timber harvest, linear features, and residential infrastructure) have on where and how wolves hunt ungulate neonates in a southern boreal forest ecosystem in Minnesota, USA. We demonstrate that each major anthropogenic disturbance significantly influences wolf predation of white-tailed deer fawns (n = 427 kill sites). In contrast with the "human shield hypothesis" that posits prey use human-modified areas as refuge, wolves killed fawns closer to residential buildings than expected based on spatial availability. Fawns were also killed within recently-logged areas more than expected. Concealment cover was higher at kill sites than random sites, suggesting wolves use senses other than vision, probably olfaction, to detect hidden fawns. Wolves showed strong selection for hunting along linear features, and kill sites were also closer to linear features than expected. We hypothesize that linear features facilitated wolf predation on fawns by allowing wolves to travel efficiently among high-quality prey patches (recently logged areas, near buildings), and also increase encounter rates with olfactory cues that allow them to detect hidden fawns. These findings provide novel insight into the strategies predators use to hunt ungulate neonates and the many ways human activity alters wolf-ungulate neonate predator-prey dynamics, which have remained elusive due to the challenges of locating sites where predators kill small prey. Our research has important management and conservation implications for wolf-ungulate systems subjected to anthropogenic pressures, particularly as the range of overlap between wolves and deer expands and appears to be altering food web dynamics in boreal ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M Johnson-Bice
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Thomas D Gable
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Austin T Homkes
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
- Department of Biology, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan, USA
| | - Steve K Windels
- Voyageurs National Park, International Falls, Minnesota, USA
| | - Joseph K Bump
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - John G Bruggink
- Department of Biology, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan, USA
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7
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Snyman J, Snyman LP, Buhler KJ, Villeneuve CA, Leighton PA, Jenkins EJ, Kumar A. California Serogroup Viruses in a Changing Canadian Arctic: A Review. Viruses 2023; 15:1242. [PMID: 37376542 DOI: 10.3390/v15061242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The Arctic is warming at four times the global rate, changing the diversity, activity and distribution of vectors and associated pathogens. While the Arctic is not often considered a hotbed of vector-borne diseases, Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV) and Snowshoe Hare virus (SSHV) are mosquito-borne zoonotic viruses of the California serogroup endemic to the Canadian North. The viruses are maintained by transovarial transmission in vectors and circulate among vertebrate hosts, both of which are not well characterized in Arctic regions. While most human infections are subclinical or mild, serious cases occur, and both JCV and SSHV have recently been identified as leading causes of arbovirus-associated neurological diseases in North America. Consequently, both viruses are currently recognised as neglected and emerging viruses of public health concern. This review aims to summarise previous findings in the region regarding the enzootic transmission cycle of both viruses. We identify key gaps and approaches needed to critically evaluate, detect, and model the effects of climate change on these uniquely northern viruses. Based on limited data, we predict that (1) these northern adapted viruses will increase their range northwards, but not lose range at their southern limits, (2) undergo more rapid amplification and amplified transmission in endemic regions for longer vector-biting seasons, (3) take advantage of northward shifts of hosts and vectors, and (4) increase bite rates following an increase in the availability of breeding sites, along with phenological synchrony between the reproduction cycle of theorized reservoirs (such as caribou calving) and mosquito emergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jumari Snyman
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada
| | - Louwrens P Snyman
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Kayla J Buhler
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Carol-Anne Villeneuve
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada
| | - Patrick A Leighton
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada
| | - Emily J Jenkins
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Anil Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada
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8
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McLellan ML, Dickie M, Boutin S, Becker M, Ernst B, Peel D, Zimmerman KL, Serrouya R. Prioritizing populations based on recovery potential. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Melanie Dickie
- Wildlife Science Centre Biodiversity Pathways Mill Bay British Columbia Canada
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | - Marcus Becker
- Caribou Monitoring Unit, Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | - Bevan Ernst
- Caribou Monitoring Unit, Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
- Ministry of Land Water and Resource Stewardship Kamloops British Columbia Canada
| | - Darcy Peel
- Caribou Monitoring Unit, Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
- Ministry of Land Water and Resource Stewardship Kamloops British Columbia Canada
| | - Kathryn L. Zimmerman
- Caribou Monitoring Unit, Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
- Ministry of Land Water and Resource Stewardship Kamloops British Columbia Canada
| | - Robert Serrouya
- Wildlife Science Centre Biodiversity Pathways Mill Bay British Columbia Canada
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9
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Fuller HW, Frey S, Fisher JT. Integration of aerial surveys and resource selection analysis indicates human land use supports boreal deer expansion. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2722. [PMID: 36053995 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Landscape change is a driver of global biodiversity loss. In the western Nearctic, petroleum exploration and extraction is a major contributor to landscape change, with concomitant effects on large mammal populations. One of those effects is the continued expansion of invasive white-tailed deer populations into the boreal forest, with ramifications for the whole ecosystem. We explored deer resource selection within the oil sands region of the boreal forest using a novel application of aerial ungulate survey (AUS) data. Deer locations from AUS were "used" points and together with randomly allocated "available" points informed deer resource selection in relation to landscape variables in the boreal forest. We created a candidate set of generalized linear models representing competing hypotheses about the role of natural landscape features, forest harvesting, cultivation, roads, and petroleum features. We ranked these in an information-theoretic framework. A combination of natural and anthropogenic landscape features best explained deer resource selection. Deer strongly selected seismic lines and other linear features associated with petroleum exploration and extraction, likely as movement corridors and resource subsidies. Forest harvesting and cultivation, important contributors to expansion in other parts of the white-tailed deer range, were not as important here. Stemming deer expansion to conserve native ungulates and maintain key predator-prey processes will likely require landscape management to restore the widespread linear features crossing the vast oil sands region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugh W Fuller
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sandra Frey
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jason T Fisher
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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10
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Rauschendorfer J, Rooney R, Külheim C. Strategies to mitigate shifts in red oak (Quercus sect. Lobatae) distribution under a changing climate. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 42:2383-2400. [PMID: 35867476 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpac090] [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: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Red oaks (Quercus sect. Lobatae) are a taxonomic group of hardwood trees, which occur in swamp forests, subtropical chaparral and savannahs from Columbia to Canada. They cover a wide range of ecological niches, and many species are thought to be able to cope with current trends in climate change. Genus Quercus encompasses ca. 500 species, of which ca. 80 make up sect. Lobatae. Species diversity is greatest within the southeastern USA and within the northern and eastern regions of Mexico. This review discusses the weak reproductive barriers between species of red oaks and the effects this has on speciation and niche range. Distribution and diversity have been shaped by drought adaptations common to the species of sect. Lobatae, which enable them to fill various xeric niches across the continent. Drought adaptive traits of this taxonomic group include deciduousness, deep tap roots, ring-porous xylem, regenerative stump sprouting, greater leaf thickness and smaller stomata. The complex interplay between these anatomical and morphological traits has given red oaks features of drought tolerance and avoidance. Here, we discuss physiological and genetic components of these adaptations to address how many species of sect. Lobatae reside within xeric sites and/or sustain normal metabolic function during drought. Although extensive drought adaptation appears to give sect. Lobatae a resilience to climate change, aging tree stands, oak life history traits and the current genetic structures place many red oak species at risk. Furthermore, oak decline, a complex interaction between abiotic and biotic agents, has severe effects on red oaks and is likely to accelerate species decline and fragmentation. We suggest that assisted migration can be used to avoid species fragmentation and increase climate change resilience of sect. Lobatae.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Rauschendorfer
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Rebecca Rooney
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, MN 55812, USA
| | - Carsten Külheim
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
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11
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Khan P, Eliuk L, Frey S, Bone C, Fisher JT. Shifts in diel activity of Rocky Mountain mammal communities in response to anthropogenic disturbance and sympatric invasive white-tailed deer. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
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12
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McKay TL, Finnegan LA. Predator–prey co‐occurrence in harvest blocks: Implications for caribou and forestry. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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13
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Hinton JW, Hurst JE, Kramer DW, Stickles JH, Frair JL. A model-based estimate of winter distribution and abundance of white-tailed deer in the Adirondack Park. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273707. [PMID: 36040913 PMCID: PMC9426880 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In the Adirondack Park region of northern New York, USA, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and moose (Alces alces) co-occur along a temperate-boreal forest ecotone. In this region, moose exist as a small and vulnerable low-density population and over-browsing by white-tailed deer is known to reduce regeneration, sustainability, and health of forests. Here, we assess the distribution and abundance of white-tailed deer at a broad spatial scale relevant for deer and moose management in northern New York. We used density surface modeling (DSM) under a conventional distance sampling framework, tied to a winter aerial survey, to create a spatially explicit estimate of white-tailed deer abundance and density across a vast, northern forest region. We estimated 16,352 white-tailed deer (95% CI 11,762–22,734) throughout the Adirondack Park with local density ranging between 0.00–5.73 deer/km2. Most of the Adirondack Park (91.2%) supported white-tailed deer densities of ≤2 individuals/km2. White-tailed deer density increased with increasing proximity to anthropogenic land cover such as timber cuts, roads, and agriculture and decreased in areas with increasing elevation and days with snow cover. We conclude that climate change will be more favorable for white-tailed deer than for moose because milder winters and increased growing seasons will likely have a pronounced influence on deer abundance and distribution across the Adirondack Park. Therefore, identifying specific environmental conditions facilitating the expansion of white-tailed deer into areas with low-density moose populations can assist managers in anticipating potential changes in ungulate distribution and abundance and to develop appropriate management actions to mitigate negative consequences such as disease spread and increased competition for limiting resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W. Hinton
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jeremy E. Hurst
- Division of Fish and Wildlife, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - David W. Kramer
- Division of Fish and Wildlife, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - James H. Stickles
- Division of Fish and Wildlife, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Jacqueline L. Frair
- Roosevelt Wild Life Station, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, United States of America
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Fisher JT, Ladle A. Syntopic species interact with large boreal mammals' response to anthropogenic landscape change. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 822:153432. [PMID: 35090931 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Landscape change alters species' distributions, and understanding these changes is a key ecological and conservation goal. Species-habitat relationships are often modelled in the absence of syntopic species, but niche theory and emerging empirical research suggests heterospecifics should entrain (and statistically explain) variability in distribution, perhaps synergistically by interacting with landscape features. We examined the effects of syntopic species in boreal mammals' relationship to landscape change, using three years of camera-trap data in the western Nearctic boreal forest. Using an information-theoretic framework, we weighed evidence for additive and interactive variables measuring heterospecifics' co-occurrence in species distribution models built on natural and anthropogenic landscape features. We competed multiple hypotheses about the roles of natural features, anthropogenic features, predators, competitors, and species-habitat interaction terms in explaining relative abundance of carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores/scavengers. For most species, models including heterospecifics explained occurrence frequency better than landscape features alone. Dominant predator (wolf) occurrence was best explained by prey, while prey species were explained by apparent competitors and subdominant predators. Evidence for interactions between landscape features and heterospecifics was strong for coyotes and wolves but variable for other species. Boreal mammals' spatial distribution is a function of heterospecific co-occurrence as well as landscape features, with synergistic effects observed for most species. Understanding species' responses to anthropogenic landscape change thus requires a multi-taxa approach that incorporates interspecific relationships, enabling better inference into underlying processes from observed patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason T Fisher
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2, Canada.
| | - Andrew Ladle
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2, Canada
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15
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Becker M, Huggard DJ, Dickie M, Warbington C, Schieck J, Herdman E, Serrouya R, Boutin S. Applying and testing a novel method to estimate animal density from motion‐triggered cameras. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4005] [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] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Becker
- Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | | | - Melanie Dickie
- Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
- Department of Biology University of British Columbia Kelowna British Columbia Canada
| | - Camille Warbington
- Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | - Jim Schieck
- Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | | | - Robert Serrouya
- Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
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16
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Zettlemoyer MA. Monitoring demography of resurrected populations of locally extinct and extant species to investigate drivers of species loss. Am Nat 2022; 200:E36-E51. [DOI: 10.1086/720206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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17
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Cumulative effects of human footprint, natural features and predation risk best predict seasonal resource selection by white-tailed deer. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1072. [PMID: 35058533 PMCID: PMC8776810 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05018-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Land modified for human use alters matrix shape and composition and is a leading contributor to global biodiversity loss. It can also play a key role in facilitating range expansion and ecosystem invasion by anthrophilic species, as it can alter food abundance and distribution while also influencing predation risk; the relative roles of these processes are key to habitat selection theory. We researched these relative influences by examining human footprint, natural habitat, and predator occurrence on seasonal habitat selection by range-expanding boreal white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the oil sands of western Canada. We hypothesized that polygonal industrial features (e.g. cutblocks, well sites) drive deer distributions as sources of early seral forage, while linear features (e.g. roads, trails, and seismic lines) and habitat associated with predators are avoided by deer. We developed seasonal 2nd -order resource selection models from three years of deer GPS-telemetry data, a camera-trap-based model of predator occurrence, and landscape spatial data to weigh evidence for six competing hypotheses. Deer habitat selection was best explained by the combination of polygonal and linear features, intact deciduous forest, and wolf (Canis lupus) occurrence. Deer strongly selected for linear features such as roads and trails, despite a potential increased risk of wolf encounters. Linear features may attract deer by providing high density forage opportunity in heavily exploited landscapes, facilitating expansion into the boreal north.
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18
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Konkolics S, Dickie M, Serrouya R, Hervieux D, Boutin S. A Burning Question: What are the Implications of Forest Fires for Woodland Caribou? J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sean Konkolics
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Melanie Dickie
- Caribou Monitoring Unit, Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Robert Serrouya
- Caribou Monitoring Unit, Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Resource Stewardship Division Alberta Environment and Parks Grande Prairie AB T8V 6J8 Canada
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
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19
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Sheppard A, Hecker L, Edwards M, Nielsen S. Determining the influence of snow and temperature on the movement rates of wood bison (Bison bison athabascae). CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2020-0280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Snow is understood to limit wildlife movements, often being the most important determinant of winter movement for animals in the boreal forest. However, the combined effect of snow and temperature on the movement ecology of animals at high latitudes is less understood. Here, we used GPS-collar data from a small population of wood bison (Bison bison athabascae Rhoads, 1898) in northeastern Alberta, Canada, to develop a series of generalized additive mixed models characterizing the effect of cumulative snow depth, daily change in snow depth, and temperature on movement rates. Our most supported model included cumulative snow depth, temperature, and day of winter. Bison movements decreased in the first 75 days of winter during snow accumulation and dramatically increased in the final 14 days of winter during snow melt. Cumulative snow depth, not daily change in snow depth, reduced wood bison movement rates, and movement rates increased more rapidly in warmer temperatures than in temperatures below −6.4 °C. By quantifying both the direction and the magnitude of snow and temperature’s effects on bison movement, our study fills critical knowledge gaps relating to the winter movement ecology of wood bison and contributes to a growing body of knowledge informing their conservation in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- A.H.C. Sheppard
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 751 General Services Building, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H1, Canada
| | - L.J. Hecker
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 751 General Services Building, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H1, Canada
| | - M.A. Edwards
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 751 General Services Building, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H1, Canada
- Mammalogy, Royal Alberta Museum, 9810 103a Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5J 0G2, Canada
| | - S.E. Nielsen
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 751 General Services Building, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H1, Canada
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