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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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Fabrero GVN, Manceras LJS, Agduma AR, Tanalgo KC. Uncovering the Effects of COVID-19 Mask Wearing on Bird Flight Initiation Distance in Urbanized Areas in the Southern Philippines. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13081289. [PMID: 37106852 PMCID: PMC10135014 DOI: 10.3390/ani13081289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant changes in public and human activities worldwide, including using masks and reducing human interaction. These changes have also affected wildlife behavior, especially in urban areas. However, there is limited understanding of the impact of COVID-19-related human activities, mainly mask wearing, on the behavior of urban bird species. This case is intriguing in the Philippines, where COVID-19 restrictions and mask wearing have been more prolonged than in other countries. We studied two common urban bird species (Geopelia striata and Passer montanus) in Southcentral Mindanao, Philippines, to assess their response to mask wearing by examining their alert distance (AD) and flight initiation distance (FID). We found that birds had a reduced FID to mask wearing, but only significantly in G. striata (Zebra Doves) and not in P. montanus (Eurasian tree sparrow). The effect of the variables related to urbanization on FID was contrasting. For example, ambient noise increased bird vigilance while proximity to roads reduced bird FID in urbanized areas, but their effects were weaker compared to mask wearing. We conclude that mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic is a significant environmental element that alters bird escape responses in urban areas, and the effects may be species-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald Vince N Fabrero
- Ecology and Conservation Research Laboratory (Eco/Con Lab), Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, University of Southern Mindanao, Kabacan 9407, Cotabato, Philippines
| | - Leanne Jay S Manceras
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, University of Southern Mindanao, Kabacan 9407, Cotabato, Philippines
| | - Angelo Rellama Agduma
- Ecology and Conservation Research Laboratory (Eco/Con Lab), Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, University of Southern Mindanao, Kabacan 9407, Cotabato, Philippines
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Krizler Cejuela Tanalgo
- Ecology and Conservation Research Laboratory (Eco/Con Lab), Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, University of Southern Mindanao, Kabacan 9407, Cotabato, Philippines
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Hua J, Tian S, Lu S, Zhu Z, Huang X, Tao J, Li J, Xu J. COVID-19 lockdown has indirect, non-equivalent effects on activity patterns of Reeves's Pheasant ( Syrmaticus reevesii) and sympatric species. AVIAN RESEARCH 2023; 14:100092. [PMID: 37155432 PMCID: PMC10014503 DOI: 10.1016/j.avrs.2023.100092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought massive shifts in human activities through a global blockade, directly affecting wildlife survival. However, the indirect impacts of changes in human activities are often easily overlooked. We conducted surveys of Reeves's Pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii) and its sympatric species by camera traps in forest-type nature reserves in three different scenarios: pre-lockdown, lockdown and post-lockdown. An increase in livestock activities observed during the lockdown and post-lockdown period in our study area provided us an opportunity to investigate the indirect impact of the lockdown on wildlife. The pre-lockdown period was used as a baseline to compare any changes in trends of relative abundance index, activity patterns and temporal spacing of targeted species and livestock. During the lockdown period, the relative abundance index of livestock increased by 50% and there was an increase in daytime activity. Reeves's Pheasant showed avoidance responses to almost all sympatric species and livestock in three different periods, and the livestock avoidance level of Reeves's Pheasant during the lockdown period was significantly and positively correlated with the relative abundance index of livestock. Species-specific changes in activity patterns of study species were observed, with reduced daytime activities of Hog Badger and Raccoon Dog during and after the confinement periods. This study highlights the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on the responses of wildlife by considering the changes in their temporal and spatial use before, during and after lockdown. The knowledge gained on wildlife during reduced human mobility because of the pandemic aids in understanding the effect of human disturbances and developing future conservation strategies in the shared space, to manage both wildlife and livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junqin Hua
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Shan Tian
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Shuai Lu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Ziqiang Zhu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xinjie Huang
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Jisong Tao
- Henan Liankangshan National Nature Reserve, Xinyang, 464000, China
| | - Jianqiang Li
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Jiliang Xu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
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Warrington MH, Schrimpf MB, Des Brisay P, Taylor ME, Koper N. Avian behaviour changes in response to human activity during the COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212740. [PMID: 36126685 PMCID: PMC9489286 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human activities may impact animal habitat and resource use, potentially influencing contemporary evolution in animals. In the United Kingdom, COVID-19 lockdown restrictions resulted in sudden, drastic alterations to human activity. We hypothesized that short-term daily and long-term seasonal changes in human mobility might result in changes in bird habitat use, depending on the mobility type (home, parks and grocery) and extent of change. Using Google human mobility data and 872 850 bird observations, we determined that during lockdown, human mobility changes resulted in altered habitat use in 80% (20/25) of our focal bird species. When humans spent more time at home, over half of affected species had lower counts, perhaps resulting from the disturbance of birds in garden habitats. Bird counts of some species (e.g. rooks and gulls) increased over the short term as humans spent more time at parks, possibly due to human-sourced food resources (e.g. picnic refuse), while counts of other species (e.g. tits and sparrows) decreased. All affected species increased counts when humans spent less time at grocery services. Avian species rapidly adjusted to the novel environmental conditions and demonstrated behavioural plasticity, but with diverse responses, reflecting the different interactions and pressures caused by human activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miyako H. Warrington
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | | | | | - Michelle E. Taylor
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, AB24 3FX Scotland, UK
| | - Nicola Koper
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
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Abstract
Habitat modeling is one of the most common practices in ecology today, aimed at understanding complex associations between species and an array of environmental, bioclimatic, and anthropogenic factors. This review of studies of seven species of terrestrial bears (Ursidae) occupying four continents examines how habitat models have been employed, and the functionality of their predictions for management and conservation. Bear occurrence data have been obtained at the population level, as presence points (e.g., sign surveys or camera trapping), or as locations of individual radio-collared animals. Radio-collars provide greater insights into how bears interact with their environment and variability within populations; they are more commonly used in North America and Europe than in South America and Asia. Salient problematic issues apparent from this review included: biases in presence data; predictor variables being poor surrogates of actual behavioral drivers; predictor variables applied at a biologically inappropriate scale; and over-use of data repositories that tend to detach investigators from the species. In several cases, multiple models in the same area yielded different predictions; new presence data occurred outside the range of predicted suitable habitat; and future range projections, based on where bears presently exist, underestimated their adaptability. Findings here are likely relevant to other taxa.
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