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Salvatori M, Greco I, Petroni L, Massolo A, Dorigatti E, Miscioscia M, Natucci L, Oberosler V, Partel P, Pedrini P, Volcan G, Rovero F. Body mass mediates spatio-temporal responses of mammals to human frequentation across Italian protected areas. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232874. [PMID: 38565152 PMCID: PMC10987237 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Protected area (PA) networks are a pivotal tool to fight biodiversity loss, yet they often need to balance the mission of nature conservation with the socio-economic need of giving opportunity for outdoor recreation. Recreation in natural areas is important for human health in an urbanized society, but can prompt behavioural modifications in wild animals. Rarely, however, have these responses being studied across multiple PAs and using standardized methods. We deployed a systematic camera trapping protocol at over 200 sites to sample medium and large mammals in four PAs within the European Natura 2000 network to assess their spatio-temporal responses to human frequentation, proximity to towns, amount of open habitat and topographical variables. By applying multi-species and single-species models for the number of diurnal, crepuscular and nocturnal detections and a multi-species model for nocturnality index, we estimated both species-specific- and meta-community-level effects, finding that increased nocturnality appeared the main strategy that the mammal meta-community used to cope with human disturbance. However, responses in the diurnal, crepuscular and nocturnal site use were mediated by species' body mass, with larger species exhibiting avoidance of humans and smaller species more opportunistic behaviours. Our results show the effectiveness of standardized sampling and provide insights for planning the expansion of PA networks as foreseen by the Kunming-Montreal biodiversity agreement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Salvatori
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
- MUSE—Museo delle Scienze, Corso del lavoro e della scienza 3, 38122 Trento, Italy
| | - Ilaria Greco
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
| | - Luca Petroni
- Ethology Unit, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Volta 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Massolo
- Ethology Unit, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Volta 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- UMR CNRS 6249 Chrono-environnement, Université Franche-Comté, Campus La Bouloie–Route de Gray, 25030 Besançon, France
| | - Enrico Dorigatti
- Parco Naturale Paneveggio Pale di San Martino, località Castelpietra, 2, 38054 Primiero San Martino di Castrozza (TN), Italy
| | - Martina Miscioscia
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
| | - Luca Natucci
- Ethology Unit, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Volta 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Valentina Oberosler
- MUSE—Museo delle Scienze, Corso del lavoro e della scienza 3, 38122 Trento, Italy
| | - Piergiovanni Partel
- Parco Naturale Paneveggio Pale di San Martino, località Castelpietra, 2, 38054 Primiero San Martino di Castrozza (TN), Italy
| | - Paolo Pedrini
- MUSE—Museo delle Scienze, Corso del lavoro e della scienza 3, 38122 Trento, Italy
| | - Gilberto Volcan
- Parco Naturale Paneveggio Pale di San Martino, località Castelpietra, 2, 38054 Primiero San Martino di Castrozza (TN), Italy
| | - Francesco Rovero
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
- MUSE—Museo delle Scienze, Corso del lavoro e della scienza 3, 38122 Trento, Italy
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Weterings MJA, Ebbinge EYC, Strijker BN, Spek G, Kuipers HJ. Insights from a 31-year study demonstrate an inverse correlation between recreational activities and red deer fecundity, with bodyweight as a mediator. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11257. [PMID: 38654717 PMCID: PMC11035974 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Human activity is omnipresent in our landscapes. Animals can perceive risk from humans similar to predation risk, which could affect their fitness. We assessed the influence of the relative intensity of recreational activities on the bodyweight and pregnancy rates of red deer (Cervus elaphus) between 1985 and 2015. We hypothesized that stress, as a result of recreational activities, affects the pregnancy rates of red deer directly and indirectly via a reduction in bodyweight. Furthermore, we expected non-motorized recreational activities to have a larger negative effect on both bodyweight and fecundity, compared to motorized recreational activities. The intensity of recreational activities was recorded through visual observations. We obtained pregnancy data from female red deer that were shot during the regular hunting season. Additionally, age and bodyweight were determined through a post-mortem examination. We used two Generalized-Linear-Mixed Models (GLMM) to test the effect of different types of recreation on (1) pregnancy rates and (2) bodyweight of red deer. Recreation had a direct negative correlation with the fecundity of red deer, with bodyweight, as a mediator as expected. Besides, we found a negative effect of non-motorized recreation on fecundity and bodyweight and no significant effect of motorized recreation. Our results support the concept of humans as an important stressor affecting wild animal populations at a population level and plead to regulate recreational activities in protected areas that are sensitive. The fear humans induce in large-bodied herbivores and its consequences for fitness may have strong implications for animal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martijn J. A. Weterings
- Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied SciencesLeeuwardenThe Netherlands
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation GroupWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | | | - Beau N. Strijker
- Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied SciencesLeeuwardenThe Netherlands
| | - Gerrit‐Jan Spek
- Vereniging Wildbeheer Veluwe/FBE Gelderland/Natuurlijk Fauna Advies MtsVaassenThe Netherlands
| | - Henry J. Kuipers
- Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied SciencesLeeuwardenThe Netherlands
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Salvatori M, Oberosler V, Rinaldi M, Franceschini A, Truschi S, Pedrini P, Rovero F. Crowded mountains: Long-term effects of human outdoor recreation on a community of wild mammals monitored with systematic camera trapping. AMBIO 2023; 52:1085-1097. [PMID: 36626062 PMCID: PMC10160289 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01825-w] [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: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Outdoor recreation in natural areas has become an increasingly popular activity globally, yet the long-term effects on wildlife are poorly known. Reconciling human access to nature and wildlife conservation requires sound evaluations of how outdoor activities affect biodiversity in space and time. We aimed to contribute to this topic by asking whether tourism in the world-renown Dolomites, Italy, affected wild mammals in the long term, and if it elicited spatial or temporal avoidance. We detected mammals by systematic camera trapping over seven consecutive summers at 60, consistently sampled, sites, and estimated trends in occurrence at community and species levels through a dynamic community occupancy model, combined with site use intensity and an index of nocturnality. Overall, 70% of the 520 000 images obtained depicted humans, whose presence intensified over the 7-year period. Nonetheless, both community and most species-level occurrences increased. However, human activities caused a strong temporal avoidance in the whole community, especially in most disturbed sites, while spatial avoidance was observed only for bigger-sized species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Salvatori
- Department of Biology, University of Firenze, Via Madonna del Piano, 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- MUSE - Science Museum of Trento, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza, 3, 38122 Trento, Italy
| | - Valentina Oberosler
- MUSE - Science Museum of Trento, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza, 3, 38122 Trento, Italy
| | - Margherita Rinaldi
- MUSE - Science Museum of Trento, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza, 3, 38122 Trento, Italy
- Ente di Gestione per i Parchi e la Biodiversità Emilia Occidentale, Piazza Ferrari, 5, 43013 Langhirano, Italy
| | - Alessandro Franceschini
- MUSE - Science Museum of Trento, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza, 3, 38122 Trento, Italy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 116 St. and 85 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3 Canada
- Wildlife Initiative Italia, Via Rovigo, 12, Pederobba, Italy
| | - Stefania Truschi
- MUSE - Science Museum of Trento, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza, 3, 38122 Trento, Italy
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Forestry Science, University of Firenze, Piazzale delle Cascine, 18, 50144 Florence, Italy
| | - Paolo Pedrini
- MUSE - Science Museum of Trento, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza, 3, 38122 Trento, Italy
| | - Francesco Rovero
- Department of Biology, University of Firenze, Via Madonna del Piano, 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- MUSE - Science Museum of Trento, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza, 3, 38122 Trento, Italy
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McCahon S, Brinkman T, Klimstra R. Estimating encounter probabilities among recreational trail user groups. JOURNAL OF OUTDOOR RECREATION AND TOURISM 2023; 42:100614. [PMID: 37251798 PMCID: PMC10215815 DOI: 10.1016/j.jort.2023.100614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The global rise in nature-based recreation increases the need for research on visitor activity use and interaction especially for multi-use trail systems. Conflict often arises during negatively perceived physical encounters (i.e., direct observation) of different user groups. Our study addresses these encounters on a winter multi-use refuge in Fairbanks, Alaska. Our goal was to develop a method that generates spatially and temporally explicit estimates of trail occupancy and encounter probabilities among different user groups. We used trail cameras with optic alteration to protect individual identity. We monitored winter recreational activity from November 2019 to April 2020 (n = 133 days) and sorted users into three user groups: 1) motor-powered, 2) dog-powered, and 3) human-powered. We calculated the total number of occurrences and proportion of activity across all user groups at each camera location. We identified hotspots of activity overlap (e.g., near trail access points), and peak times (14:01-15:00), days (Saturdays and Sundays), and months (December, February, and March) that may have had higher potential for physical encounters and conflict. We used multiplication and addition probability rules to estimate two probabilities: 1) the probability of user groups occupying individual trail segments, and 2) the probability of encounter between different user groups. We scaled up these probability estimates both temporally (hourly and daily) and spatially (refuge quadrant and refuge-wide). Researchers can adapt our novel method to any recreational trail system to identify locations with potential for congestion and conflict. This method can help inform management that improves visitor experience and overall trail user satisfaction. Management implications We provide managers of recreational trail systems with a quantitative, objective, and noninvasive method to monitor activity among trail user groups. This method can be altered both spatially and temporally to fit any recreational trail system's research questions. These questions may involve congestion, trail carrying capacity, or user group and wildlife encounters. Our method advances current knowledge of trail use dynamics by quantifying the extent of activity overlap between different user groups that may be prone to conflict. Managers can use this information to incorporate relevant management strategies to mitigate congestion and conflict for their own recreational trail system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby McCahon
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - Todd Brinkman
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - Ryan Klimstra
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fairbanks, AK, USA
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Sytsma MLT, Lewis T, Gardner B, Prugh LR. Low levels of outdoor recreation alter wildlife behaviour. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mira L. T. Sytsma
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - Tania Lewis
- Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve Gustavus Alaska USA
| | - Beth Gardner
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - Laura R. Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
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Procko M, Naidoo R, LeMay V, Burton AC. Human impacts on mammals in and around a protected area before, during, and after COVID-19 lockdowns. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022; 4:e12743. [PMID: 35935172 PMCID: PMC9347595 DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12743] [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: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The dual mandate for many protected areas (PAs) to simultaneously promote recreation and conserve biodiversity may be hampered by negative effects of recreation on wildlife. However, reports of these effects are not consistent, presenting a knowledge gap that hinders evidence-based decision-making. We used camera traps to monitor human activity and terrestrial mammals in Golden Ears Provincial Park and the adjacent University of British Columbia Malcolm Knapp Research Forest near Vancouver, Canada, with the objective of discerning relative effects of various forms of recreation on cougars (Puma concolor), black bears (Ursus americanus), black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus), snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), coyotes (Canis latrans), and bobcats (Lynx rufus). Additionally, public closures of the study area associated with the COVD-19 pandemic offered an unprecedented period of human-exclusion through which to explore these effects. Using Bayesian generalized mixed-effects models, we detected negative effects of hikers (mean posterior estimate = -0.58, 95% credible interval [CI] -1.09 to -0.12) on weekly bobcat habitat use and negative effects of motorized vehicles (estimate = -0.28, 95% CI -0.61 to -0.05) on weekly black bear habitat use. We also found increased cougar detection rates in the PA during the COVID-19 closure (estimate = 0.007, 95% CI 0.005 to 0.009), but decreased cougar detection rates (estimate = -0.006, 95% CI -0.009 to -0.003) and increased black-tailed deer detection rates (estimate = 0.014, 95% CI 0.002 to 0.026) upon reopening of the PA. Our results emphasize that effects of human activity on wildlife habitat use and movement may be species- and/or activity-dependent, and that camera traps can be an invaluable tool for monitoring both wildlife and human activity, collecting data even when public access is barred. Further, we encourage PA managers seeking to promote both biodiversity conservation and recreation to explicitly assess trade-offs between these two goals in their PAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Procko
- Department of Forest Resources Management, Forest Sciences CentreUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Robin Naidoo
- WWF‐USWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
- Institute for Resources, Environment and SustainabilityUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Valerie LeMay
- Department of Forest Resources Management, Forest Sciences CentreUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - A. Cole Burton
- Department of Forest Resources Management, Forest Sciences CentreUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
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Marion S, Demšar U, Davies AL, Stephens PA, Irvine RJ, Long JA. Red deer behavioural response to hiking activity: A study using camera traps. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Solène Marion
- School of Geography & Sustainable Development, Irvine Building University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler Aberdeen UK
| | - Urška Demšar
- School of Geography & Sustainable Development, Irvine Building University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
| | - Althea L. Davies
- School of Geography & Sustainable Development, Irvine Building University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
| | - Philip A. Stephens
- Conservation Ecology Group Department of Biosciences Durham University Durham UK
| | - R. Justin Irvine
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler Aberdeen UK
- Frankfurt Zoological Society Addis Ababa Ethiopia
| | - Jed A. Long
- School of Geography & Sustainable Development, Irvine Building University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
- Department of Geography & Environment Western University London Ontario Canada
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Smartphone app reveals that lynx avoid human recreationists on local scale, but not home range scale. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4787. [PMID: 35314717 PMCID: PMC8938439 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08468-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Outdoor recreation is increasing and affects habitat use and selection by wildlife. These effects are challenging to study, especially for elusive species with large spatial requirements, as it is hard to obtain reliable proxies of recreational intensity over extensive areas. Commonly used proxies, such as the density of, or distance to, hiking paths, ignore outdoor recreation occurring on other linear feature types. Here we utilized crowdsourced data from the Strava training app to obtain a large-scale proxy for pedestrian outdoor recreation intensity in southeast Norway. We used the proxy and GPS-tracking data from collared Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) to investigate how recreation affects habitat selection at the home range scale and local scale by lynx during summer. We fitted resource selection functions at the two scales using conditional logistic regression. Our analysis revealed that lynx avoided areas of recreational activity at the local scale, but not at home range scale. Nonetheless, lynx frequently used areas associated with recreation, and to a greater degree at night than during the day. Our results suggest that local-scale avoidance of recreation and temporal adjustments of habitat use by lynx mitigate the need for a home range-scale response towards recreation. Scale-dependent responses and temporal adjustments in habitat use may facilitate coexistence between humans and large carnivores.
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Costa TD, Santos CD, Rainho A, Abedi-Lartey M, Fahr J, Wikelski M, Dechmann DKN. Assessing roost disturbance of straw-coloured fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) through tri-axial acceleration. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242662. [PMID: 33226991 PMCID: PMC7682868 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The disturbance of wildlife by humans is a worldwide phenomenon that contributes to the loss of biodiversity. It can impact animals' behaviour and physiology, and this can lead to changes in species distribution and richness. Wildlife disturbance has mostly been assessed through direct observation. However, advances in bio-logging provide a new range of sensors that may allow measuring disturbance of animals with high precision and remotely, and reducing the effects of human observers. We used tri-axial accelerometers to identify daytime flights of roosting straw-coloured fruit bats (Eidolon helvum), which were used as a proxy for roost disturbance. This bat species roosts on trees in large numbers (often reaching hundreds of thousands of animals), making them highly vulnerable to disturbance. We captured and tagged 46 straw-coloured fruit bats with dataloggers, containing a global positioning system (GPS) and an accelerometer, in five roosts in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Zambia. Daytime roost flights were identified from accelerometer signatures and modelled against our activity in the roosts during the days of trapping, as a predictor of roost disturbance, and natural stressors (solar irradiance, precipitation and wind speed). We found that daytime roost flight probability increased during days of trapping and with increasing solar irradiance (which may reflect the search for shade to prevent overheating). Our results validate the use of accelerometers to measure roost disturbance of straw-coloured fruit bats and suggest that these devices may be very useful in conservation monitoring programs for large fruit bat species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tânia Domingues Costa
- cE3c –Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Carlos D. Santos
- Núcleo de Teoria e Pesquisa do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, Rua Augusto Correa 1, Guamá, Belém, Brazil
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Ana Rainho
- cE3c –Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Michael Abedi-Lartey
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jakob Fahr
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Braunschweig University of Technology, Zoological Institute, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Dina K. N. Dechmann
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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Torre Cerro R, Holloway P. A review of the methods for studying biotic interactions in phenological analyses. Methods Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Torre Cerro
- Department of Geography University College Cork Cork Ireland
- Environmental Research Institute University College Cork Cork Ireland
| | - Paul Holloway
- Department of Geography University College Cork Cork Ireland
- Environmental Research Institute University College Cork Cork Ireland
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