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Filla M, Lama RP, Ghale TR, Filla T, Heurich M, Waltert M, Khorozyan I. Blue sheep strongly affect snow leopard relative abundance but not livestock depredation in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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2
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Wolverines (Gulo gulo) in a changing landscape and warming climate: A decadal synthesis of global conservation ecology research. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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3
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Nagl D, Breitenmoser U, Hackländer K, Ryser A, Zimmermann F, Signer S, Haller H, Breitenmoser‐Würsten C, Vogt K. Long‐term changes in habitat selection and prey spectrum in a reintroduced Eurasian lynx (
Lynx lynx)
population in Switzerland. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8614. [PMID: 35228862 PMCID: PMC8861841 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
When wild‐caught Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) from the Slovak Carpathian Mountains were reintroduced to Central Switzerland in the early 1970s and spread through the north‐western Swiss Alps (NWA), they faced a largely unfamiliar landscape with strongly fragmented forests, high elevations, and intense human land use. For more than 30 years, radio‐collared lynx have been monitored during three different project periods (in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2010s). Our study explored, how lynx over generations have learned to adjust to the alpine environment. We predicted that (1) lynx nowadays select more strongly for open habitats, higher elevations, and steep slopes compared to the early stages of recolonization and that (2) consequently, there were significant changes in the Eurasian lynx’ prey spectrum. To test our predictions, we analyzed telemetry data (VHF, GPS) of 13 adult resident lynx in the NWA over 35 years, using Resource Selection Functions. Furthermore, we compared kills recorded from different individuals inhabiting the same region during three project periods. In general, lynx preferred forested areas, but over the years, they avoided open habitat less. Compared to the early stage of the recolonization, lynx in the most recent project period selected for higher elevations and the proportion of chamois in their prey spectrum surmounted that of roe deer. Potential driving factors for the observed changes could be increasing tolerance to human presence, intraspecific competition, or fitness benefits through exploitation of new resources. Long‐term studies like ours provide important insight into how animals can respond to sudden environmental changes, e.g., in the course of translocations into new areas or anthropogenic alterations of their habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Nagl
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna Austria
- KORA Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management Muri bei Bern Switzerland
- Bayerischer Jagdverband e.V Feldkirchen Germany
| | - Urs Breitenmoser
- KORA Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management Muri bei Bern Switzerland
| | - Klaus Hackländer
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna Austria
- Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung Hamburg Germany
| | - Andreas Ryser
- KORA Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management Muri bei Bern Switzerland
| | | | - Sven Signer
- KORA Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management Muri bei Bern Switzerland
| | | | | | - Kristina Vogt
- KORA Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management Muri bei Bern Switzerland
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Individual Variation in Predatory Behavior, Scavenging and Seasonal Prey Availability as Potential Drivers of Coexistence between Wolves and Bears. DIVERSITY-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12090356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Several large carnivore populations are recovering former ranges, and it is important to understand interspecific interactions between overlapping species. In Scandinavia, recent research has reported that brown bear presence influences gray wolf habitat selection and kill rates. Here, we characterized the temporal use of a common prey resource by sympatric wolves and bears and described individual and seasonal variation in their direct and/or indirect interactions. Most bear–wolf interactions were indirect, via bear scavenging of wolf kills. Bears used >50% of wolf kills, whereas we did not record any wolf visit at bear kills. Adult and subadult bears visited wolf kills, but female bears with cubs of the year, the most vulnerable age class to conspecifics and other predators, did not. Wolf and bear kill rates peaked in early summer, when both targeted neonate moose calves, which coincided with a reduction in bear scavenging rate. Some bears were highly predatory and some did not kill any calf. Individual and age-class variation (in bear predation and scavenging patterns) and seasonality (in bear scavenging patterns and main prey availability of both wolves and bears) could mediate coexistence of these apex predators. Similar processes likely occur in other ecosystems with varying carnivore assemblages.
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6
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Ordiz A, Uzal A, Milleret C, Sanz-Pérez A, Zimmermann B, Wikenros C, Wabakken P, Kindberg J, Swenson JE, Sand H. Wolf habitat selection when sympatric or allopatric with brown bears in Scandinavia. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9941. [PMID: 32555291 PMCID: PMC7303184 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66626-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat selection of animals depends on factors such as food availability, landscape features, and intra- and interspecific interactions. Individuals can show several behavioral responses to reduce competition for habitat, yet the mechanisms that drive them are poorly understood. This is particularly true for large carnivores, whose fine-scale monitoring is logistically complex and expensive. In Scandinavia, the home-range establishment and kill rates of gray wolves (Canis lupus) are affected by the coexistence with brown bears (Ursus arctos). Here, we applied resource selection functions and a multivariate approach to compare wolf habitat selection within home ranges of wolves that were either sympatric or allopatric with bears. Wolves selected for lower altitudes in winter, particularly in the area where bears and wolves are sympatric, where altitude is generally higher than where they are allopatric. Wolves may follow the winter migration of their staple prey, moose (Alces alces), to lower altitudes. Otherwise, we did not find any effect of bear presence on wolf habitat selection, in contrast with our previous studies. Our new results indicate that the manifestation of a specific driver of habitat selection, namely interspecific competition, can vary at different spatial-temporal scales. This is important to understand the structure of ecological communities and the varying mechanisms underlying interspecific interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Ordiz
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, NO-2480, Koppang, Norway. .,Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Post box 5003, NO-1432, Ås, Norway. .,School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, NG25 0FQ, UK.
| | - Antonio Uzal
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, NG25 0FQ, UK
| | - Cyril Milleret
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Post box 5003, NO-1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Ana Sanz-Pérez
- Biodiversity and Animal Conservation Lab, Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC), 25280, Solsona, Spain
| | - Barbara Zimmermann
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, NO-2480, Koppang, Norway
| | - Camilla Wikenros
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-730 91, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Petter Wabakken
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, NO-2480, Koppang, Norway
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NO-7485, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83, Umea, Sweden
| | - Jon E Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Post box 5003, NO-1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Håkan Sand
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-730 91, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
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Refrigeration or anti-theft? Food-caching behavior of wolverines (Gulo gulo) in Scandinavia. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-2823-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Food-caching animals can gain nutritional advantages by buffering seasonality in food availability, especially during times of scarcity. The wolverine (Gulo gulo) is a facultative predator that occupies environments of low productivity. As an adaptation to fluctuating food availability, wolverines cache perishable food in snow, boulders, and bogs for short- and long-term storage. We studied caching behavior of 38 GPS-collared wolverines in four study areas in Scandinavia. By investigating clusters of GPS locations, we identified a total of 303 food caches from 17 male and 21 female wolverines. Wolverines cached food all year around, from both scavenging and predation events, and spaced their caches widely within their home range. Wolverines cached food items on average 1.1 km from the food source and made between 1 and 6 caches per source. Wolverines cached closer to the source when scavenging carcasses killed by other large carnivores; this might be a strategy to optimize food gain when under pressure of interspecific competition. When caching, wolverines selected for steep and rugged terrain in unproductive habitat types or in forest, indicating a preference for less-exposed sites that can provide cold storage and/or protection against pilferage. The observed year-round investment in caching by wolverines underlines the importance of food predictability for survival and reproductive success in this species. Increasing temperatures as a consequence of climate change may provide new challenges for wolverines by negatively affecting the preservation of cached food and by increasing competition from pilferers that benefit from a warmer climate. It is however still not fully understood which consequences this may have for the demography and behavior of the wolverine.
Significance statement
Food caching is a behavioral strategy used by a wide range of animals to store food for future use. Choosing appropriate caching sites appears important for slowing down decomposition rates and minimizes competition. In this study, we demonstrate that the wolverine, an opportunistic predator and scavenger, utilizes available carrion to create caches all year around. By following wolverines with GPS collars, we registered that they carried food far away to cache it in secluded and cold places, which are often located on steep slopes or in forest. However, when scavenging other carnivores’ prey, they move food in shorter distances, possibly to be able to quickly return for more. The observed efficiency in wolverine caching behavior is likely vital for their survival and reproductive success in the harsh and highly seasonal environment in which they live.
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8
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Eurasian lynx fitness shows little variation across Scandinavian human-dominated landscapes. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8903. [PMID: 31222101 PMCID: PMC6586631 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45569-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite extensive research on the ecology and behavioural adaptations of large carnivores in human-dominated landscapes, information about the fitness consequences of sharing landscapes is still limited. We assessed the variation in three consecutive components of female fitness: the probability of reproduction, litter size and juvenile survival in relation to environmental and human factors in a solitary carnivore, the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), occurring in human-dominated landscapes in Scandinavia. We used demographic data from 57 radio-collared adult females between 1995-2011 (126 radio-years). Overall, the yearly probability of female reproduction was 0.80, mean litter size was 2.34 (range 1-4) and the probability to find a female that reproduced in the spring being accompanied by at least one offspring during the subsequent winter was 0.70. We did not find evidence that food availability was a key factor influencing female fitness. Female lynx may adapt to food availability when establishing their home ranges by adopting an obstinate strategy, ensuring a minimum amount of prey necessary for survival and reproduction even during periods of prey scarcity. In human-dominated landscapes, where sufficient prey are available for lynx, mortality risk may have a larger influence on lynx population dynamics compared to food availability. Our results suggest that lynx population dynamics in human-dominated landscapes may be mainly driven by human impacts on survival.
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Thiel A, Evans AL, Fuchs B, Arnemo JM, Aronsson M, Persson J. Effects of reproduction and environmental factors on body temperature and activity patterns of wolverines. Front Zool 2019; 16:21. [PMID: 31236127 PMCID: PMC6580505 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-019-0319-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mammals in the far north are exposed to extreme seasonal changes in environmental conditions, such as temperature and photoperiod, which have notable effects on animal physiology and behaviour. The wolverine (Gulo gulo) is a carnivore with a circumpolar distribution and well-adapted to extreme environmental conditions. Still, ecophysiological studies on free-ranging wolverines are lacking. In this study, we used abdominally implanted body temperature loggers in combination with GPS collars with acceleration sensors on 14 free-ranging wolverines in northern Sweden to study daily and seasonal variation in body temperature and activity patterns. We used generalized additive mixed modelling to investigate body temperature patterns over time and Lomb-Scargle periodogram analysis to analyse circadian rhythms. RESULTS We found that wolverines have an average core body temperature of 38.5 ± 0.2 °C with a daily variation of up to 6 °C. Body temperature patterns varied between reproductive states. Pregnant females showed a distinct decrease in body temperature during gestation. Wolverines were active both in day and night, but displayed distinct activity peaks during crepuscular hours. However, body temperature and activity patterns changed seasonally, with a gradual change from a unimodal pattern in winter with concentrated activity during the short period of day light to a bimodal pattern in autumn with activity peaks around dusk and dawn. Wolverines were less likely to display 24-h rhythms in winter, when hours of day light are limited. CONCLUSIONS The combination of different biologging techniques gave novel insight into the ecophysiology, activity patterns and reproductive biology of free-ranging wolverines, adding important knowledge to our understanding of animals adapted to cold environments at northern latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Thiel
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, NO - 2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Alina L. Evans
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, NO - 2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Boris Fuchs
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, NO - 2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Jon M. Arnemo
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, NO - 2480 Koppang, Norway
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Malin Aronsson
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Ecology, Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Jens Persson
- Department of Ecology, Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
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10
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Milleret C, Ordiz A, Chapron G, Andreassen HP, Kindberg J, Månsson J, Tallian A, Wabakken P, Wikenros C, Zimmermann B, Swenson JE, Sand H. Habitat segregation between brown bears and gray wolves in a human-dominated landscape. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:11450-11466. [PMID: 30598748 PMCID: PMC6303696 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying how sympatric species belonging to the same guild coexist is a major question of community ecology and conservation. Habitat segregation between two species might help reduce the effects of interspecific competition and apex predators are of special interest in this context, because their interactions can have consequences for lower trophic levels. However, habitat segregation between sympatric large carnivores has seldom been studied. Based on monitoring of 53 brown bears (Ursus arctos) and seven sympatric adult gray wolves (Canis lupus) equipped with GPS collars in Sweden, we analyzed the degree of interspecific segregation in habitat selection within their home ranges in both late winter and spring, when their diets overlap the most. We used the K-select method, a multivariate approach that relies on the concept of ecological niche, and randomization methods to quantify habitat segregation between bears and wolves. Habitat segregation between bears and wolves was greater than expected by chance. Wolves tended to select for moose occurrence, young forests, and rugged terrain more than bears, which likely reflects the different requirements of an omnivore (bear) and an obligate carnivore (wolf). However, both species generally avoided human-related habitats during daytime. Disentangling the mechanisms that can drive interspecific interactions at different spatial scales is essential for understanding how sympatric large carnivores occur and coexist in human-dominated landscapes, and how coexistence may affect lower trophic levels. The individual variation in habitat selection detected in our study may be a relevant mechanism to overcome intraguild competition and facilitate coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyril Milleret
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural SciencesInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
| | - Andrés Ordiz
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
| | - Guillaume Chapron
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research StationDepartment of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
| | - Harry Peter Andreassen
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural SciencesInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchTrondheimNorway
| | - Johan Månsson
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research StationDepartment of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
| | - Aimee Tallian
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research StationDepartment of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
- Department of Wildland Resources & Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtah
| | - Petter Wabakken
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural SciencesInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | - Camilla Wikenros
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research StationDepartment of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
| | - Barbara Zimmermann
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural SciencesInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchTrondheimNorway
| | - Håkan Sand
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research StationDepartment of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
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Aronsson M, Low M, López-Bao JV, Persson J, Odden J, Linnell JDC, Andrén H. Intensity of space use reveals conditional sex-specific effects of prey and conspecific density on home range size. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:2957-67. [PMID: 27217946 PMCID: PMC4863019 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Home range (HR) size variation is often linked to resource abundance, with sex differences expected to relate to sex‐specific fitness consequences. However, studies generally fail to disentangle the effects of the two main drivers of HR size variation, food and conspecific density, and rarely consider how their relative influence change over spatiotemporal scales. We used location data from 77 Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) from a 16‐year Scandinavian study to examine HR sizes variation relative to prey and conspecific density at different spatiotemporal scales. By varying the isopleth parameter (intensity of use) defining the HR, we show that sex‐specific effects were conditional on the spatial scale considered. Males had larger HRs than females in all seasons. Females' total HR size declined as prey and conspecific density increased, whereas males' total HR was only affected by conspecific density. However, as the intensity of use within the HR increased (from 90% to 50% isopleth), the relationship between prey density and area showed opposing patterns for females and males; for females, the prey density effect was reduced, while for males, prey became increasingly important. Thus, prey influenced the size of key regions within male HRs, despite total HR size being independent of prey density. Males reduced their HR size during the mating season, likely to remain close to individual females in estrous. Females reduced their HR size postreproduction probably because of movement constrains imposed by dependent young. Our findings highlight the importance of simultaneously considering resources and intraspecific interactions as HR size determinants. We show that sex‐specific demands influence the importance of prey and conspecific density on space use at different spatiotemporal scales. Thus, unless a gradient of space use intensity is examined, factors not related to total HR size might be disregarded despite their importance in determining size of key regions within the HR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malin Aronsson
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Grimsö Wildlife Research Station SE-73091 Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Matthew Low
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SE-75007 Uppsala Sweden
| | - José V López-Bao
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UO/CSIC/PA) Oviedo University Mieres 33600 Spain
| | - Jens Persson
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Grimsö Wildlife Research Station SE-73091 Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - John Odden
- Norwegian Institute for Natural Research Sluppen NO-7585 Trondheim Norway
| | - John D C Linnell
- Norwegian Institute for Natural Research Sluppen NO-7585 Trondheim Norway
| | - Henrik Andrén
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Grimsö Wildlife Research Station SE-73091 Riddarhyttan Sweden
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12
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Tracking neighbours promotes the coexistence of large carnivores. Sci Rep 2016; 6:23198. [PMID: 26979573 PMCID: PMC4793264 DOI: 10.1038/srep23198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of competition and coexistence among similar interacting species has long been considered a cornerstone in evolutionary and community ecology. However, understanding coexistence remains a challenge. Using two similar and sympatric competing large carnivores, Eurasian lynx and wolverines, we tested the hypotheses that tracking among heterospecifics and reactive responses to potential risk decreases the probability of an agonistic encounter when predators access shared food resources, thus facilitating coexistence. Lynx and wolverines actively avoided each other, with the degree of avoidance being greater for simultaneous than time-delayed predator locations. Wolverines reacted to the presence of lynx at relatively short distances (mean: 383 m). In general, lynx stayed longer, and were more stationary, around reindeer carcasses than wolverines. However, when both predators were present at the same time around a carcass, lynx shortened their visits, while wolverine behavior did not change. Our results support the idea that risk avoidance is a reactive, rather than a predictive, process. Since wolverines have adapted to coexist with lynx, exploiting lynx-killed reindeer carcasses while avoiding potential encounters, the combined presence of both predators may reduce wolverine kill rate and thus the total impact of these predators on semi-domestic reindeer in Scandinavia. Consequently, population management directed at lynx may affect wolverine populations and human-wolverine conflicts.
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Rauset GR, Andrén H, Swenson JE, Samelius G, Segerström P, Zedrosser A, Persson J. National Parks in Northern Sweden as Refuges for Illegal Killing of Large Carnivores. Conserv Lett 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Geir Rune Rauset
- Department of Ecology; Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Grimsö Wildlife Research Station; SE-730 91 Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Henrik Andrén
- Department of Ecology; Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Grimsö Wildlife Research Station; SE-730 91 Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- Department of Ecology and Nature Resource Management; Norwegian University of Life Sciences; P.O. Box 5003 NO-1432 Ås Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research; NO-7484 Trondheim Norway
| | - Gustaf Samelius
- Department of Ecology; Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Grimsö Wildlife Research Station; SE-730 91 Riddarhyttan Sweden
- Snow Leopard Trust; 4649 Sunnyside Ave. North Suite 325, Seattle WA 98103 USA
| | - Peter Segerström
- Department of Ecology; Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Grimsö Wildlife Research Station; SE-730 91 Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences Department of Environmental and Health Studies; Telemark University College; NO-3800 Bø i Telemark Norway
- Department for Integrative Biology Institute for Wildlife Biology and Game Management; University for Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna; Gregor Mendel Str. 33, A-1180 Vienna Austria
| | - Jens Persson
- Department of Ecology; Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Grimsö Wildlife Research Station; SE-730 91 Riddarhyttan Sweden
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14
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Milanesi P, Giraudo L, Morand A, Viterbi R, Bogliani G. Does habitat use and ecological niche shift over the lifespan of wild species? Patterns of the bearded vulture population in the Western Alps. Ecol Res 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-015-1329-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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15
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Rauset GR, Low M, Persson J. Reproductive patterns result from age-related sensitivity to resources and reproductive costs in a mammalian carnivore. Ecology 2015; 96:3153-64. [DOI: 10.1890/15-0262.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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16
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Fattebert J, Robinson HS, Balme G, Slotow R, Hunter L. Structural habitat predicts functional dispersal habitat of a large carnivore: how leopards change spots. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2015; 25:1911-1921. [PMID: 26591456 DOI: 10.1890/14-1631.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Natal dispersal promotes inter-population linkage, and is key to spatial distribution of populations. Degradation of suitable landscape structures beyond the specific threshold of an individual's ability to disperse can therefore lead to disruption of functional landscape connectivity and impact metapopulation function. Because it ignores behavioral responses of individuals, structural connectivity is easier to assess than functional connectivity and is often used as a surrogate for landscape connectivity modeling. However using structural resource selection models as surrogate for modeling functional connectivity through dispersal could be erroneous. We tested how well a second-order resource selection function (RSF) models (structural connectivity), based on GPS telemetry data from resident adult leopard (Panthera pardus L.), could predict subadult habitat use during dispersal (functional connectivity). We created eight non-exclusive subsets of the subadult data based on differing definitions of dispersal to assess the predictive ability of our adult-based RSF model extrapolated over a broader landscape. Dispersing leopards used habitats in accordance with adult selection patterns, regardless of the definition of dispersal considered. We demonstrate that, for a wide-ranging apex carnivore, functional connectivity through natal dispersal corresponds to structural connectivity as modeled by a second-order RSF. Mapping of the adult-based habitat classes provides direct visualization of the potential linkages between populations, without the need to model paths between a priori starting and destination points. The use of such landscape scale RSFs may provide insight into predicting suitable dispersal habitat peninsulas in human-dominated landscapes where mitigation of human-wildlife conflict should be focused. We recommend the use of second-order RSFs for landscape conservation planning and propose a similar approach to the conservation of other wide-ranging large carnivore species where landscape-scale resource selection data already exist.
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17
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Bouchet PJ, Meeuwig JJ, Salgado Kent CP, Letessier TB, Jenner CK. Topographic determinants of mobile vertebrate predator hotspots: current knowledge and future directions. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2014; 90:699-728. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2013] [Revised: 06/22/2014] [Accepted: 06/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Phil J. Bouchet
- The UWA Oceans Institute, School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
| | - Jessica J. Meeuwig
- The UWA Oceans Institute, School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
- Centre for Marine Futures, The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
| | - Chandra P. Salgado Kent
- Centre for Marine Science and Technology, Curtin University; Perth Western Australia 6845 Australia
| | - Tom B. Letessier
- Centre for Marine Futures, The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
| | - Curt K. Jenner
- Centre for Whale Research (WA) Inc.; Fremantle Western Australia 6959 Australia
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Mattisson J, Arntsen GB, Nilsen EB, Loe LE, Linnell JDC, Odden J, Persson J, Andrén H. Lynx predation on semi‐domestic reindeer: do age and sex matter? J Zool (1987) 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Mattisson
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Trondheim Norway
| | - G. B. Arntsen
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences Ås Norway
| | - E. B. Nilsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Trondheim Norway
| | - L. E. Loe
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences Ås Norway
| | | | - J. Odden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Trondheim Norway
| | - J. Persson
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - H. Andrén
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Riddarhyttan Sweden
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