1
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Felton AM, Wam HK, Borowski Z, Granhus A, Juvany L, Matala J, Melin M, Wallgren M, Mårell A. Climate change and deer in boreal and temperate regions: From physiology to population dynamics and species distributions. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17505. [PMID: 39319472 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 08/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/24/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024]
Abstract
Climate change causes far-reaching disruption in nature, where tolerance thresholds already have been exceeded for some plants and animals. In the short term, deer may respond to climate through individual physiological and behavioral responses. Over time, individual responses can aggregate to the population level and ultimately lead to evolutionary adaptations. We systematically reviewed the literature (published 2000-2022) to summarize the effect of temperature, rainfall, snow, combined measures (e.g., the North Atlantic Oscillation), and extreme events, on deer species inhabiting boreal and temperate forests in terms of their physiology, spatial use, and population dynamics. We targeted deer species that inhabit relevant biomes in North America, Europe, and Asia: moose, roe deer, wapiti, red deer, sika deer, fallow deer, white-tailed deer, mule deer, caribou, and reindeer. Our review (218 papers) shows that many deer populations will likely benefit in part from warmer winters, but hotter and drier summers may exceed their physiological tolerances. We found support for deer expressing both morphological, physiological, and behavioral plasticity in response to climate variability. For example, some deer species can limit the effects of harsh weather conditions by modifying habitat use and daily activity patterns, while the physiological responses of female deer can lead to long-lasting effects on population dynamics. We identified 20 patterns, among which some illustrate antagonistic pathways, suggesting that detrimental effects will cancel out some of the benefits of climate change. Our findings highlight the influence of local variables (e.g., population density and predation) on how deer will respond to climatic conditions. We identified several knowledge gaps, such as studies regarding the potential impact on these animals of extreme weather events, snow type, and wetter autumns. The patterns we have identified in this literature review should help managers understand how populations of deer may be affected by regionally projected futures regarding temperature, rainfall, and snow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika M Felton
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Lomma, Sweden
| | - Hilde Karine Wam
- Department of Wildlife and Rangelands, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Ås, Norway
| | | | - Aksel Granhus
- Department of Forest Management, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Ås, Norway
| | - Laura Juvany
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Lomma, Sweden
| | - Juho Matala
- Natural Resources Unit, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Joensuu, Finland
| | - Markus Melin
- Natural Resources Unit, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Joensuu, Finland
| | - Märtha Wallgren
- Skogforsk (Forestry Research Institute of Sweden), Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Umeå, Sweden
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2
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Holmes SM, Dressel S, Morel J, Spitzer R, Ball JP, Ericsson G, Singh NJ, Widemo F, Cromsigt JPGM, Danell K. Increased summer temperature is associated with reduced calf mass of a circumpolar large mammal through direct thermoregulatory and indirect, food quality, pathways. Oecologia 2023; 201:1123-1136. [PMID: 37017733 PMCID: PMC10113315 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05367-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Climate change represents a growing ecological challenge. The (sub) arctic and boreal regions of the world experience the most rapid warming, presenting an excellent model system for studying how climate change affects mammals. Moose (Alces alces) are a particularly relevant model species with their circumpolar range. Population declines across the southern edge of this range are linked to rising temperatures. Using a long-term dataset (1988-1997, 2017-2019), we examine the relative strength of direct (thermoregulatory costs) and indirect (food quality) pathways linking temperature, precipitation, and the quality of two important food items (birch and fireweed) to variation in moose calf mass in northern Sweden. The direct effects of temperature consistently showed stronger relationships to moose calf mass than did the indirect effects. The proportion of growing season days where the temperature exceeded a 20 °C threshold showed stronger direct negative relationships to moose calf mass than did mean temperature values. Finally, while annual forb (fireweed) quality was more strongly influenced by temperature and precipitation than were perennial (birch) leaves, this did not translate into a stronger relationship to moose calf weight. The only indirect path with supporting evidence suggested that mean growing season temperatures were positively associated with neutral detergent fiber, which was, in turn, negatively associated with calf mass. While indirect impacts of climate change deserve further investigation, it is important to recognize the large direct impacts of temperature on cold-adapted species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheila M Holmes
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Sabrina Dressel
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
- Forest and Nature Conservation Policy Chair Group, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Julien Morel
- Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Robert Spitzer
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - John P Ball
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Göran Ericsson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Navinder J Singh
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Widemo
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Joris P G M Cromsigt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Kjell Danell
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
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3
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Lemay E, Côté SD, Tremblay JP. How will snow retention and shading from Arctic shrub expansion affect caribou food resources? ECOSCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2021.1917859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Evelyne Lemay
- Département de Biologie, Centre d’études Nordiques and Caribou Ungava, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Département de Biologie, Centre d’études Nordiques and Caribou Ungava, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-Pierre Tremblay
- Département de Biologie, Centre d’études Nordiques and Caribou Ungava, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre d’étude de la forêt, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
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4
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Felton AM, Wam HK, Felton A, Simpson SJ, Stolter C, Hedwall P, Malmsten J, Eriksson T, Tigabo M, Raubenheimer D. Macronutrient balancing in free-ranging populations of moose. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:11223-11240. [PMID: 34429914 PMCID: PMC8366896 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
At northern latitudes, large spatial and temporal variation in the nutritional composition of available foods poses challenges to wild herbivores trying to satisfy their nutrient requirements. Studies conducted in mostly captive settings have shown that animals from a variety of taxonomic groups deal with this challenge by adjusting the amounts and proportions of available food combinations to achieve a target nutrient balance. In this study, we used proportions-based nutritional geometry to analyze the nutritional composition of rumen samples collected in winter from 481 moose (Alces alces) in southern Sweden and examine whether free-ranging moose show comparable patterns of nutrient balancing. Our main hypothesis was that wild moose actively regulate their rumen nutrient composition to offset ecologically imposed variation in the nutritional composition of available foods. To test this, we assessed the macronutritional composition (protein, carbohydrates, and lipids) of rumen contents and commonly eaten foods, including supplementary feed, across populations with contrasting winter diets, spanning an area of approximately 10,000 km2. Our results suggest that moose balanced the macronutrient composition of their rumen, with the rumen contents having consistently similar proportional relationship between protein and nonstructural carbohydrates, despite differences in available (and eaten) foods. Furthermore, we found that rumen macronutrient balance was tightly related to ingested levels of dietary fiber (cellulose and hemicellulose), such that the greater the fiber content, the less protein was present in the rumen compared with nonstructural carbohydrates. Our results also suggest that moose benefit from access to a greater variety of trees, shrubs, herbs, and grasses, which provides them with a larger nutritional space to maneuver within. Our findings provide novel theoretical insights into a model species for ungulate nutritional ecology, while also generating data of direct relevance to wildlife and forest management, such as silvicultural or supplementary feeding practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika M. Felton
- Southern Swedish Forest Research CentreSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesAlnarpSweden
| | - Hilde K. Wam
- Division of Forestry and Forest ResourcesNIBIOÅsNorway
| | - Adam Felton
- Southern Swedish Forest Research CentreSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesAlnarpSweden
| | - Stephen J. Simpson
- Charles Perkins Centre, and School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneyCamperdownNSWAustralia
| | - Caroline Stolter
- Department of Animal Ecology and ConservationInstitute of ZoologyUniversity of HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Per‐Ola Hedwall
- Southern Swedish Forest Research CentreSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesAlnarpSweden
| | - Jonas Malmsten
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)UmeåSweden
| | - Torsten Eriksson
- Department of Animal Nutrition and ManagementSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsalaSweden
| | - Mulualem Tigabo
- Southern Swedish Forest Research CentreSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesAlnarpSweden
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre, and School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneyCamperdownNSWAustralia
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5
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Reiner R, Zedrosser A, Zeiler H, Hackländer K, Corlatti L. Forests buffer the climate-induced decline of body mass in a mountain herbivore. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:3741-3752. [PMID: 33993622 PMCID: PMC8361913 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is known to affect key life-history traits, such as body mass, reproduction, and survival in many species. Animal populations inhabiting mountain habitats are adapted to extreme seasonal environmental conditions but are also expected to be especially vulnerable to climate change. Studies on mountain ungulates typically focus on populations or sections of populations living above the tree line, whereas populations inhabiting forested habitats are largely understudied. Here, we investigate whether forested areas can mitigate the impact of climatic change on life-history traits by evaluating the interactive effects of temperature and habitat characteristics on body mass variation in the Alpine chamois Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra. We examined data of 20,573 yearling chamois collected from 1993 to 2019 in 28 mountain ranges in the Austrian Eastern Alps, characterized by different proportion of forest cover. Our results show that the temporal decline of chamois body mass is less pronounced in areas with greater proportion of forest cover. For chamois living in forest habitats only, no significant temporal change in body mass was detected. Variation in body mass was affected by the interaction between density and snow cover, as well as by the interaction between spring temperatures and forest cover, supporting the role of forests as thermal buffer against the effects of increasing temperatures on life-history traits in a mountain ungulate. In turn, this study suggests a buffering effect of forests against climate change impacts. Assessments of the consequences of climate change on the life-history traits and population dynamics of mountain-dwelling species should thus consider the plasticity of the species with respect to the use and availability of different habitat types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudolf Reiner
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game ManagementUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
- Berchtesgaden National ParkBerchtesgadenGermany
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game ManagementUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental HealthUniversity of South‐Eastern NorwayBø i TelemarkNorway
| | | | - Klaus Hackländer
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game ManagementUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Luca Corlatti
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and ManagementUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
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6
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Espunyes J, Serrano E, Chaves S, Bartolomé J, Menaut P, Albanell E, Marchand P, Foulché K, Garel M. Positive effect of spring advance on the diet quality of an alpine herbivore. Integr Zool 2021; 17:78-92. [PMID: 34223702 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Changes in vegetation phenology related to global warming are having alarming effects on the life history traits of many herbivore species. Such changes are particularly critical in alpine ecosystems, where strong climate limitations on plant growth make seasonal synchronization imperative for the growth, reproduction and survival of herbivores. However, despite the pivotal role of resource-use strategies on the performances of such species, few studies have explicitly assessed the mechanistic impact of climate change on their diets. We aimed to fill this gap by studying the effect of spring onset on the dietary composition and quality of a medium-size alpine herbivore while considering density-dependent processes and age- and sex-specific differences in foraging behavior. Using an exceptional, long-term (24 years) direct individual-based dietary monitoring of a Pyrenean chamois population (Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica), we showed that ongoing earlier onsets of spring are leading to an earlier access to high-quality forage and therefore a higher diet quality at a fixed date, without apparent changes in diet composition. We also showed that at high densities, intraspecific competition reduced diet quality by driving animals to feed more on woody plants and less on nutritious forbs and graminoids. By assessing the mechanistic effects of global warming on the dietary patterns of species at the center of trophic networks, this study is an essential step for predictive models aiming at understanding the ongoing ecosystem consequences of the global climatic crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Espunyes
- Wildlife Ecology and Health group (WE&H) i Servei d'Ecopatologia de la Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.,Wildlife Conservation Medicine Research Group (WildCoM), Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.,Research and Conservation Department, Zoo de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Emmanuel Serrano
- Wildlife Ecology and Health group (WE&H) i Servei d'Ecopatologia de la Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Sara Chaves
- Wildlife Ecology and Health group (WE&H) i Servei d'Ecopatologia de la Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.,Group of Ruminant Research (G2R), Department of Animal and Food Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Jordi Bartolomé
- Group of Ruminant Research (G2R), Department of Animal and Food Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Pierre Menaut
- French Agency for Biodiversity, Direction Régionale Occitanie, Service d'Appui aux Acteurs et Mobilisation du Territoire, Villeneuve de Rivière, France
| | - Elena Albanell
- Group of Ruminant Research (G2R), Department of Animal and Food Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Pascal Marchand
- French Agency for Biodiversity, Direction de la Recherche et Appui Scientifique, Unité Ongulés Sauvages, Gières, France
| | - Kévin Foulché
- French Agency for Biodiversity, Direction Régionale Occitanie, Service d'Appui aux Acteurs et Mobilisation du Territoire, Villeneuve de Rivière, France
| | - Mathieu Garel
- French Agency for Biodiversity, Direction de la Recherche et Appui Scientifique, Unité Ongulés Sauvages, Gières, France
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7
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Cook RC, Crouse JA, Cook JG, Stephenson TR. Evaluating indices of nutritional condition for caribou (Rangifer tarandus): which are the most valuable and why? CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2020-0149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Body composition studies are critical for evaluating the accuracy of nutritional condition indices for predicting body components. We evaluated >40 indices of nutritional condition for caribou (Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758)) using 29 female caribou captured from three populations in Alaska (USA) that ranged in condition from 2.3% to 11.2% ingesta-free body fat (IFBF) and 6 captive female caribou that ranged in condition from 8.1% to 26.0% IFBF. Estimates of body fat, protein, and gross energy were regressed against each index of nutritional condition. Generally, indices with linear or slightly curvilinear relations to body fat and those based on multiple fat depots were the most accurate in predicting nutritional condition and the most useful over the full range of nutritional condition. A scaledLIVINDEX (a combination of subcutaneous fat thickness and a condition score), CONINDEX (a combination of kidney fat and marrow fat), and a subset of the Kistner score (pericardium and kidneys only) had the strongest relationship with body fat (r2 > 0.86) and were useful over the entire range of nutritional condition. If used properly and with adequate training, indices of nutritional condition can be a critical tool for understanding the severity and seasonality of nutritional limitations in wild caribou populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory, 1401 Gekeler Lane, La Grande, OR 97850, USA
| | - John A. Crouse
- Kenai Moose Research Center, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 43961 Kalifornsky Beach Road, Suite B, Soldotna, AK 99669, USA
| | - John G. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory, 1401 Gekeler Lane, La Grande, OR 97850, USA
| | - Thomas R. Stephenson
- Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 787 North Main Street, Suite 220, Bishop, CA 93514, USA
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8
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Declining recruitment and mass of Swedish moose calves linked to hot, dry springs and snowy winters. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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9
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Bradshaw CJ, Johnson CN, Llewelyn J, Weisbecker V, Strona G, Saltré F. Relative demographic susceptibility does not explain the extinction chronology of Sahul's megafauna. eLife 2021; 10:63870. [PMID: 33783356 PMCID: PMC8043753 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The causes of Sahul’s megafauna extinctions remain uncertain, although several interacting factors were likely responsible. To examine the relative support for hypotheses regarding plausible ecological mechanisms underlying these extinctions, we constructed the first stochastic, age-structured models for 13 extinct megafauna species from five functional/taxonomic groups, as well as 8 extant species within these groups for comparison. Perturbing specific demographic rates individually, we tested which species were more demographically susceptible to extinction, and then compared these relative sensitivities to the fossil-derived extinction chronology. Our models show that the macropodiformes were the least demographically susceptible to extinction, followed by carnivores, monotremes, vombatiform herbivores, and large birds. Five of the eight extant species were as or more susceptible than the extinct species. There was no clear relationship between extinction susceptibility and the extinction chronology for any perturbation scenario, while body mass and generation length explained much of the variation in relative risk. Our results reveal that the actual mechanisms leading to the observed extinction chronology were unlikely related to variation in demographic susceptibility per se, but were possibly driven instead by finer-scale variation in climate change and/or human prey choice and relative hunting success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey Ja Bradshaw
- Global Ecology Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Tarndanya (Adelaide), Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Christopher N Johnson
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, Australia.,Dynamics of Eco-Evolutionary Pattern, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - John Llewelyn
- Global Ecology Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Tarndanya (Adelaide), Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Vera Weisbecker
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, Australia.,College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Giovanni Strona
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Frédérik Saltré
- Global Ecology Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Tarndanya (Adelaide), Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, Australia
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10
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Oates BA, Monteith KL, Goheen JR, Merkle JA, Fralick GL, Kauffman MJ. Detecting Resource Limitation in a Large Herbivore Population Is Enhanced With Measures of Nutritional Condition. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.522174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Resource limitation at the population level is a function of forage quality and its abundance relative to its per capita availability, which in turn, determines nutritional condition of individuals. Effects of resource limitation on population dynamics in ungulates often occur through predictable and sequential changes in vital rates, which can enable assessments of how resource limitation influences population growth. We tested theoretical predictions of bottom-up (i.e., resource limitation) forcing on moose (Alces alces) through the lens of vital rates by quantifying the relative influence of intrinsic measures of nutritional condition and extrinsic measures of remotely sensed environmental data on demographic rates. We measured rates of pregnancy, parturition, juvenile, and adult survival for 82 adult females in a population where predators largely were absent. Life stage simulation analyses (LSAs) indicated that interannual fluctuations in adult survival contributed to most of the variability in λ. We then extended the LSA to estimate vital rates as a function of bottom-up covariates to evaluate their influence on λ. We detected weak signatures of effects from environmental covariates that were remotely sensed and spatially explicit to each seasonal range. Instead, nutritional condition strongly influenced rates of pregnancy, parturition, and overwinter survival of adults, clearly implicating resource limitation on λ. Our findings depart from the classic life-history paradigm of population dynamics in ungulates in that adult survival was highly variable and generated most of the variability in population growth rates. At the surface, lack of variation explained by environmental covariates may suggest weak evidence of resource limitation in the population, when nutritional condition actually underpinned most demographics. We suggest that variability in vital rates and effects of resource limitation may depend on context more than previously appreciated, and density dependence can obfuscate the relationships between remotely sensed data and demographic rates.
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11
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Layton-Matthews K, Grøtan V, Hansen BB, Loonen MJJE, Fuglei E, Childs DZ. Environmental change reduces body condition, but not population growth, in a high-arctic herbivore. Ecol Lett 2020; 24:227-238. [PMID: 33184991 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Environmental change influences fitness-related traits and demographic rates, which in herbivores are often linked to resource-driven variation in body condition. Coupled body condition-demographic responses may therefore be important for herbivore population dynamics in fluctuating environments, such as the Arctic. We applied a transient Life-Table Response Experiment ('transient-LTRE') to demographic data from Svalbard barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis), to quantify their population-dynamic responses to changes in body mass. We partitioned contributions from direct and delayed demographic and body condition-mediated processes to variation in population growth. Declines in body condition (1980-2017), which positively affected reproduction and fledgling survival, had negligible consequences for population growth. Instead, population growth rates were largely reproduction-driven, in part through positive responses to rapidly advancing spring phenology. The virtual lack of body condition-mediated effects indicates that herbivore population dynamics may be more resilient to changing body condition than previously expected, with implications for their persistence under environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Layton-Matthews
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Vidar Grøtan
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Brage Bremset Hansen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Eva Fuglei
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Dylan Z Childs
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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12
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Ayotte P, Le Corre M, Côté SD. Synergistic Population Density and Environmental Effects on Deer Body Condition. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21862] [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)
- Pascale Ayotte
- Université Laval 1045 avenue de la Médecine Québec (QC) Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Mael Le Corre
- Université Laval 1045 avenue de la Médecine Québec (QC) Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Université Laval 1045 avenue de la Médecine Québec (QC) Canada G1V 0A6
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13
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Strickland BK, Dixon PG, Jones PD, Demarais S, Owen NO, Cox DA, Landry-Guyton K, Baldwin WM, McKinley WT. Cohort antler size signals environmental stress in a moderate climate. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2020; 64:611-621. [PMID: 31900588 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-019-01850-7] [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: 10/19/2018] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Research in northern latitudes confirms that climate teleconnections exert important influences on ungulate fitness, but studies from regions with milder climates are lacking. We explored the influence of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Northern Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on male, 2.5-year-old white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) antler and body mass in Mississippi, USA, a region with mild winters and warm, humid summers. Explanatory variables were seasonal averages of each climate index extending back to 3 years prior to account for possible maternal and lag effects. Seasonal climate indices from the period of gestation and the first year of life were correlated with deer morphometrics. Reduced antler mass was largely correlated (R2 = 0.52) with PDO values indicating dry conditions during parturition and neonatal development and NAO values indicating warmer than normal winters during gestation and the first year of life. Body mass was less correlated (R2 = 0.16) to climate indices, responding negatively to warmer winter weather during the first winter of life. Climate may promote variable fitness among cohorts through long-term effects on male competition for dominance and breeding access. Because broad-scale climate indices simplify complex weather systems, they may benefit management at larger scales. Although this study compared climate with morphological variables, it is likely that demographic characteristics can likewise be modeled using climate indices. As climate change in this region is projected to include greater variability in summer precipitation, we may see concomitantly greater variability in fitness among cohorts of white-tailed deer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bronson K Strickland
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Box 9690, Starkville, MS, 39762, USA.
| | - P Grady Dixon
- Department of Geosciences, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS, USA
| | - Phillip D Jones
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Box 9690, Starkville, MS, 39762, USA
| | - Stephen Demarais
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Box 9690, Starkville, MS, 39762, USA
| | - Nathan O Owen
- Department of Geosciences, Mississippi State University, Box 5448, Starkville, MS, 39762, USA
| | - David A Cox
- Department of Geosciences, Mississippi State University, Box 5448, Starkville, MS, 39762, USA
| | - Katie Landry-Guyton
- Department of Geosciences, Mississippi State University, Box 5448, Starkville, MS, 39762, USA
| | - W Mark Baldwin
- Department of Geosciences, Mississippi State University, Box 5448, Starkville, MS, 39762, USA
| | - William T McKinley
- Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, & Parks, Jackson, MS, 39211, USA
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14
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Herfindal I, Tveraa T, Stien A, Solberg EJ, Grøtan V. When does weather synchronize life-history traits? Spatiotemporal patterns in juvenile body mass of two ungulates. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1419-1432. [PMID: 32108334 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Theory predicts that animal populations will be synchronized over large distances by weather and climatic conditions with high spatial synchrony. However, local variation in population responses to weather, and low synchrony in key weather variables or in other ecological processes may reduce the population synchrony. We investigated to what extent temperature and precipitation during different periods of the year synchronized juvenile body mass of moose and reindeer in Norway. We expected high synchronizing effect of weather variables with a high and consistent explanatory power on body mass dynamics across populations, and a weaker synchronizing effect of weather variables whose effect on body mass varied among populations. Juvenile body mass in both species was related to temperature and precipitation during several periods of the year. Temperature had the strongest explanatory power in both species, with a similar effect across all populations. There was higher spatial synchrony in temperature compared to precipitation, and accordingly temperature had the strongest synchronizing effect on juvenile body mass. Moreover, periods with strong explanatory power had stronger synchronizing effect on juvenile body mass in both species. However, weather variables with large variation in the effects on body mass among populations had weak synchronizing effect. The results confirm that weather has a large impact on the spatial structure of population properties but also that spatial heterogeneity, for instance, in environmental change or population density may affect how and to what extent populations are synchronized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivar Herfindal
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Torkild Tveraa
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Audun Stien
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Erling J Solberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Vidar Grøtan
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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15
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Varied diets, including broadleaved forage, are important for a large herbivore species inhabiting highly modified landscapes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1904. [PMID: 32024896 PMCID: PMC7002458 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58673-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Diet quality is an important determinant of animal survival and reproduction, and can be described as the combination of different food items ingested, and their nutritional composition. For large herbivores, human landscape modifications to vegetation can limit such diet-mixing opportunities. Here we use southern Sweden’s modified landscapes to assess winter diet mixtures (as an indicator of quality) and food availability as drivers of body mass (BM) variation in wild moose (Alces alces). We identify plant species found in the rumen of 323 moose harvested in Oct-Feb, and link variation in average calf BM among populations to diets and food availability. Our results show that variation in calf BM correlates with variation in diet composition, diversity, and food availability. A varied diet relatively rich in broadleaves was associated with higher calf BM than a less variable diet dominated by conifers. A diet high in shrubs and sugar/starch rich agricultural crops was associated with intermediate BM. The proportion of young production forest (0–15 yrs) in the landscape, an indicator of food availability, significantly accounted for variation in calf BM. Our findings emphasize the importance of not only diet composition and forage quantity, but also variability in the diets of large free-ranging herbivores.
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16
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17
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Wam HK, Herfindal I. Subtle foodscape displacement of a native ungulate by free-ranging livestock in a forest agroecosystem. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hilde Karine Wam
- Division of Forestry and Forest Resources; NIBIO; N-1431 Ås Norway
| | - Ivar Herfindal
- Department of Biology; Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics; Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU); N-7491 Trondheim Norway
- Department of Landscape and Biodiversity; NIBIO; N-1431 Ås Norway
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18
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Conner MM, Stephenson TR, German DW, Monteith KL, Few AP, Bair EH. Survival analysis: Informing recovery of Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mary M. Conner
- Utah State University; Department of Wildland Resources; 5320 Old Main Hill Logan UT 84322 USA
| | - Thomas R. Stephenson
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife; Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program; 787 North Main Street, Suite 220 Bishop CA 93515 USA
| | - David W. German
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife; Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program; 787 North Main Street, Suite 220 Bishop CA 93515 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 82072 USA
| | - Alexandra P. Few
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife; Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program; 787 North Main Street, Suite 220 Bishop CA 93515 USA
| | - Edward H. Bair
- University of California; Earth Research Institute; 6832 Ellison Hall Santa Barbara CA 93106-3060 USA
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19
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Krizsan SJ, Mateos-Rivera A, Bertilsson S, Felton A, Anttila A, Ramin M, Vaga M, Gidlund H, Huhtanen P. An in vitro evaluation of browser and grazer fermentation efficiency and microbiota using European moose spring and summer foods. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:4183-4196. [PMID: 29721290 PMCID: PMC5916270 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary morphological and physiological differences between browsers and grazers contribute to species‐specific digestion efficiency of food resources. Rumen microbial community structure of browsers is supposedly adapted to characteristic nutrient composition of the diet source. If this assumption is correct, domesticated ruminants, or grazers, are poor model animals for assessing the nutritional value of food consumed by browsing game species. In this study, typical spring and summer foods of the European moose (Alces alces) were combined with rumen fluid collected from both dairy cows (Bos taurus) and from moose, with the aim of comparing fermentation efficiency and microbial community composition. The nutritional value of the food resources was characterized by chemical analysis and advanced in vitro measurements. The study also addressed whether or not feed evaluation based on in vitro techniques with cattle rumen fluid as inoculum could be a practical alternative when evaluating the nutritional value of plants consumed by wild browsers. Our results suggest that the fermentation characteristics of moose spring and summer food are partly host‐specific and related to the contribution of the bacterial phyla Firmicutes and Bacteriodetes to the rumen microbial community. Host‐specific adaptations of the ruminal microbial community structure could be explained from the evolutionary adaptations related to feeding habitats and morphophysiological differences between browsers and grazers. However, the observed overall differences in microbial community structure could not be related to ruminal digestion parameters measured in vitro. The in vitro evaluation of digestion efficiency reveals that equal amounts of methane were produced across all feed samples regardless of whether the ruminal fluid was from moose or dairy cow. The results of this study suggested that the nutritional value of browsers' spring and summer food can be predicted using rumen fluid from domesticated grazers as inoculum in in vitro assessments of extent of digestion when excluding samples of the white water lily root, but not of fermentation characteristics as indicated by the proportions of individual fermentation fatty acids to the total of volatile fatty acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie J Krizsan
- Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - Alejandro Mateos-Rivera
- Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory Department of Ecology and Genetics Uppsala University Uppsala Sweden.,Present address: Department of Science and Technology Høgskulen i Sogn og Fjordane Sogndal Norway
| | - Stefan Bertilsson
- Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory Department of Ecology and Genetics Uppsala University Uppsala Sweden
| | - Annika Felton
- Department of Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Alnarp Sweden
| | - Anne Anttila
- Department of Agricultural Sciences Helsinki University Helsinki Finland
| | - Mohammad Ramin
- Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - Merko Vaga
- Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - Helena Gidlund
- Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - Pekka Huhtanen
- Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
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20
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Monteith KL, Long RA, Stephenson TR, Bleich VC, Bowyer RT, Lasharr TN. Horn size and nutrition in mountain sheep: Can ewe handle the truth? J Wildl Manage 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitDepartment of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming 804 East Fremont St. Laramie WY 82072 USA
| | - Ryan A. Long
- Department of Fish and Wildlife SciencesUniversity of Idaho 875 Perimeter Dr., MS 1142 Moscow ID 83844 USA
| | - Thomas R. Stephenson
- Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery ProgramCalifornia Department of Fish and Wildlife 787 North Main Street, Suite 220 Bishop CA 93514 USA
| | - Vernon C. Bleich
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of Nevada Reno Mail Stop 186, 1664 North Virginia Street Reno NV 89557 USA
| | - R. Terry Bowyer
- Institute of Arctic BiologyUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks Box 757000 Fairbanks AK 99775 USA
| | - Tayler N. Lasharr
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of Wyoming Dept. 3166, 1000 E. University Ave Laramie WY 82071 USA
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21
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Physiological proteins in resource-limited herbivores experiencing a population die-off. Naturwissenschaften 2017; 104:68. [PMID: 28761976 PMCID: PMC5537310 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-017-1490-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2017] [Revised: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Nutrient availability is predicted to interact with herbivore population densities. Competition for low quality food at high density may reduce summer food intake, and in turn winter survival. Conversely, low population density may favor physiological recovery through better access to better quality spring forage. Here, we take advantage of the long-term study of the Soay sheep population of St. Kilda (Scotland) to measure plasma protein markers and immunity in two consecutive summers with contrasting population densities. We show that, following a winter die-off resulting in a shift to low population density, albumin and total proteins increased, but only in adult sheep. The effect was not solely attributable to selective disappearance of malnourished sheep. Similarly, the concentration of antibodies was higher following the die-off, potentially indicating recovery of immune function. Overall, our results are consistent with the physiological recovery of surviving individuals after a harsh winter.
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22
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Garnier R, Cheung CK, Watt KA, Pilkington JG, Pemberton JM, Graham AL. Joint associations of blood plasma proteins with overwinter survival of a large mammal. Ecol Lett 2017; 20:175-183. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Romain Garnier
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Princeton University; Princeton NJ USA
| | - Christopher K. Cheung
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Princeton University; Princeton NJ USA
| | - Kathryn A. Watt
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology; School of Biological Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh UK
| | - Jill G. Pilkington
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology; School of Biological Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh UK
| | - Josephine M. Pemberton
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology; School of Biological Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh UK
| | - Andrea L. Graham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Princeton University; Princeton NJ USA
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23
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Herfindal I, Lande US, Solberg EJ, Rolandsen CM, Roer O, Wam HK. Weather affects temporal niche partitioning between moose and livestock. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ivar Herfindal
- I. Herfindal , Dept of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Unni Støbet Lande
- U. S. Lande, Division of Forest and Forest Resources, Norwegian Inst. of Bioeconomy Research, Tingvoll, Norway
| | - Erling Johan Solberg
- E. J. Solberg and C. M. Rolandsen, Norwegian Inst. for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Christer Moe Rolandsen
- E. J. Solberg and C. M. Rolandsen, Norwegian Inst. for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ole Roer
- O. Roer, Faun Naturforvaltning AS, Fyresdal, Norway
| | - Hilde Karine Wam
- H. K. Wam, Div. of Forest and Forest Resources, Norwegian Inst. of Bioeconomy Research, Ås, Norway
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24
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Rolandsen CM, Solberg EJ, Saether BE, Moorter BV, Herfindal I, Bjørneraas K. On fitness and partial migration in a large herbivore - migratory moose have higher reproductive performance than residents. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.02996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Christer M. Rolandsen
- Dept of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics; Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology; NO-7491 Trondheim Norway
- Norwegian Inst. for Nature Research; Trondheim Norway
| | | | - Bernt-Erik Saether
- Dept of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics; Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology; NO-7491 Trondheim Norway
| | | | - Ivar Herfindal
- Dept of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics; Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology; NO-7491 Trondheim Norway
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25
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Selonen V, Wistbacka R, Santangeli A. Sex-specific patterns in body mass and mating system in the Siberian flying squirrel. BMC ZOOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1186/s40850-016-0009-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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26
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Transient nutritional peak in browse foliage after forest clearing advocates cohort management of ungulates. Basic Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2015.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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27
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Anderwald P, Haller RM, Filli F. Heterogeneity in Primary Productivity Influences Competitive Interactions between Red Deer and Alpine Chamois. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0146458. [PMID: 26824867 PMCID: PMC4732944 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat heterogeneity can promote coexistence between herbivores of different body size limited to different extents by resource quantity and quality. Red deer (Cervus elaphus) are known as superior competitors to smaller species with similar diets. We compared competitive interactions and habitat use between red deer and Alpine chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) in two adjacent valleys in a strictly protected area in the Central Alps. Red deer density was higher in the valley with higher primary productivity. Only here was horn growth in kid and yearling chamois (as a measure for body condition) negatively correlated with red deer population size, suggesting interspecific competition, and chamois selected meadows with steeper slopes and lower productivity than available on average. Conversely, red deer selected meadows of high productivity, particularly in the poorer area. As these were located mainly at lower elevations, this led to strong altitudinal segregation between the two species here. Local differences in interspecific competition thus coincided with differences in habitat preference and–segregation between areas. This suggests that spatial habitat and resource heterogeneity at the scale of adjacent valleys can provide competition refuges for competitively inferior mountain ungulates which differ from their superior competitor in their metabolic requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Anderwald
- Swiss National Park, Chastè Planta-Wildenberg, 7530 Zernez, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Rudolf M. Haller
- Swiss National Park, Chastè Planta-Wildenberg, 7530 Zernez, Switzerland
| | - Flurin Filli
- Swiss National Park, Chastè Planta-Wildenberg, 7530 Zernez, Switzerland
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28
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Melis C, Basille M, Herfindal I, Linnell JDC, Odden J, Gaillard JM, Høgda KA, Andersen R. Roe deer population growth and lynx predation along a gradient of environmental productivity and climate in Norway. ECOSCIENCE 2015. [DOI: 10.2980/17-2-3314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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29
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Anderwald P, Herfindal I, Haller RM, Risch AC, Schütz M, Schweiger AK, Filli F. Influence of migratory ungulate management on competitive interactions with resident species in a protected area. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es15-00365.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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30
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Youngentob KN, Yoon HJ, Stein J, Lindenmayer DB, Held AA. Where the wild things are: using remotely sensed forest productivity to assess arboreal marsupial species richness and abundance. DIVERS DISTRIB 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kara N. Youngentob
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Queensland; St Lucia Qld Australia
- Land and Water; Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation; Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Hwan-Jin Yoon
- The Statistical Consulting Unit; The Australian National University; Canberra ACT Australia
| | - John Stein
- The Fenner School of Environment and Society; The Australian National University; Canberra ACT Australia
| | - David B. Lindenmayer
- The Fenner School of Environment and Society; The Australian National University; Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Alex A. Held
- Land and Water; Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation; Canberra ACT Australia
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31
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Effects of climate and plant phenology on recruitment of moose at the southern extent of their range. Oecologia 2015; 178:1137-48. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3296-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/13/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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32
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Duncan C, Chauvenet ALM, Brown ME, Pettorelli N. Energy availability, spatio-temporal variability and implications for animal ecology. DIVERS DISTRIB 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Clare Duncan
- Institute of Zoology; Zoological Society of London; Regent's Park London NW1 4RY UK
| | | | - Molly E. Brown
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; 8800 Greenbelt Road Greenbelt MD 20771 USA
| | - Nathalie Pettorelli
- Institute of Zoology; Zoological Society of London; Regent's Park London NW1 4RY UK
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33
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Rosvold J, Herfindal I, Andersen R, Hufthammer AK. Long-term morphological changes in the skeleton of red deer (Artiodactyla, Cervidae) at its northern periphery. J Mammal 2014. [DOI: 10.1644/13-mamm-a-231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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34
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Simard A, Huot J, De Bellefeuille S, Côté SD. Influences of habitat composition, plant phenology, and population density on autumn indices of body condition in a northern white-tailed deer population. WILDLIFE MONOGRAPHS 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/wmon.1010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anouk Simard
- NSERC Industrial Research Chair in integrated resource management of Anticosti Island; Département de biologie and Centre d'études nordiques; Université Laval; Québec QC, Canada G1V 0A6
- Ministère du Développement durable; de l'environnement; de la Faune et des Parcs; Direction de l'Expertise sur la faune et ses habitats; 880 Chemin Sainte-Foy Québec QC, Canada G1S 4X4
| | - Jean Huot
- NSERC Industrial Research Chair in integrated resource management of Anticosti Island; Département de biologie and Centre d'études nordiques; Université Laval; Québec QC, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Sonia De Bellefeuille
- NSERC Industrial Research Chair in integrated resource management of Anticosti Island; Département de biologie and Centre d'études nordiques; Université Laval; Québec QC, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- NSERC Industrial Research Chair in integrated resource management of Anticosti Island; Département de biologie and Centre d'études nordiques; Université Laval; Québec QC, Canada G1V 0A6
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35
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Giroux MA, Tremblay JP, Simard MA, Yoccoz NG, Côté SD. Forage-mediated density and climate effects on body mass in a temperate herbivore: a mechanistic approach. Ecology 2014; 95:1332-40. [DOI: 10.1890/13-0956.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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36
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Hurley MA, Hebblewhite M, Gaillard JM, Dray S, Taylor KA, Smith WK, Zager P, Bonenfant C. Functional analysis of normalized difference vegetation index curves reveals overwinter mule deer survival is driven by both spring and autumn phenology. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2014; 369:20130196. [PMID: 24733951 PMCID: PMC3983931 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Large herbivore populations respond strongly to remotely sensed measures of primary productivity. Whereas most studies in seasonal environments have focused on the effects of spring plant phenology on juvenile survival, recent studies demonstrated that autumn nutrition also plays a crucial role. We tested for both direct and indirect (through body mass) effects of spring and autumn phenology on winter survival of 2315 mule deer fawns across a wide range of environmental conditions in Idaho, USA. We first performed a functional analysis that identified spring and autumn as the key periods for structuring the among-population and among-year variation of primary production (approximated from 1 km Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)) along the growing season. A path analysis showed that early winter precipitation and direct and indirect effects of spring and autumn NDVI functional components accounted for 45% of observed variation in overwinter survival. The effect size of autumn phenology on body mass was about twice that of spring phenology, while direct effects of phenology on survival were similar between spring and autumn. We demonstrate that the effects of plant phenology vary across ecosystems, and that in semi-arid systems, autumn may be more important than spring for overwinter survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Hurley
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game, , Salmon, ID, USA
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Jones JD, Kauffman MJ, Monteith KL, Scurlock BM, Albeke SE, Cross PC. Supplemental feeding alters migration of a temperate ungulate. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014; 24:1769-1779. [PMID: 29210236 DOI: 10.1890/13-2092.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Conservation of migration requires information on behavior and environmental determinants. The spatial distribution of forage resources, which migration exploits, often are altered and may have subtle, unintended consequences. Supplemental feeding is a common management practice, particularly for ungulates in North America and Europe, and carryover effects on behavior of this anthropogenic manipulation of forage are expected in theory, but have received limited empirical evaluation, particularly regarding effects on migration. We used global positioning system (GPS) data to evaluate the influence of winter feeding on migration behavior of 219 adult female elk (Cervus elaphus) from 18 fed ranges and 4 unfed ranges in western Wyoming. Principal component analysis revealed that the migratory behavior of fed and unfed elk differed in distance migrated, and the timing of arrival to, duration on, and departure from summer range. Fed elk migrated 19.2 km less, spent 11 more days on stopover sites, arrived to summer range 5 days later, resided on summer range 26 fewer days, and departed in the autumn 10 days earlier than unfed elk. Time-to-event models indicated that differences in migratory behavior between fed and unfed elk were caused by altered sensitivity to the environmental drivers of migration. In spring, unfed elk migrated following plant green-up closely, whereas fed elk departed the feedground but lingered on transitional range, thereby delaying their arrival to summer range. In autumn, fed elk were more responsive to low temperatures and precipitation events, causing earlier departure from summer range than unfed elk. Overall, supplemental feeding disconnected migration by fed elk from spring green-up and decreased time spent on summer range, thereby reducing access to quality forage. Our findings suggest that ungulate migration can be substantially altered by changes to the spatial distribution of resources, including those of anthropogenic origin, and that management practices applied in one season may have unintended behavioral consequences in subsequent seasons.
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Cook RC, Cook JG, Vales DJ, Johnson BK, Mccorquodale SM, Shipley LA, Riggs RA, Irwin LL, Murphie SL, Murphie BL, Schoenecker KA, Geyer F, Hall PB, Spencer RD, Immell DA, Jackson DH, Tiller BL, Miller PJ, Schmitz L. Regional and seasonal patterns of nutritional condition and reproduction in elk. WILDLIFE MONOGRAPHS 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/wmon.1008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - John G. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - David J. Vales
- Muckleshoot Indian Tribe; 39015 172nd Avenue SE Auburn WA 98092 USA
| | - Bruce K. Johnson
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Scott M. Mccorquodale
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; 1701 South 24th Avenue Yakima WA 98902 USA
| | - Lisa A. Shipley
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences; Washington State University; Pullman WA 99164-6410 USA
| | | | - Larry L. Irwin
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement; P.O. Box 68 Stevensville MT 59870 USA
| | - Shannon L. Murphie
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; 48 Devonshire Road Montesano WA 98563 USA
| | - Bryan L. Murphie
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; 48 Devonshire Road Montesano WA 98563 USA
| | - Kathryn A. Schoenecker
- U.S. Geological Survey; Fort Collins Science Center; 2150 Centre Avenue, Building C Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
| | - Frank Geyer
- Quileute Indian Tribe; 401 Main Street LaPush WA 98350 USA
| | - P. Briggs Hall
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; 3017 Lake Langlois Road NE Carnation WA 98014 USA
| | - Rocky D. Spencer
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; 42404 North Bend Way SE North Bend WA 98045 USA
| | - Dave A. Immell
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 4192 North Umpqua Highway Roseburg OR 97470 USA
| | - Dewaine H. Jackson
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 4192 North Umpqua Highway Roseburg OR 97470 USA
| | - Brett L. Tiller
- Environmental Assessment Services, LLC; 350 Hills Street, Suite 112 Richland WA 99354 USA
| | - Patrick J. Miller
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; 2108 Grand Boulevard Vancouver WA 98661 USA
| | - Lowell Schmitz
- Wildlife Division; South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks; 3305 West South Street Rapid City SD 57702 USA
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Herfindal I, Haanes H, Solberg EJ, Røed KH, Høgda KA, Sæther BE. Moose body mass variation revisited: disentangling effects of environmental conditions and genetics. Oecologia 2013; 174:447-58. [PMID: 24091427 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2783-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2011] [Accepted: 09/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Large-scale geographical variation in phenotypic traits within species is often correlated to local environmental conditions and population density. Such phenotypic variation has recently been shown to also be influenced by genetic structuring of populations. In ungulates, large-scale geographical variation in phenotypic traits, such as body mass, has been related to environmental conditions and population density, but little is known about the genetic influences. Research on the genetic structure of moose suggests two distinct genetic lineages in Norway, structured along a north-south gradient. This corresponds with many environmental gradients, thus genetic structuring provides an additional factor affecting geographical phenotypic variation in Norwegian moose. We investigated if genetic structure explained geographical variation in body mass in Norwegian moose while accounting for environmental conditions, age and sex, and if it captured some of the variance in body mass that previously was attributed to environmental factors. Genetic structuring of moose was the most important variable in explaining the geographic variation in body mass within age and sex classes. Several environmental variables also had strong explanatory power, related to habitat diversity, environmental seasonality and winter harshness. The results suggest that environmental conditions, landscape characteristics, and genetic structure should be evaluated together when explaining large-scale patterns in phenotypic characters or life history traits. However, to better understand the role of genetic and environmental effects on phenotypic traits in moose, an extended individual-based study of variation in fitness-related characters is needed, preferably in an area of convergence between different genetic lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivar Herfindal
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway,
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Haanes H, Markussen SS, Herfindal I, Røed KH, Solberg EJ, Heim M, Midthjell L, Sæther BE. Effects of inbreeding on fitness-related traits in a small isolated moose population. Ecol Evol 2013; 3:4230-42. [PMID: 24324873 PMCID: PMC3853567 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2013] [Revised: 08/26/2013] [Accepted: 08/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Inbreeding can affect fitness-related traits at different life history stages and may interact with environmental variation to induce even larger effects. We used genetic parentage assignment based on 22 microsatellite loci to determine a 25 year long pedigree for a newly established island population of moose with 20–40 reproducing individuals annually. We used the pedigree to calculate individual inbreeding coefficients and examined for effects of individual inbreeding (f) and heterozygosity on fitness-related traits. We found negative effects of f on birth date, calf body mass and twinning rate. The relationship between f and calf body mass and twinning rate were found to be separate but weaker after accounting for birth date. We found no support for an inbreeding effect on the age-specific lifetime reproductive success of females. The influence of f on birth date was related to climatic conditions during the spring prior to birth, indicating that calves with a low f were born earlier after a cold spring than calves with high f. In years with a warm spring, calf f did not affect birth date. The results suggest that severe inbreeding in moose has both indirect effects on fitness through delayed birth and lower juvenile body mass, as well as separate direct effects, as there still was a significant relationship between f and twinning rate after accounting for birth date and body mass as calf. Consequently, severe inbreeding as found in the study population may have consequences for population growth and extinction risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hallvard Haanes
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim, N-7491, Norway ; Departments of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science PO-8146 Dep, Oslo, N-0033, Norway
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Ballesteros M, Bårdsen BJ, Fauchald P, Langeland K, Stien A, Tveraa T. Combined effects of long-term feeding, population density and vegetation green-up on reindeer demography. Ecosphere 2013. [DOI: 10.1890/es13-00015.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Rughetti M, Festa-Bianchet M. Effects of spring-summer temperature on body mass of chamois. J Mammal 2012. [DOI: 10.1644/11-mamm-a-402.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Strickland BK, Demarais S, Jones PD, Dacus CM. Phenotypic and reproductive variation in female white-tailed deer: The role of harvest and environment. J Wildl Manage 2012. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Mobaek R, Mysterud A, Holand Ø, Austrheim G. Temporal variation in density dependent body growth of a large herbivore. OIKOS 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2012.20888.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Tiilikainen R, Solberg EJ, Nygrén T, Pusenius J. Spatio-temporal relationship between calf body mass and population productivity in Fennoscandian mooseAlces alces. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.2981/10-116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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Effects of liming on forage availability and nutrient content in a forest impacted by acid rain. PLoS One 2012; 7:e39755. [PMID: 22761890 PMCID: PMC3386234 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2012] [Accepted: 05/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Acidic deposition and subsequent forest soil acidification and nutrient depletion can affect negatively the growth, health and nutrient content of vegetation, potentially limiting the availability and nutrient content of forage for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and other forest herbivores. Liming is a mitigation technique that can be used to restore forest health in acidified areas, but little is known about how it affects the growth or nutrient content of deer forage. We examined the effects of dolomitic limestone application on the growth and chemical composition of understory plants in an acidified forest in central Pennsylvania, with a focus on vegetative groups included as white-tailed deer forage. We used a Before-After-Control-Impact study design with observations 1 year before liming and up to 5 years post-liming on 2 treated and 2 untreated 100-ha sites. Before liming, forage availability and several nutrients were below levels considered optimal for white-tailed deer, and many vegetative characteristics were related to soil chemistry. We observed a positive effect of liming on forb biomass, with a 2.7 fold increase on limed sites, but no biomass response in other vegetation groups. We observed positive effects of liming on calcium and magnesium content and negative effects on aluminum and manganese content of several plant groups. Responses to liming by forbs and plant nutrients show promise for improving vegetation health and forage quality and quantity for deer.
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Garel M, Gaillard JM, Jullien JM, Dubray D, Maillard D, Loison A. Population abundance and early spring conditions determine variation in body mass of juvenile chamois. J Mammal 2011. [DOI: 10.1644/10-mamm-a-056.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Haanes H, Røed KH, Solberg EJ, Herfindal I, Sæther BE. Genetic discontinuities in a continuously distributed and highly mobile ungulate, the Norwegian moose. CONSERV GENET 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-011-0214-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Jones PD, Strickland BK, Demarais S, Rude BJ, Edwards SL, Muir JP. Soils and forage quality as predictors of white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus morphometrics. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2010. [DOI: 10.2981/10-041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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Wam HK, Hjeljord O, Solberg EJ. Differential forage use makes carrying capacity equivocal on ranges of Scandinavian moose (Alces alces). CAN J ZOOL 2010. [DOI: 10.1139/z10-084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Availability of preferred forage is hypothesized to be positively related to demographic performance in selective ungulates. Comparing two regions with high density of moose ( Alces alces (L., 1758)) having contrasting demographic performance and different composition of available plant species, we show that such a positive relationship may not always apply. The high-performance region (HP) had an estimated 41% higher total availability of browse per capita than the low-performance region (LP), but the availability of preferred species did not differ between the two regions. Although birch (genus Betula L.) was the most abundant browse in both regions (comprising 66% and 50% of the shoot amount available per m2 in HP and LP, respectively), it dominated the diet of moose only in HP (constituting, e.g., 69% of all trees browsed in summer compared with 22% in LP). Further research is needed to identify the cause of the seemingly suboptimal use of birch in LP. We also quantified factors that determine forage availability, of which recent logging clearly was the most important: it multiplied browse availability but also reduced coverage of bilberry ( Vaccinum myrtillus L.), an important forage plant. Our study shows that for selective ungulates, indices of carrying capacity based on forage availability may not apply uniformly across ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilde Karine Wam
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, N-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Olav Hjeljord
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, N-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Erling Johan Solberg
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, N-7485 Trondheim, Norway
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