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He G, Zhang B, Yi K, Chen T, Shen C, Cao M, Wang N, Zong J, Wang Y, Liu K, Chang F, Chen X, Chen L, Luo Y, Meng Y, Li C, Zhou X. Heat stress-induced dysbiosis of the gut microbiota impairs spermatogenesis by regulating secondary bile acid metabolism in the gut. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 937:173305. [PMID: 38777056 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Heat stress (HS) poses a substantial challenge to livestock. Studies have demonstrated that HS reduces fertility and leads to gut microbiota dysbiosis in bulls. However, the impact of the gut microbiota on fertility in bulls during HS is still unclear. Our research revealed that HS exposure decreased semen quality in bulls, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from heat-stressed bulls to recipient mice resulted in a significant decrease in number of testicular germ cells and epididymal sperm. Untargeted metabolomics methodology and 16S rDNA sequencing conjoint analysis revealed that Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila) seemed to be a key bacterial regulator of spermatogenesis after HS exposure. Moreover, the research indicated that A. muciniphila regulated secondary bile acid metabolism by promoting the colonization of bile salt hydrolase (BSH)-metabolizing bacteria, leading to increase of retinol absorption in the host gut and subsequently elevation of testicular retinoic acid level, thereby improving spermatogenesis. This study sheds light on the relationship between HS-induced microbiota dysbiosis and spermatogenesis, offering a potential therapeutic approach for addressing bull spermatogenic dysfunction triggered by HS exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guitian He
- College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Boqi Zhang
- College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Kangle Yi
- Grassland and Herbivore Research Laboratory, Hunan Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Research Institute, Changsha, China
| | - Tong Chen
- College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Caomeihui Shen
- College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Maosheng Cao
- College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Nan Wang
- College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Jinxin Zong
- College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Yueying Wang
- College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Kening Liu
- College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Fuqiang Chang
- College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Xue Chen
- College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Lu Chen
- College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Yuxin Luo
- College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Yang Meng
- Jilin Province Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Institute, China
| | - Chunjin Li
- College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China.
| | - Xu Zhou
- College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China.
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Brivio F, Apollonio M, Anderwald P, Filli F, Bassano B, Bertolucci C, Grignolio S. Seeking temporal refugia to heat stress: increasing nocturnal activity despite predation risk. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20231587. [PMID: 38228177 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1587] [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: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Flexibility in activity timing may enable organisms to quickly adapt to environmental changes. Under global warming, diurnally adapted endotherms may achieve a better energy balance by shifting their activity towards cooler nocturnal hours. However, this shift may expose animals to new or increased environmental challenges (e.g. increased predation risk, reduced foraging efficiency). We analysed a large dataset of activity data from 47 ibex (Capra ibex) in two protected areas, characterized by varying levels of predation risk (presence versus absence of the wolf-Canis lupus). We found that ibex increased nocturnal activity following warmer days and during brighter nights. Despite the considerable sexual dimorphism typical of this species and the consequent different predation-risk perception, males and females demonstrated consistent responses to heat in both predator-present and predator-absent areas. This supports the hypothesis that shifting activity towards nighttime may be a common strategy adopted by diurnal endotherms in response to global warming. As nowadays different pressures are pushing mammals towards nocturnality, our findings emphasize the urgent need to integrate knowledge of temporal behavioural modifications into management and conservation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Brivio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, via Vienna 2, Sassari 07100, Italy
| | - Marco Apollonio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, via Vienna 2, Sassari 07100, Italy
| | | | | | - Bruno Bassano
- Gran Paradiso National Park, Via Pio VII 9, Torino 10135, Italy
| | - Cristiano Bertolucci
- Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, via Borsari 46, Ferrara, 44121, Italy
| | - Stefano Grignolio
- Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, via Borsari 46, Ferrara, 44121, Italy
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Dickinson ER, McFarland C, Toïgo C, Michael Scantlebury D, Stephens PA, Marks NJ, Morgan ER. Host movement dominates the predicted effects of climate change on parasite transmission between wild and domestic mountain ungulates. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:230469. [PMID: 38179074 PMCID: PMC10762430 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Climate change is shifting the transmission of parasites, which is determined by host density, ambient temperature and moisture. These shifts can lead to increased pressure from parasites, in wild and domestic animals, and can impact the effectiveness of parasite control strategies. Understanding the interactive effects of climate on host movement and parasite life histories will enable targeted parasite management, to ensure livestock productivity and avoid additional stress on wildlife populations. To assess complex outcomes under climate change, we applied a gastrointestinal nematode transmission model to a montane wildlife-livestock system, based on host movement and changes in abiotic factors due to elevation, comparing projected climate change scenarios with the historic climate. The wildlife host, Alpine ibex (Capra ibex ibex), undergoes seasonal elevational migration, and livestock are grazed during the summer for eight weeks. Total parasite infection pressure was more sensitive to host movement than to the direct effect of climatic conditions on parasite availability. Extended livestock grazing is predicted to increase parasite exposure for wildlife. These results demonstrate that movement of different host species should be considered when predicting the effects of climate change on parasite transmission, and can inform decisions to support wildlife and livestock health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor R. Dickinson
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Christopher McFarland
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Carole Toïgo
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, 5 allée de Bethléem, ZI Mayencin 38610, Gières, France
| | - D. Michael Scantlebury
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Philip A. Stephens
- Conservation Ecology Group, Department of Biosciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Nikki J. Marks
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Eric R. Morgan
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
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Trondrud LM, Pigeon G, Król E, Albon S, Ropstad E, Kumpula J, Evans AL, Speakman JR, Loe LE. A Summer Heat Wave Reduced Activity, Heart Rate, and Autumn Body Mass in a Cold-Adapted Ungulate. Physiol Biochem Zool 2023; 96:282-293. [PMID: 37418606 DOI: 10.1086/725363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
AbstractHeat waves are becoming more frequent across the globe and may impose severe thermoregulatory challenges for endotherms. Heat stress can induce both behavioral and physiological responses, which may result in energy deficits with potential fitness consequences. We studied the responses of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus), a cold-adapted ungulate, to a record-breaking heat wave in northern Finland. Activity, heart rate, subcutaneous body temperature, and body mass data were collected for 14 adult females. The post-heat wave autumn body masses were then analyzed against longitudinal body mass records for the herd from 1990 to 2021. With increasing air temperature during the day, reindeer became less active and had reduced heart rate and increased body temperature, reflecting both behavioral and physiological responses to heat stress. Although they increased activity in the late afternoon, they failed to compensate for lost foraging time on the hottest days (daily mean temperature ≥20°C), and total time active was reduced by 9%. After the heat wave, the mean September body mass of herd females (69.7±6.6 kg, n=52) was on average 16.4% ± 4.8% lower than predicted (83.4±6.0 kg). Among focal females, individuals with the lowest levels of activity during the heat wave had the greatest mass loss during summer. We show how heat waves impose a thermoregulatory challenge on endotherms, resulting in mass loss, potentially as a result of the loss of foraging time. While it is well known that environmental conditions affect large herbivore fitness indirectly through decreased forage quality and limited water supply, direct effects of heat may be increasingly common in a warming climate.
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Brogi R, Apollonio M, Brivio F, Merli E, Grignolio S. Behavioural syndromes going wild: individual risk-taking behaviours of free-ranging wild boar. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Zhang L, Li Q, Kou X, Ouyang Z. Distributions of two native ungulates at the third pole are highly sensitive to global warming. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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Czech B, Szyda J, Wang K, Luo H, Wang Y. Fecal microbiota and their association with heat stress in Bos taurus. BMC Microbiol 2022; 22:171. [PMID: 35790909 PMCID: PMC9254560 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-022-02576-0] [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: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Humans have been influencing climate changes by burning fossil fuels, farming livestock, and cutting down rainforests, which has led to global temperature rise. This problem of global warming affects animals by causing heat stress, which negatively affects their health, biological functions, and reproduction. On the molecular level, it has been proved that heat stress changes the expression level of genes and therefore causes changes in proteome and metabolome. The importance of a microbiome in many studies showed that it is considered as individuals’ “second genome”. Physiological changes caused by heat stress may impact the microbiome composition. Results In this study, we identified fecal microbiota associated with heat stress that was quantified by three metrics – rectal temperature, drooling, and respiratory scores represented by their Estimated Breeding Values. We analyzed the microbiota from 136 fecal samples of Chinese Holstein cows through a 16S rRNA gene sequencing approach. Statistical modeling was performed using a negative binomial regression. The analysis revealed the total number of 24 genera and 12 phyla associated with heat stress metrics. Rhizobium and Pseudobutyrivibrio turned out to be the most significant genera, while Acidobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes were the most significant phyla. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that three heat stress indicators quantify different metabolic ways of animals’ reaction to heat stress. Other studies already identified that those genera had significantly increased abundance in mice exposed to stressor-induced changes. Conclusions This study provides insights into the analysis of microbiome composition in cattle using heat stress measured as a continuous variable. The bacteria highly associated with heat stress were highlighted and can be used as biomarkers in further microbiological studies.
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Abstract
The recent and ever-growing problem of boar (Sus scrofa forms including wild boar, hybrid and feral pig) expansion is a very complex issue in wildlife management. The damages caused to biodiversity and the economies are addressed in different ways by the various countries, but research is needed to shed light on the causal factors of this emergency before defining a useful collaborative management policy. In this review, we screened more than 280 references published between 1975–2022, identifying and dealing with five hot factors (climate change, human induced habitat modifications, predator regulation on the prey, hybridization with domestic forms, and transfaunation) that could account for the boar expansion and its niche invasion. We also discuss some issues arising from this boar emergency, such as epizootic and zoonotic diseases or the depression of biodiversity. Finally, we provide new insights for the research and the development of management policies.
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Grignolio S, Brivio F, Chirichella R, Apollonio M. Is horn length crucial for Alpine chamois? J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12980] [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]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Grignolio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari Sassari Italy
- Department of Life Science and Biotechnology University of Ferrara Ferrara Italy
| | - F. Brivio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari Sassari Italy
| | - R. Chirichella
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari Sassari Italy
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences University of Sassari Sassari Italy
| | - M. Apollonio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari Sassari Italy
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10
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Brivio F, Ciuti S, Pipia A, Grignolio S, Apollonio M. Livestock displace European mouflon from optimal foraging sites. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-022-01581-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe conflict between free-ranging livestock and wildlife is a serious conservation concern across rural communities worldwide. Livestock may affect wild herbivores via direct competition for resources due to spatial and diet overlap or via behavioural interference. It is imperative that we disentangle the effects of livestock on wildlife behaviour to obtain an empirical basis able to stir management and conservation decisions. Here, we studied the effect of livestock presence on the habitat selection in a free-ranging European mouflon (Ovis aries musimon) population in Sardinia, where the species is under strict protection. We collected spatial data on mouflon and livestock during two consecutive years to investigate whether the mouflon selection of key feeding grassland sites was negatively impacted by the livestock presence. We found that mouflon preferably selected grassland, and its selection significantly increased when grass was of better quality (greener). We showed that livestock presence led to the displacement of mouflon from such preferred feeding sites, an effect clearly exacerbated by livestock proximity. We indeed found that the selection of grassland by mouflon dropped significantly when the distance between livestock and mouflon was below ~ 650 m, providing a useful management threshold indication. Livestock presence in close proximity displaced mouflon to sub-optimal habitat, and its effects may have negative impact on the population dynamic of this species which is already characterized by low female productivity within harsh Mediterranean environment. Our results give clear management indications aimed at better managing livestock grazing within natural areas to ultimately improve wildlife conservation.
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11
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Distribution Drivers of the Alien Butterfly Geranium Bronze (Cacyreus marshalli) in an Alpine Protected Area and Indications for an Effective Management. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11040563. [PMID: 35453762 PMCID: PMC9027867 DOI: 10.3390/biology11040563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Cacyreus marshalli is strictly dependent on its host plant (Pelargonium spp.), which is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in mountain areas. An experiment demonstrated that the butterfly is able to develop on some wild geraniums, too, making mountain areas highly at risk for a potential expansion to natural habitats. We therefore decided to carry out research in a protected mountain area (Gran Paradiso National Park), focusing on the drivers which determine the distribution of C. marshalli using data provided by either an opportunistic approach or a rigorous survey protocol. The data collected via the planned survey were more informative than the opportunistic observations, which were few and narrow. We suggest investing more in citizen science projects and combining them with a designed protocol according to an integrated approach. We observed that C. marshalli distribution is strictly linked to host plant availability but is constrained by cold temperatures, although Pelargonium spp. are abundant. The temperature increase scenario showed an increase of butterfly abundance, but halving of the host plant population could drive the rate of infestation to return to what it was previously, excluding a countertrend in some high-altitude sites. It is therefore important to test management actions designed to control alien species before implementing them. Abstract Cacyreus marshalli is the only alien butterfly in Europe. It has recently spread in the Gran Paradiso National Park (GPNP), where it could potentially compete with native geranium-consuming butterflies. Our study aimed to (1) assess the main drivers of its distribution, (2) evaluate the potential species distribution in GPNP and (3) predict different scenarios to understand the impact of climate warming and the effect of possible mitigations. Considering different sampling designs (opportunistic and standardised) and different statistical approaches (MaxEnt and N-mixture models), we built up models predicting habitat suitability and egg abundance for the alien species, testing covariates as bioclimatic variables, food plant (Pelargonium spp.) distribution and land cover. A standardised approach resulted in more informative data collection due to the survey design adopted. Opportunistic data could be potentially informative but a major investment in citizen science projects would be needed. Both approaches showed that C. marshalli is associated with its host plant distribution and therefore confined in urban areas. Its expansion is controlled by cold temperatures which, even if the host plant is abundant, constrain the number of eggs. Rising temperatures could lead to an increase in the number of eggs laid, but the halving of Pelargonium spp. populations would mostly mitigate the trend, with a slight countertrend at high elevations.
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12
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Coppola F, Grignolio S, Brivio F, Giunchi D, Felicioli A. Spatio-temporal inhabitation of settlements by Hystrix cristata L., 1758. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5426. [PMID: 35361851 PMCID: PMC8971386 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09501-5] [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: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Settlements are usually shared at different times by semi-fossorial mammals. Porcupine reproductive pair shows high den-site fidelity, but no data are available on the spatio-temporal inhabitation of settlements. In this investigation, the spatio-temporal inhabitation of settlements by crested porcupine families was investigated using camera-trapping as well as the ethological factors affecting the settlements selection. The crested porcupine resulted to be the main inhabitant of settlements surveyed in the present study. Each settlement was inhabited exclusively by one porcupine family. Five out of six porcupine families, each alternatively and complementarily inhabited the same two settlements. In all the five monitored families, settlements selection doesn’t follow a seasonal pattern. Settlement inhabitation of porcupines resulted positively affected by cohabitation with badger, while presence of porcupettes did not affect settlements selection. Long periods of settlement inhabitation were positively affected both by the presence of porcupettes and cohabitation with badger. The pattern of settlements inhabitation in relation to their availability and porcupine population density as well as factors promoting porcupine-badger cohabitation should be further investigated. New ethological knowledge obtained in this investigation could be involved in the evaluation of the ecological epidemiology of infectious diseases between porcupine and badger within a one health approach and may be a useful tool for a sustainable management of semi-fossorial mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Coppola
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefano Grignolio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy.,Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Via L. Borsari 46, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Francesca Brivio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Dimitri Giunchi
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Luca Ghini 13, 56123, Pisa, Italy
| | - Antonio Felicioli
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
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Jessen TD, Service CN, Poole KG, Burton AC, Bateman AW, Paquet PC, Darimont CT. Indigenous peoples as sentinels of change in human‐wildlife relationships: Conservation status of mountain goats in Kitasoo Xai'xais territory and beyond. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tyler D. Jessen
- Department of Geography University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation Sidney British Columbia Canada
| | | | - Kim G. Poole
- Aurora Wildlife Research Nelson British Columbia Canada
| | - A. Cole Burton
- Department of Forest Resources Management University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada
| | - Andrew W. Bateman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Paul C. Paquet
- Department of Geography University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation Sidney British Columbia Canada
| | - Chris T. Darimont
- Department of Geography University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation Sidney British Columbia Canada
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Robertson EP, Tanner EP, Elmore RD, Fuhlendorf SD, Mays JD, Knutson J, Weir JR, Loss SR. Fire management alters the thermal landscape and provides multi-scale thermal options for a terrestrial turtle facing a changing climate. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:782-796. [PMID: 34741780 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
As effects of climate change intensify, there is a growing need to understand the thermal properties of landscapes and their influence on wildlife. A key thermal property of landscapes is vegetation structure and composition. Management approaches can alter vegetation and consequently the thermal landscape, potentially resulting in underappreciated consequences for wildlife thermoregulation. Consideration of spatial scale can clarify how management overlaid onto existing vegetation patterns affects thermal properties of landscapes relevant to wildlife. We examined effects of temperature, fire management, and vegetation structure on multi-scale habitat selection of an ectothermic vertebrate (the turtle Terrapene carolina triunguis) in the Great Plains of the central United States by linking time-since-fire data from 18 experimental burn plots to turtle telemetry locations and thermal and vegetation height data. Within three 60-ha experimental landscapes, each containing six 10-ha sub-blocks that are periodically burned, we found that turtles select time-since-fire gradients differently depending on maximum daily ambient temperature. At moderate temperatures, turtles selected sub-blocks with recent (<1 year) time-since-fire, but during relatively hot and cool conditions, they selected sub-blocks with later (2-3 year) time-since-fire that provided thermal buffering compared with recently burned sub-blocks. Within 10-ha sub-blocks, turtles selected locations with taller vegetation during warmer conditions that provided thermal buffering. Thermal performance curves revealed that turtle activity declined as temperatures exceeded ~24-29°C, and on "heat days" (≥29°C) 73% of turtles were inactive compared with 37% on non-heat days, emphasizing that thermal extremes may lead to opportunity costs (i.e., foregone benefits turtles could otherwise accrue if active). Our results indicate that management approaches that promote a mosaic of vegetation heights, like spatiotemporally dynamic fire, can provide thermal refuges at multiple spatial scales and thus be an actionable way to provide wildlife with multiple thermal options in the context of ongoing and future climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen P Robertson
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
- South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Evan P Tanner
- Department of Rangeland and Wildlife Science, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas, USA
| | - R Dwayne Elmore
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Samuel D Fuhlendorf
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Jonathan D Mays
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Jennifer Knutson
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - John R Weir
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Scott R Loss
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
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15
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Reiner R, Zedrosser A, Zeiler H, Hackländer K, Corlatti L. Forests buffer the climate-induced decline of body mass in a mountain herbivore. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:3741-3752. [PMID: 33993622 PMCID: PMC8361913 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is known to affect key life-history traits, such as body mass, reproduction, and survival in many species. Animal populations inhabiting mountain habitats are adapted to extreme seasonal environmental conditions but are also expected to be especially vulnerable to climate change. Studies on mountain ungulates typically focus on populations or sections of populations living above the tree line, whereas populations inhabiting forested habitats are largely understudied. Here, we investigate whether forested areas can mitigate the impact of climatic change on life-history traits by evaluating the interactive effects of temperature and habitat characteristics on body mass variation in the Alpine chamois Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra. We examined data of 20,573 yearling chamois collected from 1993 to 2019 in 28 mountain ranges in the Austrian Eastern Alps, characterized by different proportion of forest cover. Our results show that the temporal decline of chamois body mass is less pronounced in areas with greater proportion of forest cover. For chamois living in forest habitats only, no significant temporal change in body mass was detected. Variation in body mass was affected by the interaction between density and snow cover, as well as by the interaction between spring temperatures and forest cover, supporting the role of forests as thermal buffer against the effects of increasing temperatures on life-history traits in a mountain ungulate. In turn, this study suggests a buffering effect of forests against climate change impacts. Assessments of the consequences of climate change on the life-history traits and population dynamics of mountain-dwelling species should thus consider the plasticity of the species with respect to the use and availability of different habitat types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudolf Reiner
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game ManagementUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
- Berchtesgaden National ParkBerchtesgadenGermany
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game ManagementUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental HealthUniversity of South‐Eastern NorwayBø i TelemarkNorway
| | | | - Klaus Hackländer
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game ManagementUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Luca Corlatti
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and ManagementUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
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16
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Dickinson ER, Twining JP, Wilson R, Stephens PA, Westander J, Marks N, Scantlebury DM. Limitations of using surrogates for behaviour classification of accelerometer data: refining methods using random forest models in Caprids. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:28. [PMID: 34099067 PMCID: PMC8186069 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00265-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal-attached devices can be used on cryptic species to measure their movement and behaviour, enabling unprecedented insights into fundamental aspects of animal ecology and behaviour. However, direct observations of subjects are often still necessary to translate biologging data accurately into meaningful behaviours. As many elusive species cannot easily be observed in the wild, captive or domestic surrogates are typically used to calibrate data from devices. However, the utility of this approach remains equivocal. METHODS Here, we assess the validity of using captive conspecifics, and phylogenetically-similar domesticated counterparts (surrogate species) for calibrating behaviour classification. Tri-axial accelerometers and tri-axial magnetometers were used with behavioural observations to build random forest models to predict the behaviours. We applied these methods using captive Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) and a domestic counterpart, pygmy goats (Capra aegagrus hircus), to predict the behaviour including terrain slope for locomotion behaviours of captive Alpine ibex. RESULTS Behavioural classification of captive Alpine ibex and domestic pygmy goats was highly accurate (> 98%). Model performance was reduced when using data split per individual, i.e., classifying behaviour of individuals not used to train models (mean ± sd = 56.1 ± 11%). Behavioural classifications using domestic counterparts, i.e., pygmy goat observations to predict ibex behaviour, however, were not sufficient to predict all behaviours of a phylogenetically similar species accurately (> 55%). CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate methods to refine the use of random forest models to classify behaviours of both captive and free-living animal species. We suggest there are two main reasons for reduced accuracy when using a domestic counterpart to predict the behaviour of a wild species in captivity; domestication leading to morphological differences and the terrain of the environment in which the animals were observed. We also identify limitations when behaviour is predicted in individuals that are not used to train models. Our results demonstrate that biologging device calibration needs to be conducted using: (i) with similar conspecifics, and (ii) in an area where they can perform behaviours on terrain that reflects that of species in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor R Dickinson
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, Northern Ireland, UK.
| | - Joshua P Twining
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Rory Wilson
- Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, Wales, UK
| | - Philip A Stephens
- Conservation Ecology Group, Department of Biosciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Jennie Westander
- Kolmården Wildlife Park, SE-618 92, Kolmården, Sweden
- Öknaskolans Naturbruksgymnasium, SE-611 99, Tystberga, Sweden
| | - Nikki Marks
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - David M Scantlebury
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, Northern Ireland, UK
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Semenzato P, Cagnacci F, Ossi F, Eccel E, Morellet N, Hewison AJM, Sturaro E, Ramanzin M. Behavioural heat-stress compensation in a cold-adapted ungulate: Forage-mediated responses to warming Alpine summers. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1556-1568. [PMID: 34028149 PMCID: PMC8362020 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Alpine large herbivores have developed physiological and behavioural mechanisms to cope with fluctuations in climate and resource availability that may become maladaptive under climate warming. We tested this hypothesis in female Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) by modelling annual and daily movement and activity patterns in relation to temperature, vegetation productivity and reproductive status based on bio‐logging data and climate change projections. In summer, ibex moved upslope, tracking the green wave. Ibex decreased diel activity sharply above a threshold temperature of 13–14°C, indicating thermal stress, but compensated behaviourally by foraging both earlier and later in the day, and by moving further upslope than on cooler days, especially reproductive females. This critical temperature will be exceeded three times as often under climate change projections. Under such scenarios, the altitudinal extent of the area will limit the available habitat providing thermal shelter, potentially impacting performance and population distribution of this emblematic mountain ungulate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Semenzato
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology Department, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all' Adige (TN), Italy
| | - Federico Ossi
- Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology Department, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all' Adige (TN), Italy.,Center Agriculture Food Environment (C3A), University of Trento, San Michele all'Adige (TN), Italy
| | - Emanuele Eccel
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all' Adige (TN), Italy
| | - Nicolas Morellet
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, Castanet-Tolosan, France.,LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, Auzeville Tolosane, France
| | - A J Mark Hewison
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, Castanet-Tolosan, France.,LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, Auzeville Tolosane, France
| | - Enrico Sturaro
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Maurizio Ramanzin
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
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18
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Teitelbaum CS, Sirén APK, Coffel E, Foster JR, Frair JL, Hinton JW, Horton RM, Kramer DW, Lesk C, Raymond C, Wattles DW, Zeller KA, Morelli TL. Habitat use as indicator of adaptive capacity to climate change. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexej P. K. Sirén
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Amherst MA USA
| | - Ethan Coffel
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Amherst MA USA
- Department of Geography and the Environment Syracuse University Syracuse NY USA
| | - Jane R. Foster
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Amherst MA USA
- University of Vermont Burlington VT USA
| | - Jacqueline L. Frair
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse NY USA
| | - Joseph W. Hinton
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse NY USA
| | - Radley M. Horton
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Amherst MA USA
- Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University New York NY USA
| | - David W. Kramer
- New York Department of Environmental Conservation Albany NY USA
| | - Corey Lesk
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Amherst MA USA
- Columbia University New York NY USA
| | - Colin Raymond
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology Pasadena CA USA
| | | | - Katherine A. Zeller
- Odum School of Ecology University of Georgia Athens GA USA
- Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Amherst MA USA
| | - Toni Lyn Morelli
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Amherst MA USA
- U.S. Geological Survey Amherst MA USA
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19
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Thompson DP, Crouse JA, Barboza PS, Spathelf MO, Herberg AM, Parker SD, Morris MA. Behaviour influences thermoregulation of boreal moose during the warm season. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coaa130. [PMID: 33456779 PMCID: PMC7799588 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Management of large herbivores depends on providing habitats for forage supply and refuge from risks of temperature, predation and disease. Moose (Alces alces) accumulate body energy and nutrient stores during summer, while reducing the impact of warm temperatures through physiological and behavioural thermoregulation. Building on the animal indicator concept, we used rumen temperature sensors and GPS collars on captive moose (n = 6) kept in large natural enclosures to evaluate how behaviour and habitat selection influence the rate of change in rumen temperature during the growing season on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, USA. We compared movement and habitat selection of individual females during tolerance days (daily amplitude in rumen temperature was ≥1.2°C in 24 h) with those of control days (daily amplitude in rumen temperature was < 1.2°C) before and after the tolerance day. Moose moved more during tolerance days (172 m • h-1; 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 149-191 m • h-1) than on control days (151 m • h-1; 95% CI = 128-173 m • h-1). The rate of change in rumen temperature (°C • h-1) declined with low to moderate movement rates that were probably associated with foraging in all habitats. Movement only increased the rate of change in rumen temperature at high activity (~ > 500 m • h-1). Additionally, the relationship between rate of change in rumen temperature and movement rate was different during tolerance and control days in open meadow and wetland habitats. In all habitats except wetlands, the rate of change in rumen temperature increased while resting, which probably is a result of diet-induced thermogenesis. Our study demonstrates that the behavioural choices of moose on the landscape are associated with the rate of change in rumen temperature and their ability to thermoregulate. Wildlife managers must consider high-value habitats where wildlife can employ both behavioural and physiological mechanisms to tolerate warm ambient conditions in a landscape of forage, predators and pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel P Thompson
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Kenai Moose Research Center, 43961 Kalifornsky Beach Road, Suite B, AK 99669, Soldotna, USA
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, TAMU 2258 Bldg. 1537, 534 John Kimbrough Blvd., College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - John A Crouse
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Kenai Moose Research Center, 43961 Kalifornsky Beach Road, Suite B, AK 99669, Soldotna, USA
| | - Perry S Barboza
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, TAMU 2258 Bldg. 1537, 534 John Kimbrough Blvd., College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Miles O Spathelf
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 333 Raspberry Road, Anchorage, AK 99518, USA
| | - Andrew M Herberg
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 1601 Minnesota Drive, Brainerd, MN 56401, USA
| | - Stephanie D Parker
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, TAMU 2258 Bldg. 1537, 534 John Kimbrough Blvd., College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Max A Morris
- Department of Geography, Texas A&M University, Eller Oceanography and Meteorology Building, TAMU Bldg. 0443, 797 Lamar St, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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20
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Leu ST, Quiring K, Leggett KE, Griffith SC. Consistent behavioural responses to heatwaves provide body condition benefits in rangeland sheep. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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21
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Shepard ID, Wissinger SA, Greig HS. Elevation alters outcome of competition between resident and range-shifting species. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:270-281. [PMID: 33064868 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Species' geographic range shifts toward higher latitudes and elevations are among the most frequently reported consequences of climate change. However, the role of species interactions in setting range margins remains poorly understood. We used cage experiments in ponds to test competing hypotheses about the role of abiotic and biotic mechanisms for structuring range boundaries of an upslope range-shifting caddisfly Limnephilus picturatus. We found that competition with a ubiquitous species Limnephilus externus significantly decreased L. picturatus survival and emergence at subalpine elevations supporting the notion that species interactions play a critical role in determining upslope range limits. However, without competitors, L. picturatus survival was greater at high-elevation than low-elevation sites. This was contrary to decreases in body mass (a proxy for fecundity) with elevation regardless of the presence of competitors. We ultimately show that species interactions can be important for setting upslope range margins. Yet, our results also highlight the complications in defining what may be abiotically stressful for this species and the importance of considering multiple demographic variables. Understanding how species ranges will respond in a changing climate will require quantifying species interactions and how they are influenced by the abiotic context in which they play out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac D Shepard
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
- Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, USA
| | - Scott A Wissinger
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, USA
- Biology and Environmental Science Departments, Allegheny College, Meadville, PA, USA
| | - Hamish S Greig
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
- Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, USA
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22
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Estimation of spatial and temporal overlap in three ungulate species in a Mediterranean environment. MAMMAL RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-020-00548-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
AbstractInterspecific interactions are key drivers in structuring animal communities. Sympatric animals may show such behavioural patterns as the differential use of space and/or time to avoid competitive encounters. We took advantage of the ecological conditions of our study area, inhabited by different ungulate species, to investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of Capreolus capreolus, Dama dama and Sus scrofa. We estimated intraspecific interaction arising from the concomitant use of resources by using camera trapping. We collected 2741 videos with the three ungulates, which showed peculiar activity patterns. The three species were observed in all the habitat types of the study area over the four seasons, thus highlighting an evident spatial overlap. Moreover, our analysis demonstrated that the three species did not avoid each other through temporal segregation of their activities, rather showing a high overlap of daily activity rhythms, though with differences among the species and the seasons. Despite the high spatial and temporal overlap, the three species seemed to adopt segregation through fine-scale spatial avoidance: at an hourly level, the proportion of sites where the species were observed together was relatively low. This spatio-temporal segregation revealed complex and alternative behavioural strategies, which likely facilitated intra-guild sympatry among the studied species. Both temporal and spatio-temporal overlap reached the highest values in summer, when environmental conditions were more demanding. Given these results, we may presume that different drivers (e.g. temperature, human disturbance), which are likely stronger than interspecific interactions, affected activity rhythms and fine-scale spatial use of the studied species.
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23
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Jennewein JS, Hebblewhite M, Mahoney P, Gilbert S, Meddens AJH, Boelman NT, Joly K, Jones K, Kellie KA, Brainerd S, Vierling LA, Eitel JUH. Behavioral modifications by a large-northern herbivore to mitigate warming conditions. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2020; 8:39. [PMID: 33072330 PMCID: PMC7559473 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-020-00223-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Temperatures in arctic-boreal regions are increasing rapidly and pose significant challenges to moose (Alces alces), a heat-sensitive large-bodied mammal. Moose act as ecosystem engineers, by regulating forest carbon and structure, below ground nitrogen cycling processes, and predator-prey dynamics. Previous studies showed that during hotter periods, moose displayed stronger selection for wetland habitats, taller and denser forest canopies, and minimized exposure to solar radiation. However, previous studies regarding moose behavioral thermoregulation occurred in Europe or southern moose range in North America. Understanding whether ambient temperature elicits a behavioral response in high-northern latitude moose populations in North America may be increasingly important as these arctic-boreal systems have been warming at a rate two to three times the global mean. METHODS We assessed how Alaska moose habitat selection changed as a function of ambient temperature using a step-selection function approach to identify habitat features important for behavioral thermoregulation in summer (June-August). We used Global Positioning System telemetry locations from four populations of Alaska moose (n = 169) from 2008 to 2016. We assessed model fit using the quasi-likelihood under independence criterion and conduction a leave-one-out cross validation. RESULTS Both male and female moose in all populations increasingly, and nonlinearly, selected for denser canopy cover as ambient temperature increased during summer, where initial increases in the conditional probability of selection were initially sharper then leveled out as canopy density increased above ~ 50%. However, the magnitude of selection response varied by population and sex. In two of the three populations containing both sexes, females demonstrated a stronger selection response for denser canopy at higher temperatures than males. We also observed a stronger selection response in the most southerly and northerly populations compared to populations in the west and central Alaska. CONCLUSIONS The impacts of climate change in arctic-boreal regions increase landscape heterogeneity through processes such as increased wildfire intensity and annual area burned, which may significantly alter the thermal environment available to an animal. Understanding habitat selection related to behavioral thermoregulation is a first step toward identifying areas capable of providing thermal relief for moose and other species impacted by climate change in arctic-boreal regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti S. Jennewein
- Department of Natural Resources and Society, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Science, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT USA
| | - Peter Mahoney
- College of the Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Sophie Gilbert
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID USA
| | | | - Natalie T. Boelman
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY USA
| | - Kyle Joly
- National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Fairbanks, AK USA
| | - Kimberly Jones
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 1800 Glenn Hwy #2, Palmer, AK USA
| | - Kalin A. Kellie
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, 1300 College Rd, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
| | - Scott Brainerd
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, Norway
| | - Lee A. Vierling
- Department of Natural Resources and Society, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID USA
| | - Jan U. H. Eitel
- Department of Natural Resources and Society, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID USA
- McCall Outdoor Science School, University of Idaho, McCall, ID USA
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Intensity of giraffe locomotor activity is shaped by solar and lunar zeitgebers. Behav Processes 2020; 178:104178. [PMID: 32562740 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Natural cycles of light and darkness shift the balance of risks and gains for animals across space and time. Entrainment to photic cycles allows animals to spatiotemporally adapt their behavioural and physiological processes in line with interplaying ecological factors, such as temperature, foraging efficiency and predation risk. Until recently, our understanding of these chronobiological processes was limited by the difficulties of 24 h observations. Technological advances in GPS biotelemetry however are now allowing us unprecedented access to long-term, fine-scale activity data. Here we use data derived from frontline technology to present the first large-scale investigation into the effects of natural fluctuations of light and darkness on the locomotor activity patterns of a threatened African mega-herbivore, the giraffe (Giraffa spp.). Using data from a remote population of Angolan giraffe (G. g. angolensis) in the northern Namib Desert, Namibia, we reveal the first full picture of giraffe chronobiology in a landscape of fear. Furthermore, we present clear evidence of the effect of moonlight on the nocturnal activity patterns of large ungulates. Our results are in line with recent research demonstrating that, rather than a fixed internal representation of time (circadian clock), many surface-dwelling ungulates have plastic activity patterns that are vulnerable to modification by external factors including light and temperature. Relatedly, we highlight important conservation management implications of rising temperatures and increasing light pollution on the chronobiology of surface-dwelling mammals.
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26
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Hart EE, Fennessy J, Chari S, Ciuti S. Habitat heterogeneity and social factors drive behavioral plasticity in giraffe herd-size dynamics. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractBehavioral plasticity, or the mechanism by which an organism can adjust its behavior in response to exogenous change, has been highlighted as a potential buffer against extinction risk. Giraffes (Giraffa spp.) are gregarious, long-lived, highly mobile megaherbivores with a large brain size, characteristics that have been associated with high levels of behavioral plasticity. However, while there has been a recent focus on genotypic variability and morphological differences among giraffe populations, there has been relatively little discussion centered on behavioral flexibility within giraffe populations. In large wild herbivores, one measure of behavioral plasticity is the ability to adjust herd size in line with local environmental conditions. Here, we examine whether a genetically isolated population of Angolan giraffes (G. g. angolensis) in a heterogeneous environment adjust their herd sizes in line with spatiotemporal variation in habitat. Our results suggest that ecological factors play a role in driving herd size, but that social factors also shape and stabilize herd-size dynamics. Specifically, we found that 1) mixed-sex herds were larger than single-sex herds, suggesting that sexual composition of herds played a role in driving herd size; 2) the presence of young did not influence herd size, suggesting that giraffes did not make use of the dilution effect to safeguard their young from predation; and 3) there was a strong relationship between herd size and spatial, but not seasonal, variation in food biomass availability, suggesting stability in herd sizes over time, but temporary variation in line with resource availability. These findings indicate that giraffes adjust herd size in line with local exogenous factors, signaling high behavioral plasticity, but also suggest that this mechanism operates within the constraints of the social determinants of giraffe herd size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma E Hart
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Giraffe Conservation Foundation, Windhoek, Namibia
| | | | - Srivats Chari
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Simone Ciuti
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Grignolio S, Brivio F, Sica N, Apollonio M. Sexual differences in the behavioural response to a variation in predation risk. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Grignolio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari Sassari Italy
| | - Francesca Brivio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari Sassari Italy
| | - Nicoletta Sica
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari Sassari Italy
| | - Marco Apollonio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari Sassari Italy
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