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Mata JC, Davison CW, Frøslev TG, Buitenwerf R, Svenning JC. Resource partitioning in a novel herbivore assemblage in South America. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:606-618. [PMID: 38414265 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Human-induced species declines and extinctions have led to the downsizing of large-herbivore assemblages, with implications for many ecosystem processes. Active reintroduction of extirpated large herbivores or their functional equivalents may help to reverse this trend and restore diverse ecosystems and their processes. However, it is unclear whether resource competition between native and non-native herbivores could threaten restoration initiatives, or to what extent (re)introduced species may influence local vegetation dynamics. To answer these questions, we investigated the diets of a novel South American herbivore assemblage that includes resident native species, reintroduced native species and introduced non-native species. We examined plant composition, diet breadth and the overlap between species to describe the local herbivory profile and the potential for resource competition. Using DNA metabarcoding on faecal samples (n = 465), we analysed the diets of the herbivore assemblage in the Rincón del Socorro rewilding area of Iberá National Park, Argentina. We compared the species richness of faecal samples, the occurrence of plant families/growth forms and the compositional similarity of samples (inter- and intraspecifically). Our results indicate species-level taxonomic partitioning of plant resources by herbivores in this system. Differences in sample richness, composition and diet breadth reflected a diverse range of herbivory strategies, from grazers (capybara) to mixed feeders/browsers (brocket deer, lowland tapir). Differences in diet compositional similarity (Jaccard) revealed strong taxonomic resource partitioning. The two herbivores with the most similar diets (Pampas deer and brocket deer) still differed by more than 80%. Furthermore, all but one species (axis deer) had more similar diet composition intraspecifically than compared to the others. Overall, we found little evidence for resource competition between herbivore species. Instead, recently reintroduced native species and historically introduced non-natives are likely expanding the range of herbivory dynamics in the ecosystem. Further research will be needed to determine the full ecological impacts of these (re)introduced herbivores. In conclusion, we show clear differences in diet breadth and composition among native, reintroduced and non-native herbivore species that may be key to promoting resource partitioning, species coexistence and the restoration of ecological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia C Mata
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Charles W Davison
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | | | - Robert Buitenwerf
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
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Silveira de Oliveira Ê, Ludwig da Fontoura Rodrigues M, Machado Severo M, Gomes dos Santos T, Kasper CB. Who's afraid of the big bad boar? Assessing the effect of wild boar presence on the occurrence and activity patterns of other mammals. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0235312. [PMID: 32663204 PMCID: PMC7360034 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Wild boar are considered one the world’s worst invasive species and linked to biodiversity loss, competition for resources, predation of native species, and habitat modifications. In this study, we use camera traps to evaluate whether the invasive wild boar had an effect on the medium-sized mammal community of a protected area in southern Brazil. Based on photographic records, we evaluated whether the presence and relative abundance of wild boar was associated with a decrease in diversity or change in activity of medium-sized mammals. All comparisons were made between samples where wild boar were present or absent. The records of each camera during a season were considered a sample. The wild boar was the fourth most common species in the study area being present in 7.8% of the photographic records. The species richness of mammals was not negatively affected by the occurrence of wild boar and most common species did not exhibit changes in the daily activity pattern. However, we recorded an increase in the time elapsed between an observation of wild boar and the record of the next species relative to the average latency period observed among other mammalian species. This average latency period was similar to that observed in the case of large predators such as Puma, and its increase could be reflective partly of the avoidance of native species to wild boar. Nevertheless, our results show that the effect of invasive wild boar on the mammal community is not large as expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Êmila Silveira de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Biologia de Mamíferos e Aves (LABIMAVE) e Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pampa (UNIPAMPA), São Gabriel, Brazil
| | - Manoel Ludwig da Fontoura Rodrigues
- Departamento de Zoologia, Programa de Pós Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil
| | - Magnus Machado Severo
- Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade—Ministério do Meio Ambiente (ICMBio/MMA), Mostardas/RS, Brazil
| | - Tiago Gomes dos Santos
- Laboratório de Estudos em Biodiversidade Pampiana (LEBIP), Universidade Federal do Pampa (UNIPAMPA), São Gabriel, Brazil
| | - Carlos Benhur Kasper
- Laboratório de Biologia de Mamíferos e Aves (LABIMAVE) e Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pampa (UNIPAMPA), São Gabriel, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Hegel CGZ, Santos LR, Marinho JR, Marini MÂ. Is the wild pig the real “big bad wolf”? Negative effects of wild pig on Atlantic Forest mammals. Biol Invasions 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-019-02068-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Lewis JS, Farnsworth ML, Burdett CL, Theobald DM, Gray M, Miller RS. Biotic and abiotic factors predicting the global distribution and population density of an invasive large mammal. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44152. [PMID: 28276519 PMCID: PMC5343451 DOI: 10.1038/srep44152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Biotic and abiotic factors are increasingly acknowledged to synergistically shape broad-scale species distributions. However, the relative importance of biotic and abiotic factors in predicting species distributions is unclear. In particular, biotic factors, such as predation and vegetation, including those resulting from anthropogenic land-use change, are underrepresented in species distribution modeling, but could improve model predictions. Using generalized linear models and model selection techniques, we used 129 estimates of population density of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) from 5 continents to evaluate the relative importance, magnitude, and direction of biotic and abiotic factors in predicting population density of an invasive large mammal with a global distribution. Incorporating diverse biotic factors, including agriculture, vegetation cover, and large carnivore richness, into species distribution modeling substantially improved model fit and predictions. Abiotic factors, including precipitation and potential evapotranspiration, were also important predictors. The predictive map of population density revealed wide-ranging potential for an invasive large mammal to expand its distribution globally. This information can be used to proactively create conservation/management plans to control future invasions. Our study demonstrates that the ongoing paradigm shift, which recognizes that both biotic and abiotic factors shape species distributions across broad scales, can be advanced by incorporating diverse biotic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse S. Lewis
- Conservation Science Partners, 5 Old Town Sq, Suite 205, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80524, USA
| | - Matthew L. Farnsworth
- Conservation Science Partners, 5 Old Town Sq, Suite 205, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80524, USA
| | - Chris L. Burdett
- Colorado State University, Department of Biology, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80524, USA
| | - David M. Theobald
- Conservation Science Partners, 5 Old Town Sq, Suite 205, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80524, USA
| | - Miranda Gray
- Conservation Science Partners, 11050 Pioneer Trail, Suite 202, Truckee, California, 96161, USA
| | - Ryan S. Miller
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80524, USA
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Oliveira-Santos LGR, Forester JD, Piovezan U, Tomas WM, Fernandez FAS. Incorporating animal spatial memory in step selection functions. J Anim Ecol 2016; 85:516-24. [PMID: 26714244 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Memory is among the most important and neglected forces that shapes animal movement patterns. Research on the movement-memory interface is crucial to understand how animals use spatial learning to navigate across space because memory-based navigation is directly linked to animals' space use and home range behaviour; however, because memory cannot be measured directly, it is difficult to account for. Here, we incorporated spatial memory into step selection functions (SSF) to understand how resource selection and spatial memory affect space use of feral hogs (Sus scrofa). We used Biased Random Bridge kernel estimates linked to residence time as a surrogate for memory and tested four conceptually different dynamic maps of spatial memory. We applied this memory-based SSF to a data set of hog relocations to evaluate the importance of land cover type, time of day and spatial memory on the animals' space use. Our approach has shown how the incorporation of spatial memory into animal movement models can improve estimates of habitat selection. Memory-based SSF provided a feasible way to gain insight into how animals use spatial learning to guide their movement decisions. We found that while hogs selected forested areas and water bodies and avoided grasslands during the day (primarily at noon), they had a strong tendency to select previously visited areas, mainly those held in recent memory. Beyond actively updating their memory with recent experiences, hogs were able to discriminate among spatial memories encoded at different circadian phases of their activity. Even though hogs are thought to have long memory retention, they likely relied on recent experiences because the local food resources are quickly depleted and slowly renewed, yielding an uncertain spatial distribution of resources.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James D Forester
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Ubiratan Piovezan
- Department of Wildlife, EMBRAPA PANTANAL - Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Corumbá, MS, 70770-901, Brazil
| | - Walfrido M Tomas
- Department of Wildlife, EMBRAPA PANTANAL - Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Corumbá, MS, 70770-901, Brazil
| | - Fernando A S Fernandez
- Department of Ecology, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 68020, Brazil
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Galetti M, Camargo H, Siqueira T, Keuroghlian A, Donatti CI, Jorge MLSP, Pedrosa F, Kanda CZ, Ribeiro MC. Diet Overlap and Foraging Activity between Feral Pigs and Native Peccaries in the Pantanal. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141459. [PMID: 26536608 PMCID: PMC4633139 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Inter-specific competition is considered one of the main selective pressures affecting species distribution and coexistence. Different species vary in the way they forage in order to minimize encounters with their competitors and with their predators. However, it is still poorly known whether and how native species change their foraging behavior in the presence of exotic species, particularly in South America. Here we compare diet overlap of fruits and foraging activity period of two sympatric native ungulates (the white-lipped peccary, Tayassu pecari, and the collared peccary, Pecari tajacu) with the invasive feral pig (Sus scrofa) in the Brazilian Pantanal. We found high diet overlap between white-lipped peccaries and feral pigs, but low overlap between collared peccaries and feral pigs. Furthermore, we found that feral pigs may influence the foraging period of both native peccaries, but in different ways. In the absence of feral pigs, collared peccary activity peaks in the early evening, possibly allowing them to avoid white-lipped peccary activity peaks, which occur in the morning. In the presence of feral pigs, collared peccaries forage mostly in early morning, while white-lipped peccaries forage throughout the day. Our results indicate that collared peccaries may avoid foraging at the same time as white-lipped peccaries. However, they forage during the same periods as feral pigs, with whom they have lower diet overlap. Our study highlights how an exotic species may alter interactions between native species by interfering in their foraging periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Galetti
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail:
| | - Hiléia Camargo
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tadeu Siqueira
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Camila I. Donatti
- The Betty and Gordon Moore Center for Science and Oceans, Conservation International, Arlington, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Maria Luisa S. P. Jorge
- Depatment of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Felipe Pedrosa
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Claudia Z. Kanda
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Milton C. Ribeiro
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
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7
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Using conditional circular kernel density functions to test hypotheses on animal circadian activity. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.09.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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