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Gilbert NA, Blommel CM, Farr MT, Green DS, Holekamp KE, Zipkin EF. A multispecies hierarchical model to integrate count and distance-sampling data. Ecology 2024; 105:e4326. [PMID: 38845219 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Integrated community models-an emerging framework in which multiple data sources for multiple species are analyzed simultaneously-offer opportunities to expand inferences beyond the single-species and single-data-source approaches common in ecology. We developed a novel integrated community model that combines distance sampling and single-visit count data; within the model, information is shared among data sources (via a joint likelihood) and species (via a random-effects structure) to estimate abundance patterns across a community. Parameters relating to abundance are shared between data sources, and the model can specify either shared or separate observation processes for each data source. Simulations demonstrated that the model provided unbiased estimates of abundance and detection parameters even when detection probabilities varied between the data types. The integrated community model also provided more accurate and more precise parameter estimates than alternative single-species and single-data-source models in many instances. We applied the model to a community of 11 herbivore species in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, and found considerable interspecific variation in response to local wildlife management practices: Five species showed higher abundances in a region with passive conservation enforcement (median across species: 4.5× higher), three species showed higher abundances in a region with active conservation enforcement (median: 3.9× higher), and the remaining three species showed no abundance differences between the two regions. Furthermore, the community average of abundance was slightly higher in the region with active conservation enforcement but not definitively so (posterior mean: higher by 0.20 animals; 95% credible interval: 1.43 fewer animals, 1.86 more animals). Our integrated community modeling framework has the potential to expand the scope of inference over space, time, and levels of biological organization, but practitioners should carefully evaluate whether model assumptions are met in their systems and whether data integration is valuable for their applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil A Gilbert
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Caroline M Blommel
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Matthew T Farr
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - David S Green
- Institute for Natural Resources, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Kay E Holekamp
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Elise F Zipkin
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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2
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Short ML, Service CN, Suraci JP, Artelle KA, Field KA, Darimont CT. Ecology of fear alters behavior of grizzly bears exposed to bear-viewing ecotourism. Ecology 2024; 105:e4317. [PMID: 38687245 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Humans are perceived as predators by many species and may generate landscapes of fear, influencing spatiotemporal activity of wildlife. Additionally, wildlife might seek out human activity when faced with predation risks (human shield hypothesis). We used the anthropause, a decrease in human activity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, to test ecology of fear and human shield hypotheses and quantify the effects of bear-viewing ecotourism on grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) activity. We deployed camera traps in the Khutze watershed in Kitasoo Xai'xais Territory in the absence of humans in 2020 and with experimental treatments of variable human activity when ecotourism resumed in 2021. Daily bear detection rates decreased with more people present and increased with days since people were present. Human activity was also associated with more bear detections at forested sheltered sites and less at exposed sites, likely due to the influence of habitat on bear perception of safety. The number of people negatively influenced adult male detection rates, but we found no influence on female with young detections, providing no evidence that females responded behaviorally to a human shield effect from reduced male activity. We also observed apparent trade-offs of risk avoidance and foraging. When salmon levels were moderate to high, detected bears were more likely to be females with young than adult males on days with more people present. Should managers want to minimize human impacts on bear activity and maintain baseline age-sex class composition at ecotourism sites, multiday closures and daily occupancy limits may be effective. More broadly, this work revealed that antipredator responses can vary with intensity of risk cues, habitat structure, and forage trade-offs and manifest as altered age-sex class composition of individuals using human-influenced areas, highlighting that wildlife avoid people across multiple spatiotemporal scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica L Short
- Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Justin P Suraci
- Conservation Science Partners, Inc., Truckee, California, USA
| | - Kyle A Artelle
- Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada
- College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, New York, USA
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kate A Field
- Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Chris T Darimont
- Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada
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3
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Lazzeri L, Ferretti F, Churski M, Diserens TA, Oliveira R, Schmidt K, Kuijper DPJ. Spatio-temporal interactions between the red fox and the wolf in two contrasting European landscapes. Sci Rep 2024; 14:221. [PMID: 38167473 PMCID: PMC10762132 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50447-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Relationships among carnivore species are complex, potentially switching from competition to facilitation on a context-dependent basis. Negative associations are predicted to increase with latitude, due to limited resources emphasising competition and/or intra-guild predation. Accordingly, a stronger negative correlation between large- and meso-carnivore abundances should be expected at higher latitudes, with a substantial spatio-temporal partitioning favouring interspecific coexistence. Human presence may influence spatio-temporal relationships between (meso)carnivore species, as it can be perceived as a risk factor, but anthropogenic food can also provide an important additional food resource. Using camera-trap data, we studied the spatio-temporal associations between two of the most widespread carnivores in Europe, i.e., the red fox and wolf. We compared their monthly/daily spatio-temporal partitioning between two different landscapes: Białowieża Primeval Forest (Poland) and the Mediterranean Maremma Regional Park (Italy). We predicted a stronger interspecific partitioning, as well as more attraction of red foxes to humans in the northern site (Poland). Temporal activity patterns of the two carnivores overlapped in both sites, and their detection rates were positively associated, even though in weaker way in Poland. We observed a positive spatial association of red foxes with human activity in Białowieża, but not in Maremma. This association occurred only at a monthly temporal scale and disappeared at a daily scale, suggesting some disturbance in the shorter term. Our results provided partial support to our predictions and suggest that, despite the ecological differences between our study areas, only weak differences in wolf-fox relations were observed, suggesting that red fox responses to wolves may be relatively comparable over large spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Lazzeri
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy.
| | - F Ferretti
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - M Churski
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
| | - T A Diserens
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
- Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02‑097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - R Oliveira
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - K Schmidt
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
| | - D P J Kuijper
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
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4
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Prugh LR, Cunningham CX, Windell RM, Kertson BN, Ganz TR, Walker SL, Wirsing AJ. Fear of large carnivores amplifies human-caused mortality for mesopredators. Science 2023; 380:754-758. [PMID: 37200434 DOI: 10.1126/science.adf2472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The challenge that large carnivores face in coexisting with humans calls into question their ability to carry out critical ecosystem functions such as mesopredator suppression outside protected areas. In this study, we examined the movements and fates of mesopredators and large carnivores across rural landscapes characterized by substantial human influences. Mesopredators shifted their movements toward areas with twofold-greater human influence in regions occupied by large carnivores, indicating that they perceived humans to be less of a threat. However, rather than shielding mesopredators, human-caused mortality was more than three times higher than large carnivore-caused mortality. Mesopredator suppression by apex predators may thus be amplified, rather than dampened, outside protected areas, because fear of large carnivores drives mesopredators into areas of even greater risk from human super predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura R Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Calum X Cunningham
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Rebecca M Windell
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Brian N Kertson
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Snoqualmie, WA 98065, USA
| | - Taylor R Ganz
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Savanah L Walker
- Spokane Tribe of Indians, Department of Natural Resources, Wellpinit, WA 99040, USA
| | - Aaron J Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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5
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González‐Bernardo E, Delgado MDM, Matos DGG, Zarzo‐Arias A, Morales‐González A, Ruiz‐Villar H, Skuban M, Maiorano L, Ciucci P, Balbontín J, Penteriani V. The influence of road networks on brown bear spatial distribution and habitat suitability in a human‐modified landscape. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.13023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. González‐Bernardo
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IMIB, Spanish National Research Council CSIC‐ University of Oviedo‐Principality of Asturias) Mieres Spain
| | - M. d. M. Delgado
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IMIB, Spanish National Research Council CSIC‐ University of Oviedo‐Principality of Asturias) Mieres Spain
| | - D. G. G. Matos
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IMIB, Spanish National Research Council CSIC‐ University of Oviedo‐Principality of Asturias) Mieres Spain
| | - A. Zarzo‐Arias
- Department of Applied Geoinformatics and Spatial Planning Faculty of Environmental Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Suchdol Praha Czech Republic
- Universidad de Oviedo Oviedo Asturias Spain
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN‐CSIC) 28006 Madrid Spain
| | - A. Morales‐González
- Department of Conservation Biology Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD‐CSIC) Sevilla Spain
| | - H. Ruiz‐Villar
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IMIB, Spanish National Research Council CSIC‐ University of Oviedo‐Principality of Asturias) Mieres Spain
| | - M. Skuban
- Carpathian Wildlife Society Zvolen Slovakia
- Slovak State Nature Conservancy Banská Bystrica Slovakia
| | - L. Maiorano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin” University of Rome “La Sapienza” Rome Italy
| | - P. Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin” University of Rome “La Sapienza” Rome Italy
| | - J. Balbontín
- Departament of Zoology Faculty of Biology University of Seville Sevilla Spain
| | - V. Penteriani
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IMIB, Spanish National Research Council CSIC‐ University of Oviedo‐Principality of Asturias) Mieres Spain
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6
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Uzal A, Martinez-Artero J, Ordiz A, Zarzo-Arias A, Penteriani V. Habitat characteristics around dens in female brown bears with cubs are density dependent. MAMMAL RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-022-00640-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The mechanisms determining habitat use in animal populations have important implications for population dynamics, conservation, and management. Here, we investigated how an increase in annual numbers of brown bear females with cubs of the year (FCOY) in a growing, yet threatened population, could explain differences in the habitat characteristics around reproductive dens. Habitat characteristics around FCOY dens were compared between a low bear density period (1995–2005) and a period when the population was increasing (2006–2016). We also compared the distance to the nearest breeding area and to all other breeding areas observed during the same year. The results suggested that during the second period, breeding areas were closer to rivers, fruit trees, and anthropogenic sources of disturbance (trails, highways) than in 1995–2005. There were also shorter distances to the closest neighboring breeding area, while the mean distance among FCOY breeding areas increased as the population grew and expanded at the landscape level. These changes may reflect that the best den locations were increasingly occupied (i.e., ideal-despotic distribution), and may be further explained by the avoidance of conspecifics by FCOY in a critical time of the year, when newborn cubs are most vulnerable. We suggest that both density-dependent factors and human-related features of the landscape are crucial to understanding long-term dynamics in the habitat use of a threatened species.
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7
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Thompson PR, Lewis MA, Edwards MA, Derocher AE. Time-dependent memory and individual variation in Arctic brown bears (Ursus arctos). MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:18. [PMID: 35410401 PMCID: PMC8996616 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00319-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal movement modelling provides unique insight about how animals perceive their landscape and how this perception may influence space use. When coupled with data describing an animal's environment, ecologists can fit statistical models to location data to describe how spatial memory informs movement. METHODS We performed such an analysis on a population of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in the Canadian Arctic using a model incorporating time-dependent spatial memory patterns. Brown bear populations in the Arctic lie on the periphery of the species' range, and as a result endure harsh environmental conditions. In this kind of environment, effective use of memory to inform movement strategies could spell the difference between survival and mortality. RESULTS The model we fit tests four alternate hypotheses (some incorporating memory; some not) against each other, and we found a high degree of individual variation in how brown bears used memory. We found that 71% (15 of 21) of the bears used complex, time-dependent spatial memory to inform their movement decisions. CONCLUSIONS These results, coupled with existing knowledge on individual variation in the population, highlight the diversity of foraging strategies for Arctic brown bears while also displaying the inference that can be drawn from this innovative movement model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter R Thompson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
| | - Mark A Lewis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Mark A Edwards
- Mammalogy Department, Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Andrew E Derocher
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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8
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Monitoring of small rock pools reveals differential effects of chronic anthropogenic disturbance on birds and mammals in the Calakmul region, southern Mexico. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467421000547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractGreat attention has been drawn to the impacts of habitat deforestation and fragmentation on wildlife species richness. In contrast, much less attention has been paid to assessing the impacts of chronic anthropogenic disturbance on wildlife species composition and behaviour. We focused on natural small rock pools (sartenejas), which concentrate vertebrate activity due to habitat’s water limitation, to assess the impact of chronic anthropogenic disturbance on the species richness, diversity, composition, and behaviour of medium and large-sized birds and mammals in the highly biodiverse forests of Calakmul, southern Mexico. Camera trapping records of fauna using sartenejas within and outside the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (CBR) showed that there were no effects on species richness, but contrasts emerged when comparing species diversity, composition, and behaviour. These effects differed between birds and mammals and between species: (1) bird diversity was greater outside the CBR, but mammal diversity was greater within and (2) the daily activity patterns of birds differed slightly within and outside the CBR but strongly contrasted in mammals. Our study highlights that even in areas supporting extensive forest cover, small-scale chronic anthropogenic disturbances can have pervasive negative effects on wildlife and that these effects contrast between animal groups.
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9
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Bautista C, Revilla E, Berezowska-Cnota T, Fernández N, Naves J, Selva N. Spatial ecology of conflicts: unravelling patterns of wildlife damage at multiple scales. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211394. [PMID: 34465240 PMCID: PMC8437235 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Human encroachment into natural habitats is typically followed by conflicts derived from wildlife damage to agriculture and livestock. Spatial risk modelling is a useful tool to gain the understanding of wildlife damage and mitigate conflicts. Although resource selection is a hierarchical process operating at multiple scales, risk models usually fail to address more than one scale, which can result in the misidentification of the underlying processes. Here, we addressed the multi-scale nature of wildlife damage occurrence by considering ecological and management correlates interacting from household to landscape scales. We studied brown bear (Ursus arctos) damage to apiaries in the North-eastern Carpathians as our model system. Using generalized additive models, we found that brown bear tendency to avoid humans and the habitat preferences of bears and beekeepers determine the risk of bear damage at multiple scales. Damage risk at fine scales increased when the broad landscape context also favoured damage. Furthermore, integrated-scale risk maps resulted in more accurate predictions than single-scale models. Our results suggest that principles of resource selection by animals can be used to understand the occurrence of damage and help mitigate conflicts in a proactive and preventive manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Bautista
- Institute of Nature Conservation of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IOP PAN), Adama Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Eloy Revilla
- Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC (EBD-CSIC), Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Teresa Berezowska-Cnota
- Institute of Nature Conservation of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IOP PAN), Adama Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Néstor Fernández
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Am Kirchtor 1, 06108 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Javier Naves
- Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC (EBD-CSIC), Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Nuria Selva
- Institute of Nature Conservation of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IOP PAN), Adama Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
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Toncheva S, Fletcher R. From Conflict to Conviviality? Transforming Human–Bear Relations in Bulgaria. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2021.682835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The question of how to transform human–wildlife relations from conflict to coexistence, rather than merely mitigating conflicts, has become a central focus of research and practice. In this article, we address this important question by exploring the factors that may contribute to promoting successful coexistence between humans and brown bears within Europe and elsewhere. We do this through comparative analysis of two cases in rural Bulgaria evidencing different degrees of conflict and coexistence between members of the two species. Through this comparison, we highlight the main factors that lead to conflict in our problem case as well as those that might help to instead foster coexistence. We situate this analysis within growing discussion of convivial conservation as a novel approach intended to transform conservation policy and practice throughout the world that emphasizes the importance of attending to the overarching social and political-economic processes encompassing human–wildlife interaction in order to influence the latter. In this way, we contribute to research and discussion concerning how to transform human–wildlife conflict (HWC) into convivial coexistence more broadly by demonstrating how attention to the immediate circumstances of human–wildlife encounter in such efforts should be complemented by promotion of more inclusive, democratic forms of decision-making, and egalitarian distribution of economic resources.
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11
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Christianson D, Coleman TH, Doan Q, Haroldson MA. Physiological consequences of consuming low-energy foods: herbivory coincides with a stress response in Yellowstone bears. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab029. [PMID: 34345432 PMCID: PMC8325456 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Meat, fruit, seeds and other high-energy bear foods are often highly localized and briefly available and understanding which factors influence bear consumption of these foods is a common focus of bear conservation and ecology. However, the most common bear foods, graminoids and forbs, are more widespread but of lower quality. We poorly understand how herbage consumption impacts bear physiology, such as endocrine system function that regulates homeostasis and stress responses. Here, we described bear diets with a novel approach, measuring the concentration of chlorophyll in bear scats (faecal chlorophyll) to index the proportion of the recent diet that was composed of leaves from graminoids and forbs. We measured faecal chlorophyll and faecal cortisol in 351 grizzly (Ursus arctos, n = 255) and black bear (Ursus americanus, n = 96) scats from Yellowstone National Park in 2008-2009. We compared models of faecal chlorophyll and faecal cortisol concentrations considering the effects of spatial, dietary, scat and bear-specific factors including species. Faecal chlorophyll levels were the strongest predictor of faecal cortisol in a manner that suggested an endocrine response to a low-energy diet. Both compounds were highest during the spring and early summer months, overlapping the breeding season when higher energy foods were less available. Effects of scat composition, scat weathering, bear age, bear sex, species and other factors that have previously been shown to influence faecal cortisol in bears were not important unless faecal chlorophyll was excluded from models. The top models of faecal chlorophyll suggested grazing was primarily influenced by spatial attributes, with greater grazing closer to recreational trails, implying that elevated cortisol with grazing could be a response to anthropogenic activity. Our results confirm that higher stress hormone concentrations correspond with lower quality diets in bears, particularly grazing, and that faecal chlorophyll shows promise as a metric for studying grazing behaviour and its consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Christianson
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Tyler H Coleman
- Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park, National Park Service, 47050 Generals Highway, Three Rivers, CA 93271, USA
| | - Quint Doan
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, 370 Prospect Street, New Haven CT 06511, USA
| | - Mark A Haroldson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, 2327 University Way, Suite 2, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
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12
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Crevier LP, Salkeld JH, Marley J, Parrott L. Making the best possible choice: Using agent-based modelling to inform wildlife management in small communities. Ecol Modell 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2021.109505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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13
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Van Horn RC, Sheppard JK, Swaisgood RR, Appleton RD, Sanchez RI, Vallejos DJ, Vallejos J, Owen MA. Site characteristics influence Andean bear natal-den selection in dry forest habitat. URSUS 2021. [DOI: 10.2192/ursus-d-19-00036.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Robyn D. Appleton
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - R. Isaí Sanchez
- Spectacled Bear Conservation Society, Batán Grande, Lambayeque, Peru
| | - D. José Vallejos
- Spectacled Bear Conservation Society, Batán Grande, Lambayeque, Peru
| | - Javier Vallejos
- Spectacled Bear Conservation Society, Batán Grande, Lambayeque, Peru
| | - Megan A. Owen
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027-7000, USA
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de Gabriel Hernando M, Karamanlidis AA, Grivas K, Krambokoukis L, Papakostas G, Beecham J. Habitat use and selection patterns inform habitat conservation priorities of an endangered large carnivore in southern Europe. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2021. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the habitat use and selection patterns of endangered species is essential in developing management measures that will protect critical habitat and mitigate human-wildlife conflicts. This understanding is particularly important in areas with high anthropogenic pressures. To understand the ecological role of various habitat types in the conservation of an endangered large carnivore in southern Europe, with its distinct environmental conditions and predominantly anthropogenic landscapes, we studied 18 GPS-collared brown bears Ursus arctos in Greece. We examined the use and selection of habitats according to age and sex categories and behavioral status during 5 ecologically defined seasons. Areas with rough terrain were identified as important refuge areas and were used by all bears in late hyperphagia and emergence. All bears used areas closer to human-related habitat features during the night. Habitat selection was positive for areas with rough terrain and naturalized (i.e. abandoned or not intensive) crops and areas close to water courses, while high-altitude areas and roads were avoided. The selection or avoidance of other habitats varied across bear categories and between stationary and moving behavior. We recommend that the results of the study be used to develop guidelines for species conservation and allow for prioritizing management actions that will promote the conservation of bears in Greece. In particular, the habitat use patterns provide information on how to limit interactions between humans and bears in space and/or time, while the habitat selection patterns indicate suitable habitats that should be protected/improved based on their importance and ecological role for the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- M de Gabriel Hernando
- ARCTUROS, Civil Society for the Protection and Management of Wildlife and the Natural Environment, Florina 53075, Greece
- Department of Biodiversity and Environmental Management, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Universidad de León, León 24007, Spain
| | - AA Karamanlidis
- ARCTUROS, Civil Society for the Protection and Management of Wildlife and the Natural Environment, Florina 53075, Greece
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås 1432, Norway
| | - K Grivas
- ARCTUROS, Civil Society for the Protection and Management of Wildlife and the Natural Environment, Florina 53075, Greece
| | - L Krambokoukis
- ARCTUROS, Civil Society for the Protection and Management of Wildlife and the Natural Environment, Florina 53075, Greece
| | - G Papakostas
- ARCTUROS, Civil Society for the Protection and Management of Wildlife and the Natural Environment, Florina 53075, Greece
| | - J Beecham
- ARCTUROS, Civil Society for the Protection and Management of Wildlife and the Natural Environment, Florina 53075, Greece
- 252 N. Pierce Park Lane, Boise, ID 83703, USA
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15
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Yovovich V, Thomsen M, Wilmers CC. Pumas’ fear of humans precipitates changes in plant architecture. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Yovovich
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research Environmental Studies Department University of California 1156 High Street Santa Cruz California95064USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley 145 Mulford Hall Berkeley California94720USA
| | - Meredith Thomsen
- Biology Department and River Studies Center University of Wisconsin 1725 State Street La Crosse Wisconsin54601USA
| | - Christopher C. Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research Environmental Studies Department University of California 1156 High Street Santa Cruz California95064USA
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16
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Montgomery RA, Macdonald DW, Hayward MW. The inducible defences of large mammals to human lethality. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert A. Montgomery
- Research on the Ecology of Carnivores and their Prey (RECaP) Laboratory Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology University of OxfordThe Recanati‐Kaplan CentreTubney House Tubney Oxon UK
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology University of OxfordThe Recanati‐Kaplan CentreTubney House Tubney Oxon UK
| | - Matthew W. Hayward
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW Australia
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
- Centre for Wildlife Management University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
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17
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Malcolm K, Cheveau M, St-Laurent MH. Wolf habitat selection in relation to recreational structures in a national park. J Mammal 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Although most predators usually avoid human activity, some individuals instead will habituate to it. Habituation to human presence and infrastructure by predator species such as wolves may lead to conflicts implicating serious risks for public safety and for the survival of the animals involved. Accordingly, this research project aims to shed light on the relationship between wolves and recreational structures using telemetry data from 10 wolves located in the Parc National du Mont-Tremblant (Québec, Canada) and its surrounding area. Using resource selection functions (RSFs), we observed wolf habitat selection in relation to these structures during three biological periods (denning: May–June; rendezvous: June–October; and nomadic: October–April). Our results revealed that wolves selected proximity to linear structures (roads and trails) during the denning and rendezvous periods, but this selection depended on the density of such structures in the surroundings (i.e., functional response in habitat selection): wolves selected proximity to linear structures when these structures were present at greater densities. Wolves avoided housing structures (campsites, cabins, park facilities), especially when these structures were present at greater densities, suggesting that wolves perceived them as a risk. These results suggest that conflicts between visitors and wolves were unlikely to occur in campgrounds during the time of our study. This could indicate that the management measures implemented by the park following the past episodes of conflict were effective. However, wolves’ use of linear structures could lead to increased tolerance to human proximity if left unmanaged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Malcolm
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Center for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, Québec, Canada
| | - Marianne Cheveau
- Direction de l’expertise sur la faune terrestre, l’herpétofaune et l’avifaune, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, chemin Sainte-Foy, 2e étage, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Martin-Hugues St-Laurent
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Centre for Northern Studies and Center for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, Québec, Canada
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18
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Per E, AYHAN Y. Scavenger Vertebrates of Dörtdivan Vulture Restaurant, Turkey. GAZI UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.35378/gujs.595222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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19
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Wold K, Wirsing AJ, Quinn TP. Do brown bears Ursus arctos avoid barbed wires deployed to obtain hair samples? A videographic assessment. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Wold
- K. Wold (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8787-8040) and T. P. Quinn (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3163-579X) ✉ , School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Aaron J. Wirsing
- A. J. Wirsing (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8326-5394), School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Thomas P. Quinn
- K. Wold (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8787-8040) and T. P. Quinn (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3163-579X) ✉ , School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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20
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Penteriani V, Zarzo-Arias A, del Mar Delgado M, Dalerum F, Gurarie E, Torre PP, Corominas TS, Vázquez VM, García PV, Ordiz A. Female brown bears use areas with infanticide risk in a spatially confined population. URSUS 2020. [DOI: 10.2192/ursus-d-18-00019r4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Penteriani
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Campus Mieres, 33600 Mieres, Spain
| | - Alejandra Zarzo-Arias
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Campus Mieres, 33600 Mieres, Spain
| | - María del Mar Delgado
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Campus Mieres, 33600 Mieres, Spain
| | - Fredrick Dalerum
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Campus Mieres, 33600 Mieres, Spain
| | - Eliezer Gurarie
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Paloma Peón Torre
- Consejería de Desarrollo Rural y Recursos Naturales, Principado de Asturias, 33005 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Teresa Sánchez Corominas
- Consejería de Desarrollo Rural y Recursos Naturales, Principado de Asturias, 33005 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Víctor M. Vázquez
- Consejería de Desarrollo Rural y Recursos Naturales, Principado de Asturias, 33005 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Pablo Vázquez García
- Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universidad de Valencia, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Andrés Ordiz
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
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21
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Proximity to humans is associated with longer maternal care in brown bears. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2764-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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22
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Leclerc M, Tarroux A, Fauchald P, Stien A, Tveraa T, St-Laurent MH. Effects of human-induced disturbances and weather on herbivore movement. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Human-caused habitat disturbances and climate change are leading threats to biodiversity. Studying the impacts of human activities on wildlife from a behavioral perspective is a relevant starting point to understand the mechanisms underlying population and species resistance and resilience to disturbances. In this study, we assessed the effects of weather (temperature and precipitation), habitat disturbances (roads and clearcuts), and natural habitat types on the space use patterns of a threatened boreal population of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). An extensive data set of 288,665 relocations from 50 adult females outfitted with GPS collars over 7 years in the boreal forest of Québec, Canada was used to evaluate residency time in natural and disturbed habitats for five distinct biologically defined periods. The most parsimonious linear mixed-effects model for each period showed that individuals stayed longer in more natural habitat types. During calving and summer, residency time decreased with increasing road density, whereas residency time decreased with increasing temperature during winter and spring. We found no evidence of a synergistic effect between daily weather and human disturbances on movement behavior of caribou, but consider their respective influence as additive. We also showed large individual variation in residency time, except during the calving period. Lower individual variation in residency time during calving may be explained by strong evolutionary constraints on behavior faced by females to ensure protection and survival of their offspring. Based on our results, we suggest keeping large patches of suitable and roadless habitat for caribou to favor the spacing-out antipredator strategy exhibited by females during calving. By tracking individuals over several complete annual cycles, we showed variation in the effects of daily weather and human disturbances on residency time across biological periods. Our study highlights that the inclusion of daily weather variables helps better understand space-use patterns of a threatened species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Leclerc
- Applied Conservation Science Lab, Department of Geography, University of Victoria, STN CSC, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Sidney, BC, Canada
- Centre for Northern Studies and Centre for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, Canada
| | - Arnaud Tarroux
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Arctic Ecology Department, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Per Fauchald
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Arctic Ecology Department, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Audun Stien
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Arctic Ecology Department, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Torkild Tveraa
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Arctic Ecology Department, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Martin-Hugues St-Laurent
- Centre for Northern Studies and Centre for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, Canada
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23
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Aerial surveys cause large but ephemeral decreases in bear presence at salmon streams in Kodiak, Alaska. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0222085. [PMID: 31504063 PMCID: PMC6736237 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aerial surveys are often used to monitor wildlife and fish populations, but rarely are the effects on animal behavior documented. For over 30 years, the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge has conducted low-altitude aerial surveys to assess Kodiak brown bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi) space use and demographic composition when bears are seasonally congregated near salmon spawning streams in southwestern Kodiak Island, Alaska. Salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) are an important bear food and salmon runs are brief, so decreases in time spent fishing for salmon may reduce salmon consumption by bears. The goal of this study was to apply different and complementary field methods to evaluate the response of bears to these aerial surveys. Ground-based counts at one stream indicated 62% of bears departed the 200m-wide survey zone in response to aerial surveys, but bear counts returned to pre-survey abundance after only three hours. Although this effect was brief, survey flights occurred during the hours of peak daily bear activity (morning and evening), so the three-hour disruption appeared to result in a 25% decline in cumulative daily detections by 38 time-lapse cameras deployed along 10 salmon streams. Bear responses varied by sex—male bears were much more likely than female bears (with or without cubs) to depart streams and female bears with GPS collars did not move from streams following surveys. Although bears displaced by aerial surveys may consume fewer salmon, the actual effect on their fitness depends on whether they compensate by foraging at other times or by switching to other nutritious resources. Data from complementary sources allows managers to more robustly understand the impacts of surveys and whether their benefits are justified. Similar assessments should be made on alternative techniques such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and non-invasive sampling to determine whether they supply equivalent data while limiting bear disturbance.
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24
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Lesmerises F, Johnson CJ, St‐Laurent M. Effect of behavioral marginality on survival of an alpine ungulate. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Lesmerises
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie Centre for Northern Studies Université du Québec à Rimouski 300 Allée des Ursulines Rimouski G5L 3A1 Québec Canada
| | - Chris J. Johnson
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Institute University of Northern British Columbia 3333 University Way Prince George British Columbia V2N 4Z9 Canada
| | - Martin‐Hugues St‐Laurent
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie Centre for Northern Studies & Centre for Forest Research Université du Québec à Rimouski 300 Allée des Ursulines Rimouski Québec G5L 3A1 Canada
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25
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Abstract
The increasing trend of large carnivore attacks on humans not only raises human safety concerns but may also undermine large carnivore conservation efforts. Although rare, attacks by brown bears Ursus arctos are also on the rise and, although several studies have addressed this issue at local scales, information is lacking on a worldwide scale. Here, we investigated brown bear attacks (n = 664) on humans between 2000 and 2015 across most of the range inhabited by the species: North America (n = 183), Europe (n = 291), and East (n = 190). When the attacks occurred, half of the people were engaged in leisure activities and the main scenario was an encounter with a female with cubs. Attacks have increased significantly over time and were more frequent at high bear and low human population densities. There was no significant difference in the number of attacks between continents or between countries with different hunting practices. Understanding global patterns of bear attacks can help reduce dangerous encounters and, consequently, is crucial for informing wildlife managers and the public about appropriate measures to reduce this kind of conflicts in bear country.
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26
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Hilderbrand GV, Gustine DD, Joly K, Mangipane B, Leacock W, Cameron MD, Sorum MS, Mangipane LS, Erlenbach JA. Influence of maternal body size, condition, and age on recruitment of four brown bear populations. URSUS 2019. [DOI: 10.2192/ursus-d-18-00008.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Grant V. Hilderbrand
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK, 99508 USA
| | - David D. Gustine
- National Park Service, Grand Teton National Park, P.O. Box 170, Moose WY, 83012 USA
| | - Kyle Joly
- National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, 4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, AK, 99709 USA
| | - Buck Mangipane
- National Park Service, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Port Alsworth, AK, 99653 USA
| | - William Leacock
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, 1390 Buskin River Road, Kodiak, AK, 99615 USA
| | - Matthew D. Cameron
- National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, 4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, AK, 99709 USA
| | - Mathew S. Sorum
- National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, 4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, AK, 99709 USA
| | - Lindsey S. Mangipane
- Carnivore Ecology Laboratory, Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, 39762 USA
| | - Joy A. Erlenbach
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164 USA
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27
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Ladle A, Avgar T, Wheatley M, Stenhouse GB, Nielsen SE, Boyce MS. Grizzly bear response to spatio‐temporal variability in human recreational activity. J Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Ladle
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Alberta Edmonton AB Canada
| | - Tal Avgar
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Alberta Edmonton AB Canada
| | - Matthew Wheatley
- Department of Renewable ResourcesUniversity of Alberta Edmonton AB Canada
| | | | - Scott E. Nielsen
- Department of Renewable ResourcesUniversity of Alberta Edmonton AB Canada
| | - Mark S. Boyce
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Alberta Edmonton AB Canada
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28
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Zarzo-Arias A, Delgado MDM, Ordiz A, García Díaz J, Cañedo D, González MA, Romo C, Vázquez García P, Bombieri G, Bettega C, Russo LF, Cabral P, García González R, Martínez-Padilla J, Penteriani V. Brown bear behaviour in human-modified landscapes: The case of the endangered Cantabrian population, NW Spain. Glob Ecol Conserv 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2018.e00499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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Wirsing AJ, Quinn TP, Cunningham CJ, Adams JR, Craig AD, Waits LP. Alaskan brown bears ( Ursus arctos) aggregate and display fidelity to foraging neighborhoods while preying on Pacific salmon along small streams. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:9048-9061. [PMID: 30271565 PMCID: PMC6157690 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction between brown bears (Ursus arctos) and Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) is important to the population dynamics of both species and a celebrated example of consumer-mediated nutrient transport. Yet, much of the site-specific information we have about the bears in this relationship comes from observations at a few highly visible but unrepresentative locations and a small number of radio-telemetry studies. Consequently, our understanding of brown bear abundance and behavior at more cryptic locations where they commonly feed on salmon, including small spawning streams, remains limited. We employed a noninvasive genetic approach (barbed wire hair snares) over four summers (2012-2015) to document patterns of brown bear abundance and movement among six spawning streams for sockeye salmon, O. nerka, in southwestern Alaska. The streams were grouped into two trios on opposite sides of Lake Aleknagik. Thus, we predicted that most bears would forage within only one trio during the spawning season because of the energetic costs associated with swimming between them or traveling around the lake and show fidelity to particular trios across years because of the benefits of familiarity with local salmon dynamics and stream characteristics. Huggins closed-capture models based on encounter histories from genotyped hair samples revealed that as many as 41 individuals visited single streams during the annual 6-week sampling season. Bears also moved freely among trios of streams but rarely moved between these putative foraging neighborhoods, either during or between years. By implication, even small salmon spawning streams can serve as important resources for brown bears, and consistent use of stream neighborhoods by certain bears may play an important role in spatially structuring coastal bear populations. Our findings also underscore the efficacy of noninvasive hair snagging and genetic analysis for examining bear abundance and movements at relatively fine spatial and temporal scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron J. Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashington
| | - Thomas P. Quinn
- School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashington
| | - Curry J. Cunningham
- School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashington
| | - Jennifer R. Adams
- Department of Fish and Wildlife SciencesUniversity of IdahoMoscowIdaho
| | - Apryle D. Craig
- School of Environmental and Forest SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashington
| | - Lisette P. Waits
- Department of Fish and Wildlife SciencesUniversity of IdahoMoscowIdaho
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30
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Penteriani V, Delgado MDM, Krofel M, Jerina K, Ordiz A, Dalerum F, Zarzo-Arias A, Bombieri G. Evolutionary and ecological traps for brown bearsUrsus arctosin human-modified landscapes. Mamm Rev 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Penteriani
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, UO-CSIC-PA); Oviedo University; Campus Mieres 33600 Mieres Spain
- Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE); CSIC; Avda. Montañana 1005 50059 Zaragoza Spain
| | - María Del Mar Delgado
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, UO-CSIC-PA); Oviedo University; Campus Mieres 33600 Mieres Spain
| | - Miha Krofel
- Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources; Biotechnical Faculty; University of Ljubljana; Vecˇna pot 83 SI-1001 Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Klemen Jerina
- Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources; Biotechnical Faculty; University of Ljubljana; Vecˇna pot 83 SI-1001 Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Andrés Ordiz
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management; Norwegian University of Life Sciences; Postbox 5003 NO-1432 Ås Norway
| | - Fredrik Dalerum
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, UO-CSIC-PA); Oviedo University; Campus Mieres 33600 Mieres Spain
- Department of Zoology; Stockholm University; 10691 Stockholm Sweden
- Department of Zoology and Entomology; Mammal Research Institute (MRI); University of Pretoria; Private Bag X20 Hatfield 0028 South Africa
| | - Alejandra Zarzo-Arias
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, UO-CSIC-PA); Oviedo University; Campus Mieres 33600 Mieres Spain
| | - Giulia Bombieri
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, UO-CSIC-PA); Oviedo University; Campus Mieres 33600 Mieres Spain
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31
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Skuban M, Find’o S, Kajba M. Bears napping nearby: daybed selection by brown bears (Ursus arctos) in a human-dominated landscape. CAN J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2016-0217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Daybeds are essential for the survival of brown bears (Ursus arctos L., 1758) and may represent a population-limiting resource in human-dominated landscapes. In this study, we demonstrate which land-cover types and bear characteristics affect daybed selection in north-central Slovakia. We used the positional and activity data of 21 bears acquired by GPS–GSM telemetry to identify 3864 daybeds. By use of K-select analysis and linear mixed-effects modelling, we explored how bears chose these places for their daytime resting. The most important drivers for daybed selection were the presence of dense regenerating forests and forest–shrubbery belts in farmland. Bears avoided resting in older forests without suitable undergrowth. Females selected daybeds differently depending on the presence of dependent cubs. During spring – early summer, females with cubs of the year avoided other bears by selecting more rugged terrain. These females also selected daybeds significantly closer to human settlements than adult males, possibly to avoid the risk of infanticide. In late summer – autumn, all bears selected daybeds closer to human settlements than in spring, probably because they were attracted by maize (Zea mays) fields and fruit trees. Many daybeds were located outside protected areas in farmland closer to people, which could increase bear–human conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Skuban
- Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, Department of Biology II, Großhaderner Straße 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Carpathian Wildlife Society, Tulská 2461/29, 96101 Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - Slavomír Find’o
- Carpathian Wildlife Society, Tulská 2461/29, 96101 Zvolen, Slovakia
- National Forest Centre, Forest Research Institute, T.G. Masaryka 22, 96092 Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - Matúš Kajba
- National Forest Centre, Forest Research Institute, T.G. Masaryka 22, 96092 Zvolen, Slovakia
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32
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Harano T, Kutsukake N. The evolution of male infanticide in relation to sexual selection in mammalian carnivores. Evol Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-017-9925-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Frank SC, Leclerc M, Pelletier F, Rosell F, Swenson JE, Bischof R, Kindberg J, Eiken HG, Hagen SB, Zedrosser A. Sociodemographic factors modulate the spatial response of brown bears to vacancies created by hunting. J Anim Ecol 2017; 87:247-258. [PMID: 28994099 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
There is a growing recognition of the importance of indirect effects from hunting on wildlife populations, e.g. social and behavioural changes due to harvest, which occur after the initial offtake. Nonetheless, little is known about how the removal of members of a population influences the spatial configuration of the survivors. We studied how surviving brown bears (Ursus arctos) used former home ranges that had belonged to casualties of the annual bear hunting season in southcentral Sweden (2007-2015). We used resource selection functions to explore the effects of the casualty's and survivor's sex, age and their pairwise genetic relatedness, population density and hunting intensity on survivors' spatial responses to vacated home ranges. We tested the competitive release hypothesis, whereby survivors that increase their use of a killed bear's home range are presumed to have been released from intraspecific competition. We found strong support for this hypothesis, as survivors of the same sex as the casualty consistently increased their use of its vacant home range. Patterns were less pronounced or absent when the survivor and casualty were of opposite sex. Genetic relatedness between the survivor and the casualty emerged as the most important factor explaining increased use of vacated male home ranges by males, with a stronger response from survivors of lower relatedness. Relatedness was also important for females, but it did not influence use following removal; female survivors used home ranges of higher related female casualties more, both before and after death. Spatial responses by survivors were further influenced by bear age, population density and hunting intensity. We have shown that survivors exhibit a spatial response to vacated home ranges caused by hunting casualties, even in nonterritorial species such as the brown bear. This spatial reorganization can have unintended consequences for population dynamics and interfere with management goals. Altogether, our results underscore the need to better understand the short- and long-term indirect effects of hunting on animal social structure and their resulting distribution in space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane C Frank
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences, and Maritime Sciences, University College of Southeast Norway, Telemark, Norway
| | - Martin Leclerc
- Département de Biologie, Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Demography and Conservation, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de Biologie, Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Demography and Conservation, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Frank Rosell
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences, and Maritime Sciences, University College of Southeast Norway, Telemark, Norway
| | - Jon E Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.,Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Richard Bischof
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Hans Geir Eiken
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Svanhovd, Norway
| | - Snorre B Hagen
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Svanhovd, Norway
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences, and Maritime Sciences, University College of Southeast Norway, Telemark, Norway.,Department of Integrative Biology, Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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Frank SC, Ordiz A, Gosselin J, Hertel A, Kindberg J, Leclerc M, Pelletier F, Steyaert SMJG, Støen OG, Van de Walle J, Zedrosser A, Swenson JE. Indirect effects of bear hunting: a review from Scandinavia. URSUS 2017. [DOI: 10.2192/ursu-d-16-00028.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shane C. Frank
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Environmental and Health Studies, University College of Southeast Norway, NO-3800 Bø i Telemark, Norway
| | - Andrés Ordiz
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Jacinthe Gosselin
- Départment de Biologie, Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Demography, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Anne Hertel
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-90183 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Martin Leclerc
- Départment de Biologie, Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Demography, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Départment de Biologie, Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Demography, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Sam M. J. G. Steyaert
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Environmental and Health Studies, University College of Southeast Norway, NO-3800 Bø i Telemark, Norway
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Ole-Gunnar Støen
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Joanie Van de Walle
- Départment de Biologie, Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Demography, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Environmental and Health Studies, University College of Southeast Norway, NO-3800 Bø i Telemark, Norway
- Institute for Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University for Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Gregor Mendel Str. 33, A-1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
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35
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Determinants and patterns of habitat use by the brown bear Ursus arctos in the French Pyrenees revealed by occupancy modelling. ORYX 2017. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605317000321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe Pyrenean brown bear Ursus arctos population in the mountains between France and Spain is one of the smallest and most threatened populations of large carnivores in Europe. We assessed trends in brown bear habitat use in the Pyrenees and investigated the underlying environmental and anthropogenic drivers. Using detection/non-detection data collected during 2008–2014 through non-invasive methods, we developed dynamic occupancy models, accounting for local colonization and extinction processes. We found two non-connected core areas of occupancy, one in the west and the other in the centre of the Pyrenees, with a significant decrease in habitat use overall during 2008–2014. We also found a negative correlation between human density and bear occupancy, in agreement with previous studies on brown bear habitat suitability. Our results confirm the Critically Endangered status of the Pyrenean population of brown bears.
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Garshelis DL, Baruch-Mordo S, Bryant A, Gunther KA, Jerina K. Is diversionary feeding an effective tool for reducing human–bear conflicts? Case studies from North America and Europe. URSUS 2017. [DOI: 10.2192/ursu-d-16-00019.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kerry A. Gunther
- Bear Management Office, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA
| | - Klemen Jerina
- Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 83, 1000 Slovenia
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37
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Morehouse AT, Boyce MS. Evaluation of intercept feeding to reduce livestock depredation by grizzly bears. URSUS 2017. [DOI: 10.2192/ursu-d-16-00026.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea T. Morehouse
- University of Alberta, CW405 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Mark S. Boyce
- University of Alberta, CW405 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
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Lesmerises F, Johnson CJ, St‐Laurent M. Refuge or predation risk? Alternate ways to perceive hiker disturbance based on maternal state of female caribou. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:845-854. [PMID: 28168021 PMCID: PMC5288256 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Revised: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Human presence in natural environments is often a source of stress that is perceived by large ungulates as an increased risk of predation. Alternatively, disturbance induced by hikers creates a relatively predator‐free space that may serve as a refuge. We measured the behavioral responses of female caribou to disturbance associated with the presence of hikers during summer in the Gaspésie National Park. We used those data to determine whether caribou responded negatively to human activity (i.e., the predation risk hypothesis) or whether human activity resulted in a decrease in the magnitude of perceived risk (i.e., the refuge hypothesis). Female caribou with a calf spent nearly half of their time feeding, regardless of the presence of a trail or the number of hikers. They also decreased their vigilance near trails when the number of hikers increased. Conversely, lone females fed less frequently and almost doubled the time invested in vigilance under the same circumstances. However, both groups of females moved away from trails during the day, especially in the presence of hikers. We demonstrated that risk avoidance was specific to the maternal state of the individual. Lactating females accommodated the presence of hikers to increase time spent foraging and nutritional intake, providing support for the refuge hypothesis. Alternatively, lone females with lower energetic requirements and no maternal investment in a vulnerable calf appeared less tolerant to risk, consistent with the predation risk hypothesis. Synthesis and applications: Hikers influenced the vigilance–feeding trade‐off in caribou, underlining the importance of appropriate management of linear structures and human activities, especially across the critical habitat of endangered species. Even if some individuals seemed to benefit from human presence, this behavioral adaptation was not sufficient to reduce annual calf mortality associated with predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Lesmerises
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et GéographieCentre for Northern StudiesUniversité du Québec à RimouskiRimouskiQCCanada
| | - Chris J. Johnson
- Ecosystem Science and Management ProgramUniversity of Northern British ColumbiaPrince GeorgeBCCanada
| | - Martin‐Hugues St‐Laurent
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et GéographieCentre for Northern StudiesUniversité du Québec à RimouskiRimouskiQCCanada
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