1
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Ausband DE, Rebholz PF, Petrillo L. The effects of human-caused mortality on mammalian cooperative breeders: a synthesis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 39219435 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13133] [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: 05/30/2024] [Revised: 08/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Human-caused mortality can be pervasive and even highly selective for individuals in groups of cooperative breeders. Many studies of cooperative breeders, however, do not address human-caused mortality. Similarly, studies focused on the effects of human-caused mortality on wildlife populations often do not consider the ecology of cooperative breeders. We searched the literature and identified 58 studies where human-caused mortality affected a group characteristic, vital rate, or population state of a cooperative breeder. Of studies reporting population growth or decline, 80% reported a link between human-caused mortality and population declines in cooperative breeders. Such studies often did not identify the mechanism behind population declines, but 28% identified concurrent declines in adult survival and another 21% reported concurrent declines in recruitment or reproduction. There was little overlap between the cooperative breeding and human-caused mortality literatures, limiting our ability to accrue knowledge. Future work would be beneficial if it (i) identified the vital rate(s) causing population declines, (ii) leveraged management actions such as lethal removal to ask questions about the ecology of group-living in cooperative breeders, and (iii) used insights from cooperative breeding theory to inform management actions and conservation of group-living species.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Ausband
- U.S. Geological Survey, Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, MS 1141, Moscow, 83844, Idaho, USA
| | - Peter F Rebholz
- U.S. Geological Survey, Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, MS 1141, Moscow, 83844, Idaho, USA
- Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, MS 1141, Moscow, 83844, Idaho, USA
| | - Lindsay Petrillo
- U.S. Geological Survey, Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, MS 1141, Moscow, 83844, Idaho, USA
- Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, MS 1141, Moscow, 83844, Idaho, USA
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2
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Santostasi NL, Bauduin S, Grente O, Gimenez O, Ciucci P. Simulating the efficacy of wolf-dog hybridization management with individual-based modeling. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024:e14312. [PMID: 38894638 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Introgressive hybridization between wolves and dogs is a conservation concern due to its potentially deleterious long-term evolutionary consequences. European legislation requires that wolf-dog hybridization be mitigated through effective management. We developed an individual-based model (IBM) to simulate the life cycle of gray wolves that incorporates aspects of wolf sociality that affect hybridization rates (e.g., the dissolution of packs after the death of one/both breeders) with the goal of informing decision-making on management of wolf-dog hybridization. We applied our model by projecting hybridization dynamics in a local wolf population under different mate choice and immigration scenarios and contrasted results of removal of admixed individuals with their sterilization and release. In several scenarios, lack of management led to complete admixture, whereas reactive management interventions effectively reduced admixture in wolf populations. Management effectiveness, however, strongly depended on mate choice and number and admixture level of individuals immigrating into the wolf population. The inclusion of anthropogenic mortality affecting parental and admixed individuals (e.g., poaching) increased the probability of pack dissolution and thus increased the probability of interbreeding with dogs or admixed individuals and boosted hybridization and introgression rates in all simulation scenarios. Recognizing the necessity of additional model refinements (appropriate parameterization, thorough sensitivity analyses, and robust model validation) to generate management recommendations applicable in real-world scenarios, we maintain confidence in our model's potential as a valuable conservation tool that can be applied to diverse situations and species facing similar threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Luisa Santostasi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Roma, Italy
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Sarah Bauduin
- Direction de la Recherche et Appui Scientifique, Service Conservation et Gestion des Espèces à Enjeux, Office Français de la Biodiversité, Juvignac, France
| | - Oksana Grente
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Olivier Gimenez
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Roma, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
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3
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Zubiria Perez A, Kellner KF, MacFarland DM, Price Tack JL, Ruid DB, Stauffer GE, Belant JL. Effects of lethal management on gray wolf pack persistence and reproduction in Wisconsin, USA. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9895. [PMID: 38689131 PMCID: PMC11061146 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60764-6] [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: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Direct human-caused mortality accounts for about half of all large mammal mortality in North America. For social species like gray wolves (Canis lupus), the death of pack members can disrupt pack structure and cause pack dissolution, and mortality of breeding adults or wolves during reproduction and pup-rearing can decrease pup recruitment. We estimated minimum and maximum probability of wolf pack persistence in Wisconsin, USA, during biological years (15 April-14 April) 2011-2019 and evaluated the influence of pack size and legal harvest mortality on pack persistence during 2012-2014. Harvests comprised 75-161 mortalities within 194 monitored packs during 2012-2014, with 56-74% of packs having no wolves harvested each year. As an index of reproduction during 2013-2019, we also estimated the proportion of packs where pups responded to howl surveys. We evaluated the influence of pack size, legal harvest, and agency removal on reproduction during 2013-2015. Annual maximum pack persistence probability was uniformly high (0.95-1.00), and annual minimum pack persistence probability ranged from 0.86-0.98 with a possible decline during years of harvest. Reproduction was similar in years following harvest and agency removal (2013-2015, pup response = 0.27-0.40), and years without harvest or agency removal the year prior (2016-2019, pup response = 0.28-0.66). Pack size had a positive effect on pack persistence and reproduction. Total number of wolf mortalities and number of adult male and females removed did not influence pack persistence or reproduction. We suggest that low per-pack mortality, timing of harvest and agency removal, and harvest characteristics during 2012-2014 supported stable pack persistence and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Zubiria Perez
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, 480 Wilson Road, 17 NR, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
| | - Kenneth F Kellner
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, 480 Wilson Road, 17 NR, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - David M MacFarland
- Office of Applied Science, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Rhinelander, WI, 54501, USA
| | - Jennifer L Price Tack
- Office of Applied Science, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Rhinelander, WI, 54501, USA
| | - David B Ruid
- USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services, Rhinelander, WI, 54501, USA
| | - Glenn E Stauffer
- Office of Applied Science, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Rhinelander, WI, 54501, USA
| | - Jerrold L Belant
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, 480 Wilson Road, 17 NR, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
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4
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Sexton CL, Diogo R, Subiaul F, Bradley BJ. Raising an Eye at Facial Muscle Morphology in Canids. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:290. [PMID: 38785773 PMCID: PMC11118188 DOI: 10.3390/biology13050290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
The evolution of facial muscles in dogs has been linked to human preferential selection of dogs whose faces appear to communicate information and emotion. Dogs who convey, especially with their eyes, a sense of perceived helplessness can elicit a caregiving response from humans. However, the facial muscles used to generate such expressions may not be uniquely present in all dogs, but rather specifically cultivated among various taxa and individuals. In a preliminary, qualitative gross anatomical evaluation of 10 canid specimens of various species, we find that the presence of two facial muscles previously implicated in human-directed canine communication, the levator anguli occuli medialis (LAOM) and the retractor anguli occuli lateralis (RAOL), was not unique to domesticated dogs (Canis familiaris). Our results suggest that these aspects of facial musculature do not necessarily reflect selection via human domestication and breeding. In addition to quantitatively evaluating more and other members of the Canidae family, future directions should include analyses of the impact of superficial facial features on canine communication and interspecies communication between dogs and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney L. Sexton
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Rui Diogo
- Department of Anatomy, Howard University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, USA
| | - Francys Subiaul
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Brenda J. Bradley
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
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5
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Duncan C, Thorley J, Manser MB, Clutton-Brock T. Dominance loss and tenure maintenance in Kalahari meerkats. Behav Ecol 2023; 34:979-991. [PMID: 37969548 PMCID: PMC10636735 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arad066] [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: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In many social species, both the acquisition of dominance and the duration that individuals maintain their status are important determinants of breeding tenure and lifetime reproductive success. However, few studies have yet examined the extent and causes of variation in dominance tenure and the duration of breeding lifespans. Here, we investigate the processes that terminate dominance tenures and examine how they differ between the sexes in wild Kalahari meerkats (Suricata suricatta), a cooperative breeder where a dominant breeding pair produces most of the young recruited into each group. Mortality and displacement by resident subordinate competitors were important forms of dominance loss for both sexes. However, dominant males (but rarely females) were also at risk of takeovers by extra-group invading males. Dominant males also differed from dominant females in that they abandoned their group after the death of their breeding partner, when no other breeding opportunities were present, whereas dominant females that lost their partner remained and continued to breed in the same group. We show that a larger number of processes can terminate dominance tenure in males with the result that the average male tenure of breeding positions was shorter than that of females, which contributes to the reduced variance in the lifetime reproductive success in males compared to females. Our analysis suggests that sex differences in emigration and immigration may often have downstream consequences for sex differences in reproductive variance and for the selection pressures operating on females and males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Duncan
- Large Animal Research Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape 8467, South Africa
| | - Jack Thorley
- Large Animal Research Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape 8467, South Africa
| | - Marta B Manser
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape 8467, South Africa
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, 0028 Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Tim Clutton-Brock
- Large Animal Research Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape 8467, South Africa
- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, 0028 Pretoria, South Africa
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6
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Žunna A, Ruņģis DE, Ozoliņš J, Stepanova A, Done G. Genetic Monitoring of Grey Wolves in Latvia Shows Adverse Reproductive and Social Consequences of Hunting. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1255. [PMID: 37759654 PMCID: PMC10525079 DOI: 10.3390/biology12091255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, genetic research methods play an important role in animal population studies. Since 2009, genetic material from Latvian wolf specimens obtained through hunting has been systematically gathered. This study, spanning until 2021, scrutinizes the consequences of regulated wolf hunting on population genetic metrics, kinship dynamics, and social organization. We employed 16 autosomal microsatellites to investigate relationships between full siblings and parent-offspring pairs. Our analysis encompassed expected and observed heterozygosity, inbreeding coefficients, allelic diversity, genetic distance and differentiation, mean pairwise relatedness, and the number of migrants per generation. The Latvian wolf population demonstrated robust genetic diversity with minimal inbreeding, maintaining stable allelic diversity and high heterozygosity over time and it is not fragmented. Our findings reveal the persistence of conventional wolf pack structures and enduring kinship groups. However, the study also underscores the adverse effects of intensified hunting pressure, leading to breeder loss, pack disruption, territorial displacement, and the premature dispersal of juvenile wolves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agrita Žunna
- Latvian State Forest Research Institute Silava, Rīgas Str. 111, LV-2169 Salaspils, Latvia; (D.E.R.)
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7
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Kern JM, Morris-Drake A, Radford AN. Behavioural, demographic and fitness consequences of social instability in cooperatively breeding dwarf mongoose groups. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230901. [PMID: 37583317 PMCID: PMC10427820 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0901] [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: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Social instability frequently arises in group-living species, but the potential costs have rarely been investigated in free-living cooperative breeders, especially across different timeframes. Using natural observations, body mass measurements and life-history data from dwarf mongooses (Helogale parvula), we determined the short- and long-term consequences of a change in one of the dominant breeding pairs. We found that a new breeder led to alterations in both collective and individual behaviours (i.e. increases in communal scent-marking, engagement in intergroup interactions, sentinel activity and within-group grooming), as well as reduced body mass gain, further demographic changes and decreased reproductive success (i.e. fewer pups surviving to adulthood). The effects were particularly apparent when it was the female breeder who changed; new female breeders were younger than more experienced counterparts. Our findings support the idea that stability and cooperation are strongly linked and provide potential reasons for previously documented health and fitness benefits of social stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie M. Kern
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale 2351, NSW, Australia
| | - Amy Morris-Drake
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Andrew N. Radford
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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8
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Oliynyk RT. Human-caused wolf mortality persists for years after discontinuation of hunting. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11084. [PMID: 37422540 PMCID: PMC10329645 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38148-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023] Open
Abstract
By the mid-twentieth century, wolves were nearly extinct in the lower 48 states, with a small number surviving in northern Minnesota. After wolves were placed on the endangered species list in 1973, the northern Minnesota wolf population increased and stabilized by the early 2000s. A wolf trophy hunt was introduced in 2012-2014 and then halted by a court order in December 2014. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources collected wolf radiotelemetry data for the years 2004-2019. Statistical analysis showed that wolf mortality remained close to constant from 2004 until the initiation of the hunt, and that mortality doubled with the initiation of the first hunting and trapping season in 2012, remaining at a nearly constant elevated level through 2019. Notably, average annual wolf mortality increased from 21.7% before wolf hunting seasons (10.0% by human causes and 11.7% natural causes) to 43.4% (35.8% by human causes and 7.6% natural causes). The fine-grained statistical trend implies that human-caused mortality increased sharply during the hunting seasons, while natural mortality initially dropped. After the hunt's discontinuation, human-caused mortality remained higher than prior to the hunting seasons throughout the five years of the available after-hunt radiotelemetry data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Teo Oliynyk
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, 02115, USA.
- Department of Computer Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand.
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9
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Merli E, Mattioli L, Bassi E, Bongi P, Berzi D, Ciuti F, Luccarini S, Morimando F, Viviani V, Caniglia R, Galaverni M, Fabbri E, Scandura M, Apollonio M. Estimating Wolf Population Size and Dynamics by Field Monitoring and Demographic Models: Implications for Management and Conservation. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:1735. [PMID: 37889658 PMCID: PMC10252110 DOI: 10.3390/ani13111735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
We estimated the current size and dynamics of the wolf population in Tuscany and investigated the trends and demographic drivers of population changes. Estimates were obtained by two different approaches: (i) mixed-technique field monitoring (from 2014 to 2016) that found the minimum observed pack number and estimated population size, and (ii) an individual-based model (run by Vortex software v. 10.3.8.0) with demographic inputs derived from a local intensive study area and historic data on population size. Field monitoring showed a minimum population size of 558 wolves (SE = 12.005) in 2016, with a density of 2.74 individuals/100 km2. The population model described an increasing trend with an average annual rate of increase λ = 1.075 (SE = 0.014), an estimated population size of about 882 individuals (SE = 9.397) in 2016, and a density of 4.29 wolves/100 km2. Previously published estimates of wolf population were as low as 56.2% compared to our field monitoring estimation and 34.6% in comparison to our model estimation. We conducted sensitivity tests to analyze the key parameters driving population changes based on juvenile and adult mortality rates, female breeding success, and litter size. Mortality rates played a major role in determining intrinsic growth rate changes, with adult mortality accounting for 62.5% of the total variance explained by the four parameters. Juvenile mortality was responsible for 35.8% of the variance, while female breeding success and litter size had weak or negligible effects. We concluded that reliable estimates of population abundance and a deeper understanding of the role of different demographic parameters in determining population dynamics are crucial to define and carry out appropriate conservation and management strategies to address human-wildlife conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Merli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Luca Mattioli
- Wildlife Service, Tuscany Region, 50127 Florence, Italy
| | - Elena Bassi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Paolo Bongi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Duccio Berzi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Francesca Ciuti
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Siriano Luccarini
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Federico Morimando
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Viviana Viviani
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Romolo Caniglia
- Unit for Conservation Genetics (BIO-CGE), Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), 40064 Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Elena Fabbri
- Unit for Conservation Genetics (BIO-CGE), Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), 40064 Bologna, Italy
| | - Massimo Scandura
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Marco Apollonio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
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10
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Simpson TL, Thiel RP, Sailer DT, Reineke DM, Thomsen M. Demographics of Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) Packs Recolonizing Variable Habitats in Central Wisconsin. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2023. [DOI: 10.1656/045.030.0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
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11
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Roffler GH, Karpovich S, Charapata P, Keogh MJ. Validation and measurement of physiological stress and reproductive hormones in wolf hair and claws. WILDLIFE SOC B 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gretchen H. Roffler
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Wildlife Conservation 801 3rd Street Douglas AK 99824 USA
| | - Shawna Karpovich
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Wildlife Conservation 1300 College, Road Fairbanks AK 99701 USA
| | - Patrick Charapata
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Wildlife Conservation 1300 College, Road Fairbanks AK 99701 USA
| | - Mandy J. Keogh
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Wildlife Conservation 801 3rd Street Douglas AK 99824 USA
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12
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Hill JE, Boone HM, Gantchoff MG, Kautz TM, Kellner KF, Orning EK, Parchizadeh J, Petroelje TR, Wehr NH, Finnegan SP, Fowler NL, Lutto AL, Schooler SL, van den Bosch M, Zubiria Perez A, Belant JL. Quantifying anthropogenic wolf mortality in relation to hunting regulations and landscape attributes across North America. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8875. [PMID: 35600694 PMCID: PMC9121029 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the types and magnitude of human‐caused mortality is essential for maintaining viable large carnivore populations. We used a database of cause‐specific mortality to examine how hunting regulations and landscape configurations influenced human‐caused mortality of North American gray wolves (Canis lupus). Our dataset included 21 studies that monitored the fates of 3564 wolves and reported 1442 mortalities. Human‐caused mortality accounted for 61% of mortality overall, with 23% due to illegal harvest, 16% due to legal harvest, and 12% the result of management removal. The overall proportion of anthropogenic wolf mortality was lowest in areas with an open hunting season compared to areas with a closed hunting season or mixed hunting regulations, suggesting that harvest mortality was neither fully additive nor compensatory. Proportion of mortality from management removal was reduced in areas with an open hunting season, suggesting that legal harvest may reduce human‐wolf conflicts or alternatively that areas with legal harvest have less potential for management removals (e.g., less livestock depredation). Proportion of natural habitat was negatively correlated with the proportion of anthropogenic and illegal harvest mortality. Additionally, the proportion of mortality due to illegal harvest increased with greater natural habitat fragmentation. The observed association between large patches of natural habitat and reductions in several sources of anthropogenic wolf mortality reiterate the importance of habitat preservation to maintain wolf populations. Furthermore, effective management of wolf populations via implementation of harvest may reduce conflict with humans. Effective wolf conservation will depend on holistic strategies that integrate ecological and socioeconomic factors to facilitate their long‐term coexistence with humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob E Hill
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA.,Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia Aiken South Carolina USA
| | - Hailey M Boone
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Mariela G Gantchoff
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Todd M Kautz
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Kenneth F Kellner
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Elizabeth K Orning
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA.,U.S. Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - Jamshid Parchizadeh
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Tyler R Petroelje
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Nathaniel H Wehr
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Shannon P Finnegan
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Nicholas L Fowler
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Ashley L Lutto
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Sarah L Schooler
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Merijn van den Bosch
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Alejandra Zubiria Perez
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Jerrold L Belant
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
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13
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Treves A, Louchouarn NX. Uncertainty and precaution in hunting wolves twice in a year. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0259604. [PMID: 35294446 PMCID: PMC8926205 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
When humanity confronts the risk of extinction of species, many people invoke precautions, especially in the face of uncertainty. Although precautionary approaches are value judgments, the optimal design and effect of precautions or lack thereof are scientific questions. We investigated Wisconsin gray wolves Canis lupus facing a second wolf-hunt in November 2021 and use three legal thresholds as the societal value judgments about precautions: (1) the 1999 population goal, 350 wolves, (2) the threshold for statutory listing under the state threatened and endangered species act, 250 wolves; and (3) state extirpation <2 wolves. This allows us to explore the quantitative relationship between precaution and uncertainty. Working from estimates of the size wolf population in April 2021 and reproduction to November, we constructed a simple linear model with uninformative priors for the period April 2021-April 2022 including an uncertain wolf-hunt in November 2021. Our first result is that the state government under-counted wolf deaths in the year preceding both wolf-hunts. We recommend better scientific analysis be used when setting wolf-hunt quotas. We find official recommendations for a quota for the November 2021 wolf-hunt risk undesirable outcomes. Even a quota of zero has a 13% chance of crossing threshold 1. Therefore, a zero death toll would be precautionary. Proponents for high quotas bear the burden of proof that their estimates are accurate, precise, and reproducible. We discuss why our approach is transferable to non-wolves. We show how scientists have the tools and concepts for quantifying and explaining the probabilities of crossing thresholds set by laws or other social norms. We recommend that scientists grapple with data gaps by explaining what the uncertainty means for policy and the public including the consequences of being wrong.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Treves
- Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Naomi X. Louchouarn
- Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
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14
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Borg BL, Schirokauer DW. The Role of Weather and Long-Term Prey Dynamics as Drivers of Wolf Population Dynamics in a Multi-Prey System. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.791161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As climate change accelerates in northern latitudes, there is an increasing need to understand the role of climate in influencing predator-prey systems. We investigated wolf population dynamics and numerical response in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska, United States from 1986 to 2016 under a long-term range of varying climatic conditions and in the context of prey vulnerability, abundance, and population structure using an integrated population modeling approach. We found that wolf natality, or the number of wolves added to packs, increased with higher caribou population size, calf:cow ratio, and hare numbers, responding to a 1-year lag. Apparent survival increased in years with higher calf:cow ratios and cumulative snowfall in the prior winter, indicators of a vulnerable prey base. Thus, indices of prey abundance and vulnerability led to responses in wolf demographics, but we did not find that the wolf population responded numerically. During recent caribou and moose population increases wolf natality increased yet wolf population size declined. The decline in wolf population size is attributed to fewer packs in recent years with a few very large packs as opposed to several packs of comparable size. Our results suggest that territoriality can play a vital role in our study area on regulating population growth. These results provide a baseline comparison of wolf responses to climatic and prey variability in an area with relatively low levels of human disturbance, a rare feature in wolf habitat worldwide.
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15
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Wiśniewska M, Puga-Gonzalez I, Lee P, Moss C, Russell G, Garnier S, Sueur C. Simulated poaching affects global connectivity and efficiency in social networks of African savanna elephants—An exemplar of how human disturbance impacts group-living species. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1009792. [PMID: 35041648 PMCID: PMC8797174 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Selective harvest, such as poaching, impacts group-living animals directly through mortality of individuals with desirable traits, and indirectly by altering the structure of their social networks. Understanding the relationship between disturbance-induced, structural network changes and group performance in wild animals remains an outstanding problem. To address this problem, we evaluated the immediate effect of disturbance on group sociality in African savanna elephants—an example, group-living species threatened by poaching. Drawing on static association data from ten free-ranging groups, we constructed one empirically based, population-wide network and 100 virtual networks; performed a series of experiments ‘poaching’ the oldest, socially central or random individuals; and quantified the immediate change in the theoretical indices of network connectivity and efficiency of social diffusion. Although the social networks never broke down, targeted elimination of the socially central conspecifics, regardless of age, decreased network connectivity and efficiency. These findings hint at the need to further study resilience by modeling network reorganization and interaction-mediated socioecological learning, empirical data permitting. The main contribution of our work is in quantifying connectivity together with global efficiency in multiple social networks that feature the sociodemographic diversity likely found in wild elephant populations. The basic design of our simulation makes it adaptable for hypothesis testing about the consequences of anthropogenic disturbance or lethal management on social interactions in a variety of group-living species with limited, real-world data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie Wiśniewska
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Ivan Puga-Gonzalez
- Institutt for global utvikling og samfunnsplanlegging, Universitetet i Agder, Kristiansand, Norway
- Center for Modeling Social Systems at NORCE, Kristiansand, Norway
| | - Phyllis Lee
- Amboseli Trust for Elephants, Nairobi, Kenya
- Faculty of Natural Science, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | | | - Gareth Russell
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Simon Garnier
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Cédric Sueur
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
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16
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Ausband DE, Mitchell MS. The effect of group size on reproduction in cooperatively breeding gray wolves depends on density. Anim Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- D. E. Ausband
- U.S. Geological Survey Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit University of Montana Missoula MT USA
| | - M. S. Mitchell
- U.S. Geological Survey Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit University of Montana Missoula MT USA
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17
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Duncan C, Manser MB, Clutton‐Brock T. Decline and fall: The causes of group failure in cooperatively breeding meerkats. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:14459-14474. [PMID: 34765119 PMCID: PMC8571573 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In many social vertebrates, variation in group persistence exerts an important effect on individual fitness and population demography. However, few studies have been able to investigate the failure of groups or the causes of the variation in their longevity. We use data from a long-term study of cooperatively breeding meerkats, Suricata suricatta, to investigate the different causes of group failure and the factors that drive these processes. Many newly formed groups failed within a year of formation, and smaller groups were more likely to fail. Groups that bred successfully and increased their size could persist for several years, even decades. Long-lived groups principally failed in association with the development of clinical tuberculosis, Mycobacterium suricattae, a disease that can spread throughout the group and be fatal for group members. Clinical tuberculosis was more likely to occur in groups that had smaller group sizes and that had experienced immigration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Duncan
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River ReserveVan ZylsrusSouth Africa
| | - Marta B. Manser
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River ReserveVan ZylsrusSouth Africa
- Animal BehaviourDepartment of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Tim Clutton‐Brock
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River ReserveVan ZylsrusSouth Africa
- Mammal Research InstituteUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
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18
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Maldonado‐Chaparro AA, Chaverri G. Why do animal groups matter for conservation and management? CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gloriana Chaverri
- Sede del Sur, Universidad de Costa Rica Golfito Costa Rica
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Ancón Panama
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19
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A metapopulation model of social group dynamics and disease applied to Yellowstone wolves. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2020023118. [PMID: 33649227 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2020023118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The population structure of social species has important consequences for both their demography and transmission of their pathogens. We develop a metapopulation model that tracks two key components of a species' social system: average group size and number of groups within a population. While the model is general, we parameterize it to mimic the dynamics of the Yellowstone wolf population and two associated pathogens: sarcoptic mange and canine distemper. In the initial absence of disease, we show that group size is mainly determined by the birth and death rates and the rates at which groups fission to form new groups. The total number of groups is determined by rates of fission and fusion, as well as environmental resources and rates of intergroup aggression. Incorporating pathogens into the models reduces the size of the host population, predominantly by reducing the number of social groups. Average group size responds in more subtle ways: infected groups decrease in size, but uninfected groups may increase when disease reduces the number of groups and thereby reduces intraspecific aggression. Our modeling approach allows for easy calculation of prevalence at multiple scales (within group, across groups, and population level), illustrating that aggregate population-level prevalence can be misleading for group-living species. The model structure is general, can be applied to other social species, and allows for a dynamic assessment of how pathogens can affect social structure and vice versa.
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20
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Socioecological conditions predict degu social instability and provide limited cues to forecast subsequent breeding conditions. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03017-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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21
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Bhandari A, Ghaskadbi P, Nigam P, Habib B. Dhole pack size variation: Assessing the effect of Prey availability and Apex predator. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:4774-4785. [PMID: 33976847 PMCID: PMC8093734 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In multipredator systems, group sizes of social carnivores are shaped by the asymmetric intraguild interactions. Subordinate social carnivores experience low recruitment rates as an outcome of predation pressure. In South and Southeast Asia, the Tiger (Panthera tigris), Dhole (Cuon alpinus), and Leopard (Panthera pardus) form a widely distributed sympatric guild of large carnivores, wherein tigers are the apex predators followed by dhole and leopard. In this study, we attempted to understand the variation in pack size of a social carnivore, the dhole, at two neighboring sites in the Central Indian landscape. We further evaluated local-scale patterns of variation in pack size at a larger scale by doing a distribution-wide assessment across the dhole ranging countries. At the local scale, we found an inverse relationship between the density of tiger and pack size of dhole while accounting for variability in resources and habitat heterogeneity. Larger dhole packs (16.8 ± 3.1) were observed at the site where the tiger density was low (0.46/100 km2), whereas a smaller pack size (6.4 ± 1.3) was observed in the site with high tiger density (5.36/100 km2). Our results for the distribution-wide assessment were concordant with local-scale results, showing a negative association of pack size with the tiger densities (effect size -0.77) and a positive association with the prey abundance (effect size 0.64). The study advances our understanding to answer the age-old question of "what drives the pack size of social predators in a multipredator system?" This study also highlights the importance of understanding demographic responses of subordinate predator for varying competitor densities, often helpful in making informed decisions for conservation and management strategies such as population recovery and translocation of species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aishwarya Bhandari
- Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyWildlife Institute of IndiaDehradunIndia
| | - Pallavi Ghaskadbi
- Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyWildlife Institute of IndiaDehradunIndia
| | - Parag Nigam
- Department of Wildlife Health and ManagementWildlife Institute of IndiaDehradunIndia
| | - Bilal Habib
- Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyWildlife Institute of IndiaDehradunIndia
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22
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Klauder K, Borg BL, Prugh LR. Living on the edge: spatial response of coyotes (Canis latrans) to wolves (Canis lupus) in the subarctic. CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2020-0050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how mesopredators manage the risks associated with apex predators is key to explaining impacts of apex predators on mesopredator populations and patterns of mesopredator space use. Here we examine the spatial response of coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823) to risk posed by wolves (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) using data from sympatric individuals fitted with GPS collars in subarctic Alaska, USA, near the northern range limit for coyotes. We show that coyotes do not universally avoid wolves, but instead demonstrate season-specific responses to both wolf proximity and long-term use of the landscape by wolves. Specifically, coyotes switched from avoiding wolves in summer to preferring areas with wolves in winter, and this selection was consistent across short-term and longer term temporal scales. In the summer, coyotes responded less strongly to risk of wolves when in open areas than when in closed vegetation. We also demonstrate that coyotes maintain extremely large territories averaging 291 km2, and experience low annual survival (0.50) with large carnivores being the largest source of mortality. This combination of attraction and avoidance predicated on season and landcover suggests that mesopredators use complex behavioral strategies to mediate the effects of apex predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaija Klauder
- University of Washington, College of the Environment, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Box 352100, Seattle, WA 98195-2100, USA
| | - Bridget L. Borg
- National Park Service, Denali National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 9, Denali Park, AK 99755, USA
| | - Laura R. Prugh
- University of Washington, College of the Environment, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Box 352100, Seattle, WA 98195-2100, USA
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23
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Klauder KJ, Borg BL, Sivy KJ, Prugh LR. Gifts of an enemy: scavenging dynamics in the presence of wolves (Canis lupus). J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Carrion represents an important resource for carnivores. Examining competition for carrion in a risk–reward framework allows for a better understanding of how predator guilds compete for and benefit from carrion. We used trail camera data to compare wintertime carrion use and vigilance behavior of four carnivores in Denali National Park and Preserve. We found that carrion use was dominated by wolves (Canis lupus) and wolverines (Gulo gulo), followed by red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and coyotes (Canis latrans). Wolves and wolverines were twice as likely to visit a carcass as foxes and coyotes, and their visits were longer and more numerous. Our results suggest scavenging animals reduced their risk exposure primarily by reducing their use of carrion, with some evidence of increased vigilance at busy sites. We found that carrion use and behavior at carcass sites were influenced by the mortality type of the carcass, the age of the carcass, and the long-term intensity of wolf use in the area. Our results also suggest that wolves are the “top scavenger,” and indicate that intraguild competition for carrion strongly affects which species benefit from carrion, with larger and more aggressive species dominating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaija J Klauder
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, College of the Environment, Box 352100, Seattle, WA 98195-2100, USA
| | - Bridget L Borg
- National Park Service, Denali National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 9, Denali Park, AK 99755, USA
| | - Kelly J Sivy
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, College of the Environment, Box 352100, Seattle, WA 98195-2100, USA
| | - Laura R Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, College of the Environment, Box 352100, Seattle, WA 98195-2100, USA
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24
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Brandell EE, Fountain-Jones NM, Gilbertson ML, Cross PC, Hudson PJ, Smith DW, Stahler DR, Packer C, Craft ME. Group density, disease, and season shape territory size and overlap of social carnivores. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:87-101. [PMID: 32654133 PMCID: PMC9844152 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The spatial organization of a population can influence the spread of information, behaviour and pathogens. Group territory size and territory overlap and components of spatial organization, provide key information as these metrics may be indicators of habitat quality, resource dispersion, contact rates and environmental risk (e.g. indirectly transmitted pathogens). Furthermore, sociality and behaviour can also shape space use, and subsequently, how space use and habitat quality together impact demography. Our study aims to identify factors shaping the spatial organization of wildlife populations and assess the impact of epizootics on space use. We further aim to explore the mechanisms by which disease perturbations could cause changes in spatial organization. Here we assessed the seasonal spatial organization of Serengeti lions and Yellowstone wolves at the group level. We use network analysis to describe spatial organization and connectivity of social groups. We then examine the factors predicting mean territory size and mean territory overlap for each population using generalized additive models. We demonstrate that lions and wolves were similar in that group-level factors, such as number of groups and shaped spatial organization more than population-level factors, such as population density. Factors shaping territory size were slightly different than factors shaping territory overlap; for example, wolf pack size was an important predictor of territory overlap, but not territory size. Lion spatial networks were more highly connected, while wolf spatial networks varied seasonally. We found that resource dispersion may be more important for driving territory size and overlap for wolves than for lions. Additionally, canine distemper epizootics may have altered lion spatial organization, highlighting the importance of including infectious disease epizootics in studies of behavioural and movement ecology. We provide insight about when we might expect to observe the impacts of resource dispersion, disease perturbations, and other ecological factors on spatial organization. Our work highlights the importance of monitoring and managing social carnivore populations at the group level. Future research should elucidate the complex relationships between demographics, social and spatial structure, abiotic and biotic conditions and pathogen infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen E. Brandell
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics & Department of Biology, Huck Institute for Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA 16802
| | | | - Marie L.J. Gilbertson
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108
| | - Paul C. Cross
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, Montana, USA 59715
| | - Peter J. Hudson
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics & Department of Biology, Huck Institute for Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA 16802
| | - Douglas W. Smith
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Wolf Project, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA
| | - Daniel R. Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Wolf Project, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA
| | - Craig Packer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108
| | - Meggan E. Craft
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108
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25
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Wolves without borders: Transboundary survival of wolves in Banff National Park over three decades. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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26
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Bauduin S, Grente O, Santostasi NL, Ciucci P, Duchamp C, Gimenez O. An individual-based model to explore the impacts of lesser-known social dynamics on wolf populations. Ecol Modell 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2020.109209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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27
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Santiago-Ávila FJ, Chappell RJ, Treves A. Liberalizing the killing of endangered wolves was associated with more disappearances of collared individuals in Wisconsin, USA. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13881. [PMID: 32807840 PMCID: PMC7431570 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70837-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Although poaching (illegal killing) is an important cause of death for large carnivores globally, the effect of lethal management policies on poaching is unknown for many populations. Two opposing hypotheses have been proposed: liberalizing killing may decrease poaching incidence ('tolerance hunting') or increase it ('facilitated poaching'). For gray wolves in Wisconsin, USA, we evaluated how five causes of death and disappearances of monitored, adult wolves were influenced by policy changes. We found slight decreases in reported wolf poaching hazard and incidence during six liberalized killing periods, but that was outweighed by larger increases in hazard and incidence of disappearance. Although the observed increase in the hazard of disappearance cannot be definitively shown to have been caused by an increase in cryptic poaching, we discuss two additional independent lines of evidence making this the most likely explanation for changing incidence among n = 513 wolves' deaths or disappearances during 12 replicated changes in policy. Support for the facilitated poaching hypothesis suggests the increase (11-34%) in disappearances reflects that poachers killed more wolves and concealed more evidence when the government relaxed protections for endangered wolves. We propose a refinement of the hypothesis of 'facilitated poaching' that narrows the cognitive and behavioral mechanisms underlying wolf-killing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard J Chappell
- Department of Biostatistics & Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, USA
| | - Adrian Treves
- Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, USA
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28
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Anton CB, Smith DW, Suraci JP, Stahler DR, Duane TP, Wilmers CC. Gray wolf habitat use in response to visitor activity along roadways in Yellowstone National Park. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Colby B. Anton
- Yellowstone Center for Resources National Park Service Yellowstone National Park Wyoming 82190 USA
- Environmental Studies Department Center for Integrated Spatial Research University of California Santa Cruz California 95064 USA
| | - Douglas W. Smith
- Yellowstone Center for Resources National Park Service Yellowstone National Park Wyoming 82190 USA
| | - Justin P. Suraci
- Environmental Studies Department Center for Integrated Spatial Research University of California Santa Cruz California 95064 USA
| | - Daniel R. Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources National Park Service Yellowstone National Park Wyoming 82190 USA
| | - Timothy P. Duane
- Environmental Studies Department University of California Santa Cruz California 95064 USA
| | - Christopher C. Wilmers
- Environmental Studies Department Center for Integrated Spatial Research University of California Santa Cruz California 95064 USA
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29
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Allen BL, Hampton JO. Minimizing animal welfare harms associated with predation management in agro-ecosystems. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1097-1108. [PMID: 32302055 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The impacts of wild predators on livestock are a common source of human-wildlife conflict globally, and predators are subject to population control for this reason in many situations. Animal welfare is one of many important considerations affecting decisions about predation management. Recent studies discussing animal welfare in this context have presented arguments emphasizing the importance of avoiding intentional harm to predators, but they have not usually considered harms imposed by predators on livestock and other animals. Efforts to mitigate predation impacts (including 'no control' approaches) cause a variety of harms to predators, livestock and other wildlife. Successfully minimizing the overall frequency and magnitude of harms requires consideration of the direct, indirect, intentional and unintentional harms imposed on all animals inhabiting agricultural landscapes. We review the harms resulting from the management of dingoes and other wild dogs in the extensive beef cattle grazing systems of Australia to illustrate how these negative impacts can be minimized across both wild and domestic species present on a farm or in a free-ranging livestock grazing context. Similar to many other predator-livestock conflicts, wild dogs impose intermittent harms on beef cattle (especially calves) including fatal predation, non-fatal attack (mauling and biting), pathogen transmission, and fear- or stress-related effects. Wild dog control tools and strategies impose harms on dingoes and other wildlife including stress, pain and death as a consequence of both lethal and non-lethal control approaches. To balance these various sources of harm, we argue that the tactical use of lethal predator control approaches can result in harming the least number of individual animals, given certain conditions. This conclusion conflicts with both traditional (e.g. continuous or ongoing lethal control) and contemporary (e.g. predator-friendly or no-control) predation management approaches. The general and transferable issues, approaches and principles we describe have broad applicability to many other human-wildlife conflicts around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L Allen
- Institute for Life Sciences and the Environment, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland, 4350, Australia.,Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, 6034, South Africa
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30
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Individual and seasonal variation in contact rate, connectivity and centrality in red fox (Vulpes vulpes) social groups. Sci Rep 2019; 9:20095. [PMID: 31882945 PMCID: PMC6934461 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56713-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Examining temporal variation in social connectivity and relating this to individual behaviour can help understand the role of individuals within social groups. Although red foxes are solitary foragers, they form social groups at higher population densities. To investigate the effects of season, sex and status on social connectivity in red fox social groups, we set camera traps for four consecutive seasons to record contact rates and social network metrics at food patches in seven fox territories. Higher food availability was associated with higher contact rates. Individual contact rates peaked in different seasons depending on sex and social status. Dominant foxes held central network positions in all seasons but there was no consistent pattern in social connections within territories, suggesting a greater influence of features such as group size and composition on network structure than seasonal behaviour. Increased extraterritorial movements by males during winter contributed to a significant reduction in local network connectivity. Female network strength did not vary with season, suggesting that females play an important role in maintaining year-round group cohesion. These data advance our understanding of canid social systems, the benefits of group-living in solitary foraging carnivores, and the impacts of management interventions for an ecologically important species.
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Treves A, Krofel M, Ohrens O, van Eeden LM. Predator Control Needs a Standard of Unbiased Randomized Experiments With Cross-Over Design. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Dorning J, Harris S. Understanding the intricacy of canid social systems: Structure and temporal stability of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) groups. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0220792. [PMID: 31509536 PMCID: PMC6738593 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Red foxes have a highly flexible social system. Despite numerous studies worldwide, our understanding of the pattern and stability of fox social relationships remains limited. We applied social network analysis to camera trap data collected at high-quality foraging patches to examine the social structure of a population of urban red foxes. Foxes encountered a conspecific on 13% of patch visits, and had significant preferred and avoided companionships in all seasons. They also associated in communities that matched territorial space use, confirming that territories can be analysed separately to increase power without excluding too many social partners. Foxes maintained stable, long-term relationships with other territory residents, but the average longevity of relationships varied seasonally, suggesting that social connectivity, particularly between foxes from different social groups, is influenced by their annual life cycle. The probability of re-association after a given time lag was highest in spring and summer, during cub birth and rearing, and lowest in the winter mating season, when mean relationship duration was shorter. 33% of fox relationships lasted for four consecutive seasons and were probably between territory residents. 14% lasted for around 20 days and were probably between residents and visitors from adjacent territories. The majority (53%) lasted less than one day, particularly during dispersal and mating, and were probably between foxes from non-adjacent social groups. Social structure varied between groups; in one group the death of the dominant male caused significant social disruption for two seasons. This is the first application of social network analysis to multiple red fox social groups. However, our analyses were based on interactions at high quality food patches; social connections may differ when foxes are resting, travelling and foraging elsewhere in their territory. Our results will inform management practices, particularly for disease spread and population control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo Dorning
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, England, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Stephen Harris
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, England, United Kingdom
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Ausband DE. Pair bonds, reproductive success, and rise of alternate mating strategies in a social carnivore. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Monogamy is commonly observed across a wide variety of species and taxa and arises when young are altricial, parental investment in young is high, and mate monopolization is generally not possible. In such species, pairs may bond for multiple breeding seasons while successfully rearing young. Individuals, however, may attempt to bypass the dominant mating strategy particularly when breeding opportunities are limited. Currently, we do not know how pair bond duration affects the efficacy of alternative mating strategies in populations with a monogamous mating system. Additionally, inferences about pair bond effects on reproductive success (i.e., both clutch size and recruitment) are largely limited to long-lived birds and little is known about effects on mammalian cooperative breeders. I used genetic sampling and pedigrees to examine the effects of pair bond duration on reproductive success (i.e., litter size, recruitment) and mating strategies in a population of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in Idaho, USA. There was a positive, marginally significant relationship between pair bond duration and apparent survival of offspring. Increased pair bond duration was also associated with a dampening in the prevalence of other alternative mating strategies such as sneaker males and polygamy. The selective advantage of alternative mating strategies is a combination of population, group (for applicable species), individual, and social influences such as pair bonds. The distribution of pair bonds in a monogamous population affects the selective advantage, and hence frequency, of various mating strategies observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Ausband
- US Geological Survey, Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Coeur d’ Alene, ID, USA
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Food, family and female age affect reproduction and pup survival of African wild dogs. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2676-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Hinton JW, Heppenheimer E, West KM, Caudill D, Karlin ML, Kilgo JC, Mayer JJ, Miller KV, Walch M, vonHoldt B, Chamberlain MJ. Geographic patterns in morphometric and genetic variation for coyote populations with emphasis on southeastern coyotes. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:3389-3404. [PMID: 30962900 PMCID: PMC6434562 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 12/02/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Prior to 1900, coyotes (Canis latrans) were restricted to the western and central regions of North America, but by the early 2000s, coyotes became ubiquitous throughout the eastern United States. Information regarding morphological and genetic structure of coyote populations in the southeastern United States is limited, and where data exist, they are rarely compared to those from other regions of North America. We assessed geographic patterns in morphology and genetics of coyotes with special consideration of coyotes in the southeastern United States. Mean body mass of coyote populations increased along a west-to-east gradient, with southeastern coyotes being intermediate to western and northeastern coyotes. Similarly, principal component analysis of body mass and linear body measurements suggested that southeastern coyotes were intermediate to western and northeastern coyotes in body size but exhibited shorter tails and ears from other populations. Genetic analyses indicated that southeastern coyotes represented a distinct genetic cluster that differentiated strongly from western and northeastern coyotes. We postulate that southeastern coyotes experienced lower immigration from western populations than did northeastern coyotes, and over time, genetically diverged from both western and northeastern populations. Coyotes colonizing eastern North America experienced different selective pressures than did stable populations in the core range, and we offer that the larger body size of eastern coyotes reflects an adaptation that improved dispersal capabilities of individuals in the expanding range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W. Hinton
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
| | | | | | - Danny Caudill
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissionGainesvilleFlorida
- Present address:
Alaska Department of Fish and GameFairbanksAlaska
| | - Melissa L. Karlin
- Department of Physics and Environmental SciencesSt. Mary's UniversitySan AntonioTexas
| | - John C. Kilgo
- United States Department of AgricultureForest Service Southern Research StationNew EllentonSouth Carolina
| | - John Joseph Mayer
- United States Department of Energy, Environmental Sciences, and BiotechnologySavannah River National LaboratoryAikenSouth Carolina
| | - Karl V. Miller
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
| | | | - Bridgett vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNew Jersey
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Dorning J, Harris S. Quantifying group size in the red fox: impacts of definition, season and intrusion by non‐residents. J Zool (1987) 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Dorning
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UK
| | - S. Harris
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UK
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Dellinger J, Shores C, Marsh M, Heithaus M, Ripple W, Wirsing A. Impacts of recolonizing gray wolves (Canis lupus) on survival and mortality in two sympatric ungulates. CAN J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2017-0282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
There is growing recognition that humans may mediate the strength and nature of the ecological effects of large predators. We took advantage of ongoing gray wolf (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) recolonization in Washington, USA, to contrast adult survival rates and sources of mortality for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque, 1817)) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780)) in areas with and without wolf packs in a managed landscape dominated by multiple human uses. We tested the hypothesis that the addition of wolves to the existing predator guild would augment predator-induced mortality rates for both ungulates. Source of mortality data from adult mule deer and white-tailed deer, respectively, revealed that wolf-related mortality was low compared with that inflicted by other predators or humans. Predator-caused mortality was largely confined to winter. There was little effect of wolf presence on adult deer mortality rates, and there was no difference in mortality between the two deer species relative to wolf-free or wolf-occupied sites. Although this study occurred early in wolf recovery in Washington, our results differ from those demonstrated for gray wolves in protected areas. Thus, we encourage further investigation of effects of direct predation by recolonizing large carnivores on prey in human-dominated landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J.A. Dellinger
- School of Environment and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Box 352100, Seattle, WA 98195-2100, USA
| | - C.R. Shores
- School of Environment and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Box 352100, Seattle, WA 98195-2100, USA
| | - M. Marsh
- United States Forest Service, Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest, Tonasket Ranger District, Tonasket, WA 98855, USA
| | - M.R. Heithaus
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - W.J. Ripple
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - A.J. Wirsing
- School of Environment and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Box 352100, Seattle, WA 98195-2100, USA
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Westley PAH, Berdahl AM, Torney CJ, Biro D. Collective movement in ecology: from emerging technologies to conservation and management. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170004. [PMID: 29581389 PMCID: PMC5882974 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in technology and quantitative methods have led to the emergence of a new field of study that stands to link insights of researchers from two closely related, but often disconnected disciplines: movement ecology and collective animal behaviour. To date, the field of movement ecology has focused on elucidating the internal and external drivers of animal movement and the influence of movement on broader ecological processes. Typically, tracking and/or remote sensing technology is employed to study individual animals in natural conditions. By contrast, the field of collective behaviour has quantified the significant role social interactions play in the decision-making of animals within groups and, to date, has predominantly relied on controlled laboratory-based studies and theoretical models owing to the constraints of studying interacting animals in the field. This themed issue is intended to formalize the burgeoning field of collective movement ecology which integrates research from both movement ecology and collective behaviour. In this introductory paper, we set the stage for the issue by briefly examining the approaches and current status of research in these areas. Next, we outline the structure of the theme issue and describe the obstacles collective movement researchers face, from data acquisition in the field to analysis and problems of scale, and highlight the key contributions of the assembled papers. We finish by presenting research that links individual and broad-scale ecological and evolutionary processes to collective movement, and finally relate these concepts to emerging challenges for the management and conservation of animals on the move in a world that is increasingly impacted by human activity.This article is part of the theme issue 'Collective movement ecology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A H Westley
- Department of Fisheries, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Andrew M Berdahl
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
- School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Colin J Torney
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8SQ, UK
| | - Dora Biro
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
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40
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Suutarinen J, Kojola I. One way or another: predictors of wolf poaching in a legally harvested wolf population. Anim Conserv 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - I. Kojola
- Natural Resources Institute Finland; Rovaniemi Finland
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41
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Hinton JW, Gittleman JL, van Manen FT, Chamberlain MJ. Size-assortative choice and mate availability influences hybridization between red wolves ( Canis rufus) and coyotes ( Canis latrans). Ecol Evol 2018; 8:3927-3940. [PMID: 29721269 PMCID: PMC5916303 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2017] [Revised: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic hybridization of historically isolated taxa has become a primary conservation challenge for many imperiled species. Indeed, hybridization between red wolves (Canis rufus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) poses a significant challenge to red wolf recovery. We considered seven hypotheses to assess factors influencing hybridization between red wolves and coyotes via pair‐bonding between the two species. Because long‐term monogamy and defense of all‐purpose territories are core characteristics of both species, mate choice has long‐term consequences. Therefore, red wolves may choose similar‐sized mates to acquire partners that behave similarly to themselves in the use of space and diet. We observed multiple factors influencing breeding pair formation by red wolves and found that most wolves paired with similar‐sized conspecifics and wolves that formed congeneric pairs with nonwolves (coyotes and hybrids) were mostly female wolves, the smaller of the two sexes. Additionally, we observed that lower red wolf abundance relative to nonwolves and the absence of helpers increased the probability that wolves consorted with nonwolves. However, successful pairings between red wolves and nonwolves were associated with wolves that maintained small home ranges. Behaviors associated with territoriality are energetically demanding and behaviors (e.g., aggressive interactions, foraging, and space use) involved in maintaining territories are influenced by body size. Consequently, we propose the hypothesis that size disparities between consorting red wolves and coyotes influence positive assortative mating and may represent a reproductive barrier between the two species. We offer that it may be possible to maintain wild populations of red wolves in the presence of coyotes if management strategies increase red wolf abundance on the landscape by mitigating key threats, such as human‐caused mortality and hybridization with coyotes. Increasing red wolf abundance would likely restore selection pressures that increase mean body and home‐range sizes of red wolves and decrease hybridization rates via reduced occurrence of congeneric pairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W Hinton
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens GA USA
| | | | - Frank T van Manen
- U.S. Geological Survey Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team Bozeman MT USA
| | - Michael J Chamberlain
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens GA USA
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42
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin E. Jacobs
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game; 2885 West Kathleen Avenue Coeur d'Alene ID 83815 USA
| | - David E. Ausband
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game; 2885 West Kathleen Avenue Coeur d'Alene ID 83815 USA
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43
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Sivy KJ, Pozzanghera CB, Colson KE, Mumma MA, Prugh LR. Apex predators and the facilitation of resource partitioning among mesopredators. OIKOS 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly J. Sivy
- Dept of Biology and Wildlife; Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks; Fairbanks AK 99775 USA
| | | | - Kassidy E. Colson
- Alaska Dept of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation; Palmer AK USA
| | - Matthew A. Mumma
- Ecosystem Science and Management, Univ. of Northern British Columbia; Prince George BC Canada
| | - Laura R. Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Univ. of Washington; Seattle WA USA
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Stien A. Blood may buy goodwill: no evidence for a positive relationship between legal culling and poaching in Wisconsin. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:rspb.2017.0267. [PMID: 29167355 PMCID: PMC5719162 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Audun Stien
- Norwegian Institute of Nature Research, Fram Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
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45
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Eddine A, Mostefai N, Smet KD, Klees D, Ansorge H, Karssene Y, Nowak C, Leer PVD. Diet composition of a Newly Recognized Canid Species, the African Golden Wolf (Canis anthus), in Northern Algeria. ANN ZOOL FENN 2017. [DOI: 10.5735/086.054.0506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Eddine
- Laboratory of water conservatory management soil and forest, Faculty of Sciences of Nature and Life, Tlemcen University, P.O. Box 119, Tlemcen 13000, Algeria
| | - Noureddine Mostefai
- Laboratory of water conservatory management soil and forest, Faculty of Sciences of Nature and Life, Tlemcen University, P.O. Box 119, Tlemcen 13000, Algeria
| | - Koen De Smet
- Society of North African Big Carnivores Stichting, Drabstraat 288, BE-2640 Mortsel, Belgium
| | - Dick Klees
- Society of North African Big Carnivores Stichting, Drabstraat 288, BE-2640 Mortsel, Belgium
| | - Hermann Ansorge
- Senckenberg Museum of Natural History, D-02826 Görlitz, Germany
| | - Yamna Karssene
- Laboratory of Livestock and Wildlife, Arid Land Institute, Djorf Street, 4119 Medenine, Tunisia
| | - Carsten Nowak
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Conservation Genetics Section, Clamecystrasse 12, D-63571 Gelnhausen, Germany
| | - Peter van der Leer
- Society of North African Big Carnivores Stichting, Drabstraat 288, BE-2640 Mortsel, Belgium
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46
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Sivy KJ, Pozzanghera CB, Grace JB, Prugh LR. Fatal Attraction? Intraguild Facilitation and Suppression among Predators. Am Nat 2017; 190:663-679. [PMID: 29053355 DOI: 10.1086/693996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Competition and suppression are recognized as dominant forces that structure predator communities. Facilitation via carrion provisioning, however, is a ubiquitous interaction among predators that could offset the strength of suppression. Understanding the relative importance of these positive and negative interactions is necessary to anticipate community-wide responses to apex predator declines and recoveries worldwide. Using state-sponsored wolf (Canis lupus) control in Alaska as a quasi experiment, we conducted snow track surveys of apex, meso-, and small predators to test for evidence of carnivore cascades (e.g., mesopredator release). We analyzed survey data using an integrative occupancy and structural equation modeling framework to quantify the strengths of hypothesized interaction pathways, and we evaluated fine-scale spatiotemporal responses of nonapex predators to wolf activity clusters identified from radio-collar data. Contrary to the carnivore cascade hypothesis, both meso- and small predator occupancy patterns indicated guild-wide, negative responses of nonapex predators to wolf abundance variations at the landscape scale. At the local scale, however, we observed a near guild-wide, positive response of nonapex predators to localized wolf activity. Local-scale association with apex predators due to scavenging could lead to landscape patterns of mesopredator suppression, suggesting a key link between occupancy patterns and the structure of predator communities at different spatial scales.
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47
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Hunters’ attitudes matter: diverging bear and wolf population trajectories in Finland in the late nineteenth century and today. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-017-1134-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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48
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Ausband DE, Mitchell MS, Waits LP. Effects of breeder turnover and harvest on group composition and recruitment in a social carnivore. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:1094-1101. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael S. Mitchell
- U.S. Geological Survey; Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit; University of Montana; Missoula MT, USA
| | - Lisette P. Waits
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences; University of Idaho; Moscow ID USA
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49
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Schmidt JH, Burch JW, MacCluskie MC. Effects of control on the dynamics of an adjacent protected wolf population in interior Alaska. WILDLIFE MONOGRAPHS 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/wmon.1026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua H. Schmidt
- Central Alaska Network; U.S. National Park Service; 4175 Geist Road Fairbanks AK 99709 USA
| | - John W. Burch
- Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve; U.S. National Park Service; 4175 Geist Road Fairbanks AK 99709 USA
| | - Margaret C. MacCluskie
- Central Alaska Network; U.S. National Park Service; 4175 Geist Road Fairbanks AK 99709 USA
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50
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Challenges and science-based implications for modern management and conservation of European ungulate populations. MAMMAL RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-017-0321-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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