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Blais BR, Shaw CJ, Brocka CW, Johnson SL, Lauger KK. Anthropogenic, environmental and temporal associations with vertebrate road mortality in a wildland-urban interface of a biodiverse desert ecoregion. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240439. [PMID: 39086836 PMCID: PMC11288681 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240439] [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: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Road mortality adversely affects wildlife populations. As urbanization and infrastructure densities expand, transportation and wildlife management aim to mitigate wildlife-vehicle conflicts while conserving biodiversity. Roadways in aridland ecosystems can invariably and adversely impact wildlife differently from temperate and other biomes, yet these rapidly urbanizing regions are understudied as are urban-rural gradients. We conducted road-cruise surveys (n = 204; 2018-2023) to assess anthropogenic, environmental, and temporal factors associated with vertebrate roadkill across the wildland-urban interface of Arizona's biodiverse Sonoran Desert ecoregion-already subjected to increased human development and climate change. Of n = 2019 vertebrates observed, 28.5% were roadkill. Increasing urbanization levels were associated with reduced vertebrate abundance on roads and increased road-killed endothermic vertebrates. Traffic volume was strongly associated with reduced vertebrate abundance and increased roadkill; additive effects on roadkill began at approximately 20 vehicles. Daily low temperature and/or relative humidity were also associated with roadkill across vertebrate groups. We provide empirical evidence to understand wildlife-roadkill associations across expanding wildland-urban interfaces to inform effective roadkill mitigation and wildlife conservation management strategies in biodiverse aridland regions. We recommend that managers mitigate or avoid development in rural areas that possess high biodiversity, valuable waterways or migration corridors, and populations of vulnerable species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R. Blais
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Southwest Zoologists’ League, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Corey J. Shaw
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Colin W. Brocka
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Samantha L. Johnson
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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2
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Lazzaroni M, Brogi R, Napolitano V, Apollonio M, Range F, Marshall-Pescini S. Urbanization does not affect red foxes' interest in anthropogenic food, but increases their initial cautiousness. Curr Zool 2024; 70:394-405. [PMID: 39035755 PMCID: PMC11255992 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoae023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Human presence and activities have profoundly altered animals' habitats, exposing them to greater risks but also providing new opportunities and resources. The animals' capacity to effectively navigate and strike a balance between risks and benefits is crucial for their survival in the Anthropocene era. Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), adept urban dwellers, exhibit behavioral plasticity in human-altered environments. We investigated variations in detection frequency on trail cameras and the behavioral responses (explorative, bold, and fearful) of wild red foxes living along an urbanization gradient when exposed to a metal bin initially presented clean and then filled with anthropogenic food. All fox populations displayed an increased interest and similar explorative behavioral responses toward the anthropogenic food source, irrespective of the urbanization gradient. Despite no impact on explorative behaviors, foxes in more urbanized areas initially showed heightened fear toward the empty bin, indicating increased apprehension toward novel objects. However, this fear diminished over time, and in the presence of food, urban foxes displayed slightly reduced fear compared with their less urban counterparts. Our results highlight foxes' potential for adaptability to human landscapes, additionally underscoring the nuanced interplay of fear and explorative behavioral response of populations living along the urbanization gradient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Lazzaroni
- Domestication Laboratory, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna A-1160, Austria
| | - Rudy Brogi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, via Vienna 2, I-07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Valentina Napolitano
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, via Vienna 2, I-07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Marco Apollonio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, via Vienna 2, I-07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Friederike Range
- Domestication Laboratory, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna A-1160, Austria
| | - Sarah Marshall-Pescini
- Domestication Laboratory, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna A-1160, Austria
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3
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Robertson KE, Ellington EH, Tonra CM, Gehrt SD. Stress in the city? Coyote hair cortisol varies with intrinsic and extrinsic factors within a heavily urbanized landscape. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 901:165965. [PMID: 37543341 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife living in proximity to people are exposed to both natural and anthropogenic factors that may influence cortisol production associated with stress response. While some species, including coyotes (Canis latrans), have become commonplace in developed areas throughout North America, urban individuals still must navigate ever-changing, novel environments and cope with frequent disturbance. Given that coyotes are relatively large predators compared to most other urban wildlife, they face unique pressures such as crossing roadways to use suitable habitat fragments and are at a greater risk of being detected and experiencing negative human interactions. To assess whether urbanization influences hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in free-ranging coyotes, we analyzed cortisol concentration in hair samples from 97 coyotes residing across the urbanization gradient within the Greater Chicago Metropolitan area. As the proportion of developed landcover within coyote home ranges increased, coyotes experienced more stress. Body condition and social status also had strong relationships with stress. Animals in poorer body condition experienced more stress and subordinate coyotes experienced less stress than alphas. We also found some evidence that stress varied seasonally and among different age classes. Understanding how intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence endocrine activity in urban carnivores is vital for predicting how hormone production and related behavioral patterns may change in future populations as more areas become developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie E Robertson
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, United States of America
| | - E Hance Ellington
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, United States of America; Range Cattle Research and Education Center, University of Florida, 3401 Experiment Station Road, Ona, FL 33865, United States of America
| | - Christopher M Tonra
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, United States of America.
| | - Stanley D Gehrt
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, United States of America.
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4
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Mayer AE, Ganoe LS, Brown C, Gerber BD. Diel activity structures the occurrence of a mammal community in a human-dominated landscape. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10684. [PMID: 37928195 PMCID: PMC10620569 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10684] [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: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic developments alter the environment and resources available to wildlife communities. In response to these real or perceived threats from this development, species may adjust their spatial occurrence. Additionally, wildlife species may adjust when in diel time (24-h light-dark cycle) they occupy sites on the landscape to adapt to changing conditions. However, many wildlife studies only focus on where a species does and does not occur, ignoring how species may shift their diel activity at sites to mitigate threats. We used a multi-state diel occupancy modeling framework to investigate how a community of mammals (mesocarnivores, urban-adapted omnivores, and herbivore/small mammals) respond to differing levels of anthropogenic development and forest cover across two climatic seasons. We collected camera trap data at 240 survey locations across the summer and winter of 2021-2022. We modeled multi-state diel occupancy for 14 mammal species with extent of development/forest and season hypothesized to influence diel occupancy and season hypothesized to influence the probability of detection. We found that all species displayed heterogeneity in both diel occupancy and detection either by extent of development/forest and or season. Within the mesocarnivore species group, coyote and red fox were less sensitive to development and had higher occupancy probability at these sites in general but used them more during the night, while more sensitive mesocarnivores including fisher and bobcat occupied the day state only when there was increasing forest cover. Our results highlight the importance of incorporating diel activity in habitat modeling to better understand the relationship between a species and its landscape, particularly in a region that is vulnerable to increased anthropogenic pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E. Mayer
- Department of Natural Resources ScienceUniversity of Rhode IslandKingstonRhode IslandUSA
| | - Laken S. Ganoe
- Department of Natural Resources ScienceUniversity of Rhode IslandKingstonRhode IslandUSA
| | - Charles Brown
- Rhode Island Department of Environmental ManagementDivision of Fish and WildlifeWest KingstonRhode IslandUSA
| | - Brian D. Gerber
- Department of Natural Resources ScienceUniversity of Rhode IslandKingstonRhode IslandUSA
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5
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Sugden S, Steckler DK, Sanderson D, Abercrombie B, Abercrombie D, Seguin MA, Ford K, St. Clair CC. Age-dependent relationships among diet, body condition, and Echinococcus multilocularis infection in urban coyotes. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0290755. [PMID: 37647321 PMCID: PMC10468061 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290755] [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: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Urban coyotes (Canis latrans) in North America increasingly exhibit a high prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis, a cestode of recent and rising public health concern that uses rodents as intermediate hosts and canids as definitive hosts. However, little is known about the factors that drive the high urban prevalence of this parasite. We hypothesized that the diet of urban coyotes may contribute to their higher E. multilocularis infection prevalence via either (a) greater exposure to the parasite from increased rodent consumption or (b) increased susceptibility to infection due to the negative health effects of consuming anthropogenic food. We tested these hypotheses by comparing the presence and intensity of E. multilocularis infection to physiological data (age, sex, body condition, and spleen mass), short-term diet (stomach contents), and long-term diet (δ13C and δ15N stable isotopes) in 112 coyote carcasses collected for reasons other than this study from Edmonton, Alberta and the surrounding area. Overall, the best predictor of infection status in this population was young age, where the likelihood of infection decreased with age in rural coyotes but not urban ones. Neither short- nor long-term measures of diet could predict infection across our entire sample, but we found support for our initial hypotheses in young, urban coyotes: both rodent and anthropogenic food consumption effectively predicted E. multilocularis infection in this population. The effects of these predictors were more variable in rural coyotes and older coyotes. We suggest that limiting coyote access to areas in which anthropogenic food and rodent habitat overlap (e.g., compost piles or garbage sites) may effectively reduce the risk of infection, deposition, and transmission of this emerging zoonotic parasite in urban areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Sugden
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - Deanna K. Steckler
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Dana Sanderson
- Department of Biological Sciences, MacEwan University, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bill Abercrombie
- Animal Damage Control, Bushman Inc., Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - M. Alexis Seguin
- IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Westbrook, Maine, United States of America
| | - Kyra Ford
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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6
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Turner JW, Prokopenko CM, Kingdon KA, Dupont DLJ, Zabihi-Seissan S, Vander Wal E. Death comes for us all: relating movement-integrated habitat selection and social behavior to human-associated and disease-related mortality among gray wolves. Oecologia 2023; 202:685-697. [PMID: 37515598 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05426-6] [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: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Avoiding death affects biological processes, including behavior. Habitat selection, movement, and sociality are highly flexible behaviors that influence the mortality risks and subsequent fitness of individuals. In the Anthropocene, animals are experiencing increased risks from direct human causes and increased spread of infectious diseases. Using integrated step selection analysis, we tested how the habitat selection, movement, and social behaviors of gray wolves vary in the two months prior to death due to humans (being shot or trapped) or canine distemper virus (CDV). We further tested how those behaviors vary as a prelude to death. We studied populations of wolves that occurred under two different management schemes: a national park managed for conservation and a provincially managed multi-use area. Behaviors that changed prior to death were strongly related to how an animal eventually died. Wolves killed by humans moved slower than wolves that survived and selected to be nearer roads closer in time to their death. Wolves that died due to CDV moved progressively slower as they neared death and reduced their avoidance of wet habitats. All animals, regardless of dying or living, maintained selection to be near packmates across time, which seemingly contributed to disease dynamics in the packs infected with CDV. There were no noticeable differences in behavior between the two management areas. Overall, habitat selection, movement, and sociality interact to put individuals and groups at greater risks, influencing their cause-specific mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie W Turner
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 45 Arctic Ave., St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada.
| | - Christina M Prokopenko
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 45 Arctic Ave., St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Katrien A Kingdon
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 45 Arctic Ave., St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Daniel L J Dupont
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 45 Arctic Ave., St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada
- Département des sciences expérimentales, Université de Saint-Boniface, 200 ave de la Cathédrale, Winnipeg, MB, R2H 0H7, Canada
| | - Sana Zabihi-Seissan
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 45 Arctic Ave., St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 45 Arctic Ave., St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada
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7
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Moore LJ, Petrovan SO, Bates AJ, Hicks HL, Baker PJ, Perkins SE, Yarnell RW. Demographic effects of road mortality on mammalian populations: a systematic review. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1033-1050. [PMID: 36843247 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2023]
Abstract
In light of rapidly expanding road networks worldwide, there is increasing global awareness of the growing amount of mammalian roadkill. However, the ways in which road mortality affects the population dynamics of different species remains largely unclear. We aimed to categorise the demographic parameters in mammalian populations around the world that are directly or indirectly affected by road mortality, as well as identify the most effective study designs for quantifying population-level consequences of road mortality. We conducted a comprehensive systematic review to synthesise literature published between 2000 and 2021 and out of 11,238 unique studies returned, 83 studies were retained comprising 69 mammalian species and 150 populations. A bias towards research-intensive countries and larger mammals was apparent. Although searches were conducted in five languages, all studies meeting the inclusion criteria were in English. Relatively few studies (13.3%) provided relevant demographic context to roadkill figures, hampering understanding of the impacts on population persistence. We categorised five direct demographic parameters affected by road mortality: sex- and age-biased mortality, the percentage of a population killed on roads per year (values up to 50% were reported), the contribution of roadkill to total mortality rates (up to 80%), and roadkill during inter-patch or long-distance movements. Female-biased mortality may be more prevalent than previously recognised and is likely to be critical to population dynamics. Roadkill was the greatest source of mortality for 28% of studied populations and both additive and compensatory mechanisms to roadkill were found to occur, bringing varied challenges to conservation around roads. In addition, intra-specific population differences in demographic effects of road mortality were common. This highlights that the relative importance of road mortality is likely to be context specific as the road configuration and habitat quality surrounding a population can vary. Road ecology studies that collect data on key life parameters, such as age/stage/sex-specific survival and dispersal success, and that use a combination of methods are critical in understanding long-term impacts. Quantifying the demographic impacts of road mortality is an important yet complex consideration for proactive road management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren J Moore
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Lane, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, NG25 0QF, UK
| | - Silviu O Petrovan
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3QZ, UK
| | - Adam J Bates
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Lane, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, NG25 0QF, UK
| | - Helen L Hicks
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Lane, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, NG25 0QF, UK
| | - Philip J Baker
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AH, UK
| | - Sarah E Perkins
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Richard W Yarnell
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Lane, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, NG25 0QF, UK
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8
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Pintos S, Lucon-Xiccato T, Vera LM, Bertolucci C. Daily rhythms in the behavioural stress response of the zebrafish Danio rerio. Physiol Behav 2023; 268:114241. [PMID: 37201692 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
In nature, animals are exposed to stressors that occur with different likelihood throughout the day, such as risk of predation and human disturbance. Hence, the stress response is expected to vary plastically to adaptively match these challenges. Several studies have supported this hypothesis in a wide range of vertebrate species, including some teleost fish, mostly through evidence of circadian variation in physiology. However, in teleost fish, circadian variation in behavioural stress responses is less understood. Here, we investigated the daily rhythm of stress response at the behavioural level in the zebrafish Danio rerio. We exposed individuals and shoals to an open field test every 4h over a 24h cycle, recording three behavioural indicators of stress and anxiety levels in novel environments (thigmotaxis, activity and freezing). Thigmotaxis and activity significantly varied throughout the day with a similar pattern, in line with a stronger stress response in the night phase. The same was suggested by analysis of freezing in shoals, but not in individual fish, in which variation appeared mostly driven by a single peak in the light phase. In a control experiment, we observed a set of subjects after familiarisation with the open-field apparatus. This experiment indicated that activity and freezing might present a daily rhythmicity that is unrelated to environmental novelty, and thus to stress responses. However, the thigmotaxis was constant through the day in the control condition, suggesting that the daily variation of this indicator is mostly attributable to the stress response. Overall, this research indicates that behavioural stress response of zebrafish does follow a daily rhythm, although this may be masked using behavioural indicators other than thigmotaxis. This rhythmicity can be relevant to improve welfare in aquaculture and reliability of behavioural research in fish models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Pintos
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Tyrone Lucon-Xiccato
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Luisa María Vera
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Cristiano Bertolucci
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
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9
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Visscher DR, Walker PD, Flowers M, Kemna C, Pattison J, Kushnerick B. Human impact on deer use is greater than predators and competitors in a multiuse recreation area. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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10
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Mori K, Massolo A, Marceau D, Stefanakis E. Modelling the epidemiology of zoonotic parasites transmitted through a predator-prey system in urban landscapes: The Calgary Echinococcus multilocularis Coyote Agent-based model (CEmCA). Ecol Modell 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.110177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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11
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Raymond S, St. Clair CC. Urban coyotes select cryptic den sites near human development where conflict rates increase. J Wildl Manage 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sage Raymond
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta 77 University Campus Edmonton AB T6G 2R3 Canada
| | - Colleen Cassady St. Clair
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta 77 University Campus Edmonton AB T6G 2R3 Canada
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12
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The current state of carnivore cognition. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:37-58. [PMID: 36333496 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01709-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The field of animal cognition has advanced rapidly in the last 25 years. Through careful and creative studies of animals in captivity and in the wild, we have gained critical insights into the evolution of intelligence, the cognitive capacities of a diverse array of taxa, and the importance of ecological and social environments, as well as individual variation, in the expression of cognitive abilities. The field of animal cognition, however, is still being influenced by some historical tendencies. For example, primates and birds are still the majority of study species in the field of animal cognition. Studies of diverse taxa improve the generalizability of our results, are critical for testing evolutionary hypotheses, and open new paths for understanding cognition in species with vastly different morphologies. In this paper, we review the current state of knowledge of cognition in mammalian carnivores. We discuss the advantages of studying cognition in Carnivorans and the immense progress that has been made across many cognitive domains in both lab and field studies of carnivores. We also discuss the current constraints that are associated with studying carnivores. Finally, we explore new directions for future research in studies of carnivore cognition.
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13
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Ikeda T, Higashide D, Shichijo T. Impact of human disturbance in Japan on the distribution and diel activity pattern of terrestrial mammals. J Nat Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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14
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Caspi T, Johnson JR, Lambert MR, Schell CJ, Sih A. Behavioral plasticity can facilitate evolution in urban environments. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:1092-1103. [PMID: 36058767 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity-led evolution is central to evolutionary theory. Although challenging to study in nature, this process may be particularly apparent in novel environments such as cities. We document abundant evidence of plastic behavioral changes in urban animals, including learning, contextual, developmental, and transgenerational plasticities. Using behavioral drive as a conceptual framework, our analysis of notable case studies suggests that plastic behaviors, such as altered habitat use, migration, diurnal and seasonal activity, and courtship, can have faciliatory and cascading effects on urban evolution via spatial, temporal, and mate-choice mechanisms. Our findings highlight (i) the need to incorporate behavioral plasticity more formally into urban evolutionary research and (ii) the opportunity provided by urban environments to study behavioral mechanisms of plasticity-led processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Caspi
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Jacob R Johnson
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Max R Lambert
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; Science Division, Habitat Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, WA, USA
| | - Christopher J Schell
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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15
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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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16
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Gallo T, Fidino M, Gerber B, Ahlers AA, Angstmann JL, Amaya M, Concilio AL, Drake D, Gay D, Lehrer EW, Murray MH, Ryan TJ, St Clair CC, Salsbury CM, Sander HA, Stankowich T, Williamson J, Belaire JA, Simon K, Magle SB. Mammals adjust diel activity across gradients of urbanization. eLife 2022; 11:74756. [PMID: 35357308 PMCID: PMC8986314 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Time is a fundamental component of ecological processes. How animal behavior changes over time has been explored through well-known ecological theories like niche partitioning and predator-prey dynamics. Yet, changes in animal behavior within the shorter 24-hour light-dark cycle have largely gone unstudied. Understanding if an animal can adjust their temporal activity to mitigate or adapt to environmental change has become a recent topic of discussion and is important for effective wildlife management and conservation. While spatial habitat is a fundamental consideration in wildlife management and conservation, temporal habitat is often ignored. We formulated a temporal resource selection model to quantify the diel behavior of eight mammal species across ten U.S. cities. We found high variability in diel activity patterns within and among species and species-specific correlations between diel activity and human population density, impervious land cover, available greenspace, vegetation cover, and mean daily temperature. We also found that some species may modulate temporal behaviors to manage both natural and anthropogenic risks. Our results highlight the complexity with which temporal activity patterns interact with local environmental characteristics, and suggest that urban mammals may use time along the 24-hour cycle to reduce risk, adapt, and therefore persist, and in some cases thrive, in human-dominated ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis Gallo
- College of Science, George Mason University, Fairfax, United States
| | - Mason Fidino
- Urban Wildlife Institute, Conservation and Science Department, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, United States
| | - Brian Gerber
- Department of Natural Resource Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, United States
| | - Adam A Ahlers
- Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources, Kansas State University, Manhattan, United States
| | - Julia L Angstmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, Indianapolis, United States
| | - Max Amaya
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach, United States
| | - Amy L Concilio
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, St. Edward's University, Austin, United States
| | - David Drake
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, United States
| | - Danielle Gay
- Austin Parks and Recreation, City of Austin, Austin, United States
| | - Elizabeth W Lehrer
- Urban Wildlife Institute, Conservation and Science Department, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, United States
| | - Maureen H Murray
- Urban Wildlife Institute, Conservation and Science Department, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, United States
| | - Travis J Ryan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, Indianapolis, United States
| | | | - Carmen M Salsbury
- Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, Indianapolis, United States
| | - Heather A Sander
- Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States
| | - Theodore Stankowich
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach, United States
| | - Jaque Williamson
- Department of Education and Conservation, Brandywine Zoo, Wilmington, United States
| | | | - Kelly Simon
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin, United States
| | - Seth B Magle
- Urban Wildlife Institute, Conservation and Science Department, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, United States
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17
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Sugden S, Murray M, Edwards MA, St. Clair CC. Inter-population differences in coyote diet and niche width along an urban–suburban–rural gradient. JOURNAL OF URBAN ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jue/juab034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Many generalist species thrive in urban environments by supplementing their diets with anthropogenic food, which creates numerous challenges for managing urban wildlife. Management could be advanced with more information on how spatial and temporal variation in habitat use by urban animals predicts variation in their dietary ecology. In this study, we used stable isotope analysis complemented with GPS collar location data to determine how diet composition and the dietary niche of coyotes (Canis latrans) varied across a sample of 169 individuals collected along an urban-to-rural gradient in Alberta, Canada. We further categorized urban individuals as either matrix (frequent use of developed areas) or greenspace (use of natural areas) via GPS locations. Matrix coyotes were isotopically distinct from all other coyote populations: they had the largest dietary niche, exhibited the most among-individual variation in diet, consumed the most anthropogenic food and fruit, and consumed the least amount of prey. Greenspace coyotes consumed more anthropogenic food than rural and suburban coyotes but otherwise exhibited similar niche width, among-individual heterogeneity, and prey consumption. We further tested for seasonal dietary variation and found that urban coyotes had a larger dietary niche during the summer, when they also consumed more anthropogenic food. Our conclusions were robust to our choice of mixing model parameters, including discrimination factors, suggesting that these methodological choices have limited effect when discerning relative trends among populations. Overall, our results suggest that management of urban coyotes should target the food sources accessible to coyotes in the urban matrix to reduce human–coyote conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Sugden
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Maureen Murray
- Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL, 60614, USA
| | - Mark A Edwards
- Mammalogy Department, Royal Alberta Museum, 9810 103a Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 0G2, Canada
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 751 General Services Building, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H1, Canada
| | - Colleen Cassady St. Clair
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
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19
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Leighton GRM, Bishop JM, Merondun J, Winterton DJ, O’Riain MJ, Serieys LEK. Hiding in plain sight: risk mitigation by a cryptic carnivore foraging at the urban edge. Anim Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella R. M. Leighton
- Department of Biological Sciences Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Jacqueline M. Bishop
- Department of Biological Sciences Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Justin Merondun
- Division of Evolutionary Biology Faculty of Biology LMU Munich Planegg‐Martinsried Germany
| | | | - M. Justin O’Riain
- Department of Biological Sciences Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Laurel E. K. Serieys
- Department of Biological Sciences Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
- Cape Leopard Trust Cape Town South Africa
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20
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Zepeda E, Payne E, Wurth A, Sih A, Gehrt S. Early life experience influences dispersal in coyotes ( Canis latrans). Behav Ecol 2021; 32:728-737. [PMID: 34421364 PMCID: PMC8374878 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Natal dispersal plays an important role in connecting individual animal behavior with ecological processes at all levels of biological organization. As urban environments are rapidly increasing in extent and intensity, understanding how urbanization influences these long distance movements is critical for predicting the persistence of species and communities. There is considerable variation in the movement responses of individuals within a species, some of which is attributed to behavioral plasticity which interacts with experience to produce interindividual differences in behavior. For natal dispersers, much of this experience occurs in the natal home range. Using data collected from VHF collared coyotes (Canis latrans) in the Chicago Metropolitan Area we explored the relationship between early life experience with urbanization and departure, transience, and settlement behavior. Additionally, we looked at how early life experience with urbanization influenced survival to adulthood and the likelihood of experiencing a vehicle related mortality. We found that coyotes with more developed habitat in their natal home range were more likely to disperse and tended to disperse farther than individuals with more natural habitat in their natal home range. Interestingly, our analysis produced mixed results for the relationship between natal habitat and habitat selection during settlement. Finally, we found no evidence that early life experience with urbanization influenced survival to adulthood or the likelihood of experiencing vehicular mortality. Our study provides evidence that early life exposure influences dispersal behavior; however, it remains unclear how these differences ultimately affect fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Zepeda
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California at Davis, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Eric Payne
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California at Davis, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Ashley Wurth
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California at Davis, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Stanley Gehrt
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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21
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Noonan MJ, Martinez‐Garcia R, Davis GH, Crofoot MC, Kays R, Hirsch BT, Caillaud D, Payne E, Sih A, Sinn DL, Spiegel O, Fagan WF, Fleming CH, Calabrese JM. Estimating encounter location distributions from animal tracking data. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Noonan
- Department of Biology, The Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science The University of British Columbia Kelowna BC Canada
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteNational Zoological Park Front Royal VA USA
| | - Ricardo Martinez‐Garcia
- ICTP South American Institute for Fundamental Research & Instituto de Fisica Teorica – UNESP Sao Paulo Brazil
| | - Grace H. Davis
- Department of Anthropology University of California Davis CA USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Panama City Panama
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Konstanz Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
| | - Margaret C. Crofoot
- Department of Anthropology University of California Davis CA USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Panama City Panama
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Konstanz Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
| | - Roland Kays
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina State University Raleigh NC USA
| | - Ben T. Hirsch
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Panama City Panama
- College of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
| | - Damien Caillaud
- Department of Anthropology University of California Davis CA USA
| | - Eric Payne
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of California Davis Davis CA USA
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of California Davis Davis CA USA
| | - David L. Sinn
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of California Davis Davis CA USA
| | - Orr Spiegel
- School of Zoology Faculty of Life Sciences Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv Israel
| | - William F. Fagan
- Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park MD USA
| | - Christen H. Fleming
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteNational Zoological Park Front Royal VA USA
- Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park MD USA
| | - Justin M. Calabrese
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteNational Zoological Park Front Royal VA USA
- Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park MD USA
- Center for Advanced Systems Understanding (CASUS) Görlitz Germany
- Helmholtz‐Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf (HZDR) Dresden Germany
- Department of Ecological Modelling Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) Leipzig Germany
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22
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Dasgupta D, Banerjee A, Karar R, Banerjee D, Mitra S, Sardar P, Karmakar S, Bhattacharya A, Ghosh S, Bhattacharjee P, Paul M. Altered Food Habits? Understanding the Feeding Preference of Free-Ranging Gray Langurs Within an Urban Settlement. Front Psychol 2021; 12:649027. [PMID: 33981276 PMCID: PMC8107681 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.649027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Urbanization affects concurrent human-animal interactions as a result of altered resource availability and land use pattern, which leads to considerable ecological consequences. While some animals have lost their habitat due to urban encroachment, few of them managed to survive within the urban ecosystem by altering their natural behavioral patterns. The feeding repertoire of folivorous colobines, such as gray langur, largely consists of plant parts. However, these free-ranging langurs tend to be attuned to the processed high-calorie food sources to attain maximum benefits within the concrete jungle having insignificant greenery. Therefore, besides understanding their population dynamics, the effective management of these urbanized, free-ranging, non-human primate populations also depends on their altered feeding habits. Here, we have used a field-based experimental setup that allows gray langurs to choose between processed and unprocessed food options, being independent of any inter-specific conflicts over resources due to food scarcity. The multinomial logit model reveals the choice-based decision-making of these free-ranging gray langurs in an urban settlement of West Bengal, India, where they have not only learned to recognize the human-provisioned processed food items as an alternative food source but also shown a keen interest in it. However, such a mismatch between the generalized feeding behavior of folivorous colobines and their specialized gut physiology reminds us of Liem's paradox and demands considerable scientific attention. While urbanization imposes tremendous survival challenges to these animals, it also opens up for various alternative options for surviving in close proximity to humans which is reflected in this study, and could guide us for the establishment of a sustainable urban ecosystem in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dishari Dasgupta
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Arnab Banerjee
- Centre for Mathematical Biology and Ecology, Department of Mathematics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India.,Systems Ecology and Ecological Modelling Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, India
| | - Rikita Karar
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Debolina Banerjee
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Shohini Mitra
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Purnendu Sardar
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, India
| | - Srijita Karmakar
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India.,Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Nadia, India
| | | | - Swastika Ghosh
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | | | - Manabi Paul
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
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23
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Butler AR, Bly KLS, Harris H, Inman RM, Moehrenschlager A, Schwalm D, Jachowski DS. Life on the edge: habitat fragmentation limits expansion of a restored carnivore. Anim Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. R. Butler
- Prairie Ecology Lab Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation Clemson University Clemson SC USA
| | - K. L. S. Bly
- Northern Great Plains Program World Wildlife Fund Bozeman MT USA
| | - H. Harris
- Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Glasgow MT USA
| | - R. M. Inman
- Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Helena MT USA
| | - A. Moehrenschlager
- Centre for Conservation Research Calgary Zoological Society Calgary AB Canada
| | - D. Schwalm
- Department of Biology University of Maine‐Farmington Farmington ME USA
| | - D. S. Jachowski
- Prairie Ecology Lab Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation Clemson University Clemson SC USA
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24
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Coronel-Arellano H, Rocha-Ortega M, Gual-Sill F, Martínez-Meyer E, Ramos-Rendón AK, González-Negrete M, Gil-Alarcón G, Zambrano L. Raining feral cats and dogs? Implications for the conservation of medium-sized wild mammals in an urban protected area. Urban Ecosyst 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-020-00991-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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25
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Watabe R, Saito MU. Effects of vehicle-passing frequency on forest roads on the activity patterns of carnivores. LANDSCAPE AND ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11355-020-00434-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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26
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Schell CJ, Stanton LA, Young JK, Angeloni LM, Lambert JE, Breck SW, Murray MH. The evolutionary consequences of human-wildlife conflict in cities. Evol Appl 2021; 14:178-197. [PMID: 33519964 PMCID: PMC7819564 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-wildlife interactions, including human-wildlife conflict, are increasingly common as expanding urbanization worldwide creates more opportunities for people to encounter wildlife. Wildlife-vehicle collisions, zoonotic disease transmission, property damage, and physical attacks to people or their pets have negative consequences for both people and wildlife, underscoring the need for comprehensive strategies that mitigate and prevent conflict altogether. Management techniques often aim to deter, relocate, or remove individual organisms, all of which may present a significant selective force in both urban and nonurban systems. Management-induced selection may significantly affect the adaptive or nonadaptive evolutionary processes of urban populations, yet few studies explicate the links among conflict, wildlife management, and urban evolution. Moreover, the intensity of conflict management can vary considerably by taxon, public perception, policy, religious and cultural beliefs, and geographic region, which underscores the complexity of developing flexible tools to reduce conflict. Here, we present a cross-disciplinary perspective that integrates human-wildlife conflict, wildlife management, and urban evolution to address how social-ecological processes drive wildlife adaptation in cities. We emphasize that variance in implemented management actions shapes the strength and rate of phenotypic and evolutionary change. We also consider how specific management strategies either promote genetic or plastic changes, and how leveraging those biological inferences could help optimize management actions while minimizing conflict. Investigating human-wildlife conflict as an evolutionary phenomenon may provide insights into how conflict arises and how management plays a critical role in shaping urban wildlife phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Schell
- School of Interdisciplinary Arts and SciencesUniversity of Washington TacomaTacomaWAUSA
| | - Lauren A. Stanton
- Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
- Program in EcologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
| | - Julie K. Young
- USDA‐WS‐National Wildlife Research Center‐Predator Research FacilityMillvilleUTUSA
| | | | - Joanna E. Lambert
- Program in Environmental Studies and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Colorado‐BoulderBoulderCOUSA
| | - Stewart W. Breck
- USDA‐WS‐National Wildlife Research CenterFort CollinsCOUSA
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - Maureen H. Murray
- Urban Wildlife Institute and Davee Center for Epidemiology and EndocrinologyChicagoILUSA
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27
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Fehlmann G, O'riain MJ, FÜrtbauer I, King AJ. Behavioral Causes, Ecological Consequences, and Management Challenges Associated with Wildlife Foraging in Human-Modified Landscapes. Bioscience 2021; 71:40-54. [PMID: 33442328 PMCID: PMC7791362 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have altered up to half of the world's land surface. Wildlife living within or close to these human-modified landscapes are presented with opportunities and risks associated with feeding on human-derived foods (e.g., agricultural crops and food waste). Understanding whether and how wildlife adapts to these landscapes is a major challenge, with thousands of studies published on the topic over the past 10 years. In the present article, we build on established theoretical frameworks to understand the behavioral causes of crop and urban foraging by wildlife. We then develop and extend this framework to describe the multifaceted ecological consequences of crop and urban foraging for the individuals and populations in which they arise, with emphasis on social species for which interactions with people are, on balance, negative (commonly referred to as raiding species). Finally, we discuss the management challenges faced by urban and rural land managers, businesses, and government organizations in mitigating human-wildlife conflicts and propose ways to improve the lives of both wildlife and humans living in human-modified landscapes and to promote coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - M Justin O'riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife, Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ines FÜrtbauer
- Behavioural Ecology and Endocrinology Laboratory and Andrew King is an associate professor and head of the SHOAL group in the Department of Biosciences at Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J King
- Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, Bodensee, Germany
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28
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Young JK, Coppock DL, Baggio JA, Rood KA, Yirga G. Linking Human Perceptions and Spotted Hyena Behavior in Urban Areas of Ethiopia. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E2400. [PMID: 33333939 PMCID: PMC7765435 DOI: 10.3390/ani10122400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have shaped carnivore behavior since at least the Middle Paleolithic period, about 42,000 years ago. In more recent times, spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in Ethiopia have adapted to living in urban areas, while humans have adapted to living with hyenas. Yet, relationships between coexisting humans and carnivores are rarely addressed beyond mitigating conflicts. We provided a case study for how to broadly think about coexistence and how to study it when measuring if humans and carnivores affect one another. We collected data in four Ethiopian cities: Mekelle, Harar, Addis Ababa, and Arba Minch. We held focus groups and key informant interviews that incorporated feedback from 163 people, representing a wide array of religious, economic, and educational backgrounds. We also determined how many hyenas resided in these cities, hyena behavioral responses to humans using a flight initiation test, and problem-solving abilities via puzzle box trials. We found that in three of the cities, hyenas and humans coexist at high densities and frequently encounter each other. While all participants recognized the importance of hyenas as scavengers to maintain a clean environment, there was pronounced variation in cultural perspectives across cities. For example, while the people of Harar revere hyenas in spiritual terms, in Arba Minch hyenas were regarded as nuisance animals. Hyenas were universally respected as a formidable predator across cities but reports of attacks on livestock and humans were few. Flight initiation tests revealed hyenas fled at significantly closer distances in Harar and Addis Ababa than in Mekelle. Hyenas succeeded at solving a puzzle box in Harar but not in Mekelle. These variable behavior in hyenas correlated to different human perceptions. Our case study results suggest that the hyena-human dynamic is highly variable across these locations. We conclude by exploring the implications of these findings for how humans and hyenas can shape one another's behavior. Developing studies to link human perceptions and animal behavior could advance wildlife conservation, especially in urban areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie K. Young
- USDA-National Wildlife Research Center, Predator Research Facility, Millville, UT 84326, USA
| | - D. Layne Coppock
- Department of Environment and Society, Quinney College of Natural Resources, Utah State University, 5215 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA;
| | - Jacopo A. Baggio
- School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs, National Center for Integrated Coastal Research (UCF Coastal), University of Central Florida, 4297 Andromeda Loop N. Howard Phillips Hall, Orlando, FL 32816, USA;
| | - Kerry A. Rood
- Animal Dairy and Veterinary Sciences Department, Utah State University, 4815 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA;
| | - Gidey Yirga
- Department of Biology, Mekelle University, P.O. Box 231, Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia;
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29
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Stanton LA, Bridge ES, Huizinga J, Johnson SR, Young JK, Benson-Amram S. Variation in reversal learning by three generalist mesocarnivores. Anim Cogn 2020; 24:555-568. [PMID: 33231749 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-020-01438-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization imposes novel challenges for wildlife, but also provides new opportunities for exploitation. Generalist species are commonly found in urban habitats, but the cognitive mechanisms facilitating their successful behavioral adaptations and exploitations are largely under-investigated. Cognitive flexibility is thought to enable generalists to be more plastic in their behavior, thereby increasing their adaptability to a variety of environments, including urban habitats. Yet direct measures of cognitive flexibility across urban wildlife are lacking. We used a classic reversal-learning paradigm to investigate the cognitive flexibility of three generalist mesocarnivores commonly found in urban habitats: striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), raccoons (Procyon lotor), and coyotes (Canis latrans). We developed an automated device and testing protocol that allowed us to administer tests of reversal learning in captivity without extensive training or experimenter involvement. Although most subjects were able to rapidly form and reverse learned associations, we found moderate variation in performance and behavior during trials. Most notably, we observed heightened neophobia and a lack of habituation expressed by coyotes. We discuss the implications of such differences among generalists with regard to urban adaptation and we identify goals for future research. This study is an important step in investigating the relationships between cognition, generalism, and urban adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A Stanton
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.
- Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.
| | - Eli S Bridge
- Oklahoma Biological Survey, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | | | - Shylo R Johnson
- USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Julie K Young
- USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research Center - Predator Research Facility, Millville, UT, USA
| | - Sarah Benson-Amram
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
- Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
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30
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Butler AR, Bly KLS, Harris H, Inman RM, Moehrenschlager A, Schwalm D, Jachowski DS. Home range size and resource use by swift foxes in northeastern Montana. J Mammal 2020; 101:684-696. [PMID: 32665740 PMCID: PMC7333881 DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Swift foxes (Vulpes velox) are endemic to the Great Plains of North America, but were extirpated from the northern portion of their range by the mid-1900s. Despite several reintroductions to the Northern Great Plains, there remains a ~350 km range gap between the swift fox population along the Montana and Canada border and that in northeastern Wyoming and northwestern South Dakota. A better understanding of what resources swift foxes use along the Montana and Canada border region will assist managers to facilitate connectivity among populations. From 2016 to 2018, we estimated the home range size and evaluated resource use within the home ranges of 22 swift foxes equipped with Global Positioning System tracking collars in northeastern Montana. Swift fox home ranges in our study were some of the largest ever recorded, averaging (± SE) 42.0 km2 ± 4.7. Our results indicate that both environmental and anthropogenic factors influenced resource use. At the population level, resource use increased by 3.3% for every 5.0% increase in percent grasslands. Relative probability of use decreased by 7.9% and 7.4% for every kilometer away from unpaved roads and gas well sites, respectively, and decreased by 3.0% and 11.3% for every one-unit increase in topographic roughness and every 0.05 increase in normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), respectively. Our study suggests that, to reestablish connectivity among swift fox populations in Montana, managers should aim to maintain large corridors of contiguous grasslands at a landscape scale, a process that likely will require having to work with multiple property owners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R Butler
- Prairie Ecology Lab, Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Kristy L S Bly
- Northern Great Plains Program, World Wildlife Fund, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | | | | | - Axel Moehrenschlager
- Centre for Conservation Research, Calgary Zoological Society, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Donelle Schwalm
- Department of Biology, University of Maine-Farmington, Farmington, ME, USA
| | - David S Jachowski
- Prairie Ecology Lab, Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
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Abstract
Medium and large carnivores coexist with people in urban areas globally, occasionally resulting in negative interactions that prompt questions about how to reduce human-wildlife conflict. Hazing, i.e., scaring wildlife, is frequently promoted as an important non-lethal means for urbanites to reduce conflict but there is limited scientific evidence for its efficacy. We used a population of captive coyotes (Canis latrans) to simulate urban human-coyote interactions and subsequent effects of hazing on coyote behavior. Past experiences with humans significantly affected the number of times a coyote approached a human to necessitate hazing. Coyotes that had been hand fed by adults had to be more frequently hazed than coyotes with other or no past experiences with adults. Past experience with children had no impact on the number of hazing events. The number of times a coyote approached an adult or child was reduced across days based on the accumulative number of times hazed, suggesting coyotes learn to avoid behaviors warranting hazing and that this could be used as a non-lethal management tool. However, prior experience and whether the interaction is with an adult or child can alter the outcomes of hazing and must be considered in determining the efficacy of hazing programs.
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Bonnot NC, Couriot O, Berger A, Cagnacci F, Ciuti S, De Groeve JE, Gehr B, Heurich M, Kjellander P, Kröschel M, Morellet N, Sönnichsen L, Hewison AJM. Fear of the dark? Contrasting impacts of humans versus lynx on diel activity of roe deer across Europe. J Anim Ecol 2019; 89:132-145. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nadège C. Bonnot
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden
- UR EFNO Irstea Nogent‐sur‐Vernisson France
| | | | - Anne Berger
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology Research and Innovation Centre San Michele all’Adige Italy
| | - Simone Ciuti
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour School of Biology and Environmental Science University College Dublin Dublin Ireland
| | - Johannes E. De Groeve
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology Research and Innovation Centre San Michele all’Adige Italy
- Department of Geography Ghent University Gent Belgium
| | - Benedikt Gehr
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Marco Heurich
- Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring Bavarian Forest National Park Grafenau Germany
| | - Petter Kjellander
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Max Kröschel
- Division of Wildlife Ecology Forest Research Institute of Baden‐Württemberg Freiburg Germany
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Wildlife Management University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | | | - Leif Sönnichsen
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences Białowieża Poland
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33
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Wat KKY, Herath APHM, Rus AI, Banks PB, Mcarthur C. Space use by animals on the urban fringe: interactive effects of sex and personality. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Personality traits shape individual perceptions of risks and rewards, and so, should affect how animals value and use their environment. Evidence is emerging that personality affects foraging, space use, and exploitation of novel environments such as urban habitat. But the influence of personality is also hypothesized to be sex-dependent when primary motivation for space use differs between sexes, as often occurs in polygynous species. We tested the influence of personality traits, interacting with sex, on space use by the polygynous common brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula, in an urban-woodland boundary in Sydney, Australia. We quantified personality traits, including exploration, using behavioral assays in an artificial arena. We also GPS-tracked free-ranging individuals, and measured range size, core area: home range, and proportional urban range. We found that personality traits affected space use either as a main effect or, as predicted, an interaction with sex. More exploratory animals, regardless of sex, had higher core area: home range ratios and proportionally larger ranges within urban habitat. However, less exploratory females yet more exploratory males had larger ranges. Our findings provide new insight into movement ecology by demonstrating, for the first time, the sex-dependent influence of personality. The demonstrated influence of personality on urban use by possums also suggests a personality filter for wildlife, as populations transition into urban areas. Finally, as individuals at the interface between urban and natural habitat are also a conduit between the two, a corollary of our findings is that there may be personality-mediated spread of disease across this boundary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie K Y Wat
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Anushika P H M Herath
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Adrian I Rus
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Clare Mcarthur
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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Butler AR, Bly KL, Harris H, Inman RM, Moehrenschlager A, Schwalm D, Jachowski DS. Winter movement behavior by swift foxes (Vulpes velox) at the northern edge of their range. CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2018-0272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Winter can be a limiting time of year for many temperate species, who must access depressed prey resources to meet energetic demands. The swift fox (Vulpes velox (Say, 1823)) was extirpated from Canada and Montana (USA) by 1969, but was reintroduced in the 1980s to Canada, and subsequently spread into northern Montana. Swift foxes in this region are at the current northern range edge where winter conditions are harsher and persist longer than in their southern range (i.e., Colorado (USA) to Texas (USA)). We collected fine-scale locational data from swift foxes fitted with global positioning system collars to examine movement and resource-use patterns during winter of 2016–2017 in northeastern Montana. Our results suggest that swift foxes displayed three distinct movement patterns (i.e., resting, foraging, and travelling) during the winter. Distance to road decreased relative probability of use by 39%–46% per kilometre across all movement states and individuals, whereas the influence of topographic roughness and distance to crop field varied among movement states and individuals. Overall, while our findings are based on data from three individuals, our study suggests that across movement states during the critical winter season, swift foxes are likely using topography and areas near roads to increase their ability to detect predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R. Butler
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0317, USA
| | - Kristy L.S. Bly
- Northern Great Plains Program, World Wildlife Fund, Bozeman, MT 59715, USA
| | - Heather Harris
- Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Glasgow, MT 59230, USA
| | - Robert M. Inman
- Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Helena, MT 59620-0701, USA
| | - Axel Moehrenschlager
- Centre for Conservation Research, Calgary Zoological Society, Calgary, AB T2E 7V6, Canada
| | - Donelle Schwalm
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - David S. Jachowski
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0317, USA
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St Clair CC, Backs J, Friesen A, Gangadharan A, Gilhooly P, Murray M, Pollock S. Animal learning may contribute to both problems and solutions for wildlife-train collisions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180050. [PMID: 31352891 PMCID: PMC6710577 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Transportation infrastructure can cause an ecological trap if it attracts wildlife for foraging and travel opportunities, while increasing the risk of mortality from collisions. This situation occurs for a vulnerable population of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in Banff National Park, Canada, where train strikes have become a leading cause of mortality. We explored this problem with analyses of rail-associated food attractants, habitat use of GPS-collared bears and patterns of past mortality. Bears appeared to be attracted to grain spilled from rail cars, enhanced growth of adjacent vegetation and train-killed ungulates with rail use that increased in spring and autumn, and in areas where trains slowed, topography was rugged, and human density was low. However, areas with higher grain deposits or greater use by bears did not predict sites of past mortality. The onset of reported train strikes occurred amid several other interacting changes in this landscape, including the cessation of lethal bear management, changes in the distribution and abundance of ungulates, increasing human use and new anthropogenic features. We posit that rapid learning by bears is critical to their persistence in this landscape and that this capacity might be enhanced to prevent train strikes in future with simple warning devices, such as the one we invented, that signal approaching trains. This article is part of the theme issue 'Linking behaviour to dynamics of populations and communities: application of novel approaches in behavioural ecology to conservation'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan Backs
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Alyssa Friesen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Aditya Gangadharan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Patrick Gilhooly
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Maureen Murray
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Sonya Pollock
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada T6G 2E9
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36
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Ellington EH, Gehrt SD. Behavioral responses by an apex predator to urbanization. Behav Ecol 2019; 30:821-829. [PMID: 31210723 PMCID: PMC6562302 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildlife can respond to urbanization positively (synanthropic) or negatively (misanthropic), and for some species, this is a nonlinear process, whereby low levels of urbanization elicit a positive response, but this response becomes negative at high levels of urbanization. We applied concepts from foraging theory to predict positive and negative behavioral responses of coyotes (Canis latrans) along an urbanization gradient in the Chicago metropolitan area, USA. We estimated home range size and complexity, and metrics of 3 movement behaviors (encamped, foraging, and traveling) using Hidden Markov movement models. We found coyotes exhibited negative behavioral responses to highly urbanized landscapes: coyotes viewed the landscape as lower quality, riskier, and more fragmented (home range size and complexity, and time spent encamped increased). Conversely, we found evidence of both positive and negative responses to suburban landscapes: coyotes not only viewed the landscape as higher quality than natural fragments and equally risky, but also viewed it as fragmented (home range size decreased, time spent encamped did not change, and home range complexity increased). Although the spatial and behavioral responses of coyotes to urbanization became increasingly negative as urbanization increased, coyotes were still able to occupy highly urbanized landscapes. Our study demonstrates how wildlife behavioral responses can be dependent on the degree of urbanization and represents one of the first descriptions of apex predator space use and movement in a highly urbanized landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Hance Ellington
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Stanley D Gehrt
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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37
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Nation PN, St Clair CC. A Forensic Pathology Investigation of Dismembered Domestic Cats: Coyotes or Cults? Vet Pathol 2019; 56:444-451. [PMID: 30722758 DOI: 10.1177/0300985819827968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Dismembered cats ( Felis catus) have been found in North American schoolyards, parks, walkways, or lawns and sometimes result in local media attention. When a member of the public encounters these cats, they commonly report finding either the cranial or caudal half of a cat in a prominent location. Such findings cause public consternation and pose difficulties to investigators in identifying whether animal abuse has occurred and whether to concentrate resources on the investigation. This report describes necropsy results from 53 cats involved in such instances in the cities of Edmonton and St. Albert, Canada, from 2007 to 2016. We evaluated these results in relation to 2 hypotheses: that the dismembered cats were the result of human activity, or predation and scavenging by coyotes ( Canis latrans). The main postmortem features were canine tooth wounds in the neck accompanied by tearing of the subcutaneous structures, skin avulsion, broken claws, and removal of internal organs with the colon and intestine attached to and trailing from the carcass. Based on the nature of the lesions, along with other circumstances of the deaths of the cats in this study, we concluded that these dismembered cat remains resulted from coyote predation on living cats and scavenging of the bodies of cats that died of other causes. We offer additional information to assist veterinarians, veterinary pathologists, and civic officials in identifying the probable cause of death for cat carcasses provided by members of the public.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Nick Nation
- 1 Animal Pathology Services (APS) Ltd., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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38
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Hertel AG, Leclerc M, Warren D, Pelletier F, Zedrosser A, Mueller T. Don't poke the bear: using tracking data to quantify behavioural syndromes in elusive wildlife. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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40
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Gaynor KM, Hojnowski CE, Carter NH, Brashares JS. The influence of human disturbance on wildlife nocturnality. Science 2018; 360:1232-1235. [PMID: 29903973 DOI: 10.1126/science.aar7121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 475] [Impact Index Per Article: 79.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Rapid expansion of human activity has driven well-documented shifts in the spatial distribution of wildlife, but the cumulative effect of human disturbance on the temporal dynamics of animals has not been quantified. We examined anthropogenic effects on mammal diel activity patterns, conducting a meta-analysis of 76 studies of 62 species from six continents. Our global study revealed a strong effect of humans on daily patterns of wildlife activity. Animals increased their nocturnality by an average factor of 1.36 in response to human disturbance. This finding was consistent across continents, habitats, taxa, and human activities. As the global human footprint expands, temporal avoidance of humans may facilitate human-wildlife coexistence. However, such responses can result in marked shifts away from natural patterns of activity, with consequences for fitness, population persistence, community interactions, and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn M Gaynor
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Cheryl E Hojnowski
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Neil H Carter
- Human-Environment Systems Research Center, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA
| | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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41
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Widdows C, Downs CT. Genets in the city: community observations and perceptions of large-spotted genets (Genetta tigrina) in an urban environment. Urban Ecosyst 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-017-0722-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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42
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Stillfried M, Gras P, Börner K, Göritz F, Painer J, Röllig K, Wenzler M, Hofer H, Ortmann S, Kramer-Schadt S. Secrets of Success in a Landscape of Fear: Urban Wild Boar Adjust Risk Perception and Tolerate Disturbance. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Fehlmann G, O'Riain MJ, Kerr-Smith C, Hailes S, Luckman A, Shepard ELC, King AJ. Extreme behavioural shifts by baboons exploiting risky, resource-rich, human-modified environments. Sci Rep 2017; 7:15057. [PMID: 29118405 PMCID: PMC5678166 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14871-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
A range of species exploit anthropogenic food resources in behaviour known as 'raiding'. Such behavioural flexibility is considered a central component of a species' ability to cope with human-induced environmental changes. Here, we study the behavioural processes by which raiding male chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) exploit the opportunities and mitigate the risks presented by raiding in the suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa. Ecological sampling and interviews conducted with 'rangers' (employed to manage the baboons' space use) revealed that baboons are at risk of being herded out of urban spaces that contain high-energy anthropogenic food sources. Baboon-attached motion/GPS tracking collars showed that raiding male baboons spent almost all of their time at the urban edge, engaging in short, high-activity forays into the urban space. Moreover, activity levels were increased where the likelihood of deterrence by rangers was greater. Overall, these raiding baboons display a time-activity balance that is drastically altered in comparison to individuals living in more remote regions. We suggest our methods can be used to obtain precise estimates of management impact for this and other species in conflict with people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaelle Fehlmann
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK.
| | - M Justin O'Riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Catherine Kerr-Smith
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
- Department of Security and Crime, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Stephen Hailes
- Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Adrian Luckman
- Department of Geography, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Emily L C Shepard
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Andrew J King
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
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45
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Widdows C, Downs C. Urban roost temperatures of large-spotted-genets: The effect of anthropogenic structures. J Therm Biol 2016; 57:66-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2016.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Revised: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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