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Chow PKY, Uchida K, Koizumi I. 'Ripple effects' of urban environmental characteristics on cognitive performances in Eurasian red squirrels. J Anim Ecol 2024. [PMID: 38924529 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Urban areas are expanding exponentially, leading more species of wildlife living in urban environments. Urban environmental characteristics, such as human disturbance, induce stress for many wildlife and have been shown to affect some cognitive traits, such as innovative problem-solving performance. However, because different cognitive traits have common cognitive processes, it is possible that urban environmental characteristics may directly and indirectly affect related cognitive traits (the ripple effect hypothesis). We tested the ripple effect hypothesis in urban Eurasian red squirrels residing in 11 urban areas that had different urban environmental characteristics (direct human disturbance, indirect human disturbance, areas of green coverage and squirrel population size). These squirrels were innovators who had previously repeatedly solved a food extraction task (the original task). Here, we examined whether and how urban environmental characteristics would directly and indirectly influence performance in two related cognitive traits, generalisation and (long-term) memory. The generalisation task required the innovators to apply the learned successful solutions when solving a similar but novel problem. The memory task required them to recall the learned solution of the original task after an extended period of time. Some of the selected urban environmental characteristics directly influenced the task performance, both at the population level (site) and at individual levels. Urban environmental characteristics, such as increased direct and indirect human disturbance, decreased the proportion of success in solving the generalisation task or the memory task at the population (site) level. Increased direct human disturbance and less green coverage increased the solving efficiency at individual levels. We also found an indirect effect in one of the urban environmental characteristics, indirect human disturbance, in the generalisation task, but not the memory task. Such an effect was only seen at the individual level but not at the population level; indirect human disturbance decreased the first original latency, which then decreased the generalisation latency across successes. Our results partially support the ripple effect hypothesis, suggesting that urban environmental characteristics are stressors for squirrels and have a greater impact on shaping cognitive performance than previously shown. Together, these results provide a better understanding of cognitive traits that support wildlife in adapting to urban environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pizza Ka Yee Chow
- Division of Psychology, University of Chester, Chester, UK
- Ecology and Genetic Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Division of Biosphere Science, Faculty of Env.Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kenta Uchida
- Division of Biosphere Science, Faculty of Env.Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Itsuro Koizumi
- Division of Biosphere Science, Faculty of Env.Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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2
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Beliniak A, Gryz J, Klich D, Łopucki R, Sadok I, Ożga K, Jasińska KD, Ścibior A, Gołębiowska D, Krauze-Gryz D. Long-term, medium-term and acute stress response of urban populations of Eurasian red squirrels affected by different levels of human disturbance. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0302933. [PMID: 38701075 PMCID: PMC11068185 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302933] [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: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Animals in urban areas often encounter novel and potentially stressful conditions. It is important to understand how wildlife cope with anthropogenic disturbance. To investigate this specific adaptation we live-trapped squirrels in two study sites in Warsaw: a forest reserve and an urban park and we estimated stress responses at three levels: long-term and medium-term stress (the level of stress hormones, i.e. cortisol and cortisone concentrations, in hair and feces) and acute reaction to human-induced stress (measured during handling with the aid of the three indices: breath rate, struggle rate, and vocalization). According to GLMM models no difference in the stress hormones level was found between the two populations. The only differences in cortisol concentrations clearly depended on the season, i.e. being higher in autumn and winter comparying to other seasons. There was no influence of sex, or reproductive status on stress hormones. Forest squirrels had significantly higher breath rates, suggesting they were more stressed by handling. There was no difference in the struggle rate between study areas, this index was mostly affected by season (i.e. being highest in winter). First-trapped squirrels vocalized less than during the subsequent trappings. Assumingly, during the first, and more stressful trapping, squirrels used 'freezing' and/or little vocalization, while during next captures they used alarm calls to warn conspecifics. Overall, we showed that the two squirrel populations differed only in terms of their breath rate. This suggests that they did not differ in medium-term and long-term stress in general, but they can differ in acute response to handling. This also suggests that both populations were similarly affected by environmental factors. The lack of clear effects may also be due to population heterogeneity. Thus, in order to assess the effects of anthropogenic stressors a broader range of indicators and diverse analytical methods, including behavioral analyses, should be employed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Beliniak
- Department of Forest Zoology and Wildlife Management, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jakub Gryz
- Department of Forest Ecology, Forest Research Institute, Sękocin Stary, Raszyn, Poland
| | - Daniel Klich
- Department of Animal Genetics and Conservation, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Rafał Łopucki
- Department of Biomedicine and Environmental Research, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Ilona Sadok
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Kinga Ożga
- Department of Biomedicine and Environmental Research, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Karolina D. Jasińska
- Department of Forest Zoology and Wildlife Management, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Ścibior
- Department of Biomedicine and Environmental Research, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Dorota Gołębiowska
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Dagny Krauze-Gryz
- Department of Forest Zoology and Wildlife Management, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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3
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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: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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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Tolkachev O. Impermeable landscape barrier does not affect the dispersion of small mammals after long-distance movement on a scale of hundreds of metres. Mamm Biol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-023-00355-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
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Body Condition and Breeding of Urban Red Squirrels: Comparison of Two Populations Affected by Different Levels of Urbanization. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12233246. [PMID: 36496767 PMCID: PMC9736854 DOI: 10.3390/ani12233246] [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: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The red squirrel is among the mammals that have adjusted well to urban habitats. Here, we focused on the two populations inhabiting Warsaw: in a park (with year-round supplemental feeding) and in an urban forest. We hypothesised that park squirrels would have higher body mass (and better body condition), being more stable over the year, and would have a higher breeding rate (i.e., the share of breeding females). Contrary to our hypothesis, forest squirrels were heavier and had better body condition than park squirrels. The body masses of squirrels from both areas were quite stable (with the highest values obtained in spring). Females in better body conditions were more likely to breed. More breeding females and sub-adults were trapped in the park. Regardless of the study site, the highest share of breeding females was in spring, but they also bred in winter and in the remaining seasons. The lower body mass/condition of park squirrels may be possibly explained by high intraspecific competition, or by stable food (and thermal as typical for the city) conditions, in which accumulating fat was not crucial. Mild winter conditions may have also enabled squirrels to breed early. This study showed the high plasticity of red squirrels living in human-transformed habitats.
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Kay AD, Hughes MT, Ammend MG, Granger MR, Hodge JJ, Mohamud J, Romfoe EA, Said H, Selden L, Welter AL, Heinen-Kay JL. College squirrels gone wild? Using Sciurus carolinensis behavior to assess the ecosystem value of urban green spaces. Urban Ecosyst 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-022-01288-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Galantinho A, Santos S, Eufrázio S, Silva C, Carvalho F, Alpizar-Jara R, Mira A. Effects of roads on small-mammal movements: Opportunities and risks of vegetation management on roadsides. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 316:115272. [PMID: 35580507 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Roads can block animal movement and reduce persistence of species living in road surroundings. Movement restrictions on local populations may even increase extinction risk of abundant small mammals. However, road verges (road managed area between the edge of the road and the beginning of private land) may provide refuge and corridors for small mammals when properly managed. Information on the effects of roads and roadside management on small-mammal movement is still scarce for low traffic roads (<20,000 vehicles per day) crossing well-preserved habitats. We aimed to fill this gap by comparing fine-scale movement patterns of wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) in a road and in a similar roadless area without management. Both areas consisted of a well-preserved Mediterranean agro-silvo pastoral system. We studied several movement patterns: road crossings, verge use, length, and direction of movement. Additionally, we assessed how roadside management, animals' sex and residency status, season and microhabitat affect movement at the road area. At the roadless area, we defined a virtual road and verges at equivalent locations to the road area for comparison purposes. We gathered capture-mark-recapture data for two years to characterize movement patterns. Wood mice tended to avoid the road by crossing it less often and moving away from it more frequently than from equivalent locations in the roadless area. Wood mice used road verges more frequently than virtual verges and moved more often parallel to the road than to the virtual road. Road crossings were more frequent after firebreak openings (strips of mowed land) in surrounding areas and near taller shrubs. Also, males used road verges more often than females. Differences on several movement patterns between areas and their trends within the road area can be explained mainly by the presence of the road and roadside vegetation management (e.g., firebreaks openings). We suggest roadside vegetation management practices (e.g., avoid land mowing; maintain vegetation strips) to promote the role of verges as refuges and/or corridors for small mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Galantinho
- UBC - Conservation Biology Unit, Biology Department, University of Évora, Pólo da Mitra, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal; MED - Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, Institute for Advanced Studies and Research, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554, Évora, Portugal.
| | - Sara Santos
- UBC - Conservation Biology Unit, Biology Department, University of Évora, Pólo da Mitra, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal; MED - Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, Institute for Advanced Studies and Research, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554, Évora, Portugal
| | - Sofia Eufrázio
- MED - Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, Institute for Advanced Studies and Research, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554, Évora, Portugal
| | - Carmo Silva
- UBC - Conservation Biology Unit, Biology Department, University of Évora, Pólo da Mitra, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal; MED - Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, Institute for Advanced Studies and Research, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554, Évora, Portugal
| | - Filipe Carvalho
- Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO-InBIO), University of Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal; Department of Zoology and Entomology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice, 5700, South Africa
| | - Russell Alpizar-Jara
- Research Center in Mathematics and Applications (CIMA-UE), Institute for Advanced Studies and Research, Department of Mathematics, School of Science and Technology, University of Évora, Rua Romão Ramalho 59, 7000-671, Évora, Portugal
| | - António Mira
- UBC - Conservation Biology Unit, Biology Department, University of Évora, Pólo da Mitra, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal; MED - Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & Departamento de Biologia, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554, Évora, Portugal
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Grabow M, Louvrier JLP, Planillo A, Kiefer S, Drenske S, Börner K, Stillfried M, Hagen R, Kimmig S, Straka TM, Kramer-Schadt S. Data-integration of opportunistic species observations into hierarchical modeling frameworks improves spatial predictions for urban red squirrels. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.881247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevailing trend of increasing urbanization and habitat fragmentation makes knowledge of species’ habitat requirements and distribution a crucial factor in conservation and urban planning. Species distribution models (SDMs) offer powerful toolboxes for discriminating the underlying environmental factors driving habitat suitability. Nevertheless, challenges in SDMs emerge if multiple data sets - often sampled with different intention and therefore sampling scheme – can complement each other and increase predictive accuracy. Here, we investigate the potential of using recent data integration techniques to model potential habitat and movement corridors for Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris), in an urban area. We constructed hierarchical models integrating data sets of different quality stemming from unstructured on one side and semi-structured wildlife observation campaigns on the other side in a combined likelihood approach and compared the results to modeling techniques based on only one data source - wherein all models were fit with the same selection of environmental variables. Our study highlights the increasing importance of considering multiple data sets for SDMs to enhance their predictive performance. We finally used Circuitscape (version 4.0.5) on the most robust SDM to delineate suitable movement corridors for red squirrels as a basis for planning road mortality mitigation measures. Our results indicate that even though red squirrels are common, urban habitats are rather small and partially lack connectivity along natural connectivity corridors in Berlin. Thus, additional fragmentation could bring the species closer to its limit to persist in urban environments, where our results can act as a template for conservation and management implications.
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Fingland K, Ward SJ, Bates AJ, Bremner‐Harrison S. A systematic review into the suitability of urban refugia for the Eurasian red squirrel
Sciurus vulgaris. Mamm Rev 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Fingland
- School of Animal Rural and Environmental Sciences Nottingham Trent University Southwell NottinghamshireNG25 0QFUK
| | - Samantha J. Ward
- School of Animal Rural and Environmental Sciences Nottingham Trent University Southwell NottinghamshireNG25 0QFUK
| | - Adam J. Bates
- School of Animal Rural and Environmental Sciences Nottingham Trent University Southwell NottinghamshireNG25 0QFUK
| | - Samantha Bremner‐Harrison
- School of Animal Rural and Environmental Sciences Nottingham Trent University Southwell NottinghamshireNG25 0QFUK
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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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11
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Hardouin EA, Butler H, Cvitanović M, Ulrich RG, Schulze V, Schilling AK, Lurz PWW, Meredith A, Hodder KH. Wildlife conservation in a fragmented landscape: the Eurasian red squirrel on the Isle of Wight. CONSERV GENET 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-021-01380-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIsland populations may have a higher extinction risk due to reduced genetic diversity and need to be managed effectively in order to reduce the risk of biodiversity loss. The Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) in the south of England only survive on three islands (the Isle of Wight, Brownsea and Furzey islands), with the Isle of Wight harbouring the largest population in the region. Fourteen microsatellites were used to determine the genetic structure of red squirrel populations on the Isle of Wight, as well as their relatedness to other populations of the species. Our results demonstrated that squirrels on these islands were less genetically diverse than those in Continental mainland populations, as would be expected. It also confirmed previous results from mitochondrial DNA which indicated that the squirrels on the Isle of Wight were relatively closely related to Brownsea island squirrels in the south of England. Importantly, our findings showed that genetic mixing between squirrels in the east and west of the Isle of Wight was very limited. Given the potential deleterious effects of small population size on genetic health, landscape management to encourage dispersal of squirrels between these populations should be a priority.
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Chow PKY, Uchida K, von Bayern AMP, Koizumi I. Characteristics of urban environments and novel problem-solving performance in Eurasian red squirrels. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20202832. [PMID: 33784870 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Urban environments can be deemed 'harsh' for some wildlife species, but individuals frequently show behavioural flexibility to cope with challenges and demands posed by life in the city. For example, urban animals often show better performance in solving novel problems than rural conspecifics, which helps when using novel resources under human-modified environments. However, which characteristics of urban environments fine-tune novel problem-solving performance, and their relative importance, remain unclear. Here, we examined how four urban environmental characteristics (direct human disturbance, indirect human disturbance, size of green coverage and squirrel population size) may potentially influence novel problem-solving performance of a successful 'urban dweller', the Eurasian red squirrel, by presenting them with a novel food-extraction problem. We found that increased direct human disturbance, indirect human disturbance and a higher squirrel population size decreased the proportion of solving success at the population level. At the individual level, an increase in squirrel population size decreased the latency to successfully solve the novel problem the first time. More importantly, increased direct human disturbance, squirrel population size and experience with the novel problem decreased problem-solving time over time. These findings highlight that some urban environmental characteristics shape two phenotypic extremes in the behaviour-flexibility spectrum: individuals either demonstrated enhanced learning or they failed to solve the novel problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pizza Ka Yee Chow
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Strasse, 82319 Starnberg, Germany.,Division of Biosphere Science, Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, N10W5 Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan.,Department of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Kenta Uchida
- Division of Biosphere Science, Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, N10W5 Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA
| | - Auguste M P von Bayern
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Strasse, 82319 Starnberg, Germany
| | - Itsuro Koizumi
- Division of Biosphere Science, Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, N10W5 Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
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Tarabon S, Dutoit T, Isselin-Nondedeu F. Pooling biodiversity offsets to improve habitat connectivity and species conservation. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 277:111425. [PMID: 33017721 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Land developers can apply biodiversity offsetting in different ways, from a project-by-project approach to a pooled and proactive approach, this latter appearing to provide greater advantages both in terms of implementation and of the No Net Loss objective. Incorporating landscape connectivity into the mitigation hierarchy is commonly recommended, but the benefits of pooling and anticipating offsets have never really been demonstrated from modeling approaches. Here, we compare connectivity gains from two different offsetting scenarios, when interconnections at offset sites are taken and not taken into account. Assuming that gains can be increased by optimizing the location of offsets, we identified sites where biodiversity offsetting generates the greatest ecological gains in habitat connectivity. The method was applied to a study case in the suburbs of Lyon (Southern France) using several representative species and the landscape functional connectivity model Graphab. Pooling biodiversity offsets led to additional gains in overall habitat connectivity of +103% on average, which we show can be further improved (+8%) by using a patch addition process available in Graphab to plan spatially and ecologically coherent offsetting areas. Pooling and anticipating biodiversity offsets in this way can help preserve the biodiversity and the functionality of natural environments at the territorial scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Tarabon
- Soberco Environnement, Chemin du Taffignon, 69630, Chaponost, France; Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et Ecologie, UMR CNRS-IRD, Avignon Université, Aix-Marseille Université, IUT d'Avignon, 337 chemin des Meinajariés, Site Agroparc BP 61207, 84911, Avignon, cedex 09, France.
| | - Thierry Dutoit
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et Ecologie, UMR CNRS-IRD, Avignon Université, Aix-Marseille Université, IUT d'Avignon, 337 chemin des Meinajariés, Site Agroparc BP 61207, 84911, Avignon, cedex 09, France
| | - Francis Isselin-Nondedeu
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et Ecologie, UMR CNRS-IRD, Avignon Université, Aix-Marseille Université, IUT d'Avignon, 337 chemin des Meinajariés, Site Agroparc BP 61207, 84911, Avignon, cedex 09, France; Département Aménagement et Environnement École Polytechnique de l'Université de Tours, UMR CNRS 7324 CITERES, 33-35 Allée Ferdinand de Lesseps, 37200, Tours, France
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14
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Sato JJ, Aiba H, Ohtake K, Minato S. Evolutionary and Anthropogenic Factors Affecting the Mitochondrial D-loop Genetic Diversity of Apodemus and Myodes Rodents on the Northern Slope of Mt. Fuji. MAMMAL STUDY 2020. [DOI: 10.3106/ms2020-0033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jun J. Sato
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Fukuyama University, Higashimura-cho, Aza, Sanzo, 985, Fukuyama 729-0292, Japan
| | - Haruka Aiba
- Japanese Dormice Preservation & Research Group, Yamanashi 408-0015, Japan
| | - Kouichi Ohtake
- Japanese Dormice Preservation & Research Group, Yamanashi 408-0015, Japan
| | - Shusaku Minato
- Japanese Dormice Preservation & Research Group, Yamanashi 408-0015, Japan
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15
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Search strategies in rural and urban environment during natal dispersal of the red squirrel. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02907-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Decisions made during natal dispersal highly influence the future fitness of the animal. The selection of future home range affects, for example, food supply and mating success. In order to select between potential sites, dispersing individuals may use different search strategies, and for example, aim to compare quality of different sites by revisiting them. Alternatively, dispersers visit new sites without comparison until a suitable site is located. By using radio telemetry, we studied search strategies during natal dispersal in both urban and rural environments. We examined what kind of sites juvenile red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) choose as their home range from all visited sites and whether they display revisit behavior during natal dispersal. We found that most of the dispersing individuals perform revisits while searching for the settlement site. In the rural study area, there were also individuals (mostly long-distance dispersers) that did not perform revisits and settled in the last visited area. The landscape characteristics did not explain the amount of revisits individuals made, but the amount of revisits declined with site’s distance to natal nest and dispersal distance of individuals. The effect of landscape characteristics on settlement decision was small, but surprisingly, juvenile red squirrels in the rural area settled in sites with more built area compared with sites only visited. However, the decision-making of red squirrels during natal dispersal seems to be driven mainly by other factors (potentially food availability and conspecific density) than landscape characteristics. We conclude that revisiting behavior is linked to dispersal strategy of red squirrels and can differ between the sexes and habitats of the species.
Significance statement
Animals often choose their habitat from among multiple alternative habitats and potential settlement sites, and the decisions made during dispersal highly influence the future fitness of the animal. We examined what kind of areas juvenile red squirrels choose as their home range in both urban and rural environments and whether they display revisit behavior when selecting their home range from many alternatives. We found that search strategies during natal dispersal can vary between individuals and habitats. Surprisingly, juvenile red squirrels in the rural area settled in sites with more built area compared with the sites only visited. However, for red squirrel, decisions made by juveniles during the search of a home range are mainly influenced by other factors than landscape composition.
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16
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Kostrzewa A, Krauze-Gryz D. The choice and handling of supplemental food by red squirrels in an urban park. Behav Processes 2020; 178:104153. [PMID: 32479840 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
One of the main factors that allow the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) to live in cities may be the availability of supplemental food provided by people. In this article, preferences of red squirrels in relation to supplemental food, how it is handled, and whether change seasonally, is investigated. A cafeteria test was performed, in which squirrels could choose one from six kind of nuts. Three types of nuts were used: walnuts, hazelnuts and peanuts, with unshelled and shelled nuts of each offered. In most cases squirrels took an offered nut. If a nut was not taken, it was mostly due to lack of interest, without signs of fear. Regardless of season, whole, unshelled walnuts were selected most frequently - the most high-energy and least perishable from offered food. The least frequently selected overall were peanuts. Caching behaviour changed seasonally - nuts were mostly eaten in spring and hoarded in autumn and it took less time to cache nuts in autumn and winter. It may reflect optimal caching strategy at the time when food is abundant and there is a desire to secure as big a store of food as possible. Results from the study suggest that supplemental food is an important component of squirrels' diet and have an impact on their caching strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Kostrzewa
- Dept. of Forest Zoology and Wildlife Management, Warsaw University of Life Sciences WULS-SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, Warsaw, 02-776, Poland.
| | - Dagny Krauze-Gryz
- Dept. of Forest Zoology and Wildlife Management, Warsaw University of Life Sciences WULS-SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, Warsaw, 02-776, Poland.
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17
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Uchida K, Shimamoto T, Yanagawa H, Koizumi I. Comparison of multiple behavioral traits between urban and rural squirrels. Urban Ecosyst 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-020-00950-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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18
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Large-scale spatial synchrony in red squirrel populations driven by a bottom-up effect. Oecologia 2020; 192:425-437. [PMID: 31927627 PMCID: PMC7002333 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04589-5] [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: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Spatial synchrony between populations emerges from endogenous and exogenous processes, such as intra- and interspecific interactions and abiotic factors. Understanding factors contributing to synchronous population dynamics help to better understand what determines abundance of a species. This study focuses on spatial and temporal dynamics in the Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) using snow-track data from Finland from 29 years. We disentangled the effects of bottom-up and top-down forces as well as environmental factors on population dynamics with a spatiotemporally explicit Bayesian hierarchical approach. We found red squirrel abundance to be positively associated with both the abundance of Norway spruce (Picea abies) cones and the predators, the pine marten (Martes martes) and the northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), probably due to shared habitat preferences. The results suggest that red squirrel populations are synchronized over remarkably large distances, on a scale of hundreds of kilometres, and that this synchrony is mainly driven by similarly spatially autocorrelated spruce cone crop. Our research demonstrates how a bottom-up effect can drive spatial synchrony in consumer populations on a very large scale of hundreds of kilometres, and also how an explicit spatiotemporal approach can improve model performance for fluctuating populations.
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19
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Shimamoto T, Uchida K, Koizumi I, Matsui M, Yanagawa H. No evidence of physiological stress in an urban animal: Comparison of fecal cortisol metabolites between urban and rural Eurasian red squirrels. Ecol Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuki Shimamoto
- Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University Tokyo Japan
- Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Obihiro Japan
| | - Kenta Uchida
- Graduate School of Environmental Science Hokkaido University Sapporo Japan
| | - Itsuro Koizumi
- Graduate School of Environmental Science Hokkaido University Sapporo Japan
| | - Motozumi Matsui
- Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Obihiro Japan
| | - Hisashi Yanagawa
- Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Obihiro Japan
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20
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Ducros D, Morellet N, Patin R, Atmeh K, Debeffe L, Cargnelutti B, Chaval Y, Lourtet B, Coulon A, Hewison AJM. Beyond dispersal versus philopatry? Alternative behavioural tactics of juvenile roe deer in a heterogeneous landscape. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Delphine Ducros
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Univ CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier FR‐75005 Paris France
- CEFS, Univ. de Toulouse, INRA Castanet‐Tolosan France
| | | | - Rémi Patin
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
| | - Kamal Atmeh
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive (LBBE), Univ. Lyon, CNRS Villeurbanne France
| | - Lucie Debeffe
- CEFS, Univ. de Toulouse, INRA Castanet‐Tolosan France
| | | | | | - Bruno Lourtet
- CEFS, Univ. de Toulouse, INRA Castanet‐Tolosan France
| | - Aurélie Coulon
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Univ CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier FR‐75005 Paris France
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
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21
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Valerio F, Carvalho F, Barbosa AM, Mira A, Santos SM. Accounting for Connectivity Uncertainties in Predicting Roadkills: a Comparative Approach between Path Selection Functions and Habitat Suitability Models. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 64:329-343. [PMID: 31372805 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-019-01191-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Functional connectivity modeling is increasingly used to predict the best spatial location for over- or underpasses, to mitigate road barrier effects and wildlife roadkills. This tool requires estimation of resistance surfaces, ideally modeled with movement data, which are costly to obtain. An alternative is to use occurrence data within species distribution models to infer movement resistance, although this remains a controversial issue. This study aimed both to compare the performance of resistance surfaces derived from path versus occurrence data in identifying road-crossing locations of a forest carnivore and assess the influence of movement type (daily vs. dispersal) on this performance. Resistance surfaces were built for genet (Genetta genetta) in southern Portugal using path selection functions with telemetry data, and species distribution models with occurrence data. An independent roadkill dataset was used to evaluate the performance of each connectivity model in predicting roadkill locations. The results show that resistance surfaces derived from occurrence data are as suitable in predicting roadkills as path data for daily movements. When dispersal was simulated, the performance of both resistance surfaces was equally good at predicting roadkills. Moreover, contrary to our expectations, we found no significant differences in locations of roadkill predictions between models based on daily movements and models based on dispersal. Our results suggest that species distribution models are a cost-effective tool to build functional connectivity models for road mitigation plans when movement data are not available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Valerio
- Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas (ICAAM), University of Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, Edifício Principal, Apartado 94, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal.
- Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Évora (CIBIO/InBIO-UE), Évora, Portugal.
| | - Filipe Carvalho
- Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO/InBIO), University of Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice, 5700, South Africa
| | - A Márcia Barbosa
- Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Évora (CIBIO/InBIO-UE), Évora, Portugal
| | - António Mira
- Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas (ICAAM), University of Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, Edifício Principal, Apartado 94, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal
- Conservation Biology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Sara M Santos
- Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas (ICAAM), University of Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, Edifício Principal, Apartado 94, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal
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22
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Tarabon S, Bergès L, Dutoit T, Isselin-Nondedeu F. Environmental impact assessment of development projects improved by merging species distribution and habitat connectivity modelling. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 241:439-449. [PMID: 30975576 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.02.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is performed to limit potential impacts of development projects on species and ecosystem functions. However, the methods related to EIA actually pay little attention to the landscape-scale effects of development projects on biodiversity. In this study we proposed a methodological framework to more properly address the landscape-scale impacts of a new stadium project in Lyon (France) on two representative mammal species exemplary for the endemic fauna, the red squirrel and the Eurasian badger. Our approach combined species distribution model using Maxent and landscape functional connectivity model using Graphab at two spatial scales to assess habitat connectivity before and after development project implementation. The development project had a negative impact on landscape connectivity: overall habitat connectivity (PC index) decreased by -6.8% and -1.8% and the number of graph components increased by +60.0% and +17.6% for the red squirrel and the European badger respectively, because some links that formerly connected habitat patches were cut by the development project. Changes affecting landscape structure and composition emphasized the need to implement appropriate avoidance and reduction measures. Our methodology provides a useful tool both for EIA studies at each step of the way to support decision-making in landscape conservation planning. The method could be also developed in the design phase to compare the effectiveness of different avoidance or mitigation measures and resize them if necessary to maximize habitat connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Tarabon
- Soberco Environnement, Chemin du Taffignon 69630 Chaponost, France; Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et Ecologie, UMR CNRS-IRD, Avignon Université, Aix-Marseille Université, IUT d'Avignon, 337 chemin des Meinajariés, Site Agroparc BP 61207, 84911 Avignon, cedex 09, France.
| | - Laurent Bergès
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Irstea, UR LESSEM, 2, rue de la papeterie, BP 76, 38402 Saint-Martin-d'Hères Cedex, France
| | - Thierry Dutoit
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et Ecologie, UMR CNRS-IRD, Avignon Université, Aix-Marseille Université, IUT d'Avignon, 337 chemin des Meinajariés, Site Agroparc BP 61207, 84911 Avignon, cedex 09, France
| | - Francis Isselin-Nondedeu
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et Ecologie, UMR CNRS-IRD, Avignon Université, Aix-Marseille Université, IUT d'Avignon, 337 chemin des Meinajariés, Site Agroparc BP 61207, 84911 Avignon, cedex 09, France; Département Aménagement et Environnement Ecole Polytechnique de l'Université de Tours, UMR CNRS 7324 CITERES 33-35 Allée Ferdinand de Lesseps, 37200 Tours, France
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23
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Gelmi-Candusso TA, Hämäläinen AM. Seeds and the City: The Interdependence of Zoochory and Ecosystem Dynamics in Urban Environments. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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24
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Hämäläinen S, Fey K, Selonen V. The effect of landscape structure on dispersal distances of the Eurasian red squirrel. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:1173-1181. [PMID: 30805150 PMCID: PMC6374674 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Landscape structure can affect dispersal and gene flow in a species. In urban areas, buildings, roads, and small habitat patches make the landscape highly fragmented and can inhibit movement and affect dispersal behavior. Similarly, in rural forested areas, large open areas, such as fields, may act as barriers to movement. We studied how landscape structure affects natal dispersal distances of Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) in an urban area and a rural area in Finland, by monitoring juvenile red squirrels with radio telemetry. We observed extremely long dispersal distances-up to 16 km-in the rural study area, but shorter distances-on average only half a kilometer-in the urban study area. The landscape structure affected the eventual dispersal paths; in the rural landscape, dispersers favored spruce dominated areas and avoided fields along their dispersal route, although they occasionally even crossed wide fields. In the urban landscape, squirrels preferred areas with deciduous or coniferous trees. The movement steps made by dispersers were longer in the more hostile landscape compared to forested areas. Despite these effects on movement path, the landscape structure only had a minor effect on straight line dispersal distances moved from the natal nest. In other words, individuals moved longer distances and were likely to circumvent barriers in their path, but this did not affect how far they settled from their natal home. This result indicates that, although landscape structure has obvious effects on movement, it still may have only a small effect on other aspects of the population, for example, gene flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suvi Hämäläinen
- Department of Biology, Section of EcologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Karen Fey
- Department of Biology, Section of EcologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Vesa Selonen
- Department of Biology, Section of EcologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
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25
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Selonen V, Fey K, Hämäläinen S. Increased differentiation between individuals, but no genetic isolation from adjacent rural individuals in an urban red squirrel population. Urban Ecosyst 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-018-0794-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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26
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Do predators modify context-dependent dispersal of red squirrels? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2554-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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27
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Schroeder NM, González A, Wisdom M, Nielson R, Rowland MM, Novaro AJ. Roads have no effect on guanaco habitat selection at a Patagonian site with limited poaching. Glob Ecol Conserv 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2018.e00394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
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28
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Remm J, Hanski IK, Tuominen S, Selonen V. Multilevel landscape utilization of the Siberian flying squirrel: Scale effects on species habitat use. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:8303-8315. [PMID: 29075450 PMCID: PMC5648651 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals use and select habitat at multiple hierarchical levels and at different spatial scales within each level. Still, there is little knowledge on the scale effects at different spatial levels of species occupancy patterns. The objective of this study was to examine nonlinear effects and optimal-scale landscape characteristics that affect occupancy of the Siberian flying squirrel, Pteromys volans, in South- and Mid-Finland. We used presence-absence data (n = 10,032 plots of 9 ha) and novel approach to separate the effects on site-, landscape-, and regional-level occupancy patterns. Our main results were: landscape variables predicted the placement of population patches at least twice as well as they predicted the occupancy of particular sites; the clear optimal value of preferred habitat cover for species landscape-level abundance is a surprisingly low value (10% within a 4 km buffer); landscape metrics exert different effects on species occupancy and abundance in high versus low population density regions of our study area. We conclude that knowledge of regional variation in landscape utilization will be essential for successful conservation of the species. The results also support the view that large-scale landscape variables have high predictive power in explaining species abundance. Our study demonstrates the complex response of species occurrence at different levels of population configuration on landscape structure. The study also highlights the need for data in large spatial scale to increase the precision of biodiversity mapping and prediction of future trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaanus Remm
- Department of BiologySection of EcologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Department of ZoologyInstitute of Ecology and Earth SciencesUniversity of TartuTartuEstonia
| | | | | | - Vesa Selonen
- Department of BiologySection of EcologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
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29
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Beninde J, Feldmeier S, Werner M, Peroverde D, Schulte U, Hochkirch A, Veith M. Cityscape genetics: structural vs. functional connectivity of an urban lizard population. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:4984-5000. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Revised: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Joscha Beninde
- Department of Biogeography; Trier University; Universitätsring 15 54296 Trier Germany
| | - Stephan Feldmeier
- Department of Biogeography; Trier University; Universitätsring 15 54296 Trier Germany
| | - Maike Werner
- Zoological Institute & Museum; Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald; Johann Sebastian Bach-Str. 11/12 17487 Greifswald Germany
| | - Daniel Peroverde
- Department of Biogeography; Trier University; Universitätsring 15 54296 Trier Germany
| | - Ulrich Schulte
- Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN); Konstantinstr. 110 53179 Bonn Germany
| | - Axel Hochkirch
- Department of Biogeography; Trier University; Universitätsring 15 54296 Trier Germany
| | - Michael Veith
- Department of Biogeography; Trier University; Universitätsring 15 54296 Trier Germany
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30
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Dylewski Ł, Przyborowski T, Myczko Ł. Winter Habitat Choice by Foraging the Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris). ANN ZOOL FENN 2016. [DOI: 10.5735/086.053.0408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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31
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Turkia T, Selonen V, Brommer JE. Large-scale spatial synchrony in red squirrel ( Sciurus vulgaris) sex ratios. J Mammal 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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