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Vuillaume B, Richard JH, Hamel S, Taillon J, Festa-Bianchet M, Côté SD. Birth date determines early calf survival in migratory caribou. Oecologia 2023; 202:819-830. [PMID: 37640888 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05441-7] [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: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
The decline of most caribou (Rangifer tarandus) populations underlines the need to understand the determinants of key demographic parameters. In migratory caribou, we have limited information on rates and drivers of pre-weaning mortality. We fitted 60 pregnant females of the Rivière-aux-Feuilles caribou herd with GPS camera collars to track the survival of calves from birth to weaning in 2016-2018. Over the three years, calf survival rate before weaning, i.e. to 01-Sep, approximately three months of age, was 0.63 (CI 0.50-0.77). Summer mortality risk was mainly influenced by calf birth date, with calves born earlier in the calving season having a lower mortality risk than those born later. Mortality also increased when calves experienced low or high temperature during calving. This study provides the first estimates of pre-weaning survival of migratory caribou calves in this herd, illustrating the value of new technologies to collect data otherwise difficult to obtain in widely distributed migratory populations. This approach can easily be extended to other large herbivores and predators. Our study brings new insights on how climate change may affect summer juvenile survival given the increased temperatures and faster changes in plant phenology expected in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Vuillaume
- Département de Biologie, Caribou Ungava, Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, 1045, Ave. de la Médecine, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Julien H Richard
- Département de Biologie, Caribou Ungava, Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, 1045, Ave. de la Médecine, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Sandra Hamel
- Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Joëlle Taillon
- Ministère des Forêts de la Faune et des Parcs, Québec, QC, G1S 2L2, Canada
| | - Marco Festa-Bianchet
- Département de Biologie, Caribou Ungava, Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 2 R1, Canada
| | - Steeve D Côté
- Département de Biologie, Caribou Ungava, Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, 1045, Ave. de la Médecine, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
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2
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Adamczak SK, McHuron EA, Christiansen F, Dunkin R, McMahon CR, Noren S, Pirotta E, Rosen D, Sumich J, Costa DP. Growth in marine mammals: a review of growth patterns, composition and energy investment. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad035. [PMID: 37492466 PMCID: PMC10364341 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Growth of structural mass and energy reserves influences individual survival, reproductive success, population and species life history. Metrics of structural growth and energy storage of individuals are often used to assess population health and reproductive potential, which can inform conservation. However, the energetic costs of tissue deposition for structural growth and energy stores and their prioritization within bioenergetic budgets are poorly documented. This is particularly true across marine mammal species as resources are accumulated at sea, limiting the ability to measure energy allocation and prioritization. We reviewed the literature on marine mammal growth to summarize growth patterns, explore their tissue compositions, assess the energetic costs of depositing these tissues and explore the tradeoffs associated with growth. Generally, marine mammals exhibit logarithmic growth. This means that the energetic costs related to growth and tissue deposition are high for early postnatal animals, but small compared to the total energy budget as animals get older. Growth patterns can also change in response to resource availability, habitat and other energy demands, such that they can serve as an indicator of individual and population health. Composition of tissues remained consistent with respect to protein and water content across species; however, there was a high degree of variability in the lipid content of both muscle (0.1-74.3%) and blubber (0.4-97.9%) due to the use of lipids as energy storage. We found that relatively few well-studied species dominate the literature, leaving data gaps for entire taxa, such as beaked whales. The purpose of this review was to identify such gaps, to inform future research priorities and to improve our understanding of how marine mammals grow and the associated energetic costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie K Adamczak
- Corresponding author: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz CA, USA.
| | - Elizabeth A McHuron
- Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, University of Washington, 3737 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Fredrik Christiansen
- Department of Ecoscience – Marine Mammal Research, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Robin Dunkin
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, 130 McAlister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Clive R McMahon
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 9 Chowder Bay Road, Mosman, NSW 2088, Australia
| | - Shawn Noren
- Institute of Marine Science, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz CA, USA
| | - Enrico Pirotta
- Centre for Research into Ecology and Environmental Modelling, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 9LZ, UK
| | - David Rosen
- Marine Mammal Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, 2022 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - James Sumich
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Science Department, Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center, 2030 SE Marine Science Driver, Newport, Oregon 97365, USA
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, 130 McAlister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Institute of Marine Science, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz CA, USA
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3
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Holmes SM, Dressel S, Morel J, Spitzer R, Ball JP, Ericsson G, Singh NJ, Widemo F, Cromsigt JPGM, Danell K. Increased summer temperature is associated with reduced calf mass of a circumpolar large mammal through direct thermoregulatory and indirect, food quality, pathways. Oecologia 2023; 201:1123-1136. [PMID: 37017733 PMCID: PMC10113315 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05367-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Climate change represents a growing ecological challenge. The (sub) arctic and boreal regions of the world experience the most rapid warming, presenting an excellent model system for studying how climate change affects mammals. Moose (Alces alces) are a particularly relevant model species with their circumpolar range. Population declines across the southern edge of this range are linked to rising temperatures. Using a long-term dataset (1988-1997, 2017-2019), we examine the relative strength of direct (thermoregulatory costs) and indirect (food quality) pathways linking temperature, precipitation, and the quality of two important food items (birch and fireweed) to variation in moose calf mass in northern Sweden. The direct effects of temperature consistently showed stronger relationships to moose calf mass than did the indirect effects. The proportion of growing season days where the temperature exceeded a 20 °C threshold showed stronger direct negative relationships to moose calf mass than did mean temperature values. Finally, while annual forb (fireweed) quality was more strongly influenced by temperature and precipitation than were perennial (birch) leaves, this did not translate into a stronger relationship to moose calf weight. The only indirect path with supporting evidence suggested that mean growing season temperatures were positively associated with neutral detergent fiber, which was, in turn, negatively associated with calf mass. While indirect impacts of climate change deserve further investigation, it is important to recognize the large direct impacts of temperature on cold-adapted species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheila M Holmes
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Sabrina Dressel
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
- Forest and Nature Conservation Policy Chair Group, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Julien Morel
- Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Robert Spitzer
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - John P Ball
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Göran Ericsson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Navinder J Singh
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Widemo
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Joris P G M Cromsigt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Kjell Danell
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
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4
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Lemay E, Côté SD, Tremblay JP. How will snow retention and shading from Arctic shrub expansion affect caribou food resources? ECOSCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2021.1917859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Evelyne Lemay
- Département de Biologie, Centre d’études Nordiques and Caribou Ungava, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Département de Biologie, Centre d’études Nordiques and Caribou Ungava, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-Pierre Tremblay
- Département de Biologie, Centre d’études Nordiques and Caribou Ungava, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre d’étude de la forêt, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
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5
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Ellington EH, Lewis KP, Koen EL, Vander Wal E. Divergent estimates of herd-wide caribou calf survival: Ecological factors and methodological biases. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:8476-8505. [PMID: 32788995 PMCID: PMC7417224 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6553] [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: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Population monitoring is a critical part of effective wildlife management, but methods are prone to biases that can hinder our ability to accurately track changes in populations through time. Calf survival plays an important role in ungulate population dynamics and can be monitored using telemetry and herd composition surveys. These methods, however, are susceptible to unrepresentative sampling and violations of the assumption of equal detectability, respectively. Here, we capitalized on 55 herd-wide estimates of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) calf survival in Newfoundland, Canada, using telemetry (n = 1,175 calves) and 249 herd-wide estimates of calf:cow ratios (C:C) using herd composition surveys to investigate these potential biases. These data included 17 herd-wide estimates replicated from both methods concurrently (n = 448 calves and n = 17 surveys) which we used to understand which processes and sampling biases contributed to disagreement between estimates of herd-wide calf survival. We used Cox proportional hazards models to determine whether estimates of calf mortality risk were biased by the date a calf was collared. We also used linear mixed-effects models to determine whether estimates of C:C ratios were biased by survey date and herd size. We found that calves collared later in the calving season had a higher mortality risk and that C:C tended to be higher for surveys conducted later in the autumn. When we used these relationships to modify estimates of herd-wide calf survival derived from telemetry and herd composition surveys concurrently, we found that formerly disparate estimates of woodland caribou calf survival now overlapped (within a 95% confidence interval) in a majority of cases. Our case study highlights the potential of under-appreciated biases to impact our understanding of population dynamics and suggests ways that managers can limit the influence of these biases in the two widely applied methods for estimating herd-wide survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Hance Ellington
- School of Environment and Natural ResourcesOhio State UniversityColumbusOHUSA
- Department of BiologyMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John’sNFCanada
| | - Keith P. Lewis
- Department of BiologyMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John’sNFCanada
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries CentreFisheries and Oceans CanadaSt. John’sNFCanada
| | - Erin L. Koen
- Department of BiologyMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John’sNFCanada
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring SectionOntario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of BiologyMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John’sNFCanada
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6
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Barboza PS, Shively RD, Gustine DD, Addison JA. Winter Is Coming: Conserving Body Protein in Female Reindeer, Caribou, and Muskoxen. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
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7
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Le Corre M, Dussault C, Côté SD. Where to spend the winter? The role of intraspecific competition and climate in determining the selection of wintering areas by migratory caribou. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mael Le Corre
- Caribou Ungava, Dépt de Biologie and Centre d’Études Nordiques, Univ. Laval Québec Québec G1V 0A6 Canada
- Dept of Archaeology, Univ. of Aberdeen Aberdeen AB24 3UF UK
| | - Christian Dussault
- Caribou Ungava, Dépt de Biologie and Centre d’Études Nordiques, Univ. Laval Québec Québec G1V 0A6 Canada
- Direction de l'expertise sur la faune terrestre, l'herpétofaune et l'avifaune, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec Québec QC Canada
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Caribou Ungava, Dépt de Biologie and Centre d’Études Nordiques, Univ. Laval Québec Québec G1V 0A6 Canada
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8
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Skarin A, Sandström P, Alam M. Out of sight of wind turbines-Reindeer response to wind farms in operation. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:9906-9919. [PMID: 30386585 PMCID: PMC6202756 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
To meet the expanding land use required for wind energy development, a better understanding of the effects on terrestrial animals' responses to such development is required. Using GPS-data from 50 freely ranging female reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in the Malå reindeer herding community, Sweden, we determined reindeer calving sites and estimated reindeer habitat selection using resource selection functions (RSF). RSFs were estimated at both second- (selection of home range) and third-order (selection within home range) scale in relation to environmental variables, wind farm (WF) development phase (before construction, construction, and operation), distance to the WFs and at the second-order scale whether the wind turbines were in or out of sight of the reindeer. We found that the distance between reindeer calving site and WFs increased during the operation phase, compared to before construction. At both scales of selection, we found a significant decrease in habitat selection of areas in proximity of the WFs, in the same comparison. The results also revealed a shift in home range selection away from habitats where wind turbines became visible toward habitats where the wind turbines were obscured by topography (increase in use by 79% at 5 km). We interpret the reindeer shift in home range selection as an effect of the wind turbines per se. Using topography and land cover information together with the positions of wind turbines could therefore help identify sensitive habitats for reindeer and improve the planning and placement of WFs. In addition, we found that operation phase of these WFs had a stronger adverse impact on reindeer habitat selection than the construction phase. Thus, the continuous running of the wind turbines making a sound both day and night seemed to have disturbed the reindeer more than the sudden sounds and increased human activity during construction work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Skarin
- Department of Animal Nutrition and ManagementSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsalaSweden
| | - Per Sandström
- Department of Forest Resource ManagementSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Moudud Alam
- Section of StatisticsSchool of Technology and Business StudiesDalarna UniversityFalunSweden
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9
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Ecological factors affecting eruption timing of mandibular teeth in roe deer. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-018-1211-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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10
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Ronget V, Gaillard JM, Coulson T, Garratt M, Gueyffier F, Lega JC, Lemaître JF. Causes and consequences of variation in offspring body mass: meta-analyses in birds and mammals. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:1-27. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Revised: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Victor Ronget
- Univ Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive; F-69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Jean-Michel Gaillard
- Univ Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive; F-69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Tim Coulson
- Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; Oxford OX13PS U.K
| | - Michael Garratt
- Department of Pathology; University of Michigan Medical School; Ann Arbor MI 48109 U.S.A
| | - François Gueyffier
- Univ Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive; F-69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Jean-Christophe Lega
- Univ Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive; F-69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Jean-François Lemaître
- Univ Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive; F-69622 Villeurbanne France
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11
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Boertje RD, Gardner CL, Ellis MM, Bentzen TW, Gross JA. Demography of an increasing caribou herd with restricted wolf control. J Wildl Manage 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rodney D. Boertje
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game; 1300 College Road Fairbanks AK 99701-1551 USA
| | - Craig L. Gardner
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game; 1300 College Road Fairbanks AK 99701-1551 USA
| | - Martha M. Ellis
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game; 1300 College Road Fairbanks AK 99701-1551 USA
| | | | - Jeffrey A. Gross
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game; PO Box 355 Tok AK 99780-0355 USA
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12
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Simard AA, Kutz S, Ducrocq J, Beckmen K, Brodeur V, Campbell M, Croft B, Cuyler C, Davison T, Elkin B, Giroux T, Kelly A, Russell D, Taillon J, Veitch A, Côté SD. Variation in the intensity and prevalence of macroparasites in migratory caribou: a quasi-circumpolar study. CAN J ZOOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2015-0190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Comparative studies across time and geographical regions are useful to improve our understanding of the health of wildlife populations. Our goal was to study parasitism in migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus (L., 1758)) of North America and Greenland. A total of 1507 caribou were sampled across 12 herds to assess seven of their main helminth and arthropod macroparasites between 1978 and 2010. We sought to determine which factors such as sex, age class, herd size, and season best explained the prevalence and intensity of those parasites. Intensity of warble fly (Hypoderma tarandi (L., 1758)) larvae increased with age for males, whereas the opposite was observed in females. Prevalence of giant liver flukes (Fascioloides magna (Bassi, 1875) Ward, 1917), tapeworm Taenia hydatigena Pallas, 1766, and nose bot fly (Cephenemyia trompe (Modeer, 1786)) larvae was higher in adults than in calves. Prevalence of F. magna and T. hydatigena was higher at high herd size than at lower herd size. Greenland herds had the lowest prevalence of T. hydatigena and of the tapeworm Taenia krabbei Moniez, 1879, a higher intensity of H. tarandi, and a higher prevalence of C. trompe than the other herds. Of the herds from Quebec and Labrador, the Rivière-George herd had a higher prevalence of F. magna than the Rivière-aux-Feuilles herd. Our research provides the first comparative survey of these parasites of caribou across a broad spatial–temporal range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice-Anne Simard
- Université Laval, Département de biologie and Centre d’études nordiques, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Susan Kutz
- University of Calgary, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 3330 University Drive Northwest, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Julie Ducrocq
- University of Calgary, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 3330 University Drive Northwest, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Kimberlee Beckmen
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, 1300 College Road, Fairbanks, AK 99701, USA
| | - Vincent Brodeur
- Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, Direction des opérations régionales du Nord-du-Québec, 951 boulevard Hamel, Chibougamau, QC G8P 2Z3, Canada
| | - Mitch Campbell
- Government of Nunavut, Department of Environment, Kivalliq Region, P.O. Box 120, Arviat, NU X0C 0E0, Canada
| | - Bruno Croft
- Government of the Northwest Territories, Environment and Natural Resources, Wildlife Division, 600 5102-50th Avenue, Yellowknife, NT X1A 3S8, Canada
| | - Christine Cuyler
- Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 570, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Tracy Davison
- Government of the Northwest Territories in Inuvik, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Inuvik Region Shell Lake, P.O. Box 2749, Inuvik, NT X0E 0T0, Canada
| | - Brett Elkin
- Government of the Northwest Territories, Environment and Natural Resources, Wildlife Division, 600 5102-50th Avenue, Yellowknife, NT X1A 3S8, Canada
| | - Tina Giroux
- Athabasca Denesuline Né Né Land Corporation, P.O. Box 23126, South Hill, Prince Albert, SK S6V 8A7, Canada
| | - Allicia Kelly
- Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, South Slave Region, P.O. Box 900, Fort Smith, NT X0E 0P0, Canada
| | - Don Russell
- Conservation and Sustainability, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Pacific and Yukon Region, 91782 Alaska Highway, Whitehorse, YT Y1A 5B7, Canada
| | - Joëlle Taillon
- Université Laval, Département de biologie and Centre d’études nordiques, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Alasdair Veitch
- Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Wildlife Management – Sahtu Region, P.O. Box 130, Norman Wells NT X0E 0V0, Canada
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Université Laval, Département de biologie and Centre d’études nordiques, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
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Bastille-Rousseau G, Schaefer JA, Lewis KP, Mumma MA, Ellington EH, Rayl ND, Mahoney SP, Pouliot D, Murray DL. Phase-dependent climate-predator interactions explain three decades of variation in neonatal caribou survival. J Anim Ecol 2015; 85:445-56. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2015] [Accepted: 10/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - James A. Schaefer
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program; Trent University; Peterborough Ontario K9J 7B8 Canada
| | - Keith P. Lewis
- Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Environment and Conservation; P.O. Box 8700 St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 4J6 Canada
| | - Matthew A. Mumma
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences; College of Natural Resources; University of Idaho; Moscow ID 83844 USA
| | - E. Hance Ellington
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program; Trent University; Peterborough Ontario K9J 7B8 Canada
| | - Nathaniel D. Rayl
- Department of Environmental Conservation; University of Massachusetts; Amherst Massachusetts 01003 USA
| | - Shane P. Mahoney
- Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Environment and Conservation; P.O. Box 8700 St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 4J6 Canada
| | - Darren Pouliot
- Natural Resources Canada; Canada Centre for Remote Sensing; Ottawa Ontario K1A 0E4 Canada
| | - Dennis L. Murray
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program; Trent University; Peterborough Ontario K9J 7B8 Canada
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14
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Searle KR, Rice MB, Anderson CR, Bishop C, Hobbs NT. Asynchronous vegetation phenology enhances winter body condition of a large mobile herbivore. Oecologia 2015; 179:377-91. [PMID: 26009244 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3348-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2014] [Accepted: 05/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how spatial and temporal heterogeneity influence ecological processes forms a central challenge in ecology. Individual responses to heterogeneity shape population dynamics, therefore understanding these responses is central to sustainable population management. Emerging evidence has shown that herbivores track heterogeneity in nutritional quality of vegetation by responding to phenological differences in plants. We quantified the benefits mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) accrue from accessing habitats with asynchronous plant phenology in northwest Colorado over 3 years. Our analysis examined both the direct physiological and indirect environmental effects of weather and vegetation phenology on mule deer winter body condition. We identified several important effects of annual weather patterns and topographical variables on vegetation phenology in the home ranges of mule deer. Crucially, temporal patterns of vegetation phenology were linked with differences in body condition, with deer tending to show poorer body condition in areas with less asynchronous vegetation green-up and later vegetation onset. The direct physiological effect of previous winter precipitation on mule deer body condition was much less important than the indirect effect mediated by vegetation phenology. Additionally, the influence of vegetation phenology on body fat was much stronger than that of overall vegetation productivity. In summary, changing annual weather patterns, particularly in relation to seasonal precipitation, have the potential to alter body condition of this important ungulate species during the critical winter period. This finding highlights the importance of maintaining large contiguous areas of spatially and temporally variable resources to allow animals to compensate behaviourally for changing climate-driven resource patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate R Searle
- NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, UK.
| | - Mindy B Rice
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 317 W. Prospect Road, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | - Charles R Anderson
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 317 W. Prospect Road, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | - Chad Bishop
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 317 W. Prospect Road, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | - N T Hobbs
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, 80524, CO, USA
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15
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The role of maternal behavior and offspring development in the survival of mountain goat kids. Oecologia 2015; 178:175-86. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3198-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2013] [Accepted: 12/12/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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16
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Monteith KL, Bleich VC, Stephenson TR, Pierce BM, Conner MM, Kie JG, Bowyer RT. Life-history characteristics of mule deer: Effects of nutrition in a variable environment. WILDLIFE MONOGRAPHS 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/wmon.1011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin L. Monteith
- Department of Biological Sciences; Idaho State University; 921 S. 8th Ave Stop 8007 Pocatello ID 83209 USA
| | - Vernon C. Bleich
- Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; 407 West Line Street Bishop CA 93514 USA
| | - Thomas R. Stephenson
- Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; 407 West Line Street Bishop CA 93514 USA
| | - Becky M. Pierce
- Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; 407 West Line Street Bishop CA 93514 USA
| | - Mary M. Conner
- Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; 407 West Line Street Bishop CA 93514 USA
| | - John G. Kie
- Department of Biological Sciences; Idaho State University; 921 S. 8th Ave Stop 8007 Pocatello ID 83209 USA
| | - R. Terry Bowyer
- Department of Biological Sciences; Idaho State University; 921 S. 8th Ave Stop 8007 Pocatello ID 83209 USA
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17
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Taillon J, Barboza PS, Côté SD. Nitrogen allocation to offspring and milk production in a capital breeder. Ecology 2013; 94:1815-27. [DOI: 10.1890/12-1424.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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18
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Pachkowski M, Côté S, Festa-Bianchet M. Spring-loaded reproduction: effects of body condition and population size on fertility in migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus). CAN J ZOOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2012-0334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In many ungulates, female fecundity is affected by body condition and has important effects on population dynamics. In some species, females adopt a conservative strategy, reducing reproductive effort when population density is high. We investigated what factors affect the probability of gestation in adult female caribou (Rangifer tarandus (L., 1758)) from the Rivière-George herd in northern Quebec and Labrador over 5 years that spanned various population sizes and trends. Similar to other populations of migratory caribou, the probability that a female was pregnant in spring increased with body mass and percent body fat. The probability of gestation appeared to be reduced by high infestation of warbles (Hypoderma tarandi (L., 1758)). The proportion of females pregnant varied between years and was lower at high population size. Females of similar mass, however, were pregnant regardless of whether the population was increasing at low density, had reached a peak, or was declining. Compared with other ungulates that reduce maternal expenditure at high density, female caribou of the Rivière-George herd may have a risk-prone reproductive strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Pachkowski
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, and Centre d’Études Nordiques, 2500 Boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - S.D. Côté
- Département de biologie, Université Laval, and Centre d’Études Nordiques, Pavillon Vachon, 1045 avenue de la Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - M. Festa-Bianchet
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, and Centre d’Études Nordiques, 2500 Boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
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