1
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Bao H, Jiang G. Three-dimensional forest foodscape in large herbivores' habitat based on UAV with LiDAR detection. Integr Zool 2024; 19:343-346. [PMID: 37806954 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
With the development of artificial intelligence, the integration of LiDAR technologies and foodscape theories to study wildlife habitat, nutritional ecology, species coexistence, and other existing hot and difficult issues would become an international frontier in the field of wildlife habitat ecology and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Bao
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Guangshun Jiang
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Harbin, China
- Research Center for Northeast Asia Biodiversity Conservation, Harbin, China
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2
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English HM, Börger L, Kane A, Ciuti S. Advances in biologging can identify nuanced energetic costs and gains in predators. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:7. [PMID: 38254232 PMCID: PMC10802026 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00448-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Foraging is a key driver of animal movement patterns, with specific challenges for predators which must search for mobile prey. These patterns are increasingly impacted by global changes, principally in land use and climate. Understanding the degree of flexibility in predator foraging and social strategies is pertinent to wildlife conservation under global change, including potential top-down effects on wider ecosystems. Here we propose key future research directions to better understand foraging strategies and social flexibility in predators. In particular, rapid continued advances in biologging technology are helping to record and understand dynamic behavioural and movement responses of animals to environmental changes, and their energetic consequences. Data collection can be optimised by calibrating behavioural interpretation methods in captive settings and strategic tagging decisions within and between social groups. Importantly, many species' social systems are increasingly being found to be more flexible than originally described in the literature, which may be more readily detectable through biologging approaches than behavioural observation. Integrating the effects of the physical landscape and biotic interactions will be key to explaining and predicting animal movements and energetic balance in a changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly M English
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Adam Kane
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Simone Ciuti
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
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3
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Pichon B, Thébault E, Lacroix G, Gounand I. Quality matters: Stoichiometry of resources modulates spatial feedbacks in aquatic-terrestrial meta-ecosystems. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:1700-1713. [PMID: 37458203 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Species dispersal and resource spatial flows greatly affect the dynamics of connected ecosystems. So far, research on meta-ecosystems has mainly focused on the quantitative effect of subsidy flows. Yet, resource exchanges at heterotrophic-autotrophic (e.g. aquatic-terrestrial) ecotones display a stoichiometric asymmetry that likely matters for functioning. Here, we joined ecological stoichiometry and the meta-ecosystem framework to understand how subsidy stoichiometry mediates the response of the meta-ecosystem to subsidy flows. Our model results demonstrate that resource flows between ecosystems can induce a positive spatial feedback loop, leading to higher production at the meta-ecosystem scale by relaxing local ecosystem limitations ('spatial complementarity'). Furthermore, we show that spatial flows can also have an unexpected negative impact on production when accentuating the stoichiometric mismatch between local resources and basal species needs. This study paves the way for studies on the interdependency of ecosystems at the landscape extent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoît Pichon
- Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement (iEES Paris), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UPEC, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Paris, France
- ISEM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Elisa Thébault
- Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement (iEES Paris), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UPEC, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Paris, France
| | - Gérard Lacroix
- Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement (iEES Paris), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UPEC, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Paris, France
- CNRS, UAR 3194 (ENS, CNRS), CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Gounand
- Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement (iEES Paris), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UPEC, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Paris, France
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4
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Courbin N, Garel M, Marchand P, Duparc A, Debeffe L, Börger L, Loison A. Interacting lethal and nonlethal human activities shape complex risk tolerance behaviors in a mountain herbivore. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2640. [PMID: 35443100 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Animals perceive human activities as risky and generally respond with fear-induced proactive behaviors to buffer the circadian patterns of lethal and nonlethal disturbances, such as diel migrations (DMs) between risky places during safe nighttime and safer places during risky daytime. However, such responses potentially incur costs through movement or reduced foraging time, so individuals should adjust their tolerance when human activities are harmless, through habituation. Yet this is a challenging cognitive task when lethal and nonlethal risks co-occur, forming complex landscapes of fear. The consequences of this human-induced complexity have, however, rarely been assessed. We studied the individual DM dynamics of chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra), 89 GPS-tracked individual-years, from/to trails in the French Alps in areas with co-occurring lethal (hunting) and nonlethal (hiking and skiing) disturbances, with different intensities across seasons. We developed a conceptual framework relying on the risk-disturbance hypothesis and habituation to predict tolerance adjustments of chamois under various disturbance contexts and across contrasted seasonal periods. Based on spatial and statistical analyses combining periodograms and multinomial logistic models, we found that DM in relation to distance to a trail was a consistent response by chamois (~85% of individuals) to avoid human disturbance during daytime, especially during the hiking and hunting periods. Such behavior revealed a low tolerance of most chamois to human activities, although there was considerable interindividual heterogeneity in DM. Interestingly, there was an increased tolerance among the most disturbed diel migrants, potentially through habituation, with chamois performing shorter DMs in areas highly disturbed by hikers. Crucially, chamois that were most human-habituated during the hiking period remained more tolerant in the subsequent harvesting period, which could increase their risk of being harvested. In contrast, individuals less tolerant to hiking performed longer DMs when hunting risk increased, and compared to hiking, hunting exacerbated the threshold distance to trails triggering DMs. No carryover effect of hunting beyond the hunting period was observed. In conclusion, complex human-induced landscapes of fear with co-occurring disturbances by nature-based tourism and hunting may shape unexpected patterns of tolerance to human activities, whereby animal tolerance could become potentially deleterious for individual survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Courbin
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (LECA), UMR 5553, Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont-Blanc, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Le Bourget-du-Lac, France
| | - Mathieu Garel
- Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB), Direction de la Recherche et de l'Appui Scientifique - Service Anthropisation et Fonctionnement des Ecosystèmes Terrestres, Gières, France
| | - Pascal Marchand
- Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB), Direction de la Recherche et de l'Appui Scientifique - Service Anthropisation et Fonctionnement des Ecosystèmes Terrestres, Juvignac, France
| | - Antoine Duparc
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (LECA), UMR 5553, Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont-Blanc, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Le Bourget-du-Lac, France
| | - Lucie Debeffe
- Comportement et Ecologie de la Faune Sauvage (CEFS), Université de Toulouse, Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (INRAE), Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Anne Loison
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (LECA), UMR 5553, Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont-Blanc, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Le Bourget-du-Lac, France
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5
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Heckford TR, Leroux SJ, Vander Wal E, Rizzuto M, Balluffi-Fry J, Richmond IC, Wiersma YF. Ecoregion and community structure influences on the foliar elemental niche of balsam fir ( Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) and white birch ( Betula papyrifera Marshall). Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9244. [PMID: 36110871 PMCID: PMC9465200 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in foliar elemental niche properties, defined by axes of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) concentrations, reflect how species allocate resources under different environmental conditions. For instance, elemental niches may differ in response to large‐scale latitudinal temperature and precipitation regimes that occur between ecoregions and small‐scale differences in nutrient dynamics based on species co‐occurrences at a community level. At a species level, we compared foliar elemental niche hypervolumes for balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) and white birch (Betula papyrifera Marshall) between a northern and southern ecoregion. At a community level, we grouped our focal species using plot data into conspecific (i.e., only one focal species is present) and heterospecific groups (i.e., both focal species are present) and compared their foliar elemental concentrations under these community conditions across, within, and between these ecoregions. Between ecoregions at the species and community level, we expected niche hypervolumes to be different and driven by regional biophysical effects on foliar N and P concentrations. At the community level, we expected niche hypervolume displacement and expansion patterns for fir and birch, respectively—patterns that reflect their resource strategy. At the species level, foliar elemental niche hypervolumes between ecoregions differed significantly for fir (F = 14.591, p‐value = .001) and birch (F = 75.998, p‐value = .001) with higher foliar N and P in the northern ecoregion. At the community level, across ecoregions, the foliar elemental niche hypervolume of birch differed significantly between heterospecific and conspecific groups (F = 4.075, p‐value = .021) but not for fir. However, both species displayed niche expansion patterns, indicated by niche hypervolume increases of 35.49% for fir and 68.92% for birch. Within the northern ecoregion, heterospecific conditions elicited niche expansion responses, indicated by niche hypervolume increases for fir of 29.04% and birch of 66.48%. In the southern ecoregion, we observed a contraction response for birch (niche hypervolume decreased by 3.66%) and no changes for fir niche hypervolume. Conspecific niche hypervolume comparisons between ecoregions yielded significant differences for fir and birch (F = 7.581, p‐value = .005 and F = 8.038, p‐value = .001) as did heterospecific comparisons (F = 6.943, p‐value = .004, and F = 68.702, p‐value = .001, respectively). Our results suggest species may exhibit biogeographical specific elemental niches—driven by biophysical differences such as those used to describe ecoregion characteristics. We also demonstrate how a species resource strategy may inform niche shift patterns in response to different community settings. Our study highlights how biogeographical differences may influence foliar elemental traits and how this may link to concepts of ecosystem and landscape functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis R Heckford
- British Columbia Government Ministry of Forests, Cariboo Natural Resource Region Williams Lake British Columbia Canada
| | - Shawn J Leroux
- Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
| | - Matteo Rizzuto
- Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
| | - Juliana Balluffi-Fry
- Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
| | - Isabella C Richmond
- Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
| | - Yolanda F Wiersma
- Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
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6
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Corlatti L, Iacolina L, Safner T, Apollonio M, Buzan E, Ferretti F, Hammer SE, Herrero J, Rossi L, Serrano E, Arnal MC, Brivio F, Chirichella R, Cotza A, Crestanello B, Espunyes J, Fernández de Luco D, Friedrich S, Gačić D, Grassi L, Grignolio S, Hauffe HC, Kavčić K, Kinser A, Lioce F, Malagnino A, Miller C, Peters W, Pokorny B, Reiner R, Rezić A, Stipoljev S, Tešija T, Yankov Y, Zwijacz‐Kozica T, Šprem N. Past, present and future of chamois science. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wlb3.01025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- L. Corlatti
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, Univ. of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
- Stelvio National Park Bormio Italy
| | - L. Iacolina
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, Univ. of Primorska Koper Slovenia
- Aalborg Univ., Dept of Chemistry and Biosciences Aalborg Denmark
| | - T. Safner
- Faculty of Agriculture, Dept of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Biometrics, Univ. of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia
- Centre of Excellence for Biodiversity and Molecular Plant Breeding (CoE CroP‐BioDiv) Zagreb Croatia
| | - M. Apollonio
- Dept of Veterinary Medicine, Univ. of Sassari Sassari Italy
| | - E. Buzan
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, Univ. of Primorska Koper Slovenia
- Faculty of Environmental Protection Velenje Slovenia
| | - F. Ferretti
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Dept of Life Sciences, Univ. of Siena Siena Italy
| | - S. E. Hammer
- Inst. of Immunology, Dept of Pathobiology, Univ. of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Austria
| | - J. Herrero
- Dept of Agrarian and Environmental Science, Univ. of Zaragoza Huesca Spain
| | - L. Rossi
- Dept of Veterinary Sciences, Univ. of Turin Grugliasco (TO) Italy
| | - E. Serrano
- Wildlife Ecology&Health Group (WE&H) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Dept de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Univ. Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - M. C. Arnal
- Dept of Animal Pathology, Univ. of Zaragoza Zaragoza Spain
| | - F. Brivio
- Dept of Veterinary Medicine, Univ. of Sassari Sassari Italy
| | - R. Chirichella
- Dept of Veterinary Medicine, Univ. of Sassari Sassari Italy
| | - A. Cotza
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Dept of Life Sciences, Univ. of Siena Siena Italy
| | - B. Crestanello
- Conservation Genomics Research Unit, Centre for Research and Innovation, Fondazione E. Mach S. Michele all'Adige (TN) Italy
| | - J. Espunyes
- Wildlife Conservation Medicine Research Group (WildCoM), Dept of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Univ. Autònoma de Barcelona Bellaterra Spain
| | | | - S. Friedrich
- Wildlife Research Unit (WFS), Agricultural Center Baden‐Württemberg (LAZBW) Aulendorf Germany
- Wildlife Sciences, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, Univ. of Goettingen Göttingen Germany
| | - D. Gačić
- Dept of Forest Resources Use, Faculty of Forestry, Univ. of Belgrade Belgrade Serbia
| | - L. Grassi
- Dept of Animal Medicine, Production and Health (MAPS), Univ. of Padua Legnaro Italy
| | - S. Grignolio
- Dept of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Univ. of Ferrara Ferrara Italy
| | - H. C. Hauffe
- Conservation Genomics Research Unit, Centre for Research and Innovation, Fondazione E. Mach S. Michele all'Adige (TN) Italy
| | - K. Kavčić
- Faculty of Agriculture, Dept of Fisheries, Apiculture, Wildlife Management and Special Zoology, Univ. of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia
| | - A. Kinser
- Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung Hamburg Germany
| | - F. Lioce
- Conservation Genomics Research Unit, Centre for Research and Innovation, Fondazione E. Mach S. Michele all'Adige (TN) Italy
- Dept of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Univ. of Ferrara Ferrara Italy
| | - A. Malagnino
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA Grenoble France
- Dept of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea Univ. Swansea UK
| | - C. Miller
- Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung Hamburg Germany
| | - W. Peters
- Dept of Biodiversity, Conservation and Wildlife Management, Bavarian State Inst. of Forestry Freising Germany
| | - B. Pokorny
- Faculty of Environmental Protection Velenje Slovenia
- Slovenian Forestry Inst. Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - R. Reiner
- Inst. of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, Univ. of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna Austria
- Berchtesgaden National Park Berchtesgaden Germany
| | - A. Rezić
- Faculty of Agriculture, Dept of Fisheries, Apiculture, Wildlife Management and Special Zoology, Univ. of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia
| | - S. Stipoljev
- Faculty of Agriculture, Dept of Fisheries, Apiculture, Wildlife Management and Special Zoology, Univ. of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia
| | - T. Tešija
- Faculty of Agriculture, Dept of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Biometrics, Univ. of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia
| | - Y. Yankov
- Faculty of Agriculture, Dept of Biology and Aquaculture, Trakia Univ. Stara Zagora Bulgaria
| | | | - N. Šprem
- Faculty of Agriculture, Dept of Fisheries, Apiculture, Wildlife Management and Special Zoology, Univ. of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia
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7
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In defense of elemental currencies: can ecological stoichiometry stand as a framework for terrestrial herbivore nutritional ecology? Oecologia 2022; 199:27-38. [PMID: 35396976 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05160-5] [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: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Nutritional ecologists aim to predict population or landscape-level effects of food availability, but the tools to extrapolate nutrition from small to large extents are often lacking. The appropriate nutritional ecology currencies should be able to represent consumer responses to food while simultaneously be simple enough to expand such responses to large spatial extents and link them to ecosystem functioning. Ecological stoichiometry (ES), a framework of nutritional ecology, can meet these demands, but it is typically associated with ecosystem ecology and nutrient cycling, and less often used to study wildlife nutrition. Despite the emerging zoogeochemical evidence that animals, and thus their diets, play critical roles in nutrient movement, wildlife nutritional ecology has not fully embraced ES, and ES has not incorporated nutrition in many wildlife studies. Here, we discuss how elemental currencies are "nutritionally, organismally, and ecologically explicit" in the context of terrestrial herbivore nutritional ecology. We add that ES and elemental currencies offer a means to measure resource quality across landscapes and compare nutrient availability among regions. Further, we discuss ES shortcomings and solutions, and list future directions to advance the field. As ecological studies increasingly grow in spatial extent, and attempt to link multiple levels of biological organization, integrating more simple and unifying currencies into nutritional studies, like elements, is necessary for nutritional ecology to predict herbivore occurrences and abundances across regions.
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8
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Klappstein NJ, Potts JR, Michelot T, Börger L, Pilfold NW, Lewis MA, Derocher AE. Energy‐based step selection analysis: modelling the energetic drivers of animal movement and habitat use. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:946-957. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan R. Potts
- School of Mathematics and Statistics University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, Hounsfield Road Sheffield UK
| | - Théo Michelot
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences Swansea University Swansea UK
- Centre for Biomathematics, College of Science Swansea University Swansea UK
| | - Nicholas W. Pilfold
- Conservation Science and Wildlife Health, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance San Diego USA
| | - Mark A. Lewis
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton Canada
- Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton Canada
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9
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Obanda V, Otieno VA, Kingori EM, Ndeereh D, Lwande OW, Chiyo PI. Identifying Edaphic Factors and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index Metrics Driving Wildlife Mortality From Anthrax in Kenya’s Wildlife Areas. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.643334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthrax, an acute disease of homeotherms caused by soil-borne Bacillus anthracis is implicated in dramatic declines in wildlife mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Anthrax outbreaks are often localized in space and time. Therefore, understanding predictors of the spatial and temporal occurrence of anthrax in wildlife areas is useful in supporting early warning and improved response and targeting measures to reduce the impact of epizootic risk on populations. Spatial localization of anthrax is hypothesized to be driven by edaphic factors, while the temporal outbreaks are thought to be driven by extreme weather events including temperature, humidity, rainfall, and drought. Here, we test the role of select edaphic factors and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) metrics driven by vegetation structure and climate variability on the spatial and temporal patterns of wildlife mortality from anthrax in key wildlife areas in Kenya over a 20-year period, from 2000 to 2019. There was a positive association between the number of anthrax outbreaks and the total number of months anthrax was reported during the study period and the nitrogen and organic carbon content of the soil in each wildlife area. The monthly occurrence (timing) of anthrax in Lake Nakuru (with the most intense outbreaks) was positively related to the previous month’s spatial heterogeneity in NDVI and monthly NDVI deviation from 20-year monthly means. Generalized linear models revealed that the number of months anthrax was reported in a year (intensity) was positively related to spatial heterogeneity in NDVI, total organic carbon and cation exchange capacity of the soil. These results, examined in the light of experimental studies on anthrax persistence and amplification in the soil enlighten on mechanisms by which these factors are driving anthrax outbreaks and spatial localization.
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10
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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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11
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Rizzuto M, Leroux SJ, Vander Wal E, Richmond IC, Heckford TR, Balluffi-Fry J, Wiersma YF. Forage stoichiometry predicts the home range size of a small terrestrial herbivore. Oecologia 2021; 197:327-338. [PMID: 34131817 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04965-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Home range size of consumers varies with food quality, but the many ways of defining food quality hamper comparisons across studies. Ecological stoichiometry studies the elemental balance of ecological processes and offers a uniquely quantitative, transferrable way to assess food quality using elemental ratios, e.g., carbon (C):nitrogen (N). Here, we test whether snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) vary their home range size in response to spatial patterns of C:N, C:phosphorus (P), and N:P ratios of two preferred boreal forage species, lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) and red maple (Acer rubrum), in summer months. Boreal forests are N- and P-limited ecosystems and access to N- and P-rich forage is paramount to snowshoe hares' survival. Accordingly, we consider forage with higher C content relative to N and P to be lower quality than forage with lower relative C content. We combine elemental distribution models with summer home range size estimates to test the hypothesis that home range size will be smaller in areas with access to high, homogeneous food quality compared to areas of low, heterogeneous food quality. Our results show snowshoe hares had smaller home ranges in areas where lowbush blueberry foliage quality was higher or more spatially homogenous than in areas of lower, more heterogeneous food quality. By responding to spatial patterns of food quality, consumers may influence community and ecosystem processes by, for example, varying nutrient recycling rates. Our reductionist biogeochemical approach to viewing resources leads us to holistic insights into consumer spatial ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Rizzuto
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada.
| | - Shawn J Leroux
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
| | - Isabella C Richmond
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
| | - Travis R Heckford
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
| | | | - Yolanda F Wiersma
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
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12
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Ellis-Soto D, Ferraro KM, Rizzuto M, Briggs E, Monk JD, Schmitz OJ. A methodological roadmap to quantify animal-vectored spatial ecosystem subsidies. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1605-1622. [PMID: 34014558 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Energy, nutrients and organisms move over landscapes, connecting ecosystems across space and time. Meta-ecosystem theory investigates the emerging properties of local ecosystems coupled spatially by these movements of organisms and matter, by explicitly tracking exchanges of multiple substances across ecosystem borders. To date, meta-ecosystem research has focused mostly on abiotic flows-neglecting biotic nutrient flows. However, recent work has indicated animals act as spatial nutrient vectors when they transport nutrients across landscapes in the form of excreta, egesta and their own bodies. Partly due to its high level of abstraction, there are few empirical tests of meta-ecosystem theory. Furthermore, while animals may be viewed as important mediators of ecosystem functions, better integration of tools is needed to develop predictive insights of their relative roles and impacts on diverse ecosystems. We present a methodological roadmap that explains how to do such integration by discussing how to combine insights from movement, foraging and ecosystem ecology to develop a coherent understanding of animal-vectored nutrient transport on meta-ecosystems processes. We discuss how the slate of newly developed technologies and methods-tracking devices, mechanistic movement models, diet reconstruction techniques and remote sensing-that when integrated have the potential to advance the quantification of animal-vectored nutrient flows and increase the predictive power of meta-ecosystem theory. We demonstrate that by integrating novel and established tools of animal ecology, ecosystem ecology and remote sensing, we can begin to identify and quantify animal-mediated nutrient translocation by large animals. We also provide conceptual examples that show how our proposed integration of methodologies can help investigate ecosystem impacts of large animal movement. We conclude by describing practical advancements to understanding cross-ecosystem contributions of animals on the move. Understanding the mechanisms by which animals shape ecosystem dynamics is important for ongoing conservation, rewilding and restoration initiatives around the world, and for developing more accurate models of ecosystem nutrient budgets. Our roadmap will enable ecologists to better qualify and quantify animal-mediated nutrient translocation for animals on the move.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Ellis-Soto
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Matteo Rizzuto
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
| | - Emily Briggs
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Julia D Monk
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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13
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Seigle-Ferrand J, Atmeh K, Gaillard JM, Ronget V, Morellet N, Garel M, Loison A, Yannic G. A Systematic Review of Within-Population Variation in the Size of Home Range Across Ungulates: What Do We Know After 50 Years of Telemetry Studies? Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.555429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying the factors determining the sizes of home ranges, based on body mass, feeding style, and sociality level, is a long-standing goal at the intersection of ecology and evolution. Yet, how species-specific life history traits interact with different components of the landscape to shape differences in individual home ranges at within-population level has received much less attention. Here, we review the empirical literature on ungulates to map our knowledge of the relative effects of the key environmental drivers (resource availability, landscape heterogeneity, lethal and non-lethal risks) on the sizes of individual home ranges within a population and assess whether species' characteristics (body mass, diet, and social structure), account for observed variation in the responses of the sizes of individual home ranges to local environmental drivers. Estimating the sizes of home ranges and measuring environmental variables raise a number of methodological issues, which complicate the comparison of empirical studies. Still, from an ecological point of view, we showed that (1) a majority of papers (75%) supported the habitat productivity hypothesis, (2) the support for the influence of landscape heterogeneity was less pervasive across studies, (3) the response of cattle-type to variation in food availability was stronger than the response of moose-type, and (4) species-specific body mass or sociality level had no detectable effect on the level of support to the biological hypotheses. To our surprise, our systematic review revealed a dearth of studies focusing on the ecological drivers of the variation in the sizes of individual home ranges (only about 1% of articles that dealt with home ranges), especially in the later decade where more focus has been devoted to movement. We encourage researchers to continue providing such results with sufficient sample sizes and robust methodologies, as we still need to fully understand the link between environmental drivers and individual space use while accounting for life-history constraints.
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14
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Palumbo F, Squartini A, Barcaccia G, Macolino S, Pornaro C, Pindo M, Sturaro E, Ramanzin M. A multi-kingdom metabarcoding study on cattle grazing Alpine pastures discloses intra-seasonal shifts in plant selection and faecal microbiota. Sci Rep 2021; 11:889. [PMID: 33441587 PMCID: PMC7806629 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79474-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Diet selection by grazing livestock may affect animal performance as well as the biodiversity of grazed areas. Recent DNA barcoding techniques allow to assess dietary plant composition in faecal samples, which may be additionally integrated by the description of gut microbiota. In this high throughput metabarcoding study, we investigated the diversity of plant, fungal and bacterial taxa in faecal samples of lactating cows of two breeds grazing an Alpine semi-natural grassland during summer. The estimated plant composition of the diet comprised 67 genera and 39 species, which varied remarkably during summer, suggesting a decline of the diet forage value with the advancing of the vegetative season. The fungal community included Neocallimastigomycota gut symbionts, but also Ascomycota and Basidiomycota plant parasite and coprophilous taxa, likely ingested during grazing. The proportion of ingested fungi was remarkably higher than in other studies, and varied during summer, although less than that observed for plants. Some variation related to breed was also detected. The gut bacterial taxa remained stable through the summer but displayed a breed-specific composition. The study provided insights in the reciprocal organisms' interactions affecting, and being affected by, the foraging behaviour: plants showed a high temporal variation, fungi a smaller one, while bacteria had practically none; conversely, the same kingdoms showed the opposite gradient of variation as respect to the animal host breed, as bacteria revealed to be the group mostly characterized by host-specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Palumbo
- Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Campus of Agripolis, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Andrea Squartini
- Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Campus of Agripolis, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Padova, Italy.
| | - Gianni Barcaccia
- Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Campus of Agripolis, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Stefano Macolino
- Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Campus of Agripolis, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Cristina Pornaro
- Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Campus of Agripolis, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Massimo Pindo
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach (FEM), Via Mach 1, S. Michele All'Adige, 38010, Trento, Italy
| | - Enrico Sturaro
- Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Campus of Agripolis, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Maurizio Ramanzin
- Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Campus of Agripolis, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
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15
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Balluffi‐Fry J, Leroux SJ, Wiersma YF, Heckford TR, Rizzuto M, Richmond IC, Vander Wal E. Quantity-quality trade-offs revealed using a multiscale test of herbivore resource selection on elemental landscapes. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:13847-13859. [PMID: 33391685 PMCID: PMC7771173 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Herbivores consider the variation of forage qualities (nutritional content and digestibility) as well as quantities (biomass) when foraging. Such selection patterns may change based on the scale of foraging, particularly in the case of ungulates that forage at many scales.To test selection for quality and quantity in free-ranging herbivores across scales, however, we must first develop landscape-wide quantitative estimates of both forage quantity and quality. Stoichiometric distribution models (StDMs) bring opportunity to address this because they predict the elemental measures and stoichiometry of resources at landscape extents.Here, we use StDMs to predict elemental measures of understory white birch quality (% nitrogen) and quantity (g carbon/m2) across two boreal landscapes. We analyzed global positioning system (GPS) collared moose (n = 14) selection for forage quantity and quality at the landscape, home range, and patch extents using both individual and pooled resource selection analyses. We predicted that as the scale of resource selection decreased from the landscape to the patch, selection for white birch quantity would decrease and selection for quality would increase.Counter to our prediction, pooled-models showed selection for our estimates of quantity and quality to be neutral with low explanatory power and no scalar trends. At the individual-level, however, we found evidence for quality and quantity trade-offs, most notably at the home-range scale where resource selection models explain the largest amount of variation in selection. Furthermore, individuals did not follow the same trade-off tactic, with some preferring forage quantity over quality and vice versa.Such individual trade-offs show that moose may be flexible in attaining a limiting nutrient. Our findings suggest that herbivores may respond to forage elemental compositions and quantities, giving tools like StDMs merit toward animal ecology applications. The integration of StDMs and animal movement data represents a promising avenue for progress in the field of zoogeochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Balluffi‐Fry
- Department of BiologyMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John’sNLCanada
- Present address:
Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonABCanada
| | - Shawn J. Leroux
- Department of BiologyMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John’sNLCanada
| | - Yolanda F. Wiersma
- Department of BiologyMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John’sNLCanada
| | - Travis R. Heckford
- Department of BiologyMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John’sNLCanada
| | - Matteo Rizzuto
- Department of BiologyMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John’sNLCanada
| | | | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of BiologyMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John’sNLCanada
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