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Bergevin MD, Ng V, Sadeghieh T, Menzies P, Ludwig A, Mubareka S, Clow KM. A Scoping Review on the Epidemiology of Orthobunyaviruses in Canada, in the Context of Human, Wildlife, and Domestic Animal Host Species. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2024; 24:249-264. [PMID: 38206763 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2023.0109] [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] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Mosquito-borne orthobunyaviruses in Canada are a growing public health concern. Orthobunyaviral diseases are commonly underdiagnosed and in Canada, likely underreported as surveillance is passive. No vaccines or specific treatments exist for these disease agents. Further, climate change is facilitating habitat expansion for relevant reservoirs and vectors, and it is likely that the majority of the Canadian population is susceptible to these viruses. Methods: A scoping review was conducted to describe the current state of knowledge on orthobunyavirus epidemiology in Canada. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guideline was used. Literature searches were conducted in six databases and in gray literature. The epidemiology of orthobunyaviruses was characterized for studies focusing on host species, including spatiotemporal patterns, risk factors, and climate change impact. Results: A total of 172 relevant studies were identified from 1734 citations from which 95 addressed host species, including humans, wildlife, and domestic animals including livestock. The orthobunyaviruses-Cache Valley virus (CVV), Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV), Snowshoe Hare virus (SHV), and La Crosse virus (LACV)-were identified, and prevalence was widespread across vertebrate species. CVV, JCV, and SHV were detected across Canada and the United States. LACV was reported only in the United States, predominantly the Mid-Atlantic and Appalachian regions. Disease varied by orthobunyavirus and was associated with age, environment, preexisting compromised immune systems, or livestock breeding schedule. Conclusion: Knowledge gaps included seroprevalence data in Canada, risk factor analyses, particularly for livestock, and disease projections in the context of climate change. Additional surveillance and mitigation strategies, especially accounting for climate change, are needed to guide future public health efforts to prevent orthobunyavirus exposure and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele D Bergevin
- Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Victoria Ng
- Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- National Microbiology Laboratory Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tara Sadeghieh
- Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paula Menzies
- Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Antoinette Ludwig
- National Microbiology Laboratory Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, St. Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
| | - Samira Mubareka
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Katie M Clow
- Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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Brehm AM, Mortelliti A. Environmental heterogeneity modifies the link between personality and survival in fluctuating small mammal populations. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:196-207. [PMID: 38102795 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14037] [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: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Despite numerous studies examining the fitness consequences of animal personalities, predictions concerning the relationship between personality and survival are not consistent with empirical observations. Theory predicts that individuals who are risky (i.e. bold, active and aggressive) should have higher rates of mortality; however, empirical evidence shows high levels of variation in behaviour-survival relationships in wild populations. We suggest that this mismatch between predictions under theory and empirical observations results from environmental contingencies that drive heterogeneity in selection. This uncertainty may constrain any universal directional relationships between personality traits and survival. Specifically, we hypothesize that spatiotemporal fluctuations in perceived risk that arise from variability in refuge abundance and competitor density alter the relationship between personality traits and survival. In a large-scale manipulative experiment, we trapped four small mammal species in five subsequent years across six forest stands treated with different management practices in Maine, United States. Stands all occur within the same experimental forest but contain varying amounts of refuge and small mammal densities fluctuate over time and space. We quantified the effects of habitat structure and competitor density on the relationship between personality traits and survival to assess whether directional relationships differed depending on environmental contingencies. In the two most abundant species, deer mice and southern red-backed voles, risky behaviours (i.e. higher aggression and boldness) predicted apparent monthly survival probability. Mice that were more aggressive (less docile) had higher survival. Voles that were bolder (less timid) had higher survival, but in the risky forest stands only. Additionally, traits associated with stress coping and de-arousal increased survival probability in both species at high small mammal density but decreased survival at low density. In the two less abundant study species, there was no evidence for an effect of personality traits on survival. Our field experiment provides partial support for our hypothesis: that spatiotemporal fluctuations in refuge abundance and competitor density alter the relationship between personality traits and survival. Our findings also suggest that behaviours associated with stress coping and de-arousal may be subject to density-dependent selection and should be further assessed and incorporated into theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M Brehm
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Alessio Mortelliti
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
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3
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Merz MR, Boone SR, Mortelliti A. Predation risk and personality influence seed predation and dispersal by a scatter‐hoarding small mammal. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Margaret R. Merz
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology University of Maine Orono Maine USA
| | - Sara R. Boone
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology University of Maine Orono Maine USA
| | - Alessio Mortelliti
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology University of Maine Orono Maine USA
- Department of Life Sciences University of Trieste Trieste Italy
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Brogi R, Apollonio M, Brivio F, Merli E, Grignolio S. Behavioural syndromes going wild: individual risk-taking behaviours of free-ranging wild boar. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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5
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Jakopak RP, Sawyer H, LaSharr TN, Randall J, Dwinnell SP, Fralick GL, Monteith KL. Diel timing of migration is not plastic in a migratory ungulate. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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6
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Beukeboom R, Morel A, Phillips JS, Ólafsdóttir GÁ, Benhaïm D. Activity vs exploration: Locomotion in a known and unknown environment differs in Atlantic cod juveniles (Gadus morhua). Behav Processes 2022; 202:104736. [PMID: 36028060 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Individuals within a population often behave differently and these differences can be consistent over time and/or context, also termed "animal personality". Animal personality has been commonly classified into five axes with studies aiming to validate these axes. One subject that has surprisingly not received full attention yet is the difference between the two personality axes "activity" and "exploration-avoidance", i.e. behaviour in a known vs an unknown environment. Despite this clear difference in definition, many studies measure activity in an unknown environment and term it activity, while underlying motivations between the two environments are different. This study aimed to detect the two personality traits "activity" and "exploration" in Atlantic cod juveniles, and to investigate whether they support the distinctive definitions proposed by previous authors. This study showed significant consistency in locomotion variation in both environments, i.e. personality. In addition, the two environments clearly elicited different behaviours; Atlantic cod juvenile behaviour was more repeatable and they moved more in the known vs the unknown environment, and no correlation of the proportional locomotion between the two was found. This demonstrates that locomotion in both environments, i.e. the personality axes "activity" and "exploration", should not be confused nor treated as if they reflect the same personality trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosanne Beukeboom
- University of Iceland, Research Centre of the Westfjords, Bolungarvik, Iceland; Department of Aquaculture and Fish Biology, Hólar University, Saudárkrókur, Iceland.
| | - Antoine Morel
- University of Iceland, Research Centre of the Westfjords, Bolungarvik, Iceland
| | - Joseph S Phillips
- Department of Aquaculture and Fish Biology, Hólar University, Saudárkrókur, Iceland
| | | | - David Benhaïm
- Department of Aquaculture and Fish Biology, Hólar University, Saudárkrókur, Iceland
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Stiegler J, Lins A, Dammhahn M, Kramer-Schadt S, Ortmann S, Blaum N. Personality drives activity and space use in a mammalian herbivore. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:33. [PMID: 35964147 PMCID: PMC9375925 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00333-6] [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: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal personality has emerged as a key concept in behavioral ecology. While many studies have demonstrated the influence of personality traits on behavioral patterns, its quantification, especially in wild animal populations, remains a challenge. Only a few studies have established a link between personality and recurring movements within home ranges, although these small-scale movements are of key importance for identifying ecological interactions and forming individual niches. In this regard, differences in space use among individuals might reflect different exploration styles between behavioral types along the shy-bold continuum. METHODS We assessed among-individual differences in behavior in the European hare (Lepus europaeus), a characteristic mammalian herbivore in agricultural landscapes using a standardized box emergence test for captive and wild hares. We determined an individuals' degree of boldness by measuring the latencies of behavioral responses in repeated emergence tests in captivity. During capture events of wild hares, we conducted a single emergence test and recorded behavioral responses proven to be stable over time in captive hares. Applying repeated novel environment tests in a near-natural enclosure, we further quantified aspects of exploration and activity in captive hares. Finally, we investigated whether and how this among-individual behavioral variation is related to general activity and space use in a wild hare population. Wild and captive hares were treated similarly and GPS-collared with internal accelerometers prior to release to the wild or the outdoor enclosure, respectively. General activity was quantified as overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA) obtained from accelerometers. Finally, we tested whether boldness explained variation in (i) ODBA in both settings and (ii) variation in home ranges and core areas across different time scales of GPS-collared hares in a wild population. RESULTS We found three behavioral responses to be consistent over time in captive hares. ODBA was positively related to boldness (i.e., short latencies to make first contact with the new environment) in both captive and wild hares. Space use in wild hares also varied with boldness, with shy individuals having smaller core areas and larger home ranges than bold conspecifics (yet in some of the parameter space, this association was just marginally significant). CONCLUSIONS Against our prediction, shy individuals occupied relatively large home ranges but with small core areas. We suggest that this space use pattern is due to them avoiding risky, and energy-demanding competition for valuable resources. Carefully validated, activity measurements (ODBA) from accelerometers provide a valuable tool to quantify aspects of animal personality along the shy-bold continuum remotely. Without directly observing-and possibly disturbing-focal individuals, this approach allows measuring variability in animal personality, especially in species that are difficult to assess with experiments. Considering that accelerometers are often already built into GPS units, we recommend activating them at least during the initial days of tracking to estimate individual variation in general activity and, if possible, match them with a simple novelty experiment. Furthermore, information on individual behavioral types will help to facilitate mechanistic understanding of processes that drive spatial and ecological dynamics in heterogeneous landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Stiegler
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Alisa Lins
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Melanie Dammhahn
- Department for Behavioral Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Stephanie Kramer-Schadt
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sylvia Ortmann
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Niels Blaum
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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8
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Tissier ML, Bergeron P, Garant D, Zahn S, Criscuolo F, Réale D. Telomere length positively correlates with pace-of-life in a sex- and cohort-specific way and elongates with age in a wild mammal. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:3812-3826. [PMID: 35575903 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Understanding ageing and the diversity of life histories is a cornerstone in biology. Telomeres, the protecting caps of chromosomes, are thought to be involved in ageing, cancer risks and life-history strategies. They shorten with cell division and age in somatic tissues of most species, possibly limiting lifespan. The resource allocation trade-off hypothesis predicts that short telomeres have thus co-evolved with early reproduction, proactive behaviour and reduced lifespan, i.e. a fast Pace-of-Life Syndrome (POLS). Conversely, since short telomeres may also reduce the risks of cancer, the anti-cancer hypothesis advances that they should be associated with slow POLS. Conclusion on which hypothesis best supports the role of telomeres as mediators of life-history strategies is hampered by a lack of study on wild short-lived vertebrates, apart from birds. Using seven years of data on wild Eastern chipmunks Tamias striatus, we highlighted that telomeres elongate with age (n = 204 and n = 20) and do not limit lifespan in this species (n = 51). Furthermore, short telomeres correlated with a slow POLS in a sex-specific way (n = 37). Females with short telomeres had a delayed age at first breeding and a lower fecundity rate than females with long telomeres, while we found no differences in males. Our findings support most predictions adapted from the anti-cancer hypothesis, but none of those from the resource allocation trade-off hypothesis. Results are in line with an increasing body of evidence suggesting that other evolutionary forces than resource allocation trade-offs shape the diversity of telomere length in adult somatic cells and the relationships between telomere length and life-histories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde L Tissier
- Biological Sciences, Bishop's University, 2600 Rue College, Québec, Canada.,Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Patrick Bergeron
- Biological Sciences, Bishop's University, 2600 Rue College, Québec, Canada
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Sandrine Zahn
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Denis Réale
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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9
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Gharnit E, Dammhahn M, Garant D, Réale D. Resource Availability, Sex, and Individual Differences in Exploration Drive Individual Diet Apecialization. Am Nat 2022; 200:1-16. [DOI: 10.1086/719669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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10
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Mensinger MA, Brehm AM, Mortelliti A, Blomberg EJ, Zydlewski JD. American eel personality and body length influence passage success in an experimental fishway. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A. Mensinger
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology University of Maine Orono ME USA
| | - Allison M. Brehm
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology University of Maine Orono ME USA
| | - Alessio Mortelliti
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology University of Maine Orono ME USA
| | - Erik J. Blomberg
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology University of Maine Orono ME USA
| | - Joseph D. Zydlewski
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology University of Maine Orono ME USA
- Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit U.S. Geological Survey University of Maine Orono ME USA
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11
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Brehm AM, Mortelliti A. Land-use change alters associations between personality and microhabitat selection. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02443. [PMID: 34455633 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Ecologists commonly assess ecological patterns at the population level, focusing on the average response of all individuals within a population, but to predict how populations will respond to land-use change we must understand how changes to habitat differentially affect individuals within a population. For example, forest management is a widespread type of land-use that impacts wildlife through the loss of key habitat features, but individuals within a population may vary in their responses to this loss due to differences in habitat selection among individuals. Specifically, intraspecific variation in habitat selection has been linked to animal personalities (i.e., consistent behavioral differences among conspecifics), but previous research has not examined whether the relationship between personality and habitat selection is influenced by land-use change. To address this knowledge gap, we tested the hypothesis that land-use change alters the association between personality and microhabitat selection in small mammals. Specifically, we investigated two main questions: (1) To what extent are personality type and microhabitat selection correlated among conspecifics? (2) Does land-use change alter individual patterns of microhabitat selection? To answer these questions, we conducted a large-scale field experiment over 4 years, contrasting unmanaged forest (control) with managed forest (two silvicultural treatments) in Maine, USA. We examined the relationships between habitat selection and personality traits in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and southern red-backed voles (Myodes gapperi). We found that personality traits were correlated with microhabitat selection at multiple spatial scales. Furthermore, land-use change altered these patterns of selection; resulting in either the loss of personality-associated selection or in novel patterns of selection in managed forests. These findings suggest that promoting structural complexity at multiple spatial scales, such as by interspersing stands of mature forest with managed stands, may maintain a variety of intraspecific habitat selection patterns and the associated ecological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M Brehm
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, 04469, USA
| | - Alessio Mortelliti
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, 04469, USA
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12
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Dolby GA. Towards a unified framework to study causality in Earth-life systems. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:5628-5642. [PMID: 34427004 PMCID: PMC9292314 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
There is considerable interest in better understanding how earth processes shape the generation and distribution of life on Earth. This question, at its heart, is one of causation. In this article I propose that at a regional level, earth processes can be thought of as behaving somewhat deterministically and may have an organized effect on the diversification and distribution of species. However, the study of how landscape features shape biology is challenged by pseudocongruent or collinear variables. I demonstrate that causal structures can be used to depict the cause–effect relationships between earth processes and biological patterns using recent examples from the literature about speciation and species richness in montane settings. This application shows that causal diagrams can be used to better decipher the details of causal relationships by motivating new hypotheses. Additionally, the abstraction of this knowledge into structural equation metamodels can be used to formulate theory about relationships within Earth–life systems more broadly. Causal structures are a natural point of collaboration between biologists and Earth scientists, and their use can mitigate against the risk of misassigning causality within studies. My goal is that by applying causal theory through application of causal structures, we can build a systems‐level understanding of what landscape features or earth processes most shape the distribution and diversification of species, what types of organisms are most affected, and why.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greer A Dolby
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.,Center for Mechanisms of Evolution, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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Boone SR, Brehm AM, Mortelliti A. Seed predation and dispersal by small mammals in a landscape of fear: effects of personality, predation risk and land‐use change. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara R. Boone
- Dept of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, Univ. of Maine Orono ME USA
| | - Allison M. Brehm
- Dept of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, Univ. of Maine Orono ME USA
| | - Alessio Mortelliti
- Dept of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, Univ. of Maine Orono ME USA
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14
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Payne E, Sinn D, Spiegel O, Leu S, Gardner M, Godfrey S, Wohlfeil C, Sih A. Consistent after all: behavioural repeatability in a long-lived lizard across a 6-year field study. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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15
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Mortelliti A, Brehm AM. Environmental heterogeneity and population density affect the functional diversity of personality traits in small mammal populations. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201713. [PMID: 33290673 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding factors affecting the functional diversity of ecological communities is an important goal for ecologists and conservationists. Previous work has largely been conducted at the community level; however, recent studies have highlighted the critical importance of considering intraspecific functional diversity (i.e. the functional diversity of phenotypic traits among conspecifics). Further, a major limitation of existing literature on this topic is the lack of empirical studies examining functional diversity of behavioural phenotypes-including animal personalities. This is a major shortcoming because personality traits can affect the fitness of individuals, and the composition of personalities in a population can have important ecological consequences. Our study aims to contribute to filling this knowledge gap by investigating factors affecting the functional diversity of personality traits in wild animal populations. Specifically, we predicted that the richness, divergence and evenness associated with personality traits would be impacted by key components of forest structure and would vary between contrasting forest types. To achieve our objective we conducted a fully replicated large-scale field experiment over a 4 year period using small mammal populations as a model system. We found that greater heterogeneity in the cover of shrubs, coarse woody debris and canopy cover was associated with a greater richness, lower divergence and lower evenness in personality traits. Greater population density was associated with greater functional richness and lower functional divergence and evenness of personality traits. To maintain a behaviourally diverse population and its associated functions, managers may promote heterogeneity in vegetation and increased population density, which we found to be the most important determinants driving functional diversity of personality traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Mortelliti
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, 5755 Nutting Hall, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Allison M Brehm
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, 5755 Nutting Hall, Orono, ME 04469, USA
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16
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Dammhahn M, Mazza V, Schirmer A, Göttsche C, Eccard JA. Of city and village mice: behavioural adjustments of striped field mice to urban environments. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13056. [PMID: 32747632 PMCID: PMC7400609 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69998-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental question of current ecological research concerns the drives and limits of species responses to human-induced rapid environmental change (HIREC). Behavioural responses to HIREC are a key component because behaviour links individual responses to population and community changes. Ongoing fast urbanization provides an ideal setting to test the functional role of behaviour for responses to HIREC. Consistent behavioural differences between conspecifics (animal personality) may be important determinants or constraints of animals' adaptation to urban habitats. We tested whether urban and rural populations of small mammals differ in mean trait expression, flexibility and repeatability of behaviours associated to risk-taking and exploratory tendencies. Using a standardized behavioural test in the field, we quantified spatial exploration and boldness of striped field mice (Apodemus agrarius, n = 96) from nine sub-populations, presenting different levels of urbanisation and anthropogenic disturbance. The level of urbanisation positively correlated with boldness, spatial exploration and behavioural flexibility, with urban dwellers being bolder, more explorative and more flexible in some traits than rural conspecifics. Thus, individuals seem to distribute in a non-random way in response to human disturbance based on their behavioural characteristics. Animal personality might therefore play a key role in successful coping with the challenges of HIREC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Dammhahn
- Department of Animal Ecology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Valeria Mazza
- Department of Animal Ecology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Annika Schirmer
- Department of Animal Ecology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Claudia Göttsche
- Department of Animal Ecology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Jana A Eccard
- Department of Animal Ecology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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17
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Gharnit E, Bergeron P, Garant D, Réale D. Exploration profiles drive activity patterns and temporal niche specialization in a wild rodent. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Individual niche specialization can have important consequences for competition, fitness, and, ultimately, population dynamics and ecological speciation. The temporal window and the level of daily activity are niche components that may vary with sex, breeding season, food supply, population density, and predator’s circadian rhythm. More recently, ecologists emphasized that traits such as dispersal and space use could depend on personality differences. Boldness and exploration have been shown to correlate with variation in foraging patterns, habitat use, and home range. Here, we assessed the link between exploration, measured from repeated novel environment tests, activity patterns, and temporal niche specialization in wild eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus). Intrinsic differences in exploration should drive daily activity patterns through differences in energy requirements, space use, or the speed to access resources. We used collar-mounted accelerometers to assess whether individual exploration profiles predicted: 1) daily overall dynamic body acceleration, reflecting overall activity levels; 2) mean activity duration and the rate of activity sequences, reflecting the structure of daily activity; and 3) patterns of dawn and dusk activity, reflecting temporal niche differentiation. Exploration and overall activity levels were weakly related. However, both dawn activity and rate of activity sequences increased with the speed of exploration. Overall, activity patterns varied according to temporal variability in food conditions. This study emphasizes the role of intrinsic behavioral differences in activity patterns in a wild animal population. Future studies will help us understand how yearly seasonality in reproduction, food abundance, and population density modulate personality-dependent foraging patterns and temporal niche specialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elouana Gharnit
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Patrick Bergeron
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bishop’s University, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Denis Réale
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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