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John C, Avgar T, Rittger K, Smith JA, Stephenson LW, Stephenson TR, Post E. Pursuit and escape drive fine-scale movement variation during migration in a temperate alpine ungulate. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15068. [PMID: 38956435 PMCID: PMC11219842 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65948-8] [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: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Climate change reduces snowpack, advances snowmelt phenology, drives summer warming, alters growing season precipitation regimes, and consequently modifies vegetation phenology in mountain systems. Elevational migrants track spatial variation in seasonal plant growth by moving between ranges at different elevations during spring, so climate-driven vegetation change may disrupt historic benefits of migration. Elevational migrants can furthermore cope with short-term environmental variability by undertaking brief vertical movements to refugia when sudden adverse conditions arise. We uncover drivers of fine-scale vertical movement variation during upland migration in an endangered alpine specialist, Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis sierrae) using a 20-year study of GPS collar data collected from 311 unique individuals. We used integrated step-selection analysis to determine factors that promote vertical movements and drive selection of destinations following vertical movements. Our results reveal that relatively high temperatures consistently drive uphill movements, while precipitation likely drives downhill movements. Furthermore, bighorn select destinations at their peak annual biomass and maximal time since snowmelt. These results indicate that although Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep seek out foraging opportunities related to landscape phenology, they compensate for short-term environmental stressors by undertaking brief up- and downslope vertical movements. Migrants may therefore be impacted by future warming and increased storm frequency or intensity, with shifts in annual migration timing, and fine-scale vertical movement responses to environmental variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian John
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| | - Tal Avgar
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia - Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada
- Wildlife Science Centre, Biodiversity Pathways Ltd., Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - Karl Rittger
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Justine A Smith
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Logan W Stephenson
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Thomas R Stephenson
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program, Bishop, CA, USA
| | - Eric Post
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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Dale VR, Bolton M, Dornelas M, Magurran AE, Dennis R, Broad R, Riddiford NJ, Harvey PV, Riddington R, Shaw DN, Parnaby D, Reid JM. Among-species variation in six decades of changing migration timings explained through ecology, life-history and local migratory abundance. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17400. [PMID: 39007244 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Species exploiting seasonal environments must alter timings of key life-history events in response to large-scale climatic changes in order to maintain trophic synchrony with required resources. Yet, substantial among-species variation in long-term phenological changes has been observed. Advancing from simply describing such variation towards predicting future phenological responses requires studies that rigorously quantify and explain variation in the direction and magnitude of changing timings across diverse species in relation to key ecological and life-history variables. Accordingly, we fitted multi-quantile regressions to 59 years of multi-species data on spring and autumn bird migration timings through northern Scotland. We demonstrate substantial variation in changes in timings among 72 species, and tested whether such variation can be explained by species ecology, life-history and changes in local abundance. Consistent with predictions, species that advanced their migration timing in one or both seasons had more seasonally restricted diet types, fewer suitable breeding habitat types, shorter generation lengths and capability to produce multiple offspring broods per year. In contrast, species with less seasonally restricted diet types and that produce single annual offspring broods, showed no change. Meanwhile, contrary to prediction, long-distance and short-distance migrants advanced migration timings similarly. Changes in migration timing also varied with changes in local migratory abundance, such that species with increasing seasonal abundance apparently altered their migration timing, whilst species with decreasing abundance did not. Such patterns broadly concur with expectation given adaptive changes in migration timing. However, we demonstrate that similar patterns can be generated by numerical sampling given changing local abundances. Any apparent phenology-abundance relationships should, therefore, be carefully validated and interpreted. Overall, our results show that migrant bird species with differing ecologies and life-histories showed systematically differing phenological changes over six decades contextualised by large-scale environmental changes, potentially facilitating future predictions and altering temporal dynamics of seasonal species co-occurrences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicki R Dale
- School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Mark Bolton
- Fair Isle Bird Observatory Trust, Fair Isle, Shetland, UK
| | - Maria Dornelas
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Anne E Magurran
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Roy Dennis
- Fair Isle Bird Observatory Trust, Fair Isle, Shetland, UK
- Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, Half Davoch Cottage, Forres, UK
| | - Roger Broad
- Fair Isle Bird Observatory Trust, Fair Isle, Shetland, UK
| | | | - Paul V Harvey
- Fair Isle Bird Observatory Trust, Fair Isle, Shetland, UK
| | | | - Deryk N Shaw
- Fair Isle Bird Observatory Trust, Fair Isle, Shetland, UK
| | - David Parnaby
- Fair Isle Bird Observatory Trust, Fair Isle, Shetland, UK
| | - Jane M Reid
- School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
- Fair Isle Bird Observatory Trust, Fair Isle, Shetland, UK
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
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3
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Adams CA, Tomaszewska MA, Henebry GM, Horton KG. Chasing and surfing seasonal waves: Avian migration through the US tracks land surface phenology in fall, but not spring. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:836-848. [PMID: 38741512 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14088] [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: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Climate change is altering the timing of seasonal events for many taxa. There is limited understanding of how northward/southward songbird migration follows or is limited by the latitudinal progression of seasonal transitions. Consistent environmental conditions that migrating birds encounter across latitudes likely represent or correlate with important resources or limiting factors for migration. We tested whether migratory passage-observed via radar-consistently tracked land surface variables and phenophases across latitudes in the US Central Flyway in both spring and fall. The daily temperatures, precipitation and vegetation greenness occurring on 10%, 50% and 90% cumulative passage dates changed substantially with latitude, indicating that most migrants experienced rapidly changing conditions as they headed north or south. Temperature did not limit the progression of migration in either season. Peak spring migration in the southern US occurred nearly 40 days after the spring green wave, the northward progression of vegetation growth, but nearly caught up to green-up at 48° N. Spring migration phenology may have evolved to prioritize earlier arrival for breeding. Across all latitudes, peak fall migration coincided with the same land surface phenophase, an interval of 26 days prior to dormancy onset. Migrants may rely on phenological events in vegetation during fall stopovers. Considering that (a) migratory passage tracked fall land surface phenology across latitudes at a continental scale, (b) previous studies at local scales have demonstrated the importance of fruit during fall migratory stopover and (c) fruiting phenology in North America is occurring later over time while fall migration is advancing, the potential for mismatch between fall fruiting and bird migration phenology urgently needs further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie Ann Adams
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, 1474 Campus Delivery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Monika A Tomaszewska
- Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Geoffrey M Henebry
- Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Department of Geography, Environment and Spatial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Kyle G Horton
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, 1474 Campus Delivery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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4
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Wehr NH, Moore SA, Isaac EJ, Kellner KF, Millspaugh JJ, Belant JL. Spatial overlap of gray wolves and ungulate prey changes seasonally corresponding to prey migration. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:33. [PMID: 38671527 PMCID: PMC11046751 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00466-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prey are more vulnerable during migration due to decreased familiarity with their surroundings and spatially concentrated movements. Predators may respond to increased prey vulnerability by shifting their ranges to match prey. Moose (Alces alces) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are primary gray wolf (Canis lupus) prey and important subsistence species for Indigenous communities. We hypothesized wolves would increase use of ungulate migration corridors during migrations and predicted wolf distributions would overlap primary available prey. METHODS We examined seasonal gray wolf, moose, and white-tailed deer movements on and near the Grand Portage Indian Reservation, Minnesota, USA. We analyzed GPS collar data during 2012-2021 using Brownian bridge movement models (BBMM) in Migration Mapper and mechanistic range shift analysis (MRSA) to estimate individual- and population-level occurrence distributions and determine the status and timing of range shifts. We estimated proportional overlap of wolf distributions with moose and deer distributions and tested for differences among seasons, prey populations, and wolf sex and pack affiliations. RESULTS We identified a single migration corridor through which white-tailed deer synchronously departed in April and returned in October-November. Gray wolf distributions overlapped the deer migration corridor similarly year-round, but wolves altered within-range distributions seasonally corresponding to prey distributions. Seasonal wolf distributions had the greatest overlap with deer during fall migration (10 October-28 November) and greatest overlap with moose during summer (3 May-9 October). CONCLUSIONS Gray wolves did not increase their use of the white-tailed deer migration corridor but altered distributions within their territories in response to seasonal prey distributions. Greater overlap of wolves and white-tailed deer in fall may be due to greater predation success facilitated by asynchronous deer migration movements. Greater summer overlap between wolves and moose may be linked to moose calf vulnerability, American beaver (Castor canadensis) co-occurrence, and reduced deer abundance associated with migration. Our results suggest increases in predation pressure on deer in fall and moose in summer, which can inform Indigenous conservation efforts. We observed seasonal plasticity of wolf distributions suggestive of prey switching; that wolves did not exhibit migratory coupling was likely due to spatial constraints resulting from territoriality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel H Wehr
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
| | - Seth A Moore
- Department of Biology and Environment, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Grand Portage, MN, USA
| | - Edmund J Isaac
- Department of Biology and Environment, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Grand Portage, MN, USA
| | - Kenneth F Kellner
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Joshua J Millspaugh
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
- Camp Fire Program in Wildlife Conservation, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Jerrold L Belant
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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5
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Nemes CE, Marra PP, Zenzal TJ, Collins SA, Dossman BC, Gerson AR, Gómez C, González AM, Gutierrez Ramirez M, Hamer SA, Marty J, Vasseur PL, Cohen EB. Springing forward: Migrating songbirds catch up with the start of spring in North America. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:294-306. [PMID: 37970639 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14025] [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: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
In temperate regions, the annual pattern of spring onset can be envisioned as a 'green wave' of emerging vegetation that moves across continents from low to high latitudes, signifying increasing food availability for consumers. Many herbivorous migrants 'surf' such resource waves, timing their movements to exploit peak vegetation resources in early spring. Although less well studied at the individual level, secondary consumers such as insectivorous songbirds can track vegetation phenology during migration as well. We hypothesized that four species of ground-foraging songbirds in eastern North America-two warblers and two thrushes-time their spring migrations to coincide with later phases of vegetation phenology, corresponding to increased arthropod prey, and predicted they would match their migration rate to the green wave but trail behind it rather than surfing its leading edge. We further hypothesized that the rate at which spring onset progresses across the continent influences bird migration rates, such that individuals adjust migration timing within North America to phenological conditions they experience en route. To test our hypotheses, we used a continent-wide automated radio telemetry network to track individual songbirds on spring migration between the U.S. Gulf Coast region and northern locations closer to their breeding grounds. We measured vegetation phenology using two metrics of spring onset, the spring index first leaf date and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), then calculated the rate and timing of spring onset relative to bird detections. All individuals arrived in the southeastern United States well after local spring onset. Counter to our expectations, we found that songbirds exhibited a 'catching up' pattern: Individuals migrated faster than the green wave of spring onset, effectively closing in on the start of spring as they approached breeding areas. While surfing of resource waves is a well-documented migration strategy for herbivorous waterfowl and ungulates, individual songbirds in our study migrated faster than the green wave and increasingly caught up to its leading edge en route. Consequently, songbirds experience a range of vegetation phenophases while migrating through North America, suggesting flexibility in their capacity to exploit variable resources in spring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E Nemes
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Appalachian Laboratory, Frostburg, Maryland, USA
| | - Peter P Marra
- The Earth Commons Institute; Department of Biology, McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Theodore J Zenzal
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Lafayette, Louisiana, USA
| | - Samantha A Collins
- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge, Grand Chenier, Louisiana, USA
| | - Bryant C Dossman
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Alexander R Gerson
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Camila Gómez
- SELVA: Investigación para la Conservación en el Neotrópico, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Ana M González
- SELVA: Investigación para la Conservación en el Neotrópico, Bogotá, Colombia
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Mariamar Gutierrez Ramirez
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sarah A Hamer
- Schubot Center for Avian Health, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Joseph Marty
- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge, Grand Chenier, Louisiana, USA
| | - Phillip L Vasseur
- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge, Grand Chenier, Louisiana, USA
| | - Emily B Cohen
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Appalachian Laboratory, Frostburg, Maryland, USA
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6
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Newman BA, D’Angelo GJ. A Review of Cervidae Visual Ecology. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:420. [PMID: 38338063 PMCID: PMC10854973 DOI: 10.3390/ani14030420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
This review examines the visual systems of cervids in relation to their ability to meet their ecological needs and how their visual systems are specialized for particular tasks. Cervidae encompasses a diverse group of mammals that serve as important ecological drivers within their ecosystems. Despite evidence of highly specialized visual systems, a large portion of cervid research ignores or fails to consider the realities of cervid vision as it relates to their ecology. Failure to account for an animal's visual ecology during research can lead to unintentional biases and uninformed conclusions regarding the decision making and behaviors for a species or population. Our review addresses core behaviors and their interrelationship with cervid visual characteristics. Historically, the study of cervid visual characteristics has been restricted to specific areas of inquiry such as color vision and contains limited integration into broader ecological and behavioral research. The purpose of our review is to bridge these gaps by offering a comprehensive review of cervid visual ecology that emphasizes the interplay between the visual adaptations of cervids and their interactions with habitats and other species. Ultimately, a better understanding of cervid visual ecology allows researchers to gain deeper insights into their behavior and ecology, providing critical information for conservation and management efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blaise A. Newman
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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7
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Williams S, Hebblewhite M, Martin H, Meyer C, Whittington J, Killeen J, Berg J, MacAulay K, Smolko P, Merrill EH. Predation risk drives long-term shifts in migratory behaviour and demography in a large herbivore population. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:21-35. [PMID: 37982331 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14022] [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: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Migration is an adaptive life-history strategy across taxa that helps individuals maximise fitness by obtaining forage and avoiding predation risk. The mechanisms driving migratory changes are poorly understood, and links between migratory behaviour, space use, and demographic consequences are rare. Here, we use a nearly 20-year record of individual-based monitoring of a large herbivore, elk (Cervus canadensis) to test hypotheses for changing patterns of migration in and adjacent to a large protected area in Banff National Park (BNP), Canada. We test whether bottom-up (forage quality) or top-down (predation risk) factors explained trends in (i) the proportion of individuals using 5 different migratory tactics, (ii) differences in survival rates of migratory tactics during migration and whilst on summer ranges, (iii) cause-specific mortality by wolves and grizzly bears, and (iv) population abundance. We found dramatic shifts in migration consistent with behavioural plasticity in individual choice of annual migratory routes. Shifts were inconsistent with exposure to the bottom-up benefits of migration. Instead, exposure to landscape gradients in predation risk caused by exploitation outside the protected area drove migratory shifts. Carnivore exploitation outside the protected area led to higher survival rates for female elk remaining resident or migrating outside the protected area. Cause-specific mortality aligned with exposure to predation risk along migratory routes and summer ranges. Wolf predation risk was higher on migratory routes than summer ranges of montane-migrant tactics, but wolf predation risk traded-off with heightened risk from grizzly bears on summer ranges. A novel eastern migrant tactic emerged following a large forest fire that enhanced forage in an area with lower predation risk outside of the protected area. The changes in migratory behaviour translated to population abundance, where abundance of the montane-migratory tactics declined over time. The presence of diverse migratory life histories maintained a higher total population abundance than would have been the case with only one migratory tactic in the population. Our study demonstrates the complex ways in which migratory populations change over time through behavioural plasticity and associated demographic consequences because of individuals balancing predation risk and forage trade-offs.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Williams
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - M Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - H Martin
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - C Meyer
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - J Whittington
- Banff National Park, Parks Canada, Banff, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Killeen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Berg
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - K MacAulay
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - P Smolko
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Applied Zoology and Wildlife Management, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - E H Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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8
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Linssen H, van Loon EE, Shamoun-Baranes JZ, Nuijten RJM, Nolet BA. Migratory swans individually adjust their autumn migration and winter range to a warming climate. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:6888-6899. [PMID: 37795645 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
In response to climate warming, migratory animals can alter their migration so that different events in the annual cycle are better aligned in space and time with suitable environmental conditions. Although such responses have been studied extensively during spring migration and the breeding season, much less is known about the influence of temperature on movements throughout autumn migration and how those movements result in a winter range and shifts therein. We use multi-year GPS tracking data to quantify how daily autumn movement and annual winter distance from the breeding grounds are related to temperature in the Western Palearctic Bewick's swan, a long-lived migratory waterbird whose winter range has shifted more than 350 km closer to the breeding grounds since 1970 due to individuals increasingly 'short-stopping' their autumn migration. We show that the migratory movement of swans is driven by lower temperatures throughout the autumn season, with individuals during late autumn moving only substantially when temperatures drop below freezing. As a result, there is large flexibility in their annual winter distance as a response to winter temperature. On average, individuals overwinter 118 km closer to the breeding grounds per 1°C increase in mean December-January temperature. Given the observed temperature increase in the Bewick's swan winter range during the last decades, our results imply that the observed range shift is for a substantial part driven by individual responses to a warming climate. We thus present an example of individual flexibility towards climatic conditions driving the range shift of a migratory species. Our study adds to the understanding of the processes that shape autumn migration decisions, winter ranges and shifts therein, which is crucial to be able to predict how climate change may impact these processes in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Linssen
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology Group, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - E Emiel van Loon
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology Group, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Judy Z Shamoun-Baranes
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology Group, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rascha J M Nuijten
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Future for Nature Foundation, Arnhem, The Netherlands
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bart A Nolet
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology Group, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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9
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Béland S, Vuillaume B, Leclerc M, Bernier M, Côté SD. Selection of summer feeding sites and food resources by female migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus) determined using camera collars. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0294846. [PMID: 38019854 PMCID: PMC10686509 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus) is a socioeconomically and culturally key species for northern communities in the Arctic, and most of its populations are experiencing a sharp decline. Female migratory caribou depend on the availability of summer habitat resources to meet the needs associated with lactation and the accumulation of fat reserves to survive when resources are less abundant. Because of the large scales at which habitat and resource data are usually available, information on how female migratory caribou select habitat and resources at fine scales in the wild is lacking. To document selection of summer feeding sites, we equipped 60 female caribou with camera collars from 2016 to 2018. We collected a total of 65,150 10-sec videos between June 1st and September 1st for three years with contrasted spring phenology. We determined the selection at the feeding site scale (3rd scale of Johnson) and food item scale (4th scale of Johnson) using resource selection probability functions. Wetlands were highly selected as feeding sites in June and July while they were avoided in August. Shrublands were mostly selected in July and August. At the resources scale, lichen, birch, willow, and mushrooms were the most strongly selected resources. Our results provide precise and novel information on habitat selection at feeding sites and food resources selected by female caribou in the wild. This information will help understand foraging patterns and habitat selection behavior of female migratory caribou and will contribute to the management and conservation of its declining populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophiane Béland
- Département de Biologie & Centre d’études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Barbara Vuillaume
- Département de Biologie & Centre d’études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Martin Leclerc
- Département de Biologie & Centre d’études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
- Département des Sciences Fondamentales & Centre d’étude de la Forêt, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada
| | - Martin Bernier
- Département de Physique, de Génie Physique et d’optique, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Département de Biologie & Centre d’études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
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10
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Falcón-Cortés A, Boyer D, Aldana M, Ramos-Fernández G. Lévy movements and a slowly decaying memory allow efficient collective learning in groups of interacting foragers. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011528. [PMID: 37844076 PMCID: PMC10602389 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Many animal species benefit from spatial learning to adapt their foraging movements to the distribution of resources. Learning involves the collection, storage and retrieval of information, and depends on both the random search strategies employed and the memory capacities of the individual. For animals living in social groups, spatial learning can be further enhanced by information transfer among group members. However, how individual behavior affects the emergence of collective states of learning is still poorly understood. Here, with the help of a spatially explicit agent-based model where individuals transfer information to their peers, we analyze the effects on the use of resources of varying memory capacities in combination with different exploration strategies, such as ordinary random walks and Lévy flights. We find that individual Lévy displacements associated with a slow memory decay lead to a very rapid collective response, a high group cohesion and to an optimal exploitation of the best resource patches in static but complex environments, even when the interaction rate among individuals is low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Falcón-Cortés
- Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Denis Boyer
- Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Maximino Aldana
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
- Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Gabriel Ramos-Fernández
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
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11
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Mumme S, Middleton AD, Ciucci P, De Groeve J, Corradini A, Aikens EO, Ossi F, Atwood P, Balkenhol N, Cole EK, Debeffe L, Dewey SR, Fischer C, Gude J, Heurich M, Hurley MA, Jarnemo A, Kauffman MJ, Licoppe A, van Loon E, McWhirter D, Mong TW, Pedrotti L, Morellet N, Mysterud A, Peters W, Proffitt K, Saïd S, Signer J, Sunde P, Starý M, Cagnacci F. Wherever I may roam-Human activity alters movements of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and elk (Cervus canadensis) across two continents. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:5788-5801. [PMID: 37306048 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Human activity and associated landscape modifications alter the movements of animals with consequences for populations and ecosystems worldwide. Species performing long-distance movements are thought to be particularly sensitive to human impact. Despite the increasing anthropogenic pressure, it remains challenging to understand and predict animals' responses to human activity. Here we address this knowledge gap using 1206 Global Positioning System movement trajectories of 815 individuals from 14 red deer (Cervus elaphus) and 14 elk (Cervus canadensis) populations spanning wide environmental gradients, namely the latitudinal range from the Alps to Scandinavia in Europe, and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in North America. We measured individual-level movements relative to the environmental context, or movement expression, using the standardized metric Intensity of Use, reflecting both the directionality and extent of movements. We expected movement expression to be affected by resource (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI) predictability and topography, but those factors to be superseded by human impact. Red deer and elk movement expression varied along a continuum, from highly segmented trajectories over relatively small areas (high intensity of use), to directed transitions through restricted corridors (low intensity of use). Human activity (Human Footprint Index, HFI) was the strongest driver of movement expression, with a steep increase in Intensity of Use as HFI increased, but only until a threshold was reached. After exceeding this level of impact, the Intensity of Use remained unchanged. These results indicate the overall sensitivity of Cervus movement expression to human activity and suggest a limitation of plastic responses under high human pressure, despite the species also occurring in human-dominated landscapes. Our work represents the first comparison of metric-based movement expression across widely distributed populations of a deer genus, contributing to the understanding and prediction of animals' responses to human activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Mumme
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- Animal Ecology Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Arthur D Middleton
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Johannes De Groeve
- Animal Ecology Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Andrea Corradini
- Animal Ecology Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering (DICAM), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- Stelvio National Park-Ersaf Lombardia, Bormio, Italy
| | - Ellen O Aikens
- School of Computing, University of Wyoming, Wyoming, Laramie, USA
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Wyoming, Laramie, USA
| | - Federico Ossi
- Animal Ecology Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Paul Atwood
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho, Coeur d'Alene, USA
| | - Niko Balkenhol
- Wildlife Sciences, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Eric K Cole
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Elk Refuge, Wyoming, Jackson, USA
| | - Lucie Debeffe
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, Castanet Tolosan, France
- LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, Auzeville Tolosane, France
| | - Sarah R Dewey
- National Park Service, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, Moose, USA
| | - Claude Fischer
- Department of Nature Management, University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland, Jussy, Switzerland
| | - Justin Gude
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Montana, Helena, USA
| | - Marco Heurich
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring, Bavarian Forest National Park, Grafenau, Germany
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Inland Norway University of Applied Science Institute for Forest and Wildlife Management, Koppang, Norway
| | - Mark A Hurley
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho, Boise, USA
| | - Anders Jarnemo
- School of Business, Innovation and Sustainability, Halmstad University, Halmstad, Sweden
| | - Matthew J Kauffman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Wyoming, Laramie, USA
| | - Alain Licoppe
- Natural and Agricultural Environmental Studies Department, Service Public de Wallonie, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Emiel van Loon
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Tony W Mong
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Wyoming, Cody, USA
| | - Luca Pedrotti
- Stelvio National Park-Ersaf Lombardia, Bormio, Italy
| | - Nicolas Morellet
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, Castanet Tolosan, France
- LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, Auzeville Tolosane, France
| | - Atle Mysterud
- Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Wibke Peters
- Department for Conservation, Biodiversity and Wildlife Management, Bavarian State Institute of Forestry, Freising, Germany
| | - Kelly Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Montana, Bozeman, USA
| | - Sonia Saïd
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, DRAS, "Montfort", Birieux, France
| | - Johannes Signer
- Wildlife Sciences, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Peter Sunde
- Department of Ecoscience-Wildlife Ecology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Animal Ecology Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
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12
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Poulin MP, Cherry SG, Merkle JA. Dynamic balancing of risks and rewards in a large herbivore: Further extending predator-prey concepts to road ecology. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:1954-1965. [PMID: 37462330 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13985] [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: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Animal behaviour is shaped by the ability to identify risks and profitably balance the levels of risks encountered with the payoffs experienced. Anthropogenic disturbances like roads generate novel risks and opportunities that wildlife must accurately perceive and respond to. Basic concepts in predator-prey ecology are often used to understand responses of animals to roads (e.g. increased vigilance, selection for cover in their vicinity). However, prey often display complex behaviours such as modulating space use given varying risks and rewards, and it is unclear if such dynamic balancing is used by animals in the context of road crossings. We tested whether animals dynamically balance risks and rewards relative to roads using extensive field-based and GPS collar data from elk in Yoho National Park (British Columbia, Canada), where a major highway completely bisects their range during most of the year. We analysed elk behaviour by combining hidden Markov movement models with a step-selection function framework. Rewards were indexed by a dynamic map of available forage biomass, and risks were indexed by road crossings and traffic volumes. We found that elk generally selected intermediate and high forage biomass, and avoided crossing the road. Most of the time, elk modulated their behaviour given varying risks and rewards. When crossing the highway compared with not crossing, elk selected for greater forage biomass and this selection was stronger as the number of highway crossings increased. However, with traffic volume, elk only balanced foraging rewards when they crossed a single time during a travel sequence. Using a road ecology system, we empirically tested an important component of predator-prey ecology-the ability to dynamically modulate behaviour in response to varying levels of risks and rewards. Such a test articulates how decision-making processes that consider the spatiotemporal variation in risks and rewards allow animals to successfully and profitably navigate busy roads. Applying well-developed concepts in predator-prey theory helps understand how animals respond to anthropogenic disturbances and anticipate the adaptive capacity for individuals and populations to adjust to rapidly changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Pier Poulin
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Seth G Cherry
- Parks Canada Agency, Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jerod A Merkle
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
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13
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Boom MP, Lameris TK, Schreven KHT, Buitendijk NH, Moonen S, de Vries PP, Zaynagutdinova E, Nolet BA, van der Jeugd HP, Eichhorn G. Year-round activity levels reveal diurnal foraging constraints in the annual cycle of migratory and non-migratory barnacle geese. Oecologia 2023:10.1007/s00442-023-05386-x. [PMID: 37270441 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05386-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Performing migratory journeys comes with energetic costs, which have to be compensated within the annual cycle. An assessment of how and when such compensation occurs is ideally done by comparing full annual cycles of migratory and non-migratory individuals of the same species, which is rarely achieved. We studied free-living migratory and resident barnacle geese belonging to the same flyway (metapopulation), and investigated when differences in foraging activity occur, and when foraging extends beyond available daylight, indicating a diurnal foraging constraint in these usually diurnal animals. We compared foraging activity of migratory (N = 94) and resident (N = 30) geese throughout the annual cycle using GPS-transmitters and 3D-accelerometers, and corroborated this with data on seasonal variation in body condition. Migratory geese were more active than residents during most of the year, amounting to a difference of over 370 h over an entire annual cycle. Activity differences were largest during the periods that comprised preparation for spring and autumn migration. Lengthening days during spring facilitated increased activity, which coincided with an increase in body condition. Both migratory and resident geese were active at night during winter, but migratory geese were also active at night before autumn migration, resulting in a period of night-time activity that was 6 weeks longer than in resident geese. Our results indicate that, at least in geese, seasonal migration requires longer daily activity not only during migration but throughout most of the annual cycle, with migrants being more frequently forced to extend foraging activity into the night.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel P Boom
- Vogeltrekstation-Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Thomas K Lameris
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Kees H T Schreven
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nelleke H Buitendijk
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sander Moonen
- Wageningen Environmental Reseach (WEnR), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Institute of Avian Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- Institute for Wetlands and Waterbird Research e.V., Verden (Aller), Germany
| | - Peter P de Vries
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Elmira Zaynagutdinova
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Saint Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Bart A Nolet
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henk P van der Jeugd
- Vogeltrekstation-Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Götz Eichhorn
- Vogeltrekstation-Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
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14
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Ortega AC, Aikens EO, Merkle JA, Monteith KL, Kauffman MJ. Migrating mule deer compensate en route for phenological mismatches. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2008. [PMID: 37037806 PMCID: PMC10086060 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37750-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Billions of animals migrate to track seasonal pulses in resources. Optimally timing migration is a key strategy, yet the ability of animals to compensate for phenological mismatches en route is largely unknown. Using GPS movement data collected from 72 adult female deer over a 10-year duration, we study a population of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in Wyoming that lack reliable cues on their desert winter range, causing them to start migration 70 days ahead to 52 days behind the wave of spring green-up. We show that individual deer arrive at their summer range within an average 6-day window by adjusting movement speed and stopover use. Late migrants move 2.5 times faster and spend 72% less time on stopovers than early migrants, which allows them to catch the green wave. Our findings suggest that ungulates, and potentially other migratory species, possess cognitive abilities to recognize where they are in space and time relative to key resources. Such behavioral capacity may allow migratory taxa to maintain foraging benefits amid rapidly changing phenology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Ortega
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA.
- Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA.
| | - Ellen O Aikens
- U.S. Geological Survey, South Dakota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Natural Resource Management, Brookings, SD, 57006, USA
| | - Jerod A Merkle
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
| | - Kevin L Monteith
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82072, USA
| | - Matthew J Kauffman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
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15
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Adams MM, Baxter CV, Delehanty DJ. Emergence phenology of the giant salmonfly and responses by birds in Idaho river networks. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.804143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Emergence of adult aquatic insects from rivers is strongly influenced by water temperature, and emergence timing helps to determine the availability of this ephemeral food resource for birds and other terrestrial insectivores. It is poorly understood how spatial heterogeneity in riverine habitat mediates the timing of emergence. Such spatiotemporal variation may have consequences for terrestrial insectivores that rely on aquatic-derived prey resources. We investigated emergence phenology of the giant salmonfly, Pteronarcys californica, at three spatial scales in two Idaho river networks. We examined the influence of tributary confluences on salmonfly emergence timing and associated insectivorous bird responses. Salmonfly emergence timing was highly variable at the basin-scale during the period we sampled (May–June). Within sub-drainage pathways not punctuated by major tributaries, emergence followed a downstream-to-upstream pattern. At the scale of reaches, abrupt changes in thermal regimes created by 10 major tributary confluences created asynchrony in emergence of 1–6 days among the 20 reaches bracketing the confluences. We observed 10 bird species capturing emerged salmonflies, including 5 species typically associated with upland habitats (e.g., American robin, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel) but that likely aggregated along rivers to take advantage of emerging salmonflies. Some birds (e.g., Lewis’s woodpecker, western tanager, American dipper) captured large numbers of salmonflies, and some of these fed salmonflies to nestlings. Emergence asynchrony created by tributaries was associated with shifts in bird abundance and richness which both nearly doubled, on average, during salmonfly emergence. Thermal heterogeneity in river networks created asynchrony in aquatic insect phenology which prolonged the availability of this pulsed prey resource for insectivorous birds during key breeding times. Such interactions between spatial and temporal heterogeneity and organism phenology may be critical to understanding the consequences of fluxes of resources that link water and land. Shifts in phenology or curtailment of life history diversity in organisms like salmonflies may have implications for these organisms, but could also contribute to mismatches or constrain availability of pulsed resources to dependent consumers. These could be unforeseen consequences, for both aquatic and terrestrial organisms, of human-driven alteration and homogenization of riverscapes.
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16
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Tourani M, Franke F, Heurich M, Henrich M, Peterka T, Ebert C, Oeser J, Edelhoff H, Milleret C, Dupont P, Bischof R, Peters W. Spatial variation in red deer density in a transboundary forest ecosystem. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4561. [PMID: 36941335 PMCID: PMC10027870 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31283-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Forests in Europe are exposed to increasingly frequent and severe disturbances. The resulting changes in the structure and composition of forests can have profound consequences for the wildlife inhabiting them. Moreover, wildlife populations in Europe are often subjected to differential management regimes as they regularly extend across multiple national and administrative borders. The red deer Cervus elaphus population in the Bohemian Forest Ecosystem, straddling the Czech-German border, has experienced forest disturbances, primarily caused by windfalls and bark beetle Ips typographus outbreaks during the past decades. To adapt local management strategies to the changing environmental conditions and to coordinate them across the international border, reliable estimates of red deer density and abundance are highly sought-after by policymakers, wildlife managers, and stakeholders. Covering a 1081-km2 study area, we conducted a transnational non-invasive DNA sampling study in 2018 that yielded 1578 genotyped DNA samples from 1120 individual red deer. Using spatial capture-recapture models, we estimated total and jurisdiction-specific abundance of red deer throughout the ecosystem and quantified the role of forest disturbance and differential management strategies in shaping spatial heterogeneity in red deer density. We hypothesised that (a) forest disturbances provide favourable habitat conditions (e.g., forage and cover), and (b) contrasting red deer management regimes in different jurisdictions create a differential risk landscape, ultimately shaping density distributions. Overall, we estimated that 2851 red deer (95% Credible Interval = 2609-3119) resided in the study area during the sampling period, with a relatively even overall sex ratio (1406 females, 95% CI = 1229-1612 and 1445 males, 95% CI = 1288-1626). The average red deer density was higher in Czechia (3.5 km-2, 95% CI = 1.2-12.3) compared to Germany (2 km-2, 95% CI = 0.2-11). The effect of forest disturbances on red deer density was context-dependent. Forest disturbances had a positive effect on red deer density at higher elevations and a negative effect at lower elevations, which could be explained by partial migration and its drivers in this population. Density of red deer was generally higher in management units where hunting is prohibited. In addition, we found that sex ratios differed between administrative units and were more balanced in the non-intervention zones. Our results show that the effect of forest disturbances on wild ungulates is modulated by additional factors, such as elevation and ungulate management practices. Overall density patterns and sex ratios suggested strong gradients in density between administrative units. With climate change increasing the severity and frequency of forest disturbances, population-level monitoring and management are becoming increasingly important, especially for wide-ranging species as both wildlife and global change transcend administrative boundaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdieh Tourani
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway.
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, USA.
| | - Frederik Franke
- Bavarian State Institute of Forestry, Research Unit Wildlife Biology and Management, Hans-Carl-Von-Carlowitz-Platz 1, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Marco Heurich
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Wildlife Management, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
- Institute for Forest and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, 2480, Koppang, Norway
| | - Maik Henrich
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Wildlife Management, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
| | - Tomáš Peterka
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00, Praha - Suchdol, Czech Republic
- Šumava National Park, Sušická 399, 341 92, Kašperské Hory, Czech Republic
| | - Cornelia Ebert
- Department Wildlife Genetics, Seq-IT GmbH & Co. KG, Pfaffplatz 10, 67655, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Julian Oeser
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Unter Den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hendrik Edelhoff
- Bavarian State Institute of Forestry, Research Unit Wildlife Biology and Management, Hans-Carl-Von-Carlowitz-Platz 1, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Cyril Milleret
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Pierre Dupont
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Richard Bischof
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Wibke Peters
- Bavarian State Institute of Forestry, Research Unit Wildlife Biology and Management, Hans-Carl-Von-Carlowitz-Platz 1, 85354, Freising, Germany.
- Wildlife Biology and Management Unit, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-Von-Carlowitz Platz 2, 85354, Freising, Germany.
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17
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Laforge MP, Webber QMR, Vander Wal E. Plasticity and repeatability in spring migration and parturition dates with implications for annual reproductive success. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:1042-1054. [PMID: 36871141 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13911] [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: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
In seasonal environments, animals should be adapted to match important life-history traits to when environmental conditions are optimal. Most animal populations therefore reproduce when resource abundance is highest to increase annual reproductive success. When facing variable, and changing, environments animals can display behavioural plasticity to acclimate to changing conditions. Behaviours can further be repeatable. For example, timing of behaviours and life history traits such as timing of reproduction may indicate phenotypic variation. Such variation may buffer animal populations against the consequences of variation and change. Our goal was to quantify plasticity and repeatability in migration and parturition timing in response to timing of snowmelt and green-up in a migratory herbivore (caribou, Rangifer tarandus, n = 132 ID-years) and their effect on reproductive success. We used behavioural reaction norms to quantify repeatability in timing of migration and timing of parturition in caribou and their plasticity to timing of spring events, while also quantifying phenotypic covariance between behavioural and life-history traits. Timing of migration for individual caribou was positively correlated with timing of snowmelt. The timing of parturition for individual caribou varied as a function of inter-annual variation in timing of snowmelt and green-up. Repeatability for migration timing was moderate, but low for timing of parturition. Plasticity did not affect reproductive success. We also did not detect any evidence of phenotypic covariance among any traits examined-timing of migration was not correlated with timing of parturition, and neither was there a correlation in the plasticity of these traits. Repeatability in migration timing suggests the possibility that the timing of migration in migratory herbivores could evolve if the repeatability detected in this study has a genetic or otherwise heritable basis, but observed plasticity may obviate the need for an evolutionary response. Our results also suggest that observed shifts in caribou parturition timing are due to plasticity as opposed to an evolutionary response to changing conditions. While this provides some evidence that populations may be buffered from the consequences of climate change via plasticity, a lack of repeatability in parturition timing could impede adaptation as warming increases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel P Laforge
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Quinn M R Webber
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.,Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
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18
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Verzuh TL, Rogers SA, Mathewson PD, May A, Porter WP, Class C, Knox L, Cufaude T, Hall LE, Long RA, Monteith KL. Behavioural responses of a large, heat-sensitive mammal to climatic variation at multiple spatial scales. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:619-634. [PMID: 36527180 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13873] [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: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Climate warming creates energetic challenges for endothermic species by increasing metabolic and hydric costs of thermoregulation. Although endotherms can invoke an array of behavioural and physiological strategies for maintaining homeostasis, the relative effectiveness of those strategies in a climate that is becoming both warmer and drier is not well understood. In accordance with the heat dissipation limit theory which suggests that allocation of energy to growth and reproduction by endotherms is constrained by the ability to dissipate heat, we expected that patterns of habitat use by large, heat-sensitive mammals across multiple scales are critical for behavioural thermoregulation during periods of potential heat stress and that they must invest a large portion of time to maintain heat balance. To test our predictions, we evaluated mechanisms underpinning the effectiveness of bed sites for ameliorating daytime heat loads and potential heat stress across the landscape while accounting for other factors known to affect behaviour. We integrated detailed data on microclimate and animal attributes of moose Alces alces, into a biophysical model to quantify costs of thermoregulation at fine and coarse spatial scales. During summer, moose spent an average of 67.8% of daylight hours bedded, and selected bed sites and home ranges that reduced risk of experiencing heat stress. For most of the day, shade could effectively mitigate the risk of experiencing heat stress up to 10°C, but at warmer temperatures (up to 20°C) wet soil was necessary to maintain homeostasis via conductive heat loss. Consistent selection across spatial scales for locations that reduced heat load underscores the importance of the thermal environment as a driver of behaviour in this heat-sensitive mammal. Moose in North America have long been characterized as riparian-obligate species because of their dependence on woody plant species for food. Nevertheless, the importance of dissipating endogenous heat loads conductively through wet soil suggests riparian habitats also are critical thermal refuges for moose. Such refuges may be especially important in the face of a warming climate in which both high environmental temperatures and drier conditions will likely exacerbate limits to heat dissipation, especially for large, heat-sensitive animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tana L Verzuh
- Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Savannah A Rogers
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Paul D Mathewson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Maddison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Alex May
- Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Warren P Porter
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Maddison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Corey Class
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA
| | - Lee Knox
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA
| | - Teal Cufaude
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA
| | - L Embere Hall
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA.,Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Ryan A Long
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Kevin L Monteith
- Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA.,Haub School of the Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
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19
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Goren A, Viljugrein H, Rivrud IM, Jore S, Bakka H, Vindenes Y, Mysterud A. The emergence and shift in seasonality of Lyme borreliosis in Northern Europe. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222420. [PMID: 36809802 PMCID: PMC9943644 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change has had a major impact on seasonal weather patterns, resulting in marked phenological changes in a wide range of taxa. However, empirical studies of how changes in seasonality impact the emergence and seasonal dynamics of vector-borne diseases have been limited. Lyme borreliosis, a bacterial infection spread by hard-bodied ticks, is the most common vector-borne disease in the northern hemisphere and has been rapidly increasing in both incidence and geographical distribution in many regions of Europe and North America. By analysis of long-term surveillance data (1995-2019) from across Norway (latitude 57°58'-71°08' N), we demonstrate a marked change in the within-year timing of Lyme borreliosis cases accompanying an increase in the annual number of cases. The seasonal peak in cases is now six weeks earlier than 25 years ago, exceeding seasonal shifts in plant phenology and previous model predictions. The seasonal shift occurred predominantly in the first 10 years of the study period. The concurrent upsurgence in case number and shift in case timing indicate a major change in the Lyme borreliosis disease system over recent decades. This study highlights the potential for climate change to shape the seasonal dynamics of vector-borne disease systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asena Goren
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, Oslo NO-0316, Norway
| | - Hildegunn Viljugrein
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, Oslo NO-0316, Norway.,Norwegian Veterinary Institute, PO Box 64, NO-1431 Ås, Norway
| | - Inger Maren Rivrud
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Sognsveien 68, NO-0855 Oslo, Norway
| | - Solveig Jore
- Zoonotic, Food and Waterborne Infections, The Norwegian Public Health Institute, PO Box 4404 Nydalen, NO-0403 Oslo, Norway
| | - Haakon Bakka
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, PO Box 64, NO-1431 Ås, Norway
| | - Yngvild Vindenes
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, Oslo NO-0316, Norway
| | - Atle Mysterud
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, Oslo NO-0316, Norway.,Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), PO Box 5685 Sluppen, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
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20
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Sliwa KM, Baumgardt JA, DeYoung RW, Ortega‐S JA, Hewitt DG, Goolsby JA, Lohmeyer KH. Movement ecology of exotic nilgai antelope: A threat to the re‐emergence of cattle fever ticks in the southern
USA. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M. Sliwa
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute Texas A&M University–Kingsville Kingsville Texas USA
| | - Jeremy A. Baumgardt
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute Texas A&M University–Kingsville Kingsville Texas USA
| | - Randy W. DeYoung
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute Texas A&M University–Kingsville Kingsville Texas USA
| | - J. Alfonso Ortega‐S
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute Texas A&M University–Kingsville Kingsville Texas USA
| | - David G. Hewitt
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute Texas A&M University–Kingsville Kingsville Texas USA
| | - John A. Goolsby
- USDA Agricultural Research Service Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory Edinburg Texas USA
| | - Kimberly H. Lohmeyer
- USDA Agricultural Research Service Knipling‐Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center Kerrville Texas USA
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21
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Milligan MC, Johnston AN, Beck JL, Taylor KL, Hall E, Knox L, Cufaude T, Wallace C, Chong G, Kauffman MJ. Wind-energy development alters pronghorn migration at multiple scales. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9687. [PMID: 36644697 PMCID: PMC9831971 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Migration is a critical behavioral strategy necessary for population persistence and ecosystem functioning, but migration routes have been increasingly disrupted by anthropogenic activities, including energy development. Wind energy is the world's fastest growing source of electricity and represents an important alternative to hydrocarbon extraction, but its effects on migratory species beyond birds and bats are not well understood. We evaluated the effects of wind-energy development on pronghorn migration, including behavior and habitat selection, to assess potential effects on connectivity and other functional benefits including stopovers. We monitored GPS-collared female pronghorn from 2010 to 2012 and 2018 to 2020 in south-central Wyoming, USA, an area with multiple wind-energy facilities in various stages of development and operation. Across all time periods, we collected 286 migration sequences from 117 individuals, including 121 spring migrations, 123 fall migrations, and 42 facultative winter migrations. While individuals continued to migrate through wind-energy facilities, pronghorn made important behavioral adjustments relative to turbines during migration. These included avoiding turbines when selecting stopover sites in spring and winter, selecting areas farther from turbines at a small scale in spring and winter, moving more quickly near turbines in spring (although pronghorn moved more slowly near turbines in the fall), and reducing fidelity to migration routes relative to wind turbines under construction in both spring and fall. For example, an increase in distance to turbine from 0 to 1 km translated to a 33% and 300% increase in the relative probability of selection for stopover sites in spring and winter, respectively. The behavioral adjustments pronghorn made relative to wind turbines could reduce the functional benefits of their migration, such as foraging success or the availability of specific routes, over the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan C. Milligan
- U.S. Geological SurveyNorthern Rocky Mountain Science CenterBozemanMontanaUSA
| | - Aaron N. Johnston
- U.S. Geological SurveyNorthern Rocky Mountain Science CenterBozemanMontanaUSA
| | - Jeffrey L. Beck
- Department of Ecosystem Science and ManagementUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
| | - Kaitlyn L. Taylor
- Department of Ecosystem Science and ManagementUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA,Grouse Mountain Environmental ConsultantsBuffaloWyomingUSA
| | - Embere Hall
- Wyoming Game and Fish DepartmentLaramieWyomingUSA
| | - Lee Knox
- Wyoming Game and Fish DepartmentLaramieWyomingUSA
| | - Teal Cufaude
- Wyoming Game and Fish DepartmentLaramieWyomingUSA
| | - Cody Wallace
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
| | - Geneva Chong
- U.S. Geological SurveyNorthern Rocky Mountain Science CenterBozemanMontanaUSA
| | - Matthew J. Kauffman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
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22
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Dong J, Anderson LJ. Predicted impacts of global change on bottom-up trophic interactions in the plant-ungulate-wolf food chain in boreal forests. FOOD WEBS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2022.e00253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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23
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Hennig JD, Scasta JD, Pratt AC, Wanner CP, Beck JL. Habitat selection and space use overlap between feral horses, pronghorn, and greater sage‐grouse in cold arid steppe. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob D. Hennig
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming 1000 E. University Avenue Laramie WY 82071 USA
| | - J. D. Scasta
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming 1000 E. University Avenue Laramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Aaron C. Pratt
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming 1000 E. University Avenue Laramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Caitlyn P. Wanner
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming 1000 E. University Avenue Laramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Jeffrey L. Beck
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming 1000 E. University Avenue Laramie WY 82071 USA
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24
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Zheng Z. Climate Controls on the Spatial Variability of Vegetation Greenup Rate across Ecosystems in Northern Hemisphere. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:2971. [PMID: 36365427 PMCID: PMC9653628 DOI: 10.3390/plants11212971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Variations in individual phenological events in response to global change have received considerable attentions. However, the development of phenological stages is relatively neglected, especially based on in situ observation data. In this study, the rate of vegetation greenup (Vgreenup) across the Northern Hemisphere was examined for different plant functional types (PFTs) by using eddy covariance flux data from 40 sites (417 site-years). Then, the controls of climatic variables on the spatial distribution of Vgreenup across PFTs were further investigated. The mean Vgreenup was 0.22 ± 0.11 g C m-2 day-2 across all sites, with the largest and lowest values observed in cropland and evergreen needle-leaf forest, respectively. A strong latitude dependence by Vgreenup was observed in both Europe and North America. The spatial variations of Vgreenup were jointly regulated by the duration of greenup (Dgreenup) and the amplitude of greenup (Agreenup). However, the predominant factor was Dgreenup in Europe, which changed to Agreenup in North America. Spring climatic factors exerted significant influences on the spatial distribution of Vgreenup across PFTs. Specifically, increasing temperature tended to shorten Dgreenup and promote Agreenup simultaneously, resulting in an acceleration of Vgreenup. Dryness had a depression effect on Vgreenup for the whole study area, as exhibited by a lower Vgreenup with increasing vapor pressure deficit or decreasing soil moisture. However, Vgreenup in North America was only significantly and positively correlated with temperature. Without the limitation of other climatic factors, the temperature sensitivity of Vgreenup was higher in North America (0.021 g C m-2 day-2 °C-1) than in Europe (0.015 g C m-2 day-2 °C-1). This study provides new cognitions for Vgreenup dynamics from in situ observations in complement to satellite observations, which can improve our understanding of terrestrial carbon cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhoutao Zheng
- Lhasa Plateau Ecosystem Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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25
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Aikens EO, Wyckoff TB, Sawyer H, Kauffman MJ. Industrial energy development decouples ungulate migration from the green wave. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1733-1741. [PMID: 36202922 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01887-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The ability to freely move across the landscape to track the emergence of nutritious spring green-up (termed 'green-wave surfing') is key to the foraging strategy of migratory ungulates. Across the vast landscapes traversed by many migratory herds, habitats are being altered by development with unknown consequences for surfing. Using a unique long-term tracking dataset, we found that when energy development occurs within mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) migration corridors, migrating animals become decoupled from the green wave. During the early phases of a coalbed natural gas development, deer synchronized their movements with peak green-up. But faced with increasing disturbance as development expanded, deer altered their movements by holding up at the edge of the gas field and letting the green wave pass them by. Development often modified only a small portion of the migration corridor but had far-reaching effects on behaviour before and after migrating deer encountered it, thus reducing surfing along the entire route by 38.65% over the 14-year study period. Our study suggests that industrial development within migratory corridors can change the behaviour of migrating ungulates and diminish the benefits of migration. Such disruptions to migratory behaviour present a common mechanism whereby corridors become unprofitable and could ultimately be lost on highly developed landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen O Aikens
- U.S. Geological Survey, South Dakota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA. .,Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.
| | - Teal B Wyckoff
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.,The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, USA
| | - Hall Sawyer
- Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc., Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Matthew J Kauffman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
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26
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Evans SR, Bearhop S. Variation in movement strategies: Capital versus income migration. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1961-1974. [PMID: 35962601 PMCID: PMC9825870 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Animal migrations represent the regular movements of trillions of individuals. The scale of these movements has inspired human intrigue for millennia and has been intensively studied by biologists. This research has highlighted the diversity of migratory strategies seen across and within migratory taxa: while some migrants temporarily express phenotypes dedicated to travel, others show little or no phenotypic flexibility in association with migration. However, a vocabulary for describing these contrasting solutions to the performance trade-offs inherent to the highly dynamic lifestyle of migrants (and strategies intermediate between these two extremes) is currently missing. We propose a taxon-independent organising framework based on energetics, distinguishing between migrants that forage as they travel (income migrants) and those that fuel migration using energy acquired before departure (capital migrants). Not only does our capital:income continuum of migratory energetics account for the variable extent of phenotypic flexibility within and across migrant populations, but it also aligns with theoreticians' treatment of migration and clarifies how migration impacts other phases of the life cycle. As such, it provides a unifying scale and common vacabulary for comparing the migratory strategies of divergent taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon R. Evans
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
| | - Stuart Bearhop
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
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27
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Candino M, Donadio E, Pauli JN. Phenological drivers of ungulate migration in South America: characterizing the movement and seasonal habitat use of guanacos. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:34. [PMID: 35964073 PMCID: PMC9375948 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00332-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Migration is a widespread strategy among ungulates to cope with seasonality. Phenology, especially in seasonally snow-covered landscapes featuring "white waves" of snow accumulation and "green waves" of plant green-up, is a phenomenon that many migratory ungulates navigate. Guanacos (Lama guanicoe) are native camelids to South America and might be the last ungulate in South America that migrates. However, a detailed description of guanacos´ migratory attributes, including whether they surf or jump phenological waves is lacking. METHODS We quantified the migratory movements of 21 adult guanacos over three years in Patagonia, Argentina. We analyzed annual movement patterns using net squared displacement (NSD) and home range overlap and quantified snow and vegetation phenology via remotely sensed products. RESULTS We found that 74% of the individual guanacos exhibited altitudinal migrations. For migratory guanacos, we observed fidelity of migratory ranges and residence time, but flexibility around migration propensity, timing, and duration of migration. The scarce vegetation and arid conditions within our study area seemed to prevent guanacos from surfing green waves; instead, guanacos appeared to avoid white waves. CONCLUSION Our study shows that guanaco elevational migration is driven by a combination of vegetation availability and snow cover, reveals behavioral plasticity of their migration, and highlights the importance of snow phenology as a driver of ungulate migrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malena Candino
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| | | | - Jonathan N Pauli
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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28
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Hering R, Hauptfleisch M, Jago M, Smith T, Kramer-Schadt S, Stiegler J, Blaum N. Don't stop me now: Managed fence gaps could allow migratory ungulates to track dynamic resources and reduce fence related energy loss. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.907079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In semi-arid environments characterized by erratic rainfall and scattered primary production, migratory movements are a key survival strategy of large herbivores to track resources over vast areas. Veterinary Cordon Fences (VCFs), intended to reduce wildlife-livestock disease transmission, fragment large parts of southern Africa and have limited the movements of large wild mammals for over 60 years. Consequently, wildlife-fence interactions are frequent and often result in perforations of the fence, mainly caused by elephants. Yet, we lack knowledge about at which times fences act as barriers, how fences directly alter the energy expenditure of native herbivores, and what the consequences of impermeability are. We studied 2-year ungulate movements in three common antelopes (springbok, kudu, eland) across a perforated part of Namibia's VCF separating a wildlife reserve and Etosha National Park using GPS telemetry, accelerometer measurements, and satellite imagery. We identified 2905 fence interaction events which we used to evaluate critical times of encounters and direct fence effects on energy expenditure. Using vegetation type-specific greenness dynamics, we quantified what animals gained in terms of high quality food resources from crossing the VCF. Our results show that the perforation of the VCF sustains herbivore-vegetation interactions in the savanna with its scattered resources. Fence permeability led to peaks in crossing numbers during the first flush of woody plants before the rain started. Kudu and eland often showed increased energy expenditure when crossing the fence. Energy expenditure was lowered during the frequent interactions of ungulates standing at the fence. We found no alteration of energy expenditure when springbok immediately found and crossed fence breaches. Our results indicate that constantly open gaps did not affect energy expenditure, while gaps with obstacles increased motion. Closing gaps may have confused ungulates and modified their intended movements. While browsing, sedentary kudu's use of space was less affected by the VCF; migratory, mixed-feeding springbok, and eland benefited from gaps by gaining forage quality and quantity after crossing. This highlights the importance of access to vast areas to allow ungulates to track vital vegetation patches.
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29
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Manlove K, Wilber M, White L, Bastille‐Rousseau G, Yang A, Gilbertson MLJ, Craft ME, Cross PC, Wittemyer G, Pepin KM. Defining an epidemiological landscape that connects movement ecology to pathogen transmission and pace‐of‐life. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:1760-1782. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.14032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kezia Manlove
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah USA
| | - Mark Wilber
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture Knoxville Tennessee USA
| | - Lauren White
- National Socio‐Environmental Synthesis Center University of Maryland Annapolis Maryland USA
| | | | - Anni Yang
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
- National Wildlife Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center Fort Collins Colorado USA
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma USA
| | - Marie L. J. Gilbertson
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota USA
- Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin–Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Meggan E. Craft
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota USA
| | - Paul C. Cross
- U.S. Geological Survey Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center Bozeman Montana USA
| | - George Wittemyer
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - Kim M. Pepin
- National Wildlife Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center Fort Collins Colorado USA
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30
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Sigrist B, Signer C, Wellig SD, Ozgul A, Filli F, Jenny H, Thiel D, Wirthner S, Graf RF. Green‐up selection by red deer in heterogeneous, human‐dominated landscapes of Central Europe. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9048. [PMID: 35813904 PMCID: PMC9251849 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Sigrist
- Wildlife Management Unit Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences Wädenswil Switzerland
- Population Ecology Research Group Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Claudio Signer
- Wildlife Management Unit Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences Wädenswil Switzerland
| | - Sascha D. Wellig
- Wildlife Management Unit Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences Wädenswil Switzerland
- Valais Hunting, Fisheries and Wildlife Department Sion Switzerland
| | - Arpat Ozgul
- Population Ecology Research Group Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | | | - Hannes Jenny
- Grisons Game and Fisheries Department Chur Switzerland
| | - Dominik Thiel
- St. Gall Conservation Hunting and Fisheries Department St. Gallen Switzerland
| | - Sven Wirthner
- Valais Hunting, Fisheries and Wildlife Department Sion Switzerland
| | - Roland F. Graf
- Wildlife Management Unit Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences Wädenswil Switzerland
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31
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Gautestad AO. Individual Network Topology of Patch Selection Under Influence of Drifting Site Fidelity. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.695854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Network theory has led to important insight into statistical-mechanical aspects of systems showing scaling complexity. I apply this approach to simulate the behavior of animal space use under the influence of memory and site fidelity. Based on the parsimonious Multi-scaled random walk model (MRW) an emergent property of self-reinforcing returns to a subset of historic locations shows how a network of nodes grows into an increased hierarchical depth of site fidelity. While most locations along a movement path may have a low revisit probability, habitat selection is maturing with respect to utilization of the most visited patches, in particular for patches that emerge during the early phase of node development. Using simulations with default MRW properties, which have been shown to produce space use in close statistical compliance with utilization distributions of many species of mammals, I illustrate how a shifting spatio-temporal mosaic of habitat utilization may be described statistically and given behavioral-ecological interpretation. The proposed method is illustrated with a pilot study using black bear Ursus americanus telemetry fixes. One specific parameter, the Characteristic Scale of Space Use, is here shown to express strong resilience against shifting site fidelity. This robust result may seem counter-intuitive, but is logical under the premise of the MRW model and its relationship to site fidelity, whether stable or shifting spatially over time. Thus, spatial analysis of the dynamics of a gradually drifting site fidelity using simulated scenarios may indirectly cast light on the dynamics of movement behavior as preferred patches are shifting over time. Both aspects of complex space use, network topology and dynamically drifting dispersion of site fidelity, provide in tandem important descriptors of behavioral ecology with relevance to habitat selection.
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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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Hurme E, Fahr J, Eric BF, Hash CT, O’Mara MT, Richter H, Tanshi I, Webala PW, Weber N, Wikelski M, Dechmann DKN. Fruit bat migration matches green wave in seasonal landscapes. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Edward Hurme
- Department of Migration Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz
| | - Jakob Fahr
- Department of Migration Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz
| | - Bakwo Fils Eric
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences University of Maroua Cameroon
| | | | - M. Teague O’Mara
- Department of Migration Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Germany
- Southeastern Louisiana University Hammond LA USA
| | | | - Iroro Tanshi
- Department of Biological Sciences Texas Tech University Lubbock USA
- Department of Animal and Environmental Biology University of Benin Benin City Nigeria
| | - Paul W. Webala
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management Maasai Mara University Narok Kenya
| | - Natalie Weber
- Department of Migration Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz
| | - Dina K. N. Dechmann
- Department of Migration Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz
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Evolutionary causes and consequences of ungulate migration. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:998-1006. [PMID: 35513579 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01749-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Ungulate migrations are crucial for maintaining abundant populations and functional ecosystems. However, little is known about how or why migratory behaviour evolved in ungulates. To investigate the evolutionary origins of ungulate migration, we employed phylogenetic path analysis using a comprehensive species-level phylogeny of mammals. We found that 95 of 207 extant ungulate species are at least partially migratory, with migratory behaviour originating independently in 17 lineages. The evolution of migratory behaviour is associated with reliance on grass forage and living at higher latitudes wherein seasonal resource waves are most prevalent. Indeed, originations coincide with mid-Miocene cooling and the subsequent rise of C4 grasslands. Also, evolving migratory behaviour supported the evolution of larger bodies, allowing ungulates to exploit new ecological space. Reconstructions of migratory behaviour further revealed that seven of ten recently extinct species were probably migratory, suggesting that contemporary migrations are important models for understanding the ecology of the past.
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Lala F, Chiyo PI, Omondi P, Okita-Ouma B, Kanga E, Koskei M, Tiller L, Morris AW, Severud WJ, Bump JK. Influence of infrastructure, ecology, and underpass-dimensions on multi-year use of Standard Gauge Railway underpasses by mammals in Tsavo, Kenya. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5698. [PMID: 35383206 PMCID: PMC8983743 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09555-5] [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: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Rail and road infrastructure is essential for economic growth and development but can cause a gradual loss in biodiversity and degradation of ecosystem function and services. We assessed the influence of underpass dimensions, fencing, proximity to water and roads, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), presence of other species and livestock on underpass use by large and medium-sized mammals. Results revealed hyenas and leopards used the underpasses more than expected whereas giraffes and antelopes used the underpasses less than expected. Generalized linear mixed-effects models revealed that underpass height influenced use by wildlife, with several species preferring to use taller underpasses. Electric fencing increased underpass use by funneling species towards underpasses, except for elephants and black-backed jackal for which it reduced underpass passage. We also found that the use of underpasses by livestock reduced the probability of use by nearly 50% for wildlife species. Carnivore species were more likely to cross underpasses used by their prey. Buffalo, livestock, and hyenas used underpasses characterized by vegetation with higher NDVI and near water sources while baboons, dik-diks and antelope avoided underpasses with high NDVI. Our findings suggest a need for diverse and comprehensive approaches for mitigating the negative impacts of rail on African wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrick Lala
- Wildlife Research and Training Institute, P.O. Box 842-20117, Naivasha, Kenya. .,University of Minnesota, 2003 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN, 55108-6074, USA.
| | - Patrick I Chiyo
- Department of Biology, Duke University, P.O. Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Patrick Omondi
- Wildlife Research and Training Institute, P.O. Box 842-20117, Naivasha, Kenya
| | | | - Erustus Kanga
- Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, P. O. Box 41394, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya
| | - Michael Koskei
- Save the Elephants, P.O. Box 54667, Nairobi, 00200, Kenya
| | - Lydia Tiller
- Save the Elephants, P.O. Box 54667, Nairobi, 00200, Kenya
| | - Aaron W Morris
- University of Minnesota, 2003 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN, 55108-6074, USA
| | - William J Severud
- University of Minnesota, 2003 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN, 55108-6074, USA
| | - Joseph K Bump
- University of Minnesota, 2003 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN, 55108-6074, USA
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36
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Pandraud A, Shrader AM, Tshipa A, Ngwenya N, Chamaillé-Jammes S. Cueing on distant conditions before migrating does not prevent false starts: a case study with African elephants. Oecologia 2022; 198:957-966. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05148-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Theoret J, Cavedon M, Hegel T, Hervieux D, Schwantje H, Steenweg R, Watters M, Musiani M. Seasonal movements in caribou ecotypes of Western Canada. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:12. [PMID: 35272704 PMCID: PMC8908644 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00312-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several migratory ungulates, including caribou, are dramatically declining. Caribou of the Barren-ground ecotype, which forms its own subspecies, are known to be mainly migratory. By contrast, within the Woodland subspecies, animals of the Boreal ecotype are known to be mainly sedentary, while those within the Northern and Central Mountain ecotypes to be partially migratory, with only some individuals migrating. Promotion of conservation actions (e.g., habitat protection) that are specific to both residents and migrants, as well as to the areas they frequent seasonally (which may be separate for migrants), requires distinguishing migration from other movement behaviours, which might be a challenge. METHODS We aimed at assessing seasonal movement behaviours, including migratory, resident, dispersing, and nomadic, for caribou belonging to the Barren-ground and Woodland subspecies and ecotypes. We examined seasonal displacement, both planar and altitudinal, and seasonal ranges overlap for 366 individuals that were GPS-collared in Northern and Western Canada. Lastly, we assessed the ability of caribou individuals to switch between migratory and non-migratory movement behaviours between years. RESULTS We detected migratory behaviour within each of the studied subspecies and ecotypes. However, seasonal ranges overlap (an index of sedentary behaviour) varied, with proportions of clear migrants (0 overlap) of 40.94% for Barren-ground caribou and 23.34% for Woodland caribou, and of 32.95%, 54.87%, and 8.86% for its Northern Mountain, Central Mountain, and Boreal ecotype, respectively. Plastic switches of individuals were also detected between migratory, resident, dispersing, and nomadic seasonal movements performed across years. CONCLUSIONS Our unexpected findings of marked seasonal movement plasticity in caribou indicate that this phenomenon should be better studied to understand the resilience of this endangered species to habitat and climatic changes. Our results that a substantial proportion of individuals engaged in seasonal migration in all studied ecotypes indicate that caribou conservation plans should account for critical habitat in both summer and winter ranges. Accordingly, conservation strategies are being devised for the Woodland subspecies and its ecotypes, which were found to be at least partially migratory in this study. Our findings that migration is detectable with both planar and altitudinal analyses of seasonal displacement provide a tool to better define seasonal ranges, also in mountainous and hilly environments, and protect habitat there.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Theoret
- Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Maria Cavedon
- Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Troy Hegel
- Yukon Department of Environment, Whitehorse, YT, Y1A 2C6, Canada
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Alberta Environment and Parks, 4999 98 Ave., Edmonton, AB, T6B 2X3, Canada
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Alberta Environment and Parks, Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 6J4, Canada
| | - Helen Schwantje
- Wildlife and Habitat Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Government of British Columbia, 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 6J9, Canada
| | - Robin Steenweg
- Pacific Region, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, BC, V4K 3N2, Canada
| | - Megan Watters
- Land and Resource Specialist, 300 - 10003 110th Avenue, Fort St. John, BC, V1J 6M7, Canada
| | - Marco Musiani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Veterinary Medicine (Joint Appointment), University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
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Kearney SP, Porensky LM, Augustine DJ, Derner JD, Gao F. Predicting spatial-temporal patterns of diet quality and large herbivore performance using satellite time series. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2503. [PMID: 34870365 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive management of large herbivores requires an understanding of how spatial-temporal fluctuations in forage biomass and quality influence animal performance. Advances in remote sensing have yielded information about the spatial-temporal dynamics of forage biomass, which in turn have informed rangeland management decisions such as stocking rate and paddock selection for free-ranging cattle. However, less is known about the spatial-temporal patterns of diet quality and their influence on large herbivore performance. This is due to infrequent concurrent ground observations of forage conditions with performance (e.g., mass gain), and previously limited satellite data at fine spatial and temporal scales. We combined multi-temporal field observations of diet quality (weekly) and mass gain (monthly) with satellite-derived phenological metrics (pseudo-daily, using data fusion and interpolation) to model daily mass gains of free-ranging yearling cattle in shortgrass steppe. We used this model to predict grazing season (mid-May to October) mass gains, a key management indicator, across 40 different paddocks grazed over a 10-year period (n = 138). We found strong relationships between diet quality and the satellite-derived phenological metrics, especially metrics related to the timing and rate of green-up and senescence. Satellite-derived diet quality estimates were strong predictors of monthly mass gains (R2 = 0.68) across a wide range of aboveground net herbaceous production. Season-long predictions of average daily gain and cattle off-mass had mean absolute errors of 8.9% and 2.9%, respectively. The model performed better temporally (across repeated observations in the same paddock) than spatially (across all paddocks within a given year), highlighting the need for accurate vegetation maps and robust field data collection across both space and time. This study demonstrates that free-ranging cattle performance in rangelands is strongly affected by diet quality, which is related to the timing of vegetation green-up and senescence. Senescing vegetation suppressed mass gains, even if adequate forage was available. The satellite-based pseudo-daily approach presented here offers new opportunities for adaptive management of large herbivores, such as identifying within-season triggers to move livestock among paddocks, predicting wildlife herd health, or timing the grazing season to better match earlier spring green-up caused by climate change and plant species invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean P Kearney
- USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Rangeland Resources and Systems Research Unit, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Lauren M Porensky
- USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Rangeland Resources and Systems Research Unit, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - David J Augustine
- USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Rangeland Resources and Systems Research Unit, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Justin D Derner
- USDA-ARS Rangeland Resources and Systems Research Unit, Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA
| | - Feng Gao
- USDA-ARS Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
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Reiner R, Zedrosser A, Zeiler H, Hackländer K, Corlatti L. Habitat and climate shape growth patterns in a mountain ungulate. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8650. [PMID: 35309748 PMCID: PMC8901871 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Uptake and use of energy are of key importance for animals living in temperate environments that undergo strong seasonal changes in forage quality and quantity. In ungulates, energy intake strongly affects body mass gain, an important component of individual fitness. Energy allocation among life-history traits can be affected by internal and external factors. Here, we investigate large-scale variation in body growth patterns of Alpine chamois Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra, in relation to sex, age, temperature, and habitat variations across 31 (sub)populations in the Central European Alps. Taking advantage of an exceptionally large dataset (n = 178,175) of chamois hunted over 27 consecutive years between 1993 and 2019 in mountain ranges with different proportions of forest cover, we found that (i) patterns of body mass growth differ between mountain ranges, with lower body mass but faster mass growth with increasing proportion of forest cover and that (ii) the effect of spring and summer temperatures on changes in body growth patterns are larger in mountain ranges with lower forest cover compared to mountain ranges with higher forest cover. Our results show that patterns of body mass growth within a species are more plastic than expected and depend on environmental and climatic conditions. The recent decline in body mass observed in Alpine chamois populations may have greater impacts on populations living above the treeline than in forests, which may buffer against the effects of increasing temperatures on life-history traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudolf Reiner
- Berchtesgaden National Park Berchtesgaden Germany.,Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna Vienna Austria.,Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health University of South-Eastern Norway Telemark Norway
| | - Hubert Zeiler
- Berchtesgaden National Park Berchtesgaden Germany.,Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna Vienna Austria.,Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health University of South-Eastern Norway Telemark Norway.,Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung (German Wildlife Foundation) Hamburg Germany.,Wildlife Ecology and Management University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany.,Stelvio National Park Bormio Italy
| | - Klaus Hackländer
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna Vienna Austria.,Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung (German Wildlife Foundation) Hamburg Germany
| | - Luca Corlatti
- Wildlife Ecology and Management University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany.,Stelvio National Park Bormio Italy
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40
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Alexander JS, Murr ML, Eddy-Miller CA. Testing the potential of streamflow data to predict spring migration of ungulate herds. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262078. [PMID: 35061750 PMCID: PMC8782492 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In mountainous and high latitude regions, migratory animals exploit green waves of emerging vegetation coinciding with rising daily mean temperatures initiating snowmelt across the landscape. Snowmelt also causes rivers and streams draining these regions to swell, a process referred to as to as the 'spring pulse.' Networks of streamgages measuring streamflow in these regions often have long-term and continuous periods of record available in real-time and at the daily time step, and thus produce data with potential to predict temporal migration patterns for species exploiting green waves. We tested the potential of models informed by streamflow data to predict timing of spring migration of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) herds in a headwater basin of the Colorado River. Models using streamflow data were compared with those informed by traditional temperature-derived measures of the onset of spring. Non-parametric linear-regression techniques were used to test for temporal stationarity in each variable, and logistic-regression models were used to produce probabilities of migration initiation. Our analysis indicates that models using daily streamflow data can perform as well as those using temperature-derived data to predict past-migration patterns, and nearly as well in potential to forecast future migrations. The best performing model was used to generate probabilities of onset of migration for mule deer herds over the 69-year period-of-record from a streamgage. That model indicated spring migration has been trending toward earlier initiations, with modeled median initiations shifting from a Julian day of 123 in the mid 20th century to Julian day 115 over the most recent two decades. The period of 1960 to 1979 had the latest modeled median initiations with Julian day of 128. The analyses demonstrate promise for merging existing hydrologic and biological data collection platforms in these regions to explore timing of past migration patterns and predict migration onsets in real-time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason S. Alexander
- Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Water Mission Area, Cheyenne, WY, United States of America
| | - Marissa L. Murr
- Intern, U.S. Geological Survey-National Association of Geoscience Teachers Cooperative Field Training Program, Cheyenne, WY, Unites States of America
| | - Cheryl A. Eddy-Miller
- Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Water Mission Area, Cheyenne, WY, United States of America
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van Toor ML, Kharitonov S, Švažas S, Dagys M, Kleyheeg E, Müskens G, Ottosson U, Žydelis R, Waldenström J. Migration distance affects how closely Eurasian wigeons follow spring phenology during migration. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:61. [PMID: 34895360 PMCID: PMC8665524 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00296-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The timing of migration for herbivorous migratory birds is thought to coincide with spring phenology as emerging vegetation supplies them with the resources to fuel migration, and, in species with a capital breeding strategy also provides individuals with energy for use on the breeding grounds. Individuals with very long migration distances might however have to trade off between utilising optimal conditions en route and reaching the breeding grounds early, potentially leading to them overtaking spring on the way. Here, we investigate whether migration distance affects how closely individually tracked Eurasian wigeons follow spring phenology during spring migration. METHODS We captured wigeons in the Netherlands and Lithuania and tracked them throughout spring migration to identify staging sites and timing of arrival. Using temperature-derived indicators of spring phenology, we investigated how maximum longitude reached and migration distance affected how closely wigeons followed spring. We further estimated the impact of tagging on wigeon migration by comparing spring migratory timing between tracked individuals and ring recovery data sets. RESULTS Wigeons migrated to locations between 300 and 4000 km from the capture site, and migrated up to 1000 km in a single day. We found that wigeons migrating to more north-easterly locations followed spring phenology more closely, and increasingly so the greater distance they had covered during migration. Yet we also found that despite tags equalling only around 2% of individual's body mass, individuals were on average 11-12 days slower than ring-marked individuals from the same general population. DISCUSSION Overall, our results suggest that migratory strategy can vary dependent on migration distance within species, and even within the same migratory corridor. Individual decisions thus depend not only on environmental cues, but potentially also trade-offs made during later life-history stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariëlle L van Toor
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden.
| | - Sergey Kharitonov
- A. N. Severtsov Institut of Ecology and Evolution RAS, Moscow, Russia
| | | | | | - Erik Kleyheeg
- Sovon Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Ulf Ottosson
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | | | - Jonas Waldenström
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
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Supp SR, Bohrer G, Fieberg J, La Sorte FA. Estimating the movements of terrestrial animal populations using broad-scale occurrence data. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:60. [PMID: 34895345 PMCID: PMC8665594 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00294-2] [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: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
As human and automated sensor networks collect increasingly massive volumes of animal observations, new opportunities have arisen to use these data to infer or track species movements. Sources of broad scale occurrence datasets include crowdsourced databases, such as eBird and iNaturalist, weather surveillance radars, and passive automated sensors including acoustic monitoring units and camera trap networks. Such data resources represent static observations, typically at the species level, at a given location. Nonetheless, by combining multiple observations across many locations and times it is possible to infer spatially continuous population-level movements. Population-level movement characterizes the aggregated movement of individuals comprising a population, such as range contractions, expansions, climate tracking, or migration, that can result from physical, behavioral, or demographic processes. A desire to model population movements from such forms of occurrence data has led to an evolving field that has created new analytical and statistical approaches that can account for spatial and temporal sampling bias in the observations. The insights generated from the growth of population-level movement research can complement the insights from focal tracking studies, and elucidate mechanisms driving changes in population distributions at potentially larger spatial and temporal scales. This review will summarize current broad-scale occurrence datasets, discuss the latest approaches for utilizing them in population-level movement analyses, and highlight studies where such analyses have provided ecological insights. We outline the conceptual approaches and common methodological steps to infer movements from spatially distributed occurrence data that currently exist for terrestrial animals, though similar approaches may be applicable to plants, freshwater, or marine organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R. Supp
- Data Analytics Program, Denison University, Granville, OH 43023 USA
| | - Gil Bohrer
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - John Fieberg
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
| | - Frank A. La Sorte
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850 USA
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Kauffman MJ, Aikens EO, Esmaeili S, Kaczensky P, Middleton A, Monteith KL, Morrison TA, Mueller T, Sawyer H, Goheen JR. Causes, Consequences, and Conservation of Ungulate Migration. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012021-011516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Our understanding of ungulate migration is advancing rapidly due to innovations in modern animal tracking. Herein, we review and synthesize nearly seven decades of work on migration and other long-distance movements of wild ungulates. Although it has long been appreciated that ungulates migrate to enhance access to forage, recent contributions demonstrate that their movements are fine tuned to dynamic landscapes where forage, snow, and drought change seasonally. Researchers are beginning to understand how ungulates navigate migrations, with the emerging view that animals blend gradient tracking with spatial memory, some of which is socially learned. Although migration often promotes abundant populations—with broad effects on ecosystems—many migrations around the world have been lost or are currently threatened by habitat fragmentation, climate change, and barriers to movement. Fortunately, new efforts that use empirical tracking data to map migrations in detail are facilitating effective conservation measures to maintain ungulate migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Kauffman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA
| | - Ellen O. Aikens
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Saeideh Esmaeili
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
| | - Petra Kaczensky
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (INN), NO-2480 Koppang, Norway
- University of Veterinary Sciences Vienna, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, A-1160 Vienna, Austria
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Arthur Middleton
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California 94709, USA
| | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82072, USA
| | - Thomas A. Morrison
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health, and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Mueller
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Hall Sawyer
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., Laramie, Wyoming 82072, USA
| | - Jacob R. Goheen
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA
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Bowersock NR, Litt AR, Merkle JA, Gunther KA, van Manen FT. Responses of American black bears to spring resources. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel R. Bowersock
- Department of Ecology Montana State University P.O. Box 173460 Bozeman Montana 59717‐3460 USA
| | - Andrea R. Litt
- Department of Ecology Montana State University P.O. Box 173460 Bozeman Montana 59717‐3460 USA
| | - Jerod A. Merkle
- Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Department 3166 1000 East University Avenue Laramie Wyoming 82071 USA
| | - Kerry A. Gunther
- Bear Management Office Yellowstone Center for Resources Yellowstone National Park P.O. Box 168 Yellowstone National Park Wyoming 82190 USA
| | - Frank T. van Manen
- Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team U.S. Geological Survey Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center 2327 University Way, Suite 2 Bozeman Montana 59715 USA
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Cameron MD, Eisaguirre JM, Breed GA, Joly K, Kielland K. Mechanistic movement models identify continuously updated autumn migration cues in Arctic caribou. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:54. [PMID: 34724991 PMCID: PMC8559358 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00288-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Migrations in temperate systems typically have two migratory phases, spring and autumn, and many migratory ungulates track the pulse of spring vegetation growth during a synchronized spring migration. In contrast, autumn migrations are generally less synchronous and the cues driving them remain understudied. Our goal was to identify the cues that migrants use in deciding when to initiate migration and how this is updated while en route. METHODS We analyzed autumn migrations of Arctic barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus) as a series of persistent and directional movements and assessed the influence of a suite of environmental factors. We fitted a dynamic-parameter movement model at the individual-level and estimated annual population-level parameters for weather covariates on 389 individual-seasons across 9 years. RESULTS Our results revealed strong, consistent effects of decreasing temperature and increasing snow depth on migratory movements, indicating that caribou continuously update their migratory decision based on dynamic environmental conditions. This suggests that individuals pace migration along gradients of these environmental variables. Whereas temperature and snow appeared to be the most consistent cues for migration, we also found interannual variability in the effect of wind, NDVI, and barometric pressure. The dispersed distribution of individuals in autumn resulted in diverse environmental conditions experienced by individual caribou and thus pronounced variability in migratory patterns. CONCLUSIONS By analyzing autumn migration as a continuous process across the entire migration period, we found that caribou migration was largely related to temperature and snow conditions experienced throughout the journey. This mechanism of pacing autumn migration based on indicators of the approaching winter is analogous to the more widely researched mechanism of spring migration, when many migrants pace migration with a resource wave. Such a similarity in mechanisms highlights the different environmental stimuli to which migrants have adapted their movements throughout their annual cycle. These insights have implications for how long-distance migratory patterns may change as the Arctic climate continues to warm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D. Cameron
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2090 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
- Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network, National Park Service, 4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709 USA
| | - Joseph M. Eisaguirre
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2140 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
- Present Address: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management, 1011 E. Tudor Rd., Anchorage, AK 99503 USA
| | - Greg A. Breed
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2090 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2140 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
| | - Kyle Joly
- Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network, National Park Service, 4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709 USA
| | - Knut Kielland
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2090 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2140 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
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Monk JD, Schmitz OJ. Landscapes shaped from the top down: predicting cascading predator effects on spatial biogeochemistry. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julia D. Monk
- School of the Environment, Yale Univ. New Haven CT USA
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Gurarie E, Potluri S, Cosner GC, Cantrell RS, Fagan WF. Memories of Migrations Past: Sociality and Cognition in Dynamic, Seasonal Environments. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.742920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal migrations are a widespread and broadly successful strategy for animals to exploit periodic and localized resources over large spatial scales. It remains an open and largely case-specific question whether long-distance migrations are resilient to environmental disruptions. High levels of mobility suggest an ability to shift ranges that can confer resilience. On the other hand, a conservative, hard-wired commitment to a risky behavior can be costly if conditions change. Mechanisms that contribute to migration include identification and responsiveness to resources, sociality, and cognitive processes such as spatial memory and learning. Our goal was to explore the extent to which these factors interact not only to maintain a migratory behavior but also to provide resilience against environmental changes. We develop a diffusion-advection model of animal movement in which an endogenous migratory behavior is modified by recent experiences via a memory process, and animals have a social swarming-like behavior over a range of spatial scales. We found that this relatively simple framework was able to adapt to a stable, seasonal resource dynamic under a broad range of parameter values. Furthermore, the model was able to acquire an adaptive migration behavior with time. However, the resilience of the process depended on all the parameters under consideration, with many complex trade-offs. For example, the spatial scale of sociality needed to be large enough to capture changes in the resource, but not so large that the acquired collective information was overly diluted. A long-term reference memory was important for hedging against a highly stochastic process, but a higher weighting of more recent memory was needed for adapting to directional changes in resource phenology. Our model provides a general and versatile framework for exploring the interaction of memory, movement, social and resource dynamics, even as environmental conditions globally are undergoing rapid change.
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Severson JP, Johnson HE, Arthur SM, Leacock WB, Suitor MJ. Spring phenology drives range shifts in a migratory Arctic ungulate with key implications for the future. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:4546-4563. [PMID: 33993595 PMCID: PMC8456794 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Annual variation in phenology can have profound effects on the behavior of animals. As climate change advances spring phenology in ecosystems around the globe, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how animals respond to variation in the timing of seasonal events and how their responses may shift in the future. We investigated the influence of spring phenology on the behavior of migratory, barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus), a species that has evolved to cope with short Arctic summers. Specifically, we examined the effect of spring snow melt and vegetation growth on the current and potential future space-use patterns of the Porcupine Caribou Herd (PCH), which exhibits large, inter-annual shifts in their calving and post-calving distributions across the U.S.-Canadian border. We quantified PCH selection for snow melt and vegetation phenology using machine learning models, determined how selection resulted in annual shifts in space-use, and then projected future distributions based on climate-driven phenology models. Caribou exhibited strong, scale-dependent selection for both snow melt and vegetation growth. During the calving season, caribou selected areas at finer scales where the snow had melted and vegetation was greening, but within broader landscapes that were still brown or snow covered. During the post-calving season, they selected vegetation with intermediate biomass expected to have high forage quality. Annual variation in spring phenology predicted major shifts in PCH space-use. In years with early spring phenology, PCH predominately used habitat in Alaska, while in years with late phenology, they spent more time in Yukon. Future climate conditions were projected to advance spring phenology, shifting PCH calving and post-calving distributions further west into Alaska. Our results demonstrate that caribou selection for habitat in specific phenological stages drive dramatic shifts in annual space-use patterns, and will likely affect future distributions, underscoring the importance of maintaining sufficient suitable habitat to allow for behavioral plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stephen M. Arthur
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceArctic National Wildlife RefugeFairbanksAKUSA
| | - William B. Leacock
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceArctic National Wildlife RefugeFairbanksAKUSA
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van de Kerk M, Larsen RT, Olson DD, Hersey KR, McMillan BR. Variation in movement patterns of mule deer: have we oversimplified migration? MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:44. [PMID: 34446100 PMCID: PMC8394567 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00281-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Conservation and management of migratory animals has gained attention in recent years, but the majority of research has focused on stereotypical 'migrant' and 'resident' behaviors, often failing to incorporate any atypical behaviors or characterize migratory behaviors beyond distance and timing of the migration. With migration threatened by anthropogenic development and climate change, it is crucial that we understand the full range of migratory behaviors. Our objective was to demonstrate and characterize the variation in migration strategies, including typical and atypical migratory behaviors for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in Utah, USA. METHODS Because calculation of common metrics such as distance, timing, and use of stopovers during migration did not adequately describe the variation we observed in migratory behavior for this species-particularly when animals visited multiple (> 3) ranges for extended lengths of time-we developed additional methods and categories to describe observed variation in migratory behavior. We first categorized trajectories based on the number of discrete, separate ranges and range shifts between them. Then, we further characterized the variation in migration strategies by examining the timing, duration, and distance traveled within each of the categories. We also examined if and how frequently individual deer switched among categories from year to year. RESULTS We classified 1218 movement trajectories from 722 adult female mule deer, and found that 54.4% were dual-range migrants, who made one round-trip to one distinct range. Multi-range migrants (23.6%) made one round-trip during which they stayed at multiple discrete ranges. Commuters (1.0%) traveled to the same range multiple times, and poly migrants (1.5%) made multiple round-trips to different ranges. Gradual movers (2.5%) did not show a discrete range shift but moved gradually between ranges, whereas residents (12.6%) never left their home ranges, and dispersers (4.4%) left but never returned. Of the deer that we monitored for multiple years, 51.2% switched among categories. CONCLUSION We conclude that the substantial number of atypical migratory strategies, as well as the number of deer that switched categories, underlines the importance of studying these less-stereotyped behaviors that may be exhibited by large proportions of populations. Acknowledging and investigating the full complexity and diversity in migratory strategies might uncover unknowns with respect to underlying factors and drivers of migration, and can help shape effective conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madelon van de Kerk
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, 4105 Life Sciences Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA.
- School of Environment and Sustainability, Western Colorado University, Kelley Hall 144, Gunnison, CO, 81231, USA.
| | - Randy T Larsen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, 4105 Life Sciences Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Daniel D Olson
- Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, 1594 W North Temple, Suite 2110, Salt Lake City, UT, 84114, USA
| | - Kent R Hersey
- Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, 1594 W North Temple, Suite 2110, Salt Lake City, UT, 84114, USA
| | - Brock R McMillan
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, 4105 Life Sciences Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
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Falcón-Cortés A, Boyer D, Merrill E, Frair JL, Morales JM. Hierarchical, Memory-Based Movement Models for Translocated Elk (Cervus canadensis). Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.702925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of spatial memory is well-documented in many animal species and has been shown to be critical for the emergence of spatial learning. Adaptive behaviors based on learning can emerge thanks to an interdependence between the acquisition of information over time and movement decisions. The study of how spatio-ecological knowledge is constructed throughout the life of an individual has not been carried out in a quantitative and comprehensive way, hindered by the lack of knowledge of the information an animal already has of its environment at the time monitoring begins. Identifying how animals use memory to make beneficial decisions is fundamental to developing a general theory of animal movement and space use. Here we propose several mobility models based on memory and perform hierarchical Bayesian inference on 11-month trajectories of 21 elk after they were released in a completely new environment. Almost all the observed animals exhibited preferential returns to previously visited patches, such that memory and random exploration phases occurred. Memory decay was mild or negligible over the study period. The fact that individual elk rapidly become used to a relatively small number of patches was consistent with the hypothesis that they seek places with predictable resources and reduced mortality risks such as predation.
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