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Brønnvik H, Nourani E, Fiedler W, Flack A. Experience reduces route selection for conspecifics by the collectively migrating white stork. Curr Biol 2024; 34:2030-2037.e3. [PMID: 38636512 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Migration can be an energetically costly behavior with strong fitness consequences in terms of mortality and reproduction.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 Migrants should select migratory routes to minimize their costs, but both costs and benefits may change with experience.12,13,14 This raises the question of whether experience changes how individuals select their migratory routes. Here, we investigate the effect of age on route selection criteria in a collectively migrating soaring bird, the white stork (Ciconia ciconia). We perform step-selection analysis on a longitudinal dataset tracking 158 white storks over up to 9 years to quantify how they select their routes based on the social and atmospheric environments and to examine how this selection changes with age. We find clear ontogenetic shifts in route selection criteria. Juveniles choose routes that have good atmospheric conditions and high conspecific densities. Yet, as they gain experience, storks' selection on the availability of social information reduces-after their fifth migration, experienced birds also choose routes with low conspecific densities. Thus, our results suggest that as individuals age, they gradually replace information gleaned from other individuals with information gained from experience, allowing them to shift their migration timing and increasing the timescale at which they select their routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hester Brønnvik
- Collective Migration Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Elham Nourani
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany; Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78468 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Fiedler
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Andrea Flack
- Collective Migration Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78468 Konstanz, Germany.
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2
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Reynolds-Hogland M, Brooks C, Ramsey AB, Hogland JS, Pilgrim KL, Engkjer C, Ramsey PW. Long-term video and genetic data yield insights into complex sociality of a solitary large carnivore. Behav Processes 2024; 214:104972. [PMID: 38016596 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
American black bears (Ursus americanus) may be more social than currently understood. We used long-term video and genetic data to evaluate social interactions among wild, independent-aged black bear on a conservation property in western Montana, USA. We used multinomial logistic regression to evaluate predictions about male-male interactions within the context of individual fitness, female-female interactions within the context of inclusive fitness, and male-female interactions within the context of female counterstrategies to infanticide. Overall, our findings challenged the assumption that independent-aged bears interact only during the mating season or when concentrated feeding sites are present. We documented 169 interaction events by at least 66 bear pairs, 92 (54%) of which occurred outside of the peak mating season and in the absence of concentrated feeding sites. The probability that male-male pairs engaged in play and other non-agonistic behaviours was higher than that for female-female pairs. Conversely, the probability that female-female pairs engaged in chase behaviour was higher than that for male-male and male-female pairs. We documented evidence of female mate choice, female resource defense, sexually selected infanticide (SSI), and female counterstrategies to avoid SSI. Our findings improve our understanding of ursid ethology and underscore the complexity of ursid sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - John S Hogland
- USDA Forest Service, USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
| | - Kristine L Pilgrim
- USDA National Genomics Center, USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
| | - Cory Engkjer
- USDA National Genomics Center, USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
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3
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Brown bear skin-borne secretions display evidence of individuality and age-sex variation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3163. [PMID: 36823208 PMCID: PMC9950453 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29479-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Scent originates from excretions and secretions, and its chemical complexity in mammals translates into a diverse mode of signalling. Identifying how information is encoded can help to establish the mechanisms of olfactory communication and the use of odours as chemical signals. Building upon existing behavioural and histological literature, we examined the chemical profile of secretions used for scent marking by a solitary, non-territorial carnivore, the brown bear (Ursus arctos). We investigated the incidence, abundance, and uniqueness of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from cutaneous glandular secretions of 12 wild brown bears collected during late and post-breeding season, and assessed whether age-sex class, body site, and individual identity explained profile variation. VOC profiles varied in the average number of compounds, compound incidence, and compound abundance by age-sex class and individual identity (when individuals were grouped by sex), but not by body site. Mature males differed from other age-sex classes, secreting fewer compounds on average with the least variance between individuals. Compound uniqueness varied by body site and age for both males and females and across individuals. Our results indicate that brown bear skin-borne secretions may facilitate age-sex class and individual recognition, which can contribute towards further understanding of mating systems and social behaviour.
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4
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The current state of carnivore cognition. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:37-58. [PMID: 36333496 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01709-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The field of animal cognition has advanced rapidly in the last 25 years. Through careful and creative studies of animals in captivity and in the wild, we have gained critical insights into the evolution of intelligence, the cognitive capacities of a diverse array of taxa, and the importance of ecological and social environments, as well as individual variation, in the expression of cognitive abilities. The field of animal cognition, however, is still being influenced by some historical tendencies. For example, primates and birds are still the majority of study species in the field of animal cognition. Studies of diverse taxa improve the generalizability of our results, are critical for testing evolutionary hypotheses, and open new paths for understanding cognition in species with vastly different morphologies. In this paper, we review the current state of knowledge of cognition in mammalian carnivores. We discuss the advantages of studying cognition in Carnivorans and the immense progress that has been made across many cognitive domains in both lab and field studies of carnivores. We also discuss the current constraints that are associated with studying carnivores. Finally, we explore new directions for future research in studies of carnivore cognition.
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5
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Lorand C, Robert A, Gastineau A, Mihoub JB, Bessa-Gomes C. Effectiveness of interventions for managing human-large carnivore conflicts worldwide: Scare them off, don't remove them. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156195. [PMID: 35623521 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Human-wildlife conflicts are associated with a threat to large carnivores, as well as with economic and social costs, thus challenging conservation management around the world. In this study, we explored the effectiveness of common management interventions used worldwide for the purpose of conflict reduction using an evidence-based framework combining expert assessment of intervention effectiveness, impact and uncertainty of assessment. We first conducted a literature review of human-large carnivore conflicts across the world. Based on this review, we identified three main types of management interventions (non-lethal, translocations, and lethal management) and we assessed their effectiveness. Our review indicates that, although the characteristics of conflicts with large carnivores are heavily influenced by the local context and the species, the main issues are depredation on livestock, space-sharing, and attacks on humans. Non-lethal interventions are more likely to reduce conflict, whereas translocations and lethal interventions are mostly ineffective and/or harmful to carnivore populations, without fostering successful long-term coexistence. The literature on conflict management is often imprecise and lacks consistency between studies or situations, which generally makes comparisons difficult. Our protocol allows for the reliable comparison of experiments characterized by heterogeneous standards, response variables, protocols, and quality of evidence. Nevertheless, we encourage the use of systematic protocols with common good standards in order to provide more reliable empirical evidence. This would clarify the relative effectiveness of conflict management strategies and contribute to the global reduction in the occurrence of human-large carnivore conflicts across the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Lorand
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 43 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France; Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, UMR 8079 CNRS, Université Paris Saclay, Orsay, France.
| | - Alexandre Robert
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 43 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Adrienne Gastineau
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 43 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France; Equipe Ours, Unité Prédateurs-Animaux Déprédateurs, Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, impasse de la Chapelle, 31800 Villeneuve-de-Rivière, France
| | - Jean-Baptiste Mihoub
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 43 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Carmen Bessa-Gomes
- Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, UMR 8079 CNRS, Université Paris Saclay, Orsay, France
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6
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Viewing animal migration through a social lens. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:985-996. [PMID: 35931583 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Evidence of social learning is growing across the animal kingdom. Researchers have long hypothesized that social interactions play a key role in many animal migrations, but strong empirical support is scarce except in a few unique systems and species. In this review, we aim to catalyze advances in the study of social migrations by synthesizing research across disciplines and providing a framework for understanding when, how, and why social influences shape the decisions animals make during migration. Integrating research across the fields of social learning and migration ecology will advance our understanding of the complex behavioral phenomena of animal migration and help to inform conservation of animal migrations in a changing world.
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7
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Ando K, Yoshikawa T, Kozakai C, Yamazaki K, Naganuma T, Inagaki A, Koike S. Composite Brownian walks best explain the movement patterns of Asian black bears, irrespective of sex, seasonality, and food availability. Ecol Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kyohei Ando
- Graduate School of Agriculture Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Tokyo Japan
| | - Tetsuro Yoshikawa
- Biodiversity Division National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba Japan
| | - Chinatsu Kozakai
- Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science National Agriculture and Food Research Organization Tsukuba Japan
| | - Koji Yamazaki
- Faculty of Regional Environment Science Tokyo University of Agriculture Tokyo Japan
| | - Tomoko Naganuma
- Graduate School of Agriculture Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Tokyo Japan
| | - Akino Inagaki
- Graduate School of Agriculture Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Tokyo Japan
| | - Shinsuke Koike
- Graduate School of Agriculture Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Tokyo Japan
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8
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Abstract
The American black bear (Ursus americanus) was long thought to be solitary and its social organization has not been well described. Here, we present new data on black bear social structure. The objectives of the study were to make detailed observations of the behavior of wild black bears to determine their social interactions and structure. We tested whether black bears interacted socially beyond mating and competing for resources, if black bears tracked relationships and interacted regularly even when resources were not limited, and whether the social structure of a population of black bears was based on a matrilinear hierarchy. We collected data by direct observation of bears from 1993 to 2014. Observations of 1210 social interactions at a provisioning site indicated that females compete and form matrilinear hierarchies. Dominant bears established a hierarchy for food, control of space, and control of younger bears. Post interaction scent marking took place, which suggested that dominant females were conditioning subordinates to their scent marks. Affiliative behavior occurred between related and unrelated bears and helped to establish the social structure of the bear community. Based on our data, human-bear conflicts can be reduced by behavioral modifications by humans when they encounter bears. Knowledge of bear behavior and the matrilinear hierarchy provide a basis for non-lethal management of bears that find themselves in a bear-human conflict situation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin KILHAM
- Kilham Bear CenterLymeNew HampshireUSA
- Department of BiodiversityEarth and Environmental ScienceDrexel UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - James R. SPOTILA
- Department of BiodiversityEarth and Environmental ScienceDrexel UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
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9
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Kashetsky T, Avgar T, Dukas R. The Cognitive Ecology of Animal Movement: Evidence From Birds and Mammals. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.724887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognition, defined as the processes concerned with the acquisition, retention and use of information, underlies animals’ abilities to navigate their local surroundings, embark on long-distance seasonal migrations, and socially learn information relevant to movement. Hence, in order to fully understand and predict animal movement, researchers must know the cognitive mechanisms that generate such movement. Work on a few model systems indicates that most animals possess excellent spatial learning and memory abilities, meaning that they can acquire and later recall information about distances and directions among relevant objects. Similarly, field work on several species has revealed some of the mechanisms that enable them to navigate over distances of up to several thousand kilometers. Key behaviors related to movement such as the choice of nest location, home range location and migration route are often affected by parents and other conspecifics. In some species, such social influence leads to the formation of aggregations, which in turn may lead to further social learning about food locations or other resources. Throughout the review, we note a variety of topics at the interface of cognition and movement that invite further investigation. These include the use of social information embedded in trails, the likely important roles of soundscapes and smellscapes, the mechanisms that large mammals rely on for long-distance migration, and the effects of expertise acquired over extended periods.
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10
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Leclerc M, Leblond M, Le Corre M, Dussault C, Côté SD. Determinants of migration trajectory and movement rate in a long-distance terrestrial mammal. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab081] [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
Abstract
Animal migrations occur in many taxa and are considered an adaptive response to spatial or temporal variations in resources. Human activities can influence the cost-benefit trade-offs of animal migrations, but evaluating the determinants of migration trajectory and movement rate in declining populations facing relatively low levels of human disturbance can provide new and valuable insights on the behavior of wildlife in natural environments. Here, we used an adapted version of path selection functions and quantified the effects of habitat type, topography, and weather, on 313 spring migrations by migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in northern Québec, Canada, from 2011 to 2018. Our results showed that during spring migration, caribou selected tundra and avoided water bodies, forest, and higher elevation. Higher precipitation and deeper snow were linked to lower movement rates. Weather variables had a stronger effect on the migration trajectories and movement rates of females than males. Duration of caribou spring migration (mean of 48 days) and length (mean of 587 km) were similar in males and females, but females started (22 April) and ended (10 June) spring migrations ca. 6 days earlier than males. Caribou spring migration was influenced by habitat type, topography, and weather, but we also observed that caribou migrations were not spatially constrained. Better knowledge on where and when animals move between their winter and summer ranges can help inform management and land planning decisions. Our results could be used to model future migration trajectories and speed of caribou under different climate change scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Leclerc
- Caribou Ungava, Département de Biologie and Centre d’Études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Mathieu Leblond
- Caribou Ungava, Département de Biologie and Centre d’Études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1125 Colonel by Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Maël Le Corre
- Caribou Ungava, Département de Biologie and Centre d’Études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, United Kingdom
| | - Christian Dussault
- Caribou Ungava, Département de Biologie and Centre d’Études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Direction de l’expertise sur la faune terrestre, l’herpétofaune et l’avifaune, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec, Québec, QC G1S 4X4, Canada
| | - Steeve D Côté
- Caribou Ungava, Département de Biologie and Centre d’Études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
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11
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Revilla E, Ramos Fernández D, Fernández-Gil A, Sergiel A, Selva N, Naves J. Brown bear communication hubs: patterns and correlates of tree rubbing and pedal marking at a long-term marking site. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10447. [PMID: 33575120 PMCID: PMC7849508 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10447] [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: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemical communication is important for many species of mammals. Male brown bears, Ursus arctos, mark trees with a secretion from glands located on their back. The recent discovery of pedal glands and pedal-marking at a site used for tree-rubbing led us to hypothesize that both types of marking form part of a more complex communication system. We describe the patterns of chemical communication used by different age and sex classes, including differences in the roles of these classes as information providers or receivers over four years at a long-term marking site. Using video recordings from a camera trap, we registered a total of 285 bear-visits and 419 behavioral events associated with chemical communication. Bears visited the site more frequently during the mating season, during which communication behaviors were more frequent. A typical visit by male bears consisted of sniffing the depressions where animals pedal mark, performing pedal-marking, sniffing the tree, and, finally, rubbing against the trunk of the tree. Adult males performed most pedal- and tree-marking (95% and 66% of the cases, respectively). Males pedal-marked and tree-rubbed in 81% and 48% of their visits and sniffed the pedal marks and the tree in 23% and 59% of visits, respectively. Adult females never pedal marked, and juveniles did so at very low frequencies. Females rubbed against the tree in just 9% of their visits; they sniffed the tree and the pedal marks in 51% and 21% of their visits, respectively. All sex and age classes performed pedal- and tree-sniffing. There were significant associations between behaviors indicating that different behaviors tended to occur during the same visit and were more likely if another individual had recently visited. These associations leading to repeated marking of the site can promote the establishment of long-term marking sites. Marking sites defined by trees and the trails leading to them seem to act as communication hubs that brown bears use to share and obtain important information at population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloy Revilla
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Seville, Spain
| | - Damián Ramos Fernández
- Consejería de Infraestructuras, Ordenación del Territorio y Medio Ambiente, Gobierno del Principado de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Alberto Fernández-Gil
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Seville, Spain
| | - Agnieszka Sergiel
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Nuria Selva
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Javier Naves
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Seville, Spain
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12
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De Angelis D, Kusak J, Huber D, Reljić S, Gužvica G, Ciucci P. Environmental and anthropogenic correlates of seasonal migrations in the Dinaric‐Pindos brown bear population. J Zool (1987) 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniele De Angelis
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin” Sapienza University of Rome Roma Italy
| | - Josip Kusak
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia
| | - Djuro Huber
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia
- Institute of Nature Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences Kraków Poland
| | - Slaven Reljić
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia
| | - Goran Gužvica
- Oikon Ltd. Institute of Applied Ecology Zagreb Croatia
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin” Sapienza University of Rome Roma Italy
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13
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Birnie-Gauvin K, Lennox RJ, Guglielmo CG, Teffer AK, Crossin GT, Norris DR, Aarestrup K, Cooke SJ. The Value of Experimental Approaches in Migration Biology. Physiol Biochem Zool 2020; 93:210-226. [DOI: 10.1086/708455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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14
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St Clair CC, Backs J, Friesen A, Gangadharan A, Gilhooly P, Murray M, Pollock S. Animal learning may contribute to both problems and solutions for wildlife-train collisions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180050. [PMID: 31352891 PMCID: PMC6710577 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Transportation infrastructure can cause an ecological trap if it attracts wildlife for foraging and travel opportunities, while increasing the risk of mortality from collisions. This situation occurs for a vulnerable population of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in Banff National Park, Canada, where train strikes have become a leading cause of mortality. We explored this problem with analyses of rail-associated food attractants, habitat use of GPS-collared bears and patterns of past mortality. Bears appeared to be attracted to grain spilled from rail cars, enhanced growth of adjacent vegetation and train-killed ungulates with rail use that increased in spring and autumn, and in areas where trains slowed, topography was rugged, and human density was low. However, areas with higher grain deposits or greater use by bears did not predict sites of past mortality. The onset of reported train strikes occurred amid several other interacting changes in this landscape, including the cessation of lethal bear management, changes in the distribution and abundance of ungulates, increasing human use and new anthropogenic features. We posit that rapid learning by bears is critical to their persistence in this landscape and that this capacity might be enhanced to prevent train strikes in future with simple warning devices, such as the one we invented, that signal approaching trains. This article is part of the theme issue 'Linking behaviour to dynamics of populations and communities: application of novel approaches in behavioural ecology to conservation'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan Backs
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Alyssa Friesen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Aditya Gangadharan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Patrick Gilhooly
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Maureen Murray
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Sonya Pollock
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada T6G 2E9
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15
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Delineating the ecological and geographic edge of an opportunist: The American black bear exploiting an agricultural landscape. Ecol Modell 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2018.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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16
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Frank SC, Leclerc M, Pelletier F, Rosell F, Swenson JE, Bischof R, Kindberg J, Eiken HG, Hagen SB, Zedrosser A. Sociodemographic factors modulate the spatial response of brown bears to vacancies created by hunting. J Anim Ecol 2017; 87:247-258. [PMID: 28994099 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
There is a growing recognition of the importance of indirect effects from hunting on wildlife populations, e.g. social and behavioural changes due to harvest, which occur after the initial offtake. Nonetheless, little is known about how the removal of members of a population influences the spatial configuration of the survivors. We studied how surviving brown bears (Ursus arctos) used former home ranges that had belonged to casualties of the annual bear hunting season in southcentral Sweden (2007-2015). We used resource selection functions to explore the effects of the casualty's and survivor's sex, age and their pairwise genetic relatedness, population density and hunting intensity on survivors' spatial responses to vacated home ranges. We tested the competitive release hypothesis, whereby survivors that increase their use of a killed bear's home range are presumed to have been released from intraspecific competition. We found strong support for this hypothesis, as survivors of the same sex as the casualty consistently increased their use of its vacant home range. Patterns were less pronounced or absent when the survivor and casualty were of opposite sex. Genetic relatedness between the survivor and the casualty emerged as the most important factor explaining increased use of vacated male home ranges by males, with a stronger response from survivors of lower relatedness. Relatedness was also important for females, but it did not influence use following removal; female survivors used home ranges of higher related female casualties more, both before and after death. Spatial responses by survivors were further influenced by bear age, population density and hunting intensity. We have shown that survivors exhibit a spatial response to vacated home ranges caused by hunting casualties, even in nonterritorial species such as the brown bear. This spatial reorganization can have unintended consequences for population dynamics and interfere with management goals. Altogether, our results underscore the need to better understand the short- and long-term indirect effects of hunting on animal social structure and their resulting distribution in space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane C Frank
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences, and Maritime Sciences, University College of Southeast Norway, Telemark, Norway
| | - Martin Leclerc
- Département de Biologie, Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Demography and Conservation, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de Biologie, Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Demography and Conservation, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Frank Rosell
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences, and Maritime Sciences, University College of Southeast Norway, Telemark, Norway
| | - Jon E Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.,Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Richard Bischof
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Hans Geir Eiken
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Svanhovd, Norway
| | - Snorre B Hagen
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Svanhovd, Norway
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences, and Maritime Sciences, University College of Southeast Norway, Telemark, Norway.,Department of Integrative Biology, Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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Garshelis DL, Baruch-Mordo S, Bryant A, Gunther KA, Jerina K. Is diversionary feeding an effective tool for reducing human–bear conflicts? Case studies from North America and Europe. URSUS 2017. [DOI: 10.2192/ursu-d-16-00019.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kerry A. Gunther
- Bear Management Office, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA
| | - Klemen Jerina
- Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 83, 1000 Slovenia
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Lai S, Bêty J, Berteaux D. Spatio-temporal hotspots of satellite-tracked arctic foxes reveal a large detection range in a mammalian predator. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2015; 3:37. [PMID: 26568827 PMCID: PMC4644628 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-015-0065-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The scale at which animals perceive their environment is a strong fitness determinant, yet few empirical estimates of animal detection ranges exist, especially in mammalian predators. Using daily Argos satellite tracking of 26 adult arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) during a single winter in the High Canadian Arctic, we investigated the detection range of arctic foxes by detecting hotspots of fox activity on the sea ice. RESULTS While maintaining territories in the tundra, these solitary foragers occasionally used the sea ice where they sometimes formed spatio-temporal hotspots, likely scavenging on marine mammal carcasses. We detected 35 movements by 13 individuals forming five hotspots. Foxes often traveled more than 10 km, and up to 40 km, to reach hotspots, which lasted one-two weeks and could gather up to 12 individuals. The likelihood of a fox joining a hotspot was neither influenced by its distance from the hotspot nor by the distance of its home range to the coast. CONCLUSIONS Observed traveling distances may indicate a high detection range in arctic foxes, and our results suggest their ability to detect food sources on the sea ice from their terrestrial home range. While revealing a wide knowledge gap regarding resource detection abilities in mammalian predators, our study provides estimates of detection range useful for interpreting and modeling animal movements. It also allows a better understanding of foraging behavior and navigation capacity in terrestrial predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Lai
- Canada Research Chair on Northern Biodiversity, Centre for Northern Studies and Quebec Center for Biodiversity Science, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC G5L 3A1 Canada
| | - Joël Bêty
- Canada Research Chair on Northern Biodiversity, Centre for Northern Studies and Quebec Center for Biodiversity Science, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC G5L 3A1 Canada
| | - Dominique Berteaux
- Canada Research Chair on Northern Biodiversity, Centre for Northern Studies and Quebec Center for Biodiversity Science, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC G5L 3A1 Canada
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