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Lamb CT, Williams S, Boutin S, Bridger M, Cichowski D, Cornhill K, DeMars C, Dickie M, Ernst B, Ford A, Gillingham MP, Greene L, Heard DC, Hebblewhite M, Hervieux D, Klaczek M, McLellan BN, McNay RS, Neufeld L, Nobert B, Nowak JJ, Pelletier A, Reid A, Roberts AM, Russell M, Seip D, Seip C, Shores C, Steenweg R, White S, Wittmer HU, Wong M, Zimmerman KL, Serrouya R. Effectiveness of population-based recovery actions for threatened southern mountain caribou. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 34:e2965. [PMID: 38629596 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Habitat loss is affecting many species, including the southern mountain caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) population in western North America. Over the last half century, this threatened caribou population's range and abundance have dramatically contracted. An integrated population model was used to analyze 51 years (1973-2023) of demographic data from 40 southern mountain caribou subpopulations to assess the effectiveness of population-based recovery actions at increasing population growth. Reducing potential limiting factors on threatened caribou populations offered a rare opportunity to identify the causes of decline and assess methods of recovery. Southern mountain caribou abundance declined by 51% between 1991 and 2023, and 37% of subpopulations were functionally extirpated. Wolf reduction was the only recovery action that consistently increased population growth when applied in isolation, and combinations of wolf reductions with maternal penning or supplemental feeding provided rapid growth but were applied to only four subpopulations. As of 2023, recovery actions have increased the abundance of southern mountain caribou by 52%, compared to a simulation with no interventions. When predation pressure was reduced, rapid population growth was observed, even under contemporary climate change and high levels of habitat loss. Unless predation is reduced, caribou subpopulations will continue to be extirpated well before habitat conservation and restoration can become effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clayton T Lamb
- Wildlife Science Center, Biodiversity Pathways, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sara Williams
- Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Stan Boutin
- Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Michael Bridger
- Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Kristina Cornhill
- Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Craig DeMars
- Wildlife Science Center, Biodiversity Pathways, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Melanie Dickie
- Wildlife Science Center, Biodiversity Pathways, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Bevan Ernst
- Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Adam Ford
- Wildlife Science Center, Biodiversity Pathways, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael P Gillingham
- Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Laura Greene
- Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Douglas C Heard
- Tithonus Wildlife Research, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, Government of Alberta, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mike Klaczek
- Ministry of Forests, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Bruce N McLellan
- International Union for the Conservation of Nature Bear Specialist Group, D'Arcy, British Columbia, Canada
| | - R Scott McNay
- Wildlife Infometrics Inc., Mackenzie, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Barry Nobert
- Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, Government of Alberta, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Agnès Pelletier
- Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Aaron Reid
- Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Anne-Marie Roberts
- Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mike Russell
- Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, Government of Alberta, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
| | - Dale Seip
- Ministry of Environment, Government of British Columbia, Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Caroline Seip
- Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, Government of Alberta, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
| | - Carolyn Shores
- Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Robin Steenweg
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Shane White
- Ministry of Forests, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Heiko U Wittmer
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Mark Wong
- Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kathryn L Zimmerman
- Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Robert Serrouya
- Wildlife Science Center, Biodiversity Pathways, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
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Gaston MV, Barnas AF, Smith RM, Murray S, Fisher JT. Native prey, not landscape change or novel prey, drive cougar ( Puma concolor) distribution at a boreal forest range edge. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11146. [PMID: 38571804 PMCID: PMC10985369 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11146] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Many large carnivores, despite widespread habitat alteration, are rebounding in parts of their former ranges after decades of persecution and exploitation. Cougars (Puma concolor) are apex predator with their remaining northern core range constricted to mountain landscapes and areas of western North America; however, cougar populations have recently started rebounding in several locations across North America, including northward in boreal forest landscapes. A camera-trap survey of multiple landscapes across Alberta, Canada, delineated a range edge; within this region, we deployed an array of 47 camera traps in a random stratified design across a landscape spanning a gradient of anthropogenic development relative to the predicted expansion front. We completed multiple hypotheses in an information-theoretic framework to determine if cougar occurrence is best explained by natural land cover features, anthropogenic development features, or competitor and prey activity. We predicted that anthropogenic development features from resource extraction and invading white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virgianius) explain cougar distribution at this boreal range edge. Counter to our predictions, the relative activity of native prey, predominantly snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), was the best predictor of cougar occurrence at this range edge. Small-bodied prey items are particularly important for female and sub-adult cougars and may support breeding individuals in the northeast boreal forest. Also, counter to our predictions, there was not a strong relationship detected between cougar occurrence and gray wolf (Canis lupus) activity at this range edge. However, further investigation is recommended as the possibility of cougar expansion into areas of the multi-prey boreal system, where wolves have recently been controlled, could have negative consequences for conservation goals in this region (e.g. the recovery of woodland caribou [Rangifer tarandus caribou]). Our study highlights the need to monitor contemporary distributions to inform conservation management objectives as large carnivores recover across North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Millicent V. Gaston
- School of Environmental StudiesUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Andrew F. Barnas
- School of Environmental StudiesUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Rebecca M. Smith
- School of Environmental StudiesUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Sean Murray
- School of Environmental StudiesUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Jason T. Fisher
- School of Environmental StudiesUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
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Ford AT, Noonan MJ, Bollefer K, Gill R, Legebokow C, Serrouya R. The effects of maternal penning on the movement ecology of mountain caribou. Anim Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. T. Ford
- Department of Biology The University of British Columbia Kelowna BC Canada
| | - M. J. Noonan
- Department of Biology The University of British Columbia Kelowna BC Canada
| | - K. Bollefer
- Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation Revelstoke BC Canada
| | - R. Gill
- Revelstoke Caribou Rearing in the Wild Society Revelstoke BC Canada
| | - C. Legebokow
- Resource Stewardship Division, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Province of British Columbia Revelstoke BC Canada
| | - R. Serrouya
- Caribou Monitoring Unit, Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute University of Alberta Edmonton AB Canada
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Johnson CJ, Ray JC, St‐Laurent M. Efficacy and ethics of intensive predator management to save endangered caribou. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chris J. Johnson
- Ecosystem Science and Management University of Northern British Columbia Prince George British Columbia Canada
| | - Justina C. Ray
- Wildlife Conservation Society Canada Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Martin‐Hugues St‐Laurent
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie Université du Québec à Rimouski, Centre for Forest Research, Centre for Northern Studies Rimouski Québec Canada
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Cavedon M, vonHoldt B, Hebblewhite M, Hegel T, Heppenheimer E, Hervieux D, Mariani S, Schwantje H, Steenweg R, Watters M, Musiani M. Selection of both habitat and genes in specialized and endangered caribou. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36. [PMID: 35146809 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Genetic mechanisms determining habitat selection and specialization of individuals within species have been hypothesized, but not tested at the appropriate individual level in nature. In this work, we analyzed habitat selection for 139 GPS-collared caribou belonging to three declining ecotypes sampled throughout Northwestern Canada. We used Resource Selection Functions (RSFs) comparing resources at used and available locations. We found that the three caribou ecotypes differed in their use of habitat suggesting specialization. On expected grounds, we also found differences in habitat selection between summer and winter, but also, originally, among the individuals within an ecotype. We next obtained Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) for the same caribou individuals, we detected those associated to habitat selection, and then identified genes linked to these SNPs. These genes had functions related in other organisms to habitat and dietary specializations, and climatic adaptations. We therefore suggest that individual variation in habitat selection was based on genotypic variation in the SNPs of individual caribou, indicating that genetic forces underlie habitat and diet selection in the species. We also suggest that the associations between habitat and genes that we detected may lead to lack of resilience in the species, thus contributing to caribou endangerment. Our work emphasizes that similar mechanisms may exist for other specialized, endangered species. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cavedon
- Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Bridgett vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, 106A Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ, 08544-2016, USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Montana, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Troy Hegel
- Yukon Department of Environment, Whitehorse, Yukon, Y1A 2C6, Canada
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Alberta Environment and Parks, 4999 98 Ave., Edmonton, AB, T6B 2×3, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Heppenheimer
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, 106A Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ, 08544-2016, USA
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Alberta Environment and Parks, Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 6J4, Canada
| | - Stefano Mariani
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Helen Schwantje
- Wildlife and Habitat Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Government of British Columbia, 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 6J 9, Canada
| | - Robin Steenweg
- Pacific Region, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, BC, V4K 3N2, Canada
| | - Megan Watters
- Land and Resource Specialist, 300 - 10003 110th Avenue Fort, St. John, BC, V1J 6M7, Canada
| | - Marco Musiani
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Veterinary Medicine (Joint Appointment), University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
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Tyler NJC, Hanssen-Bauer I, Førland EJ, Nellemann C. The Shrinking Resource Base of Pastoralism: Saami Reindeer Husbandry in a Climate of Change. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2020.585685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The productive performance of large ungulates in extensive pastoral grazing systems is modulated simultaneously by the effects of climate change and human intervention independent of climate change. The latter includes the expansion of private, civil and military activity and infrastructure and the erosion of land rights. We used Saami reindeer husbandry in Norway as a model in which to examine trends in, and to compare the influence of, both effects on a pastoral grazing system. Downscaled projections of mean annual temperature over the principal winter pasture area (Finnmarksvidda) closely matched empirical observations across 34 years to 2018. The area, therefore, is not only warming but seems likely to continue to do so. Warming notwithstanding, 50-year (1969–2018) records of local weather (temperature, precipitation and characteristics of the snowpack) demonstrate considerable annual and decadal variation which also seems likely to continue and alternately to amplify and to counter net warming. Warming, moreover, has both positive and negative effects on ecosystem services that influence reindeer. The effects of climate change on reindeer pastoralism are evidently neither temporally nor spatially uniform, nor indeed is the role of climate change as a driver of change in pastoralism even clear. The effects of human intervention on the system, by contrast, are clear and largely negative. Gradual liberalization of grazing rights from the 18th Century has been countered by extensive loss of reindeer pasture. Access to ~50% of traditional winter pasture was lost in the 19th Century owing to the closure of international borders to the passage of herders and their reindeer. Subsequent to this the area of undisturbed pasture within Norway has decreased by 71%. Loss of pasture due to piecemeal development of infrastructure and to administrative encroachment that erodes herders' freedom of action on the land that remains to them, are the principal threats to reindeer husbandry in Norway today. These tangible effects far exceed the putative effects of current climate change on the system. The situation confronting Saami reindeer pastoralism is not unique: loss of pasture and administrative, economic, legal and social constraints bedevil extensive pastoral grazing systems across the globe.
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Everything mammal conservation biologists always wanted to know about taxonomy (but were afraid to ask). J Nat Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Adams LG, Farnell R, Oakley MP, Jung TS, Larocque LL, Lortie GM, Mclelland J, Reid ME, Roffler GH, Russell DE. Evaluation of Maternal Penning to Improve Calf Survival in the Chisana Caribou Herd. WILDLIFE MONOGRAPHS 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/wmon.1044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Layne G. Adams
- U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center 4210 University Drive Anchorage AK 99508 USA
| | - Richard Farnell
- Yukon Department of Environment Fish and Wildlife Branch P. O. Box 2703 Whitehorse YT Y1A 2C6 Canada
| | - Michelle P. Oakley
- Yukon Department of Environment Fish and Wildlife Branch P. O. Box 5429 Haines Junction YT Y0B 1L0 Canada
| | - Thomas S. Jung
- Yukon Department of Environment Fish and Wildlife Branch P. O. Box 2703 Whitehorse YT Y1A 2C6 Canada
| | - Lorne L. Larocque
- Yukon Department of Environment Fish and Wildlife Branch P. O. Box 5429 Haines Junction YT Y0B 1L0 Canada
| | | | - Jamie Mclelland
- Yukon Department of Environment Fish and Wildlife Branch P. O. Box 2703 Whitehorse YT Y1A 2C6 Canada
| | - Mason E. Reid
- U.S. National Park Service Wrangell‐St. Elias National Park and Preserve, P. O. Box 439, Copper Center, AK 99573 USA
| | - Gretchen H. Roffler
- U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center 4210 University Drive Anchorage AK 99508 USA
| | - Don E. Russell
- Canadian Wildlife Service 91782 Alaska Highway Whitehorse YT Y1A 5B7 Canada
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Lowrey B, Proffitt KM, McWhirter DE, White PJ, Courtemanch AB, Dewey SR, Miyasaki HM, Monteith KL, Mao JS, Grigg JL, Butler CJ, Lula ES, Garrott RA. Characterizing population and individual migration patterns among native and restored bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis). Ecol Evol 2019; 9:8829-8839. [PMID: 31410283 PMCID: PMC6686647 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 05/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Migration evolved as a behavior to enhance fitness through exploiting spatially and temporally variable resources and avoiding predation or other threats. Globally, landscape alterations have resulted in declines to migratory populations across taxa. Given the long time periods over which migrations evolved in native systems, it is unlikely that restored populations embody the same migratory complexity that existed before population reductions or regional extirpation.We used GPS location data collected from 209 female bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) to characterize population and individual migration patterns along elevation and geographic continuums for 18 populations of bighorn sheep with different management histories (i.e., restored, augmented, and native) across the western United States.Individuals with resident behaviors were present in all management histories. Elevational migrations were the most common population-level migratory behavior. There were notable differences in the degree of individual variation within a population across the three management histories. Relative to native populations, restored and augmented populations had less variation among individuals with respect to elevation and geographic migration distances. Differences in migratory behavior were most pronounced for geographic distances, where the majority of native populations had a range of variation that was 2-4 times greater than restored or augmented populations. Synthesis and applications. Migrations within native populations include a variety of patterns that translocation efforts have not been able to fully recreate within restored and augmented populations. Theoretical and empirical research has highlighted the benefits of migratory diversity in promoting resilience and population stability. Limited migratory diversity may serve as an additional factor limiting demographic performance and range expansion. We suggest preserving native systems with intact migratory portfolios and a more nuanced approach to restoration and augmentation in which source populations are identified based on a suite of criteria that includes matching migratory patterns of source populations with local landscape attributes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake Lowrey
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of EcologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMTUSA
| | | | | | - Patrick J. White
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National ParkNational Park ServiceMammothWYUSA
| | | | | | | | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
| | - Julie S. Mao
- Colorado Parks and WildlifeGlenwood SpringsCOUSA
| | | | | | - Ethan S. Lula
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of EcologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMTUSA
| | - Robert A. Garrott
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of EcologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMTUSA
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Cavedon M, Gubili C, Heppenheimer E, vonHoldt B, Mariani S, Hebblewhite M, Hegel T, Hervieux D, Serrouya R, Steenweg R, Weckworth BV, Musiani M. Genomics, environment and balancing selection in behaviourally bimodal populations: The caribou case. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:1946-1963. [PMID: 30714247 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Selection forces that favour different phenotypes in different environments can change frequencies of genes between populations along environmental clines. Clines are also compatible with balancing forces, such as negative frequency-dependent selection (NFDS), which maintains phenotypic polymorphisms within populations. For example, NFDS is hypothesized to maintain partial migration, a dimorphic behavioural trait prominent in species where only a fraction of the population seasonally migrates. Overall, NFDS is believed to be a common phenomenon in nature, yet a scarcity of studies were published linking naturally occurring allelic variation with bimodal or multimodal phenotypes and balancing selection. We applied a Pool-seq approach and detected selection on alleles associated with environmental variables along a North-South gradient in western North American caribou, a species displaying partially migratory behaviour. On 51 loci, we found a signature of balancing selection, which could be related to NFDS and ultimately the maintenance of the phenotypic polymorphisms known within these populations. Yet, remarkably, we detected directional selection on a locus when our sample was divided into two behaviourally distinctive groups regardless of geographic provenance (a subset of GPS-collared migratory or sedentary individuals), indicating that, within populations, phenotypically homogeneous groups were genetically distinctive. Loci under selection were linked to functional genes involved in oxidative stress response, body development and taste perception. Overall, results indicated genetic differentiation along an environmental gradient of caribou populations, which we found characterized by genes potentially undergoing balancing selection. We suggest that the underlining balancing force, NFDS, plays a strong role within populations harbouring multiple haplotypes and phenotypes, as it is the norm in animals, plants and humans too.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cavedon
- Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Chrysoula Gubili
- Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Salford, UK.,Hellenic Agricultural Organisation, Fisheries Research Institute, Kavala, Greece
| | - Elizabeth Heppenheimer
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
| | - Bridgett vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
| | - Stefano Mariani
- School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana
| | - Troy Hegel
- Yukon Department of Environment, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Resource Management - Operations Division, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
| | - Robert Serrouya
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Robin Steenweg
- Resource Management - Operations Division, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Marco Musiani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Veterinary Medicine (Joint Appointment), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Abstract
Adaptive management is a powerful means of learning about complex ecosystems, but is rarely used for recovering endangered species. Here, we demonstrate how it can benefit woodland caribou, which became the first large mammal extirpated from the contiguous United States in recent history. The continental scale of forest alteration and extended time needed for forest recovery means that relying only on habitat protection and restoration will likely fail. Therefore, population management is also needed as an emergency measure to avoid further extirpation. Reductions of predators and overabundant prey, translocations, and creating safe havens have been applied in a design covering >90,000 km2 Combinations of treatments that increased multiple vital rates produced the highest population growth. Moreover, the degree of ecosystem alteration did not influence this pattern. By coordinating recovery involving scientists, governments, and First Nations, treatments were applied across vast scales to benefit this iconic species.
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12
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Johnson CJ, Mumma MA, St‐Laurent M. Modeling multispecies predator–prey dynamics: predicting the outcomes of conservation actions for woodland caribou. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chris J. Johnson
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program University of Northern British Columbia 3333 University Way Prince George British Columbia V2N 4Z9 Canada
| | - Matthew A. Mumma
- 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
| | - 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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13
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14
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Larue B, Côté SD, St‐Laurent M, Dussault C, Leblond M. Natal habitat preference induction in large mammals-Like mother, like child? Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12629-12640. [PMID: 30619569 PMCID: PMC6309006 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat selection has received considerable attention from ecologists during the last decades, yet the underlying forces shaping individual differences in habitat selection are poorly documented. Some of these differences could be explained by the early experience of individuals in their natal habitat. By selecting habitat attributes like those encountered early in life, individuals could improve resource acquisition, survival, and ultimately fitness. This behavior, known as natal habitat preference induction (NHPI), could be particularly common in large mammals, because offspring generally stay with their mother for an extended period. We used three complementary approaches to assess NHPI in a marked population of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou): (a) population-based resource selection functions (RSFs), (b) individual-based RSFs, and (c) behavioral repeatability analyses. All approaches compared the behavior of calves in their natal range to their behavior as independent subadults during the snow-covered (Dec-Apr) and snow-free (May-Nov) seasons. Using RSFs, we found that the magnitude of habitat selection between calf and subadult stages differed for most covariates, yet the signs of statistically significant effects (selection vs. avoidance) were generally the same. We also found that some habitat selection tactics were highly repeatable across life stages. Notably, caribou responses to habitat disturbances were highly repeatable year-round, meaning that different individuals reacted differently, but consistently, to disturbances. This study highlights the potential role of natal habitat preference induction in shaping individual differences in habitat selection in large mammals and provides valuable knowledge for the management and conservation of a threatened species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Larue
- Département de biologieUniversité LavalQuébecQuébecCanada
- Present address:
Département de biologieUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeQuébecCanada
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Département de biologie and Centre for Northern StudiesUniversité LavalQuébecQuébecCanada
| | - Martin‐Hugues St‐Laurent
- Département de biologie, chimie et géographie, Centre for Northern Studies, and Centre for Forest ResearchUniversité du Québec à RimouskiRimouskiQuébecCanada
| | - Christian Dussault
- Direction de l’expertise sur la faune terrestre, l’herpétofaune et l’avifauneMinistère des Forêts, de la Faune et des ParcsQuébecQuébecCanada
| | - Mathieu Leblond
- Département de biologie and Centre for Northern StudiesUniversité LavalQuébecQuébecCanada
- Present address:
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Science and Technology BranchOttawaOntarioCanada
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