1
|
Merems JL, Brose AL, Price Tack J, Crimmins S, Van Deelen TR. Scale-dependence in elk habitat selection for a reintroduced population in Wisconsin, USA. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70346. [PMID: 39360123 PMCID: PMC11445449 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70346] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2024] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Habitat selection is a critical aspect of a species' ecology, requiring complex decision-making that is both hierarchical and scale-dependent, since factors that influence selection may be nested or unequal across scales. Elk (Cervus canadensis) ranged widely across diverse ecoregions in North America prior to European settlement and subsequent eastern extirpation. Most habitat selection studies have occurred within their contemporary western range, even after eastern reintroductions began. As habitat selection can vary by geographic location, available cover, season, and diel period, it is important to understand how a non-migratory, reintroduced population in northern Wisconsin, USA, is limited by the lack of variation in topography, elevation, and vegetation. We tested scale-dependent habitat selection on 79 adult elk from 2017 to 2020 using resource selection functions across temporal (i.e., seasonal) and spatial scales (i.e., landscape and home range). We found that selection varied both spatially and temporally, and elk selected areas with the greatest potential to influence fitness at larger scales, meaning elk selected areas closer to escape cover and further from "risky" features (e.g., annual wolf territory centers, county roads, and highways). We found stronger avoidance of annual wolf territory centers during spring, suggesting elk were selecting safer habitats during calving season. Elk selected habitats with less canopy cover across both spatial scales and all seasons, suggesting that elk selected areas with better access to forage as early seral stage stands have greater forage biomass than closed-canopy forests and direct solar radiation to provide warmth in the cooler seasons. This study provides insight into the complexity of hierarchical decision-making, such as how risky habitat features and land cover type influence habitat selection differently across seasons and spatial scales, influencing the decision-making of elk. Scale-dependent behavior is crucial to understand within specific geographic regions, as these decisions scale up to influence population dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Merems
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, College of Agriculture and Life SciencesUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Anna L. Brose
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, College of Agriculture and Life SciencesUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | | | - Shawn Crimmins
- US Geological Survey, Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitUniversity of Alaska‐FairbanksFairbanksAlaskaUSA
| | - Timothy R. Van Deelen
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, College of Agriculture and Life SciencesUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Denryter K, Beckmen KB. Suspected Case of Persistent Thiamin Deficiency in a Hand-Reared Caribou Calf. Zoo Biol 2024. [PMID: 39321035 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/27/2024]
Abstract
Hand-reared animals are invaluable and irreplaceable in studies of wildlife nutrition. Hand-rearing protocols provide insights into dietary and training programs, but less information is available on disease management. In young ruminants, thiamin (Vitamin B1) deficiency is a particularly important disease that is treatable early in the disease process, but otherwise can be fatal. In this husbandry report, we describe a case of suspected thiamin deficiency in a hand-reared calf (Rangifer tarandus granti) that resulted in clinical signs of polioencephalomalacia and persisted for > 3 months. We attempted treatment with thiamin injections; injections resolved clinical signs of disease, but clinical signs of disease returned once injections stopped. After > 2 months of thiamin injections, the caribou calf received a rumen transfaunation from a fistulated moose (Alces alces) housed at the same facility. Following rumen transfaunation, we did not observe signs of thiamin deficiency. The calf outgrew other females in the cohort initially and shows no long-term effects of thiamin deficiency or polioencephalomalacia. We recommend rumen transfaunation when thiamin deficiency is suspected and does not resolve with thiamin injections alone. We also recommend heterospecific donors if conspecific donors are not available.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Denryter
- Foraging Ecology and Wildlife Nutritional Analysis (FaWNA) Lab, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Palmer, Alaska, USA
| | - Kimberlee B Beckmen
- Veterinary Services, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ganz TR, Bassing SB, DeVivo MT, Gardner B, Kertson BN, Satterfield LC, Shipley LA, Turnock BY, Walker SL, Abrahamson D, Wirsing AJ, Prugh LR. White-tailed deer population dynamics in a multipredator landscape shaped by humans. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 34:e3003. [PMID: 38890813 DOI: 10.1002/eap.3003] [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: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Large terrestrial mammals increasingly rely on human-modified landscapes as anthropogenic footprints expand. Land management activities such as timber harvest, agriculture, and roads can influence prey population dynamics by altering forage resources and predation risk via changes in habitat, but these effects are not well understood in regions with diverse and changing predator guilds. In northeastern Washington state, USA, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are vulnerable to multiple carnivores, including recently returned gray wolves (Canis lupus), within a highly human-modified landscape. To understand the factors governing predator-prey dynamics in a human context, we radio-collared 280 white-tailed deer, 33 bobcats (Lynx rufus), 50 cougars (Puma concolor), 28 coyotes (C. latrans), and 14 wolves between 2016 and 2021. We first estimated deer vital rates and used a stage-structured matrix model to estimate their population growth rate. During the study, we observed a stable to declining deer population (lambda = 0.97, 95% confidence interval: 0.88, 1.05), with 74% of Monte Carlo simulations indicating population decrease and 26% of simulations indicating population increase. We then fit Cox proportional hazard models to evaluate how predator exposure, use of human-modified landscapes, and winter severity influenced deer survival and used these relationships to evaluate impacts on overall population growth. We found that the population growth rate was dually influenced by a negative direct effect of apex predators and a positive effect of timber harvest and agricultural areas. Cougars had a stronger effect on deer population dynamics than wolves, and mesopredators had little influence on the deer population growth rate. Areas of recent timber harvest had 55% more forage biomass than older forests, but horizontal visibility did not differ, suggesting that timber harvest did not influence predation risk. Although proximity to roads did not affect the overall population growth rate, vehicle collisions caused a substantial proportion of deer mortalities, and reducing these collisions could be a win-win for deer and humans. The influence of apex predators and forage indicates a dual limitation by top-down and bottom-up factors in this highly human-modified system, suggesting that a reduction in apex predators would intensify density-dependent regulation of the deer population owing to limited forage availability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taylor R Ganz
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sarah B Bassing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Melia T DeVivo
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Spokane Valley, Washington, USA
| | - Beth Gardner
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Brian N Kertson
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Snoqualmie, Washington, USA
| | - Lauren C Satterfield
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Lisa A Shipley
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | | | | | | | - Aaron J Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Laura R Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Williams S, Hebblewhite M, Martin H, Meyer C, Whittington J, Killeen J, Berg J, MacAulay K, Smolko P, Merrill EH. Predation risk drives long-term shifts in migratory behaviour and demography in a large herbivore population. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:21-35. [PMID: 37982331 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14022] [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: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Migration is an adaptive life-history strategy across taxa that helps individuals maximise fitness by obtaining forage and avoiding predation risk. The mechanisms driving migratory changes are poorly understood, and links between migratory behaviour, space use, and demographic consequences are rare. Here, we use a nearly 20-year record of individual-based monitoring of a large herbivore, elk (Cervus canadensis) to test hypotheses for changing patterns of migration in and adjacent to a large protected area in Banff National Park (BNP), Canada. We test whether bottom-up (forage quality) or top-down (predation risk) factors explained trends in (i) the proportion of individuals using 5 different migratory tactics, (ii) differences in survival rates of migratory tactics during migration and whilst on summer ranges, (iii) cause-specific mortality by wolves and grizzly bears, and (iv) population abundance. We found dramatic shifts in migration consistent with behavioural plasticity in individual choice of annual migratory routes. Shifts were inconsistent with exposure to the bottom-up benefits of migration. Instead, exposure to landscape gradients in predation risk caused by exploitation outside the protected area drove migratory shifts. Carnivore exploitation outside the protected area led to higher survival rates for female elk remaining resident or migrating outside the protected area. Cause-specific mortality aligned with exposure to predation risk along migratory routes and summer ranges. Wolf predation risk was higher on migratory routes than summer ranges of montane-migrant tactics, but wolf predation risk traded-off with heightened risk from grizzly bears on summer ranges. A novel eastern migrant tactic emerged following a large forest fire that enhanced forage in an area with lower predation risk outside of the protected area. The changes in migratory behaviour translated to population abundance, where abundance of the montane-migratory tactics declined over time. The presence of diverse migratory life histories maintained a higher total population abundance than would have been the case with only one migratory tactic in the population. Our study demonstrates the complex ways in which migratory populations change over time through behavioural plasticity and associated demographic consequences because of individuals balancing predation risk and forage trade-offs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Williams
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - M Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - H Martin
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - C Meyer
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - J Whittington
- Banff National Park, Parks Canada, Banff, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Killeen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Berg
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - K MacAulay
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - P Smolko
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Applied Zoology and Wildlife Management, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - E H Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ruprecht J, Wisdom MJ, Clark DA, Rowland MM, Levi T. Density-dependent changes in elk resource selection over successional time scales following forest disturbance. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2891. [PMID: 37232432 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2891] [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: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
There is an increasing need to understand how animals respond to modifications of their habitat following landscape-scale disturbances such as wildfire or timber harvest. Such disturbances can promote increased use by herbivores due to changes in plant community structure that improve forage conditions, but can also cause avoidance if other habitat functions provided by cover are substantially reduced or eliminated. Quantifying the total effects of these disturbances, however, is challenging because they may not fully be apparent unless observed at successional timescales. Further, the effects of disturbances that improve habitat quality may be density dependent, such that the benefits are (1) less valuable to high-density populations because the per-capita benefits are reduced when shared among more users or, alternatively, (2) more valuable to animals living in high densities because resources may be more depleted from the greater intraspecific competition. We used 30 years of telemetry data on elk occurring at two distinct population densities to quantify changes in space use at diel, monthly, and successional timescales following timber harvest. Elk selected logged areas at night only, with selection strongest during midsummer, and peak selection occurring 14 years post harvest, but persisting for 26-33 years. This pattern of increased selection at night following a reduction in overhead canopy cover is consistent with elk exploiting improved nutritional conditions for foraging. The magnitude of selection for logged areas was 73% higher for elk at low population density, consistent with predictions from the ideal free distribution. Yet elk avoided these same areas during daytime for up to 28 years post logging and instead selected untreated forest, suggesting a role for cover to meet other life history requirements. Our results demonstrate that while landscape-scale disturbances can lead to increased selection by large herbivores and suggest that the improvement in foraging conditions can persist over short-term successional timescales, the magnitude of the benefits may not be equal across population densities. Further, the enduring avoidance of logging treatments during the daytime indicates a need for structurally intact forests and suggests that a mosaic of forest patches of varying successional stages and structural completeness is likely to be the most beneficial to large herbivores.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joel Ruprecht
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Michael J Wisdom
- USDA Pacific Northwest Research Station, US Forest Service, La Grande, Oregon, USA
| | - Darren A Clark
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, La Grande, Oregon, USA
| | - Mary M Rowland
- USDA Pacific Northwest Research Station, US Forest Service, La Grande, Oregon, USA
| | - Taal Levi
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Berg JE, Eacker DR, Hebblewhite M, Merrill EH. Summer elk calf survival in a partially migratory population. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jodi E. Berg
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | | | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W. A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation University of Montana Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Evelyn H. Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Cook RC, Shipley LA, Cook JG, Camp MJ, Monzingo DS, Robatcek SL, Berry SL, Hull IT, Myers WL, Denryter K, Long RA. Sequential detergent fiber assay results used for nutritional ecology research: Evidence of bias since 2012. WILDLIFE SOC B 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1348] [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]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C. Cook
- National Council of Air and Stream Improvement 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Lisa A. Shipley
- 1229 Webster Hall, School of the Environment Washington State University Pullman WA 99164‐2812 USA
| | - John G. Cook
- National Council of Air and Stream Improvement 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Meghan J. Camp
- Washington State University Vogel Plant Biosciences 136, School of the Environment, Pullman, WA 99164‐2812; Cramer Fish Sciences 1125 12th Ave. NW, Suite B‐1 Issaquah WA 98027 USA
| | - Deborah S. Monzingo
- 1229 Webster Hall, School of the Environment Washington State University Pullman WA 99164‐2812 USA
| | | | | | - Iver T. Hull
- 1229 Webster Hall, School of the Environment Washington State University Pullman WA 99164‐2812 USA
| | - Woodrow L. Myers
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 2315 N Discovery Place Spokane Valley WA 99216 USA
| | - Kristin Denryter
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife 1010 Riverside Parkway West Sacramento CA 95605 USA
| | - Ryan A. Long
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow ID 83844 USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Vales DJ, Nielson RM, Middleton MP. Black‐tailed deer seasonal habitat selection: accounting for missing global positioning system fixes. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David J. Vales
- Muckleshoot Indian Tribe Wildlife Program 39015 172nd Avenue SE Auburn WA 98092 USA
| | - Ryan M. Nielson
- Eagle Environmental, Inc. 30 Fonda Road Santa Fe NM 87508 USA
| | - Michael P. Middleton
- Muckleshoot Indian Tribe Wildlife Program 39015 172nd Avenue SE Auburn WA 98092 USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Paterson JT, Proffitt KM, DeCesare NJ, Gude JA, Hebblewhite M. Evaluating the summer landscapes of predation risk and forage quality for elk ( Cervus canadensis). Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9201. [PMID: 35979523 PMCID: PMC9366754 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The recovery of carnivore populations in North American has consequences for trophic interactions and population dynamics of prey. In addition to direct effects on prey populations through killing, predators can influence prey behavior by imposing the risk of predation. The mechanisms through which patterns of space use by predators are linked to behavioral response by prey and nonconsumptive effects on prey population dynamics are poorly understood. Our goal was to characterize population- and individual-level patterns of resource selection by elk (Cervus canadensis) in response to risk of wolves (Canis lupus) and mountain lions (Puma concolor) and evaluate potential nonconsumptive effects of these behavioral patterns. We tested the hypothesis that individual elk risk-avoidance behavior during summer would result in exposure to lower-quality forage and reduced body fat and pregnancy rates. First, we evaluated individuals' second-order and third-order resource selection with a used-available sampling design. At the population level, we found evidence for a positive relationship between second- and third-order selection and forage, and an interaction between forage quality and mountain lion risk such that the relative probability of use at low mountain lion risk increased with forage quality but decreased at high risk at both orders of selection. We found no evidence of a population-level trade-off between forage quality and wolf risk. However, we found substantial among-individual heterogeneity in resource selection patterns such that population-level patterns were potentially misleading. We found no evidence that the diversity of individual resource selection patterns varied predictably with available resources, or that patterns of individual risk-related resource selection translated into biologically meaningful changes in body fat or pregnancy rates. Our work highlights the importance of evaluating individual responses to predation risk and predator hunting technique when assessing responses to predators and suggests nonconsumptive effects are not operating at a population scale in this system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation SciencesUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMontanaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Denryter K, Conner MM, Stephenson TR, German DW, Monteith KL. Survival of the fattest: how body fat and migration influence survival in highly seasonal environments. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Denryter
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Wyoming, 804 East Fremont Laramie WY USA
| | - Mary M. Conner
- Utah State University Department of Wildland Resources, 5320 Old Main Hill Logan UT USA
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 787 North Main Street, Suite 220 Bishop CA USA
| | - Thomas R. Stephenson
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program, 787 North Main Street, Suite 220 Bishop CA USA
| | - David W. German
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program, 787 North Main Street, Suite 220 Bishop CA USA
| | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 804 East Fremont Laramie WY USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Snobl LA, Proffitt KM, Millspaugh JJ. Wildfire extends the shelf life of elk nutritional resources regardless of fire severity. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A. Snobl
- Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula Montana USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Monzingo DS, Shipley LA, Cook RC, Cook JG. Factors influencing predictions of understory vegetation biomass from visual cover estimates. WILDLIFE SOC B 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Deborah S. Monzingo
- Washington State University, 1229 Webster Hall, School of the Environment Pullman WA 99164‐2812 USA
| | - Lisa A. Shipley
- Washington State University, 1229 Webster Hall, School of the Environment Pullman WA 99164‐2812 USA
| | - Rachel C. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - John G. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Kurpiers EM, Weckerly FW. When can cropping rate compensate for increased vigilance? BEHAVIOUR 2022. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-bja10163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Herbivores use vigilance to reduce predation risk and interact socially, yet it imposes a foraging efficiency cost. As individuals spend more time with their head up being vigilant, time available to search for and ingest food decreases. We explored whether ungulates can strategically modify behaviours to compensate for vigilance costs via increased cropping rate when food searching time was near-zero and bite sizes were small. We compared the proportion of time individuals had their head up to their cropping rate (bites/observation length) in 271 observations of Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti). Using a linear mixed-effect model, we estimated the head up–cropping rate relationship and found that elk cropping rate was constant across varying lengths of time spent with their head up, indicating no vigilance compensation occurred via increased cropping rate. We discuss settings when cropping rate compensation is expected and other behaviours that might mitigate vigilance costs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Floyd W. Weckerly
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Williamson LH, Weckerly FW. Influences on food supply from elk abundance and precipitation early in the growing season. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264941. [PMID: 35275962 PMCID: PMC8916677 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Large grazing mammals should negatively affect forage biomass of their food supply, but documentation is lacking in free ranging populations. Furthermore, complications from factors such as weather patterns and spatial heterogeneity might obscure grazing effects on the food supply. We examined influences of Roosevelt elk (Cervus canadensis roosevelti (Merriam, 1897)) abundance and precipitation on forage biomass at two spatial scales; meadows that contained most of the food supply, and sectors nested in meadows. Spatial heterogeneity in forage biomass might also decline with increasing elk abundance. Elk abundance was estimated from population counts and varied 3.9-fold across the 15 years of study in northwestern California, USA. Each January, early in the growing season, we estimated forage biomass in the 50-ha meadow complex used by the elk population. Measures of palatable forage cover and height were taken in 270 ¼ m2 plots dispersed throughout sectors. These measurements were then related to dried forage biomass. At both spatial scales, elk abundance was inversely, and precipitation was positively related to forage biomass. At the sector scale, analysis of a linear mixed effect model indicated heterogeneity. In some sectors both predictors were related to forage biomass and in other sectors they were not. Heterogeneity was not from uneven elk grazing as elk grazed sectors in proportion to forage biomass. The varied elk abundance–forage biomass relationships across sectors indicated that spatial heterogeneity declined with increasing elk abundance. Detecting relationships between free ranging ungulate populations and biomass of their food supply is not straightforward.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lee H. Williamson
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, United States of America
| | - Floyd W. Weckerly
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Pannoni SB, Proffitt KM, Holben WE. Non-invasive monitoring of multiple wildlife health factors by fecal microbiome analysis. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8564. [PMID: 35154651 PMCID: PMC8826075 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Fecal microbial biomarkers represent a less invasive alternative for acquiring information on wildlife populations than many traditional sampling methodologies. Our goal was to evaluate linkages between fecal microbiome communities in Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis) and four host factors including sex, age, population, and physical condition (body-fat). We paired a feature-selection algorithm with an LDA-classifier trained on elk differential bacterial abundance (16S-rRNA amplicon survey) to predict host health factors from 104 elk microbiomes across four elk populations. We validated the accuracy of the various classifier predictions with leave-one-out cross-validation using known measurements. We demonstrate that the elk fecal microbiome can predict the four host factors tested. Our results show that elk microbiomes respond to both the strong extrinsic factor of biogeography and simultaneously occurring, but more subtle, intrinsic forces of individual body-fat, sex, and age-class. Thus, we have developed and described herein a generalizable approach to disentangle microbiome responses attributed to multiple host factors of varying strength from the same bacterial sequence data set. Wildlife conservation and management presents many challenges, but we demonstrate that non-invasive microbiome surveys from scat samples can provide alternative options for wildlife population monitoring. We believe that, with further validation, this method could be broadly applicable in other species and potentially predict other measurements. Our study can help guide the future development of microbiome-based monitoring of wildlife populations and supports hypothetical expectations found in host-microbiome theory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel B. Pannoni
- Franke College of Forestry and ConservationUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMontanaUSA
| | | | - William E. Holben
- Cellular, Molecular and Microbial Biology ProgramUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMontanaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Denryter K, Cook RC, Cook JG, Parker KL. Animal‐defined resources reveal nutritional inadequacies for woodland caribou during summer–autumn. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Denryter
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies University of Northern British Columbia 3333 University Way Prince George V2N 4Z9 BC Canada
| | - Rachel C. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande 97850 OR USA
| | - John G. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande 97850 OR USA
| | - Katherine L. Parker
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies University of Northern British Columbia 3333 University Way Prince George V2N 4Z9 BC Canada
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Peterson CJ, DeCesare NJ, Hayes TA, Bishop CJ, Mitchell MS. Consequences of migratory strategy on habitat selection by mule deer. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Collin J. Peterson
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula 59812 MT USA
| | - Nicholas J. DeCesare
- Montana Department of Fish Wildlife, and Parks 3201 Spurgin Road Missoula 59804 MT USA
| | - Teagan A. Hayes
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula 59812 MT USA
| | - Chad J. Bishop
- Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula 59812 MT USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Hall SJG, Arney DR, Bunce RGH, Vollmer E. Video recording and vegetation classification elucidate sheep foraging ecology in species-rich grassland. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:14873-14887. [PMID: 34765147 PMCID: PMC8571568 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Factors influencing grazing behavior in species-rich grasslands have been little studied. Methodologies have mostly had a primary focus on grasslands with lower floristic diversity.We test the hypothesis that grazing behavior is influenced by both animal and plant factors and investigate the relative importance of these factors, using a novel combination of video technology and vegetation classification to analyze bite and step rates.In a semi-natural, partially wooded grassland in northern Estonia, images of the vegetation being grazed and records of steps and bites were obtained from four video cameras, each mounted on the sternum of a sheep, during 41 animal-hours of observation over five days. Plant species lists for the immediate field of view were compiled. Images were partnered by direct observation of the nearest-neighbor relationships of the sheep. TWINSPAN, a standard vegetation classification technique allocating species lists to objectively defined classes by a principal components procedure, was applied to the species lists and 25 vegetation classes (15 open pasture and 10 woodland) were identified from the images.Taking bite and step rates as dependent variables, relative importance of animal factors (sheep identity), relative importance of day, and relative importance of plant factors (vegetation class) were investigated. The strongest effect on bite rates was of vegetation class. Sheep identity was less influential. When the data from woodland were excluded, sheep identity was more important than vegetation class as a source of variability in bite rate on open pasture.The original hypothesis is therefore supported, and we further propose that, at least with sheep in species-rich open pastures, animal factors will be more important in determining grazing behavior than plant factors. We predict quantifiable within-breed and between-breed differences, which could be exploited to optimize conservation grazing practices and contribute to the sustainability of extensive grazing systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Elis Vollmer
- Estonian University of Life SciencesTartuEstonia
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Prescribed fire has slight influence on Roosevelt elk population dynamics. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
20
|
Cook JG, Kelly AP, Cook RC, Culling B, Culling D, McLaren A, Larter NC, Watters M. Seasonal patterns in nutritional condition of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in the southern Northwest Territories and northeastern British Columbia, Canada. CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2021-0057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Evaluating nutritional condition provides insights of nutritional influences on wildlife populations. We sampled three measures of condition — body fat, body mass, and loin thickness — of adult female caribou (Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758)) in boreal settings in the Northwest Territories (NT), Canada, in December and March, 2016–2018, and in mountain and boreal settings in British Columbia (BC), Canada, in December and February, 2014–2015. We evaluated the effect of calf-rearing on condition in December, compared influences of summer–autumn versus winter on condition over winter, and developed an annual profile of nutritional condition with estimates from caribou dying in summer. Mean December body fat was 8.4% in females with calves and 11.4% in females without calves, demonstrating the influence of lactation on condition. Over winter, nutritional condition did not decline in northeastern BC and it declined slightly in NT: body fat by 0.55 percentage points, mass by 2.8 kg, and loin thickness did not change. Body fat peaked in December, changed little over winter, but declined to a minimum by early summer, temporally coinciding with elevated rates of adult female mortality. Consistent with those of other ungulate studies worldwide, our findings suggest a need to focus on nutritional limitations operating in late spring through early autumn.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John G. Cook
- Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory, National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, 1401 Gekeler Lane, La Grande, OR 1401 Gekeler Lane, USA
| | - Allicia P. Kelly
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, Box 900, Fort Smith, NT X0E 0P0, Canada
| | - Rachel C. Cook
- Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory, National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, 1401 Gekeler Lane, La Grande, OR 1401 Gekeler Lane, USA
| | - Brad Culling
- Diversified Environmental, Box 6263, Fort St. John, BC V1J 4X7, Canada
| | - Diane Culling
- Diversified Environmental, Box 6263, Fort St. John, BC V1J 4X7, Canada
| | - Ashley McLaren
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, ON K9L 1Z8, Canada
| | - Nicholas C. Larter
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, Fort Simpson, NT X0E 0N0, Canada
| | - Megan Watters
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Fort St. John, BC V1J 6M7, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Cook RC, Crouse JA, Cook JG, Stephenson TR. Evaluating indices of nutritional condition for caribou (Rangifer tarandus): which are the most valuable and why? CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2020-0149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Body composition studies are critical for evaluating the accuracy of nutritional condition indices for predicting body components. We evaluated >40 indices of nutritional condition for caribou (Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758)) using 29 female caribou captured from three populations in Alaska (USA) that ranged in condition from 2.3% to 11.2% ingesta-free body fat (IFBF) and 6 captive female caribou that ranged in condition from 8.1% to 26.0% IFBF. Estimates of body fat, protein, and gross energy were regressed against each index of nutritional condition. Generally, indices with linear or slightly curvilinear relations to body fat and those based on multiple fat depots were the most accurate in predicting nutritional condition and the most useful over the full range of nutritional condition. A scaledLIVINDEX (a combination of subcutaneous fat thickness and a condition score), CONINDEX (a combination of kidney fat and marrow fat), and a subset of the Kistner score (pericardium and kidneys only) had the strongest relationship with body fat (r2 > 0.86) and were useful over the entire range of nutritional condition. If used properly and with adequate training, indices of nutritional condition can be a critical tool for understanding the severity and seasonality of nutritional limitations in wild caribou populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory, 1401 Gekeler Lane, La Grande, OR 97850, USA
| | - John A. Crouse
- Kenai Moose Research Center, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 43961 Kalifornsky Beach Road, Suite B, Soldotna, AK 99669, USA
| | - John G. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory, 1401 Gekeler Lane, La Grande, OR 97850, USA
| | - Thomas R. Stephenson
- Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 787 North Main Street, Suite 220, Bishop, CA 93514, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Proffitt KM, Courtemanch AB, Dewey SR, Lowrey B, McWhirter DE, Monteith K, Paterson JT, Rotella J, White PJ, Garrott RA. Regional variability in pregnancy and survival rates of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish Wildlife, and Parks 1400 South 19th Avenue Bozeman Montana59718USA
| | | | - Sarah R. Dewey
- Grand Teton National Park P.O. Box 170 Moose Wyoming83012USA
| | - Blake Lowrey
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program Department of Ecology Montana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman Montana59717USA
| | | | - Kevin.L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming 804 East Fremont Street Laramie Wyoming82072USA
| | - J. Terrill Paterson
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program Department of Ecology Montana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman Montana59717USA
| | - Jay Rotella
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program Department of Ecology Montana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman Montana59717USA
| | - Patrick J. White
- Yellowstone Center for Resources Yellowstone National Park National Park Service Mammoth Wyoming82190USA
| | - Robert A. Garrott
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program Department of Ecology Montana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman Montana59717USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Oates BA, Monteith KL, Goheen JR, Merkle JA, Fralick GL, Kauffman MJ. Detecting Resource Limitation in a Large Herbivore Population Is Enhanced With Measures of Nutritional Condition. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.522174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Resource limitation at the population level is a function of forage quality and its abundance relative to its per capita availability, which in turn, determines nutritional condition of individuals. Effects of resource limitation on population dynamics in ungulates often occur through predictable and sequential changes in vital rates, which can enable assessments of how resource limitation influences population growth. We tested theoretical predictions of bottom-up (i.e., resource limitation) forcing on moose (Alces alces) through the lens of vital rates by quantifying the relative influence of intrinsic measures of nutritional condition and extrinsic measures of remotely sensed environmental data on demographic rates. We measured rates of pregnancy, parturition, juvenile, and adult survival for 82 adult females in a population where predators largely were absent. Life stage simulation analyses (LSAs) indicated that interannual fluctuations in adult survival contributed to most of the variability in λ. We then extended the LSA to estimate vital rates as a function of bottom-up covariates to evaluate their influence on λ. We detected weak signatures of effects from environmental covariates that were remotely sensed and spatially explicit to each seasonal range. Instead, nutritional condition strongly influenced rates of pregnancy, parturition, and overwinter survival of adults, clearly implicating resource limitation on λ. Our findings depart from the classic life-history paradigm of population dynamics in ungulates in that adult survival was highly variable and generated most of the variability in population growth rates. At the surface, lack of variation explained by environmental covariates may suggest weak evidence of resource limitation in the population, when nutritional condition actually underpinned most demographics. We suggest that variability in vital rates and effects of resource limitation may depend on context more than previously appreciated, and density dependence can obfuscate the relationships between remotely sensed data and demographic rates.
Collapse
|
24
|
Predicting fine-scale forage distribution to inform ungulate nutrition. ECOL INFORM 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2020.101170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
|
25
|
Lachish S, Brandell EE, Craft ME, Dobson AP, Hudson PJ, MacNulty DR, Coulson T. Investigating the Dynamics of Elk Population Size and Body Mass in a Seasonal Environment Using a Mechanistic Integral Projection Model. Am Nat 2020; 196:E23-E45. [PMID: 32673097 DOI: 10.1086/708723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Environmentally mediated changes in body size often underlie population responses to environmental change, yet this is not a universal phenomenon. Understanding when phenotypic change underlies population responses to environmental change is important for obtaining insights and robust predictions of population dynamics in a changing world. We develop a dynamic integral projection model that mechanistically links environmental conditions to demographic rates and phenotypic traits (body size) via changes in resource availability and individual energetics. We apply the model to the northern Yellowstone elk population and explore population responses to changing patterns of seasonality, incorporating the interdependence of growth, demography, and density-dependent processes operating through population feedback on available resources. We found that small changes in body size distributions can have large impacts on population dynamics but need not cause population responses to environmental change. Environmental changes that altered demographic rates directly, via increasing or decreasing resource availability, led to large population impacts in the absence of substantial changes to body size distributions. In contrast, environmentally driven shifts in body size distributions could occur with little consequence for population dynamics when the effect of environmental change on resource availability was small and seasonally restricted and when strong density-dependent processes counteracted expected population responses. These findings highlight that a robust understanding of how associations between body size and demography influence population responses to environmental change will require knowledge of the shape of the relationship between phenotypic distributions and vital rates, the population status with regard to its carrying capacity, and importantly the nature of the environmentally driven change in body size and carrying capacity.
Collapse
|
26
|
Wisdom MJ, Nielson RM, Rowland MM, Proffitt KM. Modeling Landscape Use for Ungulates: Forgotten Tenets of Ecology, Management, and Inference. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
27
|
Denryter K, Cook RC, Cook JG, Parker KL, Gillingham MP. State-dependent foraging by caribou with different nutritional requirements. J Mammal 2020; 101:544-557. [PMID: 32454534 PMCID: PMC7236907 DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Foraging by animals is hypothesized to be state-dependent, that is, varying with physiological condition of individuals. State often is defined by energy reserves, but state also can reflect differences in nutritional requirements (e.g., for reproduction, lactation, growth, etc.). Testing hypotheses about state-dependent foraging in ungulates is difficult because fine-scale data needed to evaluate these hypotheses generally are lacking. To evaluate whether foraging by caribou (Rangifer tarandus) was state-dependent, we compared bite and intake rates, travel rates, dietary quality, forage selection, daily foraging time, and foraging strategies of caribou with three levels of nutritional requirements (lactating adults, nonlactating adults, subadults 1-2 years old). Only daily foraging times and daily nutrient intakes differed among nutritional classes of caribou. Lactating caribou foraged longer per day than nonlactating caribou-a difference that was greatest at the highest rates of intake, but which persisted even when intake was below requirements. Further, at sites where caribou achieved high rates of intake, caribou in each nutritional class continued foraging even after satisfying daily nutritional requirements, which was consistent with a foraging strategy to maximize energy intake. Foraging time by caribou was partially state-dependent, highlighting the importance of accounting for physiological state in studies of animal behavior. Fine-scale foraging behaviors may influence larger-scale behavioral strategies, with potential implications for conservation and management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Denryter
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
- Wildlife Branch—Elk and Pronghorn Antelope Program, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Rachel C Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory, La Grande, OR, USA
| | - John G Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory, La Grande, OR, USA
| | - Katherine L Parker
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael P Gillingham
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Eckrich CA, Coe PK, Clark DA, Nielson RM, Lombardi J, Gregory SC, Hedrick MJO, Johnson BK, Jackson DH. Summer Habitat Use of Female Mule Deer in Oregon. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn A. Eckrich
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Priscilla K. Coe
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Darren A. Clark
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Ryan M. Nielson
- Eagle Environmental, Inc. 30 Fonda Road Santa Fe NM 87508 USA
| | - John Lombardi
- Western EcoSystems Technology 415 W. 17th Street, Suite 200 Cheyenne WY 82001 USA
| | - Sara C. Gregory
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 61374 Parrell Road Bend OR 97702 USA
| | - Mary JO Hedrick
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 54198 Highway 31 Summer Lake OR 97640 USA
| | - Bruce K. Johnson
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - DeWaine H. Jackson
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 4192 N Umpqua Highway Roseburg OR 97470 USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Varied diets, including broadleaved forage, are important for a large herbivore species inhabiting highly modified landscapes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1904. [PMID: 32024896 PMCID: PMC7002458 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58673-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Diet quality is an important determinant of animal survival and reproduction, and can be described as the combination of different food items ingested, and their nutritional composition. For large herbivores, human landscape modifications to vegetation can limit such diet-mixing opportunities. Here we use southern Sweden’s modified landscapes to assess winter diet mixtures (as an indicator of quality) and food availability as drivers of body mass (BM) variation in wild moose (Alces alces). We identify plant species found in the rumen of 323 moose harvested in Oct-Feb, and link variation in average calf BM among populations to diets and food availability. Our results show that variation in calf BM correlates with variation in diet composition, diversity, and food availability. A varied diet relatively rich in broadleaves was associated with higher calf BM than a less variable diet dominated by conifers. A diet high in shrubs and sugar/starch rich agricultural crops was associated with intermediate BM. The proportion of young production forest (0–15 yrs) in the landscape, an indicator of food availability, significantly accounted for variation in calf BM. Our findings emphasize the importance of not only diet composition and forage quantity, but also variability in the diets of large free-ranging herbivores.
Collapse
|
30
|
Tyler NJC, Gregorini P, Parker KL, Hazlerigg DG. Animal responses to environmental variation: physiological mechanisms in ecological models of performance in deer (Cervidae). ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/an19418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Context
Proper assessment of the consequences of environmental variation on animals depends on our ability to predict how they will perform under different circumstances. This requires two kinds of information. We need to know which environmental factors influence animal performance and their mode of action, i.e. whether a given factor acts alone or through interaction with other factors, directly or indirectly, instantaneously or after a delay and so on. This essentially correlative process falls within the domain of ecology. We also need to know what determines the direction, amplitude and limits of animal responses to environmental variation and change. This essentially experimental process falls within the domain of physiology. Physiological mechanisms are frequently poorly integrated within the correlative framework of ecological models. This is evident where programmed responses are attributed to environmental forcing and where the effect of environmental factors is evaluated without reference to the physiological state and regulatory capacity of the animal on which they act.
Aims
Here we examine ways in which the impacts of external (environmental) stimuli and constraints on performance are moderated by the animals (deer) on which they impinge.
Key results
The analysis shows (1) how trade-offs in foraging behaviour, illustrated by the timing of activity under the threat of predation, are modulated by integration of short-term metabolic feedback and animal emotions that influence the motivation to feed, (2) how the influence of thermal and nutritional challenges on performance, illustrated by the effect of weather conditions during gestation on the body mass of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) calves at weaning, depends on the metabolic state of the female at the time the challenge occurs and (3) how annual cycles of growth, appetite and reproduction in seasonal species of deer are governed by innate circannual timers, such that their responses to seasonal changes in food supply are anticipatory and governed by rheostatic systems that adjust homeostatic set- points, rather than being purely reactive.
Conclusions
Concepts like ‘maintenance’ and ‘energy balance’, which were originally derived from non-seasonal domestic ruminants, are unable to account for annual cycles in metabolic and nutritional status in seasonal deer. Contrasting seasonal phenotypes (fat and anoestrous in summer, lean and oestrous in winter) represent adaptive solutions to the predictable challenges presented by contrasting seasonal environments, not failure of homeostasis in one season and its success in another.
Implications
The analysis and interpretation of responses to environment in terms of interaction between the external stimuli and the internal systems that govern them offer a more comprehensive, multifaceted understanding of the influence of environmental variation on performance in deer and open lines of ecological enquiry defined by non-intuitive aspects of animal function.
Collapse
|
31
|
Stokely TD, Betts MG. Deer‐mediated ecosystem service versus disservice depends on forest management intensity. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D. Stokely
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network Department of Forest Ecosystems & Society Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA
| | - Matthew G. Betts
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network Department of Forest Ecosystems & Society Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Berg JE, Hebblewhite M, St. Clair CC, Merrill EH. Prevalence and Mechanisms of Partial Migration in Ungulates. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
|
33
|
DeYoung CA, Fulbright TE, Hewitt DG, Wester DB, Draeger DA, DeYoung CA, Fulbright TE, Hewitt DG, Wester DB, Draeger DA, Gann KR, Folks DJ, Hewitt DG, DeYoung CA, Fulbright TE, Wester DB, Draeger DA, Darr RL, Williamson KM, Garver LW, Hewitt DG, DeYoung CA, Fulbright TE, Gann KR, Wester DB, Draeger DA, Gann WJ, Fulbright TE, Hewitt DG, DeYoung CA, Grahmann ED, Wester DB, Felts BL, Phillips LM, Gage RT, Draeger DA, Cook NS, Donohue RN, DeYoung CA, Hewitt DG, Fulbright TE, Wester DB, Draeger DA, DeYoung CA, Hewitt DG, Fulbright TE, Wester DB, Draeger DA. Linking White‐Tailed Deer Density, Nutrition, and Vegetation in a Stochastic Environment. WILDLIFE MONOGRAPHS 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/wmon.1040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
|
34
|
Clark DA, Coe PK, Gregory SC, Hedrick MJ, Johnson BK, Jackson DH. Habitat Use Informs Species Needs and Management: A Reply to Maestas et al. J Wildl Manage 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Darren A. Clark
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Priscilla K. Coe
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Sara C. Gregory
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 61374 Parrell Road Bend OR 97702 USA
| | - Mary Jo Hedrick
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 53447 Highway 31 Summer Lake OR 97640 USA
| | - Bruce K. Johnson
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - DeWaine H. Jackson
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 4192 N Umpqua Highway Roseburg OR 97470 USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Barker KJ, Mitchell MS, Proffitt KM. Native forage mediates influence of irrigated agriculture on migratory behaviour of elk. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:1100-1110. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin J. Barker
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula Montana
| | - Michael S. Mitchell
- U.S. Geological Survey Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula Montana
| | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Johnson BK, Jackson DH, Cook RC, Clark DA, Coe PK, Cook JG, Rearden SN, Findholt SL, Noyes JH. Roles of maternal condition and predation in survival of juvenile Elk in Oregon. WILDLIFE MONOGRAPHS 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/wmon.1039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bruce K. Johnson
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Dewaine H. Jackson
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 4192 N. Umpqua Highway Roseburg OR 97470 USA
| | - Rachel C. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Darren A. Clark
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Priscilla K. Coe
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - John G. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Spencer N. Rearden
- Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Oregon State University; Corvallis OR 97331 USA
| | - Scott L. Findholt
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - James H. Noyes
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
DeVoe JD, Proffitt KM, Mitchell MS, Jourdonnais CS, Barker KJ. Elk forage and risk tradeoffs during the fall archery season. J Wildl Manage 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse D. DeVoe
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit205 Natural Sciences BuildingWildlife Biology ProgramUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMT59812USA
| | - Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks1400 South 19th StreetBozemanMT59718USA
| | - Michael S. Mitchell
- U.S. Geological SurveyMontana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit 205 Natural Sciences BuildingWildlife Biology ProgramUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMT59812USA
| | | | - Kristin J. Barker
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit205 Natural Sciences BuildingWildlife Biology ProgramUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMT59812USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Stokely TD, Verschuyl J, Hagar JC, Betts MG. Herbicides and herbivory interact to drive plant community and crop-tree establishment. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 28:2011-2023. [PMID: 30027661 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Land management practices often directly alter vegetation structure and composition, but the degree to which ecological processes such as herbivory interact with management to influence biodiversity is less well understood. We hypothesized that large herbivores compound the effects of intensive forest management on early seral plant communities and plantation establishment (i.e., tree survival and growth), and the degree of such effects is dependent on the intensity of management practices. We established 225-m2 wild-ungulate (deer and elk) exclosures, nested within a manipulated gradient of management intensity (no-herbicide control, light herbicide, moderate herbicide, and intensive herbicide treatments), replicated at the scale of whole harvest units (10-19 ha). Vegetation structure, composition, and crop-tree responses to herbivory varied across the gradient of herbicide application during the first two years of stand establishment, with herbivory effects most evident at light and moderate herbicide treatments. In the moderate herbicide treatment, which approximates management applied to >2.5 million hectares in the Pacific Northwest, United States, foraging by deer and elk resulted in simplified, low-cover plant communities more closely resembling the intensive herbicide treatment. Herbivory further suppressed the growth of competing vegetation in the light herbicide treatment, improving crop-tree survival, and providing early evidence of an ecosystem service. By changing community composition and vegetation structure, intensive forest management alters foraging selectivity and subsequent plant-herbivore interactions; initial shifts in early seral communities are likely to influence understory plant communities and tree growth in later stages of forest development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D Stokely
- Department of Forest Ecosystems & Society, Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA
| | - Jake Verschuyl
- National Council for Air & Stream Improvement, Western Sustainable Forestry Program, Anacortes, Washington, 98221, USA
| | - Joan C Hagar
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest & Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA
| | - Matthew G Betts
- Department of Forest Ecosystems & Society, Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Barker KJ, Mitchell MS, Proffitt KM, DeVoe JD. Land management alters traditional nutritional benefits of migration for elk. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin J. Barker
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit; University of Montana; 205 Natural Sciences Building Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Michael S. Mitchell
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit; University of Montana; 205 Natural Sciences Building Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Fish; Wildlife and Parks; 1400 South 19th Street Bozeman MT 59715 USA
| | - Jesse D. DeVoe
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit; University of Montana; 205 Natural Sciences Building Missoula MT 59812 USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Tatman NM, Liley SG, Cain JW, Pitman JW. Effects of calf predation and nutrition on elk vital rates. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M. Tatman
- New Mexico Department of Game and Fish; 1 Wildlife Way Santa Fe NM 87507 USA
| | - Stewart G. Liley
- New Mexico Department of Game and Fish; 1 Wildlife Way Santa Fe NM 87507 USA
| | - James W. Cain
- U.S. Geological Survey, New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology; New Mexico State University; PO Box 30003, MSC 4901 Las Cruces NM 88033 USA
| | - James W. Pitman
- New Mexico Department of Game and Fish; 1 Wildlife Way Santa Fe NM 87507 USA
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Nanney JS, Harper CA, Buehler DA, Bates GE. Nutritional carrying capacity for cervids following disturbance in hardwood forests. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jordan S. Nanney
- Department of Forestry; Wildlife and Fisheries; University of Tennessee; 2431 Joe Johnson Drive Knoxville TN 37996 USA
| | - Craig A. Harper
- Department of Forestry; Wildlife and Fisheries; University of Tennessee; 2431 Joe Johnson Drive Knoxville TN 37996 USA
| | - David A. Buehler
- Department of Forestry; Wildlife and Fisheries; University of Tennessee; 2431 Joe Johnson Drive Knoxville TN 37996 USA
| | - Gary E. Bates
- Department of Plant Sciences; University of Tennessee; 2431 Joe Johnson Drive Knoxville TN 37996 USA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Bose S, Forrester TD, Casady DS, Wittmer HU. Effect of activity states on habitat selection by black-tailed deer. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Samhita Bose
- School of Biological Sciences; Victoria University of Wellington; PO Box 600 Wellington 6140 New Zealand
| | - Tavis D. Forrester
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology; University of California Davis; 1 Shields Avenue Davis CA 95616 USA
| | - David S. Casady
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife; Large Mammal Conservation Program; 1812 9th Street Sacramento CA 95811 USA
| | - Heiko U. Wittmer
- School of Biological Sciences; Victoria University of Wellington; PO Box 600 Wellington 6140 New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Verschuyl J, Clark L, Loehle C. Predicting Shrub Biomass and Current Annual Growth from Field Measurements in the Oregon Coast Range. NORTHWEST SCIENCE 2018. [DOI: 10.3955/046.092.0103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jake Verschuyl
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc., PO Box 1259, Anacortes, Washington 98221
| | - Laurie Clark
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc., 8769 Hwy 42, Tenmile, Oregon 97481
| | - Craig Loehle
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc., 1258 Windemere Avenue, Naperville, Illinois 60564
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Denryter KA, Cook RC, Cook JG, Parker KL. Straight from the caribou’s (Rangifer tarandus) mouth: detailed observations of tame caribou reveal new insights into summer–autumn diets. CAN J ZOOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2016-0114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
High-quality habitats for caribou (Rangifer tarandus (L., 1758)) are associated primarily with lichens, but lichens alone fail to satisfy summer nutritional requirements. To evaluate the summer forage value of plant communities across northeastern British Columbia (BC), where populations of northern and boreal ecotypes of caribou are declining, we observed foraging by tame, female caribou. We compared diet composition with forage abundance to determine forage selection and to quantify forage availability. Deciduous shrubs, not lichens, largely dominated summer diets. Caribou were highly selective foragers, with 28 species comprising 78% of diets. Caribou avoided ≥50% of understory vegetation in all communities, especially conifers, evergreen shrubs, mosses, and two genera of terrestrial lichens. Availability of accepted forage (species not avoided) was strongly heterogeneous across landscapes. Alpine shrub areas and mid-elevation spruce–fir stands in the mountains, as well as treed rich fens and white spruce communities in the boreal forests, provided the greatest quantities of accepted forage for caribou. Dry alpine sites and unproductive black spruce communities provided the least accepted forage. Our work has direct implications to caribou conservation by contributing to a greater understanding of the forage value of summer habitats, with implications to habitat selection, seasonal movements, and distribution ecology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin A. Denryter
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Rachel C. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory, 1401 Gekeler Lane, La Grande, OR 97850, USA
| | - John G. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory, 1401 Gekeler Lane, La Grande, OR 97850, USA
| | - Katherine L. Parker
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| |
Collapse
|