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Regan CE, Bogdanova MI, Newell M, Gunn C, Wanless S, Harris MP, Lopez SL, Benninghaus E, Bolton M, Daunt F, Searle KR. Seabirds show foraging site and route fidelity but demonstrate flexibility in response to local information. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:46. [PMID: 38872225 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00467-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fidelity to a given foraging location or route may be beneficial when environmental conditions are predictable but costly if conditions deteriorate or become unpredictable. Understanding the magnitude of fidelity displayed by different species and the processes that drive or erode it is therefore vital for understanding how fidelity may shape the demographic consequences of anthropogenic change. In particular, understanding the information that individuals may use to adjust their fidelity will facilitate improved predictions of how fidelity may change as environments change and the extent to which it will buffer individuals against such changes. METHODS We used movement data collected during the breeding season across eight years for common guillemots, Atlantic puffins, razorbills, and black-legged kittiwakes breeding on the Isle of May, Scotland to understand: (1) whether foraging site/route fidelity occurred within and between years, (2) whether the degree of fidelity between trips was predicted by personal foraging effort, and (3) whether different individuals made more similar trips when they overlapped in time at the colony prior to departure and/or when out at sea suggesting the use of the same local environmental cues or information on the decisions made by con- and heterospecifics. RESULTS All species exhibited site and route fidelity both within- and between-years, and fidelity between trips in guillemots and razorbills was related to metrics of foraging effort, suggesting they adjust fidelity to their personal foraging experience. We also found evidence that individuals used local environmental cues of prey location or availability and/or information gained by observing conspecifics when choosing foraging routes, particularly in puffins, where trips of individuals that overlapped temporally at the colony or out at sea were more similar. CONCLUSIONS The fidelity shown by these seabird species has the potential to put them at greater risk in the face of environmental change by driving individuals to continue using areas being degraded by anthropogenic pressures. However, our results suggest that individuals show some flexibility in their fidelity, which may promote resilience under environmental change. The benefits of this flexibility are likely to depend on numerous factors, including the rapidity and spatial scale of environmental change and the reliability of the information individuals use to choose foraging sites or routes, thus highlighting the need to better understand how organisms combine cues, prior experience, and other sources of information to make movement decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte E Regan
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, EH26 0QB, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK.
| | - Maria I Bogdanova
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, EH26 0QB, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK
| | - Mark Newell
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, EH26 0QB, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK
| | - Carrie Gunn
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, EH26 0QB, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK
| | - Sarah Wanless
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, EH26 0QB, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK
| | - Mike P Harris
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, EH26 0QB, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK
| | | | - Ella Benninghaus
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, EH26 0QB, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK
| | - Mark Bolton
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, AB15 6GZ, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Francis Daunt
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, EH26 0QB, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK
| | - Kate R Searle
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, EH26 0QB, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK
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Subramanian A, Germain RM. Landscape use by large grazers in a grassland is restructured by wildfire. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297290. [PMID: 38349917 PMCID: PMC10863880 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297290] [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: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Animals navigate landscapes based on perceived risks vs. rewards, as inferred from features of the landscape. In the wild, knowing how strongly animal movement is directed by landscape features is difficult to ascertain but widespread disturbances such as wildfires can serve as natural experiments. We tested the hypothesis that wildfires homogenize the risk/reward landscape, causing movement to become less directed, given that fires reduce landscape complexity as habitat structures (e.g., tree cover, dense brush) are burned. We used satellite imagery of a research reserve in Northern California to count and categorize paths made primarily by mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in grasslands. Specifically, we compared pre-wildfire (August 2014) and post-wildfire (September 2018) image history layers among locations that were or were not impacted by wildfire (i.e., a Before/After Control/Impact design). Wildfire significantly altered spatial patterns of deer movement: more new paths were gained and more old paths were lost in areas of the reserve that were impacted by wildfire; movement patterns became less directed in response to fire, suggesting that the risk/reward landscape became more homogenous, as hypothesized. We found evidence to suggest that wildfire affects deer populations at spatial scales beyond their scale of direct impact and raises the interesting possibility that deer perceive risks and rewards at different spatial scales. In conclusion, our study provides an example of how animals integrate spatial information from the environment to make movement decisions, setting the stage for future work on the broader ecological implications for populations, communities, and ecosystems, an emerging interest in ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aishwarya Subramanian
- Department of Biology, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Rachel M. Germain
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Newman BA, D’Angelo GJ. A Review of Cervidae Visual Ecology. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:420. [PMID: 38338063 PMCID: PMC10854973 DOI: 10.3390/ani14030420] [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: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
This review examines the visual systems of cervids in relation to their ability to meet their ecological needs and how their visual systems are specialized for particular tasks. Cervidae encompasses a diverse group of mammals that serve as important ecological drivers within their ecosystems. Despite evidence of highly specialized visual systems, a large portion of cervid research ignores or fails to consider the realities of cervid vision as it relates to their ecology. Failure to account for an animal's visual ecology during research can lead to unintentional biases and uninformed conclusions regarding the decision making and behaviors for a species or population. Our review addresses core behaviors and their interrelationship with cervid visual characteristics. Historically, the study of cervid visual characteristics has been restricted to specific areas of inquiry such as color vision and contains limited integration into broader ecological and behavioral research. The purpose of our review is to bridge these gaps by offering a comprehensive review of cervid visual ecology that emphasizes the interplay between the visual adaptations of cervids and their interactions with habitats and other species. Ultimately, a better understanding of cervid visual ecology allows researchers to gain deeper insights into their behavior and ecology, providing critical information for conservation and management efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blaise A. Newman
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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Chan YC, Chan DTC, Tibbitts TL, Hassell CJ, Piersma T. Site fidelity of migratory shorebirds facing habitat deterioration: insights from satellite tracking and mark-resighting. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:79. [PMID: 38129912 PMCID: PMC10740345 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00443-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Site fidelity, the tendency to return to a previously visited site, is commonly observed in migratory birds. This behaviour would be advantageous if birds returning to the same site, benefit from their previous knowledge about local resources. However, when habitat quality declines at a site over time, birds with lower site fidelity might benefit from a tendency to move to sites with better habitats. As a first step towards understanding the influence of site fidelity on how animals cope with habitat deterioration, here we describe site fidelity variation in two species of sympatric migratory shorebirds (Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica and Great Knots Calidris tenuirostris). Both species are being impacted by the rapid loss and deterioration of intertidal habitats in the Yellow Sea where they fuel up during their annual long-distance migrations. METHODS Using satellite tracking and mark-resighting data, we measured site fidelity in the non-breeding (austral summer) and migration periods, during which both species live and co-occur in Northwest Australia and the Yellow Sea, respectively. RESULTS Site fidelity was generally high in both species, with the majority of individuals using only one site during the non-breeding season and revisiting the same sites during migration. Nevertheless, Great Knots did exhibit lower site fidelity than Bar-tailed Godwits in both Northwest Australia and the Yellow Sea across data types. CONCLUSIONS Great Knots encountered substantial habitat deterioration just before and during our study period but show the same rate of decline in population size and individual survival as the less habitat-impacted Bar-tailed Godwits. This suggests that the lower site fidelity of Great Knots might have helped them to cope with the habitat changes. Future studies on movement patterns and their consequences under different environmental conditions by individuals with different degrees of site fidelity could help broaden our understanding of how species might react to, and recover from, local habitat deterioration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Chi Chan
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands.
- Rudi Drent Chair in Global Flyway Ecology, Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - David Tsz Chung Chan
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - T Lee Tibbitts
- Alaska Science Center, U. S. Geological Survey, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK, 99508, USA
| | - Chris J Hassell
- Global Flyway Network, PO Box 3089, Broome, WA, 6725, Australia
- Australasian Wader Studies Group, PO Box 3089, Broome, WA, 6725, Australia
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
- Rudi Drent Chair in Global Flyway Ecology, Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Global Flyway Network, PO Box 3089, Broome, WA, 6725, Australia
- BirdEyes, Centre for Global Ecological Change at the Faculties of Science and Engineering and Campus Fryslân, University of Groningen, Zaailand 110, 8911 BN, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
- Center for East Asian-Australasian Flyway Studies, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
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Li P, Zhang H, Yang D, Gong C, Wu D, Sun Y, Liu Y, Tang J, Hu H, Zhaxi Q, Xu W, Su L, Li Y, Wu X. Vigilance behaviour during the calving season in female Tibetan antelopes ( Pantholopshodgsonii). Biodivers Data J 2023; 11:e107957. [PMID: 37711367 PMCID: PMC10498271 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.11.e107957] [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: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Tibetan antelopes (Pantholopshodgsonii) migrate great distances to specific delivery and calving areas. In the current study, we investigated calving site selection and vigilance behaviour during delivery and nursing in migratory female Tibetan antelopes at Zonag Lake. According to observations and analysis, the females were distributed south of Zonag Lake, where vegetation was abundant. We determined their dates of migration (crossing the Qinghai-Tibet Highway observation site), showing a shift of one month during the period from June in 2008 to May 2021. Results also showed that 81.4% of females expressed high vigilance behaviour during calving and nursing compared to those without calves (7.1%). From delivery until calf standing, females were highly vigilant and spent considerable time scanning, with 96% of females showing vigilance behaviour. Females with calves (average 9.94 ± 0.62 s) spent more time on vigilance behaviour than females without calves (average 6.25 ± 1.38 s). Females with newborns spent the greatest amount of time being vigilant (average 51.63 ± 4.24 s). These results not only identify basic Tibetan antelope calving behaviour, but also provide scientific analysis and evidence for further ethological research on female Tibetan antelopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiwei Li
- Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, xi'an, ChinaShaanxi Institute of Zoologyxi'anChina
| | - Hongfeng Zhang
- Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, xi'an, ChinaShaanxi Institute of Zoologyxi'anChina
| | - Dongdong Yang
- Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, xi'an, ChinaShaanxi Institute of Zoologyxi'anChina
| | - Congran Gong
- Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, xi'an, ChinaShaanxi Institute of Zoologyxi'anChina
| | - Dong Wu
- Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, xi'an, ChinaShaanxi Institute of Zoologyxi'anChina
| | - Yuting Sun
- Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, xi'an, ChinaShaanxi Institute of Zoologyxi'anChina
| | - Yan Liu
- Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, xi'an, ChinaShaanxi Institute of Zoologyxi'anChina
| | - Junqing Tang
- School of Urban Planning and Design, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, ChinaSchool of Urban Planning and Design, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking UniversityShenzhenChina
| | - Han Hu
- Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, xi'an, ChinaShaanxi Institute of Zoologyxi'anChina
| | - Qiupei Zhaxi
- Hoh Xil Nature Reserve service, Golmud, ChinaHoh Xil Nature Reserve serviceGolmudChina
| | - Wei Xu
- Three-River-Source National Park Service, Xining, ChinaThree-River-Source National Park ServiceXiningChina
| | - Lina Su
- Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, xi'an, ChinaShaanxi Institute of Zoologyxi'anChina
| | - Yinhu Li
- Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, xi'an, ChinaShaanxi Institute of Zoologyxi'anChina
| | - Xiaomin Wu
- Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, xi'an, ChinaShaanxi Institute of Zoologyxi'anChina
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Huang YH, Owen-Smith N, Henley MD, Kilian JW, Kamath PL, Ochai SO, van Heerden H, Mfune JKE, Getz WM, Turner WC. Variation in herbivore space use: comparing two savanna ecosystems with different anthrax outbreak patterns in southern Africa. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:46. [PMID: 37525286 PMCID: PMC10392021 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00385-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The distribution of resources can affect animal range sizes, which in turn may alter infectious disease dynamics in heterogenous environments. The risk of pathogen exposure or the spatial extent of outbreaks may vary with host range size. This study examined the range sizes of herbivorous anthrax host species in two ecosystems and relationships between spatial movement behavior and patterns of disease outbreaks for a multi-host environmentally transmitted pathogen. METHODS We examined range sizes for seven host species and the spatial extent of anthrax outbreaks in Etosha National Park, Namibia and Kruger National Park, South Africa, where the main host species and outbreak sizes differ. We evaluated host range sizes using the local convex hull method at different temporal scales, within-individual temporal range overlap, and relationships between ranging behavior and species contributions to anthrax cases in each park. We estimated the spatial extent of annual anthrax mortalities and evaluated whether the extent was correlated with case numbers of a given host species. RESULTS Range size differences among species were not linearly related to anthrax case numbers. In Kruger the main host species had small range sizes and high range overlap, which may heighten exposure when outbreaks occur within their ranges. However, different patterns were observed in Etosha, where the main host species had large range sizes and relatively little overlap. The spatial extent of anthrax mortalities was similar between parks but less variable in Etosha than Kruger. In Kruger outbreaks varied from small local clusters to large areas and the spatial extent correlated with case numbers and species affected. Secondary host species contributed relatively few cases to outbreaks; however, for these species with large range sizes, case numbers positively correlated with outbreak extent. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide new information on the spatiotemporal structuring of ranging movements of anthrax host species in two ecosystems. The results linking anthrax dynamics to host space use are correlative, yet suggest that, though partial and proximate, host range size and overlap may be contributing factors in outbreak characteristics for environmentally transmitted pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Hua Huang
- Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| | - Norman Owen-Smith
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, 2050, South Africa
| | - Michelle D Henley
- Applied Behavioural Ecology and Ecosystem Research Unit, School of Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Florida, Johannesburg, 1710, South Africa
- Elephants Alive, Ekuthuleni Shareblock Ltd, Hoedspruit, 1380, South Africa
- Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, 2006, South Africa
| | - J Werner Kilian
- Etosha Ecological Institute (retired), Etosha National Park, Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Okaukuejo, Namibia
| | - Pauline L Kamath
- School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469, USA
| | - Sunday O Ochai
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Henriette van Heerden
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - John K E Mfune
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Wayne M Getz
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94704, USA
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Wendy C Turner
- Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, U.S. Geological Survey, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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Gong D, Hua Z, Mao A, Chen L, Peng Y, Zhang S. Web decoration is important in mediating foraging site fidelity as well as prey supplement and predation risk in an orb‐web spider. OIKOS 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Deyong Gong
- Centre for Behavioral Ecology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei Univ. Wuhan Hubei China
| | - Zeyuan Hua
- Centre for Behavioral Ecology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei Univ. Wuhan Hubei China
| | - Aijia Mao
- Centre for Behavioral Ecology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei Univ. Wuhan Hubei China
| | - Luyao Chen
- Centre for Behavioral Ecology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei Univ. Wuhan Hubei China
| | - Yu Peng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Regional Development and Environmental Response, Faculty of Resources and Environmental Science, Hubei Univ. Wuhan Hubei China
| | - Shichang Zhang
- Centre for Behavioral Ecology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei Univ. Wuhan Hubei China
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Milligan MC, Johnston AN, Beck JL, Taylor KL, Hall E, Knox L, Cufaude T, Wallace C, Chong G, Kauffman MJ. Wind-energy development alters pronghorn migration at multiple scales. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9687. [PMID: 36644697 PMCID: PMC9831971 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9687] [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: 07/17/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Migration is a critical behavioral strategy necessary for population persistence and ecosystem functioning, but migration routes have been increasingly disrupted by anthropogenic activities, including energy development. Wind energy is the world's fastest growing source of electricity and represents an important alternative to hydrocarbon extraction, but its effects on migratory species beyond birds and bats are not well understood. We evaluated the effects of wind-energy development on pronghorn migration, including behavior and habitat selection, to assess potential effects on connectivity and other functional benefits including stopovers. We monitored GPS-collared female pronghorn from 2010 to 2012 and 2018 to 2020 in south-central Wyoming, USA, an area with multiple wind-energy facilities in various stages of development and operation. Across all time periods, we collected 286 migration sequences from 117 individuals, including 121 spring migrations, 123 fall migrations, and 42 facultative winter migrations. While individuals continued to migrate through wind-energy facilities, pronghorn made important behavioral adjustments relative to turbines during migration. These included avoiding turbines when selecting stopover sites in spring and winter, selecting areas farther from turbines at a small scale in spring and winter, moving more quickly near turbines in spring (although pronghorn moved more slowly near turbines in the fall), and reducing fidelity to migration routes relative to wind turbines under construction in both spring and fall. For example, an increase in distance to turbine from 0 to 1 km translated to a 33% and 300% increase in the relative probability of selection for stopover sites in spring and winter, respectively. The behavioral adjustments pronghorn made relative to wind turbines could reduce the functional benefits of their migration, such as foraging success or the availability of specific routes, over the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan C. Milligan
- U.S. Geological SurveyNorthern Rocky Mountain Science CenterBozemanMontanaUSA
| | - Aaron N. Johnston
- U.S. Geological SurveyNorthern Rocky Mountain Science CenterBozemanMontanaUSA
| | - Jeffrey L. Beck
- Department of Ecosystem Science and ManagementUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
| | - Kaitlyn L. Taylor
- Department of Ecosystem Science and ManagementUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA,Grouse Mountain Environmental ConsultantsBuffaloWyomingUSA
| | - Embere Hall
- Wyoming Game and Fish DepartmentLaramieWyomingUSA
| | - Lee Knox
- Wyoming Game and Fish DepartmentLaramieWyomingUSA
| | - Teal Cufaude
- Wyoming Game and Fish DepartmentLaramieWyomingUSA
| | - Cody Wallace
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
| | - Geneva Chong
- U.S. Geological SurveyNorthern Rocky Mountain Science CenterBozemanMontanaUSA
| | - Matthew J. Kauffman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
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Picardi S, Abrahms B, Gelzer E, Morrison TA, Verzuh T, Merkle JA. Defining null expectations for animal site fidelity. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:157-169. [PMID: 36453059 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14148] [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: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Site fidelity-the tendency to return to previously visited locations-is widespread across taxa. Returns may be driven by several mechanisms, including memory, habitat selection, or chance; however, pattern-based definitions group different generating mechanisms under the same label of 'site fidelity', often assuming memory as the main driver. We propose an operational definition of site fidelity as patterns of return that deviate from a null expectation derived from a memory-free movement model. First, using agent-based simulations, we show that without memory, intrinsic movement characteristics and extrinsic landscape characteristics are key determinants of return patterns and that even random movements may generate substantial probabilities of return. Second, we illustrate how to implement our framework empirically to establish ecologically meaningful, system-specific null expectations for site fidelity. Our approach provides a conceptual and operational framework to test hypotheses on site fidelity across systems and scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Picardi
- Department of Wildland Resources, Jack H. Berryman Institute, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Briana Abrahms
- Center for Ecosystem Sentinels, Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Emily Gelzer
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Thomas A Morrison
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Tana Verzuh
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Jerod A Merkle
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
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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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Sandoval Lambert M, Sawyer H, Merkle JA. Responses to natural gas development differ by season for two migratory ungulates. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2652. [PMID: 35543078 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
While migrating, animals make directionally persistent movements and may only respond to human-induced rapid environmental change (HIREC), such as climate and land-use change, once a threshold of HIREC is surpassed. In contrast, animals on other seasonal ranges (e.g., winter range) make more localized and tortuous movements while foraging and may have the flexibility to adjust the location of their range and the intensity of use within it to minimize interactions with HIREC. Because of these seasonal differences in movement, animals on seasonal ranges should avoid areas that contain any level of HIREC, however, during migration, animals should use areas that contain low levels of HIREC, avoiding it only once a threshold of HIREC has been surpassed. We tested this hypothesis using a decade of GPS collar data collected from migratory mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus; n = 56 migration, 143 winter) and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana; n = 70 migration, 89 winter) that winter on and migrate through a natural gas field in western Wyoming. Using surface disturbance caused by well pads and roads as an index of HIREC, we evaluated behavioral responses across three spatial scales during winter and migration seasons. During migration, both species tolerated low levels of disturbance. Once a disturbance threshold was surpassed, however, they avoided HIREC. For mule deer, thresholds were consistently ~3%, whereas thresholds for pronghorn ranged from 1% to 9.25% surface disturbance. In contrast to migration, both species generally avoided all levels of HIREC while on winter range. Our study suggests that animal responses to HIREC are mediated by season-specific movement patterns. Our results provide further evidence of ungulates avoiding human disturbance on winter range and reveal disturbance thresholds that trigger mule deer and pronghorn responses during migration: information that managers can use to maintain the ecological function of migration routes and winter ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hall Sawyer
- Western Ecosystems Technology Inc., Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Jerod A Merkle
- Zoology and Physiology Department, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
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12
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Denryter K, Conner MM, Stephenson TR, German DW, Monteith KL. Survival of the fattest: how body fat and migration influence survival in highly seasonal environments. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Denryter
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Wyoming, 804 East Fremont Laramie WY USA
| | - Mary M. Conner
- Utah State University Department of Wildland Resources, 5320 Old Main Hill Logan UT USA
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 787 North Main Street, Suite 220 Bishop CA USA
| | - Thomas R. Stephenson
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program, 787 North Main Street, Suite 220 Bishop CA USA
| | - David W. German
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program, 787 North Main Street, Suite 220 Bishop CA USA
| | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 804 East Fremont Laramie WY USA
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13
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Brambilla A, von Hardenberg A, Canedoli C, Brivio F, Sueur C, Stanley CR. Long term analysis of social structure: evidence of age‐based consistent associations in male Alpine ibex. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Brambilla
- Dept of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Univ. of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
- Alpine Wildlife Research Center, Gran Paradiso National Park Torino Italy
| | - Achaz von Hardenberg
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Dept of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Chester Chester UK
| | - Claudia Canedoli
- Dept of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Milano Bicocca Milano Italy
| | | | - Cédric Sueur
- Univ. de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178 Strasbourg France
- Inst. Universitaire de France, Saint‐Michel 103 Paris France
| | - Christina R. Stanley
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Dept of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Chester Chester UK
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14
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Male mastodon landscape use changed with maturation (late Pleistocene, North America). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2118329119. [PMID: 35696566 PMCID: PMC9231495 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2118329119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Fossil remains usually reveal little about lifetime landscape use beyond place of death, but ever-growing tusks of American mastodons (Mammut americanum) record this fundamental aspect of paleobiology. Using oxygen and strontium isotopes from a serially sampled male mastodon tusk, we reconstruct changing patterns of landscape use during his life. We find clear shifts in landscape use during adolescence and following maturation to adulthood, including increased monthly movements and development of a summer-only range and mating ground. The mastodon died in his inferred summer mating ground, far from landscapes used during other seasons. Mastodons had long gestation times, and late Pleistocene populations lived in harsh, rapidly changing environments. Seasonal landscape use and migration were likely critical for maximizing mastodon reproductive success. Under harsh Pleistocene climates, migration and other forms of seasonally patterned landscape use were likely critical for reproductive success of mastodons (Mammut americanum) and other megafauna. However, little is known about how their geographic ranges and mobility fluctuated seasonally or changed with sexual maturity. We used a spatially explicit movement model that coupled strontium and oxygen isotopes from two serially sampled intervals (5+ adolescent years and 3+ adult years) in a male mastodon tusk to test for changes in landscape use associated with maturation and reproductive phenology. The mastodon’s early adolescent home range was geographically restricted, with no evidence of seasonal preferences. Following inferred separation from the matriarchal herd (starting age 12 y), the adolescent male’s mobility increased as landscape use expanded away from his natal home range (likely central Indiana). As an adult, the mastodon’s monthly movements increased further. Landscape use also became seasonally structured, with some areas, including northeast Indiana, used only during the inferred mastodon mating season (spring/summer). The mastodon died in this area (>150 km from his core, nonsummer range) after sustaining a craniofacial injury consistent with a fatal blow from a competing male’s tusk during a battle over access to mates. Northeast Indiana was likely a preferred mating area for this individual and may have been regionally significant for late Pleistocene mastodons. Similarities between mammutids and elephantids in herd structure, tusk dimorphism, tusk function, and the geographic component of male maturation indicate that these traits were likely inherited from a common ancestor.
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15
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Loss of Migratory Traditions Makes the Endangered Patagonian Huemul Deer a Year-Round Refugee in Its Summer Habitat. CONSERVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/conservation2020023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) is endangered, with 1500 deer split into >100 subpopulations along 2000 km of Andes. Currently occupied areas are claimed-erroneously, to be critical prime habitats. We analyzed historical spatiotemporal behavior since current patterns represent only a fraction of pre-Columbian ones. Given the limited knowledge, the first group (n = 6) in Argentina was radio-marked to examine spatial behavior. Historically, huemul resided year-round in winter ranges, while some migrated seasonally, some using grasslands >200 km east of their current presence, reaching the Atlantic. Moreover, huemul anatomy is adapted to open unforested habitats, also corroborated by spotless fawns. Extreme naivety towards humans resulted in early extirpation on many winter ranges—preferentially occupied by humans, resulting in refugee huemul on surrounding mountain summer ranges. Radio-marked huemul remained in small ranges with minimal altitudinal movements, as known from other subpopulations. However, these resident areas documented here are typical summer ranges as evidenced by past migrations, and current usage for livestock. The huemul is the only cervid known to use mountain summer ranges year-round in reaction to anthropogenic activities. Losing migratory traditions is a major threat, and may explain their presently prevalent skeletal diseases, reduced longevity, and lacking recolonizations for most remaining huemul subpopulations.
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16
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Watkins B, de Guinea M, Poindexter SA, Ganzhorn JU, Donati G, Eppley TM. Routes matter: the effect of seasonality on bamboo lemur navigational strategies. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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17
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Hayes FP, Millspaugh JJ, Bergman EJ, Callaway RM, Bishop CJ. Effects of willow nutrition and morphology on calving success of moose. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Forest P. Hayes
- Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula, MT 59812 USA
| | | | | | - Ragan M. Callaway
- Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula, MT 59812 USA
| | - Chad J. Bishop
- Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula, MT 59812 USA
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18
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Fei H, de Guinea M, Yang L, Chapman CA, Fan P. Where to sleep next? Evidence for spatial memory associated with sleeping sites in Skywalker gibbons (Hoolock tianxing). Anim Cogn 2022; 25:891-903. [PMID: 35099623 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01600-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Finding suitable sleeping sites is highly advantageous but challenging for wild animals. While suitable sleeping sites provide protection against predators and enhance sleep quality, these sites are heterogeneously distributed in space. Thus, animals may generate memories associated with suitable sleeping sites to be able to approach them efficiently when needed. Here, we examined traveling trajectories (i.e., direction, linearity, and speed of traveling) in relation to sleeping sites to assess whether Skywalker gibbons (Hoolock tianxing) use spatial memory to locate sleeping trees. Our results show that about 30% of the sleeping trees were efficiently revisited by gibbons and the recursive use of trees was higher than a randomly simulated visiting pattern. When gibbons left the last feeding tree for the day, they traveled in a linear fashion to sleeping sites out-of-sight (> 40 m away), and linearity of travel to sleeping trees out-of-sight was higher than 0.800 for all individuals. The speed of the traveling trajectories to sleeping sites out-of-sight increased not only as sunset approached, but also when daily rainfall increased. These results suggest that gibbons likely optimized their trajectories to reach sleeping sites under increasing conditions of predatory risk (i.e., nocturnal predators) and uncomfortable weather. Our study provides novel evidence on the use of spatial memory to locate sleeping sites through analyses of movement patterns, which adds to an already extensive body of literature linking cognitive processes and sleeping patterns in human and non-human animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanlan Fei
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.,College of Life Science, China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637002, China
| | - Miguel de Guinea
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silverman Institute of Life Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91904, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Li Yang
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Colin A Chapman
- Wilson Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20004, USA.,Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20037, USA.,School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa.,Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China
| | - Pengfei Fan
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
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19
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Stuber EF, Carlson BS, Jesmer BR. Spatial personalities: a meta-analysis of consistent individual differences in spatial behavior. Behav Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Individual variation in behavior, particularly consistent among-individual differences (i.e., personality), has important ecological and evolutionary implications for population and community dynamics, trait divergence, and patterns of speciation. Nevertheless, individual variation in spatial behaviors, such as home range behavior, movement characteristics, or habitat use has yet to be incorporated into the concepts or methodologies of ecology and evolutionary biology. To evaluate evidence for the existence of consistent among-individual differences in spatial behavior – which we refer to as “spatial personality” – we performed a meta-analysis of 200 repeatability estimates of home range size, movement metrics, and habitat use. We found that the existence of spatial personality is a general phenomenon, with consistently high repeatability (r) across classes of spatial behavior (r = 0.67–0.82), taxa (r = 0.31–0.79), and time between repeated measurements (r = 0.54–0.74). These results suggest: 1) repeatable spatial behavior may either be a cause or consequence of the environment experienced and lead to spatial personalities that may limit the ability of individuals to behaviorally adapt to changing landscapes; 2) interactions between spatial phenotypes and environmental conditions could result in differential reproduction, survival, and dispersal, suggesting that among-individual variation may facilitate population-level adaptation; 3) spatial patterns of species' distributions and spatial population dynamics may be better understood by shifting from a mean field analytical approach towards methods that account for spatial personalities and their associated fitness and ecological dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica F Stuber
- U.S. Geological Survey Utah Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Wildland Resources, 5230 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, 165 Prospect St., New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 165 Prospect St., New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ben S Carlson
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, 165 Prospect St., New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 165 Prospect St., New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Brett R Jesmer
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, 165 Prospect St., New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 165 Prospect St., New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, 310 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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20
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Baert JM, Stienen EWM, Verbruggen F, Van de Weghe N, Lens L, Müller W. Resource predictability drives interannual variation in migratory behavior in a long-lived bird. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab132] [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
There is a growing awareness that experience may play a major role in migratory decisions, especially in long-lived species. However, empirical support remains to date scarce. Here, we use multiyear GPS-tracking data on 28 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Larus fuscus), a long-lived species for which migratory strategies typically consist of a series of long stopovers, to assess how experience affects interannual variation in stopover selection. We expect that food source reliability should play a pivotal role, as it both reduces the uncertainty on food availability across years, and enables for more efficient foraging during stopovers by reducing searching efforts. We found that during stopovers gulls indeed developed high fidelity to particular foraging locations, which strongly reduced the daily distance travelled for foraging. When revisiting stopovers in consecutive years, birds used over 80% of foraging locations from the previous year. Although the average fidelity to stopovers across years was a high as 85%, stopovers where birds showed high foraging site fidelity were up to 60% more likely to be revisited compared to stopover with low foraging site fidelity. Accordingly, birds using more stopovers with reliable foraging opportunities showed significantly less interannual variation in their stopover use than birds using stopovers with less reliable foraging opportunities. Our results thus highlight the need to further deepen our understanding of the role of cognitive processes in individual variation in migratory behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan M Baert
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Eric W M Stienen
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Frederick Verbruggen
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nico Van de Weghe
- Department of Geography, CartoGIS Unit, Ghent University, Krijgslaan, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luc Lens
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wendt Müller
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Antwerp, Belgium
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21
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Kauffman MJ, Aikens EO, Esmaeili S, Kaczensky P, Middleton A, Monteith KL, Morrison TA, Mueller T, Sawyer H, Goheen JR. Causes, Consequences, and Conservation of Ungulate Migration. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012021-011516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Our understanding of ungulate migration is advancing rapidly due to innovations in modern animal tracking. Herein, we review and synthesize nearly seven decades of work on migration and other long-distance movements of wild ungulates. Although it has long been appreciated that ungulates migrate to enhance access to forage, recent contributions demonstrate that their movements are fine tuned to dynamic landscapes where forage, snow, and drought change seasonally. Researchers are beginning to understand how ungulates navigate migrations, with the emerging view that animals blend gradient tracking with spatial memory, some of which is socially learned. Although migration often promotes abundant populations—with broad effects on ecosystems—many migrations around the world have been lost or are currently threatened by habitat fragmentation, climate change, and barriers to movement. Fortunately, new efforts that use empirical tracking data to map migrations in detail are facilitating effective conservation measures to maintain ungulate migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Kauffman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA
| | - Ellen O. Aikens
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Saeideh Esmaeili
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
| | - Petra Kaczensky
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (INN), NO-2480 Koppang, Norway
- University of Veterinary Sciences Vienna, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, A-1160 Vienna, Austria
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Arthur Middleton
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California 94709, USA
| | - Kevin 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
| | - Thomas A. Morrison
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health, and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Mueller
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Hall Sawyer
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., Laramie, Wyoming 82072, USA
| | - Jacob R. Goheen
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA
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22
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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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23
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Kashetsky T, Avgar T, Dukas R. The Cognitive Ecology of Animal Movement: Evidence From Birds and Mammals. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.724887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognition, defined as the processes concerned with the acquisition, retention and use of information, underlies animals’ abilities to navigate their local surroundings, embark on long-distance seasonal migrations, and socially learn information relevant to movement. Hence, in order to fully understand and predict animal movement, researchers must know the cognitive mechanisms that generate such movement. Work on a few model systems indicates that most animals possess excellent spatial learning and memory abilities, meaning that they can acquire and later recall information about distances and directions among relevant objects. Similarly, field work on several species has revealed some of the mechanisms that enable them to navigate over distances of up to several thousand kilometers. Key behaviors related to movement such as the choice of nest location, home range location and migration route are often affected by parents and other conspecifics. In some species, such social influence leads to the formation of aggregations, which in turn may lead to further social learning about food locations or other resources. Throughout the review, we note a variety of topics at the interface of cognition and movement that invite further investigation. These include the use of social information embedded in trails, the likely important roles of soundscapes and smellscapes, the mechanisms that large mammals rely on for long-distance migration, and the effects of expertise acquired over extended periods.
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24
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Rheault H, Anderson CR, Bonar M, Marrotte RR, Ross TR, Wittemyer G, Northrup JM. Some Memories Never Fade: Inferring Multi-Scale Memory Effects on Habitat Selection of a Migratory Ungulate Using Step-Selection Functions. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.702818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how animals use information about their environment to make movement decisions underpins our ability to explain drivers of and predict animal movement. Memory is the cognitive process that allows species to store information about experienced landscapes, however, remains an understudied topic in movement ecology. By studying how species select for familiar locations, visited recently and in the past, we can gain insight to how they store and use local information in multiple memory types. In this study, we analyzed the movements of a migratory mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) population in the Piceance Basin of Colorado, United States to investigate the influence of spatial experience over different time scales on seasonal range habitat selection. We inferred the influence of short and long-term memory from the contribution to habitat selection of previous space use within the same season and during the prior year, respectively. We fit step-selection functions to GPS collar data from 32 female deer and tested the predictive ability of covariates representing current environmental conditions and both metrics of previous space use on habitat selection, inferring the latter as the influence of memory within and between seasons (summer vs. winter). Across individuals, models incorporating covariates representing both recent and past experience and environmental covariates performed best. In the top model, locations that had been previously visited within the same season and locations from previous seasons were more strongly selected relative to environmental covariates, which we interpret as evidence for the strong influence of both short- and long-term memory in driving seasonal range habitat selection. Further, the influence of previous space uses was stronger in the summer relative to winter, which is when deer in this population demonstrated strongest philopatry to their range. Our results suggest that mule deer update their seasonal range cognitive map in real time and retain long-term information about seasonal ranges, which supports the existing theory that memory is a mechanism leading to emergent space-use patterns such as site fidelity. Lastly, these findings provide novel insight into how species store and use information over different time scales.
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25
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Joly K, Gurarie E, Hansen DA, Cameron MD. Seasonal patterns of spatial fidelity and temporal consistency in the distribution and movements of a migratory ungulate. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:8183-8200. [PMID: 34188879 PMCID: PMC8216956 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
How animals use their range can have physiological, ecological, and demographic repercussions, as well as impact management decisions, species conservation, and human society. Fidelity, the predictable return to certain places, can improve fitness if it is associated with high-quality habitat or helps enable individuals to locate heterogenous patches of higher-quality habitat within a lower-quality habitat matrix. Our goal was to quantify patterns of fidelity at different spatial scales to better understand the relative plasticity of habitat use of a vital subsistence species that undergoes long-distance migrations. We analyzed a decade (2010-2019) of GPS data from 240 adult, female Western Arctic Herd (WAH) caribou (Rangifer tarandus) from northwest Alaska, U.S.A. We assessed fidelity at 2 spatial scales: to site-specific locations within seasonal ranges and to regions within the herd's entire range by using 2 different null datasets. We assessed both area and consistency of use during 6 different seasons of the year. We also assessed the temporal consistency of migration and calving events. At the scale of the overall range, we found that caribou fidelity was greatest during the calving and insect relief (early summer) seasons, where the herd tended to maximally aggregate in the smallest area, and lowest in winter when the seasonal range is largest. However, even in seasons with lower fidelity, we found that caribou still showed fidelity to certain regions within the herd's range. Within those seasonal ranges, however, there was little individual site-specific fidelity from year to year, with the exception of summer periods. Temporally, we found that over 90% of caribou gave birth within 7 days of the day they gave birth the previous year. This revealed fairly high temporal consistency, especially given the spatial and temporal variability of spring migration. Fall migration exhibited greater temporal variability than spring migration. Our results support the hypothesis that higher fidelity to seasonal ranges is related to greater environmental and resource predictability. Interestingly, this fidelity was stronger at larger scales and at the population level. Almost the entire herd would seek out these areas with predictable resources, and then, individuals would vary their use, likely in response to annually varying conditions. During seasons with lower presumed spatial and/or temporal predictability of resources, population-level fidelity was lower but individual fidelity was higher. The herd would be more spread out during the seasons of low-resource predictability, leading to lower fidelity at the scale of their entire range, but individuals could be closer to locations they used the previous year, leading to greater individual fidelity, perhaps resulting from memory of a successful outcome the previous year. Our results also suggest that fidelity in 1 season is related to fidelity in the subsequent season. We hypothesize that some differences in patterns of range fidelity may be driven by seasonal differences in group size, degree of sociality, and/or density-dependent factors. Climate change may affect resource predictability and, thus, the spatial fidelity and temporal consistency of use of animals to certain seasonal ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Joly
- Gates of the Arctic National Park and PreserveArctic Inventory and Monitoring NetworkNational Park ServiceFairbanksAKUSA
| | - Eliezer Gurarie
- Department of BiologyUniversity of MarylandCollege ParkMDUSA
| | - D. Alexander Hansen
- Division of Wildlife ConservationAlaska Department of Fish and GameKotzebueAKUSA
| | - Matthew D. Cameron
- Gates of the Arctic National Park and PreserveArctic Inventory and Monitoring NetworkNational Park ServiceFairbanksAKUSA
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26
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Janmaat KRL, de Guinea M, Collet J, Byrne RW, Robira B, van Loon E, Jang H, Biro D, Ramos-Fernández G, Ross C, Presotto A, Allritz M, Alavi S, Van Belle S. Using natural travel paths to infer and compare primate cognition in the wild. iScience 2021; 24:102343. [PMID: 33997670 PMCID: PMC8101046 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Within comparative psychology, the evolution of animal cognition is typically studied either by comparing indirect measures of cognitive abilities (e.g., relative brain size) across many species or by conducting batteries of decision-making experiments among (typically) a few captive species. Here, we propose a third, complementary approach: inferring and comparing cognitive abilities through observational field records of natural information gradients and the associated variation in decision-making outcomes, using the ranging behavior of wild animals. To demonstrate the feasibility of our proposal, we present the results of a global survey assessing the availability of long-term ranging data sets from wild primates and the willingness of primatologists to share such data. We explore three ways in which such ranging data, with or without the associated behavioral and ecological data often collected by primatologists, might be used to infer and compare spatial cognition. Finally, we suggest how ecological complexity may be best incorporated into comparative analyses. Comparing animal ranging decisions in natural habitats has untapped potential How decisions vary with natural information gradients reveals wild animal cognition Ranging data on at least 164 populations of 105 wild primate species are available We present three thought analyses to compare cognition and explain its evolution
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Affiliation(s)
- Karline R L Janmaat
- Evolutionary and Population Biology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.,ARTIS Amsterdam Royal zoo, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Miguel de Guinea
- Department of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Julien Collet
- Oxford Navigation Group, Department of Zoology, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - Richard W Byrne
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrew, UK.,Scottish Primate Research Group, Scotland, UK
| | - Benjamin Robira
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,Eco-anthropologie, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Emiel van Loon
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Haneul Jang
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dora Biro
- Oxford Navigation Group, Department of Zoology, Oxford University, Oxford, UK.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, USA
| | - Gabriel Ramos-Fernández
- Department of Mathematical Modelling of Social Systems, Institute for Research on Applied Mathematics and Systems, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.,Center for Complexity Sciences, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Cody Ross
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andrea Presotto
- Department of Geography and Geosciences, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MA, USA
| | - Matthias Allritz
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK
| | - Shauhin Alavi
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, Konstanz, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Sarie Van Belle
- Department of Anthropology, University of Austin at Texas, Austin, TX, USA
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