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Weterings MJA, Ebbinge EYC, Strijker BN, Spek G, Kuipers HJ. Insights from a 31-year study demonstrate an inverse correlation between recreational activities and red deer fecundity, with bodyweight as a mediator. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11257. [PMID: 38654717 PMCID: PMC11035974 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Human activity is omnipresent in our landscapes. Animals can perceive risk from humans similar to predation risk, which could affect their fitness. We assessed the influence of the relative intensity of recreational activities on the bodyweight and pregnancy rates of red deer (Cervus elaphus) between 1985 and 2015. We hypothesized that stress, as a result of recreational activities, affects the pregnancy rates of red deer directly and indirectly via a reduction in bodyweight. Furthermore, we expected non-motorized recreational activities to have a larger negative effect on both bodyweight and fecundity, compared to motorized recreational activities. The intensity of recreational activities was recorded through visual observations. We obtained pregnancy data from female red deer that were shot during the regular hunting season. Additionally, age and bodyweight were determined through a post-mortem examination. We used two Generalized-Linear-Mixed Models (GLMM) to test the effect of different types of recreation on (1) pregnancy rates and (2) bodyweight of red deer. Recreation had a direct negative correlation with the fecundity of red deer, with bodyweight, as a mediator as expected. Besides, we found a negative effect of non-motorized recreation on fecundity and bodyweight and no significant effect of motorized recreation. Our results support the concept of humans as an important stressor affecting wild animal populations at a population level and plead to regulate recreational activities in protected areas that are sensitive. The fear humans induce in large-bodied herbivores and its consequences for fitness may have strong implications for animal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martijn J. A. Weterings
- Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied SciencesLeeuwardenThe Netherlands
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation GroupWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | | | - Beau N. Strijker
- Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied SciencesLeeuwardenThe Netherlands
| | - Gerrit‐Jan Spek
- Vereniging Wildbeheer Veluwe/FBE Gelderland/Natuurlijk Fauna Advies MtsVaassenThe Netherlands
| | - Henry J. Kuipers
- Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied SciencesLeeuwardenThe Netherlands
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2
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Hinton MS, McMillan BR, Hersey KR, Larsen RT. Estimating age of mule deer in the field: Can we move beyond broad age categories? PLoS One 2023; 18:e0284565. [PMID: 37506085 PMCID: PMC10381091 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Age of individuals is an intrinsic demographic parameter used in the modeling and management of wildlife. Although analysis of cementum annuli from teeth is currently the most accurate method used to age ungulates, the age of live ungulates in the field can be estimated by examining tooth wear and tooth replacement patterns. However, there may be limitations to aging based on tooth wear as the rate of tooth wear likely varies among individuals due to factors such as age, diet, environment, and sex. Our objective was to determine the reliability of estimating age for mule deer based on tooth wear and tooth replacement patterns. We compared ages estimated by tooth wear (collected at time of capture for a statewide monitoring effort) to ages determined from cementum analysis (from teeth collected after mortalities of radio-tracked animals from the monitoring effort). Accuracy was high; ages estimated from tooth wear were within one year of cementum ages >75% of the time when aged by experienced observers. Bias in accuracy for estimates of age was low but slightly biased toward underestimation (i.e., 0.6 years on average)-especially as cementum age increased. Our results indicate that aging mule deer using patterns in tooth wear can be reliable if observers estimating age have experience using this method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan S Hinton
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States of America
| | - Brock R McMillan
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States of America
| | - Kent R Hersey
- Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
| | - Randy T Larsen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States of America
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3
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Rivieccio E, Troiano C, Petrelli S, Maselli V, de Filippo G, Fulgione D, Buglione M. Population development and landscape preference of reintroduced wild ungulates: successful rewilding in Southern Italy. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14492. [PMID: 36530413 PMCID: PMC9756874 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In the past decades, the abandonment of traditional land use practices has determined landscape changes inducing reforestation dynamics. This phenomenon can be contrasted with rewilding practices, i.e., the reintroduction of animals that may promote the recovery of landscape diversity. In this study, we explore the dynamics of expansion of two reintroduced populations of wild ungulates, Italian roe deer (Capreolus capreolus italicus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus), assessing their contribution in the recovery of landscape diversity. Methods By using direct and indirect information on the two species, collected by nocturnal and diurnal surveys and camera trapping, we modelled a habitat suitability map, and estimated the density and distribution of the populations. We also performed a land use changes analysis, combining the presence of wild ungulates and livestock. Results and Discussion We demonstrated that deer dispersed gradually from their release location, increasing in population size, and this occurred in the entire study area. Moreover, we show that areas with lower grazing density are significantly affected by forest encroachment. A possible interpretation of this result could be that wild grazers (roe deer and red deer) prefer semi-open areas surrounded by the forest. This, in association with other factors, such as domestic grazing, could be one of the main responsible in maintaining landscape mosaic typical of the Apennine mountain, confirming the value of grazers as a landscape management tool. Moreover, we show the possibility to conserve through reintroduction the vulnerable C.c. italicus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Rivieccio
- Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy,Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Claudia Troiano
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Naples, Italy
| | - Simona Petrelli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Maselli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Domenico Fulgione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Buglione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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4
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“Move or Not to Move”—Red Deer Stags Movement Activity during the Rut. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12050591. [PMID: 35268160 PMCID: PMC8909082 DOI: 10.3390/ani12050591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Detailed animal movement analysis can help understand spatial population processes as the ultimate consequences of individual behaviour and ecological impacts. The mating strategy of mammalian herbivores is adapted to the distribution of females; thus, it is important to observe the activity of animals during a rut. In this paper, we used a new approach to examine the relationship between red deer stags’ movement activity and the fertile period of hinds. We presumed a relationship between stags’ daily activity changes and the period when hinds are in heat. We determined temporal conception trends, including the first and last conception dates in the examined population and the conception peak. In the same period, i.e., in the interval of major ecological significance when mating takes place, the activity of stags was analysed by GPS telemetry. The data collected in the examined period indicate that 60% of the hinds were conceived between 31 August and 19 September. We demonstrated that conception rates differed significantly between the first and second half of the rutting period. At the beginning of the reproductive cycle, the high number of hinds on heat (oestrus synchrony) increased the activity of stags (harem herding) compared to the pre-rutting period. As the mating season progressed, the movement activity of stags increased more (searching behaviour), induced by the decreasing number of fertile hinds. Therefore, we found that the oestrus of hinds significantly influenced the movement activity of stags in red deer.
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Hata A, Nakashita R, Anezaki T, Minami M, Fukue Y, Higuchi N, Uno H, Nakajima Y, Saeki M, Kozakai C, Takada MB. Agricultural crop consumption induces precocious maturity in deer by improving physical and reproductive performance. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ayaka Hata
- Central Region Agricultural Research Center National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) 2‐1‐18 Kannondai Tsukuba Ibaraki 305‐8666 Japan
| | - Rumiko Nakashita
- Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute 1 Matsunosato Tsukuba Ibaraki 305‐8687 Japan
| | - Tomoko Anezaki
- Gunma Museum of Natural History 1674‐1 Kamikuroiwa Tomioka Gunma 370‐2345 Japan
| | - Masato Minami
- School of Veterinary Medicine Azabu University 1‐17‐71 Fuchinobe, Chuo‐ku Sagamihara Kanagawa 252‐5201 Japan
| | - Yuko Fukue
- Institute for Biodiversity Research and Education Earthworm 1549‐3‐1 Oiwake Karuizawa Nagano 389‐0115 Japan
| | - Naoko Higuchi
- Institute for Biodiversity Research and Education Earthworm 1549‐3‐1 Oiwake Karuizawa Nagano 389‐0115 Japan
| | - Hikaru Uno
- Institute for Agro‐Environmental Sciences NARO 3‐1‐3 Kannondai Tsukuba Ibaraki 305‐8604 Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Nakajima
- Institute for Agro‐Environmental Sciences NARO 3‐1‐3 Kannondai Tsukuba Ibaraki 305‐8604 Japan
| | - Midori Saeki
- Central Region Agricultural Research Center National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) 2‐1‐18 Kannondai Tsukuba Ibaraki 305‐8666 Japan
| | - Chinatsu Kozakai
- Central Region Agricultural Research Center National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) 2‐1‐18 Kannondai Tsukuba Ibaraki 305‐8666 Japan
| | - Mayura B. Takada
- Faculty of Science and Engineering Chuo University 1‐13‐27 Kasuga Bunkyo‐ku Tokyo 112‐8551 Japan
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Carpio Camargo AJ, Barasona J, Acevedo P, Fierro Y, Gortazar C, Vigal C, Moreno Á, Vicente J. Assessing red deer hunting management in the Iberian Peninsula: the importance of longitudinal studies. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10872. [PMID: 33604198 PMCID: PMC7869667 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10872] [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: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the dynamics of a wildlife population in relation to hunting strategies is essential to achieve sustainable management. We used monitoring data over 25 years from two red deer (Cervus elaphus) populations with different management (with and without supplemental feeding) in South Central Spain to: (i) characterise the density dependence of population dynamics under contrasted management, and (ii) provide the basis for sustainable extraction by considering the theoretical maximum sustainable yield (MSYt) as the reference. The red deer population displayed a typical management reactive culling approach ('saw-tooth-like' curves), with occasional strong annual harvests but not occurring on a regular basis. Interestingly, we found reduced population growth at high densities in both populations, indicating that density-mediated factors determined population growth even when artificial feeding was provided. However, no effects of sex not age class of the extracted population on the population growth rate were determined. The total number of animals hunted was only slightly above those predicted by MSYt (i.e. K 50%) in both populations, despite high densities close to theoretical K, being consistent throughout the study period. The extraction rates (30.3 and 34.0%, for supplemented and unsupplemented populations, respectively) were 13.3% and 10.2% lower compared to the MSYt situation in the unsupplemented and supplemented populations, respectively. Long term population monitoring data provided feasible and suitable baseline values to optimise the sustainable exploitation of red deer populations in the Mediterranean ecosystem under these contrasting management scenarios. Adaptive management, involving objective-driven decision making informed by data on red deer population dynamic, can contribute (i) to maximising the total extraction over the long term while (ii) reducing the ecological impact of high population densities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio José Carpio Camargo
- Department of Zoology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.,SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Jose Barasona
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Department of Animal Health, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pelayo Acevedo
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | | | - Christian Gortazar
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Carlos Vigal
- Los Quintos de Mora, Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales, Toledo, Spain
| | - Ángel Moreno
- Los Quintos de Mora, Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales, Toledo, Spain
| | - Joaquin Vicente
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
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7
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Bubnicki JW, Churski M, Schmidt K, Diserens TA, Kuijper DPJ. Linking spatial patterns of terrestrial herbivore community structure to trophic interactions. eLife 2019; 8:e44937. [PMID: 31577225 PMCID: PMC6805123 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Large herbivores influence ecosystem functioning via their effects on vegetation at different spatial scales. It is often overlooked that the spatial distribution of large herbivores results from their responses to interacting top-down and bottom-up ecological gradients that create landscape-scale variation in the structure of the entire community. We studied the complexity of these cascading interactions using high-resolution camera trapping and remote sensing data in the best-preserved European lowland forest, Białowieża Forest, Poland. We showed that the variation in spatial distribution of an entire community of large herbivores is explained by species-specific responses to both environmental bottom-up and biotic top-down factors in combination with human-induced (cascading) effects. We decomposed the spatial variation in herbivore community structure and identified functionally distinct landscape-scale herbivory regimes ('herbiscapes'), which are predicted to occur in a variety of ecosystems and could be an important mechanism creating spatial variation in herbivory maintaining vegetation heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcin Churski
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of SciencesBiałowieżaPoland
| | - Krzysztof Schmidt
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of SciencesBiałowieżaPoland
| | - Tom A Diserens
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of SciencesBiałowieżaPoland
| | - Dries PJ Kuijper
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of SciencesBiałowieżaPoland
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8
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Freeman AR, Wood TJ, Bairos-Novak KR, Anderson WG, Hare JF. Gone girl: Richardson's ground squirrel offspring and neighbours are resilient to female removal. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:190904. [PMID: 31598313 PMCID: PMC6774953 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Within matrilineal societies, the presence of mothers and female kin can greatly enhance survival and reproductive success owing to kin-biased alarm calling, cooperation in territory defence, protection from infanticidal conspecifics, joint care of young and enhanced access to resources. The removal of mothers by predators or disease is expected to increase the stress experienced by offspring via activation of their hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, increasing circulating glucocorticoids and reducing offspring survival and reproductive success. Yet, few studies have removed mothers in the post-weaning period to examine the assumed physiological and fitness consequences associated with these mortality events. We examined how the loss of a mother affects juvenile Richardson's ground squirrels' (Urocitellus richardsonii) faecal glucocorticoid metabolites and their survival. Given that neighbours are often close kin, we further hypothesized that conspecific removal would similarly diminish the fitness of neighbouring individuals. Upon removing the mother, we detected no impact on offspring or neighbouring conspecific faecal glucocorticoid metabolites in the removal year, or on overwinter survival in the following year. Furthermore, no impact on neighbour reproductive success was detected. Given the high predation rates of ground squirrels in wild populations, resilience to a changing social environment would prove adaptive for both surviving kin and non-kin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela R. Freeman
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Author for correspondence: Angela R. Freeman e-mail:
| | - Thomas J. Wood
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Kevin R. Bairos-Novak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - W. Gary Anderson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - James F. Hare
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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9
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Shave JR, Derocher AE, Cherry SG, Thiemann GW. Chronic stress and body condition of wolf-killed prey in Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 7:coz037. [PMID: 31308948 PMCID: PMC6618025 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Chronic stress and poor body condition can cause adverse physiological and behavioural responses and may make animals more vulnerable to predation. We examined hair cortisol concentration (HCC) and marrow lipid content, as bioindicators of chronic stress and body condition, respectively, of bison (Bison bison bison), moose (Alces alces) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) killed by wolves (Canis lupus) in Prince Albert National Park (PANP), Saskatchewan, Canada. The Sturgeon River plains bison population in PANP is one of only a few wild populations of plains bison in their historical range in Canada and has experienced a decline of around 50% since 2005. We expected wolf-killed bison to have elevated HCC compared to human-harvested bison and that there would be a negative relationship between HCC and marrow lipids among wolf-killed animals. We compared HCC between different mortality sources for bison (wolf-killed n = 20 or human-harvested n = 23) and found that HCC was significantly elevated in wolf-killed bison (¯ = 7.56 ± 1.35 pg/mg). We found that HCC, species, sex and snow depth were all significant predictor variables of marrow lipid content of bison (n = 14), moose (n = 11) and deer (n = 27). Bison displayed the strongest negative correlation between HCC and marrow lipid content (r2 = 0.31). Our results suggest that chronic stress and poor body condition make prey more vulnerable to predation by wolves. HCC and marrow lipid content can provide reliable indicators of the physiological response of animals to stressors and may provide information on expected predator success that can be used to predict predator population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin R Shave
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Andrew E Derocher
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | | | - Gregory W Thiemann
- Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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10
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Chirichella R, Pokorny B, Bottero E, Flajšman K, Mattioli L, Apollonio M. Factors affecting implantation failure in roe deer. J Wildl Manage 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Chirichella
- Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Sassarivia Vienna 2I‐07100 SassariItaly
| | - Boštjan Pokorny
- Environmental Protection CollegeTrg mladosti 73320 VelenjeSlovenia
| | - Elisa Bottero
- Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Sassarivia Vienna 2I‐07100 SassariItaly
| | | | - Luca Mattioli
- Regione ToscanaSettore Attività Faunistico VenatoriaPesca Dilettantistica, Pesca in Mare, via Testa 2I‐52100 ArezzoItaly
| | - Marco Apollonio
- Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Sassarivia Vienna 2I‐07100 SassariItaly
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11
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Reproductive plasticity of female white-tailed deer at high density and under harsh climatic conditions. Oecologia 2019; 189:661-673. [PMID: 30756224 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04337-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Life-history strategies of female ungulates usually depend on density-dependent and independent processes affecting body condition. Using a long-term data set on life-history traits of female white-tailed deer (2002-2014), we investigated the influence of population density and environmental factors on the reproductive effort of females. We also evaluated post-reproductive consequences on body condition using body mass, body fat, and body protein contents in the autumn following conception. We found that under high densities, females had a lower reproductive rate, which corresponds to a conservative reproduction strategy. However, females born at high density were more likely to reproduce and conceive larger litter size than females born at low density, a possible consequence of strong selective pressure in early life. Body condition was affected by reproduction; lactation had a large negative impact on body mass and body reserves, and conception, irrespectively of litter size, had a negative impact on body fat. Our long-term study demonstrates that plasticity in life-history strategies is a major determinant of reproductive potential for females living at high density and under harsh climates.
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12
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Ekanayake DB, Ekanayake AJ, Hunt J, Miller-Hunt CL. Modeling reproduction of whitetail deer and its applications. J Theor Biol 2018; 459:90-102. [PMID: 30267789 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2018.09.032] [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: 03/13/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Many environmental factors, such as annual precipitation, temperature variations, and the embedded stochasticity of natural systems, affect resource availability from one region to the next, such that animal survival and reproduction rates differ by region. For species exhibiting phenotypic plasticity, embedding phenotypes in a model of population dynamics becomes important, as region-driven plastic responses play a significant role when estimating parameters values. In this paper, we discuss how to include observable characteristics and climate patterns in estimates of reproduction rates of whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Using many studies already available in the literature, we establish a strong correlation between reproduction rate and both body weight and USDA plant hardiness zone. We demonstrate the accuracy of the estimated whitetail deer fecundity rates for various geographical regions in North America and show that Bergmann's rule is necessary to maintain similar biological fitness between various spatial distributions of deer populations. We demonstrate that the standard deviation of the weight distribution has almost no effect on reproduction rate estimates for adult deer populations. However, statistical analysis reveals sensitivity of fawn reproduction rates to environmental stochasticity. We incorporate the reproduction function in a stage- and gender-based model and prove the existence of a stable solution. Finally, we demonstrate a possible application of the model using harvested deer weights, without collecting reproduction data directly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinesh B Ekanayake
- Department of Mathematics and Philosophy, Western Illinois University, University Circle, Macomb 61455, USA.
| | - Amy J Ekanayake
- Department of Mathematics and Philosophy, Western Illinois University, University Circle, Macomb 61455, USA.
| | - Jason Hunt
- Department of Biology, Western Illinois University, University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455, USA; Institute for Environmental Studies, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL 61455, USA.
| | - Catherine L Miller-Hunt
- Department of Biology, Western Illinois University, University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455, USA.
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13
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Corlatti L, Gugiatti A, Ferrari N, Formenti N, Trogu T, Pedrotti L. The cooler the better? Indirect effect of spring-summer temperature on fecundity in a capital breeder. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Corlatti
- Stelvio National Park; Via De Simoni 42 23032 Bormio Italy
- Wildlife Ecology and Management; University of Freiburg; Tennenbacher Straße 4 79106 Freiburg Germany
| | | | - Nicola Ferrari
- Department of Veterinary Sciences and Public Health; Università degli Studi di Milano; Via Celoria 10 20133 Milan Italy
| | - Nicoletta Formenti
- Department of Veterinary Sciences and Public Health; Università degli Studi di Milano; Via Celoria 10 20133 Milan Italy
| | - Tiziana Trogu
- Department of Veterinary Sciences and Public Health; Università degli Studi di Milano; Via Celoria 10 20133 Milan Italy
| | - Luca Pedrotti
- Stelvio National Park; Via De Simoni 42 23032 Bormio Italy
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14
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Borowik T, Jędrzejewska B. Europe-wide consistency in density-dependence of red deer (Cervus elaphus) fertility. Mamm Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2017.10.005] [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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15
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Flajšman K, Borowik T, Pokorny B, Jędrzejewska B. Effects of population density and female body mass on litter size in European roe deer at a continental scale. MAMMAL RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-017-0348-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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16
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Zbyryt A, Bubnicki JW, Kuijper DPJ, Dehnhard M, Churski M, Schmidt K. Do wild ungulates experience higher stress with humans than with large carnivores? Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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17
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Flajšman K, Jerina K, Pokorny B. Age-related effects of body mass on fertility and litter size in roe deer. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175579. [PMID: 28403161 PMCID: PMC5389817 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We analysed effects of females' body mass and age on reproductive capacity of European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in a large sample set of 1312 females (305 yearlings and 1007 adults), hunted throughout Slovenia, central Europe, in the period 2013-2015. Body mass positively affected probability of ovulation and potential litter size (number of corpora lutea), although its effect was more pronounced in yearlings than in adults. Between age groups, we found clear differences in responses of both reproductive parameters to body mass which influences primarily reproductive performance of younger, and in particular, lighter individuals: at the same body mass yearlings would at average have smaller litters than adults, and at lower body mass also young to middle-aged adults would have smaller litters than old ones. In addition, while yearlings have to reach a critical threshold body mass to attain reproductive maturity, adult females are fertile (produce ova) even at low body mass. However, at higher body mass also younger individuals shift their efforts into the reproduction, and after reaching an age-specific threshold the body mass does not have any further effects on the reproductive output of roe deer females. Increased reproductive capacity at more advanced age, combined with declining body mass suggests that old does allocate more of their resources in reproduction than in body condition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Klemen Jerina
- Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Boštjan Pokorny
- Slovenian Forestry Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Environmental Protection College, Velenje, Slovenia
- Ecological Research and Industrial Cooperation, Velenje, Slovenia
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Flajšman K, Pokorny B, Chirichella R, Bottero E, Mattioli L, Apollonio M. I can produce more offspring as you can imagine: first records on exceptionally large litters in roe deer in central/southern Europe. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-017-1102-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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19
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Churski M, Bubnicki JW, Jędrzejewska B, Kuijper DPJ, Cromsigt JPGM. Brown world forests: increased ungulate browsing keeps temperate trees in recruitment bottlenecks in resource hotspots. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 214:158-168. [PMID: 27893157 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Plant biomass consumers (mammalian herbivory and fire) are increasingly seen as major drivers of ecosystem structure and function but the prevailing paradigm in temperate forest ecology is still that their dynamics are mainly bottom-up resource-controlled. Using conceptual advances from savanna ecology, particularly the demographic bottleneck model, we present a novel view on temperate forest dynamics that integrates consumer and resource control. We used a fully factorial experiment, with varying levels of ungulate herbivory and resource (light) availability, to investigate how these factors shape recruitment of five temperate tree species. We ran simulations to project how inter- and intraspecific differences in height increment under the different experimental scenarios influence long-term recruitment of tree species. Strong herbivore-driven demographic bottlenecks occurred in our temperate forest system, and bottlenecks were as strong under resource-rich as under resource-poor conditions. Increased browsing by herbivores in resource-rich patches strongly counteracted the increased escape strength of saplings in these patches. This finding is a crucial extension of the demographic bottleneck model which assumes that increased resource availability allows plants to more easily escape consumer-driven bottlenecks. Our study demonstrates that a more dynamic understanding of consumer-resource interactions is necessary, where consumers and plants both respond to resource availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Churski
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Waszkiewicza 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Jakub W Bubnicki
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Waszkiewicza 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Bogumiła Jędrzejewska
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Waszkiewicza 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Dries P J Kuijper
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Waszkiewicza 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Joris P G M Cromsigt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, SLU, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa
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Borowik T, Jędrzejewska B. Heavier females produce more sons in a low‐density population of red deer. J Zool (1987) 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. Borowik
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences Białowieża Poland
| | - B. Jędrzejewska
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences Białowieża Poland
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