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Benscoter AM, D'Acunto LE, Haider SM, Fletcher RJ, Romañach SS. Nest‐site selection model for endangered Everglade snail kites to inform ecosystem restoration. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura E. D'Acunto
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center Davie Florida USA
| | - Saira M. Haider
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center Davie Florida USA
| | - Robert J. Fletcher
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
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Poli C, Robertson EP, Martin J, Powell AN, Fletcher RJ. An invasive prey provides long-lasting silver spoon effects for an endangered predator. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220820. [PMID: 35730154 PMCID: PMC9233927 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The natal environment can have long-term fitness consequences for individuals, particularly via 'silver spoon' or 'environmental matching' effects. Invasive species could alter natal effects on native species by changing species interactions, but this potential remains unknown. Using 17 years of data on 2588 individuals across the entire US breeding range of the endangered snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis), a wetland raptor that feeds entirely on Pomacea snails, we tested for silver spoon and environmental matching effects on survival and movement and whether the invasion of a non-native snail may alter outcomes. We found support for silver spoon effects, not environmental matching, on survival that operated through body condition at fledging, explained by hydrology in the natal wetland. When non-native snails were present at the natal site, kites were in better condition, individual condition was less sensitive to hydrology, and kites fledged across a wider range of hydrologic conditions, leading to higher survival that persisted for at least 10 years. Movement between wetlands was driven by the current (adult) environment, and birds born in both invaded and uninvaded wetlands preferred to occupy invaded wetlands post-fledging. These results illustrate that species invasions may profoundly impact the role of natal environments on native species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Poli
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Ellen P. Robertson
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA,Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Julien Martin
- US Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, FL 32653, USA
| | - Abby N. Powell
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA,US Geological Survey, Florida Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, PO Box 110430, 110 Newins-Ziegler Hall, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Robert J. Fletcher
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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Cullen JA, Poli CL, Fletcher RJ, Valle D. Identifying latent behavioural states in animal movement with M4, a nonparametric Bayesian method. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua A. Cullen
- School of Forest Resources and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
| | - Caroline L. Poli
- School of Natural Resources and Environment University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
| | - Robert J. Fletcher
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
| | - Denis Valle
- School of Forest Resources and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
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Waltham NJ, Schaffer J. Will fencing floodplain and riverine wetlands from feral pig damage conserve fish community values? Ecol Evol 2021; 11:13780-13792. [PMID: 34707817 PMCID: PMC8525148 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Installation of feral pig (Sus scrofa) exclusion fences to conserve and rehabilitate coastal floodplain habitat for fish production and water quality services remains untested. Twenty-one floodplain and riverine wetlands in the Archer River catchment (north Queensland) were surveyed during postwet (June-August) and late-dry season (November-December) in 2016, 2017, and 2018, using a fyke net soaked overnight (~14-15 hr) to test: (a) whether the fish assemblage are similar in wetlands with and without fences; and (b) whether specific environmental conditions influence fish composition between fenced and unfenced wetlands. A total of 6,353 fish representing twenty-six species from 15 families were captured. There were no wetland differences in fish assemblages across seasons, years and for fenced and unfenced (PERMANOVA, Pseudo-F < 0.589, p < .84). Interestingly, the late-dry season fish were far smaller compared to postwet season fish: a strategy presumably in place to maximize rapid disposal following rain and floodplain connectivity. In each wetland, a calibrated Hydrolab was deployed (between 2 and4 days, with 20 min logging) in the epilimnion (0.2 m) and revealed distinct diel water quality cycling of temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH (conductivity represented freshwater wetlands), which was more obvious in the late-dry season survey because of extreme summer conditions. Water quality varied among wetlands in terms of the daily amplitude and extent of daily photosynthesis recovery, which highlights the need to consider local conditions and that applying general assumptions around water quality conditions for these types of wetlands is problematic for managers. Though many fish access wetlands during wet season connection, the seasonal effect of reduced water level conditions seems more overimprovised when compared to whether fences are installed, as all wetlands supported few, juvenile, or no fish species because they had dried completely regardless of the presence of fences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan J. Waltham
- Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER)College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQldAustralia
| | - Jason Schaffer
- Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER)College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQldAustralia
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Fuirst M, Strickland D, Norris DR. Breeding dispersal in a resident boreal passerine can lead to short‐ and long‐term fitness benefits. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Fuirst
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph Ontario Canada N1G 2W1
| | | | - D. Ryan Norris
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph Ontario Canada N1G 2W1
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Reichert BE, Fletcher RJ, Kitchens WM. The demographic contributions of connectivity versus local dynamics to population growth of an endangered bird. J Anim Ecol 2020; 90:574-584. [PMID: 33179773 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Conservation and management increasingly focus on connectivity, because connectivity driven by variation in immigration rates across landscapes is thought to be crucial for maintaining local population and metapopulation persistence. Yet, efforts to quantify the relative role of immigration on population growth across the entire range of species and over time have been lacking. We assessed whether immigration limited local and range-wide population growth of the endangered snail kite Rostrhamus sociabilis in Florida, USA, over 18 years using multi-state, reverse-time modelling that accounts for imperfect detection of individuals and unobservable states. Demographic contributions of immigration varied depending on the dynamics and geographic position of the local populations, were scale-dependent and changed over time. By comparing the relative contributions of immigration versus local demography for periods of significant change in local abundance, we found empirical evidence for a disproportionately large role of immigration in facilitating population growth of a centrally located population-a connectivity 'hub'. The importance of connectivity changed depending of the spatial scale considered, such that immigration was a more important driver of population growth at small versus large spatial scales. Furthermore, the contribution of immigration was much greater during time periods when local population size was small, emphasizing abundance-dependent rescue effects. Our findings suggest that efforts aimed at improving local breeding habitat will likely be most effective at increasing snail kite population growth. More broadly, our results provide much needed information on the role of connectivity for population growth, suggesting that connectivity conservation may have the greatest benefits when efforts focus on centrally located habitat patches and small populations. Furthermore, our results highlight that connectivity is highly dynamic over time and that interpreting the effects of connectivity at local scales may not transfer to region-wide dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian E Reichert
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Robert J Fletcher
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Wiley M Kitchens
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Causes and consequences of avian within-season dispersal decisions in a dynamic grassland environment. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Robertson EP, Fletcher RJ, Austin JD. The number of breeders explains genetic connectivity in an endangered bird. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:2746-2756. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.15109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 04/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen P. Robertson
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
| | - Robert J. Fletcher
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
| | - James D. Austin
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
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Nimmo DG, Avitabile S, Banks SC, Bliege Bird R, Callister K, Clarke MF, Dickman CR, Doherty TS, Driscoll DA, Greenville AC, Haslem A, Kelly LT, Kenny SA, Lahoz‐Monfort JJ, Lee C, Leonard S, Moore H, Newsome TM, Parr CL, Ritchie EG, Schneider K, Turner JM, Watson S, Westbrooke M, Wouters M, White M, Bennett AF. Animal movements in fire‐prone landscapes. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 94:981-998. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dale G. Nimmo
- School of Environmental Science Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University Albury New South Wales 2640 Australia
| | - Sarah Avitabile
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, School of Life Sciences La Trobe University Bundoora Victoria 3086 Australia
| | - Sam C. Banks
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, College of Engineering, IT and the Environment, Charles Darwin University Casuarina Northern Territory 0810 Australia
| | - Rebecca Bliege Bird
- Department of Anthropology Pennsylvania State University University Park PA 16802 U.S.A
| | - Kate Callister
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, School of Life Sciences La Trobe University Bundoora Victoria 3086 Australia
| | - Michael F. Clarke
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, School of Life Sciences La Trobe University Bundoora Victoria 3086 Australia
- Research Centre for Future Landscapes, La Trobe University Bundoora Victoria 3086 Australia
| | - Chris R. Dickman
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - Tim S. Doherty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences Centre for Integrative Ecology (Burwood campus), Deakin University Geelong Victoria 3220 Australia
| | - Don A. Driscoll
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences Centre for Integrative Ecology (Burwood campus), Deakin University Geelong Victoria 3220 Australia
| | - Aaron C. Greenville
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - Angie Haslem
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, School of Life Sciences La Trobe University Bundoora Victoria 3086 Australia
| | - Luke T. Kelly
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria 3010 Australia
| | - Sally A. Kenny
- Victorian Department of Environment, Land Water & Planning Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research 123 Brown St, Heidelberg Victoria 3081 Australia
| | - José J. Lahoz‐Monfort
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria 3010 Australia
| | - Connie Lee
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences Centre for Integrative Ecology (Burwood campus), Deakin University Geelong Victoria 3220 Australia
| | - Steven Leonard
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, School of Life Sciences La Trobe University Bundoora Victoria 3086 Australia
| | - Harry Moore
- School of Environmental Science Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University Albury New South Wales 2640 Australia
| | - Thomas M. Newsome
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - Catherine L. Parr
- School of Environmental Sciences University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 3GP U.K
- Department of Zoology & Entomology University of Pretoria Pretoria 0002 South Africa
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences University of the Witwatersrand Wits 2050 South Africa
| | - Euan G. Ritchie
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | | | - James M. Turner
- School of Environmental Science Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University Albury New South Wales 2640 Australia
| | - Simon Watson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, School of Life Sciences La Trobe University Bundoora Victoria 3086 Australia
| | - Martin Westbrooke
- School of Environmental Science Federation University Ballarat Victoria 3350 Australia
| | - Mike Wouters
- Fire & Flood Management, Department for Environment and Water Adelaide South Australia 5000 Australia
| | - Matthew White
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria 3010 Australia
| | - Andrew F. Bennett
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, School of Life Sciences La Trobe University Bundoora Victoria 3086 Australia
- Research Centre for Future Landscapes, La Trobe University Bundoora Victoria 3086 Australia
- Victorian Department of Environment, Land Water & Planning Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research 123 Brown St, Heidelberg Victoria 3081 Australia
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Isolating the roles of movement and reproduction on effective connectivity alters conservation priorities for an endangered bird. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:8591-8596. [PMID: 30082379 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1800183115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Movement is important for ecological and evolutionary theory as well as connectivity conservation, which is increasingly critical for species responding to environmental change. Key ecological and evolutionary outcomes of movement, such as population growth and gene flow, require effective dispersal: movement that is followed by successful reproduction. However, the relative roles of movement and postmovement reproduction for effective dispersal and connectivity remain unclear. Here we isolate the contributions of movement and immigrant reproduction to effective dispersal and connectivity across the entire breeding range of an endangered raptor, the snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus). To do so, we unite mark-resight data on movement and reproduction across 9 years and 27 breeding patches with an integrated model that decomposes effective dispersal into its hierarchical levels of movement, postmovement breeding attempt, and postmovement reproductive success. We found that immigrant reproduction limits effective dispersal more than movement for this endangered species, demonstrating that even highly mobile species may have limited effective connectivity due to reduced immigrant reproduction. We found different environmental limitations for the reproductive component of effective dispersal compared with movement, indicating that different conservation strategies may be needed when promoting effective dispersal rather than movement alone. We also demonstrate that considering immigrant reproduction, rather than movement alone, alters which patches are the most essential for connectivity, thereby changing conservation priorities. These results challenge the assumption that understanding movement alone is sufficient to infer connectivity and highlight that connectivity conservation may require not only fostering movement but also successful reproduction of immigrants.
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Robertson EP, Fletcher RJ, Austin JD. Microsatellite polymorphism in the endangered snail kite reveals a panmictic, low diversity population. CONSERV GENET 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-017-1003-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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