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Cano‐Martínez R, Thorsen NH, Hofmeester TR, Odden J, Linnell J, Devineau O, Angoh SYJ, Odden M. Bottom-up rather than top-down mechanisms determine mesocarnivore interactions in Norway. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11064. [PMID: 38463636 PMCID: PMC10920318 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Interactions among coexisting mesocarnivores can be influenced by different factors such as the presence of large carnivores, land-use, environmental productivity, or human disturbance. Disentangling the relative importance of bottom-up and top-down processes can be challenging, but it is important for biodiversity conservation and wildlife management. The aim of this study was to assess how the interactions among mesocarnivores (red fox Vulpes vulpes, badger Meles meles, and pine marten Martes martes) were affected by large carnivores (Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx and wolf Canis lupus), land cover variables (proportion of agricultural land and primary productivity), and human disturbance, as well as how these top-down and bottom-up mechanisms were influenced by season. We analyzed 3 years (2018-2020) of camera trapping observations from Norway and used structural equation models to assess hypothesized networks of causal relationships. Our results showed that land cover variables were more strongly associated with mesocarnivore detection rates than large carnivores in Norway. This might be caused by a combination of low density of large carnivores in an unproductive ecosystem with strong seasonality. Additionally, detection rates of all mesocarnivores showed positive associations among each other, which were stronger in winter. The prevalence of positive interactions among predators might indicate a tendency to use the same areas and resources combined with weak interference competition. Alternatively, it might indicate some kind of facilitative relationship among species. Human disturbance had contrasting effects for different species, benefiting the larger mesocarnivores (red fox and badger) probably through food subsidization, but negatively affecting apex predators (wolf and lynx) and smaller mesocarnivores (pine marten). In a human-dominated world, this highlights the importance of including anthropogenic influences in the study of species interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Cano‐Martínez
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | | | - Tim R. Hofmeester
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - John Odden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchOsloNorway
| | - John Linnell
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchLillehammerNorway
| | - Olivier Devineau
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | - Siow Yan Jennifer Angoh
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | - Morten Odden
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
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Yogi DS, Naik A, Yadav R, Desai A, Nanajkar M. ‛Trophic switch' by catfish community from predation to scavenging modulated by human food discard in an estuarine bay. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:9183-9196. [PMID: 38190066 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-31749-1] [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: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Benthic predatory catfishes are voracious and opportunistic predators and can easily shift their diet according to the availability of prey. In this study, feeding ecology of catfishes from two adjacent habitats of an estuarine bay is compared. The lower bay was relatively pristine as compared to the upper bay and was represented by two families of catfishes-Plotosidae and Ariidae, while the upper bay represented only ariid catfishes. Gut content analysis revealed that catfish predators from lower bay consumed conventional prey like teleosts and benthic invertebrates with a linear pattern of ontogenetic dietary shift. Plicofollis dussumieri and Plotosus canius occupied the position of top predators in the lower bay and were specialized feeders. Other predators like Plotosus lineatus, Arius arius, Arius jella, and Arius maculatus were generalist feeders occupying the position of mesopredators. However, in the upper bay, the catfish predators represented by Arius maculatus, Arius jella, and Arius arius predominantly fed on human discarded food. The easily available human food in the form of chicken, corn, and rice as noted from the investigated guts shows altered trophic guilds of ariid catfishes wherein only mid to large-sized catfish community was noted in this bay. A distinct "trophic switch" altered the trophic function from predation to scavenging which was observed in their feeding behavior. The anthropogenic impact in the form of unmanaged organic waste alters the role of predatory catfishes thereby restructuring the food web that may lead to unknown changes in the estuarine benthic ecosystems resulting in reduced ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepa Shashikant Yogi
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Akshay Naik
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India
| | - Ranjana Yadav
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Aniket Desai
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Mandar Nanajkar
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
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Leighton GRM, Froneman W, Serieys LEK, Bishop JM. Trophic downgrading of an adaptable carnivore in an urbanising landscape. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21582. [PMID: 38062237 PMCID: PMC10703923 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48868-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Urbanisation critically alters wildlife habitat and resource distribution, leading to shifts in trophic dynamics. The loss of apex predators in human-transformed landscapes can result in changes in the ecological roles of the remaining mesocarnivores. Decreased top-down control together with increased bottom-up forcing through greater availability of anthropogenic foods can result in a predation paradox. Understanding these changes is important for conserving ecological function and biodiversity in rapidly urbanising systems. Here, we use stable isotope analysis to provide insight into longer term changes in trophic position, niche width and overlap of an elusive, medium-sized urban adapter, the caracal (Caracal caracal) in and around the city of Cape Town, South Africa. Using fur samples (n = 168) from individuals along a gradient of urbanisation we find that overall caracals have a broad isotopic dietary niche that reflects their large variation in resource use. When accounting for underlying environmental differences, the intensity of anthropogenic pressure, measured using the Human Footprint Index (HFI), explained variation in both food subsidy use (δ13C values) and trophic status (δ15N values). The significantly higher δ13C values (P < 0.01) and lower δ15N values (P < 0.001) of caracals in more urbanised areas suggest that predator subsidy consumption occurs via predictable, anthropogenic resource subsidies to synanthropic prey. These prey species are predominantly primary consumers, resulting in shifts in diet composition towards lower trophic levels. Further, caracals using areas with higher HFI had narrower isotope niches than those in less impacted areas, likely due to their hyperfocus on a few lower trophic level prey species. This pattern of niche contraction in urban areas is retained when accounting for caracal demographics, including sex and age. The removal of apex predators in human-transformed landscapes together with reliable resource availability, including abundant prey, may paradoxically limit the ecological influence of the remaining predators, and bring about a degree of predator trophic downgrading. The dampening of top-down control, and thus ecosystem regulation, likely points to widespread disruption of trophic dynamics in rapidly developing areas globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella R M Leighton
- SARChI Chair in Marine Ecology, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa.
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa.
| | - William Froneman
- SARChI Chair in Marine Ecology, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
| | - Laurel E K Serieys
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa
- Panthera, 8 W 40th St, New York, NY, 10018, USA
- Cape Leopard Trust, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jacqueline M Bishop
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa
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McLean D, Goldingay R, Letnic M. Diet of the Dingo in Subtropical Australian Forests: Are Small, Threatened Macropods at Risk? Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2257. [PMID: 37508035 PMCID: PMC10376500 DOI: 10.3390/ani13142257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Carnivores fulfil important ecological roles in natural systems yet can also jeopardise the persistence of threatened species. Understanding their diet is, therefore, essential for managing populations of carnivores, as well as those of their prey. This study was designed to better understand the diet of an Australian apex predator, the dingo, and determine whether it poses a threat to at-risk small macropods in two floristically different yet geographically close reserves in subtropical Australia. Based on an analysis of 512 scats, dingo diets comprised 34 different prey taxa, of which 50% were common between reserves. Our findings add support to the paradigm that dingoes are opportunistic and generalist predators that prey primarily on abundant mammalian fauna. Their diets in the Border Ranges were dominated by possum species (frequency of occurrence (FOC) = 92.5%), while their diets in Richmond Range were characterised by a high prevalence of pademelon species (FOC = 46.9%). Medium-sized mammals were the most important dietary items in both reserves and across all seasons. The dietary frequency of medium-sized mammals was generally related to their availability (indexed by camera trapping); however, the avoidance of some species with high availability indicates that prey accessibility may also be important in dictating their dietary choices. Other prey categories were supplementary to diets and varied in importance according to seasonal changes in their availability. The diets included two threatened macropods, the red-legged pademelon and black-striped wallaby. Our availability estimates, together with earlier dietary studies spanning 30 years, suggest that the red-legged pademelon is resilient to the observed predation. The black-striped wallaby occurred in only two dingo scats collected from Richmond Range and was not detected by cameras so the threat to this species could not be determined. Two locally abundant but highly threatened species (the koala and long-nosed potoroo) were not detected in the dingoes' diets, suggesting dingoes do not at present pose a threat to these populations. Our study highlights the importance of site-based assessments, population monitoring and including data on prey availability in dietary investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dusty McLean
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia
| | - Ross Goldingay
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia
| | - Mike Letnic
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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Efficacy of Management Efforts to Reduce Food-Related Dingo-Human Interactions and Conflict on K'gari (Fraser Island), Australia. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13020204. [PMID: 36670744 PMCID: PMC9855082 DOI: 10.3390/ani13020204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans and dingoes (Canis familiaris (dingo)) share the environment of K'gari, and conflict inevitably occurs between the two species, particularly over food. Dingo attacks on humans have occurred, and some have been serious and even fatal in outcome. Wildlife feeding may cause animals to develop unnatural and potentially dangerous behaviours towards conspecifics and humans on a relatively frequent basis. Food-based attraction has been implicated in the development of human-directed aggression in the dingo population of K'gari. Supplemental feeding, whether intentional or accidental, alters wildlife foraging behaviours and may have consequences at the population and ecosystem levels. Management strategies such as education programs, prohibition of inappropriate human behaviours (compliance) and fencing of garbage dumps have each been implemented to stop the intentional or inadvertent feeding of dingoes by people. However, there has been no formal assessment of the effectiveness of these interventions at reducing food-related dingo-human incidents over time. We collated and analysed 7791 unique reports of dingo-human interactions on K'gari between 1990 and 2020, inclusive of 1307 food-related reports, including the severity of these interactions. These data showed clear seasonal peaks in the percentage of food-related dingo-human interactions, corresponding with biologically significant breeding periods in autumn and weaning and dispersing in spring. Trends in serious food-related incidents remained stable overtime. Less serious food-related incidents declined, suggesting that management efforts were successful. However, these efforts appear to have reached the limits of their effectiveness. Further innovations are required to reduce serious incidents involving the relatively few dingoes and people still experiencing conflict, and thereby provide protection to both species on K'gari.
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Fleming PA, Stobo-Wilson AM, Crawford HM, Dawson SJ, Dickman CR, Doherty TS, Fleming PJS, Newsome TM, Palmer R, Thompson JA, Woinarski JCZ. Distinctive diets of eutherian predators in Australia. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220792. [PMID: 36312571 PMCID: PMC9554524 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Introduction of the domestic cat and red fox has devastated Australian native fauna. We synthesized Australian diet analyses to identify traits of prey species in cat, fox and dingo diets, which prey were more frequent or distinctive to the diet of each predator, and quantified dietary overlap. Nearly half (45%) of all Australian terrestrial mammal, bird and reptile species occurred in the diets of one or more predators. Cat and dingo diets overlapped least (0.64 ± 0.27, n = 24 location/time points) and cat diet changed little over 55 years of study. Cats were more likely to have eaten birds, reptiles and small mammals than foxes or dingoes. Dingo diet remained constant over 53 years and constituted the largest mammal, bird and reptile prey species, including more macropods/potoroids, wombats, monotremes and bandicoots/bilbies than cats or foxes. Fox diet had greater overlap with both cats (0.79 ± 0.20, n = 37) and dingoes (0.73 ± 0.21, n = 42), fewer distinctive items (plant material, possums/gliders) and significant spatial and temporal heterogeneity over 69 years, suggesting the opportunity for prey switching (especially of mammal prey) to mitigate competition. Our study reinforced concerns about mesopredator impacts upon scarce/threatened species and the need to control foxes and cats for fauna conservation. However, extensive dietary overlap and opportunism, as well as low incidence of mesopredators in dingo diets, precluded resolution of the debate about possible dingo suppression of foxes and cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia A. Fleming
- Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
| | - Alyson M. Stobo-Wilson
- NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Northern Territory 0909, Australia
- CSIRO Land and Water, PMB 44, Winnellie, Northern Territory 0822, Australia
| | - Heather M. Crawford
- Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
| | - Stuart J. Dawson
- Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
- Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, 3 Baron-Hay Court, South Perth, Western Australia 6151, Australia
| | - Chris R. Dickman
- Desert Ecology Research Group, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Tim S. Doherty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Peter J. S. Fleming
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange Agricultural Institute, 1447 Forest Road, Orange, New South Wales 2800, Australia
- Ecosystem Management, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351, Australia
- Institute for Agriculture and the Environment, Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Systems, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia.
| | - Thomas M. Newsome
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Russell Palmer
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Western Australia 6983, Australia
| | - Jim A. Thompson
- Queensland Museum Network, PO Box 3300, South Brisbane BC, Queensland 4101, Australia
| | - John C. Z. Woinarski
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Northern Territory 0909, Australia
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Gabriele-Rivet V, Brookes VJ, Stephens D, Arsenault J, Ward MP. Hybridisation between dingoes and domestic dogs in proximity to Indigenous communities in northern Australia. Aust Vet J 2021; 99:388-391. [PMID: 34109613 DOI: 10.1111/avj.13095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In northern Australia, wild dog populations potentially interact with domestic dogs from remote communities, which would create opportunities for disease transmission at the wild-domestic interface. An example is rabies, in the event of an incursion into northern Australia. However, the likelihood of such wild-domestic interactions is ambiguous. Hybridisation analyses based on 23 microsatellite DNA markers were performed on canine-origin scats collected in bushland areas around remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Peninsula Area, Queensland. Sufficient DNA was extracted from 6 of 41 scats to assess the percentage of dingo purity. These scats most likely originated from two 'pure' domestic dogs (0% dingo purity), one hybrid (20% dingo purity) and three 'pure' dingoes (92%-98% dingo purity). The two domestic dog samples were collected in the vicinity of communities. The location of two of the dingo-origin samples provides genetic evidence that dingoes are present in areas close to the communities. The availability of anthropogenic food resources likely creates opportunities for interactions with domestic dogs in the region. The hybrid sample demonstrates the occurrence of antecedent contacts between both populations by means of mating and supports the likelihood of a spatio-temporal overlap at the wild-domestic interface. This represents the first genetic survey involving a wild dog population of equatorial northern Queensland, with evidence of dingo purity. Our results have implications for potential disease transmission within a priority area for biosecurity in northern Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Gabriele-Rivet
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Werombi Road, Camden, New South Wales, 2570, Australia
| | - V J Brookes
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Werombi Road, Camden, New South Wales, 2570, Australia.,School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Science, Charles Sturt University, Boorooma Street, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, 2678, Australia.,Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation (NSW Department of Primary Industries and Charles Sturt University), Pugsley Place, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, 2650, Australia
| | - D Stephens
- Zoological Genetics, Blackhill Rd, Inglewood, South Australia, 5133, Australia
| | - J Arsenault
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, J2S 2M2, Canada
| | - M P Ward
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Werombi Road, Camden, New South Wales, 2570, Australia
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Kreplins T, Kennedy M, O'Leary R, Adams P, Dundas S, Fleming P. Fighting like cats and dogs? Dingoes do not constrain spatial and temporal movements of feral cats. FOOD WEBS 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2020.e00173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Fardell LL, Pavey CR, Dickman CR. Fear and stressing in predator-prey ecology: considering the twin stressors of predators and people on mammals. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9104. [PMID: 32391213 PMCID: PMC7196326 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Predators induce stress in prey and can have beneficial effects in ecosystems, but can also have negative effects on biodiversity if they are overabundant or have been introduced. The growth of human populations is, at the same time, causing degradation of natural habitats and increasing interaction rates of humans with wildlife, such that conservation management routinely considers the effects of human disturbance as tantamount to or surpassing those of predators. The need to simultaneously manage both of these threats is particularly acute in urban areas that are, increasingly, being recognized as global hotspots of wildlife activity. Pressures from altered predator-prey interactions and human activity may each initiate fear responses in prey species above those that are triggered by natural stressors in ecosystems. If fear responses are experienced by prey at elevated levels, on top of responses to multiple environmental stressors, chronic stress impacts may occur. Despite common knowledge of the negative effects of stress, however, it is rare that stress management is considered in conservation, except in intensive ex situ situations such as in captive breeding facilities or zoos. We propose that mitigation of stress impacts on wildlife is crucial for preserving biodiversity, especially as the value of habitats within urban areas increases. As such, we highlight the need for future studies to consider fear and stress in predator-prey ecology to preserve both biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, especially in areas where human disturbance occurs. We suggest, in particular, that non-invasive in situ investigations of endocrinology and ethology be partnered in conservation planning with surveys of habitat resources to incorporate and reduce the effects of fear and stress on wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loren L. Fardell
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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10
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McKeown B, Walton Z, Willebrand T. Does recursive use of resource locations shape a home range? Exploring the red fox's cognitive map. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ben McKeown
- B. McKeown (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7281-9774) ✉
| | - Zea Walton
- Z. Walton, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway Univ. of Applied Sciences, NO-2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Tomas Willebrand
- T. Willebrand, Inland Norway Univ. of Applied Sciences, Elverum, Norway
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11
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Smith BP, Morrant DS, Vague AL, Doherty TS. High rates of cannibalism and food waste consumption by dingoes living at a remote mining operation in the Great Sandy Desert, Western Australia. AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/am19033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Mining operations in remote Australia represent a unique opportunity to examine the impact of supplementary food and water provision on local wildlife. Here, we present a dietary analysis of dingoes living at a mine site in the Great Sandy Desert, Western Australia. A total of 270 faeces (scats) were collected from across the mine footprint on two occasions three months apart. The most frequently consumed food resource was anthropogenic (rubbish), which was found in 218 of 270 faeces (80.7% of scats and 65.3% of scat volume). Also of note was a high proportion of dingo remains, which was found in 51 of 270 faeces (18.9% of scats and 10.4% of scat volume), suggesting the occurrence of cannibalism. These findings highlight the potential influence of human-modified areas and associated resource availability on the diet of dingoes, and have implications for the environmental management of areas surrounding mining operations.
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12
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Petroelje TR, Belant JL, Beyer DE, Svoboda NJ. Subsidies from anthropogenic resources alter diet, activity, and ranging behavior of an apex predator (Canis lupus). Sci Rep 2019; 9:13438. [PMID: 31530832 PMCID: PMC6748928 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49879-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Acquisition of resources can be costly and individuals are predicted to optimize foraging strategies to maximize net energy gain. Wolves (Canis lupus) would be expected to scavenge on subsidies from anthropogenic resources when these resources provide an energetic benefit over the capture of wild prey. We examined the effects of subsidies from anthropogenic resources in the form of livestock carcass dumps (LCDs) on wolf space use, activity, tortuosity, and diet in portions of North America’s northern hardwood/boreal ecosystem. We fitted 19 wolves with global positioning system collars during May–August of 2009–2011 and 2013–2015. Wolves with LCDs within their home ranges used areas adjacent to LCDs greater than non-LCD sites and had decreased home ranges and activity as compared to wolves without LCDs in their home ranges. Additionally, cattle comprised at least 22% of wolf diet from scavenging in areas with LCDs present as compared to no cattle in the diet of wolves without access to LCDs. Subsidies from anthropogenic resources in the form of LCDs can serve as attractants for wolves and alter wolf diet, activity, and ranging behavior. Apex predators may alter their behavior where subsidies from anthropogenic resources occur and management of these subsidies should be considered when attempting to reduce the impacts of humans on wolf behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler R Petroelje
- Camp Fire Program in Wildlife Conservation, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, New York, 13210, USA.
| | - Jerrold L Belant
- Camp Fire Program in Wildlife Conservation, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, New York, 13210, USA
| | - Dean E Beyer
- Wildlife Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, 1990 US Highway 41 S, Marquette, MI, 49855, USA
| | - Nathan J Svoboda
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 351 Research Court, Kodiak, AK, 99615, USA
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13
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Newsome TM, Howden C, Wirsing AJ. Restriction of anthropogenic foods alters a top predator’s diet and intraspecific interactions. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractAnthropogenic foods are utilized by many animals around the world, and these resources could impact dietary preferences and intra- and interspecific interactions. Under a quasi-Before-After-Control-Impact experimental design, we assessed how dingoes (Canis dingo) responded to a decline in anthropogenic foods in the Tanami Desert, central Australia. We did so by assessing dingo diets close to and away from human influence during a period when food waste was available at two rubbish tips, and then during a period when food waste was restricted at one of the tips. Our results demonstrate that access to anthropogenic foods can alter a top predator’s diet. Namely, dingoes showed a preference for eating the desert mouse (Pseudomys desertor) in areas where food waste was restricted, whereas dingo diets did not reflect ambient prey availability at areas where food waste was constantly available. Reduced availability of food waste also affected interactions between dingoes, with cannibalism decreasing where food waste was removed, and it may have increased consumption of a subordinate mesopredator, the feral cat (Felis catus). By implication, efforts to manage food waste could reestablish or strengthen interactions between predators and their wild prey with possible cascading consequences for ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Newsome
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Chris Howden
- Sydney Informatics Hub, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Aaron J Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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14
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Sardenne F, Forget N, McKindsey CW. Contribution of mussel fall-off from aquaculture to wild lobster Homarus americanus diets. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 149:126-136. [PMID: 31221492 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2019.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic subsidies to natural systems can influence the diet of mobile omnivore species and co-occurring species. This study assessed if fall-off from mussel aquaculture subsidized wild populations of mobile scavengers and predators, such as the commercially important lobster Homarus americanus. A Bayesian stable isotope-mixing model with parameters determined from the literature and from a 105 days laboratory feeding experiment was applied to wild lobsters to determine how important the various food sources were in these lobsters, especially mussel fall-off. Isotopic values were mainly affected by lobster size with model outputs indicating that large lobsters (>80 mm cephalothorax) fed mainly on mussels from the mussel farm (46% of the diet) while small ones fed mostly on the rock crab Cancer irroratus (99%). The contribution of mussel subsidies to the lobster's diet was thus size-specific and direct (i.e. through mussel fall-off and not through co-occurring species such as rock crab). The absence of a link between food sources and lipid energy content in lobsters suggested that the reduction of rock crab consumption would have to be more drastic to affect the general health of large lobsters in the short term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fany Sardenne
- Maurice Lamontagne Institute, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, Mont-Joli, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Nathalie Forget
- Maurice Lamontagne Institute, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, Mont-Joli, Quebec, Canada
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15
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Haswell PM, Shepherd EA, Stone SA, Purcell B, Hayward MW. Foraging theory provides a useful framework for livestock predation management. J Nat Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2019.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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16
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Tatler J, Prowse TAA, Roshier DA, Allen BL, Cassey P. Resource pulses affect prey selection and reduce dietary diversity of dingoes in arid Australia. Mamm Rev 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jack Tatler
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Adelaide Adelaide SA 5005 Australia
| | - Thomas A. A. Prowse
- School of Mathematical SciencesUniversity of Adelaide Adelaide SA 5005 Australia
| | - David A. Roshier
- Australian Wildlife Conservancy PO Box 8070 Subiaco East WA 6008 Australia
- Australia Centre for Ecosystem ScienceUniversity of New South Wales Sydney NSW 2052 Australia
| | - Benjamin L. Allen
- Institute for Life Sciences and the EnvironmentUniversity of Southern Queensland Toowoomba Queensland 4350 Australia
| | - Phillip Cassey
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Adelaide Adelaide SA 5005 Australia
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17
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Majgaonkar I, Vaidyanathan S, Srivathsa A, Shivakumar S, Limaye S, Athreya V. Land‐sharing potential of large carnivores in human‐modified landscapes of western India. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Iravatee Majgaonkar
- Centre for Wildlife Studies Bengaluru India
- Conservation Science DepartmentWildlife Conservation Society India Bengaluru India
| | - Srinivas Vaidyanathan
- Wildlife Biology and Conservation DepartmentFoundation for Ecological Research, Advocacy and Learning Auroville India
| | - Arjun Srivathsa
- Conservation Science DepartmentWildlife Conservation Society India Bengaluru India
- School of Natural Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of Florida Gainesville Florida
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and ConservationUniversity of Florida Gainesville Florida
| | - Shweta Shivakumar
- Centre for Wildlife Studies Bengaluru India
- Conservation Science DepartmentWildlife Conservation Society India Bengaluru India
| | - Sunil Limaye
- Maharashtra Forest DepartmentOffice of Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Nagpur India
| | - Vidya Athreya
- Conservation Science DepartmentWildlife Conservation Society India Bengaluru India
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18
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Lanszki J, Hayward MW, Nagyapáti N. Feeding responses of the golden jackal after reduction of anthropogenic food subsidies. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0208727. [PMID: 30532165 PMCID: PMC6286136 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known of the resources that limit or promote the rapidly expanding golden jackal (Canis aureus) population in Europe. We hypothesised that in an area of intensive big game hunting, a reduction of the main food resource (human subsidised big game viscera) would result in dietary switching. We used multivariate analyses to test whether the dietary composition of 200 jackal stomachs varied between two 2-yearly survey occasions, the first without big game viscera removal (availability of 68 kg viscera/year/km2) followed by a period with viscera removal (minimum of 50 kg of viscera/year/km2 removed). The proportion of empty stomachs and the stomach wet content weight did not differ between the two periods. Even after the reduction of food subsidies, the primary food of jackals was viscera and carrion from wild ungulates (frequency of occurrence: 45% vs. 30%; wet weight: 55% vs. 29%, respectively), and scavenging was not affected by season or sex. Log-linear analysis of frequency data revealed no significant differences between survey occasions in consumption of either food type. MANCOVA of wet weight data revealed that in the first period with food subsidies jackals consumed a higher proportion of adult wild boar (11.6% vs. 1.3%; from predation or scavenging), while juvenile wild boar (0 vs. 11.8%; from predation or scavenging), domestic animals (0.8% vs. 6.2%; mostly from scavenging) and invertebrates (2.6% vs. 4.1%) increased in the second period. The stomachs in the second survey occasion contained more varied food items, but the trophic niche was not significantly wider. The feeding responses of this mesopredator to the reduction of food subsidies were less pronounced than expected. Because in high big game density areas, wild ungulate carrion from different mortality causes are available in high quantities throughout the year, predator populations can be maintained despite the high amount of viscera removal.
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Affiliation(s)
- József Lanszki
- Carnivore Ecology Research Group, Kaposvár University, Kaposvár, Hungary
- * E-mail:
| | - Matthew W. Hayward
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Nikolett Nagyapáti
- Carnivore Ecology Research Group, Kaposvár University, Kaposvár, Hungary
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19
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Asymmetric assimilation of an anthropogenic resource subsidy in a freshwater food web. FOOD WEBS 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2018.e00084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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20
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Tucker MA, Böhning-Gaese K, Fagan WF, Fryxell JM, Van Moorter B, Alberts SC, Ali AH, Allen AM, Attias N, Avgar T, Bartlam-Brooks H, Bayarbaatar B, Belant JL, Bertassoni A, Beyer D, Bidner L, van Beest FM, Blake S, Blaum N, Bracis C, Brown D, de Bruyn PJN, Cagnacci F, Calabrese JM, Camilo-Alves C, Chamaillé-Jammes S, Chiaradia A, Davidson SC, Dennis T, DeStefano S, Diefenbach D, Douglas-Hamilton I, Fennessy J, Fichtel C, Fiedler W, Fischer C, Fischhoff I, Fleming CH, Ford AT, Fritz SA, Gehr B, Goheen JR, Gurarie E, Hebblewhite M, Heurich M, Hewison AJM, Hof C, Hurme E, Isbell LA, Janssen R, Jeltsch F, Kaczensky P, Kane A, Kappeler PM, Kauffman M, Kays R, Kimuyu D, Koch F, Kranstauber B, LaPoint S, Leimgruber P, Linnell JDC, López-López P, Markham AC, Mattisson J, Medici EP, Mellone U, Merrill E, de Miranda Mourão G, Morato RG, Morellet N, Morrison TA, Díaz-Muñoz SL, Mysterud A, Nandintsetseg D, Nathan R, Niamir A, Odden J, O'Hara RB, Oliveira-Santos LGR, Olson KA, Patterson BD, Cunha de Paula R, Pedrotti L, Reineking B, Rimmler M, Rogers TL, Rolandsen CM, Rosenberry CS, Rubenstein DI, Safi K, Saïd S, Sapir N, Sawyer H, Schmidt NM, Selva N, Sergiel A, Shiilegdamba E, Silva JP, Singh N, Solberg EJ, Spiegel O, Strand O, Sundaresan S, Ullmann W, Voigt U, Wall J, Wattles D, Wikelski M, Wilmers CC, Wilson JW, Wittemyer G, Zięba F, Zwijacz-Kozica T, Mueller T. Moving in the Anthropocene: Global reductions in terrestrial mammalian movements. Science 2018; 359:466-469. [PMID: 29371471 DOI: 10.1126/science.aam9712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 485] [Impact Index Per Article: 80.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Animal movement is fundamental for ecosystem functioning and species survival, yet the effects of the anthropogenic footprint on animal movements have not been estimated across species. Using a unique GPS-tracking database of 803 individuals across 57 species, we found that movements of mammals in areas with a comparatively high human footprint were on average one-half to one-third the extent of their movements in areas with a low human footprint. We attribute this reduction to behavioral changes of individual animals and to the exclusion of species with long-range movements from areas with higher human impact. Global loss of vagility alters a key ecological trait of animals that affects not only population persistence but also ecosystem processes such as predator-prey interactions, nutrient cycling, and disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlee A Tucker
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany. .,Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Katrin Böhning-Gaese
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany.,Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - William F Fagan
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.,SESYNC, University of Maryland, Annapolis, MD 21401, USA
| | - John M Fryxell
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Bram Van Moorter
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685 Torgard, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Departments of Biology and Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | | | - Andrew M Allen
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå 90183, Sweden.,Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Department of Animal Ecology and Physiology, Radboud University, 6500GL Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Nina Attias
- Ecology and Conservation Graduate Program, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Tal Avgar
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Hattie Bartlam-Brooks
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London NW1 0TU, UK
| | | | - Jerrold L Belant
- Carnivore Ecology Laboratory, Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Mississippi State University, Box 9690, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Alessandra Bertassoni
- Animal Biology Postgraduate Program, São Paulo State University, São José do Rio Preto, SP 15054-000, Brazil
| | - Dean Beyer
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources, 1990 U.S. 41 South, Marquette, MI 49855, USA
| | - Laura Bidner
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | | | - Stephen Blake
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany.,Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
| | - Niels Blaum
- University of Potsdam, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Chloe Bracis
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany.,Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Danielle Brown
- Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132, USA
| | - P J Nico de Bruyn
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all'Adige (TN), Italy.,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Justin M Calabrese
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.,Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Constança Camilo-Alves
- Departamento de Fitotecnia, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, 7002-554 Évora, Portugal.,ICAAM-Institute of Mediterranean Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Simon Chamaillé-Jammes
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier-EPHE, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Andre Chiaradia
- Phillip Island Nature Parks, Victoria, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sarah C Davidson
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Todd Dennis
- Department of Biology, Fiji National University, P.O. Box 5529, Natabua, Lautoka, Fiji Islands
| | - Stephen DeStefano
- U.S. Geological Survey, Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Duane Diefenbach
- U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Iain Douglas-Hamilton
- Save the Elephants, P.O. Box 54667, Nairobi 00200, Kenya.,Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Julian Fennessy
- Giraffe Conservation Foundation, P.O. Box 86099, Eros, Namibia
| | - Claudia Fichtel
- German Primate Center, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Fiedler
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Christina Fischer
- Restoration Ecology, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technische Universität München, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Ilya Fischhoff
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY 12545, USA
| | - Christen H Fleming
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.,Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Adam T Ford
- Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences, Unit 2: Biology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Susanne A Fritz
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany.,Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Benedikt Gehr
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jacob R Goheen
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Eliezer Gurarie
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.,School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Marco Heurich
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Department of Conservation and Research, 94481 Grafenau, Germany.,Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Christian Hof
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Edward Hurme
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Lynne A Isbell
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.,Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - René Janssen
- Bionet Natuuronderzoek, 6171EL Stein, Netherlands
| | - Florian Jeltsch
- University of Potsdam, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Petra Kaczensky
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685 Torgard, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway.,Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, A-1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Adam Kane
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Peter M Kappeler
- German Primate Center, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Matthew Kauffman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Roland Kays
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA.,Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Duncan Kimuyu
- Department of Natural Resource Management, Karatina University, P.O. Box 1957-10101, Karatina, Kenya
| | - Flavia Koch
- German Primate Center, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Bart Kranstauber
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Scott LaPoint
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany.,Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
| | - Peter Leimgruber
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - John D C Linnell
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685 Torgard, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Pascual López-López
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Terrestrial Vertebrates Group, University of Valencia, E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - A Catherine Markham
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Jenny Mattisson
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685 Torgard, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Emilia Patricia Medici
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) Tapir Specialist Group (TSG), Rua Licuala, 622, Damha 1, Campo Grande, CEP: 79046-150, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.,IPÊ (Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas; Institute for Ecological Research), Caixa Postal 47, Nazaré Paulista, CEP: 12960-000, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ugo Mellone
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Evelyn Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Ronaldo G Morato
- National Research Center for Carnivores Conservation, Chico Mendes Institute for the Conservation of Biodiversity, Atibaia-SP 12952-011, Brazil
| | | | - Thomas A Morrison
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Samuel L Díaz-Muñoz
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Atle Mysterud
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Dejid Nandintsetseg
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany.,Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Ran Nathan
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Aidin Niamir
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - John Odden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Robert B O'Hara
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany.,Department of Mathematical Sciences and Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Kirk A Olson
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Mongolia Program, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Bruce D Patterson
- Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
| | - Rogerio Cunha de Paula
- National Research Center for Carnivores Conservation, Chico Mendes Institute for the Conservation of Biodiversity, Atibaia-SP 12952-011, Brazil
| | - Luca Pedrotti
- Consorzio Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio, Bormio (Sondrio), Italy
| | - Björn Reineking
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Irstea, UR LESSEM, BP 76, 38402 St-Martin-d'Hères, France.,University of Bayreuth, BayCEER, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | | | - Tracey L Rogers
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Christer Moe Rolandsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685 Torgard, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Daniel I Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Kamran Safi
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Sonia Saïd
- Directorate of Studies and Expertise (DRE), Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Montfort, 01330 Birieux, France
| | - Nir Sapir
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, 3498838 Haifa, Israel
| | - Hall Sawyer
- Western Ecosystems Technology Inc., Laramie, WY 82070, USA
| | - Niels Martin Schmidt
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.,Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Nuria Selva
- Institute of Nature Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-120 Krakow, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Sergiel
- Institute of Nature Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-120 Krakow, Poland
| | | | - João Paulo Silva
- REN Biodiversity Chair, CIBIO/InBIO Associate Laboratory, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal.,Centre for Applied Ecology "Prof. Baeta Neves"/InBIO Associate Laboratory, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal.,Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Navinder Singh
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå 90183, Sweden
| | - Erling J Solberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685 Torgard, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Orr Spiegel
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Olav Strand
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685 Torgard, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Wiebke Ullmann
- University of Potsdam, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ulrich Voigt
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover-Foundation, 30173 Hannover, Germany
| | - Jake Wall
- Save the Elephants, P.O. Box 54667, Nairobi 00200, Kenya
| | - David Wattles
- U.S. Geological Survey, Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Christopher C Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - John W Wilson
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - George Wittemyer
- Save the Elephants, P.O. Box 54667, Nairobi 00200, Kenya.,Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Filip Zięba
- Tatra National Park, 34-500 Zakopane, Poland
| | | | - Thomas Mueller
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany. .,Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany.,Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, VA, USA
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21
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Smith JA, Thomas AC, Levi T, Wang Y, Wilmers CC. Human activity reduces niche partitioning among three widespread mesocarnivores. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Justine A. Smith
- Dept of Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management; Univ. of California; Berkeley CA 94720 USA
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Dept; Univ. of California; Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz CA USA
| | | | - Taal Levi
- Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife; Oregon State Univ.; Corvallis OR USA
| | - Yiwei Wang
- San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory; Milpitas CA USA
| | - Christopher C. Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Dept; Univ. of California; Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz CA USA
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22
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Behrendorff L, Leung LKP, Allen BL. Utilisation of stranded marine fauna washed ashore on K’gari (Fraser Island), Australia, by dingoes. AUST J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/zo18022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Stranded marine fauna have been identified as a potentially significant food resource for terrestrial carnivores, but how such subsidisation influences terrestrial species ecology is not well understood. We describe the dietary and behavioural responses of dingoes (Canis familiaris) to the occurrence of large-animal marine strandings (e.g. dead cetaceans, marine turtles and pinnipeds) between 2006 and 2016 on K’gari (Fraser Island), Australia, to better understand the trophic links between marine and terrestrial systems. A total of 309 strandings were recorded during this period (~3.1 strandings per month), yielding an annual average of 30.3 tons of available carrion to the 100–200 dingoes present on the island. Carcass monitoring with camera traps showed that dingoes used carcasses almost daily after a short period of decomposition. Whole packs of up to seven dingoes of all age classes at a time were observed visiting carcasses for multiple successive days. These data demonstrate that large-animal marine subsidies can be a common, substantial and important food source for dingoes, and that the estimated daily dietary needs of roughly 5–10% of the island’s dingo population were supported by this food source. Our data suggest that marine subsidisation can influence terrestrial carnivore diet, behaviour and abundance, which may produce cascading indirect effects for terrestrial ecosystems in contexts where subsidised carnivores interact strongly with other species.
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Oversby W, Ferguson SM, Davis RA, Bateman PW. Bad news for bobtails: understanding predatory behaviour of a resource-subsidised corvid towards an island endemic reptile. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/wr18051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
Resource subsidisation as a result of urbanisation and other human activity can have positive impacts for some opportunistic predators. Many species of corvid have benefitted from the expansion of human-dominated habitats; however, their impacts on co-occurring prey fauna are generally poorly understood.
Aims
We aimed to test the hypothesis that urbanisation associated with tourism impacts the predator–prey relationship between Australian ravens, or wardongs (Corvus coronoides), a ubiquitous corvid of southern Australia, and Rottnest Island bobtails (Tiliqua rugosa konowi), a subspecies of bobtail lizard isolated to a small (19km2) island off the coast of Western Australia.
Methods
Using clay model lizards and camera traps, we assessed the wardongs’ attack rates by distance from the settlement and by whether the model was in closed or open habitat.
Key Results
We found that while wardongs preyed upon Rottnest Island bobtails, predation was not affected by proximity to human settlement despite the highest number of wardongs being found there. Models in closed vegetation were attacked by wardong significantly more than were those in open vegetation.
Implications
Increased predation rates in closed vegetation suggests that current revegetation efforts on the island may be increasing the availability of preferred hunting habitat for the wardong. This finding may influence decisions by management on whether to control the large population of wardongs on the island.
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Kuijper DPJ, Sahlén E, Elmhagen B, Chamaillé-Jammes S, Sand H, Lone K, Cromsigt JPGM. Paws without claws? Ecological effects of large carnivores in anthropogenic landscapes. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.1625. [PMID: 27798302 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Large carnivores are frequently presented as saviours of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning through their creation of trophic cascades, an idea largely based on studies coming primarily out of relatively natural landscapes. However, in large parts of the world, particularly in Europe, large carnivores live in and are returning to strongly human-modified ecosystems. At present, we lack a coherent framework to predict the effects of large carnivores in these anthropogenic landscapes. We review how human actions influence the ecological roles of large carnivores by affecting their density or behaviour or those of mesopredators or prey species. We argue that the potential for density-mediated trophic cascades in anthropogenic landscapes is limited to unproductive areas where even low carnivore numbers may impact prey densities or to the limited parts of the landscape where carnivores are allowed to reach ecologically functional densities. The potential for behaviourally mediated trophic cascades may be larger and more widespread, because even low carnivore densities affect prey behaviour. We conclude that predator-prey interactions in anthropogenic landscapes will be highly context-dependent and human actions will often attenuate the ecological effects of large carnivores. We highlight the knowledge gaps and outline a new research avenue to study the role of carnivores in anthropogenic landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- D P J Kuijper
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Waszkiewicza 1d, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland
| | - E Sahlén
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogsmarksgränd, 901 83 Umeå, Sweden.,Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, 110 Brooks Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - B Elmhagen
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - S Chamaillé-Jammes
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier-EPHE, 1919 Route Mende, 34293 Montpellier 5, France
| | - H Sand
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - K Lone
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - J P G M Cromsigt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogsmarksgränd, 901 83 Umeå, Sweden.,Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa
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25
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Morgan HR, Hunter JT, Ballard G, Fleming PJ. The trophic cascades concept may constrain Australian dingo reintroduction experiments: A response to Newsome et al. (2017). FOOD WEBS 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2017.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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26
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Planillo A, Mata C, Manica A, Malo JE. Carnivore abundance near motorways related to prey and roadkills. J Wildl Manage 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aimara Planillo
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG); Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. C. Darwin 2; Madrid 28049 Spain
| | - Cristina Mata
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG); Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. C. Darwin 2; Madrid 28049 Spain
| | - Andrea Manica
- Department of Zoology; University of Cambridge. Downing St; Cambridge CB2 3EJ United Kingdom
| | - Juan E. Malo
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG); Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. C. Darwin 2; Madrid 28049 Spain
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27
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Moore D, Kearney MR, Paltridge R, McAlpin S, Stow A. Feeling the pressure at home: Predator activity at the burrow entrance of an endangered arid-zone skink. AUSTRAL ECOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Danae Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; North Ryde 2109 New South Wales Australia
- Australian Wildlife Conservancy; Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary; Alice Springs Northern Territory Australia
| | - Michael Ray Kearney
- School of BioSciences; The University of Melbourne; Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Rachel Paltridge
- Desert Wildlife Services; Alice Springs Northern Territory Australia
| | - Steve McAlpin
- School of Environmental and Rural Sciences; University of New England; Armidale New South Wales Australia
| | - Adam Stow
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; North Ryde 2109 New South Wales Australia
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30
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31
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32
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Cremona T, Crowther MS, Webb JK. High mortality and small population size prevent population recovery of a reintroduced mesopredator. Anim Conserv 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. Cremona
- School of Life Sciences University of Technology Sydney Broadway NSW Australia
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Darwin NT Australia
| | - M. S. Crowther
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - J. K. Webb
- School of Life Sciences University of Technology Sydney Broadway NSW Australia
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33
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González-Gallina A, Hidalgo-Mihart MG, Pérez-Garduza F, Iglesias-Hernández JA, Oliveras de Ita A, Chacón-Hernández A, Vázquez-Zúñiga O. Home range of a male jaguar spatially associated with the landfill of the city of Playa del Carmen, Mexico. MAMMALIA 2017. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2016-0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Understanding how jaguars (Panthera onca) adapt to disturbed landscapes, especially urbanized areas, can help us prevent adverse situations, thus reducing conflict, and perhaps even achieve coexistence with these predators. Playa del Carmen, a city located in the middle of a natural corridor linking two jaguar conservation units (JCUs; Sian Ka’an and Yum Balam), is facing intense pressure from tourism-related city growth. From January 2013 to March 2014, we tracked an adult male jaguar using a satellite collar and found that the presence of the Playa del Carmen landfill had a clear influence on a male jaguar’s home range and movements. We observed that this particular jaguar had the smallest seasonal home range and core areas reported in the literature (particularly during the dry season in 2013, where the home range was only 16.22 km2 and the core area was 2.5 km2) and also that the seasonal core areas overlapped with the area covered by the landfill (with a number of important locations within the landfill). Our results showed that male jaguars are surviving in areas previously not considered as jaguar habitat and are taking advantage of the human resources within. We hope that these results encourage more jaguar studies to be carried out in areas disturbed by human activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto González-Gallina
- Instituto de Ecología A.C., Red de Ambiente y Sustentabilidad. Carretera Antigua a Coatepec No. 351 , El Haya, Xalapa, Veracruz, 91070 , México
| | - Mircea G. Hidalgo-Mihart
- División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas , Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco. km 0.5 Carretera Villahermosa-Cárdenas , Villahermosa, Tabasco, 86039 , Mexico
| | - Freddy Pérez-Garduza
- División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas , Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco. km 0.5 Carretera Villahermosa-Cárdenas , Villahermosa, Tabasco, 86039 , Mexico
| | - Jesús A. Iglesias-Hernández
- Sistemas Estratégicos para la Gestión Ambiental SEGA, S.A. de C.V. Río Mixcoac No. 36 Int. 1001, Col Actipan, Delegación Benito Juárez , Ciudad de México, 03230 , México
| | - Adán Oliveras de Ita
- Sistemas Estratégicos para la Gestión Ambiental SEGA, S.A. de C.V. Río Mixcoac No. 36 Int. 1001, Col Actipan, Delegación Benito Juárez , Ciudad de México, 03230 , México
| | - Andrés Chacón-Hernández
- Sistemas Estratégicos para la Gestión Ambiental SEGA, S.A. de C.V. Río Mixcoac No. 36 Int. 1001, Col Actipan, Delegación Benito Juárez , Ciudad de México, 03230 , México
| | - Octavio Vázquez-Zúñiga
- Sistemas Estratégicos para la Gestión Ambiental SEGA, S.A. de C.V. Río Mixcoac No. 36 Int. 1001, Col Actipan, Delegación Benito Juárez , Ciudad de México, 03230 , México
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34
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Meek PD, Brown SC. It’s a dog eat dog world: observations of dingo (Canis familiaris) cannibalism. AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1071/am16018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Cannibalism in predators has been reported for a range of species throughout the world, including observations of dingoes (Canis familiaris) eating dingoes in Australia. Here, we report on camera trap observations of dingoes feeding on the carcasses of dingoes and showing aggressive behaviours towards live-trapped conspecifics. At this site, cannibalism and conspecific aggression by dingoes was not caused by food shortages, but was more likely a result of high dingo density in a focal area. We present the first camera trap image observations of dingoes eating dingoes and describe aggressive encounters between live animals.
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Moss WE, Alldredge MW, Logan KA, Pauli JN. Human expansion precipitates niche expansion for an opportunistic apex predator (Puma concolor). Sci Rep 2016; 6:39639. [PMID: 28008961 PMCID: PMC5180354 DOI: 10.1038/srep39639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing recognition that developed landscapes are important systems in which to promote ecological complexity and conservation. Yet, little is known about processes regulating these novel ecosystems, or behaviours employed by species adapting to them. We evaluated the isotopic niche of an apex carnivore, the cougar (Puma concolor), over broad spatiotemporal scales and in a region characterized by rapid landscape change. We detected a shift in resource use, from near complete specialization on native herbivores in wildlands to greater use of exotic and invasive species by cougars in contemporary urban interfaces. We show that 25 years ago, cougars inhabiting these same urban interfaces possessed diets that were intermediate. Thus, niche expansion followed human expansion over both time and space, indicating that an important top predator is interacting with prey in novel ways. Thus, though human-dominated landscapes can provide sufficient resources for apex carnivores, they do not necessarily preserve their ecological relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wynne E. Moss
- Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
| | | | | | - Jonathan N. Pauli
- Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
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36
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Paschoal AMO, Massara RL, Bailey LL, Kendall WL, Doherty PF, Hirsch A, Chiarello AG, Paglia AP. Use of
A
tlantic
F
orest protected areas by free‐ranging dogs: estimating abundance and persistence of use. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Maria O. Paschoal
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação Departamento de Biologia Geral Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Avenida Antônio Carlos, no. 6627 Belo Horizonte MG 31270‐901 Brazil
- Instituto SerraDiCal de Pesquisa e Conservação Rua José Hemetério de Andrade, no. 570 Belo Horizonte MG 30493‐180 Brazil
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Colorado State University 1474 Campus Delivery, 109 Wagar Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
| | - Rodrigo L. Massara
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação Departamento de Biologia Geral Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Avenida Antônio Carlos, no. 6627 Belo Horizonte MG 31270‐901 Brazil
- Instituto SerraDiCal de Pesquisa e Conservação Rua José Hemetério de Andrade, no. 570 Belo Horizonte MG 30493‐180 Brazil
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Colorado State University 1474 Campus Delivery, 109 Wagar Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
| | - Larissa L. Bailey
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Colorado State University 1474 Campus Delivery, 109 Wagar Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
| | - William L. Kendall
- U.S. Geological Survey Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Colorado State University 1484 Campus Delivery Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
| | - Paul F. Doherty
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Colorado State University 1474 Campus Delivery, 109 Wagar Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
| | - André Hirsch
- Programa Institucional de Bioengenharia Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei km 47 – Rodovia MG 424 Sete Lagoas MG 35701‐970 Brazil
| | - Adriano G. Chiarello
- Departamento de Biologia Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto Universidade de São Paulo Avenida Bandeirantes, no. 3900 Ribeirão Preto SP 14040‐901 Brazil
| | - Adriano P. Paglia
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação Departamento de Biologia Geral Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Avenida Antônio Carlos, no. 6627 Belo Horizonte MG 31270‐901 Brazil
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37
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Belton LE, Cameron EZ, Dalerum F. Spotted hyaena space use in relation to human infrastructure inside a protected area. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2596. [PMID: 27781175 PMCID: PMC5075705 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing human population growth has led to elevated levels of human-carnivore conflict. However, some carnivore populations have adapted to urban environments and the resources they supply. Such associations may influence carnivore ecology, behaviour and life-history. Pockets of urbanisation sometimes occur within protected areas, so that anthropogenic influences on carnivore biology are not necessarily confined to unprotected areas. In this study we evaluated associations between human infrastructure and related activity and space use of spotted hyaenas within one of the largest protected areas in South Africa, the Kruger National Park. Home range size was smaller for the dominant female of a clan living in close proximity to humans than that of the dominant female of a clan without direct access to human infrastructure. The home range including human infrastructure was also used less evenly during the night, presumably when the animals were active. Within this home range, a village area was preferred during the night, when the least modified areas within the village were preferred and administration and highly modified areas were avoided. During the day, however, there were no preference or avoidance of the village area, but all habitats except unmodified habitats within the village area were avoided. We suggest that human infrastructure and associated activity influenced hyaena space use, primarily through alterations in the spatial distribution of food. However, these effects may have been indirectly caused by habitat modification that generated favourable hunting habitat rather than a direct effect caused by access to human food such as garbage. Because of the often pivotal effects of apex predators in terrestrial ecosystems, we encourage further work aimed to quantify how human presence influences large carnivores and associated ecosystem processes within protected areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia E Belton
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria , Pretoria , South Africa
| | - Elissa Z Cameron
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand; School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Fredrik Dalerum
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Research Unit of Biodiversity (UO-SCIS-PA), University of Oviedo, Mieres, Spain; Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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38
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Morrant DS, Johnson CN, Butler JRA, Congdon BC. Biodiversity friend or foe: land use by a top predator, the dingo in contested landscapes of the Australian Wet Tropics. AUSTRAL ECOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Damian S. Morrant
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences James Cook University Cairns Queensland 4870 Australia
| | | | - James R. A. Butler
- Adaptive Social and Economic Systems Program CSIRO Land and Water Flagship Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Bradley C. Congdon
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences James Cook University Cairns Queensland 4870 Australia
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39
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Newsome TM, Boitani L, Chapron G, Ciucci P, Dickman CR, Dellinger JA, López‐Bao JV, Peterson RO, Shores CR, Wirsing AJ, Ripple WJ. Food habits of the world's grey wolves. Mamm Rev 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M. Newsome
- Desert Ecology Research Group School of Biological Sciences University of Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
- Global Trophic Cascades Program Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
- Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Burwood Victoria 3125 Australia
| | - Luigi Boitani
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin” Sapienza University of Rome Rome 00185 Italy
| | - Guillaume Chapron
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SE ‐ 73091 Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin” Sapienza University of Rome Rome 00185 Italy
| | - Christopher R. Dickman
- Desert Ecology Research Group School of Biological Sciences University of Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - Justin A. Dellinger
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle Washington 98195 USA
| | - José V. López‐Bao
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SE ‐ 73091 Riddarhyttan Sweden
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Research Unit of Biodiversity Oviedo University 33600 Mieres Spain
| | - Rolf O. Peterson
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Michigan Technological University Houghton Michigan 49931 USA
| | - Carolyn R. Shores
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle Washington 98195 USA
| | - Aaron J. Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle Washington 98195 USA
| | - William J. Ripple
- Global Trophic Cascades Program Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
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Behrendorff L, Leung LKP, McKinnon A, Hanger J, Belonje G, Tapply J, Jones D, Allen BL. Insects for breakfast and whales for dinner: the diet and body condition of dingoes on Fraser Island (K'gari). Sci Rep 2016; 6:23469. [PMID: 27009879 PMCID: PMC4806299 DOI: 10.1038/srep23469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Top-predators play stabilising roles in island food webs, including Fraser Island, Australia. Subsidising generalist predators with human-sourced food could disrupt this balance, but has been proposed to improve the overall health of the island’s dingo (Canis lupus dingo) population, which is allegedly ‘starving’ or in ‘poor condition’. We assess this hypothesis by describing the diet and health of dingoes on Fraser Island from datasets collected between 2001 and 2015. Medium-sized mammals (such as bandicoots) and fish were the most common food items detected in dingo scat records. Stomach contents records revealed additional information on diet, such as the occurrence of human-sourced foods. Trail camera records highlighted dingo utilisation of stranded marine fauna, particularly turtles and whales. Mean adult body weights were higher than the national average, body condition scores and abundant-excessive fat reserves indicated a generally ideal-heavy physical condition, and parasite loads were low and comparable to other dingo populations. These data do not support hypotheses that Fraser Island dingoes have restricted diets or are in poor physical condition. Rather, they indicate that dingoes on Fraser Island are capable of exploiting a diverse array of food sources which contributes to the vast majority of dingoes being of good-excellent physical condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Behrendorff
- The University of Queensland, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia.,Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing, Fraser Island, Queensland 4581, Australia
| | - Luke K-P Leung
- The University of Queensland, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia
| | - Allan McKinnon
- Department of Environmental Heritage Protection, Threatened Species Unit, Moggill, Queensland 4070, Australia
| | - Jon Hanger
- Endeavour Veterinary Ecology, Toorbul, Queensland 4510, Australia
| | - Grant Belonje
- Fraser Coast Veterinary Services, Maryborough, Queensland 4650, Australia
| | - Jenna Tapply
- Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing, Fraser Island, Queensland 4581, Australia
| | - Darryl Jones
- Griffith University, Environmental Futures Research Institute, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia
| | - Benjamin L Allen
- The University of Southern Queensland, Institute for Agriculture and the Environment, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia
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41
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Allen BL, Carmelito E, Amos M, Goullet MS, Allen LR, Speed J, Gentle M, Leung LKP. Diet of dingoes and other wild dogs in peri-urban areas of north-eastern Australia. Sci Rep 2016; 6:23028. [PMID: 26964762 PMCID: PMC4786856 DOI: 10.1038/srep23028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of the resource requirements of urban predators can improve our understanding of their ecology and assist town planners and wildlife management agencies in developing management approaches that alleviate human-wildlife conflicts. Here we examine food and dietary items identified in scats of dingoes in peri-urban areas of north-eastern Australia to better understand their resource requirements and the potential for dingoes to threaten locally fragmented populations of native fauna. Our primary aim was to determine what peri-urban dingoes eat, and whether or not this differs between regions. We identified over 40 different food items in dingo scats, almost all of which were mammals. Individual species commonly observed in dingo scats included agile wallabies, northern brown bandicoots and swamp wallabies. Birds were relatively common in some areas but not others, as were invertebrates. Dingoes were identified as a significant potential threat to fragmented populations of koalas. Dietary overlap was typically very high or near-identical between regions, indicating that peri-urban dingoes ate the same types or sizes of prey in different areas. Future studies should seek to quantify actual and perceived impacts of, and human attitudes towards, peri-urban dingoes, and to develop management strategies with a greater chance of reducing human-wildlife conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L Allen
- Biosecurity Queensland, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia.,The University of Southern Queensland, Institute for Agriculture and Environment, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia
| | - Erin Carmelito
- The University of Queensland, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia
| | - Matt Amos
- Biosecurity Queensland, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia.,The University of Queensland, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia
| | | | - Lee R Allen
- Biosecurity Queensland, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia
| | - James Speed
- Biosecurity Queensland, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia
| | - Matt Gentle
- Biosecurity Queensland, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia
| | - Luke K-P Leung
- The University of Queensland, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia
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Fondo EN, Chaloupka M, Heymans JJ, Skilleter GA. Banning Fisheries Discards Abruptly Has a Negative Impact on the Population Dynamics of Charismatic Marine Megafauna. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0144543. [PMID: 26657412 PMCID: PMC4676608 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Food subsidies have the potential to modify ecosystems and affect the provision of goods and services. Predictable Anthropogenic Food Subsidies (PAFS) modify ecosystems by altering ecological processes and food webs. The global concern over the effects of PAFS in ecosystems has led to development of environmental policies aimed at curbing the production or ultimately banning of PAFS. However, the effects of reducing or banning PAFS are not known. We explore the consequences of PAFS removal in a marine ecosystem under two scenarios: 1) gradual reduction, or 2) an abrupt ban, using a mass balance model to test these hypotheses–The reduction or loss of PAFS will: i) modify trophic levels and food webs through effects on foraging by opportunistic species, ii) increase the resilience of opportunistic species to food shortages, and iii) modify predator–prey interactions through shifts in prey consumption. We found that PAFS lower the trophic levels of opportunistic scavengers and increase their food pathways. Scavengers are able to switch prey when PAFS are reduced gradually but they decline when PAFS are abruptly banned. PAFS reduction to a certain minimal level causes a drop in the ecosystem’s stability. We recommend gradual reduction of PAFS to a minimal level that would maintain the ecosystem’s stability and allow species exploiting PAFS to habituate to the food subsidy reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther N. Fondo
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Mombasa, Kenya
- * E-mail: (ENF); (GAS)
| | - Milani Chaloupka
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Johanna J. Heymans
- The Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Greg A. Skilleter
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail: (ENF); (GAS)
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Interspecific and geographic variation in the diets of sympatric carnivores: dingoes/wild dogs and red foxes in south-eastern Australia. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0120975. [PMID: 25790230 PMCID: PMC4366095 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2014] [Accepted: 01/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Dingoes/wild dogs (Canis dingo/familiaris) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are widespread carnivores in southern Australia and are controlled to reduce predation on domestic livestock and native fauna. We used the occurrence of food items in 5875 dingo/wild dog scats and 11,569 fox scats to evaluate interspecific and geographic differences in the diets of these species within nine regions of Victoria, south-eastern Australia. The nine regions encompass a wide variety of ecosystems. Diet overlap between dingoes/wild dogs and foxes varied among regions, from low to near complete overlap. The diet of foxes was broader than dingoes/wild dogs in all but three regions, with the former usually containing more insects, reptiles and plant material. By contrast, dingoes/wild dogs more regularly consumed larger mammals, supporting the hypothesis that niche partitioning occurs on the basis of mammalian prey size. The key mammalian food items for dingoes/wild dogs across all regions were black wallaby (Wallabia bicolor), brushtail possum species (Trichosurus spp.), common wombat (Vombatus ursinus), sambar deer (Rusa unicolor), cattle (Bos taurus) and European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). The key mammalian food items for foxes across all regions were European rabbit, sheep (Ovis aries) and house mouse (Mus musculus). Foxes consumed 6.1 times the number of individuals of threatened Critical Weight Range native mammal species than did dingoes/wild dogs. The occurrence of intraguild predation was asymmetrical; dingoes/wild dogs consumed greater biomass of the smaller fox. The substantial geographic variation in diet indicates that dingoes/wild dogs and foxes alter their diet in accordance with changing food availability. We provide checklists of taxa recorded in the diets of dingoes/wild dogs and foxes as a resource for managers and researchers wishing to understand the potential impacts of policy and management decisions on dingoes/wild dogs, foxes and the food resources they interact with.
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44
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Cryptic function loss in animal populations. Trends Ecol Evol 2015; 30:182-9. [PMID: 25678379 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2015.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Revised: 01/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The essential functional roles performed by animal species are lost when they become locally extinct, and ecosystems are critically threatened by this decline in functional diversity. Theory that links function, diversity, and ecosystem stability exists but fails to assess function loss that occurs in species with persistent populations. The entire functional role of a species, or a critical component of it, can be lost following large population declines (functional extinction), following population increase, or after behavioural adaptations to changes in the population, community, habitat, or climate. Here, we provide a framework that identifies the scenarios under which 'cryptic' function loss can occur in persistent populations. Cryptic function loss is potentially widespread and critically threatens ecosystem stability across the globe.
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Diet of the feral cat, Felis catus, in central Australian grassland habitats during population cycles of its principal prey. MAMMAL RES 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-014-0208-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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46
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Spencer EE, Crowther MS, Dickman CR. Diet and prey selectivity of three species of sympatric mammalian predators in central Australia. J Mammal 2014. [DOI: 10.1644/13-mamm-a-300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Allen BL, Leung LKP. The (non)effects of lethal population control on the diet of Australian dingoes. PLoS One 2014; 9:e108251. [PMID: 25243466 PMCID: PMC4171516 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Top-predators contribute to ecosystem resilience, yet individuals or populations are often subject to lethal control to protect livestock, managed game or humans from predation. Such management actions sometimes attract concern that lethal control might affect top-predator function in ways ultimately detrimental to biodiversity conservation. The primary function of a predator is predation, which is often investigated by assessing their diet. We therefore use data on prey remains found in 4,298 Australian dingo scats systematically collected from three arid sites over a four year period to experimentally assess the effects of repeated broad-scale poison-baiting programs on dingo diet. Indices of dingo dietary diversity and similarity were either identical or near-identical in baited and adjacent unbaited treatment areas in each case, demonstrating no control-induced change to dingo diets. Associated studies on dingoes' movement behaviour and interactions with sympatric mesopredators were similarly unaffected by poison-baiting. These results indicate that mid-sized top-predators with flexible and generalist diets (such as dingoes) may be resilient to ongoing and moderate levels of population control without substantial alteration of their diets and other related aspects of their ecological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L. Allen
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, the University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Luke K.-P. Leung
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, the University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
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Dürr S, Ward MP. Roaming behaviour and home range estimation of domestic dogs in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in northern Australia using four different methods. Prev Vet Med 2014; 117:340-57. [PMID: 25096735 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2014.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2014] [Revised: 07/04/2014] [Accepted: 07/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Disease transmission parameters are the core of epidemic models, but are difficult to estimate, especially in the absence of outbreak data. Investigation of the roaming behaviour, home range (HR) and utilization distribution (UD) can provide the foundation for such parameter estimation in free-ranging animals. The objectives of this study were to estimate HR and UD of 69 domestic dogs in six Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in northern Australia and to compare four different methods (the minimum convex polygon, MCP; the location-based kernel density estimation, LKDE; the biased random bridge, BRB; and Time Local Convex Hull, T-LoCoH) for investigation of UD and estimating HR sizes. Global positioning system (GPS) collars were attached to community dogs for a period of 1-3 days and positions (fixes) were recorded every minute. Median core HRs (50% isopleth) of the 69 dogs were estimated to range from 0.2 to 0.4 ha and the more extended HR (95% isopleth) to range from 2.5 to 5.3 ha, depending on the method used. The HR and UD shapes were found to be generally circular around the dog owner's house. However, some individuals were found to roam much more with a HR size of 40-104 ha and cover large areas of their community or occasionally beyond. These far roaming dogs are of particular interest for infectious disease transmission. Occasionally, dogs were taken between communities and out of communities for hunting, which enables the contact of dogs between communities and with wildlife (such as dingoes). The BRB and T-LoCoH are the only two methods applied here which integrate the consecutiveness of GPS locations into the analysis, a substantial advantage. The recently developed BRB method produced significantly larger HR estimates than the other two methods; however, the variability of HR sizes was lower compared to the other methods. Advantages of the BRB method include a more realistic analytical approach (kernel density estimation based on movements rather than on locations), possibilities to deal with irregular time periods between consecutive GPS fixes and parameter specification which respects the characteristics of the GPS unit used to collect the data. The BRB method was therefore the most suitable method for UD estimation in this dataset. The results of this study can further be used to contact rates between the dogs within and between communities, a foundation for estimating transmission parameters for canine infectious disease models, such as a rabies spread model in Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salome Dürr
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, 425 Werombi Road, Camden 2570, NSW, Australia.
| | - Michael P Ward
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, 425 Werombi Road, Camden 2570, NSW, Australia
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