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Blum ME, Stewart KM, Cox M, Shoemaker KT, Bennett JR, Sullivan BW, Wakeling BF, Bleich VC. Variation in diet of desert bighorn sheep around parturition: Tradeoffs associated with parturition. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1071771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Selection of forage and habitats is driven by nutritional needs of individuals. Some species may sacrifice nutritional quality of forage for the mother in favor of safety of offspring (risk-averse strategy), immediately following parturition. We studied diet quality and forage selection by bighorn sheep before and following parturition to determine how nutritional demands associated with rearing offspring influenced forage acquisition. We used desert bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis nelsoni, to investigate that potential tradeoff. We captured and radio-collared female bighorn sheep from 2016 to 2018. We used vaginal implant transmitters (VIT)s in pregnant females to identify parturition and to capture and radio-collar neonates to monitor survival of young. We collected fecal samples throughout the breeding season and throughout the year to understand diet quality and composition throughout those temporal periods. We determined diet quality and composition for pre-parturient females, females provisioning offspring, females that lost offspring, and non-pregnant individuals using fecal nitrogen and DNA metabarcoding analyses. Additionally, we compared the diet quality and composition of offspring and adult females during the spring, as well as summer and winter months. Our results indicated differences in diet quality between individuals provisioning offspring and those whose offspring had died. Females that were provisioning dependent young had lower quality diets than those that lost their offspring. Diet composition among those groups was also markedly different; females that had lost an offspring had a more diverse diet than did females with dependent young. Diet quality differed among seasons, wherein offspring and adult females had higher quality diets during the spring months, with decreasing quality as the year progressed. Diet diversity was similar across seasons, although spring months tended to be most diverse. Our results support tradeoffs associated with risk-averse strategies made by adult females associated with parturition. Nutritional quality of forage was linked to provisioning status, indicating that females were trading diet quality for safety of offspring, but those females whose offspring had died selected high quality forages. Those results help explain habitat selection observed in mountain ungulates around parturition and provide further insight into the evolutionary processes and adaptive significance exhibited by those specialized artiodactyls.
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McDonough TJ, Thompson DP, Crouse JA, Dale BW, Badajos OH. Evaluation of impacts of vaginal implant transmitter use in moose. WILDLIFE SOC B 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel P. Thompson
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Kenai Moose Research Center 43961 Kalifornsky Beach Road Suite B Soldotna AK 99669 USA
| | - John A. Crouse
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Kenai Moose Research Center 43961 Kalifornsky Beach Road Suite B Soldotna AK 99669 USA
| | - Bruce W. Dale
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game 1800 Glenn Highway Suite 2 Palmer AK 99645 USA
| | - Oriana H. Badajos
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game 3298 Douglas Place, Homer AK 99603 USA
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Ruprecht J, Forrester TD, Jackson NJ, Clark DA, Wisdom MJ, Rowland MM, Smith JB, Stewart KM, Levi T. A seasonal pulse of ungulate neonates influences space use by carnivores in a multi-predator, multi-prey system. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9389. [PMID: 36254298 PMCID: PMC9558345 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The behavioral mechanisms by which predators encounter prey are poorly resolved. In particular, the extent to which predators engage in active search for prey versus incidentally encountering them has not been well studied in many systems and particularly not for neonate prey during the birth pulse. Parturition of many large herbivores occurs during a short and predictable temporal window in which young are highly vulnerable to predation. Our study aims to determine how a suite of carnivores responds to the seasonal pulse of newborn ungulates using contemporaneous global positioning system (GPS) locations of four species of predators and two species of prey. We used step‐selection functions to assess whether coyotes, cougars, black bears, and bobcats encountered parturient adult female ungulates more often than expected by chance in a low‐density population of mule deer and a high‐density population of elk. We then assessed whether the carnivore species that encountered parturient prey more often than expected by chance did so by shifting their habitat use toward areas with a high probability of encountering neonates. None of the four carnivore species encountered GPS‐collared parturient mule deer more often than expected by chance. By contrast, we determined that cougar and male bear movements positioned them in the proximity of GPS‐collared parturient elk more often than expected by chance which may provide evidence of searching behavior. Although both male bears and cougars exhibited behavior consistent with active search for neonates, only male bears used elk parturition habitat in a way that dynamically tracked the phenology of the elk birth pulse suggesting that maximizing encounters with juvenile elk was a motivation when selecting resources. Our results suggest that there is high interspecific and intersexual variability in foraging strategies among large mammalian predators and their prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Ruprecht
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation SciencesOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregonUSA
| | | | - Nathan J. Jackson
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of Nevada, RenoRenoNevadaUSA
| | | | - Michael J. Wisdom
- US Department of Agriculture Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research StationLa GrandeOregonUSA
| | - Mary M. Rowland
- US Department of Agriculture Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research StationLa GrandeOregonUSA
| | | | - Kelley M. Stewart
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of Nevada, RenoRenoNevadaUSA
| | - Taal Levi
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation SciencesOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregonUSA
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Johnson HE, Lenart EA, Gustine DD, Adams LG, Barboza PS. Survival and reproduction in Arctic caribou are associated with summer forage and insect harassment. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.899585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Investigators have speculated that the climate-driven “greening of the Arctic” may benefit barren-ground caribou populations, but paradoxically many populations have declined in recent years. This pattern has raised concerns about the influence of summer habitat conditions on caribou demographic rates, and how populations may be impacted in the future. The short Arctic summer provides caribou with important forage resources but is also the time they are exposed to intense harassment by insects, factors which are both being altered by longer, warmer growing seasons. To better understand the effects of summer forage and insect activity on Arctic caribou demographic rates, we investigated the influence of estimated forage biomass, digestible energy (DE), digestible nitrogen (DN), and mosquito activity on the reproductive success and survival of adult females in the Central Arctic Herd on the North Slope of Alaska. We tested the hypotheses that greater early summer DN would increase subsequent reproduction (parturition and late June calving success) while greater biomass and DE would increase adult survival (September–May), and that elevated mosquito activity would reduce both demographic rates. Because the period when abundant forage DN is limited and overlaps with the period of mosquito harassment, we also expected years with low DN and high harassment to synergistically reduce caribou reproductive success. Examining these relationships at the individual-level, using GPS-collared females, and at the population-level, using long-term monitoring data, we generally found support for our expectations. Greater early summer DN was associated with increased subsequent calving success, while greater summer biomass was associated with increased adult survival. Mosquito activity was associated with reductions in adult female parturition, late June calving success, and survival, and in years with low DN, had compounding effects on subsequent late June calving success. Our findings indicate that summer nutrition and mosquito activity collectively influence the demographic rates of Arctic caribou, and may impact the dynamics of populations in the future under changing environmental conditions.
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Aubin GR, Nye CC, Rohm JH, Stamps RT, Ford W, Cherry MJ. Survival of white‐tailed deer fawns on Marine Corps Base Quantico. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gisèle R. Aubin
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg VA 24061 USA
| | - Christa C. Nye
- Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Branch, Marine Corps Installations National Capital Region‐Marine Corps Base Quantico, Quantico Quantico VA 22134 USA
| | - John H. Rohm
- Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Branch, Marine Corps Installations National Capital Region‐Marine Corps Base Quantico, Quantico Quantico VA 22134 USA
| | - R. T. Stamps
- Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Branch, Marine Corps Installations National Capital Region‐Marine Corps Base Quantico, Quantico Quantico VA 22134 USA
| | - W. Mark Ford
- U.S. Geological Survey, Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Blacksburg VA 24061 USA
| | - Michael J. Cherry
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg VA 24061 USA
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Larue B, Pelletier F, Festa-Bianchet M. A multivariate perspective of resource acquisition behaviours in bighorn sheep. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Masello JF, Barbosa A, Kato A, Mattern T, Medeiros R, Stockdale JE, Kümmel MN, Bustamante P, Belliure J, Benzal J, Colominas-Ciuró R, Menéndez-Blázquez J, Griep S, Goesmann A, Symondson WOC, Quillfeldt P. How animals distribute themselves in space: energy landscapes of Antarctic avian predators. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:24. [PMID: 34001240 PMCID: PMC8127181 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00255-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Energy landscapes provide an approach to the mechanistic basis of spatial ecology and decision-making in animals. This is based on the quantification of the variation in the energy costs of movements through a given environment, as well as how these costs vary in time and for different animal populations. Organisms as diverse as fish, mammals, and birds will move in areas of the energy landscape that result in minimised costs and maximised energy gain. Recently, energy landscapes have been used to link energy gain and variable energy costs of foraging to breeding success, revealing their potential use for understanding demographic changes. METHODS Using GPS-temperature-depth and tri-axial accelerometer loggers, stable isotope and molecular analyses of the diet, and leucocyte counts, we studied the response of gentoo (Pygoscelis papua) and chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarcticus) penguins to different energy landscapes and resources. We compared species and gentoo penguin populations with contrasting population trends. RESULTS Between populations, gentoo penguins from Livingston Island (Antarctica), a site with positive population trends, foraged in energy landscape sectors that implied lower foraging costs per energy gained compared with those around New Island (Falkland/Malvinas Islands; sub-Antarctic), a breeding site with fluctuating energy costs of foraging, breeding success and populations. Between species, chinstrap penguins foraged in sectors of the energy landscape with lower foraging costs per bottom time, a proxy for energy gain. They also showed lower physiological stress, as revealed by leucocyte counts, and higher breeding success than gentoo penguins. In terms of diet, we found a flexible foraging ecology in gentoo penguins but a narrow foraging niche for chinstraps. CONCLUSIONS The lower foraging costs incurred by the gentoo penguins from Livingston, may favour a higher breeding success that would explain the species' positive population trend in the Antarctic Peninsula. The lower foraging costs in chinstrap penguins may also explain their higher breeding success, compared to gentoos from Antarctica but not their negative population trend. Altogether, our results suggest a link between energy landscapes and breeding success mediated by the physiological condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan F Masello
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Andres Barbosa
- Department Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Akiko Kato
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS-Université La Rochelle, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Thomas Mattern
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392, Giessen, Germany
- New Zealand Penguin Initiative, PO Box 6319, Dunedin, 9022, New Zealand
| | - Renata Medeiros
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Av, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
- Cardiff School of Dentistry, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XY, UK
| | - Jennifer E Stockdale
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Av, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Marc N Kümmel
- Institute for Bioinformatics & Systems Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58, D-35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, 17000, La Rochelle, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 rue Descartes, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Josabel Belliure
- GLOCEE - Global Change Ecology and Evolution Group, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Benzal
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, CSIC, Almería, Spain
| | - Roger Colominas-Ciuró
- Department Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Menéndez-Blázquez
- Department Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sven Griep
- Institute for Bioinformatics & Systems Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58, D-35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Alexander Goesmann
- Institute for Bioinformatics & Systems Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58, D-35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - William O C Symondson
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Av, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Petra Quillfeldt
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392, Giessen, Germany
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Rogers SA, Robbins CT, Mathewson PD, Carnahan AM, Manen FT, Haroldson MA, Porter WP, Rogers TR, Soule T, Long RA. Thermal constraints on energy balance, behaviour and spatial distribution of grizzly bears. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Savannah A. Rogers
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program University of Idaho Moscow ID USA
| | - Charles T. Robbins
- School of the Environment and School of Biological Sciences Washington State University Pullman WA USA
| | - Paul D. Mathewson
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Wisconsin Madison Madison WI USA
| | | | - Frank T. Manen
- United States Geological SurveyInteragency Grizzly Bear Study Team Bozeman MT USA
| | - Mark A. Haroldson
- United States Geological SurveyInteragency Grizzly Bear Study Team Bozeman MT USA
| | - Warren P. Porter
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Wisconsin Madison Madison WI USA
| | - Taylor R. Rogers
- Department of Computer Science University of Idaho Moscow ID USA
| | - Terence Soule
- Department of Computer Science University of Idaho Moscow ID USA
| | - Ryan A. Long
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program University of Idaho Moscow ID USA
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow ID USA
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9
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Neumann W, Singh NJ, Stenbacka F, Malmsten J, Wallin K, Ball JP, Ericsson G. Divergence in parturition timing and vegetation onset in a large herbivore-differences along a latitudinal gradient. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200044. [PMID: 32544379 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In northern environments, the period of access to high-quality forage is limited, exerting strong selective pressure to optimize the timing of parturition. We analysed timing and variation in moose (Alces alces) parturition dates of 555 females at 18 study sites across 12° of latitude (56-68° N, 1350 km) in Sweden. We found evidence for a spatial match of parturition timing to vegetation onset, but no evidence that moose adjust parturition to vegetation onset in a given year. We found a breakpoint at 64° N. Despite adaptation across latitudes, temporal divergences occurred. Females below 64° N calved after vegetation onset and females above 64° N calved before. Here, parturition before vegetation onset might be a strategy to optimize forage utilization time with the very short growing season. Highly seasonal environments such as at higher latitudes may make it advantageous to adapt parturition towards long-term climatic patterns by matching the most favourable period. Given the direction of temporal divergence, our study suggests that climate change may have less of an impact on moose parturition at northern latitudes than southern latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiebke Neumann
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE-901 83 Umea, Sweden
| | - Navinder J Singh
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE-901 83 Umea, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Stenbacka
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE-901 83 Umea, Sweden
| | - Jonas Malmsten
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE-901 83 Umea, Sweden
| | - Kjell Wallin
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg (GU), Box 461, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - John P Ball
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE-901 83 Umea, Sweden
| | - Göran Ericsson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE-901 83 Umea, Sweden
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Lovelace DM, Hartman SA, Mathewson PD, Linzmeier BJ, Porter WP. Modeling Dragons: Using linked mechanistic physiological and microclimate models to explore environmental, physiological, and morphological constraints on the early evolution of dinosaurs. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0223872. [PMID: 32469936 PMCID: PMC7259893 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We employed the widely-tested biophysiological modeling software, Niche Mapper™ to investigate the metabolic function of the Late Triassic dinosaurs Plateosaurus and Coelophysis during global greenhouse conditions. We tested a variety of assumptions about resting metabolic rate, each evaluated within six microclimate models that bound paleoenvironmental conditions at 12° N paleolatitude, as determined by sedimentological and isotopic proxies for climate within the Chinle Formation of the southwestern United States. Sensitivity testing of metabolic variables and simulated “metabolic chamber” analyses support elevated “ratite-like” metabolic rates and intermediate “monotreme-like” core temperature ranges in these species of early saurischian dinosaur. Our results suggest small theropods may have needed partial to full epidermal insulation in temperate environments, while fully grown prosauropods would have likely been heat stressed in open, hot environments and should have been restricted to cooler microclimates such as dense forests or higher latitudes and elevations. This is in agreement with the Late Triassic fossil record and may have contributed to the latitudinal gap in the Triassic prosauropod record.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M. Lovelace
- University of Wisconsin Geology Museum, Department of Geosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DL); (WP)
| | - Scott A. Hartman
- Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Paul D. Mathewson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Benjamin J. Linzmeier
- Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Warren P. Porter
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DL); (WP)
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Merems JL, Shipley LA, Levi T, Ruprecht J, Clark DA, Wisdom MJ, Jackson NJ, Stewart KM, Long RA. Nutritional-Landscape Models Link Habitat Use to Condition of Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus). Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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12
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Lamont BG, Kauffman MJ, Merkle JA, Mong TW, Hayes MM, Monteith KL. Bark Beetle‐Affected Forests Provide Elk Only a Marginal Refuge from Hunters. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bryan G. Lamont
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of Wyoming, Department 3166, 1000 E. University AvenueLaramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Matthew J. Kauffman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of Wyoming, Department 3166, 1000 E. University AvenueLaramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Jerod A. Merkle
- Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of Wyoming, Department 3166, 1000 E. University AvenueLaramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Tony W. Mong
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department 2820 Highway 120 Cody WY 82414 USA
| | - Matthew M. Hayes
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of Wyoming, Department 3166, 1000 E. University AvenueLaramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of Wyoming, 804 East FremontLaramie WY 82072 USA
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Belanger R, Edwards M, Carbyn L, Nielsen S. Evaluating trade-offs between forage, biting flies, and footing on habitat selection by wood bison (Bison bison athabascae). CAN J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Habitat selection is a behavioural process that ultimately affects animal fitness. Forage availability and predation risk are often studied in the context of habitat selection for large ungulates, while other biological and environmental factors such as insect harassment and footing are less studied. Here we examine trade-offs in summer habitat selection between forage availability for wood bison (Bison bison athabascae Rhoads, 1898) with that of biting-fly harassment and soil firmness, which affects activity budgets and predation risk, respectively, and contrast this to winter when flies are absent and soils frozen. Using path analysis, we demonstrate that graminoid availability was not related to habitat selection in summer, but was positively related to habitat selection in winter. Habitat selection in summer was negatively related to biting-fly abundance and positively related to firmer footing. Our results suggest that bison observe trade-offs in summer between maximizing forage intake and minimizing harassment from that of biting flies, while avoiding areas of soft substrates that affect locomotion and vulnerability to predators. In contrast, during the winter, bison focus on areas with greater graminoid availability. Although forage is a key aspect of habitat selection, our results illustrate the importance of considering direct and indirect effects of multiple biological and environmental factors related to ungulate habitat selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- R.J. Belanger
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 705 General Services Building, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H1, Canada
| | - M.A. Edwards
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 705 General Services Building, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H1, Canada
- Department of Mammalogy, Royal Alberta Museum, 9810 103a Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5J 0G2, Canada
| | - L.N. Carbyn
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 705 General Services Building, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H1, Canada
| | - S.E. Nielsen
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 705 General Services Building, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H1, Canada
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LaSharr TN, Long RA, Heffelfinger JR, Bleich VC, Krausman PR, Bowyer RT, Shannon JM, Klaver RW, Brewer CE, Cox M, Holland AA, Hubbs A, Lehman CP, Muir JD, Sterling B, Monteith KL. Hunting and mountain sheep: Do current harvest practices affect horn growth? Evol Appl 2019; 12:1823-1836. [PMID: 31548860 PMCID: PMC6752155 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The influence of human harvest on evolution of secondary sexual characteristics has implications for sustainable management of wildlife populations. The phenotypic consequences of selectively removing males with large horns or antlers from ungulate populations have been a topic of heightened concern in recent years. Harvest can affect size of horn-like structures in two ways: (a) shifting age structure toward younger age classes, which can reduce the mean size of horn-like structures, or (b) selecting against genes that produce large, fast-growing males. We evaluated effects of age, climatic and forage conditions, and metrics of harvest on horn size and growth of mountain sheep (Ovis canadensis ssp.) in 72 hunt areas across North America from 1981 to 2016. In 50% of hunt areas, changes in mean horn size during the study period were related to changes in age structure of harvested sheep. Environmental conditions explained directional changes in horn growth in 28% of hunt areas, 7% of which did not exhibit change before accounting for effects of the environment. After accounting for age and environment, horn size of mountain sheep was stable or increasing in the majority (~78%) of hunt areas. Age-specific horn size declined in 44% of hunt areas where harvest was regulated solely by morphological criteria, which supports the notion that harvest practices that are simultaneously selective and intensive might lead to changes in horn growth. Nevertheless, phenotypic consequences are not a foregone conclusion in the face of selective harvest; over half of the hunt areas with highly selective and intensive harvest did not exhibit age-specific declines in horn size. Our results demonstrate that while harvest regimes are an important consideration, horn growth of harvested male mountain sheep has remained largely stable, indicating that changes in horn growth patterns are an unlikely consequence of harvest across most of North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tayler N. LaSharr
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
| | - Ryan A. Long
- Department of Fish and Wildlife SciencesUniversity of IdahoMoscowIDUSA
| | | | - Vernon C. Bleich
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of Nevada RenoRenoNVUSA
| | - Paul R. Krausman
- School of Natural Resources and the EnvironmentUniversity of ArizonaTucsonAZUSA
| | - R. Terry Bowyer
- Institute of Arctic BiologyUniversity of Alaska FairbanksFairbanksAKUSA
| | | | - Robert W. Klaver
- US Geological Survey, Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Natural Resource Ecology and ManagementIowa State UniversityAmesIAUSA
| | - Clay E. Brewer
- Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies—Wild Sheep Working GroupTexas Parks and Wildlife DepartmentRochelleTXUSA
| | - Mike Cox
- Nevada Department of WildlifeRenoNVUSA
| | | | - Anne Hubbs
- Alberta Environment and ParksRocky Mountain HouseABCanada
| | | | | | | | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
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15
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Wright CA, Mcroberts JT, Wiskirchen KH, Keller BJ, Millspaugh JJ. Landscape‐scale habitat characteristics and neonatal white‐tailed deer survival. J Wildl Manage 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chloe A. Wright
- University of Montana, W. A. Franke College of Forestry and ConservationWildlife Biology Program 32 Campus Drive Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Jon T. Mcroberts
- University of Missouri, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences 302 Anheuser‐Busch Natural Resources Building Columbia MO 65211 USA
| | - Kevyn H. Wiskirchen
- Missouri Department of ConservationResource Science Division 3500 East Gans Road Columbia MO 65201 USA
| | - Barbara J. Keller
- Missouri Department of ConservationResource Science Division 3500 East Gans Road Columbia MO 65201 USA
| | - Joshua J. Millspaugh
- University of Montana, W. A. Franke College of Forestry and ConservationWildlife Biology Program 32 Campus Drive Missoula MT 59812 USA
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16
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Veldhuis MP, Kihwele ES, Cromsigt JPGM, Ogutu JO, Hopcraft JGC, Owen-Smith N, Olff H. Large herbivore assemblages in a changing climate: incorporating water dependence and thermoregulation. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:1536-1546. [PMID: 31332945 PMCID: PMC6851681 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The coexistence of different species of large herbivores (ungulates) in grasslands and savannas has fascinated ecologists for decades. However, changes in climate, land‐use and trophic structure of ecosystems increasingly jeopardise the persistence of such diverse assemblages. Body size has been used successfully to explain ungulate niche differentiation with regard to food requirements and predation sensitivity. But this single trait axis insufficiently captures interspecific differences in water requirements and thermoregulatory capacity and thus sensitivity to climate change. Here, we develop a two‐dimensional trait space of body size and minimum dung moisture content that characterises the combined food and water requirements of large herbivores. From this, we predict that increased spatial homogeneity in water availability in drylands reduces the number of ungulate species that will coexist. But we also predict that extreme droughts will cause the larger, water‐dependent grazers as wildebeest, zebra and buffalo–dominant species in savanna ecosystems – to be replaced by smaller, less water‐dependent species. Subsequently, we explore how other constraints such as predation risk and thermoregulation are connected to this two‐dimensional framework. Our novel framework integrates multiple simultaneous stressors for herbivores and yields an extensive set of testable hypotheses about the expected changes in large herbivore community composition following climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- M P Veldhuis
- University of Groningen, Nijenborg 7, 9747AG, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Princeton University, 106A Guyot Ln, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA.,Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - E S Kihwele
- University of Groningen, Nijenborg 7, 9747AG, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Tanzania National Parks, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - J P G M Cromsigt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, 901 83, Sweden.,Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa.,Environmental Sciences group, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, PO Box 80115, 3508 TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - J O Ogutu
- University of Hohenheim, Institute of Crop Science, Biostatistics Unit, Fruwirthstrasse 23, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
| | | | - N Owen-Smith
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, 2050, South Africa
| | - H Olff
- University of Groningen, Nijenborg 7, 9747AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
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17
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Schrempp TV, Rachlow JL, Johnson TR, Shipley LA, Long RA, Aycrigg JL, Hurley MA. Linking forest management to moose population trends: The role of the nutritional landscape. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0219128. [PMID: 31310634 PMCID: PMC6634377 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Forested lands in the western USA have undergone changes in management and condition that are resulting in a shift towards climax vegetation. These changes can influence the quality and quantity of forage for herbivores that rely on early-seral plants. To evaluate how management of forested landscapes might affect nutrition for Shiras moose (A. a. shirasi) at large spatial scales, we focused on shrubs and evaluated summer diet composition, forage availability, and forage quality across 21 population management units encompassing >36,000 km2 in northern Idaho, USA. We identified 17 shrub species in the diets of moose, 11 of which comprised the bulk of the diets. These forage shrubs varied markedly in both energy (mean digestible energy for leaves ranged from 9.62 to 12.89 kJ/g) and protein (mean digestible protein for leaves ranged from 1.73 to 7.90%). By adapting established field sampling methods and integrating recent advances in remote sensing analyses in a modeling framework, we predicted approximations of current and past (i.e., 1984) quantities of forage shrubs across northern Idaho. We also created a qualitative index of population trend for moose across population management units using harvest data. Predicted quantities of forage shrubs varied widely across the study area with generally higher values at more northern latitudes. The quantity of forage shrubs was estimated to have declined over the past 30 years in about half of the population management units, with the greatest declines predicted for high-energy forage species. The population trend index was correlated with the percent change in availability of moderate-energy forage shrubs, indicating that availability of forage shrubs and change in availability over time might be affecting population dynamics for moose in northern Idaho. Our study highlights the importance of assessing how changes in forest management across broad spatiotemporal extents could affect wildlife and their habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas V. Schrempp
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Lewiston, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Janet L. Rachlow
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Timothy R. Johnson
- Department of Statistical Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Lisa A. Shipley
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Ryan A. Long
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Jocelyn L. Aycrigg
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Mark A. Hurley
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Boise, Idaho, United States of America
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18
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Lamont BG, Monteith KL, Merkle JA, Mong TW, Albeke SE, Hayes MM, Kauffman MJ. Multi‐scale habitat selection of elk in response to beetle‐killed forest. J Wildl Manage 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bryan G. Lamont
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitDepartment of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingDepartment 3166, 1000 E. University AvenueLaramieWY82071USA
| | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural ResourcesWyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitDepartment of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of Wyoming804 East FremontLaramieWY82072USA
| | - Jerod A. Merkle
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitDepartment of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingDepartment 3166, 1000 E. University AvenueLaramieWY82071USA
| | - Tony W. Mong
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department2820 State Highway 120CodyWY82414USA
| | - Shannon E. Albeke
- Wyoming Geographic Information Science CenterUniversity of WyomingDepartment 4008, 1000 E. University AvenueLaramieWY82017USA
| | - Matthew M. Hayes
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitDepartment of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingDepartment 3166, 1000 E. University AvenueLaramieWY82071USA
| | - Matthew J. Kauffman
- U.S. Geological SurveyWyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitDepartment of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingDepartment 3166, 1000 E. University AvenueLaramieWY82071USA
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19
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DeVoe JD, Proffitt KM, Mitchell MS, Jourdonnais CS, Barker KJ. Elk forage and risk tradeoffs during the fall archery season. J Wildl Manage 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse D. DeVoe
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit205 Natural Sciences BuildingWildlife Biology ProgramUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMT59812USA
| | - Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks1400 South 19th StreetBozemanMT59718USA
| | - Michael S. Mitchell
- U.S. Geological SurveyMontana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit 205 Natural Sciences BuildingWildlife Biology ProgramUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMT59812USA
| | | | - Kristin J. Barker
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit205 Natural Sciences BuildingWildlife Biology ProgramUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMT59812USA
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20
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Ciach M, Pęksa Ł. Human-induced environmental changes influence habitat use by an ungulate over the long term. Curr Zool 2018; 65:129-137. [PMID: 30936901 PMCID: PMC6430970 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat use and preferences may be subject to spatial and temporal changes. However, long-term studies of species–habitat relationships are the exception. In the present research, long-term trends in habitat use by an alpine ungulate, the Tatra chamois Rupicapra rupicapra tatrica, were analyzed. We examined how environmental changes attributable to climate change, removal of sheep, and habituation to hikers, which took place over the last half-century have changed the spatial distribution of animals. Data on the localities of groups sighted between 1957 and 2013 during autumnal population surveys were used to evaluate habitat associations: these were correlated with year, group size, population size, and climatic conditions. The results indicate that the Tatra chamois is tending, over the long term, to lower its altitude of occurrence, reduce its average distance to hiking trails, and stay less often on slopes with a southerly aspect. These trends are independent of group size, population size, and the weather conditions prevailing during observations, though not for altitude, where increases in air temperature are related to finding chamois at higher elevations. The proportion of alpine meadows and slope in the places used by chamois is correlated with population size, while the proportion of areas with trees and/or shrubs is correlated with group size and air temperature, though long-term changes were not evident for these variables. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first to document long-term trends in habitat use by ungulates. It shows that a species’ ecology is influenced by human-induced changes: abandonment of pasturage, high-mountain tourism, and climate changes, which constitute the most probable reasons for this aspect of behavioral evolution in the Tatra chamois.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Ciach
- Department of Forest Biodiversity, Institute of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture, al. 29 Listopada 46, Kraków, Poland
| | - Łukasz Pęksa
- Tatra National Park, ul. Kuźnice 1, Zakopane, Poland
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21
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Middleton AD, Merkle JA, McWhirter DE, Cook JG, Cook RC, White PJ, Kauffman MJ. Green-wave surfing increases fat gain in a migratory ungulate. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.05227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur D. Middleton
- Dept of Environmental Science, Policy and Management; Univ. of California; Berkeley CA 94720 USA
| | - Jerod A. Merkle
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Dept of Zoology and Physiology; Univ. of Wyoming; Laramie WY USA
| | | | - John G. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory; La Grande OR USA
| | - Rachel C. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory; La Grande OR USA
| | - P. J. White
- National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park; WY USA
| | - Matthew J. Kauffman
- US Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Dept of Zoology and Physiology; Univ. of Wyoming; Laramie WY USA
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22
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Amélineau F, Fort J, Mathewson PD, Speirs DC, Courbin N, Perret S, Porter WP, Wilson RJ, Grémillet D. Energyscapes and prey fields shape a North Atlantic seabird wintering hotspot under climate change. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:171883. [PMID: 29410875 PMCID: PMC5792952 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
There is an urgent need for a better understanding of animal migratory ecology under the influence of climate change. Most current analyses require long-term monitoring of populations on the move, and shorter-term approaches are needed. Here, we analysed the ecological drivers of seabird migration within the framework of the energyscape concept, which we defined as the variations in the energy requirements of an organism across geographical space as a function of environmental conditions. We compared the winter location of seabirds with their modelled energy requirements and prey fields throughout the North Atlantic. Across six winters, we tracked the migration of 94 little auks (Alle alle), a key sentinel Arctic species, between their East Greenland breeding site and wintering areas off Newfoundland. Winter energyscapes were modelled with Niche Mapper™, a mechanistic tool which takes into account local climate and bird ecophysiology. Subsequently, we used a resource selection function to explain seabird distributions through modelled energyscapes and winter surface distribution of one of their main prey, Calanus finmarchicus. Finally, future energyscapes were calculated according to IPCC climate change scenarios. We found that little auks targeted areas with high prey densities and moderately elevated energyscapes. Predicted energyscapes for 2050 and 2095 showed a decrease in winter energy requirements under the high emission scenario, which may be beneficial if prey availability is maintained. Overall, our study demonstrates the great potential of the energyscape concept for the study of animal spatial ecology, in particular in the context of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Amélineau
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS – Université de Montpellier – Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier – EPHE, Montpellier, France
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, La Rochelle, France
- Author for correspondence: F. Amélineau e-mail:
| | - J. Fort
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, La Rochelle, France
| | - P. D. Mathewson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - D. C. Speirs
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Strathclyde, Livingstone Tower, 26 Richmond Street, Glasgow G1 1XQ, Scotland, UK
| | - N. Courbin
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS – Université de Montpellier – Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier – EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - S. Perret
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS – Université de Montpellier – Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier – EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - W. P. Porter
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - R. J. Wilson
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Strathclyde, Livingstone Tower, 26 Richmond Street, Glasgow G1 1XQ, Scotland, UK
| | - D. Grémillet
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS – Université de Montpellier – Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier – EPHE, Montpellier, France
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
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23
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Monteith KL, Long RA, Stephenson TR, Bleich VC, Bowyer RT, Lasharr TN. Horn size and nutrition in mountain sheep: Can ewe handle the truth? J Wildl Manage 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitDepartment of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming 804 East Fremont St. Laramie WY 82072 USA
| | - Ryan A. Long
- Department of Fish and Wildlife SciencesUniversity of Idaho 875 Perimeter Dr., MS 1142 Moscow ID 83844 USA
| | - Thomas R. Stephenson
- Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery ProgramCalifornia Department of Fish and Wildlife 787 North Main Street, Suite 220 Bishop CA 93514 USA
| | - Vernon C. Bleich
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of Nevada Reno Mail Stop 186, 1664 North Virginia Street Reno NV 89557 USA
| | - R. Terry Bowyer
- Institute of Arctic BiologyUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks Box 757000 Fairbanks AK 99775 USA
| | - Tayler N. Lasharr
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of Wyoming Dept. 3166, 1000 E. University Ave Laramie WY 82071 USA
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24
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Fullman TJ, Joly K, Ackerman A. Effects of environmental features and sport hunting on caribou migration in northwestern Alaska. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2017; 5:4. [PMID: 28270913 PMCID: PMC5331706 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-017-0095-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ungulate movements are influenced by a variety of biotic and abiotic factors, which may affect connectivity between key resource areas and seasonal ranges. In northwestern Alaska, one important question regarding human impacts on ungulate movement involves caribou (Rangifer tarandus) response to autumn hunting and related aircraft activity. While concerns have been voiced by local hunters about the influence of transporter aircraft and non-local sport hunters, there has been little quantitative analysis of the effects of hunter activity on caribou movement. We utilized a novel spatial dataset of commercial aircraft landing locations and sport hunter camps in and around Noatak National Preserve to analyze resource selection of caribou in autumn for non-local hunting activity and environmental features. We combined step selection functions with randomized shortest paths to investigate whether terrain ruggedness, river width, land cover, and hunting activity (in the form of aircraft landings and sport hunter camps) facilitated or impeded caribou movement. By varying a parameter in the randomized shortest path models, we also explored the tradeoff between exploration and exploitation in movement behavior exhibited by traveling caribou. RESULTS We found that caribou avoided rugged terrain and areas with more river, forest, and tall shrubs while selecting for areas dominated by tussock tundra and dwarf shrubs. Migration of caribou through Noatak does not appear to be inhibited by sport hunting activity, though this does not preclude the possibility of temporary effects altering availability of caribou for individual hunters. Caribou exhibited exploratory movement, following predictions of a random walk model. This behavior may facilitate the location of remaining patches of high-quality forage prior to the onset of winter, especially during mild autumns. CONCLUSIONS Understanding animal movement behavior is fundamental to protecting critical areas of connectivity and to informing management decisions. Our study identifies migratory connectivity and hotspots of potential conflict among user groups, enabling development of policies that balance human access with species conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kyle Joly
- National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network, 4175 Geist Rd., Fairbanks, AK 99709 USA
| | - Andrew Ackerman
- National Park Service, Western Arctic National Parklands, 4175 Geist Rd., Fairbanks, AK 99709 USA
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25
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Garnier R, Cheung CK, Watt KA, Pilkington JG, Pemberton JM, Graham AL. Joint associations of blood plasma proteins with overwinter survival of a large mammal. Ecol Lett 2017; 20:175-183. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Romain Garnier
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Princeton University; Princeton NJ USA
| | - Christopher K. Cheung
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Princeton University; Princeton NJ USA
| | - Kathryn A. Watt
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology; School of Biological Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh UK
| | - Jill G. Pilkington
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology; School of Biological Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh UK
| | - Josephine M. Pemberton
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology; School of Biological Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh UK
| | - Andrea L. Graham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Princeton University; Princeton NJ USA
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