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Chan YC, Kormann UG, Witczak S, Scherler P, Grüebler MU. Ontogeny of migration destination, route and timing in a partially migratory bird. J Anim Ecol 2024. [PMID: 39072797 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
In migratory animals, the developmental period from inexperienced juveniles to breeding adults could be a key life stage in shaping population migration patterns. Nevertheless, the development of migration routines in early life remains underexplored. While age-related changes in migration routes and timing have been described in obligate migrants, most investigations into the ontogeny of partial migrants only focused on age-dependency of migration as a binary tactic (migrant or resident), and variations in routes and timing among individuals classified as 'migrants' is rarely considered. To fill this gap, we study the ontogeny of migration destination, route and timing in a partially migratory red kite (Milvus milvus) population. Using an extensive GPS-tracking dataset (292 fledglings and 38 adults, with 1-5 migrations tracked per individual), we studied how nine different migration characteristics changed with age and breeding status in migrant individuals, many of which become resident later in life. Individuals departed later from and arrived earlier at the breeding areas as they aged, resulting in a gradual prolongation of stay in the breeding area by 2 months from the first to the fifth migration. Individuals delayed southward migration in the year prior to territory acquirement, and they further delayed it after occupying a territory. Migration routes became more direct with age. Individuals were highly faithful to their wintering site. Migration distance shortened only slightly with age and was more similar among siblings than among unrelated individuals. The large gradual changes in northward and southward migrations suggest a high degree of plasticity in temporal characteristics during the developmental window. However, the high wintering site fidelity points towards large benefits of site familiarity, prompting spatial migratory plasticity to be expressed through a switch to residency. The contrasting patterns of trajectories of age-related changes between spatial and temporal migration characteristics might reflect different mechanisms underlying the expression of plasticity. Investigating such patterns among species along the entire spectrum of migration tactics would enable further understanding of the plastic responses exhibited by migratory species to rapid environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Chi Chan
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Urs G Kormann
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie Witczak
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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2
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Green DA, Polidori S, Stratton SM. Modular switches shift monarch butterfly migratory flight behavior at their Mexican overwintering sites. iScience 2024; 27:109063. [PMID: 38420583 PMCID: PMC10901092 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Eastern North American migratory monarch butterflies exhibit migratory behavioral states in fall and spring characterized by sun-dependent oriented flight. However, it is unclear how monarchs transition between these behavioral states at their overwintering site. Using a modified Mouritsen-Frost flight simulator, we confirm individual directionality and compass-based orientation (leading to group orientation) in fall migrants, and also uncover sustained flight propensity and direction-based flight reinforcement as distinctly migratory behavioral traits. By testing monarchs at their Mexican overwintering sites, we show that overwintering monarchs show reduced propensity for sustained flight and lose individual directionality, leading to the loss of group-level orientation. Overwintering fliers orient axially in a time-of-day dependent manner, which may indicate local versus long-distance directional heading. These results support a model of migratory flight behavior in which modular, state-dependent switches for flight propensity and orientation control are highly dynamic and are controlled in season- and location-dependent manners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delbert A. Green
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan—Ann Arbor, 1105 N. University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sean Polidori
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan—Ann Arbor, 1105 N. University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Samuel M. Stratton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan—Ann Arbor, 1105 N. University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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3
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Williams S, Hebblewhite M, Martin H, Meyer C, Whittington J, Killeen J, Berg J, MacAulay K, Smolko P, Merrill EH. Predation risk drives long-term shifts in migratory behaviour and demography in a large herbivore population. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:21-35. [PMID: 37982331 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14022] [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: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Migration is an adaptive life-history strategy across taxa that helps individuals maximise fitness by obtaining forage and avoiding predation risk. The mechanisms driving migratory changes are poorly understood, and links between migratory behaviour, space use, and demographic consequences are rare. Here, we use a nearly 20-year record of individual-based monitoring of a large herbivore, elk (Cervus canadensis) to test hypotheses for changing patterns of migration in and adjacent to a large protected area in Banff National Park (BNP), Canada. We test whether bottom-up (forage quality) or top-down (predation risk) factors explained trends in (i) the proportion of individuals using 5 different migratory tactics, (ii) differences in survival rates of migratory tactics during migration and whilst on summer ranges, (iii) cause-specific mortality by wolves and grizzly bears, and (iv) population abundance. We found dramatic shifts in migration consistent with behavioural plasticity in individual choice of annual migratory routes. Shifts were inconsistent with exposure to the bottom-up benefits of migration. Instead, exposure to landscape gradients in predation risk caused by exploitation outside the protected area drove migratory shifts. Carnivore exploitation outside the protected area led to higher survival rates for female elk remaining resident or migrating outside the protected area. Cause-specific mortality aligned with exposure to predation risk along migratory routes and summer ranges. Wolf predation risk was higher on migratory routes than summer ranges of montane-migrant tactics, but wolf predation risk traded-off with heightened risk from grizzly bears on summer ranges. A novel eastern migrant tactic emerged following a large forest fire that enhanced forage in an area with lower predation risk outside of the protected area. The changes in migratory behaviour translated to population abundance, where abundance of the montane-migratory tactics declined over time. The presence of diverse migratory life histories maintained a higher total population abundance than would have been the case with only one migratory tactic in the population. Our study demonstrates the complex ways in which migratory populations change over time through behavioural plasticity and associated demographic consequences because of individuals balancing predation risk and forage trade-offs.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Williams
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - M Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - H Martin
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - C Meyer
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - J Whittington
- Banff National Park, Parks Canada, Banff, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Killeen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Berg
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - K MacAulay
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - P Smolko
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Applied Zoology and Wildlife Management, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - E H Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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4
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Ramos RF, Franco AMA, Gilroy JJ, Silva JP. Temperature and microclimate refugia use influence migratory timings of a threatened grassland bird. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:75. [PMID: 38041190 PMCID: PMC10691164 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00437-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Seasonal changes in resource availability are known to influence the migratory behaviour of animals, including both timing and distance. While the influence of environmental cues on migratory behaviour has been widely studied at the population level, it has rarely been examined at the spatial scale at which individuals experience their environment. Here, we test the hypothesis that individuals exposed to similar large-scale environmental cues may vary in migratory behaviour in response to the different microclimate conditions they experience at fine scales. METHODS We combine high-spatial and temporal resolution microclimate and habitat information with GPS tracking data for a partially migratory threatened grassland bird. Data from 47 little bustards (Tetrax tetrax; 67 breeding events) tracked between 2009 and 2019 was used to (i) evaluate individual consistency in migratory behaviour (timing and distance) and (ii) assess whether the local environmental characteristics experienced by individuals - and in particular their use of microclimate refugia - influence distance and timing of migration, from and to the breeding sites. RESULTS Migratory distance was consistent for birds tracked over multiple years, while the timing of migration showed high variability among individuals. Departures from breeding areas spanned from May to August, with a few birds remaining in their breeding areas. Vegetation greenness (a proxy for food availability) was positively associated with the time birds spent in the breeding area. The best model also included a positive effect of microclimate refugia availability on breeding season length, although an interaction with temperature suggested that this effect did not occur at the highest relative temperatures. The return date to breeding grounds, although spanning from September to April, was not influenced by the environmental conditions or food availability. CONCLUSIONS Food availability, measured by a vegetation greenness proxy, was associated with later migration at the end of the breeding season. Availability of cooler microclimate refugia may also allow for later departures from the breeding sites in all but the hottest conditions. Management measures that increase microclimate refugia availability and provide foraging resources can thus potentially increase the length of the breeding season for this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita F Ramos
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, 4485-661, Portugal.
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, Lisboa, 1349-017, Portugal.
- Departamento Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, 4485-661, Portugal.
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
| | - Aldina M A Franco
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - James J Gilroy
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - João P Silva
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, 4485-661, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, 4485-661, Portugal
- Estação Biológica de Mértola, Mértola, Portugal
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Enns GE, Jex B, Boyce MS. Diverse migration patterns and seasonal habitat use of Stone's sheep ( Ovis dalli stonei). PeerJ 2023; 11:e15215. [PMID: 37342360 PMCID: PMC10278595 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
We describe temporal and spatial patterns of seasonal space-use and migration by 16 GPS-collared Stone's sheep (Ovis dalli stonei) from nine bands in the Cassiar Mountains of northern British Columbia, Canada. Our objectives were to identify the timing of spring and fall migrations, characterize summer and winter ranges, map and describe migration routes and use of stopover sites, and document altitudinal change across seasons. Our last objective was to assess individual migration strategies based on patterns of geographic migration, altitudinal migration, or residency. Median start and end dates of the spring migration were 12 and 17 Jun (range: 20 May to 05 Aug), and of the fall migration were 30 Aug and 22 Sep (range: 21 Aug to 07 Jan). The median area of winter and summer ranges for geographic migrants were 630.8 ha and 2,829.0 ha, respectively, with a broad range from about 233.6 to 10,196.2 ha. Individuals showed high fidelity to winter ranges over the limited duration of the study. The winter and summer ranges of most individuals (n = 15) were at moderate to high elevations with a median summer elevation of 1,709 m (1,563-1,827 m) and 1,673 m (1,478-1,751 m) that varied <150 m between ranges. Almost all collared females (n = 14) exhibited changes in elevation use that coincide with abbreviated altitudinal migration. Specifically, these females descended to lower spring elevations from their winter range (Δ > 150 m), and then gradually moved up to higher-elevation summer ranges (Δ > 150 m). In the fall, they descended to lower elevations (Δ > 100 m) before returning to their higher winter ranges. The median distance travelled along geographic migration routes was 16.3 km (range: 7.6-47.4 km). During the spring migration, most geographic migrants (n = 8) used at least one stopover site (median = 1.5, range: 0-4), while almost all migrants (n = 11) used stopover sites more frequently in the fall (median = 2.5, range: 0-6). Of the 13 migratory individuals that had at least one other collared individual in their band, most migrated at about the same time, occupied the same summer and winter ranges, used similar migration routes and stopover sites, and exhibited the same migration strategy. We found collared females exhibited four different migration strategies which mostly varied across bands. Migration strategies included long-distance geographic migrants (n = 5), short-distance geographic migrants (n = 5), vacillating migrants (n = 2), and abbreviated altitudinal migrants (n = 4). Different migratory strategies occurred within one band where one collared individual migrated and two did not. We conclude that female Stone's sheep in the Cassiar Mountains displayed a diverse assemblage of seasonal habitat use and migratory behaviors. By delineating seasonal ranges, migration routes and stopover sites, we identify potential areas of priority that can help inform land-use planning and preserve the native migrations of Stone's sheep in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace E. Enns
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- WSP Canada, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bill Jex
- Fish & Wildlife Branch, British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Smithers, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mark S. Boyce
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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6
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Martin H, Hebblewhite M, Hubbs A, Corrigan R, Merrill EH. Male elk survival, vulnerability, and antler size in a transboundary and partially migratory population. J Wildl Manage 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hans Martin
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation University of Montana Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation University of Montana Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Anne Hubbs
- Alberta Environment and Parks Box 1720, 4919‐51 Street, Provincial Building Rocky Mountain House AB T4T 1B3 Canada
| | - Rob Corrigan
- Alberta Environment and Parks 9920 108 Street Edmonton AB T5K 2M4 Canada
| | - Evelyn H. Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T1L 16K Canada
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7
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Pither R, O’Brien P, Brennan A, Hirsh-Pearson K, Bowman J. Predicting areas important for ecological connectivity throughout Canada. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0281980. [PMID: 36812251 PMCID: PMC9946242 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Governments around the world have acknowledged that urgent action is needed to conserve and restore ecological connectivity to help reverse the decline of biodiversity. In this study we tested the hypothesis that functional connectivity for multiple species can be estimated across Canada using a single, upstream connectivity model. We developed a movement cost layer with cost values assigned using expert opinion to anthropogenic land cover features and natural features based on their known and assumed effects on the movement of terrestrial, non-volant fauna. We used Circuitscape to conduct an omnidirectional connectivity analysis for terrestrial landscapes, in which the potential contribution of all landscape elements to connectivity were considered and where source and destination nodes were independent of land tenure. Our resulting map of mean current density provided a seamless estimate of movement probability at a 300 m resolution across Canada. We tested predictions in our map using a variety of independently collected wildlife data. We found that GPS data for individual caribou, wolves, moose, and elk that traveled longer distances in western Canada were all significantly correlated with areas of high current densities. The frequency of moose roadkill in New Brunswick was also positively associated with current density, but our map was not able to predict areas of high road mortality for herpetofauna in southern Ontario. The results demonstrate that an upstream modelling approach can be used to characterize functional connectivity for multiple species across a large study area. Our national connectivity map can help governments in Canada prioritize land management decisions to conserve and restore connectivity at both national and regional scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Pither
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Canada
- * E-mail: (RP); (JB)
| | - Paul O’Brien
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Canada
| | - Angela Brennan
- Interdisciplinary Biodiversity Solutions Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Kristen Hirsh-Pearson
- Conservation Solutions Lab, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, Canada
| | - Jeff Bowman
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Canada
- Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
- * E-mail: (RP); (JB)
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8
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Webber QMR, Albery GF, Farine DR, Pinter-Wollman N, Sharma N, Spiegel O, Vander Wal E, Manlove K. Behavioural ecology at the spatial-social interface. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:868-886. [PMID: 36691262 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Spatial and social behaviour are fundamental aspects of an animal's biology, and their social and spatial environments are indelibly linked through mutual causes and shared consequences. We define the 'spatial-social interface' as intersection of social and spatial aspects of individuals' phenotypes and environments. Behavioural variation at the spatial-social interface has implications for ecological and evolutionary processes including pathogen transmission, population dynamics, and the evolution of social systems. We link spatial and social processes through a foundation of shared theory, vocabulary, and methods. We provide examples and future directions for the integration of spatial and social behaviour and environments. We introduce key concepts and approaches that either implicitly or explicitly integrate social and spatial processes, for example, graph theory, density-dependent habitat selection, and niche specialization. Finally, we discuss how movement ecology helps link the spatial-social interface. Our review integrates social and spatial behavioural ecology and identifies testable hypotheses at the spatial-social interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinn M R Webber
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Gregory F Albery
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, 37th and O Streets, Washington, DC, 20007, USA.,Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstraße 19, 14193, Berlin, Germany.,Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Universitatsstraße 10, 78464, Constance, Germany.,Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Nitika Sharma
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Orr Spiegel
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Kezia Manlove
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5200 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
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9
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Peller T, Guichard F, Altermatt F. The significance of partial migration for food web and ecosystem dynamics. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:3-22. [PMID: 36443028 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14143] [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: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Migration is ubiquitous and can strongly shape food webs and ecosystems. Less familiar, however, is that the majority of life cycle, seasonal and diel migrations in nature are partial migrations: only a fraction of the population migrates while the other individuals remain in their resident ecosystem. Here, we demonstrate different impacts of partial migration rendering it fundamental to our understanding of the significance of migration for food web and ecosystem dynamics. First, partial migration affects the spatiotemporal distribution of individuals and the food web and ecosystem-level processes they drive differently than expected under full migration. Second, whether an individual migrates or not is regularly correlated with morphological, physiological, and/or behavioural traits that shape its food-web and ecosystem-level impacts. Third, food web and ecosystem dynamics can drive the fraction of the population migrating, enabling the potential for feedbacks between the causes and consequences of migration within and across ecosystems. These impacts, individually and in combination, can yield unintuitive effects of migration and drive the dynamics, diversity and functions of ecosystems. By presenting the first full integration of partial migration and trophic (meta-)community and (meta-)ecosystem ecology, we provide a roadmap for studying how migration affects and is affected by ecosystem dynamics in a changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianna Peller
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Eawag: Department of Aquatic Ecology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | | | - Florian Altermatt
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Eawag: Department of Aquatic Ecology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
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10
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Berg JE, Eacker DR, Hebblewhite M, Merrill EH. Summer elk calf survival in a partially migratory population. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jodi E. Berg
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | | | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W. A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation University of Montana Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Evelyn H. Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
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11
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Trump T, Knopff K, Morehouse A, Boyce MS. Sustainable elk harvests in Alberta with increasing predator populations. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269407. [PMID: 36288266 PMCID: PMC9604012 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Large predators often are believed to cause declines in hunter harvests of ungulates due to direct competition for prey with hunters. In Alberta, predators of elk (Cervus elaphus), including grizzly bear (Ursus arctos), cougar (Puma concolor), and wolf (Canis lupus), have increased in recent years. We used trend analysis replicated by Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) to examine regional trends in elk harvest and hunter success. Over a 26-yr period, average harvest of elk increased by 5.46% per year for unrestricted bull and by 6.64% per year for limited-quota seasons. Also, over the same time frame, average hunter success increased by 0.2% per year for unrestricted bull and by 0.3% per year for limited-quota seasons, but no trend was detected in hunter effort (P>0.05). Our results show that increasing large-predator populations do not necessarily reduce hunter harvest of elk, and we only found evidence for this in Alberta's mountain WMUs where predation on elk calves has reduced recruitment. Furthermore, data indicate that Alberta's elk harvest management has been sustainable, i.e., hunting has continued while populations of elk have increased throughout most of the province. Wildlife agencies can justify commitments to long-term population monitoring because data allow adaptive management and can inform stakeholders on the status of populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler Trump
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kyle Knopff
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Golder Associates, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Andrea Morehouse
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Winisk Research and Consulting, Pincher Creek, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mark S. Boyce
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
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12
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Oestreich WK, Aiu KM, Crowder LB, McKenna MF, Berdahl AM, Abrahms B. The influence of social cues on timing of animal migrations. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1617-1625. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01866-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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13
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Jakopak RP, Sawyer H, LaSharr TN, Randall J, Dwinnell SP, Fralick GL, Monteith KL. Diel timing of migration is not plastic in a migratory ungulate. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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14
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Candino M, Donadio E, Pauli JN. Phenological drivers of ungulate migration in South America: characterizing the movement and seasonal habitat use of guanacos. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:34. [PMID: 35964073 PMCID: PMC9375948 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00332-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Migration is a widespread strategy among ungulates to cope with seasonality. Phenology, especially in seasonally snow-covered landscapes featuring "white waves" of snow accumulation and "green waves" of plant green-up, is a phenomenon that many migratory ungulates navigate. Guanacos (Lama guanicoe) are native camelids to South America and might be the last ungulate in South America that migrates. However, a detailed description of guanacos´ migratory attributes, including whether they surf or jump phenological waves is lacking. METHODS We quantified the migratory movements of 21 adult guanacos over three years in Patagonia, Argentina. We analyzed annual movement patterns using net squared displacement (NSD) and home range overlap and quantified snow and vegetation phenology via remotely sensed products. RESULTS We found that 74% of the individual guanacos exhibited altitudinal migrations. For migratory guanacos, we observed fidelity of migratory ranges and residence time, but flexibility around migration propensity, timing, and duration of migration. The scarce vegetation and arid conditions within our study area seemed to prevent guanacos from surfing green waves; instead, guanacos appeared to avoid white waves. CONCLUSION Our study shows that guanaco elevational migration is driven by a combination of vegetation availability and snow cover, reveals behavioral plasticity of their migration, and highlights the importance of snow phenology as a driver of ungulate migrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malena Candino
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| | | | - Jonathan N Pauli
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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15
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Lubitz N, Bradley M, Sheaves M, Hammerschlag N, Daly R, Barnett A. The role of context in elucidating drivers of animal movement. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9128. [PMID: 35898421 PMCID: PMC9309038 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite its consequences for ecological processes and population dynamics, intra-specific variability is frequently overlooked in animal movement studies. Consequently, the necessary resolution to reveal drivers of individual movement decisions is often lost as animal movement data are aggregated to infer average or population patterns. Thus, an empirical understanding of why a given movement pattern occurs remains patchy for many taxa, especially in marine systems. Nonetheless, movement is often rationalized as being driven by basic life history requirements, such as acquiring energy (feeding), reproduction, predator-avoidance, and remaining in suitable environmental conditions. However, these life history requirements are central to every individual within a species and thus do not sufficiently account for the high intra-specific variability in movement behavior and hence fail to fully explain the occurrence of multiple movement strategies within a species. Animal movement appears highly context dependent as, for example, within the same location, the behavior of both resident and migratory individuals is driven by life history requirements, such as feeding or reproduction, however different movement strategies are utilized to fulfill them. A systematic taxa-wide approach that, instead of averaging population patterns, incorporates and utilizes intra-specific variability to enable predictions as to which movement patterns can be expected under a certain context, is needed. Here, we use intra-specific variability in elasmobranchs as a case study to introduce a stepwise approach for studying animal movement drivers that is based on a context-dependence framework. We examine relevant literature to illustrate how this context-focused approach can aid in reliably identifying drivers of a specific movement pattern. Ultimately, incorporating behavioral variability in the study of movement drivers can assist in making predictions about behavioral responses to environmental change, overcoming tagging biases, and establishing more efficient conservation measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Lubitz
- College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Michael Bradley
- Marine Data Technology HubCollege of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Marcus Sheaves
- Marine Data Technology HubCollege of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Neil Hammerschlag
- Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric ScienceUniversity of MiamiMiamiFloridaUSA
| | - Ryan Daly
- Oceanographic Research InstituteDurbanSouth Africa
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)MakhandaSouth Africa
| | - Adam Barnett
- Marine Data Technology HubCollege of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
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16
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Theoret J, Cavedon M, Hegel T, Hervieux D, Schwantje H, Steenweg R, Watters M, Musiani M. Seasonal movements in caribou ecotypes of Western Canada. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:12. [PMID: 35272704 PMCID: PMC8908644 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00312-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several migratory ungulates, including caribou, are dramatically declining. Caribou of the Barren-ground ecotype, which forms its own subspecies, are known to be mainly migratory. By contrast, within the Woodland subspecies, animals of the Boreal ecotype are known to be mainly sedentary, while those within the Northern and Central Mountain ecotypes to be partially migratory, with only some individuals migrating. Promotion of conservation actions (e.g., habitat protection) that are specific to both residents and migrants, as well as to the areas they frequent seasonally (which may be separate for migrants), requires distinguishing migration from other movement behaviours, which might be a challenge. METHODS We aimed at assessing seasonal movement behaviours, including migratory, resident, dispersing, and nomadic, for caribou belonging to the Barren-ground and Woodland subspecies and ecotypes. We examined seasonal displacement, both planar and altitudinal, and seasonal ranges overlap for 366 individuals that were GPS-collared in Northern and Western Canada. Lastly, we assessed the ability of caribou individuals to switch between migratory and non-migratory movement behaviours between years. RESULTS We detected migratory behaviour within each of the studied subspecies and ecotypes. However, seasonal ranges overlap (an index of sedentary behaviour) varied, with proportions of clear migrants (0 overlap) of 40.94% for Barren-ground caribou and 23.34% for Woodland caribou, and of 32.95%, 54.87%, and 8.86% for its Northern Mountain, Central Mountain, and Boreal ecotype, respectively. Plastic switches of individuals were also detected between migratory, resident, dispersing, and nomadic seasonal movements performed across years. CONCLUSIONS Our unexpected findings of marked seasonal movement plasticity in caribou indicate that this phenomenon should be better studied to understand the resilience of this endangered species to habitat and climatic changes. Our results that a substantial proportion of individuals engaged in seasonal migration in all studied ecotypes indicate that caribou conservation plans should account for critical habitat in both summer and winter ranges. Accordingly, conservation strategies are being devised for the Woodland subspecies and its ecotypes, which were found to be at least partially migratory in this study. Our findings that migration is detectable with both planar and altitudinal analyses of seasonal displacement provide a tool to better define seasonal ranges, also in mountainous and hilly environments, and protect habitat there.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Theoret
- Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Maria Cavedon
- Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Troy Hegel
- Yukon Department of Environment, Whitehorse, YT, Y1A 2C6, Canada
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Alberta Environment and Parks, 4999 98 Ave., Edmonton, AB, T6B 2X3, Canada
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Alberta Environment and Parks, Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 6J4, Canada
| | - Helen Schwantje
- Wildlife and Habitat Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Government of British Columbia, 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 6J9, Canada
| | - Robin Steenweg
- Pacific Region, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, BC, V4K 3N2, Canada
| | - Megan Watters
- Land and Resource Specialist, 300 - 10003 110th Avenue, Fort St. John, BC, V1J 6M7, Canada
| | - Marco Musiani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Veterinary Medicine (Joint Appointment), University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
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17
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Cavedon M, vonHoldt B, Hebblewhite M, Hegel T, Heppenheimer E, Hervieux D, Mariani S, Schwantje H, Steenweg R, Theoret J, Watters M, Musiani M. Genomic legacy of migration in endangered caribou. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1009974. [PMID: 35143486 PMCID: PMC8830729 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Wide-ranging animals, including migratory species, are significantly threatened by the effects of habitat fragmentation and habitat loss. In the case of terrestrial mammals, this results in nearly a quarter of species being at risk of extinction. Caribou are one such example of a wide-ranging, migratory, terrestrial, and endangered mammal. In populations of caribou, the proportion of individuals considered as "migrants" can vary dramatically. There is therefore a possibility that, under the condition that migratory behavior is genetically determined, those individuals or populations that are migratory will be further impacted by humans, and this impact could result in the permanent loss of the migratory trait in some populations. However, genetic determination of migration has not previously been studied in an endangered terrestrial mammal. We examined migratory behavior of 139 GPS-collared endangered caribou in western North America and carried out genomic scans for the same individuals. Here we determine a genetic subdivision of caribou into a Northern and a Southern genetic cluster. We also detect >50 SNPs associated with migratory behavior, which are in genes with hypothesized roles in determining migration in other organisms. Furthermore, we determine that propensity to migrate depends upon the proportion of ancestry in individual caribou, and thus on the evolutionary history of its migratory and sedentary subspecies. If, as we report, migratory behavior is influenced by genes, caribou could be further impacted by the loss of the migratory trait in some isolated populations already at low numbers. Our results indicating an ancestral genetic component also suggest that the migratory trait and their associated genetic mutations could not be easily re-established when lost in a population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cavedon
- Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bridgett vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Troy Hegel
- Yukon Department of Environment, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Heppenheimer
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Alberta Environment and Parks, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
| | - Stefano Mariani
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Schwantje
- Wildlife and Habitat Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Government of British Columbia, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Robin Steenweg
- Pacific Region, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jessica Theoret
- Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Megan Watters
- Land and Resource Specialist, Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Marco Musiani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Veterinary Medicine (Joint Appointment), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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18
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Martin HW, Hebblewhite M, Merrill EH. Large herbivores in a partially migratory population search for the ideal free home. Ecology 2022; 103:e3652. [PMID: 35084736 PMCID: PMC10162400 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Migration is a tactic used across taxa to access resources in temporally heterogenous landscapes. Populations that migrate can attain higher abundances because such movements allow access to higher quality resources, or reduction in predation risk resulting in increased fitness. However, most migratory species occur in partially migratory populations, a mix of migratory and non-migratory individuals. It is thought that the portion of migrants in a partial migration population is maintained either through 1) a population-level evolutionary stable state where counteracting density-dependent vital rates act on migrants and residents to balance fitness, or 2) conditional migration, where the propensity to migrate is influenced by the individual's state. However, in many respects, migration is also a form of habitat selection and the proportion of migrants and residents may be the result of density-dependent habitat selection. Here, we test whether the theory of Ideal Free Distribution (IFD) can explain the coexistence of different migratory tactics in a partially migratory population. IFD predicts individuals exhibit density-dependent vital rates and select different migratory tactics to maximize individual fitness resulting in equal fitness (λ) between tactics. We tested the predictions of IFD in a partially migratory elk population that declined by 70% with 19 years of demographic data and migratory tactic switching rates from >300 individuals. We found evidence of density dependence for resident pregnancy and adult female survival providing a fitness incentive to switch tactics. Despite differences in vital rates between migratory tactics, mean λ (fitness) was equal. However, as predicted by the IFD, individuals switched tactics toward those of higher fitness. Our analysis reveals that partial migration may be driven by tactic selection that follows the ideal free distribution. These findings reinforce that migration across taxa may be a polymorphic behavior in large herbivores where migratory tactic selection is determined by differential costs and benefits, mediated by density-dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans W Martin
- Wildlife Biology Program, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Evelyn H Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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19
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Normandeau J, Cassady St. Clair C, Kutz SJ, Hebblewhite M, Merrill EH. What makes elk tick: winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus) grooming behavior in wild elk (Cervus canadensis). J Mammal 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Ungulates groom to remove ectoparasites but grooming may interfere with foraging, vigilance, and rumination, and it is possible that these effects differ among migratory tactics due to differences in parasite infestations. We compared the effects of grooming for winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) on winter foraging behavior by migrating and resident elk (Cervus canadensis) in the partially migratory population at the Ya Ha Tinda, adjacent to Banff National Park, Canada. We used hair loss on the dorsal shoulder area (“withers”) measured from photographic images as an index of tick infestation of individual elk. We conducted 594 focal observations on 48 radio-collared and 18 uncollared individuals that were uniquely identifiable from ear-tags (N = 66) in 2019 to assess whether grooming for ticks in winter reduced time spent foraging, ruminating, or being vigilant. Because rubbing or hair loss from radio-collars may influence tick infestations and behavior, we controlled for whether elk were collared or uncollared in our analyses. Neck hair loss was 3−5% greater in collared elk than uncollared elk, but neither withers hair loss nor time spent grooming differed. Grooming occurred during 42% of the observations but grooming comprised only ~1% of observation time. Nevertheless, 40% of all grooming was observed during resting, and grooming interrupted vigilance behavior ~8 times more than foraging. We found no differences among elk following different migratory tactics in time spent grooming or in other behaviors, but one of the two groups of migrant elk had higher withers hair loss. Our results suggest winter ticks may have slight effects on elk relative to other ungulates, particularly moose (Alces alces), in North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacalyn Normandeau
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Colleen Cassady St. Clair
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Susan J Kutz
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, USA
| | - Evelyn H Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9
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20
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Newediuk L, Prokopenko CM, Vander Wal E. Individual differences in habitat selection mediate landscape level predictions of a functional response. Oecologia 2022; 198:99-110. [PMID: 34984521 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05098-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Predicting future space use by animals requires models that consider both habitat availability and individual differences in habitat selection. The functional response in habitat selection posits animals adjust their habitat selection to availability, but population-level responses to availability may differ from individual responses. Generalized functional response (GFR) models account for functional responses by including fixed effect interactions between habitat availability and selection. Population-level resource selection functions instead account for individual selection responses to availability with random effects. We compared predictive performance of both approaches using a functional response in elk (Cervus canadensis) selection for mixed forest in response to road proximity, and avoidance of roads in response to mixed forest availability. We also investigated how performance changed when individuals responded differently to availability from the rest of the population. Individual variation in road avoidance decreased performance of both models (random effects: β = 0.69, 95% CI 0.47, 0.91; GFR: β = 0.38, 95% CI 0.05, 0.71). Changes in individual road and forest availability affected performance of neither model, suggesting individual responses to availability different from the functional response mediated performance. We also found that overall, both models performed similarly for predicting mixed forest selection (F1, 58 = 0.14, p = 0.71) and road avoidance (F1, 58 = 0.28, p = 0.60). GFR estimates were slightly better, but its larger number of covariates produced greater variance than the random effects model. Given this bias-variance trade-off, we conclude that neither model performs better for future space use predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Levi Newediuk
- Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada.
| | | | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada
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21
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Batsleer F, Maes D, Bonte D. Behavioral Strategies and the Spatial Pattern Formation of Nesting. Am Nat 2022; 199:E15-E27. [DOI: 10.1086/717226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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22
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Peterson CJ, DeCesare NJ, Hayes TA, Bishop CJ, Mitchell MS. Consequences of migratory strategy on habitat selection by mule deer. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Collin J. Peterson
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula 59812 MT USA
| | - Nicholas J. DeCesare
- Montana Department of Fish Wildlife, and Parks 3201 Spurgin Road Missoula 59804 MT USA
| | - Teagan A. Hayes
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula 59812 MT USA
| | - Chad J. Bishop
- Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula 59812 MT USA
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23
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Barker KJ, Xu W, Van Scoyoc A, Serota MW, Moravek JA, Shawler AL, Ryan RE, Middleton AD. Toward a new framework for restoring lost wildlife migrations. Conserv Lett 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin J. Barker
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California—Berkeley Berkeley California
| | - Wenjing Xu
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California—Berkeley Berkeley California
| | - Amy Van Scoyoc
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California—Berkeley Berkeley California
| | - Mitchell W. Serota
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California—Berkeley Berkeley California
| | - Jessie A. Moravek
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California—Berkeley Berkeley California
| | - Avery L. Shawler
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California—Berkeley Berkeley California
| | - Rachael E. Ryan
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California—Berkeley Berkeley California
| | - Arthur D. Middleton
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California—Berkeley Berkeley California
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24
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Reid JM, Acker P. Properties of phenotypic plasticity in discrete threshold traits. Evolution 2021; 76:190-206. [PMID: 34874068 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Forms of phenotypic plasticity in key traits, and forms of selection on and genetic variation in such plasticity, fundamentally underpin phenotypic, population dynamic, and evolutionary responses to environmental variation and directional change. Accordingly, numerous theoretical and empirical studies have examined properties and consequences of plasticity, primarily considering traits that are continuously distributed on observed phenotypic scales with linear reaction norms. However, many environmentally sensitive traits are expressed as discrete alternative phenotypes and are appropriately characterized as quantitative genetic threshold traits. Here, we highlight that forms of phenotypic plasticity, genetic variation, and inheritance in plasticity, and outcomes of selection on plasticity, could differ substantially between threshold traits and continuously distributed traits (as are typically considered). We thereby highlight theoretical developments that are required to rationalize and predict phenotypic and microevolutionary dynamics involving plastic threshold traits, and outline how intrinsic properties of such traits could provide relatively straightforward explanations for apparently idiosyncratic observed patterns of phenotypic variation. We summarize how key quantitative genetic parameters underlying threshold traits can be estimated, and thereby set the scene for embedding dynamic discrete traits into theoretical and empirical understanding of the role of plasticity in driving phenotypic, population, and evolutionary responses to environmental variation and change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane M Reid
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Institutt for Biologi, NTNU, Trondheim, 7034, Norway.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Acker
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Institutt for Biologi, NTNU, Trondheim, 7034, Norway
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25
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Michelangeli M, Payne E, Spiegel O, Sinn DL, Leu ST, Gardner MG, Sih A. Personality, spatiotemporal ecological variation and resident/explorer movement syndromes in the sleepy lizard. J Anim Ecol 2021; 91:210-223. [PMID: 34679184 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Individual variation in movement is profoundly important for fitness and offers key insights into the spatial and temporal dynamics of populations and communities. Nonetheless, individual variation in fine-scale movement behaviours is rarely examined even though animal tracking devices offer the long-term, high-resolution, repeatable data in natural conditions that are ideal for studying this variation. Furthermore, of the few studies that consider individual variation in movement, even fewer also consider the internal traits and environmental factors that drive movement behaviour which are necessary for contextualising individual differences in movement patterns. In this study, we GPS tracked a free-ranging population of sleepy lizards Tiliqua rugosa, each Austral spring over 5 years to examine consistent among-individual variation in movement patterns, as well as how these differences were mediated by key internal and ecological factors. We found that individuals consistently differed in a suite of weekly movement traits, and that these traits strongly covaried among-individuals, forming movement syndromes. Lizards fell on a primary movement continuum, from 'residents' that spent extended periods of time residing within smaller core areas of their home range, to 'explorers' that moved greater distances and explored vaster areas of the environment. Importantly, we also found that these consistent differences in lizard movement were related to two ecologically important animal personality traits (boldness and aggression), their sex, key features of the environment (including food availability, and a key water resource), habitat type and seasonal variation (cool/moist vs. hot/drier) in environmental conditions. Broadly, these movement specialisations likely reflect variation in life-history tactics including foraging and mating tactics that ultimately underlie key differences in space use. Such information can be used to connect phenotypic population structure to key ecological and evolutionary processes, for example social networks and disease-transmission pathways, further highlighting the value of examining individual variation in movement behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Michelangeli
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.,School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Eric Payne
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Orr Spiegel
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.,The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - David L Sinn
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Stephan T Leu
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Michael G Gardner
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Evolutionary Biology Unit, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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26
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Variation in winter site fidelity within and among individuals influences movement behavior in a partially migratory ungulate. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258128. [PMID: 34591944 PMCID: PMC8483381 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals migrate to take advantage of temporal and spatial variability in resources. These benefits are offset with costs like increased energetic expenditure and travel through unfamiliar areas. Differences in the cost-benefit ratio for individuals may lead to partial migration with one portion of a population migrating while another does not. We investigated migration dynamics and winter site fidelity for a long-distance partial migrant, barren ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) of the Teshekpuk Caribou Herd in northern Alaska. We used GPS telemetry for 76 female caribou over 164 annual movement trajectories to identify timing and location of migration and winter use, proportion of migrants, and fidelity to different herd wintering areas. We found within-individual variation in movement behavior and wintering area use by the Teshekpuk Caribou Herd, adding caribou to the growing list of ungulates that can exhibit migratory plasticity. Using a first passage time–net squared displacement approach, we classified 78.7% of annual movement paths as migration, 11.6% as residency, and 9.8% as another strategy. Timing and distance of migration varied by season and wintering area. Duration of migration was longer for fall migration than for spring, which may relate to the latter featuring more directed movement. Caribou utilized four wintering areas, with multiple areas used each year. This variation occurred not just among different individuals, but state sequence analyses indicated low fidelity of individuals to wintering areas among years. Variability in movement behavior can have fitness consequences. As caribou face the pressures of a rapidly warming Arctic and ongoing human development and activities, further research is needed to investigate what factors influence this diversity of behaviors in Alaska and across the circumpolar Arctic.
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27
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Berg JE, Reimer J, Smolko P, Bohm H, Hebblewhite M, Merrill EH. Mothers' Movements: Shifts in Calving Area Selection by Partially Migratory Elk. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jodi E. Berg
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Jody Reimer
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Peter Smolko
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Holger Bohm
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W. A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation University of Montana Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Evelyn H. Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
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28
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van de Kerk M, Larsen RT, Olson DD, Hersey KR, McMillan BR. Variation in movement patterns of mule deer: have we oversimplified migration? MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:44. [PMID: 34446100 PMCID: PMC8394567 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00281-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Conservation and management of migratory animals has gained attention in recent years, but the majority of research has focused on stereotypical 'migrant' and 'resident' behaviors, often failing to incorporate any atypical behaviors or characterize migratory behaviors beyond distance and timing of the migration. With migration threatened by anthropogenic development and climate change, it is crucial that we understand the full range of migratory behaviors. Our objective was to demonstrate and characterize the variation in migration strategies, including typical and atypical migratory behaviors for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in Utah, USA. METHODS Because calculation of common metrics such as distance, timing, and use of stopovers during migration did not adequately describe the variation we observed in migratory behavior for this species-particularly when animals visited multiple (> 3) ranges for extended lengths of time-we developed additional methods and categories to describe observed variation in migratory behavior. We first categorized trajectories based on the number of discrete, separate ranges and range shifts between them. Then, we further characterized the variation in migration strategies by examining the timing, duration, and distance traveled within each of the categories. We also examined if and how frequently individual deer switched among categories from year to year. RESULTS We classified 1218 movement trajectories from 722 adult female mule deer, and found that 54.4% were dual-range migrants, who made one round-trip to one distinct range. Multi-range migrants (23.6%) made one round-trip during which they stayed at multiple discrete ranges. Commuters (1.0%) traveled to the same range multiple times, and poly migrants (1.5%) made multiple round-trips to different ranges. Gradual movers (2.5%) did not show a discrete range shift but moved gradually between ranges, whereas residents (12.6%) never left their home ranges, and dispersers (4.4%) left but never returned. Of the deer that we monitored for multiple years, 51.2% switched among categories. CONCLUSION We conclude that the substantial number of atypical migratory strategies, as well as the number of deer that switched categories, underlines the importance of studying these less-stereotyped behaviors that may be exhibited by large proportions of populations. Acknowledging and investigating the full complexity and diversity in migratory strategies might uncover unknowns with respect to underlying factors and drivers of migration, and can help shape effective conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madelon van de Kerk
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, 4105 Life Sciences Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA.
- School of Environment and Sustainability, Western Colorado University, Kelley Hall 144, Gunnison, CO, 81231, USA.
| | - Randy T Larsen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, 4105 Life Sciences Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Daniel D Olson
- Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, 1594 W North Temple, Suite 2110, Salt Lake City, UT, 84114, USA
| | - Kent R Hersey
- Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, 1594 W North Temple, Suite 2110, Salt Lake City, UT, 84114, USA
| | - Brock R McMillan
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, 4105 Life Sciences Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
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29
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Clement RA, Saxton NA, Standring S, Arnold PR, Johnson KK, Bybee DR, Bybee SM. Phylogeny, migration and geographic range size evolution of Anax dragonflies (Anisoptera: Aeshnidae). Zool J Linn Soc 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The genus Anax is a group of cosmopolitan dragonflies noted for its conspicuous migratory behaviours and large size. Here we present the first dated, species-level, multigene, molecular phylogeny for the group to test generic and species-limits, as well as the evolution of migration and range size. Using five mitochondrial and nuclear gene regions (COI, COI/COII, CYTB/ND1, ITS1 and PRMT) from 20 species, we reconstructed a phylogeny of Anax using both a Bayesian and maximum likelihood approach. We found that Anax (including its hypothesized sister group Hemianax) forms a monophyletic group, and that 12 out of 20 species tested positive for monophyly were also monophyletic. The monophyly of several species of Anax is less clear. Migratory behaviour, which is known to occur in at least nine species, is recovered as the ancestral behaviour, which was lost and subsequently gained at least three times. Geographic range size seems to be tightly associated with migratory behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A Clement
- Computational Biology Institute, The Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington,D.C., USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington,D.C. 20052USA
| | - Natalie A Saxton
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, 4102 LSB,Provo,UT, USA
| | - Samantha Standring
- Entomology Department, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside,CA92521USA
| | - Preston R Arnold
- Texas A&M Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Bryan,Texas, USA
| | | | - David R Bybee
- Biology Program, Brigham Young University-Hawaii, 55–220 Kulanui Street,Laie, USA
| | - Seth M Bybee
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, 4102 LSB,Provo,UT, USA
- Monte L. Bean Museum, Brigham Young University, Provo,UT, USA
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30
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Bohart AM, Lunn NJ, Derocher AE, McGeachy D. Migration dynamics of polar bears ( Ursus maritimus) in western Hudson Bay. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Migration is predicted to change both spatially and temporally as climate change alters seasonal resource availability. Species in extreme environments are especially susceptible to climate change; hence, it is important to determine environmental and biological variables that influence their migration. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are an Arctic apex carnivore whose migration phenology has been affected by climate change and is vulnerable to future changes. Here, we used satellite-linked telemetry collar data from adult female polar bears in western Hudson Bay from 2004 to 2016 and multivariate response regression models to demonstrate that 1) spatial and temporal migration metrics are correlated, 2) ice concentration and wind are important environmental variables that influence polar bear migration in seasonal ice areas, and 3) migration did not vary across the years of our study, highlighting the importance of continued monitoring. Specifically, we found that ice concentration, wind speed, and wind direction affected polar bear migration onto ice during freeze-up and ice concentration and wind direction affected migration onto land during breakup. Bears departed from land earlier with increased wind speed and the effect of wind direction on migration may be linked to prey searching and ice drift. Low ice concentration was associated with higher movement during freeze-up and breakup. Our findings suggest that migration movement may increase in response to climate change as ice concentration and access to prey declines, potentially increasing nutritional stress on bears.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa M Bohart
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nicholas J Lunn
- Wildlife Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Andrew E Derocher
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - David McGeachy
- Wildlife Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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31
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Rayl ND, Merkle JA, Proffitt KM, Almberg ES, Jones JD, Gude JA, Cross PC. Elk migration influences the risk of disease spillover in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1264-1275. [PMID: 33630313 PMCID: PMC8251637 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Wildlife migrations provide important ecosystem services, but they are declining. Within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), some elk Cervus canadensis herds are losing migratory tendencies, which may increase spatiotemporal overlap between elk and livestock (domestic bison Bison bison and cattle Bos taurus), potentially exacerbating pathogen transmission risk. We combined disease, movement, demographic and environmental data from eight elk herds in the GYE to examine the differential risk of brucellosis transmission (through aborted foetuses) from migrant and resident elk to livestock. For both migrants and residents, we found that transmission risk from elk to livestock occurred almost exclusively on private ranchlands as opposed to state or federal grazing allotments. Weather variability affected the estimated distribution of spillover risk from migrant elk to livestock, with a 7%–12% increase in migrant abortions on private ranchlands during years with heavier snowfall. In contrast, weather variability did not affect spillover risk from resident elk. Migrant elk were responsible for the majority (68%) of disease spillover risk to livestock because they occurred in greater numbers than resident elk. On a per‐capita basis, however, our analyses suggested that resident elk disproportionately contributed to spillover risk. In five of seven herds, we estimated that the per‐capita spillover risk was greater from residents than from migrants. Averaged across herds, an individual resident elk was 23% more likely than an individual migrant elk to abort on private ranchlands. Our results demonstrate links between migration behaviour, spillover risk and environmental variability, and highlight the utility of integrating models of pathogen transmission and host movement to generate new insights about the role of migration in disease spillover risk. Furthermore, they add to the accumulating body of evidence across taxa that suggests that migrants and residents should be considered separately during investigations of wildlife disease ecology. Finally, our findings have applied implications for elk and brucellosis in the GYE. They suggest that managers should prioritize actions that maintain spatial separation of elk and livestock on private ranchlands during years when snowpack persists into the risk period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel D Rayl
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Grand Junction, CO, USA.,U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Jerod A Merkle
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Paul C Cross
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, MT, USA
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32
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Morrison TA, Merkle JA, Hopcraft JGC, Aikens EO, Beck JL, Boone RB, Courtemanch AB, Dwinnell SP, Fairbanks WS, Griffith B, Middleton AD, Monteith KL, Oates B, Riotte-Lambert L, Sawyer H, Smith KT, Stabach JA, Taylor KL, Kauffman MJ. Drivers of site fidelity in ungulates. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:955-966. [PMID: 33481254 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
While the tendency to return to previously visited locations-termed 'site fidelity'-is common in animals, the cause of this behaviour is not well understood. One hypothesis is that site fidelity is shaped by an animal's environment, such that animals living in landscapes with predictable resources have stronger site fidelity. Site fidelity may also be conditional on the success of animals' recent visits to that location, and it may become stronger with age as the animal accumulates experience in their landscape. Finally, differences between species, such as the way memory shapes site attractiveness, may interact with environmental drivers to modulate the strength of site fidelity. We compared inter-year site fidelity in 669 individuals across eight ungulate species fitted with GPS collars and occupying a range of environmental conditions in North America and Africa. We used a distance-based index of site fidelity and tested hypothesized drivers of site fidelity using linear mixed effects models, while accounting for variation in annual range size. Mule deer Odocoileus hemionus and moose Alces alces exhibited relatively strong site fidelity, while wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus and barren-ground caribou Rangifer tarandus granti had relatively weak fidelity. Site fidelity was strongest in predictable landscapes where vegetative greening occurred at regular intervals over time (i.e. high temporal contingency). Species differed in their response to spatial heterogeneity in greenness (i.e. spatial constancy). Site fidelity varied seasonally in some species, but remained constant over time in others. Elk employed a 'win-stay, lose-switch' strategy, in which successful resource tracking in the springtime resulted in strong site fidelity the following spring. Site fidelity did not vary with age in any species tested. Our results provide support for the environmental hypothesis, particularly that regularity in vegetative phenology shapes the strength of site fidelity at the inter-annual scale. Large unexplained differences in site fidelity suggest that other factors, possibly species-specific differences in attraction to known sites, contribute to variation in the expression of this behaviour. Understanding drivers of variation in site fidelity across groups of organisms living in different environments provides important behavioural context for predicting how animals will respond to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Morrison
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jerod A Merkle
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - J Grant C Hopcraft
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Ellen O Aikens
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jeffrey L Beck
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Randall B Boone
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability and the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Samantha P Dwinnell
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - W Sue Fairbanks
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Brad Griffith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - Arthur D Middleton
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kevin L Monteith
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.,Department of Zoology and Physiology & Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Brendan Oates
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Louise Riotte-Lambert
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Hall Sawyer
- Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Kurt T Smith
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Jared A Stabach
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Conservation Ecology Center, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | | | - Matthew J Kauffman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
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33
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Xu W, Barker K, Shawler A, Van Scoyoc A, Smith JA, Mueller T, Sawyer H, Andreozzi C, Bidder OR, Karandikar H, Mumme S, Templin E, Middleton AD. The plasticity of ungulate migration in a changing world. Ecology 2021; 102:e03293. [PMID: 33554353 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Migratory ungulates are thought to be declining globally because their dependence on large landscapes renders them highly vulnerable to environmental change. Yet recent studies reveal that many ungulate species can adjust their migration propensity in response to changing environmental conditions to potentially improve population persistence. In addition to the question of whether to migrate, decisions of where and when to migrate appear equally fundamental to individual migration tactics, but these three dimensions of plasticity have rarely been explored together. Here, we expand the concept of migratory plasticity beyond individual switches in migration propensity to also include spatial and temporal adjustments to migration patterns. We develop a novel typological framework that delineates every potential change type within the three dimensions, then use this framework to guide a literature review. We discuss broad patterns in migratory plasticity, potential drivers of migration change, and research gaps in the current understanding of this trait. Our result reveals 127 migration change events in direct response to natural and human-induced environmental changes across 27 ungulate species. Species that appeared in multiple studies showed multiple types of change, with some exhibiting the full spectrum of migratory plasticity. This result highlights that multidimensional migratory plasticity is pervasive in ungulates, even as the manifestation of plasticity varies case by case. However, studies thus far have rarely been able to determine the fitness outcomes of different types of migration change, likely due to the scarcity of long-term individual-based demographic monitoring as well as measurements encompassing a full behavioral continuum and environmental gradient for any given species. Recognizing and documenting the full spectrum of migratory plasticity marks the first step for the field of migration ecology to employ quantitative methods, such as reaction norms, to predict migration change along environmental gradients. Closer monitoring for changes in migratory propensity, routes, and timing may improve the efficacy of conservation strategies and management actions in a rapidly changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Xu
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
| | - Kristin Barker
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
| | - Avery Shawler
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
| | - Amy Van Scoyoc
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
| | - Justine A Smith
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Thomas Mueller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, Frankfurt (Main), 60438, Germany.,Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt, 60325, Germany
| | - Hall Sawyer
- Western Ecosystems Technology, 1610 Reynolds Street, Laramie, Wyoming, 82072, USA
| | - Chelsea Andreozzi
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
| | - Owen R Bidder
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
| | - Harshad Karandikar
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
| | - Steffen Mumme
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA.,Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", University of Rome La Sapienza, Viale dell'Università 32, Rome, 00185, Italy.,Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige (TN), 38010, Italy
| | - Elizabeth Templin
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
| | - Arthur D Middleton
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
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34
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Rodgers PA, Sawyer H, Mong TW, Stephens S, Kauffman MJ. Sex‐Specific Behaviors of Hunted Mule Deer During Rifle Season. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A. Rodgers
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Hall Sawyer
- Western Ecosystems Technology Inc., 1610 Reynolds St. Laramie WY 82072 USA
| | - Tony W. Mong
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department 2820 State Highway 120 Cody WY 82414 USA
| | - Sam Stephens
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department Cheyenne WY 82009 USA
| | - Matthew J. Kauffman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie WY 82071 USA
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35
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Malagnino A, Marchand P, Garel M, Cargnelutti B, Itty C, Chaval Y, Hewison A, Loison A, Morellet N. Do reproductive constraints or experience drive age-dependent space use in two large herbivores? Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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36
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Acker P, Daunt F, Wanless S, Burthe SJ, Newell MA, Harris MP, Grist H, Sturgeon J, Swann RL, Gunn C, Payo‐Payo A, Reid JM. Strong survival selection on seasonal migration versus residence induced by extreme climatic events. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:796-808. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Acker
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Institutt for Biologi NTNU Trondheim Norway
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Hannah Grist
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
- Scottish Association for Marine Science Scottish Marine Institute Oban UK
| | - Jenny Sturgeon
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
| | | | - Carrie Gunn
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Midlothian UK
| | - Ana Payo‐Payo
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
| | - Jane M. Reid
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Institutt for Biologi NTNU Trondheim Norway
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37
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De Angelis D, Kusak J, Huber D, Reljić S, Gužvica G, Ciucci P. Environmental and anthropogenic correlates of seasonal migrations in the Dinaric‐Pindos brown bear population. J Zool (1987) 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniele De Angelis
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin” Sapienza University of Rome Roma Italy
| | - Josip Kusak
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia
| | - Djuro Huber
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia
- Institute of Nature Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences Kraków Poland
| | - Slaven Reljić
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia
| | - Goran Gužvica
- Oikon Ltd. Institute of Applied Ecology Zagreb Croatia
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin” Sapienza University of Rome Roma Italy
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38
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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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39
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Morant J, Abad-Gómez JM, Álvarez T, Sánchez Á, Zuberogoitia I, López-López P. Winter movement patterns of a globally endangered avian scavenger in south-western Europe. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17690. [PMID: 33077857 PMCID: PMC7572415 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74333-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Partial migration, whereby some individuals migrate and some do not, is relatively common and widespread among animals. Switching between migration tactics (from migratory to resident or vice versa) occurs at individual and population levels. Here, we describe for the first time the movement ecology of the largest wintering population of Egyptian Vultures (Neophron percnopterus) in south-west Europe. We combined field surveys and GPS tracking data from December to February during four wintering seasons (2014–2018). The wintering population consisted on average of 85 individuals (range 58–121; 76% adults and 24% subadults). Individuals were counted at five different roosting sites located near farms, unauthorized carcass deposition sites and authorized carcass deposition sites. Our results show that vultures tend to remain close to the roosting site. Moreover, we observed that females exhibited smaller home range sizes than males, which suggests a possible differential use of food sources. Overall, birds relied more on farms than other available food resources, particularly subadult individuals which exploited more intensively these sites. Our results showed that Egyptian Vultures congregate in significant numbers at specific sites throughout the winter period in south-west Spain and that these roosting and feeding sites should be given some level of legal protection and regular monitoring. Furthermore, predictable food sources might be driving the apparent increase in the non-migratory population of Egyptian Vultures, as observed in other avian species which are also changing their migratory behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Morant
- Department of Ornithology, Aranzadi Sciences Society, Zorroagagaina 11, 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.
| | - José María Abad-Gómez
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, 06006, Badajoz, Spain.,Servicio de Conservación de la Naturaleza y Áreas Protegidas, Junta de Extremadura, Av/ luis Ramallo s/n, 06800, Mérida, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Toribio Álvarez
- Servicio de Conservación de la Naturaleza y Áreas Protegidas, Junta de Extremadura, Av/ luis Ramallo s/n, 06800, Mérida, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Ángel Sánchez
- Servicio de Conservación de la Naturaleza y Áreas Protegidas, Junta de Extremadura, Av/ luis Ramallo s/n, 06800, Mérida, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Iñigo Zuberogoitia
- Department of Ornithology, Aranzadi Sciences Society, Zorroagagaina 11, 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.,Estudios Medioambientales Icarus S.L, C/San Vicente 8, 6 ª Planta, Dpto 8, Edificio Albia I, 48001, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Pascual López-López
- Movement Ecology Lab, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, C/ Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
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40
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Merrill E, Killeen J, Pettit J, Trottier M, Martin H, Berg J, Bohm H, Eggeman S, Hebblewhite M. Density-Dependent Foraging Behaviors on Sympatric Winter Ranges in a Partially Migratory Elk Population. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
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41
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Reid JM, Souter M, Fenn SR, Acker P, Payo-Payo A, Burthe SJ, Wanless S, Daunt F. Among-individual and within-individual variation in seasonal migration covaries with subsequent reproductive success in a partially migratory bird. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200928. [PMID: 32693718 PMCID: PMC7423652 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Within-individual and among-individual variation in expression of key environmentally sensitive traits, and associated variation in fitness components occurring within and between years, determine the extents of phenotypic plasticity and selection and shape population responses to changing environments. Reversible seasonal migration is one key trait that directly mediates spatial escape from seasonally deteriorating environments, causing spatio-seasonal population dynamics. Yet, within-individual and among-individual variation in seasonal migration versus residence, and dynamic associations with subsequent reproductive success, have not been fully quantified. We used novel capture-mark-recapture mixture models to assign individual European shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) to 'resident', 'early migrant', or 'late migrant' strategies in two consecutive years, using year-round local resightings. We demonstrate substantial among-individual variation in strategy within years, and directional within-individual change between years. Furthermore, subsequent reproductive success varied substantially among strategies, and relationships differed between years; residents and late migrants had highest success in the 2 years, respectively, matching the years in which these strategies were most frequently expressed. These results imply that migratory strategies can experience fluctuating reproductive selection, and that flexible expression of migration can be partially aligned with reproductive outcomes. Plastic seasonal migration could then potentially contribute to adaptive population responses to currently changing forms of environmental seasonality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane M. Reid
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, Scotland
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Institutt for Biologi, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Sarah R. Fenn
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, Scotland
| | - Paul Acker
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, Scotland
| | - Ana Payo-Payo
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, Scotland
| | - Sarah J. Burthe
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Edinburgh EH26 0QB, Scotland
| | - Sarah Wanless
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Edinburgh EH26 0QB, Scotland
| | - Francis Daunt
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Edinburgh EH26 0QB, Scotland
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42
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Lowrey B, McWhirter DE, Proffitt KM, Monteith KL, Courtemanch AB, White PJ, Paterson JT, Dewey SR, Garrott RA. Individual variation creates diverse migratory portfolios in native populations of a mountain ungulate. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 30:e2106. [PMID: 32091631 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Ecological theory and empirical studies have demonstrated population-level demographic benefits resulting from a diversity of migratory behaviors with important implications for ecology, conservation, and evolution of migratory organisms. Nevertheless, evaluation of migratory portfolios (i.e., the variation in migratory behaviors across space and time among individuals within populations) has received relatively little attention in migratory ungulates, where research has focused largely on the dichotomous behaviors (e.g., resident and migrant) of partially migratory populations. Using GPS data from 361 female bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) across 17 (4 restored, 6 augmented, 7 native) populations in Montana and Wyoming, USA, we (1) characterized migratory portfolios based on behavioral and spatial migratory characteristics and (2) evaluated the relative influence of landscape attributes and management histories on migratory diversity. Native populations, which had been extant on the landscape for many generations, had more diverse migratory portfolios, higher behavioral switching rates, reduced seasonal range fidelity, and broad dispersion of individuals across summer and winter ranges. In contrast, restored populations with an abbreviated history on the landscape were largely non-migratory with a narrow portfolio of migratory behaviors, less behavioral switching, higher fidelity to seasonal ranges, and less dispersion on summer and winter ranges. Augmented populations were more variable and contained characteristics of both native and restored populations. Differences in migratory diversity among populations were associated with management histories (e.g., restored, augmented, or native). Landscape characteristics such as the duration and regularity of green-up, human landscape alterations, topography, and snow gradients were not strongly associated with migratory diversity. We suggest a two-pronged approach to restoring migratory portfolios in ungulates that first develops behavior-specific habitat models and then places individuals with known migratory behaviors into unoccupied areas in an effort to bolster migratory portfolios in restored populations, potentially with synergistic benefits associated with variation among individuals and resulting portfolio effects. Management efforts to restore diverse migratory portfolios may increase the abundance, resilience, and long-term viability of ungulate populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Lowrey
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
| | - D E McWhirter
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Jackson, Wyoming, 83001, USA
| | - K M Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Bozeman, Montana, 59718, USA
| | - K L Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, 82072, USA
| | - A B Courtemanch
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Jackson, Wyoming, 83001, USA
| | - P J White
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, National Park Service, Mammoth, Wyoming, 82190, USA
| | - J T Paterson
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
| | - S R Dewey
- Grand Teton National Park, National Park Service, PO Box 170, Moose, Wyoming, 83012, USA
| | - R A Garrott
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
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43
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Normandeau J, Kutz SJ, Hebblewhite M, Merrill EH. Living with liver flukes: Does migration matter? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2020; 12:76-84. [PMID: 32477863 PMCID: PMC7251301 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2020.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Migration is typically thought to be an evolved trait driven by responses to forage or predation, but recent studies have demonstrated avoidance of parasitism can also affect success of migratory tactics within a population. We evaluated hypotheses of how migration alters parasite exposure in a partially migratory elk (Cervus canadensis) population in and adjacent to Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. Equal numbers of elk remain year-round on the winter range or migrate to summer range. We quantified diversity and abundance of parasites in faecal elk pellets, and prevalence (number of infected individuals) and intensity (egg counts) of giant liver fluke eggs (Fascioloides magna) in faeces across migratory tactics. We tested whether giant liver fluke intensity in faeces was affected by elk use of wetlands, elevation, forage biomass, and elk concentration in the previous summer. We rejected the "migratory escape" hypothesis that suggests migration allowed elk to escape parasite exposure because migrant elk had the highest richness and evenness of parasite groups. We also rejected the hypothesis that prevalence was highest at highest summer densities because higher-density resident elk had the lowest diversity and giant liver fluke egg presence and intensity. Instead, the high prevalence and intensity of giant liver flukes in migrants was consistent with both the hypothesis of "environmental tracking", because elk that migrated earlier may expose themselves to favourable parasite conditions, and with the "environmental sampling" hypothesis, because giant liver fluke intensity increased with increased exposure to secondary host habitat (i.e., wetland). Our results indicate that differential exposure of different migratory tactics that leave the winter range has a greater influence on parasites than the concentration of elk that reside on the winter range year-round.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Susan J Kutz
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, United States
| | - Evelyn H Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2R3, Canada
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44
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Webber QMR, Laforge MP, Bonar M, Robitaille AL, Hart C, Zabihi-Seissan S, Vander Wal E. The Ecology of Individual Differences Empirically Applied to Space-Use and Movement Tactics. Am Nat 2020; 196:E1-E15. [PMID: 32552106 DOI: 10.1086/708721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Movement provides a link between individual behavioral ecology and the spatial and temporal variation in an individual's landscape. Individual variation in movement traits is an important axis of animal personality, particularly in the context of foraging ecology. We tested whether individual caribou (Rangifer tarandus) displayed plasticity in movement and space-use behavior across a gradient of resource aggregation. We quantified first-passage time and range-use ratio as proxies for movement-related foraging behavior and examined how these traits varied at the individual level across a foraging resource gradient. Our results suggest that individuals adjusted first-passage time but not range-use ratio to maximize access to high-quality foraging resources. First-passage time was repeatable, and intercepts for first-passage time and range-use ratio were negatively correlated. Individuals matched first-passage time but not range-use ratio to the expectations of our patch-use model that maximized access to foraging resources, a result that suggests that individuals acclimated their movement patterns to accommodate both intra- and interannual variation in foraging resources on the landscape. Collectively, we highlight repeatable movement and space-use tactics and provide insight into how individual plasticity in movement interacts with landscape processes to affect the distribution of behavioral phenotypes and potentially fitness and population dynamics.
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45
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Le Corre M, Dussault C, Côté SD. Where to spend the winter? The role of intraspecific competition and climate in determining the selection of wintering areas by migratory caribou. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mael Le Corre
- Caribou Ungava, Dépt de Biologie and Centre d’Études Nordiques, Univ. Laval Québec Québec G1V 0A6 Canada
- Dept of Archaeology, Univ. of Aberdeen Aberdeen AB24 3UF UK
| | - Christian Dussault
- Caribou Ungava, Dépt de Biologie and Centre d’Études Nordiques, Univ. Laval Québec Québec G1V 0A6 Canada
- Direction de l'expertise sur la faune terrestre, l'herpétofaune et l'avifaune, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec Québec QC Canada
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Caribou Ungava, Dépt de Biologie and Centre d’Études Nordiques, Univ. Laval Québec Québec G1V 0A6 Canada
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Borowik T, Ratkiewicz M, Maślanko W, Duda N, Kowalczyk R. The level of habitat patchiness influences movement strategy of moose in Eastern Poland. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230521. [PMID: 32191742 PMCID: PMC7082038 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatio-temporal variation in resource availability leads to a variety of animal movement strategies. In the case of ungulates, temporally unpredictable landscapes are associated with nomadism, while high predictability in the resource distribution favours migratory or sedentary behaviours depending on the spatial and temporal scale of landscape dynamics. As most of the surveys on moose (Alces alces) movement behaviours in Europe have been conducted on Scandinavian populations, little is known about the movement strategies of moose at the southern edge of the species' range. We expected that decreasing habitat patchiness in central Europe would be associated with the prevalence of migratory behaviours. To verify this hypothesis, we analysed 32 moose fitted with GPS collars from two study areas in eastern Poland which differed in a level of habitat patchiness. We classified moose movements using the net squared displacement method. As presumed, lower patchiness in the Biebrza study site was associated with the predominance of individuals migrating short-distance, while in more patchy landscape of Polesie, resident moose dominated. At the individual level, the propensity of moose to migrate decreased with increasing abundance of forest habitats in their summer ranges. In addition, the parameters (migration distance, timing and duration) for migratory individuals varied substantially between individuals and years. Yet, in spring individual moose expressed a consistent migration timing across years. There was little synchronization of migration timing between individuals from the same population both in spring and autumn, which may have been related to mild weather conditions. We observed that moose postponed their migrations and started movement toward summer ranges at a similar time window in years when spring was delayed due to harsh weather. Hence, in light of global warming, we presume further changes in animal movements will arise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Borowik
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Weronika Maślanko
- University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Department of Animal Ethology and Wildlife Management, Lublin, Poland
| | - Norbert Duda
- University of Białystok, Institute of Biology, Białystok, Poland
- Zespół Szkół Ogólnokształcących Nr 2 w Białymstoku, Białystok, Poland
| | - Rafał Kowalczyk
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland
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Sawyer H, Lambert MS, Merkle JA. Migratory Disturbance Thresholds with Mule Deer and Energy Development. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hall Sawyer
- Western Ecosystems Technology Laramie WY 82070 USA
| | - Mallory S. Lambert
- Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Jerod A. Merkle
- Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie WY 82071 USA
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48
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Hertz M, Jensen L, Pertoldi C, Aarestrup K, Thomsen S, Alstrup A, Asmus H, Madsen S, Svendsen J. Investigating fish migration, mortality, and physiology to improve conservation planning of anadromous salmonids: a case study on the endangered North Sea houting (Coregonus oxyrinchus). CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Understanding migratory behavior, mortality, and physiology is essential for conservation of many species, particularly anadromous fish. In this study, freshwater and marine migrations of the endangered salmonid North Sea houting (Coregonus oxyrinchus (Linnaeus, 1758)) were investigated using telemetry. Furthermore, physiological samples were collected from North Sea houting and from resident and anadromous populations of the closely related European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus (Linnaeus, 1758)) to compare hypo-osmotic tolerances. On average, North Sea houting spent 193 days at sea where the mortality was 36%. Most fish returned from sea in the autumn, and river entry correlated inversely with river temperature and positively with discharge. Fish spent an average of 49 days in the estuarine area. Artificial lakes negatively affected migration speeds. Migration speeds did not differ consistently between individuals (i.e., not a repeatable trait) but correlated positively with water temperature. Fish arrived at spawning areas in November. In the post-spawning state, Na+/K+-ATPase activities were elevated in North Sea houting and anadromous whitefish compared with resident whitefish, while osmolality was elevated only in North Sea houting. Our study provides important information for conservation planning related to the Habitat Directive of the European Union that lists the North Sea houting as critically endangered.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Hertz
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Section of Biology and Environmental Science, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, 9220 Aalborg Ø, Denmark
| | - L.F. Jensen
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Section of Biology and Environmental Science, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, 9220 Aalborg Ø, Denmark
| | - C. Pertoldi
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Section of Biology and Environmental Science, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, 9220 Aalborg Ø, Denmark
- Aalborg Zoo, Mølleparkvej 63, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - K. Aarestrup
- National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Vejlsøvej 39, 8600 Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - S.N. Thomsen
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Section of Biology and Environmental Science, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, 9220 Aalborg Ø, Denmark
| | - A.K.O. Alstrup
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, 10C, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - H. Asmus
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Hafenstraße 43, D-25992 List, Sylt, Germany
| | - S.S. Madsen
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - J.C. Svendsen
- National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Jægersborg Alle 1, 2920, Denmark
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49
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Found R, St. Clair CC. Influences of Personality on Ungulate Migration and Management. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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50
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Berg JE, Hebblewhite M, St. Clair CC, Merrill EH. Prevalence and Mechanisms of Partial Migration in Ungulates. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
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