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Łoś M, Smolak K, Mitrus C, Rohm W, Van de Weghe N, Sila-Nowicka K. The applicability of human mobility scaling laws on animals-A Herring Gull case study. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286239. [PMID: 37531341 PMCID: PMC10395819 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
With the development of sensors, recording and availability of high-resolution movement data from animals and humans, two disciplines have rapidly developed: human mobility and movement ecology. Addressing methodological gaps between these two mobility fields could improve the understanding of movement processes and has been defined as the Integrated Science of Movement. We apply well-known human mobility metrics and data processing methods to Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking data of European Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus) to test the usefulness of these methods for explaining animal mobility behavior. We use stop detection, spatial aggregation, and for the first time on animal movement data, two approaches to temporal aggregation (Next Time-Bin and Next Place). We also calculate from this data a set of movement statistics (visitation frequency, distinct locations over time, and radius of gyration). Furthermore, we analyze and compare the gull and human data from the perspective of scaling laws commonly used for human mobility. The results confirm those of previous studies and indicate differences in movement parameters between the breeding season and other parts of the year. This paper also shows that methods used in human mobility analysis have the potential to improve our understanding of animal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelina Łoś
- Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Kamil Smolak
- Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Cezary Mitrus
- Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Palaeontology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Witold Rohm
- Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | | | - Katarzyna Sila-Nowicka
- School of Environment, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
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2
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Gottwald J, Royauté R, Becker M, Geitz T, Höchst J, Lampe P, Leister L, Lindner K, Maier J, Rösner S, Schabo DG, Freisleben B, Brandl R, Müller T, Farwig N, Nauss T. Classifying the activity states of small vertebrates using automated
VHF
telemetry. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.14037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jannis Gottwald
- Department of Geography Philipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
| | - Raphaël Royauté
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung Frankfurt (Main) Germany
| | - Marcel Becker
- Department of Biology Philipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
| | - Tobias Geitz
- Department of Biology Philipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
| | - Jonas Höchst
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science Philipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
| | - Patrick Lampe
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science Philipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
| | - Lea Leister
- Department of Geography Philipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
| | - Kim Lindner
- Department of Biology Philipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
| | - Julia Maier
- Department of Geography Philipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
| | - Sascha Rösner
- Department of Biology Philipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
| | - Dana G. Schabo
- Department of Biology Philipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
| | - Bernd Freisleben
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science Philipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
| | - Roland Brandl
- Department of Biology Philipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
| | - Thomas Müller
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung Frankfurt (Main) Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences Goethe University Frankfurt Frankfurt (Main) Germany
| | - Nina Farwig
- Department of Biology Philipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
| | - Thomas Nauss
- Department of Geography Philipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany
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3
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Marsden GE, Schoeman MC, Vosloo D. Rewarming rates of seven insectivorous bat species along an altitudinal gradient in South Africa. J Therm Biol 2022; 110:103341. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2022.103341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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4
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Komar E, Fasel NJ, Szafrańska PA, Dechmann DKN, Zegarek M, Ruczyński I. Energy allocation shifts from sperm production to self-maintenance at low temperatures in male bats. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2138. [PMID: 35136106 PMCID: PMC8826387 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05896-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of animals to produce endogenous heat provides a buffer against environmental changes but also incurs high energetic costs. Especially small endothermic mammals have high energy demands. Some temperate-zone species (heterotherms) regularly use torpor, which slows down their entire metabolism but also potentially delays reproduction, to compensate for this. We used a unique experimental approach to test the consequences of extended low and high ambient temperatures on the trade-off in energy allocation to body mass maintenance, thermoregulation effort and seasonal sexual maturation in temperate zone male bats. We showed that long exposure to low ambient temperature shifts energy allocation away from sexual maturation to self-maintenance and results in a delay of sperm maturation by as much as an entire month. This effect was partially buffered by higher body mass. Heavier bats were able to afford more intensive thermoregulation and consequently speed up maturation. Interestingly, bats at constant high temperatures avoided deep torpor and matured faster than those at low temperatures, but sperm production was also slower than under natural conditions. Our results show that not only low, but also constant high ambient temperatures are detrimental during seasonal sexual maturation and the trade-off between investing into self-maintenance and fitness is a finely tuned compromise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Komar
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, Białowieża, Poland. .,Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warszawa, Poland.
| | - Nicolas J Fasel
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015, Biophore, Switzerland
| | - Paulina A Szafrańska
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, Białowieża, Poland
| | - D K N Dechmann
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, 78315, Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Marcin Zegarek
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Ireneusz Ruczyński
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, Białowieża, Poland
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5
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Erasmy M, Leuschner C, Balkenhol N, Dietz M. Three-dimensional stratification pattern in an old-growth lowland forest: How does height in canopy and season influence temperate bat activity? Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17273-17288. [PMID: 34938507 PMCID: PMC8668798 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of animal-habitat interactions is of primary importance for the formulation of conservation recommendations. Flying, gliding, and climbing animals have the ability to exploit their habitat in a three-dimensional way, and the vertical canopy structure in forests plays an essential role for habitat suitability. Forest bats as flying mammals may seasonally shift their microhabitat use due to differing energy demands or changing prey availability, but the patterns are not well understood. We investigated three-dimensional and seasonal habitat use by insectivorous bats in a temperate lowland old-growth forest, the Belovezhskaya Pushcha in Belarus. We acoustically sampled broadleaved and mixed coniferous plots in the forest interior and in gaps in three heights during two reproductive periods (pregnancy/lactation vs. postlactation). In canopy gaps, vertical stratification in bat activity was less pronounced than in the forest interior. Vertical activity patterns differed among species. The upper canopy levels were important foraging habitats for the open-space forager guild and for some edge-space foragers like the Barbastelle bat Barbastella barbastellus and the soprano pipistrelle Pipistrellus pygmaeus. Myotis species had highest activity levels near the ground in forest gaps. Moreover, we found species-dependent seasonal microhabitat shifts. Generally, all species and species groups considered except Myotis species showed higher activity levels during postlactation. Myotis species tended toward higher activity in the forest interior during postlactation. P. pygmaeus switched from high activity levels in the upper canopy during pregnancy and lactation to high activity levels near the ground during postlactation. We conclude that a full comprehension of forest bat habitat use is only possible when height in canopy and seasonal patterns are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maude Erasmy
- Plant Ecology and Ecosystems ResearchAlbrecht‐von‐Haller Institute for Plant SciencesUniversity of GoettingenGoettingenGermany
| | - Christoph Leuschner
- Plant Ecology and Ecosystems ResearchAlbrecht‐von‐Haller Institute for Plant SciencesUniversity of GoettingenGoettingenGermany
| | - Niko Balkenhol
- Wildlife SciencesFaculty of Forest SciencesUniversity of GoettingenGoettingenGermany
| | - Markus Dietz
- Institute for Animal Ecology and Nature EducationLaubachGermany
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Kotowska D, Zegarek M, Osojca G, Satory A, Pärt T, Żmihorski M. Spatial patterns of bat diversity overlap with woodpecker abundance. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9385. [PMID: 32596056 PMCID: PMC7306217 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Woodpecker diversity is usually higher in natural forests rich in dead wood and old trees than in managed ones, thus this group of birds is regarded as an indicator of forest biodiversity. Woodpeckers excavate cavities which can be subsequently used by several bird species. As a consequence, their abundance indicates high avian abundance and diversity in forests. However, woodpecker-made holes may be also important for other animals, for example, mammals but it has seldom been investigated so far. Here, we examine how well one species, the Great Spotted Woodpecker, predicts species richness, occurrence and acoustic activity of bats in Polish pine forests. In 2011 we conducted woodpecker and bat surveys at 63 point-count sites in forests that varied in terms of stand age, structure and amount of dead wood. From zero to five Great Spotted Woodpeckers at a point-count site were recorded. The total duration of the echolocation calls during a 10-min visit varied from 0 to 542 s and the number of bat species/species groups recorded during a visit ranged between zero to five. The local abundance of the woodpecker was positively correlated with bat species richness (on the verge of significance), bat occurrence and pooled bat activity. The occurrence of Eptesicus and Vespertilio bats and Nyctalus species was positively related with the abundance of the Great Spotted Woodpecker. The activity of Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Eptesicus and Vespertilio bats and a group of Myotis species was not associated with the woodpecker abundance, but echolocation calls of Nyctalus species, P. nathusii and P.pipistrellus were more often at sites with many Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Moreover, the probability of bat presence and the activity of bats was generally higher shortly after dusk and in middle of the summer than in late spring. We suggest that the observed correlations can be driven by similar roosting habitats (e.g., woodpeckers can provide breeding cavities for bats) or possibly by associated invertebrate food resources of woodpeckers and bats. The abundance of Great Spotted Woodpecker seems to be a good positive indicator of bat species richness, occurrence and activity, thus adding a group of relatively cryptic forest species that are indicated by the presence of the Great Spotted Woodpecker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Kotowska
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Marcin Zegarek
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Osojca
- Department of Management and Logistics, Helena Chodkowska University of Technology and Economics, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Tomas Pärt
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Michał Żmihorski
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland
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Ruczyński I, Bartoń KA. Seasonal changes and the influence of tree species and ambient temperature on the fission-fusion dynamics of tree-roosting bats. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02840-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Many species of bats live in dynamic associations in which individuals aggregate or split into smaller or larger groups, moving between roost sites, but factors influencing group size and roost switching decisions in bats living in fission-fusion societies are poorly understood. To test the extent to which fission-fusion dynamics are species-specific and shaped by environmental factors, we radio-tracked two closely related species: noctule bats Nyctalus noctula and Leisler’s bats N. leisleri in well-preserved, old-growth stands of the Białowieża Forest, where roost availability and diversity is high and bats can potentially freely exhibit fission-fusion behaviour. We estimated the number of bats per roost and noted the tree species selected as roost sites. We evaluated the influence of ambient temperature and roost tree species on bat group size and the process of roost switching, and their seasonal component. Our results revealed that bat group size showed species-specific differences in seasonal variation, relationship to ambient temperature and tree species. The number of noctule bats emerging from a roost was relatively stable with a weak tendency to decrease during the breeding season while the number of Leisler’s bats emerging from a roost increased when the juveniles started to be volant. Group size of noctule bats increased with ambient temperature. Leisler’s bats formed smaller colonies in oaks and ashes than in other tree species. Roost switching rate was associated with ambient temperature and tree species selected by the bats. The bats changed roosts more frequently when the minimum ambient temperature increased, and less often in ashes than in oaks and other tree species. Our results show that bat group size and roost switching behaviour are shaped by both environmental factors and the stage of reproduction.
Significance statement
Environmental factors may affect group size and roost switching behaviour of bats forming fission-fusion associations, but this is expected to vary depending on body size, environmental conditions, as well as seasonally. Few studies have explored this behaviour in tree-dwelling bats and examined how it differs between species. Here, we studied the group size dynamics and the process of roost switching in closely related bat species living in well-preserved, European old-growth forests, for which the knowledge of these patterns is particularly poor. We demonstrate for the first time that bat group size and roost switching rate relates to roost tree species selected by bats, the ambient temperature and varies seasonally, and that these effects are species-specific. The results point out the importance of the availability of suitable roost trees providing a range of microclimatic conditions for maintaining efficient fission-fusion dynamics throughout the reproductive period.
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8
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Komar E, Dechmann DKN, Fasel NJ, Zegarek M, Ruczyński I. Food restriction delays seasonal sexual maturation but does not increase torpor use in male bats. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb214825. [PMID: 32165436 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.214825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Balancing energy budgets can be challenging, especially in periods of food shortage, adverse weather conditions and increased energy demand due to reproduction. Bats have particularly high energy demands compared to other mammals and regularly use torpor to save energy. However, while torpor limits energy expenditure, it can also downregulate important processes, such as sperm production. This constraint could result in a trade-off between energy saving and future reproductive capacity. We mimicked harsh conditions by restricting food and tested the effect on changes in body mass, torpor use and seasonal sexual maturation in male parti-coloured bats (Vespertilio murinus). Food-restricted individuals managed to maintain their initial body mass, while in well-fed males, mass increased. Interestingly, despite large differences in food availability, there were only small differences in torpor patterns. However, well-fed males reached sexual maturity up to half a month earlier. Our results thus reveal a complex trade-off in resource allocation; independent of resource availability, males maintain a similar thermoregulation strategy and favour fast sexual maturation, but limited resources and low body mass moderate this latter process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Komar
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland
| | - Dina K N Dechmann
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, D-78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Nicolas J Fasel
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marcin Zegarek
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland
| | - Ireneusz Ruczyński
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland
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Salinas‐Ramos VB, Ancillotto L, Bosso L, Sánchez‐Cordero V, Russo D. Interspecific competition in bats: state of knowledge and research challenges. Mamm Rev 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Valeria B. Salinas‐Ramos
- Wildlife Research Unit Dipartimento di Agraria Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II via Università 100 80055 Portici Napoli Italy
| | - Leonardo Ancillotto
- Wildlife Research Unit Dipartimento di Agraria Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II via Università 100 80055 Portici Napoli Italy
| | - Luciano Bosso
- Wildlife Research Unit Dipartimento di Agraria Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II via Università 100 80055 Portici Napoli Italy
| | - Víctor Sánchez‐Cordero
- Laboratorio de Sistemas de Información Geográfica Departamento de Zoología Instituto de Biología Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Av. Universidad 04510 Ciudad de México México
| | - Danilo Russo
- Wildlife Research Unit Dipartimento di Agraria Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II via Università 100 80055 Portici Napoli Italy
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10
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Hałat Z, Dechmann DKN, Zegarek M, Visser AEJ, Ruczyński I. Sociality and insect abundance affect duration of nocturnal activity of male parti-colored bats. J Mammal 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyy141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Zuzanna Hałat
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Dina K N Dechmann
- Department of Immuno-ecology and Migration, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Marcin Zegarek
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Annemiek E J Visser
- Van Hall Larenstein, University of Applied Sciences, Agora, CJ Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - Ireneusz Ruczyński
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek, Białowieża, Poland
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