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Zhang T, Xu Y, Ran J. Quantitative evaluation of the global impacts of human land modification on raptors. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14228. [PMID: 38441344 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14228] [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: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Raptors are threatened by anthropogenic land modifications, but targeted quantitative assessment of these impacts is lacking. We conducted the first global quantitative evaluation of the impacts of human-modified land on raptors. We used eBird data from 2001 to 2020 on 425 raptor species and occupancy models to assess the impacts of human-modified land on raptor distribution. The mean spatiotemporal correlations of human settlement, cropland, and pasture with raptor occupancy probability were -0.048 (SE 0.031), -0.134 (0.032), and -0.145 (0.032), respectively. The mean sensitivity of raptor occupancy probability to settlement, cropland, and pasture was -5.760 (2.266), -3.128 (1.540), and -2.402 (1.551), respectively. The occupancy probability of raptors with a large body mass was more negatively correlated with cropland (phylogenetic generalized least squares regressions: slope = -0.052 [SE 0.022], t = -2.335, df = 1, 407, p = 0.020, λ = 0.006) and more positively correlated with pasture (slope = 0.047 [0.022], t = 2.118, df = 1, 407, p = 0.035, λ = 0.013). The occupancy probability of raptors with a more extensive range size was more positively correlated with cropland (slope = 0.002 [0.004], t = 0.399, df = 1, 407, p < 0.001, λ = 0.000). Raptors that prefer open habitats were more positively correlated with cropland (analysis of variance: F = 3.424, df = 2, p = 0.034, λ = 0.000) and pasture (F = 6.577, df = 2, p = 0.002, λ = 0.000). In Africa and South America, where raptor species are most abundant, raptor occupancy probability decreased over 20 years, most likely due to habitat fragmentation associated with human land modification. Although raptors with different ecological characteristics had different responses to human land modification, the impacts of settlement, cropland, and pasture on mean raptor occupancy probability were negative, regardless of space and time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taxing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology on Endangered Wildlife, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yu Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jianghong Ran
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology on Endangered Wildlife, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Hussain ST, Baumann C. The human side of biodiversity: coevolution of the human niche, palaeo-synanthropy and ecosystem complexity in the deep human past. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230021. [PMID: 38583478 PMCID: PMC10999276 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Today's biodiversity crisis fundamentally threatens the habitability of the planet, thus ranking among the primary human challenges of our time. Much emphasis is currently placed on the loss of biodiversity in the Anthropocene, yet these debates often portray biodiversity as a purely natural phenomenon without much consideration of its human dimensions and frequently lack long-term vistas. This paper offers a deep-time perspective on the key role of the evolving human niche in ecosystem functioning and biodiversity dynamics. We summarize research on past hunter-gatherer ecosystem contributions and argue that human-environment feedback systems with important biodiversity consequences are probably a recurrent feature of the Late Pleistocene, perhaps with even deeper roots. We update current understandings of the human niche in this light and suggest that the formation of palaeo-synanthropic niches in other animals proffers a powerful model system to investigate recursive interactions of foragers and ecosystems. Archaeology holds important knowledge here and shows that ecosystem contributions vary greatly in relation to different human lifeways, some of which are lost today. We therefore recommend paying more attention to the intricate relationship between biodiversity and cultural diversity, contending that promotion of the former depends on fostering the latter. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ecological novelty and planetary stewardship: biodiversity dynamics in a transforming biosphere'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shumon T. Hussain
- MESH – Center for Multidisciplinary Environmental Studies in the Humanities & Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, Weyertal 59, 50937 Cologne, Germany
- Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, Aarhus University, Moesgård Allé 20, 8270 Højbjerg, Denmark
- BIOCHANGE – Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Chris Baumann
- Biogeology Research Group, Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Hölderlinstrasse 12, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, PL 64 (Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2), 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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Faull J, Conteddu K, Griffin LL, Amin B, Smith AF, Haigh A, Ciuti S. Do human-wildlife interactions predict offspring hiding strategies in peri-urban fallow deer? ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231470. [PMID: 38511083 PMCID: PMC10951722 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Human activities can induce significant behavioural changes in wildlife. Often explored through extractive interactions (e.g. hunting) that can favour certain behavioural traits, the implications of non-extractive ones, such as wildlife feeding, remain understudied. Research shows that people tend to favour bolder individuals within populations despite their dynamics and consequences being unclear. Using fallow deer in a peri-urban environment, we studied whether mothers that show reduced fear of humans and consistently approach them for food adopt weaker anti-predator strategies by selecting less concealed fawning bedsites closer to human hotspots. This would provide the advantage of additional feeding opportunities in comparison with shyer mothers while keeping their fawns close. Our dataset encompassed 281 capture events of 172 fawns from 110 mothers across 4 years. Surprisingly, mothers that regularly accepted food from humans selected more concealed bedsites farther from human hotspots, giving their offspring better protection while also benefitting from additional food during lactation. Our results show behavioural adaptations by a subset of females and, for the first time, link the tendency to approach humans and strategies to protect offspring. Given previous findings that these begging females also deliver heavier fawns at birth, our research further investigates human-wildlife feeding interactions and their behavioural implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Faull
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin4, Ireland
| | - Kimberly Conteddu
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin4, Ireland
| | - Laura L. Griffin
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin4, Ireland
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, 2424 Main, Mall, VancouverV6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Bawan Amin
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin4, Ireland
| | - Adam F. Smith
- The Frankfurt Zoological Society, Frankfurt, Germany
- Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Amy Haigh
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin4, Ireland
| | - Simone Ciuti
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin4, Ireland
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Leighton GRM, Froneman PW, Serieys LEK, Bishop JM. Sustained use of marine subsidies promotes niche expansion in a wild felid. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 914:169912. [PMID: 38184259 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.169912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
The use of marine subsidies by terrestrial predators can facilitate substantial transfer of nutrients between marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Marine resource subsidies may have profound effects on predator ecology, influencing population and niche dynamics. Expanding niches of top consumers can impact ecosystem resilience and interspecific interactions, affecting predator-prey dynamics and competition. We investigate the occurrence, importance, and impact of marine resources on trophic ecology and niche dynamics in a highly generalist predator, the caracal (Caracal caracal), on the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. Caracals have flexible diets, feeding across a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic prey. We use carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis of fur samples (n = 75) to understand trophic position and niche shifts in coastal and inland foragers, as well as the implications of a diet rich in marine resources. We found significant differences in isotope signatures between these groups, with higher δ13C (P < 0.05) and δ15N values (P < 0.01) in coastal foragers. Isotope mixing models reveal that these elevated signatures were due to non-terrestrial food subsidies, where approximately a third of coastal foraging caracal diet comprised marine prey. The addition of marine prey species to diet increased both the trophic level and isotope niche size of coastal foraging caracals, with potential impacts on prey populations and competition. Our results suggest that marine prey are an important dietary resource for coastal foraging caracals, where seabirds, including two endangered species, are a major component of their diet. However, there are likely risks associated with these resource benefits, as routine consumption of seabirds is linked with higher pollutant burdens, particularly metals. Increased encounters between this terrestrial predator and seabirds may be a result of increased mainland colonies due to changes in habitat availability and the highly opportunistic and generalist foraging behaviour of a native predator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella R M Leighton
- 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.
| | - P William Froneman
- 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, NY, New York, 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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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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Serieys LE, Bishop JM, Rogan MS, Smith JA, Suraci JP, O’Riain MJ, Wilmers CC. Anthropogenic activities and age class mediate carnivore habitat selection in a human-dominated landscape. iScience 2023; 26:107050. [PMID: 37534145 PMCID: PMC10391726 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Human activities increasingly challenge wild animal populations by disrupting ecological connectivity and population persistence. Yet, human-modified habitats can provide resources, resulting in selection of disturbed areas by generalist species. To investigate spatial and temporal responses of a generalist carnivore to human disturbance, we investigated habitat selection and diel activity patterns in caracals (Caracal caracal). We GPS-collared 25 adults and subadults in urban and wildland-dominated subregions in Cape Town, South Africa. Selection responses for landscape variables were dependent on subregion, animal age class, and diel period. Contrary to expectations, caracals did not become more nocturnal in urban areas. Caracals increased their selection for proximity to urban areas as the proportion of urban area increased. Differences in habitat selection between urban and wildland caracals suggest that individuals of this generalist species exhibit high behavioral flexibility in response to anthropogenic disturbances that emerge as a function of habitat context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel E.K. Serieys
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Panthera, New York, NY 10018, USA
- Cape Leopard Trust, Cape Town 7966, South Africa
| | - Jacqueline M. Bishop
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Matthew S. Rogan
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
- Natural State, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Justine A. Smith
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Justin P. Suraci
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Conservation Science Partners, Inc. Truckee, CA 96161, USA
| | - M. Justin O’Riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Christopher C. Wilmers
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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Headland T, Colombelli-Négrel D, Callaghan CT, Sumasgutner SC, Kleindorfer S, Sumasgutner P. Smaller Australian raptors have greater urban tolerance. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11559. [PMID: 37463922 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38493-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Urbanisation is occurring around the world at a rapid rate and is generally associated with negative impacts on biodiversity at local, regional, and global scales. Examining the behavioural response profiles of wildlife to urbanisation helps differentiate between species that do or do not show adaptive responses to changing landscapes and hence are more or less likely to persist in such environments. Species-specific responses to urbanisation are poorly understood in the Southern Hemisphere compared to the Northern Hemisphere, where most of the published literature is focussed. This is also true for raptors, despite their high diversity and comparably high conservation concern in the Southern Hemisphere, and their critical role within ecosystems as bioindicators of environmental health. Here, we explore this knowledge gap using community science data sourced from eBird to investigate the urban tolerance of 24 Australian raptor species at a continental scale. We integrated eBird data with a global continuous measure of urbanisation, artificial light at night (ALAN), to derive an urban tolerance index, ranking species from positive to negative responses according to their tolerance of urban environments. We then gathered trait data from the published literature to assess whether certain traits (body mass, nest substrate, habitat type, feeding guild, and migratory status) were associated with urban tolerance. Body size was negatively associated with urban tolerance, as smaller raptors had greater urban tolerance than larger raptors. Out of the 24 species analysed, 13 species showed tolerance profiles for urban environments (positive response), and 11 species showed avoidance profiles for urban environments (negative response). The results of this study provide impetus to conserve native habitat and improve urban conditions for larger-bodied raptor species to conserve Australian raptor diversity in an increasingly urbanised world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Headland
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | | | - Corey T Callaghan
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, 33314-7719, USA
| | - Shane C Sumasgutner
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P/Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center (KLF), Core Facility for Behavior and Cognition, Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Fischerau 13, 4645, Grünau/Almtal, Austria
| | - Sonia Kleindorfer
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center (KLF), Core Facility for Behavior and Cognition, Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Fischerau 13, 4645, Grünau/Almtal, Austria
| | - Petra Sumasgutner
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center (KLF), Core Facility for Behavior and Cognition, Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Fischerau 13, 4645, Grünau/Almtal, Austria.
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Parker KH, Bishop JM, Serieys LEK, Mateo R, Camarero PR, Leighton GRM. A heavy burden: Metal exposure across the land-ocean continuum in an adaptable carnivore. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 327:121585. [PMID: 37040831 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Urbanisation and associated anthropogenic activities release large quantities of toxic metals and metalloids into the environment, where they may bioaccumulate and threaten both wildlife and human health. In highly transformed landscapes, terrestrial carnivores may be at increased risk of exposure through biomagnification. We quantified metallic element and metalloid exposure in blood of caracals (Caracal caracal), an adaptable felid inhabiting the rapidly urbanising, coastal metropole of Cape Town, South Africa. Using redundancy analysis and mixed-effect models, we explored the influence of demography, landscape use, and diet on the concentration of 11 metals and metalloids. Although species-specific toxic thresholds are lacking, arsenic (As) and chromium (Cr) were present at potentially sublethal levels in several individuals. Increased use of human-transformed landscapes, particularly urban areas, roads, and vineyards, was significantly associated with increased exposure to aluminium (Al), cobalt (Co) and lead (Pb). Foraging closer to the coast and within aquatic food webs was associated with increased levels of mercury (Hg), selenium (Se) and arsenic, where regular predation on seabirds and waterbirds likely facilitates transfer of metals from aquatic to terrestrial food webs. Further, several elements were linked to lower haemoglobin levels (chromium, mercury, manganese, and zinc) and elevated levels of infection-fighting cells (mercury and selenium). Our results highlight the importance of anthropogenic activities as major environmental sources of metal contamination in terrestrial wildlife, including exposure across the land-ocean continuum. These findings contribute towards the growing evidence suggesting cities are particularly toxic areas for wildlife. Co-exposure to a suite of metal pollutants may threaten the long-term health and persistence of Cape Town's caracal population in unexpected ways, particularly when interacting with additional known pollutant and pathogen exposure. The caracal is a valuable sentinel for assessing metal exposure and can be used in pollution monitoring programmes to mitigate exposure and promote biodiversity conservation in human-dominated landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim H Parker
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jacqueline M Bishop
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Laurel E K Serieys
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Panthera, New York, NY, USA; Cape Leopard Trust, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Rafael Mateo
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC-CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Pablo R Camarero
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC-CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Gabriella R M Leighton
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.
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Brown N, Escobar LE. A review of the diet of the common vampire bat ( Desmodus rotundus) in the context of anthropogenic change. Mamm Biol 2023; 103:1-21. [PMID: 37363038 PMCID: PMC10258787 DOI: 10.1007/s42991-023-00358-3] [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: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) maintains a diverse, sanguivorous diet, utilizing a broad range of prey taxa. As anthropogenic change alters the distribution of this species, shifts in predator-prey interactions are expected. Understanding prey richness and patterns of prey selection is, thus, increasingly informative from ecological, epidemiological, and economic perspectives. We reviewed D. rotundus diet and assessed the geographical, taxonomical, and behavioral features to find 63 vertebrate species within 21 orders and 45 families constitute prey, including suitable host species in regions of invasion outside D. rotundus' range. Rodentia contained the largest number of species utilized by D. rotundus, though cattle were the most commonly reported prey source, likely linked to the high availability of livestock and visibility of bite wounds compared to wildlife. Additionally, there was tendency to predate upon species with diurnal activity and social behavior, potentially facilitating convenient and nocturnal predation. Our review highlights the dietary heterogeneity of D. rotundus across its distribution. We define D. rotundus as a generalist predator, or parasite, depending on the ecological definition of its symbiont roles in an ecosystem (i.e., lethal vs. non-lethal blood consumption). In view of the eminent role of D. rotundus in rabies virus transmission and its range expansion, an understanding of its ecology would benefit public health, wildlife management, and agriculture. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42991-023-00358-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Brown
- Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA USA
| | - Luis E. Escobar
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA USA
- Global Change Center, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA USA
- Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA USA
- Doctorado en Agrociencias, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad de La Salle, Carrera 7 No. 179-03, Bogotá, Colombia
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SIMONS ARIELLEVI, CALDWELL STEVIE, FU MICHELLE, GALLEGOS JOSE, GATHERU MICHAEL, RICCARDELLI LAURA, TRUONG NHI, VIERA VALERIA. Constructing ecological indices for urban environments using species distribution models. Urban Ecosyst 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-022-01265-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIn an increasingly urbanized world, there is a need to study urban areas as their own class of ecosystems as well as assess the impacts of anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity. However, collecting a sufficient number of species observations to estimate patterns of biodiversity in a city can be costly. Here we investigated the use of community science-based data on species occurrences, combined with species distribution models (SDMs), built using MaxEnt and remotely-sensed measures of the environment, to predict the distribution of a number of species across the urban environment of Los Angeles. By selecting species with the most accurate SDMs, and then summarizing these by class, we were able to produce two species richness models (SRMs) to predict biodiversity patterns for species in the class Aves and Magnoliopsida and how they respond to a variety of natural and anthropogenic environmental gradients.We found that species considered native to Los Angeles tend to have significantly more accurate SDMs than their non-native counterparts. For all species considered in this study we found environmental variables describing anthropogenic activities, such as housing density and alterations to land cover, tend to be more influential than natural factors, such as terrain and proximity to freshwater, in shaping SDMs. Using a random forest model we found our SRMs could account for approximately 54% and 62% of the predicted variation in species richness for species in the classes Aves and Magnoliopsida respectively. Using community science-based species occurrences, SRMs can be used to model patterns of urban biodiversity and assess the roles of environmental factors in shaping them.
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Bar-Ziv E, Picardi S, Kaplan A, Avgar T, Berger-Tal O. Sex Differences Dictate the Movement Patterns of Striped Hyenas, Hyaena hyaena, in a Human-Dominated Landscape. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.897132] [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
Large-carnivore populations have experienced significant declines in the past centuries in extended parts of the world. Habitat loss, fragmentation, and depletion of natural resources are some of the main causes of this decline. Consequently, behavioral flexibility, enabling the exploitation of anthropogenic food resources in highly disturbed human-dominated landscapes, is becoming critical for the survival of large carnivores. These behavioral changes increase the potential for human-large carnivore conflict and can further intensify carnivore persecution. Here, we examine how land cover types (representing a gradient of anthropogenic disturbance) alter the behavior of striped hyenas (Hyaena hyaena) in a human-dominated landscape in Israel, and whether differences in life history between males and females affect their reaction to such disturbances and consequently their level of exposure to humans. We used a Hidden Markov Model on GPS-tracking data for seven striped hyenas to segment individual-night trajectories into behavioral states (resting, searching, and traveling). We then used multinomial logistic regression to model hyenas’ behavioral state as a function of the interaction between land cover and sex. Females traveled less than males both in terms of average distance traveled per hour, per night, and nightly net displacement. Most steps were classified as “searching” for females and as “traveling” for males. Female hyenas spent a higher proportion of time in human-dominated areas and a lower proportion in natural areas compared to males, and they were also more likely to be found close to settlements than males. Females changed their time allocation between natural and human-dominated areas, spending more time resting than traveling in natural areas but not in human-dominated ones; males spent more time searching than resting in human-dominated areas but were equally likely to rest or search in natural ones. The differences in life history between male and female hyenas may reflect different motivations for space use as a means to optimize fitness, which affects their exposure to humans and therefore their potential involvement in human-hyenas conflict. Understanding the mechanisms that lead to behavioral change in response to human disturbance is important for adaptive management and promoting human large-carnivores co-existence in general.
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12
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Boucher NP, Anderson M, Ladle A, Procter C, Marshall S, Kuzyk G, Starzomski BM, Fisher JT. Cumulative effects of widespread landscape change alter predator-prey dynamics. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11692. [PMID: 35804035 PMCID: PMC9270463 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15001-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Predator search efficiency can be enhanced by anthropogenic landscape change, leading to increased predator–prey encounters and subsequent prey population declines. Logging increases early successional vegetation, providing ungulate forage. This increased forage, however, is accompanied by linear feature networks that increase predator hunting efficiency by facilitating predator movement and increasing prey vulnerability. We used integrated step selection analyses to weigh support for multiple hypotheses representing the combined impact of logging features (cutblocks and linear features) on wolf (Canis lupus) movement and habitat selection in interior British Columbia. Further, we examine the relationship between logging and wolf kill-sites of moose (Alces alces) identified using spatiotemporal wolf location cluster analysis. Wolves selected for linear features, which increased their movement rates. New (0–8 years since harvest) cutblocks were selected by wolves. Moose kill-sites had a higher probability of occurring in areas with higher proportions of new and regenerating (9–24 years since harvest) cutblocks. The combined selection and movement responses by wolves to logging features, coupled with increased moose mortality sites associated with cutblocks, indicate that landscape change increases risk for moose. Cumulative effects of landscape change contribute to moose population declines, stressing the importance of cohesive management and restoration of anthropogenic features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole P Boucher
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada.
| | - Morgan Anderson
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, 2000 South Ospika Boulevard, Prince George, BC, V2N 4W5, Canada
| | - Andrew Ladle
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Chris Procter
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, 1259 Dalhousie Drive, Kamloops, BC, V2C 5Z5, Canada
| | - Shelley Marshall
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 6J9, Canada
| | - Gerald Kuzyk
- Government of Saskatchewan Fish, Wildlife and Lands Branch, Ministry of Environment, Unit #1-101 Railway Place, Box 607, Meadow Lake, SK, S9X 1Y5, Canada
| | - Brian M Starzomski
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Jason T Fisher
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada
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13
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Leighton GRM, Bishop JM, Camarero PR, Mateo R, O'Riain MJ, Serieys LEK. Poisoned chalice: Use of transformed landscapes associated with increased persistent organic pollutant concentrations and potential immune effects for an adaptable carnivore. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 822:153581. [PMID: 35104517 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife around cities bioaccumulate multiple harmful environmental pollutants associated with human activities. Exposure severity can vary based on foraging behaviour and habitat use, which can be examined to elucidate exposure pathways. Carnivores can play vital roles in ecosystem stability but are particularly vulnerable to bioaccumulation of pollutants. Understanding the spatial and dietary predictors of these contaminants can inform pollutant control, and carnivores, at the top of food webs, can act as useful indicator species. We test for exposure to toxic organochlorines (OCs), including dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), in a medium-sized felid, the caracal (Caracal caracal), across the peri-urban and agricultural landscapes of the city of Cape Town, South Africa. Concentrations in both blood (n = 69) and adipose tissue (n = 25) were analysed along with detailed spatial, dietary, demographic, and physiological data to assess OC sources and exposure risk. The analysis revealed widespread exposure of Cape Town's caracals to organochlorines: detection rate was 100% for PCBs and 83% for DDTs in blood, and 100% for both compounds in adipose. Caracals using human-transformed areas, such as vineyards and areas with higher human population and electrical transformer density, as well as wetland areas, had higher organochlorine burdens. These landscapes were also highly selected foraging areas, suggesting caracals are drawn into areas that co-incidentally increase their risk of exposure to these pollutants. Further, biomagnification potential was higher in individuals feeding on higher trophic level prey and on exotic prey. These findings point to bioaccumulation of OC toxicants and widespread exposure across local food webs. Additionally, we report possible physiological effects of exposure, including elevated white blood cell and platelet count, suggesting a degree of immunological response that may increase disease susceptibility. Cape Town's urban fringes likely represent a source of toxic chemicals for wildlife and require focused attention and action to ensure persistence of this adaptable mesocarnivore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella R M Leighton
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Jacqueline M Bishop
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Pablo R Camarero
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC - CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Rafael Mateo
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC - CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - M Justin O'Riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Laurel E K Serieys
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Cape Leopard Trust, Cape Town, South Africa; Panthera, NY, New York, USA
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14
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Gámez S, Potts A, Mills KL, Allen AA, Holman A, Randon PM, Linson O, Harris NC. Downtown diet: a global meta-analysis of increased urbanization on the diets of vertebrate predators. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212487. [PMID: 35232241 PMCID: PMC8889190 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Predation is a fundamental ecological process that shapes communities and drives evolutionary dynamics. As the world rapidly urbanizes, it is critical to understand how human perturbations alter predation and meat consumption across taxa. We conducted a meta-analysis to quantify the effects of urban environments on three components of trophic ecology in predators: dietary species richness, dietary evenness and stable isotopic ratios (IRs) (δ13C and δ15N IR). We evaluated whether the intensity of anthropogenic pressure, using the human footprint index (HFI), explained variation in effect sizes of dietary attributes using a meta-regression. We calculated Hedges' g effect sizes from 44 studies including 11 986 samples across 40 predatory species in 39 cities globally. The direction and magnitude of effect sizes varied among predator taxa with reptilian diets exhibiting the most sensitivity to urbanization. Effect sizes revealed that predators in cities had comparable diet richness, evenness and nitrogen ratios, though carbon IRs were more enriched in cities. We found that neither the 1993 nor 2009 HFI editions explained effect size variation. Our study provides, to our knowledge, the first assessment of how urbanization has perturbed predator-prey interactions for multiple taxa at a global scale. We conclude that the functional role of predators is conserved in cities and urbanization does not inherently relax predation, despite diets broadening to include anthropogenic food sources such as sugar, wheat and corn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siria Gámez
- Applied Wildlife Ecology Laboratory, School of the Environment, Yale University, 195 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Abigail Potts
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 500 S State Street #2005, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Kirby L Mills
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 500 S State Street #2005, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Aurelia A Allen
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 500 S State Street #2005, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Allyson Holman
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, 500 S State Street #2005, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Peggy M Randon
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 500 S State Street #2005, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Olivia Linson
- College of Literature, Science and the Arts, University of Michigan, 500 S State Street #2005, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Nyeema C Harris
- Applied Wildlife Ecology Laboratory, School of the Environment, Yale University, 195 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
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15
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Suraci JP, Smith JA, Chamaillé‐Jammes S, Gaynor KM, Jones M, Luttbeg B, Ritchie EG, Sheriff MJ, Sih A. Beyond spatial overlap: harnessing new technologies to resolve the complexities of predator–prey interactions. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Justine A. Smith
- Dept of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, Univ. of California Davis CA USA
| | - Simon Chamaillé‐Jammes
- CEFE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
- Mammal Research Inst., Dept of Zoology&Entomology, Univ. of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
| | - Kaitlyn M. Gaynor
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Univ. of California Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Menna Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, Univ. of Tasmania Tasmania Australia
| | - Barney Luttbeg
- Dept of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State Univ. Stillwater OK USA
| | - Euan G. Ritchie
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin Univ. Burwood VIC Australia
| | | | - Andrew Sih
- Dept of Environmental Science and Policy, Univ. of California Davis CA USA
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16
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Amelot M, Plard F, Guinet C, Arnould JPY, Gasco N, Tixier P. Increasing numbers of killer whale individuals use fisheries as feeding opportunities within subantarctic populations. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20210328. [PMID: 35104426 PMCID: PMC8807058 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Fisheries can generate feeding opportunities for large marine predators in the form of discards or accessible catch. How the use of this anthropogenic food may spread as a new behaviour, across individuals within populations over time, is poorly understood. This study used a 16-year (2003-2018) monitoring of two killer whale Orcinus orca subantarctic populations (regular and Type-D at Crozet), and Bayesian multistate capture-mark-recapture models, to assess temporal changes in the number of individuals feeding on fish caught on hooks ('depredation' behaviour) of a fishery started in 1996. For both populations, the number of depredating individuals increased during the study period (34 to 94 for regular; 17 to 43 for Type-D). Increasing abundance is unlikely to account for this and, rather, the results suggest depredation was acquired by increasing numbers of existing individuals. For regular killer whales, a plateau reached from 2014 suggests that it took 18 years for the behaviour to spread across the whole population. A more recent plateau was apparent for Type-Ds but additional years are needed to confirm this. These findings show how changes in prey availability caused by human activities lead to rapid, yet progressive, innovations in killer whales, likely altering the ecological role of this top-predator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Amelot
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering and the Built Environment, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia,Wageningen Marine Research, Haringkade 1, CP 1976 IJmuiden, The Netherlands,Unite Halieutique de Manche Mer du Nord, Ifremer, avenue du General de Gaulle, 14520 Port-en-Bessin-Huppain, France
| | - Floriane Plard
- Department of Aquaculture and Fish Biology, Hólar University, Háeyri 1, Sauðárkrókur 550, Iceland
| | - Christophe Guinet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 La Rochelle Université – CNRS, Villiers-en-Bois 79360, France
| | - John P. Y. Arnould
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering and the Built Environment, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia
| | - Nicolas Gasco
- Laboratoire de Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), MNHN, CNRS, IRD, SU, UCN, UA, Paris 75005, France
| | - Paul Tixier
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering and the Built Environment, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia,Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 La Rochelle Université – CNRS, Villiers-en-Bois 79360, France,MARBEC Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IFREMER-IRD, avenue Jean Monnet CS 30171, Sète 34203, France
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17
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Duncan TA, Fleming PA, Dawson SJ. Diet of dingoes in the West Kimberley, and the impact of linear clearing. AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1071/am21016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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18
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Cryan PM, Gorresen PM, Straw BR, Thao S(S, DeGeorge E. Influencing Activity of Bats by Dimly Lighting Wind Turbine Surfaces with Ultraviolet Light. Animals (Basel) 2021; 12:ani12010009. [PMID: 35011115 PMCID: PMC8744972 DOI: 10.3390/ani12010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Bats often fly near wind turbines. The fatalities associated with this behavior continue to be an issue for wind energy development and wildlife conservation. We tested an experimental method intended to reduce bat fatalities at the wind turbines. We assumed that bats navigate over long distances at night by dim-light vision and might be dissuaded from approaching artificially lit structures. For over a year, we experimentally lit wind turbines at night with dim, flickering ultraviolet (UV) light while measuring the presence and activity of bats, birds, and insects with thermal-imaging cameras. We detected no statistical differences in the activity of the bats, insects, or birds at a test turbine when lit with UV light compared with that of unlit nights. Additional experiments to test this or other possible bat-deterrence methods may benefit from considering subtle measures of animal response that can provide useful information on the possible behavioral effects of fatality-reduction experiments. Abstract Wind energy producers need deployable devices for wind turbines that prevent bat fatalities. Based on the speculation that bats approach turbines after visually mistaking them for trees, we tested a potential light-based deterrence method. It is likely that the affected bats see ultraviolet (UV) light at low intensities. Here, we present the results of a multi-month experiment to cast dim, flickering UV light across wind turbine surfaces at night. Our objectives were to refine and test a practical system for dimly UV-illuminating turbines while testing whether the experimental UV treatment influenced the activity of bats, birds, and insects. We mounted upward-facing UV light arrays on turbines and used thermal-imaging cameras to quantify the presence and activity of night-flying animals. The results demonstrated that the turbines can be lit to the highest reaches of the blades with “invisible” UV light, and the animal responses to such experimental treatment can be concurrently monitored. The UV treatment did not significantly change nighttime bat, insect, or bird activity at the wind turbine. Our findings show how observing flying animals with thermal cameras at night can help test emerging technologies intended to variably affect their behaviors around wind turbines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M. Cryan
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Paulo M. Gorresen
- Hawaii Cooperative Studies Unit, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, HI 96720, USA;
- USGS Pacific Island Ecosystems Science Center, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hilo, HI 96718, USA
| | - Bethany R. Straw
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA;
| | - Syhoune (Simon) Thao
- U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, National Wind Technology Center, Boulder, CO 80007, USA; (S.T.); (E.D.)
| | - Elise DeGeorge
- U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, National Wind Technology Center, Boulder, CO 80007, USA; (S.T.); (E.D.)
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19
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Fardell LL, Nano CEM, Pavey CR, Dickman CR. Small Prey Animal Habitat Use in Landscapes of Fear: Effects of Predator Presence and Human Activity Along an Urban Disturbance Gradient. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.750094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Human activity can impose additional stressors to wildlife, both directly and indirectly, including through the introduction of predators and influences on native predators. As urban and adjacent environments are becoming increasingly valuable habitat for wildlife, it is important to understand how susceptible taxa, like small prey animals, persist in urban environments under such additional stressors. Here, in order to determine how small prey animals’ foraging patterns change in response to habitat components and distances to predators and human disturbances, we used filmed giving-up density (GUD) trials under natural conditions along an urban disturbance gradient. We then ran further GUD trials with the addition of experimentally introduced stressors of: the odors of domestic cat (Felis catus)/red fox (Vulpes vulpes) as predator cues, light and sound as human disturbance cues, and their combinations. Small mammals were mostly observed foraging in the GUD trials, and to a lesser degree birds. Animals responded to proximity to predators and human disturbances when foraging under natural conditions, and used habitat components differently based on these distances. Along the urban disturbance gradient situation-specific responses were evident and differed under natural conditions compared to additional stressor conditions. The combined predator with human disturbance treatments resulted in responses of higher perceived risk at environments further from houses. Animals at the urban-edge environment foraged more across the whole site under the additional stressor conditions, but under natural conditions perceived less risk when foraging near predators and further from human disturbance (houses). Contrastingly, at the environments further from houses, foraging near human disturbance (paths/roads) when close to a predator was perceived as lower risk, but when foraging under introduced stressor conditions these disturbances were perceived as high risk. We propose that sensory and behavioral mechanisms, and stress exposure best explain our findings. Our results indicate that habitat components could be managed to reduce the impacts of high predation pressure and human activity in disturbed environments.
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20
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Leighton GRM, Bishop JM, Merondun J, Winterton DJ, O’Riain MJ, Serieys LEK. Hiding in plain sight: risk mitigation by a cryptic carnivore foraging at the urban edge. Anim Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella R. M. Leighton
- Department of Biological Sciences Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Jacqueline M. Bishop
- Department of Biological Sciences Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Justin Merondun
- Division of Evolutionary Biology Faculty of Biology LMU Munich Planegg‐Martinsried Germany
| | | | - M. Justin O’Riain
- Department of Biological Sciences Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Laurel E. K. Serieys
- Department of Biological Sciences Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
- Cape Leopard Trust Cape Town South Africa
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21
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Sabal MC, Boyce MS, Charpentier CL, Furey NB, Luhring TM, Martin HW, Melnychuk MC, Srygley RB, Wagner CM, Wirsing AJ, Ydenberg RC, Palkovacs EP. Predation landscapes influence migratory prey ecology and evolution. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:737-749. [PMID: 33994219 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Migratory prey experience spatially variable predation across their life cycle. They face unique challenges in navigating this predation landscape, which affects their perception of risk, antipredator responses, and resulting mortality. Variable and unfamiliar predator cues during migration can limit accurate perception of risk and migrants often rely on social information and learning to compensate. The energetic demands of migration constrain antipredator responses, often through context-dependent patterns. While migration can increase mortality, migrants employ diverse strategies to balance risks and rewards, including life history and antipredator responses. Humans interact frequently with migratory prey across space and alter both mortality risk and antipredator responses, which can scale up to affect migratory populations and should be considered in conservation and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan C Sabal
- University of California Santa Cruz, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA.
| | - Mark S Boyce
- University of Alberta, Department of Biological Sciences, Edmonton T6G 2E9, Canada
| | | | - Nathan B Furey
- University of New Hampshire, Department of Biological Sciences, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Thomas M Luhring
- Wichita State University, Department of Biological Sciences, Wichita, KS 67260, USA
| | - Hans W Martin
- University of Montana, Wildlife Biology Program, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Michael C Melnychuk
- University of Washington, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Robert B Srygley
- Pest Management Research Unit, Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Sidney, MT 59270, USA; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apdo. 0843-03092, Panamá, República de Panamá
| | - C Michael Wagner
- Michigan State University, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Aaron J Wirsing
- University of Washington, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Ronald C Ydenberg
- Simon Fraser University, Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Eric P Palkovacs
- University of California Santa Cruz, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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22
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Uchida K, Blumstein DT. Habituation or sensitization? Long-term responses of yellow-bellied marmots to human disturbance. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Continuous exposure to humans causes wildlife to either habituate or sensitize. Although increased tolerance may play an important role in coexistence with humans, the mechanisms and fitness outcomes of long-term changes of tolerance are not fully understood because only a few studies have assessed individual- and population-level responses over many years. We developed a novel predictive framework to study habituation and sensitization to humans and applied it to yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) in areas of high and low human disturbance. We focused on two antipredator behaviors—time allocation to vigilance during foraging to quantify baseline vigilance levels and flight initiation distance (FID)—to quantify subsequent responsiveness to threat. We used the rate of body mass gain during the active season as a fitness outcome. Assessing 15 years’ population and individual-level responses to human disturbances, marmots in highly disturbed colonies allocated more time to vigilance, but this did not change over time. FID decreased on average when they were approached more and also tended to decrease in highly disturbed colonies and over 15 years. Yet, there was individuality in FIDs; marmots that fled at greater distances became sensitized with repeated approaches. Additionally, the marmots in highly disturbed colonies gained less body mass over time compared to conspecifics in less disturbed colonies. These results suggested that, although marmots habituated to humans, long-term human disturbance has negative fitness consequences. Our framework should help wildlife managers evaluate the comprehensive impact of human activities on wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Uchida
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Daniel T Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Box 519, Crested Butte, CO, USA
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23
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Fehlmann G, O'riain MJ, FÜrtbauer I, King AJ. Behavioral Causes, Ecological Consequences, and Management Challenges Associated with Wildlife Foraging in Human-Modified Landscapes. Bioscience 2021; 71:40-54. [PMID: 33442328 PMCID: PMC7791362 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have altered up to half of the world's land surface. Wildlife living within or close to these human-modified landscapes are presented with opportunities and risks associated with feeding on human-derived foods (e.g., agricultural crops and food waste). Understanding whether and how wildlife adapts to these landscapes is a major challenge, with thousands of studies published on the topic over the past 10 years. In the present article, we build on established theoretical frameworks to understand the behavioral causes of crop and urban foraging by wildlife. We then develop and extend this framework to describe the multifaceted ecological consequences of crop and urban foraging for the individuals and populations in which they arise, with emphasis on social species for which interactions with people are, on balance, negative (commonly referred to as raiding species). Finally, we discuss the management challenges faced by urban and rural land managers, businesses, and government organizations in mitigating human-wildlife conflicts and propose ways to improve the lives of both wildlife and humans living in human-modified landscapes and to promote coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - M Justin O'riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife, Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ines FÜrtbauer
- Behavioural Ecology and Endocrinology Laboratory and Andrew King is an associate professor and head of the SHOAL group in the Department of Biosciences at Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J King
- Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, Bodensee, Germany
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24
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Thompson JC, Wright DK, Ivory SJ. The emergence and intensification of early hunter-gatherer niche construction. Evol Anthropol 2020; 30:17-27. [PMID: 33341104 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Hunter-gatherers, especially Pleistocene examples, are not well-represented in archeological studies of niche construction. However, as the role of humans in shaping environments over long time scales becomes increasingly apparent, it is critical to develop archeological proxies and testable hypotheses about early hunter-gatherer impacts. Modern foragers engage in niche constructive behaviors aimed at maintaining or increasing the productivity of their environments, and these may have had significant ecological consequences over later human evolution. In some cases, they may also represent behaviors unique to modern Homo sapiens. Archeological and paleoenvironmental data show that African hunter-gatherers were niche constructors in diverse environments, which have legacies in how ecosystems function today. These can be conceptualized as behaviorally mediated trophic cascades, and tested using archeological and paleoenvironmental proxies. Thus, large-scale niche construction behavior is possible to identify at deeper time scales, and may be key to understanding the emergence of modern humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica C Thompson
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - David K Wright
- Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, China
| | - Sarah J Ivory
- Department of Geosciences and Earth and Environmental Sciences Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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25
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Garcês A, Pires I, Pacheco F, Fernandes LS, Soeiro V, Lóio S, Prada J, Cortes R, Queiroga F. Impact of anthropogenic pressures on wild mammals of Northern Portugal. Vet World 2020; 13:2691-2702. [PMID: 33487988 PMCID: PMC7811537 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2020.2691-2702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim: Wild mammals are among the most threatened species of the world in large part due to human activity. In this work, we used the method of partial least squares-path modeling associated with a geographic information system to analyze the impact of anthropogenic pressures on the mortality of wild mammals. Materials and Methods: We collected the data related to the cause of death of native wild mammals admitted to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre of Parque Biológico de Gaia in Northern Portugal, during 10 years (2008-2017). Results: A total of 359 animals from 42 municipalities (rural and urban areas) were included in the study. The main cause of death was of traumatic origin. From the anthropogenic pressures included in the study, water reservoirs, small companies, and residential buildings were the ones that contributed the most to increase the mortality of traumatic and non-traumatic origin. This relation of cause-effect (mortality-anthropogenic pressures) was supported by the high coefficients of determination obtained (R2 > 0.8). Conclusion: The present results allow a general view on the reality of mammal’s mortality in Northern Portugal. Furthermore, it could also constitute a valuable tool for the conservation of wild mammals in those areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Garcês
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Isabel Pires
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal.,CECAV, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Fernando Pacheco
- Chemistry Research Centre, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Luís Sanches Fernandes
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Vanessa Soeiro
- Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre of Parque Biológico de Gaia, R. Cunha, Avintes, Portugal
| | - Sara Lóio
- Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre of Parque Biológico de Gaia, R. Cunha, Avintes, Portugal
| | - Justina Prada
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal.,CECAV, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Rui Cortes
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Felisbina Queiroga
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal.,Department of Veterinary Science, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
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26
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Main MT, Davis RA, Blake D, Mills H, Doherty TS. Human impact overrides bioclimatic drivers of red fox home range size globally. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael T. Main
- Centre for Ecosystem Management School of Science Edith Cowan University Joondalup WA Australia
| | - Robert A. Davis
- Centre for Ecosystem Management School of Science Edith Cowan University Joondalup WA Australia
| | - David Blake
- Centre for Ecosystem Management School of Science Edith Cowan University Joondalup WA Australia
| | - Harriet Mills
- Centre for Ecosystem Management School of Science Edith Cowan University Joondalup WA Australia
| | - Tim S. Doherty
- Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood campus) Deakin University Geelong Vic. Australia
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27
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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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28
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Dominoni DM, Halfwerk W, Baird E, Buxton RT, Fernández-Juricic E, Fristrup KM, McKenna MF, Mennitt DJ, Perkin EK, Seymoure BM, Stoner DC, Tennessen JB, Toth CA, Tyrrell LP, Wilson A, Francis CD, Carter NH, Barber JR. Why conservation biology can benefit from sensory ecology. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:502-511. [PMID: 32203474 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-1135-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Global expansion of human activities is associated with the introduction of novel stimuli, such as anthropogenic noise, artificial lights and chemical agents. Progress in documenting the ecological effects of sensory pollutants is weakened by sparse knowledge of the mechanisms underlying these effects. This severely limits our capacity to devise mitigation measures. Here, we integrate knowledge of animal sensory ecology, physiology and life history to articulate three perceptual mechanisms-masking, distracting and misleading-that clearly explain how and why anthropogenic sensory pollutants impact organisms. We then link these three mechanisms to ecological consequences and discuss their implications for conservation. We argue that this framework can reveal the presence of 'sensory danger zones', hotspots of conservation concern where sensory pollutants overlap in space and time with an organism's activity, and foster development of strategic interventions to mitigate the impact of sensory pollutants. Future research that applies this framework will provide critical insight to preserve the natural sensory world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide M Dominoni
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK. .,Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Wouter Halfwerk
- Department of Ecological Science, Section Animal Ecology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Emily Baird
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rachel T Buxton
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Kurt M Fristrup
- National Park Service, Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Megan F McKenna
- National Park Service, Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth K Perkin
- Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Group, Hatfield Consultants, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Brett M Seymoure
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - David C Stoner
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | | | - Cory A Toth
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
| | - Luke P Tyrrell
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, NY, USA
| | - Ashley Wilson
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
| | - Clinton D Francis
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
| | - Neil H Carter
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jesse R Barber
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA
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29
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Feeding behaviour of red fox and domestic cat populations in suburban areas in the south of Paris. Urban Ecosyst 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-020-00948-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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30
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Chalkowski K, Wilson AE, Lepczyk CA, Zohdy S. Who let the cats out? A global meta-analysis on risk of parasitic infection in indoor versus outdoor domestic cats ( Felis catus). Biol Lett 2019; 15:20180840. [PMID: 30991913 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasitic infection risks in domestic animals may increase as a result of outdoor activities, often leading to transmission events to and from owners, other domestic animals and wildlife. Furthermore, outdoor access has not been quantified in domestic animals as a risk factor with respect to latitude or parasite transmission pathway. Cats are an ideal model to test parasitic infection risk in outdoor animals because there have been many studies analysing this risk factor in this species; and there is a useful dichotomy in cat ownership between indoor-only cats and those with outdoor access. Thus, we used meta-analysis to determine whether outdoor access is a significant risk factor for parasitic infection in domestic pet cats across 19 different pathogens including many relevant to human, domestic animal and wildlife health, such as Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara cati. Cats with outdoor access were 2.77 times more likely to be infected with parasites than indoor-only cats. Furthermore, absolute latitude trended towards significance such that each degree increase in absolute latitude increased infection likelihood by 4%. Thus, restricting outdoor access can reduce the risk of parasitic infection in cats and reduce the risk of zoonotic parasite transmission, spillover to sympatric wildlife and negative impacts on feline health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayleigh Chalkowski
- 1 School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University , Auburn, AL 36849 , USA
| | - Alan E Wilson
- 2 School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University , Auburn, AL 36849 , USA
| | - Christopher A Lepczyk
- 1 School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University , Auburn, AL 36849 , USA
| | - Sarah Zohdy
- 1 School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University , Auburn, AL 36849 , USA.,3 College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University , Auburn, AL 36849 , USA
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31
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Predator-Prey Interactions in the Anthropocene: Reconciling Multiple Aspects of Novelty. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:616-627. [PMID: 30902358 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Ecological novelty, when conditions deviate from a historical baseline, is increasingly common as humans modify habitats and communities across the globe. Our ability to anticipate how novelty changes predator-prey interactions will likely hinge upon the explicit evaluation of multiple forms of novelty, rather than a focus on single forms of novelty (e.g., invasive predators or climate change). We provide a framework to assess how multiple forms of novelty can act, alone or in concert, on components shared by all predator-prey interactions (the predation sequence). Considering how novelty acts throughout the predation sequence could improve our understanding of predator-prey interactions in an increasingly novel world, identify important knowledge gaps, and guide conservation decisions in the Anthropocene.
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32
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Garcês A, Pires I, Pacheco FAL, Sanches Fernandes LF, Soeiro V, Lóio S, Prada J, Cortes R, Queiroga FL. Preservation of wild bird species in northern Portugal - Effects of anthropogenic pressures in wild bird populations (2008-2017). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 650:2996-3006. [PMID: 30373076 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In this study we aim to obtain a holistic view over the consequences of human-induced threats to the wild bird populations in the study area, based on data collected from a Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre (WRC) through the method of Partial Least Squares-Path Modelling (PLS-PM). The study area comprised 76 rural and urban municipalities located in northern Portugal. Within PLS-PM the threats ("anthropogenic pressures") are termed exogenous latent variables, while the final environmental consequence (wild bird mortality) is termed endogenous latent variable. Latent variables are concepts assessed by numerical parameters. The PLS-PM results identified as most significant pressures, the number of small and medium companies in the municipalities, both in traumatic and non-traumatic deaths. Although the pattern of weights is similar regardless of the general cause of death, traumatic causes seem to play a more prominent role given the larger weights in the relevant specific causes (number of companies). The high coefficients of determination (R2 > 0,8) reveal that the variance of wild bird mortality is largely explained by the variance of the pressures, which indicates a cause-effect relationship between the independent (pressures) and dependent (mortality) variables. The ample coverage of northern Portugal with a huge dataset suggests that this cause-effect relationship is typical from this region. The use of a sophisticated statistical method PLS-PM and its incorporation into a Geographic Information System (GIS) revealed to be an important tool for analysing wildlife impacts of environmental and human factors. The results obtained with this model indicate that there is a substantial negative impact of human activity on wild bird mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Garcês
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Isabel Pires
- Department of Veterinary Science of the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal; CECAV - University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Fernando A L Pacheco
- Chemistry Research Centre, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Luís F Sanches Fernandes
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Vanessa Soeiro
- Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Parque Biológico de Gaia, R. Cunha, Avintes, Portugal
| | - Sara Lóio
- Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Parque Biológico de Gaia, R. Cunha, Avintes, Portugal
| | - Justina Prada
- Department of Veterinary Science of the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal; CECAV - University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Rui Cortes
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Felisbina L Queiroga
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal; Department of Veterinary Science of the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal.
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