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Onen H, Kaddumukasa MA, Kayondo JK, Akol AM, Tripet F. A review of applications and limitations of using aquatic macroinvertebrate predators for biocontrol of the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae sensu lato. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:257. [PMID: 38867296 PMCID: PMC11170859 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06332-3] [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: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Macroinvertebrate predators such as backswimmers (Heteroptera: Notonectidae), dragonflies (Odonata: Aeshnidae), and predatory diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) naturally inhabit aquatic ecosystems. Some aquatic ecosystems inhabited by these macroinvertebrate predator taxa equally form malaria vector larval habitats. The presence of these predators in malaria vector larval habitats can negatively impact on development, adult body size, fecundity, and longevity of the malaria vectors, which form important determinants of their fitness and future vectorial capacity. These potential negative impacts caused by aquatic macroinvertebrate predators on malaria vectors warrant their consideration as biocontrol agents in an integrated program to combat malaria. However, the use of these macroinvertebrate predators in malaria biocontrol is currently constrained by technical bottlenecks linked to their generalist predatory tendencies and often long life cycles, demanding complex rearing systems. We reviewed the literature on the use of aquatic macroinvertebrate predators for biocontrol of malaria vectors from the An. gambiae s.l. complex. The available information from laboratory and semi-field studies has shown that aquatic macroinvertebrates have the potential to consume large numbers of mosquito larvae and could thus offer an additional approaches in integrated malaria vector management strategies. The growing number of semi-field structures available in East and West Africa provides an opportunity to conduct ecological experimental studies to reconsider the potential of using aquatic macroinvertebrate predators as a biocontrol tool. To achieve a more sustainable approach to controlling malaria vector populations, additional, non-chemical interventions could provide a more sustainable approach, in comparison with the failing chemical control tools, and should be urgently considered for integration with the current mosquito vector control campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hudson Onen
- Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, School of Biosciences, Makerere University, P.O Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
- Department of Entomology, Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), P.O Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kyambogo University, P.O. Box 1, Kampala, Uganda.
| | - Martha A Kaddumukasa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kyambogo University, P.O. Box 1, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Jonathan K Kayondo
- Department of Entomology, Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), P.O Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Anne M Akol
- Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, School of Biosciences, Makerere University, P.O Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Frédéric Tripet
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Webber QMR, Laforge MP, Bonar M, Vander Wal E. The adaptive value of density-dependent habitat specialization and social network centrality. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4423. [PMID: 38789438 PMCID: PMC11126670 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48657-8] [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: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Density dependence is a fundamental ecological process. In particular, animal habitat selection and social behavior often affect fitness in a density-dependent manner. The Ideal Free Distribution (IFD) and niche variation hypothesis (NVH) present distinct predictions associated with Optimal Foraging Theory about how the effect of habitat selection on fitness varies with population density. Using caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in Canada as a model system, we test competing hypotheses about how habitat specialization, social behavior, and annual reproductive success (co)vary across a population density gradient. Within a behavioral reaction norm framework, we estimate repeatability, behavioral plasticity, and covariance among social behavior and habitat selection to investigate the adaptive value of sociality and habitat selection. In support of NVH, but not the IFD, we find that at high density habitat specialists had higher annual reproductive success than generalists, but were also less social than generalists, suggesting the possibility that specialists were less social to avoid competition. Our study supports niche variation as a mechanism for density-dependent habitat specialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinn M R Webber
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF, Canada.
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
| | - Michel P Laforge
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF, Canada
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Maegwin Bonar
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF, Canada
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF, Canada
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF, Canada
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Freund DR, Gable TD, Johnson-Bice SM, Homkes AT, Windels SK, Bump JK. The ethology of wolves foraging on freshwater fish in a boreal ecosystem. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230210. [PMID: 37234502 PMCID: PMC10206451 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Through global positioning system (GPS) collar locations, remote cameras, field observations and the first wild wolf to be GPS-collared with a camera collar, we describe when, where and how wolves fish in a freshwater ecosystem. From 2017 to 2021, we recorded more than 10 wolves (Canis lupus) hunting fish during the spring spawning season in northern Minnesota, USA. Wolves ambushed fish in creeks at night when spawning fish were abundant, available and vulnerable in shallow waters. We observed wolves specifically targeting sections of rivers below beaver (Castor canadensis) dams, suggesting that beavers may indirectly facilitate wolf fishing behaviour. Wolves also cached fish on shorelines. We documented these findings across five different social groups at four distinct waterways, suggesting that wolf fishing behaviour may be widespread in similar ecosystems but has probably remained difficult to study given its annual brevity. Spawning fish may serve as a valuable pulsed resource for packs because the spring spawning season coincides with low primary prey (deer Odocoileus virginianus) availability and abundance, and when packs have higher energetic demands owing to newly born pups. We demonstrate the flexibility and adaptability of wolf hunting and foraging behaviour, and provide insight into how wolves can survive in a myriad of ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle R. Freund
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, 2003 Upper Buford Circle, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Thomas D. Gable
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, 2003 Upper Buford Circle, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Sean M. Johnson-Bice
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, 50 Sifton Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2
| | - Austin T. Homkes
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, 2003 Upper Buford Circle, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Steve K. Windels
- Voyageurs National Park, National Park Service, 360 Highway 11 East, International Falls, 56649 MN, USA
| | - Joseph K. Bump
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, 2003 Upper Buford Circle, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
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Brunet MJ, Monteith KL, Huggler KS, Thompson DJ, Burke PW, Zornes M, Lionberger P, Valdez M, Holbrook JD. Spatiotemporal predictions of the alternative prey hypothesis: Predator habitat use during decreasing prey abundance. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell J. Brunet
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
| | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
| | - Katey S. Huggler
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
| | | | | | - Mark Zornes
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department Green River Wyoming USA
| | - Patrick Lionberger
- Bureau of Land Management, Rock Springs Field Office Rock Springs Wyoming USA
| | - Miguel Valdez
- Bureau of Land Management, Rock Springs Field Office Rock Springs Wyoming USA
| | - Joseph D. Holbrook
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
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Ruprecht J, Forrester TD, Jackson NJ, Clark DA, Wisdom MJ, Rowland MM, Smith JB, Stewart KM, Levi T. A seasonal pulse of ungulate neonates influences space use by carnivores in a multi-predator, multi-prey system. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9389. [PMID: 36254298 PMCID: PMC9558345 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9389] [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: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The behavioral mechanisms by which predators encounter prey are poorly resolved. In particular, the extent to which predators engage in active search for prey versus incidentally encountering them has not been well studied in many systems and particularly not for neonate prey during the birth pulse. Parturition of many large herbivores occurs during a short and predictable temporal window in which young are highly vulnerable to predation. Our study aims to determine how a suite of carnivores responds to the seasonal pulse of newborn ungulates using contemporaneous global positioning system (GPS) locations of four species of predators and two species of prey. We used step‐selection functions to assess whether coyotes, cougars, black bears, and bobcats encountered parturient adult female ungulates more often than expected by chance in a low‐density population of mule deer and a high‐density population of elk. We then assessed whether the carnivore species that encountered parturient prey more often than expected by chance did so by shifting their habitat use toward areas with a high probability of encountering neonates. None of the four carnivore species encountered GPS‐collared parturient mule deer more often than expected by chance. By contrast, we determined that cougar and male bear movements positioned them in the proximity of GPS‐collared parturient elk more often than expected by chance which may provide evidence of searching behavior. Although both male bears and cougars exhibited behavior consistent with active search for neonates, only male bears used elk parturition habitat in a way that dynamically tracked the phenology of the elk birth pulse suggesting that maximizing encounters with juvenile elk was a motivation when selecting resources. Our results suggest that there is high interspecific and intersexual variability in foraging strategies among large mammalian predators and their prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Ruprecht
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation SciencesOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregonUSA
| | | | - Nathan J. Jackson
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of Nevada, RenoRenoNevadaUSA
| | | | - Michael J. Wisdom
- US Department of Agriculture Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research StationLa GrandeOregonUSA
| | - Mary M. Rowland
- US Department of Agriculture Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research StationLa GrandeOregonUSA
| | | | - Kelley M. Stewart
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of Nevada, RenoRenoNevadaUSA
| | - Taal Levi
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation SciencesOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregonUSA
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Abstract
Habitat modeling is one of the most common practices in ecology today, aimed at understanding complex associations between species and an array of environmental, bioclimatic, and anthropogenic factors. This review of studies of seven species of terrestrial bears (Ursidae) occupying four continents examines how habitat models have been employed, and the functionality of their predictions for management and conservation. Bear occurrence data have been obtained at the population level, as presence points (e.g., sign surveys or camera trapping), or as locations of individual radio-collared animals. Radio-collars provide greater insights into how bears interact with their environment and variability within populations; they are more commonly used in North America and Europe than in South America and Asia. Salient problematic issues apparent from this review included: biases in presence data; predictor variables being poor surrogates of actual behavioral drivers; predictor variables applied at a biologically inappropriate scale; and over-use of data repositories that tend to detach investigators from the species. In several cases, multiple models in the same area yielded different predictions; new presence data occurred outside the range of predicted suitable habitat; and future range projections, based on where bears presently exist, underestimated their adaptability. Findings here are likely relevant to other taxa.
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Webber QM, Ferraro K, Hendrix J, Vander Wal E. What do caribou eat? A review of the literature on caribou diet. CAN J ZOOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2021-0162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Historically the study of diet caribou and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus (Gmelin, 1788)) has been specific to herds and few comprehensive circumpolar analyses of Rangifer diet exist. As a result, the importance of certain diet items may play an outsized role in the caribou diet zeitgeist, e.g., lichen. It is incumbent to challenge this notion and test the relevant importance of various diet items within the context of prevailing hypotheses. We provide a systematic overview of 30 caribou studies reporting caribou diet and test biologically relevant hypotheses about spatial and temporal dietary variation. Our results indicate that in the winter caribou primarily consume lichen, but in warmer seasons, and primary productivity is lower, caribou primarily consume graminoids and other vascular plants. In more productive environments, where caribou have more competitors and predators, consumption of lichen increased. Overall, our description of caribou diet reveals that caribou diet is highly variable, but in circumstances where they can consume vascular plants, they will. As climate change affects Boreal and Arctic ecosystems, the type and volume of food consumed by caribou has become an increasingly important focus for conservation and management of caribou.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinn M.R. Webber
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, 7512, Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- University of Colorado Boulder, 1877, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Boulder, Colorado, United States
| | - Kristy Ferraro
- Yale University, 5755, School of the Environment, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | - Jack Hendrix
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, 7512, Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, 7512, Biology, 232 Elizabeth Ave, Saint John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, A1B 3X9,
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Guerrero‐Sanchez S, Majewski K, Orozco‐terWengel P, Saimin S, Goossens B. The effect of oil palm-dominated landscapes on the home range and distribution of a generalist species, the Asian water monitor. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8531. [PMID: 35127037 PMCID: PMC8794710 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The Asian water monitor lizard, Varanus salvator, is one of the largest predators in Southeast Asia which persists in human-dominated landscapes and, as such, is a suitable model to understand the behavioral plasticity of generalists in anthropogenic landscapes. We used Local Convex Hull with adaptive algorithm to estimate the home range size of 14 GPS-tagged individuals, followed by a MAXENT approach and community prey composition to understand the habitat preferences within the landscape. We estimated larger home ranges in forest than in oil palm plantations, as well as a larger diversity and abundance of mammals. Core home ranges were always linked to water bodies. However, the use of underproductive oil palm, freshwater swamp forest, and degraded forest by monitor lizards were higher than other kind of vegetation. This suitable habitat is proportionally larger in forest (73.7%) than in oil palm plantations (39.6%). Generalized estimation equation models showed that, while full home range size was negatively associated with the abundance of mammals, core areas depicted a positive association with mammal abundance, as well as with the proportion of suitable habitat within the home range. Besides having smaller home ranges in oil palm plantations, our findings suggest that limited suitable habitat availability forces the Asian water monitor lizard's population to establish only one or very few core areas. Contrastingly, under the protection of forest, they have more core areas, widely dispersed within larger home ranges. We conclude that regardless the plasticity of the species, human-dominated landscapes are altering natural patterns of home range establishment in the monitor lizard's population, creating a potential ecological trap where conditions may not remain favorable for them in the long run. A deeper understanding of the ecological implications on the species and the prey community is advisable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Guerrero‐Sanchez
- Organisms and Environment DivisionSchool of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
- Danau Girang Field Centre, c/o Sabah Wildlife DepartmentKota KinabaluMalaysia
- Present address:
Institute of Borneo StudiesUniversity College Sabah FoundationKota KinabaluMalaysia
| | - Katherine Majewski
- Organisms and Environment DivisionSchool of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
- Danau Girang Field Centre, c/o Sabah Wildlife DepartmentKota KinabaluMalaysia
| | | | | | - Benoit Goossens
- Organisms and Environment DivisionSchool of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
- Danau Girang Field Centre, c/o Sabah Wildlife DepartmentKota KinabaluMalaysia
- Sabah Wildlife DepartmentKota KinabaluMalaysia
- Sustainable Places Research InstituteCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
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9
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Bowersock NR, Litt AR, Merkle JA, Gunther KA, van Manen FT. Responses of American black bears to spring resources. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel R. Bowersock
- Department of Ecology Montana State University P.O. Box 173460 Bozeman Montana 59717‐3460 USA
| | - Andrea R. Litt
- Department of Ecology Montana State University P.O. Box 173460 Bozeman Montana 59717‐3460 USA
| | - Jerod A. Merkle
- Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Department 3166 1000 East University Avenue Laramie Wyoming 82071 USA
| | - Kerry A. Gunther
- Bear Management Office Yellowstone Center for Resources Yellowstone National Park P.O. Box 168 Yellowstone National Park Wyoming 82190 USA
| | - Frank T. van Manen
- Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team U.S. Geological Survey Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center 2327 University Way, Suite 2 Bozeman Montana 59715 USA
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Onen H, Odong R, Chemurot M, Tripet F, Kayondo JK. Predatory and competitive interaction in Anopheles gambiae sensu lato larval breeding habitats in selected villages of central Uganda. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:420. [PMID: 34419140 PMCID: PMC8380324 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04926-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria is often persistent in communities surrounded by mosquito breeding habitats. Anopheles gambiae sensu lato exploit a variety of aquatic habitats, but the biotic determinants of its preferences are poorly understood. This study aimed to identify and quantify macroinvertebrates in different habitat types with determined water physico-chemical parameters to establish those preferred by An. gambiae s.l. larvae as well as their predators and competitors. Methods A field survey was conducted in Kibuye and Kayonjo villages located in the vicinity of the River Sezibwa, north-eastern Uganda to identify Anopheline larval habitats shared by aquatic insects. Habitats were geo-recorded and as streams, ponds, temporary pools and roadside ditches. From October to December 2017, random microhabitats/quadrats were selected from each habitat type, their water physico-chemical parameters (electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, temperature and pH) were measured, and they were sampled for macroinvertebrates using standard dippers. All collected arthropod macroinvertebrates were then morphologically identified to family level and enumerated. Results Principal component analysis showed that the four larval habitat types were characterized by distinct physico-chemical parameter profiles. Ponds and streams had the highest number and diversity of macroinvertebrate insect taxa and sustained few An. gambiae s.l. larvae. Anopheles gambiae s.l. were more common in roadside ditches and particularly abundant in temporary pools which it commonly shared with Dytiscidae (predaceous diving beetles) and Culex spp. Cluster correlation analysis conducted on the abundance of these taxa within quadrats suggested that An. gambiae s.l. and Dytiscidae have the most similar patterns of microhabitat use, followed by Cybaeidae (water spiders). Whilst Culex spp. co-occurred with An. gambiae s.l. in some habitats, there was only partial niche overlap and no clear evidence of competition between the two mosquito taxa. Conclusions Ponds and streams are habitats that host the largest diversity and abundance of aquatic insect taxa. Anopheles gambiae s.l. larvae distinctively preferred temporary pools and roadside ditches, where they were exposed to few predators and no apparent competition by Culex spp. Further studies should aim to test the impact of Dytiscidae and Cybaeidae on An. gambiae s.l. dynamics experimentally. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-021-04926-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hudson Onen
- Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, School of Biosciences, Makerere University, PO Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda. .,Department of Entomology, Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), PO Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda. .,Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele, SFD, ST5 5BG, UK.
| | - Robinson Odong
- Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, School of Biosciences, Makerere University, PO Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Moses Chemurot
- Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, School of Biosciences, Makerere University, PO Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Frédéric Tripet
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele, SFD, ST5 5BG, UK.
| | - Jonathan K Kayondo
- Department of Entomology, Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), PO Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda
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11
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Webber QMR, Vander Wal E. Context-dependent group size: effects of population density, habitat, and season. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Group size can vary in relation to population density, habitat, and season. Habitat and season may also interact with population density and affect group size through varying foraging benefits of social aggregation in different ecological contexts. We tested the hypothesis that group size varies across ecological contexts, including population density, habitat type, and season, for woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in ten herds over 25 years in Newfoundland, Canada. We predicted that group size would increase as a function of population density. Based on the foraging benefits of social aggregation, we predicted larger groups as habitat openness increased because open areas tend to have higher quality foraging resources. We predicted larger groups during winter when foraging resources are covered in snow because caribou and other social animals exploit social information about the location of foraging resources. In contrast to our prediction, group size decreased as a function of population density. In support of our prediction, group size was larger in winter than calving and summer, and we found that group size increased with habitat openness in some, but not all, cases. Patterns of animal grouping are context-dependent and the additive effect of different ecological contexts on variation in group size informs our understanding of the implicit trade-offs between competition, predation risk, and profitability of forage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinn M R Webber
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9,Canada
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12
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Murphy A, Diefenbach DR, Ternent M, Lovallo M, Miller D. Threading the needle: How humans influence predator-prey spatiotemporal interactions in a multiple-predator system. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2377-2390. [PMID: 34048031 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Perceived predation risk and the resulting antipredator behaviour varies across space, time and predator identity. Communities with multiple predators that interact and differ in their use of space, time of activity and hunting mode create a complex landscape for prey to avoid predation. Anthropogenic presence and disturbance have the potential to shift interactions among predators and prey and the where and when encounters occur. We examined how white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus fawn spatiotemporal antipredator behaviour differed along an anthropogenic disturbance gradient that had black bears Ursus americanus, coyotes Canis latrans, bobcats Lynx rufus and humans present. We quantified (a) spatial co-occurrence in species distributions, (b) temporal overlap across the diel cycle and (c) spatiotemporal associations between humans, bears, coyotes, bobcats, adult male deer and fawns. We also examined how deer vigilance behaviour changed across the anthropogenic disturbance gradient and survey duration. Anthropogenic disturbance influenced spatiotemporal co-occurrence across multiple scales, often increasing spatiotemporal overlap among species. In general, species' spatial co-occurrence was neutral or positive in anthropogenically disturbed environments. Bears and fawns, coyotes and adult male deer, and bobcats and fawns all had higher temporal overlap in the agriculture-development matrix sites. In addition, factors that influenced deer vigilance (e.g. distance to forest edge and predator relative abundance) in the agriculture-development matrix sites did not in the forest matrix site. By taking into account the different antipredator behaviours that can be detected and the different scales these behaviours might occur, we were able to gain a more comprehensive picture of how humans reduce available niche space for wildlife, creating the neutral and positive spatiotemporal associations between species that studies have been seeing in more disturbed areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asia Murphy
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Duane R Diefenbach
- U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Mark Ternent
- Pennsylvania Game Commission, Harrisburg, PA, USA
| | - Matt Lovallo
- Pennsylvania Game Commission, Harrisburg, PA, USA
| | - David Miller
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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Huang RK, Webber QM, Laforge MP, Robitaille AL, Bonar M, Balluffi-Fry J, Zabihi-Seissan S, Vander Wal E. Coyote (Canis latrans) diet and spatial co-occurrence with woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2020-0253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The interplay of predator encounters and antipredator responses is an integral part of understanding predator–prey interactions and spatial co-occurrence and avoidance can elucidate these interactions. We conducted hard-part dietary analysis of coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823) and space use of coyotes and woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou (Gmelin, 1788)) to test two competing hypotheses about coyote and caribou predator–prey spatial dynamics using resource selection functions. The high encounter hypothesis predicts that coyotes would maximize encounters with caribou via high spatial co-occurrence, whereas the predator stealth hypothesis predicts that through low spatial co-occurrence with caribou, coyotes act as stealth predators by avoiding habitats that caribou typically select. Our dietary analysis revealed that ∼46% of sampled coyote diet is composed of caribou. We found that coyote share space with caribou in lichen-barren habitat in both summer and winter and that coyotes co-occur with caribou in forested habitat during summer, but not during winter. Our findings support predictions associated with the high encounter predator hypothesis whereby coyotes and caribou have high spatial co-occurrence promoting caribou in coyote diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard K.K. Huang
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Quinn M.R. Webber
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Michel P. Laforge
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Alec L. Robitaille
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Maegwin Bonar
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Juliana Balluffi-Fry
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Sana Zabihi-Seissan
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
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14
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Svoboda NJ, Belant JL, Beyer DE, Duquette JF, Lederle PE. Carnivore space use shifts in response to seasonal resource availability. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nathan J. Svoboda
- Carnivore Ecology Laboratory Forest and Wildlife Research Center Mississippi State University P.O. Box 9690 Mississippi State Mississippi 39762 USA
| | - Jerrold L. Belant
- Carnivore Ecology Laboratory Forest and Wildlife Research Center Mississippi State University P.O. Box 9690 Mississippi State Mississippi 39762 USA
| | - Dean E. Beyer
- Wildlife Division Michigan Department of Natural Resources 1990 US Highway 41 S Marquette Michigan 49855 USA
| | - Jared F. Duquette
- Carnivore Ecology Laboratory Forest and Wildlife Research Center Mississippi State University P.O. Box 9690 Mississippi State Mississippi 39762 USA
| | - Patrick E. Lederle
- Wildlife Division Michigan Department of Natural Resources P.O. Box 30444 Lansing Michigan 48909 USA
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15
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Lesmerises F, Johnson CJ, St‐Laurent M. Effect of behavioral marginality on survival of an alpine ungulate. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Lesmerises
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie Centre for Northern Studies Université du Québec à Rimouski 300 Allée des Ursulines Rimouski G5L 3A1 Québec Canada
| | - Chris J. Johnson
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Institute University of Northern British Columbia 3333 University Way Prince George British Columbia V2N 4Z9 Canada
| | - Martin‐Hugues St‐Laurent
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie Centre for Northern Studies & Centre for Forest Research Université du Québec à Rimouski 300 Allée des Ursulines Rimouski Québec G5L 3A1 Canada
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16
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Smith JA, Donadio E, Pauli JN, Sheriff MJ, Bidder OR, Middleton AD. Habitat complexity mediates the predator-prey space race. Ecology 2019; 100:e02724. [PMID: 31157915 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The spatial relationship between predator and prey is often conceptualized as a behavioral response race, in which prey avoid predators while predators track prey. Limiting habitat types can create spatial anchors for prey or predators, influencing the likelihood that the predator or prey response will dominate. Joint spatial anchors emerge when predator and prey occupy similar feeding habitat domains and risk and reward become spatially conflated, confusing predictions of which player will win the space race. These spatial dynamics of risk-foraging trade-offs are often obscured by habitat heterogeneity and community complexity in large vertebrate systems, fueling ambiguity regarding the generality of predictions from predator-prey theory. To test how habitat distribution influences the predator-prey space race, we examine correlation in puma and vicuña habitat selection and space use at two sites, one of which generates a distinct risk-foraging trade-off at a joint spatial anchor. The distribution of vegetation, which serves as both forage for vicuñas and stalking cover for pumas, differs between the sites; the llano contains a single central meadow that acts as a joint spatial anchor, while the canyon is characterized by more heterogeneous vegetation. Puma-vicuña habitat selection correlation was positive in the llano and negative in the canyon, and similarly, utilization distributions were more strongly correlated in the llano than the canyon. Vicuña locations occurred at higher values of puma habitat selection and utilization in the llano than in the canyon. Similarly, puma locations in the llano occurred at higher values of vicuña habitat selection and utilization than in the canyon. Although pumas consistently selected for and utilized vegetative and topographic cover regardless of habitat distribution, vicuñas only selected against vegetation in the heterogeneous canyon site, reducing spatial correlation with pumas. Our work suggests a joint spatial anchor favors pumas in the space race due to the inability for vicuñas to avoid crucial foraging habitat. The outcome of the predator-prey space race appears to be strongly informed by the distribution of habitat, whereby corresponding predictability of predator and prey favors predators in the spatial game.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine A Smith
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
| | - Emiliano Donadio
- INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional Comahue, Bariloche, 8400, Argentina
| | - Jonathan N Pauli
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53705, USA
| | - Michael J Sheriff
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Huck Institute of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA
| | - Owen R Bidder
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
| | - Arthur D Middleton
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
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17
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Mumma MA, Bastille-Rousseau G, Gullage SE, Soulliere CE, Mahoney SP, Waits LP. Intrinsic traits of woodland caribou Rangifer tarandus caribou calves depredated by black bears Ursus americanus and coyotes Canis latrans. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A. Mumma
- M. A. Mumma (http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1954-6524) , Ecosystem Science and Management, Univ. of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC, V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau
- G. Bastille-Rousseau, Dept of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Steve E. Gullage
- S. E. Gullage and S. P. Mahoney, Conservation Visions, LLC, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Colleen E. Soulliere
- C. E. Soulliere, Dept of Environment and Conservation, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Shane P. Mahoney
- S. E. Gullage and S. P. Mahoney, Conservation Visions, LLC, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Lisette P. Waits
- L. P. Waits, Dept of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, Univ. of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
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18
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Peignier M, Webber QMR, Koen EL, Laforge MP, Robitaille AL, Vander Wal E. Space use and social association in a gregarious ungulate: Testing the conspecific attraction and resource dispersion hypotheses. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:5133-5145. [PMID: 31110667 PMCID: PMC6509382 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals use a variety of proximate cues to assess habitat quality when resources vary spatiotemporally. Two nonmutually exclusive strategies to assess habitat quality involve either direct assessment of landscape features or observation of social cues from conspecifics as a form of information transfer about forage resources. The conspecific attraction hypothesis proposes that individual space use is dependent on the distribution of conspecifics rather than the location of resource patches, whereas the resource dispersion hypothesis proposes that individual space use and social association are driven by the abundance and distribution of resources. We tested the conspecific attraction and the resource dispersion hypotheses as two nonmutually exclusive hypotheses explaining social association and of adult female caribou (Rangifer tarandus). We used location data from GPS collars to estimate interannual site fidelity and networks representing home range overlap and social associations among individual caribou. We found that home range overlap and social associations were correlated with resource distribution in summer and conspecific attraction in winter. In summer, when resources were distributed relatively homogeneously, interannual site fidelity was high and home range overlap and social associations were low. Conversely, in winter when resources were distributed relatively heterogeneously, interannual site fidelity was low and home range overlap and social associations were high. As access to resources changes across seasons, caribou appear to alter social behavior and space use. In summer, caribou may use cues associated with the distribution of forage, and in winter caribou may use cues from conspecifics to access forage. Our results have broad implications for our understanding of caribou socioecology, suggesting that caribou use season-specific strategies to locate forage. Caribou populations continue to decline globally, and our finding that conspecific attraction is likely related to access to forage suggests that further fragmentation of caribou habitat could limit social association among caribou, particularly in winter when access to resources may be limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélissa Peignier
- Department of BiologyMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John'sNewfoundlandCanada
| | - Quinn M. R. Webber
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary ProgramMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John'sNewfoundlandCanada
| | - Erin L. Koen
- Department of BiologyMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John'sNewfoundlandCanada
| | - Michel P. Laforge
- Department of BiologyMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John'sNewfoundlandCanada
| | - Alec L. Robitaille
- Department of BiologyMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John'sNewfoundlandCanada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of BiologyMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John'sNewfoundlandCanada
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary ProgramMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John'sNewfoundlandCanada
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19
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Milleret C, Ordiz A, Chapron G, Andreassen HP, Kindberg J, Månsson J, Tallian A, Wabakken P, Wikenros C, Zimmermann B, Swenson JE, Sand H. Habitat segregation between brown bears and gray wolves in a human-dominated landscape. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:11450-11466. [PMID: 30598748 PMCID: PMC6303696 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying how sympatric species belonging to the same guild coexist is a major question of community ecology and conservation. Habitat segregation between two species might help reduce the effects of interspecific competition and apex predators are of special interest in this context, because their interactions can have consequences for lower trophic levels. However, habitat segregation between sympatric large carnivores has seldom been studied. Based on monitoring of 53 brown bears (Ursus arctos) and seven sympatric adult gray wolves (Canis lupus) equipped with GPS collars in Sweden, we analyzed the degree of interspecific segregation in habitat selection within their home ranges in both late winter and spring, when their diets overlap the most. We used the K-select method, a multivariate approach that relies on the concept of ecological niche, and randomization methods to quantify habitat segregation between bears and wolves. Habitat segregation between bears and wolves was greater than expected by chance. Wolves tended to select for moose occurrence, young forests, and rugged terrain more than bears, which likely reflects the different requirements of an omnivore (bear) and an obligate carnivore (wolf). However, both species generally avoided human-related habitats during daytime. Disentangling the mechanisms that can drive interspecific interactions at different spatial scales is essential for understanding how sympatric large carnivores occur and coexist in human-dominated landscapes, and how coexistence may affect lower trophic levels. The individual variation in habitat selection detected in our study may be a relevant mechanism to overcome intraguild competition and facilitate coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyril Milleret
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural SciencesInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
| | - Andrés Ordiz
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
| | - Guillaume Chapron
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research StationDepartment of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
| | - Harry Peter Andreassen
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural SciencesInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchTrondheimNorway
| | - Johan Månsson
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research StationDepartment of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
| | - Aimee Tallian
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research StationDepartment of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
- Department of Wildland Resources & Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtah
| | - Petter Wabakken
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural SciencesInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | - Camilla Wikenros
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research StationDepartment of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
| | - Barbara Zimmermann
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural SciencesInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchTrondheimNorway
| | - Håkan Sand
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research StationDepartment of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
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20
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Mawdsley JR, Organ JF, Decker DJ, Forstchen AB, Regan RJ, Riley SJ, Boyce MS, McDonald JE, Dwyer C, Mahoney SP. Artelle et al. (2018) miss the science underlying North American wildlife management. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2018; 4:eaat8281. [PMID: 30306133 PMCID: PMC6170037 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aat8281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Artelle et al. (2018) conclude that "hallmarks of science" are largely missing from North American wildlife management based on a desk review of selected hunting management plans and related documents found through Internet searches and email requests to state and provincial wildlife agencies. We highlight three fundamental problems that compromise the validity of the conclusions posited: missing information to support selection of "hallmarks of science," confusion about the roles and nature of science and management, and failure to engage effectively with the scientists and managers actively managing wildlife populations in North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R. Mawdsley
- Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 1100 First Street Northeast, Suite 825, Washington, DC 20002, USA
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - John F. Organ
- U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20192, USA
| | - Daniel J. Decker
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853–3001, USA
| | - Ann B. Forstchen
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 100 8th Avenue Southeast, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
| | - Ronald J. Regan
- Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 1100 First Street Northeast, Suite 825, Washington, DC 20002, USA
| | - Shawn J. Riley
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, 480 Wilson Road, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Mark S. Boyce
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2E9, Alberta, Canada
| | - John E. McDonald
- The Wildlife Society, 425 Barlow Place, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Chris Dwyer
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 300 Westgate Center Drive, Hadley, MA 01035, USA
| | - Shane P. Mahoney
- Conservation Visions, 354 Water Street, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador A1C5W4, Canada
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21
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DelGiudice GD, Severud WJ, Obermoller TR, St-Louis V. Gaining a deeper understanding of capture-induced abandonment of moose neonates. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Glenn D. DelGiudice
- Forest Wildlife Populations and Research Group; Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; 5463-C West Broadway Avenue Forest Lake MN 55025 USA
| | - William J. Severud
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; University of Minnesota; 2003 Upper Buford Circle, Suite 135 Saint Paul MN 55108 USA
| | - Tyler R. Obermoller
- Forest Wildlife Populations and Research Group; Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; 5463-C West Broadway Avenue Forest Lake MN 55025 USA
| | - Véronique St-Louis
- Wildlife Biometrics Unit, Section of Wildlife; Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; 5463-C West Broadway Avenue Forest Lake MN 55025 USA
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22
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Bastille-Rousseau G, Schaefer JA, Peers MJL, Ellington EH, Mumma MA, Rayl ND, Mahoney SP, Murray DL. Climate change can alter predator–prey dynamics and population viability of prey. Oecologia 2017; 186:141-150. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-4017-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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23
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Mumma MA, Gillingham MP, Johnson CJ, Parker KL. Understanding predation risk and individual variation in risk avoidance for threatened boreal caribou. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:10266-10277. [PMID: 29238553 PMCID: PMC5723594 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Revised: 09/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Predation risk is a driver of species’ distributions. Animals can increase risk avoidance in response to fluctuations in predation risk, but questions remain regarding individual variability and the capacity to respond to changes in spatial risk across human‐altered landscapes. In northeast British Columbia, Canada, boreal caribou populations declined as roads and seismic lines have increased, which are theorized to increase gray wolf predation. Our goal was to model risk and to evaluate individual variability and the development of risk perception by examining individual risk avoidance in response to reproductive status and age. We used locations from collared caribou and wolves to identify landscape features associated with the risk of a potential wolf‐caribou encounter and risk of being killed given an encounter. We built resource selection functions to estimate individual responses to risk. We used general linear regressions to evaluate individual risk and linear feature avoidance as a function of age and reproductive status (calf or no calf). Linear features increased the risk of encounter. Older caribou and caribou with calves demonstrated stronger avoidance of the risk of encounter and roads, but weaker avoidance in late summer to the risk of being killed relative to younger and calf‐less individuals. Mechanisms explaining the inverse relationships between the risk of encounter and risk of being killed are uncertain, but it is conceivable that caribou learn to avoid the risk of encounter and roads. Responses by females with vulnerable calves to the risk of encounter and risk of being killed might be explained by a trade‐off between these two risk types and a prioritization on the risk of encounter. Despite the capacity to alter their responses to risk, the global decline in Rangifer populations (caribou and wild reindeer) suggests these behaviors are insufficient to mitigate the impacts of anthropogenic disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Mumma
- Ecosystem Science and Management University of Northern British Columbia Prince George BC Canada
| | - Michael P Gillingham
- Ecosystem Science and Management University of Northern British Columbia Prince George BC Canada
| | - Chris J Johnson
- Ecosystem Science and Management University of Northern British Columbia Prince George BC Canada
| | - Katherine L Parker
- Ecosystem Science and Management University of Northern British Columbia Prince George BC Canada
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Lesmerises F, Johnson CJ, St‐Laurent M. Refuge or predation risk? Alternate ways to perceive hiker disturbance based on maternal state of female caribou. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:845-854. [PMID: 28168021 PMCID: PMC5288256 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Revised: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Human presence in natural environments is often a source of stress that is perceived by large ungulates as an increased risk of predation. Alternatively, disturbance induced by hikers creates a relatively predator‐free space that may serve as a refuge. We measured the behavioral responses of female caribou to disturbance associated with the presence of hikers during summer in the Gaspésie National Park. We used those data to determine whether caribou responded negatively to human activity (i.e., the predation risk hypothesis) or whether human activity resulted in a decrease in the magnitude of perceived risk (i.e., the refuge hypothesis). Female caribou with a calf spent nearly half of their time feeding, regardless of the presence of a trail or the number of hikers. They also decreased their vigilance near trails when the number of hikers increased. Conversely, lone females fed less frequently and almost doubled the time invested in vigilance under the same circumstances. However, both groups of females moved away from trails during the day, especially in the presence of hikers. We demonstrated that risk avoidance was specific to the maternal state of the individual. Lactating females accommodated the presence of hikers to increase time spent foraging and nutritional intake, providing support for the refuge hypothesis. Alternatively, lone females with lower energetic requirements and no maternal investment in a vulnerable calf appeared less tolerant to risk, consistent with the predation risk hypothesis. Synthesis and applications: Hikers influenced the vigilance–feeding trade‐off in caribou, underlining the importance of appropriate management of linear structures and human activities, especially across the critical habitat of endangered species. Even if some individuals seemed to benefit from human presence, this behavioral adaptation was not sufficient to reduce annual calf mortality associated with predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Lesmerises
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et GéographieCentre for Northern StudiesUniversité du Québec à RimouskiRimouskiQCCanada
| | - Chris J. Johnson
- Ecosystem Science and Management ProgramUniversity of Northern British ColumbiaPrince GeorgeBCCanada
| | - Martin‐Hugues St‐Laurent
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et GéographieCentre for Northern StudiesUniversité du Québec à RimouskiRimouskiQCCanada
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