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Parracciani C, Maiorano L, Ciucci P. Seasonal and anthropogenic effects on niche overlap and habitat selection by sympatric bears ( Ursus arctos marsicanus) and wolves ( Canis lupus) in a human-dominated landscape. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70225. [PMID: 39376475 PMCID: PMC11456754 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 10/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Interspecific interactions among species of the same guild play a critical role in shaping their realized niches, and their understanding may disclose mechanisms of coexistence. Investigating interactions among apex predators is of ecological and management interest, especially in human-dominated landscapes where type and intensity of their interspecific competition may be affected by human interference. During 2005-2010, we investigated, by means of GPS-telemetry, interactions between brown bears (n = 19) and wolves (n = 7) in a long-established national park in the central Apennines, Italy, where bears and wolves have always coexisted close to humans. Based on a K-select analysis and a randomization approach, we assessed the extent of overlap between the species' niches on a seasonal basis. Bears and wolves clearly segregated in fall but not during summer when overlap between their realized niches suggests a convergent adaptation to a seasonal peak of anthropogenic pressure. However, using multi-species resource selection functions (RSFs) at the home range level (i.e., third-order selection), we revealed that habitat selection by bears and wolves was reciprocally affected also when their niches overlapped, possibly disclosing mechanisms of fine-scale resource partitioning. In early summer, bears selected areas with a high probability of resource selection by wolves, but in late summer avoided areas positively selected by wolves. On the contrary, wolves avoided areas where the probability of resource selection by bears was high, both in late summer and fall. These results indicate that bears and wolves do interact in our study area and, although the actual behavioral mechanisms are unknown, they reciprocally and asymmetrically affect their realized niche and habitat selection patterns. Further research is needed to better understand how anthropogenic factors impact intraguild interactions and what are the effects at the population and community levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Parracciani
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”University of Rome La SapienzaRomeItaly
| | - Luigi Maiorano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”University of Rome La SapienzaRomeItaly
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”University of Rome La SapienzaRomeItaly
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Yogi DS, Naik A, Yadav R, Desai A, Nanajkar M. ‛Trophic switch' by catfish community from predation to scavenging modulated by human food discard in an estuarine bay. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:9183-9196. [PMID: 38190066 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-31749-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Benthic predatory catfishes are voracious and opportunistic predators and can easily shift their diet according to the availability of prey. In this study, feeding ecology of catfishes from two adjacent habitats of an estuarine bay is compared. The lower bay was relatively pristine as compared to the upper bay and was represented by two families of catfishes-Plotosidae and Ariidae, while the upper bay represented only ariid catfishes. Gut content analysis revealed that catfish predators from lower bay consumed conventional prey like teleosts and benthic invertebrates with a linear pattern of ontogenetic dietary shift. Plicofollis dussumieri and Plotosus canius occupied the position of top predators in the lower bay and were specialized feeders. Other predators like Plotosus lineatus, Arius arius, Arius jella, and Arius maculatus were generalist feeders occupying the position of mesopredators. However, in the upper bay, the catfish predators represented by Arius maculatus, Arius jella, and Arius arius predominantly fed on human discarded food. The easily available human food in the form of chicken, corn, and rice as noted from the investigated guts shows altered trophic guilds of ariid catfishes wherein only mid to large-sized catfish community was noted in this bay. A distinct "trophic switch" altered the trophic function from predation to scavenging which was observed in their feeding behavior. The anthropogenic impact in the form of unmanaged organic waste alters the role of predatory catfishes thereby restructuring the food web that may lead to unknown changes in the estuarine benthic ecosystems resulting in reduced ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepa Shashikant Yogi
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Akshay Naik
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India
| | - Ranjana Yadav
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Aniket Desai
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Mandar Nanajkar
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
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Wikenros C, Di Bernardi C, Zimmermann B, Åkesson M, Demski M, Flagstad Ø, Mattisson J, Tallian A, Wabakken P, Sand H. Scavenging patterns of an inbred wolf population in a landscape with a pulse of human-provided carrion. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10236. [PMID: 37415640 PMCID: PMC10319521 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10236] [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: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Scavenging is an important part of food acquisition for many carnivore species that switch between scavenging and predation. In landscapes with anthropogenic impact, humans provide food that scavenging species can utilize. We quantified the magnitude of killing versus scavenging by gray wolves (Canis lupus) in Scandinavia where humans impact the ecosystem through hunter harvest, land use practices, and infrastructure. We investigated the cause of death of different animals utilized by wolves, and examined how the proportion of their consumption time spent scavenging was influenced by season, wolf social affiliation, level of inbreeding, density of moose (Alces alces) as their main prey, density of brown bear (Ursus arctos) as an intraguild competitor, and human density. We used data from 39 GPS-collared wolves covering 3198 study days (2001-2019), including 14,205 feeding locations within space-time clusters, and 1362 carcasses utilized by wolves. Most carcasses were wolf-killed (80.5%) while a small part had died from other natural causes (1.9%). The remaining had either anthropogenic mortality causes (4.7%), or the cause of death was unknown (12.9%). Time spent scavenging was higher during winter than during summer and autumn. Solitary wolves spent more time scavenging than pack-living individuals, likely because individual hunting success is lower than pack success. Scavenging time increased with the mean inbreeding coefficient of the adult wolves, possibly indicating that more inbred individuals resort to scavenging, which requires less body strength. There was weak evidence for competition between wolves and brown bears as well as a positive relationship between human density and time spent scavenging. This study shows how both intrinsic and extrinsic factors drive wolf scavenging behavior, and that despite a high level of inbreeding and access to carrion of anthropogenic origin, wolves mainly utilized their own kills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Wikenros
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
| | - Cecilia Di Bernardi
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”University of Rome La SapienzaRomeItaly
| | - Barbara Zimmermann
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and BiotechnologyInland Norway University of Applied SciencesElverumNorway
| | - Mikael Åkesson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
| | - Maike Demski
- County Administrative Board of NorrbottenLuleåSweden
| | | | - Jenny Mattisson
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)TrondheimNorway
| | - Aimee Tallian
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)TrondheimNorway
| | - Petter Wabakken
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and BiotechnologyInland Norway University of Applied SciencesElverumNorway
| | - Håkan Sand
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
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Cerri J, Musto C, Stefanini FM, di Nicola U, Riganelli N, Fontana MC, Rossi A, Garbarino C, Merialdi G, Ciuti F, Berzi D, Delogu M, Apollonio M. A human-neutral large carnivore? No patterns in the body mass of gray wolves across a gradient of anthropization. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282232. [PMID: 37262076 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The gray wolf (Canis lupus) expanded its distribution in Europe over the last few decades. To better understand the extent to which wolves could re-occupy their historical range, it is important to test if anthropization can affect their fitness-related traits. After having accounted for ecologically relevant confounders, we assessed how anthropization influenced i) the growth of wolves during their first year of age (n = 53), ii) sexual dimorphism between male and female adult wolves (n = 121), in a sample of individuals that had been found dead in Italy between 1999 and 2021. Wolves in anthropized areas have a smaller overall variation in their body mass, during their first year of age. Because they already have slightly higher body weight at 3-5 months, possibly due to the availability of human-derived food sources. The difference in the body weight of adult females and males slightly increases with anthropization. However, this happens because of an increase in the body mass of males only, possibly due to sex-specific differences in dispersal and/or to "dispersal phenotypes". Anthropization in Italy does not seem to have any clear, nor large, effect on the body mass of wolves. As body mass is in turn linked to important processes, like survival and reproduction, our findings indicates that wolves could potentially re-occupy most of their historical range in Europe, as anthropized landscapes do not seem to constrain such of an important life-history trait. Wolf management could therefore be needed across vast spatial scales and in anthropized areas prone to social conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Cerri
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Carmela Musto
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Federico M Stefanini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano "La Statale", Milano, Italy
| | | | | | - Maria C Fontana
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna Bruno Ubertino, Brescia, Italy
| | - Arianna Rossi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna Bruno Ubertino, Brescia, Italy
| | - Chiara Garbarino
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna Bruno Ubertino, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Merialdi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna Bruno Ubertino, Brescia, Italy
| | | | | | - Mauro Delogu
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marco Apollonio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
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Duvall ES, Schwabe EK, Steensma KMM. A win–win between farmers and an apex predator: investigating the relationship between bald eagles and dairy farms. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ethan S. Duvall
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York USA
| | - Emily K. Schwabe
- College of the Environment University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - Karen M. M. Steensma
- Department of Biology Trinity Western University Langley British Columbia Canada
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Kiffner C, Uthes S, Ostermann-Miyashita EF, Harms V, König HJ. Patterns of livestock loss associated with a recolonizing wolf population in Germany. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2022.989368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Predation on livestock presents a daunting challenge for human–carnivore coexistence in agricultural landscapes. In Germany, the recolonization of wolves is ongoing and its consequences are insufficiently understood. Knowledge about which livestock species are susceptible to wolf predation, which farm types are predisposed to attacks by wolves, and when predation on livestock occurs is valuable for mitigating stakeholder conflicts. To this end, we analyzed 14 years of monitoring data and assessed the livestock prey spectrum, identified correlates between predation on livestock, farm type and livestock category, and described temporal patterns of livestock loss caused by a recolonizing wolf population in the state of Brandenburg (Germany). Among a total of 1387 recorded cases, 42% were unequivocally attributed to wolves (SCALP criteria C1 and C2) and 12% of cases were not caused by wolves. The number of head of livestock killed during a single wolf attack was mediated by farm type and livestock species; losses per event were greater in full-time farms vs. other farm types and greater in sheep, farmed deer and other livestock species, compared to cattle. While sheep were the most commonly killed livestock species, the increase in wolf territories over the investigation period was associated with a widening of the domestic prey species spectrum. Count regression models provided evidence for the increasing frequency of predation events over the 14-year period, along with an exponential increase in wolf territories. Predation on livestock occurred throughout the year, yet seasonality of events was evident and differed across livestock categories. Predation on sheep peaked in the fall, coinciding with the post-weaning period of wolf offspring. Predation on cattle peaked in the spring, coinciding with the cattle calving period. These results call for renewed investment in the implementation of prevention methods for all susceptible domestic species, particularly during times of elevated predation risk.
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Donatelli A, Mastrantonio G, Ciucci P. Circadian activity of small brown bear populations living in human-dominated landscapes. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15804. [PMID: 36138081 PMCID: PMC9499929 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20163-1] [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: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Whereas numerous studies on large carnivores have focused on analyzing spatial patterns and habitat use, the temporal dimension of their activity has been relatively little investigated, making this a topic of growing interest, especially in human-dominated landscapes. Relict and isolated Apennine brown bears (Ursus arctos marsicanus) have been living in a human-modified landscape since millennia, but no information is available on their activity patterns. By means of GPS telemetry (26,880 GPS locations collected from 18 adult Apennine brown bears) we investigated their circadian rhythms, using hourly movement rates as an index of bear activity. Based on a Bayesian modeling approach, circadian activity of Apennine brown bears was described by a bimodal curve, with peaks of activity around sunrise and sunset. We revealed seasonal effects, with bears exhibiting higher movement rates throughout the mating season, but no relevant influence of sex. In addition, bears increased their movement rate at distances < 100–500 m to roads and settlements exclusively during spring and late summer, suggesting a trade-off between foraging opportunities and risk avoidance. The absence of a marked nocturnality in Apennine brown bears suggests a relatively low degree of habitat encroachment and disturbance by humans. Yet, the occurrence of crepuscular activity patterns and the responses in proximity of anthropogenic landscape features likely indicate a coadaptation by bears to human presence through a shift in their temporal niche. Further studies should aim to unveil fitness implications of such modifications in activity patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora Donatelli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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Parsons MA, Garcia A, Young JK. Scavenging vs hunting affects behavioral traits of an opportunistic carnivore. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13366. [PMID: 35529483 PMCID: PMC9070321 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Human-induced changes to ecosystems transform the availability of resources to predators, including altering prey populations and increasing access to anthropogenic foods. Opportunistic predators are likely to respond to altered food resources by changing the proportion of food they hunt versus scavenge. These shifts in foraging behavior will affect species interactions through multiple pathways, including by changing other aspects of predator behavior such as boldness, innovation, and social structure. Methods To understand how foraging behavior impacts predator behavior, we conducted a controlled experiment to simulate hunting by introducing a prey model to captive coyotes (Canis latrans) and compared their behavior to coyotes that continued to scavenge over one year. We used focal observations to construct behavioral budgets, and conducted novel object, puzzle box, and conspecific tests to evaluate boldness, innovation, and response to conspecifics. Results We documented increased time spent resting by hunting coyotes paired with decreased time spent active. Hunting coyotes increased boldness and persistence but there were no changes in innovation. Our results illustrate how foraging behavior can impact other aspects of behavior, with potential ecological consequences to predator ecology, predator-prey dynamics, and human-wildlife conflict; however, the captive nature of our study limits specific conclusions related to wild predators. We conclude that human-induced behavioral changes could have cascading ecological implications that are not fully understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell A. Parsons
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States of America,National Wildlife Research Center - Predator Research Facility, USDA, Millville, UT, USA
| | - Andrew Garcia
- National Wildlife Research Center - Predator Research Facility, USDA, Millville, UT, USA
| | - Julie K. Young
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States of America,National Wildlife Research Center - Predator Research Facility, USDA, Millville, UT, USA
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Mohammadi A, Alambeigi A, López‐Bao JV, Taghavi L, Kaboli M. Living with wolves: Lessons learned from Iran. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Mohammadi
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources University of Jiroft Jiroft Iran
| | - Amir Alambeigi
- Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agricultural Economics and Development University of Tehran Karaj Iran
| | | | - Lobat Taghavi
- Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Research Branch Islamic Azad University Tehran Iran
| | - Mohammad Kaboli
- Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Natural Resources University of Tehran Karaj Iran
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Morehouse AT, Hughes C, Manners N, Bectell J, Tigner J. Dealing With Deadstock: A Case Study of Carnivore Conflict Mitigation From Southwestern Alberta. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2021.786013] [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
Livestock deaths are an unfortunate reality for livestock producers and dead livestock (i.e., deadstock) disposal options can have implications beyond the ranch itself. In Alberta, Canada, natural disposal (i.e., disposing of the carcass in a manner that allows for scavenging) has increased since the 2003 detection of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Canadian cattle. Prior to BSE, rendering companies removed deadstock for free. However, rendering companies started charging producers to remove deadstock to offset costs associated with new regulatory requirements enacted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which has resulted in increased on-farm natural disposal of deadstock. This increase has ecological implications because deadstock are a major attractant for large carnivores. Carnivores feeding on deadstock are often near other agricultural attractants such as stored grain and feed, silage, and living livestock, which can exacerbate conflict potential and pose a risk to human safety. To help mitigate conflicts associated with deadstock, the Waterton Biosphere Reserve's (a local non-profit) Carnivores and Communities Program (CACP) supported expansion of community deadstock removal efforts beginning in 2009, including reimbursement of on-farm removal costs, bear-resistant deadstock bins, and a livestock compost facility (operational 2013–2014). Here, we present an evaluative case study describing the development, implementation, and results of the deadstock removal program, including the compost facility. We tracked the number of head of livestock removed each year, the number of participating landowners, the average cost per head, and total program costs. We also used an online survey to assess participants' perspectives of the deadstock removal program and future needs. To date, the CACP has removed >5,400 livestock carcasses, representing between 15.1 and 22.6% of available carcasses in the program area, and 67.3% of livestock owners indicated they currently use the deadstock removal program to dispose of deadstock. Average cost to compost an animal was significantly less than other removal methods ($36.89 composting vs. $79.59 non-composting, one-tailed t-test, unequal sampling variances: t = 4.08, df = 5.87, p = 0.003). We conclude by discussing both ecological and social implications for deadstock removal as a conflict mitigation measure and make suggestions for future management considerations.
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Stronen AV, Molnar B, Ciucci P, Darimont CT, Grottoli L, Paquet PC, Sallows T, Smits JEG, Bryan HM. Cross-continental comparison of parasite communities in a wide-ranging carnivore suggests associations with prey diversity and host density. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:10338-10352. [PMID: 34367579 PMCID: PMC8328421 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites are integral to ecosystem functioning yet often overlooked. Improved understanding of host-parasite associations is important, particularly for wide-ranging species for which host range shifts and climate change could alter host-parasite interactions and their effects on ecosystem function.Among the most widely distributed mammals with diverse diets, gray wolves (Canis lupus) host parasites that are transmitted among canids and via prey species. Wolf-parasite associations may therefore influence the population dynamics and ecological functions of both wolves and their prey. Our goal was to identify large-scale processes that shape host-parasite interactions across populations, with the wolf as a model organism.By compiling data from various studies, we examined the fecal prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in six wolf populations from two continents in relation to wolf density, diet diversity, and other ecological conditions.As expected, we found that the fecal prevalence of parasites transmitted directly to wolves via contact with other canids or their excreta was positively associated with wolf density. Contrary to our expectations, the fecal prevalence of parasites transmitted via prey was negatively associated with prey diversity. We also found that parasite communities reflected landscape characteristics and specific prey items available to wolves.Several parasite taxa identified in this study, including hookworms and coccidian protozoans, can cause morbidity and mortality in canids, especially in pups, or in combination with other stressors. The density-prevalence relationship for parasites with simple life cycles may reflect a regulatory role of gastrointestinal parasites on wolf populations. Our result that fecal prevalence of parasites was lower in wolves with more diverse diets could provide insight into the mechanisms by which biodiversity may regulate disease. A diverse suite of predator-prey interactions could regulate the effects of parasitism on prey populations and mitigate the transmission of infectious agents, including zoonoses, spread via trophic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid V. Stronen
- Department of BiologyBiotechnical FacultyUniversity of LjubljanaLjubljanaSlovenia
- Department of Biotechnology and Life SciencesInsubria UniversityVareseItaly
- Department of Chemistry and BioscienceAalborg UniversityAalborgDenmark
| | - Barbara Molnar
- Institute of BiologyUniversity of NeuchâtelNeuchâtelSwitzerland
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and BiotechnologiesUniversity of Rome “La Sapienza”RomeItaly
| | - Chris T. Darimont
- Department of GeographyUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBCCanada
- Raincoast Conservation FoundationDenny IslandBCCanada
- Hakai InstituteHeriot BayBCCanada
| | - Lorenza Grottoli
- Department of Biology and BiotechnologiesUniversity of Rome “La Sapienza”RomeItaly
| | - Paul C. Paquet
- Department of GeographyUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBCCanada
- Raincoast Conservation FoundationDenny IslandBCCanada
| | - Tim Sallows
- Riding Mountain National ParkWasagamingMBCanada
| | - Judit E. G. Smits
- Department of Ecosystem and Public HealthUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryABCanada
| | - Heather M. Bryan
- Department of GeographyUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBCCanada
- Raincoast Conservation FoundationDenny IslandBCCanada
- Hakai InstituteHeriot BayBCCanada
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Careddu G, Ciucci P, Mondovì S, Calizza E, Rossi L, Costantini ML. Gaining insight into the assimilated diet of small bear populations by stable isotope analysis. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14118. [PMID: 34238974 PMCID: PMC8266819 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93507-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Apennine brown bears (Ursus arctos marsicanus) survive in an isolated and critically endangered population, and their food habits have been studied using traditional scat analysis. To complement current dietary knowledge, we applied Stable Isotope Analysis (SIA) to non-invasively collected bear hairs that had been individually recognized through multilocus genotyping. We analysed carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotopes of hair sections and bear key foods in a Bayesian mixing models framework to reconstruct the assimilated diet on a seasonal basis and to assess gender and management status effects. In total, we analysed 34 different seasonal bear key foods and 35 hair samples belonging to 27 different bears (16 females and 11 males) collected during a population survey in 2014. Most bears showed wide δ15N and δ13C ranges and individual differences in seasonal isotopic patterns. Vegetable matter (herbs, fleshy fruits and hard mast) represented the major component of the assimilated diet across the dietary seasons, whereas vegetable crops were rarely and C4 plants (i.e., corn) never consumed. We confirmed an overall low consumption of large mammals by Apennine bears consistently between sexes, with highest values in spring followed by early summer but null in the other seasons. We also confirmed that consumption of fleshy fruits peaked in late summer, when wild predominated over cultivated fleshy fruits, even though the latter tended to be consumed in higher proportion in autumn. Male bears had higher δ 15N values than females in spring and autumn. Our findings also hint at additional differences in the assimilated diet between sexes, with females likely consuming more herbs during spring, ants during early summer, and hard mast during fall compared to males. In addition, although effect sizes were small and credibility intervals overlapped considerably, management bears on average were 0.9‰ lower in δ 13C and 2.9‰ higher in δ 15N compared to non-management bears, with differences in isotopic values between the two bear categories peaking in autumn. While non-management bears consumed more herbs, wild fleshy fruits, and hard mast, management bears tended to consume higher proportions of cultivated fruits, ants, and large mammals, possibly including livestock. Although multi-year sampling and larger sample sizes are needed to support our findings, our application confirms that SIA can effectively integrate previous knowledge and be efficiently conducted using samples non-invasively collected during population surveys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Careddu
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Stella Mondovì
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Edoardo Calizza
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Loreto Rossi
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Viola P, Adriani S, Rossi CM, Franceschini C, Primi R, Apollonio M, Amici A. Anthropogenic and Environmental Factors Determining Local Favourable Conditions for Wolves during the Cold Season. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11071895. [PMID: 34202132 PMCID: PMC8300267 DOI: 10.3390/ani11071895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Wolves normally howl in response to unfamiliar vocalisations, to defend their territory and the important resources within it (e.g., pups and prey). During the non-rendezvous period (late autumn and winter), the protectiveness of adults towards pups decreases, as well as reactions to unfamiliar vocal stimuli. In the late fall of 2010, we performed a saturation wolf howling design in the Cicolano area (Central Apennines, Italy), aiming to identify environmental and human-related characteristics of locations where wolves are prone to respond to unfamiliar howling and to assess their eventual ability to provide insights into the distribution of valuable resources (aside from pups) during the cold season. We found that winter response sites (WRS) were characterized by diverging conditions, with respect to all available sites, suggesting that they are non-randomly located but, instead, had been selected by wolves for some reason. We recorded a positive role of thermal refuges and the occurrence of wild boar drive hunts, as well as the negative roles of other forms of human presence and activities, including the occurrence of free-ranging dogs. These results could be of interest both for conservation purposes and for assessing interactions with human activities. Abstract Winter resources are crucial for wildlife, and, at a local scale, some anthropogenic and environmental factors could affect their availability. In the case of wolves, it is known that vocalisations in response to unfamiliar howls are issued to defend their territory and the important resources within it. Then, we studied the characteristics of winter response sites (WRS) during the cold season, aiming to assess their eventual ability to provide insights into the distribution of valuable resources within their territories. Within this scope, we planned a wolf-howling survey following a standardised approach. The study covered an Apennine (Central Italy) area of 500 km2. A hexagonal mesh was imposed on the area, in order to determine the values of different variables at the local scale. A logistic LASSO regression was performed. WRS were positively related to the presence of thermal refuges (odds = 114.485), to patch richness (odds = 1.153), wild boar drive hunting areas (odds = 1.015), and time elapsed since the last hunt (odds = 1.019). Among negative factors, stray dogs reply considerably affects wolves’ responsiveness (odds = 0.207), where odds are the exponentiated coefficients estimated by the logistic lasso regression. These results suggest that WRS are related to anthropogenic and environmental factors favouring the predation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Viola
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Via S. C. de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, VT, Italy; (P.V.); (S.A.); (C.M.R.); (C.F.); (R.P.)
| | - Settimio Adriani
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Via S. C. de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, VT, Italy; (P.V.); (S.A.); (C.M.R.); (C.F.); (R.P.)
| | - Carlo Maria Rossi
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Via S. C. de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, VT, Italy; (P.V.); (S.A.); (C.M.R.); (C.F.); (R.P.)
| | - Cinzia Franceschini
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Via S. C. de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, VT, Italy; (P.V.); (S.A.); (C.M.R.); (C.F.); (R.P.)
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Science, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta S. Donato 1, 40127 Bologna, BO, Italy
| | - Riccardo Primi
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Via S. C. de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, VT, Italy; (P.V.); (S.A.); (C.M.R.); (C.F.); (R.P.)
| | - Marco Apollonio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, SS, Italy;
| | - Andrea Amici
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Via S. C. de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, VT, Italy; (P.V.); (S.A.); (C.M.R.); (C.F.); (R.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-(0)761-357443
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Groom Q, Adriaens T, Bertolino S, Phelps K, Poelen JH, Reeder DM, Richardson DM, Simmons NB, Upham N. Holistic understanding of contemporary ecosystems requires integration of data on domesticated, captive and cultivated organisms. Biodivers Data J 2021; 9:e65371. [PMID: 34168517 PMCID: PMC8219659 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.9.e65371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Domestic and captive animals and cultivated plants should be recognised as integral components in contemporary ecosystems. They interact with wild organisms through such mechanisms as hybridization, predation, herbivory, competition and disease transmission and, in many cases, define ecosystem properties. Nevertheless, it is widespread practice for data on domestic, captive and cultivated organisms to be excluded from biodiversity repositories, such as natural history collections. Furthermore, there is a lack of integration of data collected about biodiversity in disciplines, such as agriculture, veterinary science, epidemiology and invasion science. Discipline-specific data are often intentionally excluded from integrative databases in order to maintain the “purity” of data on natural processes. Rather than being beneficial, we argue that this practise of data exclusivity greatly limits the utility of discipline-specific data for applications ranging from agricultural pest management to invasion biology, infectious disease prevention and community ecology. This problem can be resolved by data providers using standards to indicate whether the observed organism is of wild or domestic origin and by integrating their data with other biodiversity data (e.g. in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility). Doing so will enable efforts to integrate the full panorama of biodiversity knowledge across related disciplines to tackle pressing societal questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Groom
- Meise Botanic Garden, Meise, Belgium Meise Botanic Garden Meise Belgium.,Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch South Africa
| | - Tim Adriaens
- Research Inst. for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium Research Inst. for Nature and Forest (INBO) Brussels Belgium
| | - Sandro Bertolino
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin Torino Italy
| | - Kendra Phelps
- EcoHealth Alliance, New York, United States of America EcoHealth Alliance New York United States of America
| | - Jorrit H Poelen
- Ronin Institute for Independent Scholarship, Montclair, United States of America Ronin Institute for Independent Scholarship Montclair United States of America
| | - DeeAnn Marie Reeder
- Bucknell University, Lewisburg, United States of America Bucknell University Lewisburg United States of America
| | - David M Richardson
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch South Africa
| | - Nancy B Simmons
- Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, United States of America Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History New York United States of America
| | - Nathan Upham
- Arizona State University, Tempe, United States of America Arizona State University Tempe United States of America
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15
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Abstract
Many large predators are also facultative scavengers that may compete with and depredate other species at carcasses. Yet, the ecological impacts of facultative scavenging by large predators, or their "scavenging effects," still receive relatively little attention in comparison to their predation effects. To address this knowledge gap, we comprehensively examine the roles played by, and impacts of, facultative scavengers, with a focus on large canids: the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), dhole (Cuon alpinus), dingo (Canis dingo), Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), gray wolf (Canis lupus), maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), and red wolf (Canis rufus). Specifically, after defining facultative scavenging as use or usurpation of a carcass that a consumer has not killed, we (1) provide a conceptual overview of the community interactions around carcasses that can be initiated by facultative scavengers, (2) review the extent of scavenging by and the evidence for scavenging effects of large canids, (3) discuss external factors that may diminish or enhance the effects of large canids as scavengers, and (4) identify aspects of this phenomenon that require additional research attention as a guide for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron J Wirsing
- School of Environment and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Thomas M Newsome
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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16
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Marino F, Kansky R, Shivji I, Di Croce A, Ciucci P, Knight AT. Understanding drivers of human tolerance to gray wolves and brown bears as a strategy to improve landholder–carnivore coexistence. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Marino
- Department of Life Sciences Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus Berkshire UK
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Ecology and Conservation University of Exeter Penryn Cornwall UK
| | - Ruth Kansky
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology University of Stellenbosch Matieland South Africa
| | - Irene Shivji
- Department of Life Sciences Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus Berkshire UK
- Riserva Naturale Regionale Monte Genzana e Alto Gizio Pettorano sul Gizio L'Aquila Italy
| | - Antonio Di Croce
- Riserva Naturale Regionale Monte Genzana e Alto Gizio Pettorano sul Gizio L'Aquila Italy
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology University of Rome La Sapienza Rome Italy
| | - Andrew T. Knight
- Department of Life Sciences Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus Berkshire UK
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Western Australia (UWA) Perth Western Australia Australia
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Abstract
The effects of human disturbance spread over virtually all ecosystems and ecological communities on Earth. In this review, we focus on the effects of human disturbance on terrestrial apex predators. We summarize their ecological role in nature and how they respond to different sources of human disturbance. Apex predators control their prey and smaller predators numerically and via behavioral changes to avoid predation risk, which in turn can affect lower trophic levels. Crucially, reducing population numbers and triggering behavioral responses are also the effects that human disturbance causes to apex predators, which may in turn influence their ecological role. Some populations continue to be at the brink of extinction, but others are partially recovering former ranges, via natural recolonization and through reintroductions. Carnivore recovery is both good news for conservation and a challenge for management, particularly when recovery occurs in human-dominated landscapes. Therefore, we conclude by discussing several management considerations that, adapted to local contexts, may favor the recovery of apex predator populations and their ecological functions in nature.
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Rossa M, Lovari S, Ferretti F. Spatiotemporal patterns of wolf, mesocarnivores and prey in a Mediterranean area. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02956-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Spatial and temporal occurrence can mediate behavioural interactions between apex predators, mesocarnivores and herbivores. Predators should adapt their activity to that of prey, whereas predator avoidance would be expected to influence activity patterns and space use of prey and smaller competitors. We evaluated interspecific spatiotemporal relationships in a prey-rich community including an apex predator (the wolf), three wild ungulates and several smaller herbivores/mesocarnivores, through camera trapping. All considered species (i.e. wolves and potential prey/smaller competitors: wild boar, fallow deer, roe deer, crested porcupine, red fox and European badger) were active especially at night and/or twilight. Among wild ungulates, the wolf showed the greatest temporal overlap with the wild boar and the lowest one with the least abundant and used of them, i.e. the roe deer. The main prey (i.e. the fallow deer) showed more diurnal activity and a lower temporal overlap with the predator in sites with high wolf activity than in low-activity ones. Among mesocarnivores, the red fox showed extensive temporal overlap with the wolf: the overlap between the two canids was greater in sites intensively used by this apex predator than in sites with low wolf activity, supporting a concurrent study which suggested a potential for facilitative—rather than competitive—interactions. Spatiotemporal relationships suggest complex interactions between the apex predator, prey and smaller carnivores, for which a substantial temporal or spatial association was often supported.
Significance statement
There is a growing interest in the influence of apex predators on ecosystems through their effects on the behaviour of prey and smaller carnivores, especially in the light of the ongoing recovery of large carnivores in temperate areas. Predators should synchronise their activity to that of prey; conversely, prey and smaller carnivores would be expected to avoid predators. In a rich community including the wolf, three wild ungulates and several mesomammals, we detected (i) a substantial temporal overlap between wolves and wild boar, porcupines and mesocarnivores; (ii) a negative temporal association between the predator and its main prey (i.e. the fallow deer) and (iii) a great temporal overlap between the wolf and the red fox. We provide a baseline to evaluate temporal changes of predator-prey-mesocarnivore behavioural interactions along with variations of carnivore-prey densities.
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Cimatti M, Ranc N, Benítez‐López A, Maiorano L, Boitani L, Cagnacci F, Čengić M, Ciucci P, Huijbregts MAJ, Krofel M, López‐Bao JV, Selva N, Andren H, Bautista C, Ćirović D, Hemmingmoore H, Reinhardt I, Marenče M, Mertzanis Y, Pedrotti L, Trbojević I, Zetterberg A, Zwijacz‐Kozica T, Santini L. Large carnivore expansion in Europe is associated with human population density and land cover changes. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Cimatti
- Department of Environmental Science Institute for Wetland and Water Research Faculty of Science Radboud University Nijmegen The Netherlands
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin” “La Sapienza” University of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Nathan Ranc
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Department Harvard University Cambridge MA USA
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology Research and Innovation Centre Fondazione Edmund Mach Trento Italy
| | - Ana Benítez‐López
- Department of Environmental Science Institute for Wetland and Water Research Faculty of Science Radboud University Nijmegen The Netherlands
- Integrative Ecology Group Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD‐CSIC) Sevilla Spain
| | - Luigi Maiorano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin” “La Sapienza” University of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Luigi Boitani
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin” “La Sapienza” University of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology Research and Innovation Centre Fondazione Edmund Mach Trento Italy
| | - Mirza Čengić
- Department of Environmental Science Institute for Wetland and Water Research Faculty of Science Radboud University Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin” “La Sapienza” University of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Mark A. J. Huijbregts
- Department of Environmental Science Institute for Wetland and Water Research Faculty of Science Radboud University Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Miha Krofel
- Department for Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources Biotechnical Faculty University of Ljubljana Ljubljana Slovenia
| | | | - Nuria Selva
- Institute of Nature Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences Kraków Poland
| | - Henrik Andren
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
| | - Carlos Bautista
- Institute of Nature Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences Kraków Poland
| | - Duško Ćirović
- Faculty of Biology University of Belgrade Belgrade Serbia
| | - Heather Hemmingmoore
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
| | - Ilka Reinhardt
- LUPUS – German Institute for Wolf Monitoring and Research Spreewitz Germany
| | | | - Yorgos Mertzanis
- Callisto – Wildlife and Nature Conservation Society Thessaloniki Greece
| | - Luca Pedrotti
- Forest and Wildlife Service Provincia di Trento Italy
| | - Igor Trbojević
- Faculty of Sciences University of Banja Luka Banja Luka Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Faculty of Ecology Independent University of Banja Luka Banja Luka Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | | | | | - Luca Santini
- Department of Environmental Science Institute for Wetland and Water Research Faculty of Science Radboud University Nijmegen The Netherlands
- Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems National Research Council Montelibretti Italy
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20
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Abstract
AbstractThe increasing animosity towards wolves (Canislupus) by livestock-keeping nomads in Mongolia and the accompanying conflicts highlight the urgent need for knowledge about the feeding behavior of wolves, since information on the feeding ecology of wolves in Mongolia is rare, especially in the mountain taiga and mountain forest steppe regions of Northern Mongolia. Those regions are characterized by a relatively high wildlife diversity and are sparsely populated by humans. To face this problem, 137 wolf scats were collected in the Khentii Mountain range in Northern Mongolia between 2008 and 2012. Almost all wolf faeces contained remnants of wild ungulates, which made up 89% of the consumed biomass. Siberian roe deer (Capreoluspygargus) was the most important and positively selected prey species. It was followed by red deer (Cervuselaphus) and wild boar (Susscrofa), which was negatively selected by wolves. Wolves also fed on buffer prey species such as lagomorphs and small mammals. No evidence of domestic ungulates was found in the wolf diet. Thus, near-natural habitats with a diverse fauna of wild animals are important to limit livestock depredation.
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21
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Ferretti F, Pacini G, Belardi I, ten Cate B, Sensi M, Oliveira R, Rossa M, Burrini L, Lovari S. Recolonizing wolves and opportunistic foxes: interference or facilitation? Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The mechanisms of interactions among carnivore species range from facilitation (mainly through increased availability of prey carcasses) to competition. We assessed the potential for facilitative/competitive interactions between the two most widespread carnivores in the world, the wolf and the red fox, in a prey-rich area recently recolonized by the apex predator. One could expect that the superior competitor would ecologically suppress the inferior one, leading to avoidance of the former by the latter. In a Mediterranean coastal area (2017–2018), we assessed spatiotemporal and dietary interspecific overlap and investigated whether the recovery of wolves affected food habits of foxes. Spatiotemporal overlap was extensive (0.84–0.89). Wild ungulates were the staple of the wolf diet (~88–90%); foxes used mainly invertebrates and fruits (~78%), with ungulates being a substantial food category (13% of diet; 66% of occurrences among vertebrate prey). Interspecific dietary overlap was low (0.23), but extensive (0.89) for vertebrate prey. In comparison to a preceding wolf-free period, the volume and occurrence of large mammals in the diet of foxes showed a 2.8- to 3.5-fold increase. Apparently, foxes did not avoid wolves, which provided additional food to the foxes as prey leftovers. In a rich community, the presence of wolves may increase the food spectrum of foxes. Temporal variation of facilitation vs. competition should be assessed in relationship to spatiotemporal changes of predator–prey numbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Ferretti
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, Siena, Italy
| | - Giada Pacini
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, Siena, Italy
| | - Irene Belardi
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, Siena, Italy
| | - Bouke ten Cate
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, Siena, Italy
| | - Marco Sensi
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, Siena, Italy
| | - Raquel Oliveira
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, Siena, Italy
| | - Mariana Rossa
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, Siena, Italy
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Lucia Burrini
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, Siena, Italy
| | - Sandro Lovari
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, Siena, Italy
- Maremma Natural History Museum, Strada Corsini, Grosseto, Italy
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