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Chavez DE, Hains T, Espinoza-Ulloa S, Wayne RK, Chaves JA. Whole-genome analysis reveals the diversification of Galapagos rail (Aves: Rallidae) and confirms the success of goat eradication programs. J Hered 2024; 115:444-457. [PMID: 38498380 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esae017] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Similar to other insular birds around the world, the Galapagos rail (Laterallus spilonota Gould, 1841) exhibits reduced flight capacity following its colonization of the archipelago ~1.2 mya. Despite their short evolutionary history, rails have colonized seven different islands spanning the entire width of the archipelago. Galapagos rails were once common on islands with sufficiently high altitudes to support shrubs in humid habitats. After humans introduced goats, this habitat was severely reduced due to overgrazing. Habitat loss devastated some rail populations, with less than 50 individuals surviving, rendering the genetic diversity of Galapagos rail a pressing conservation concern. Additionally, one enigma is the reappearance of rails on the island of Pinta after they were considered extirpated. Our approach was to investigate the evolutionary history and geographic distribution of Galapagos rails as well as examine the genome-wide effects of historical population bottlenecks using 39 whole genomes across different island populations. We recovered an early divergence of rail ancestors leading to the isolated populations on Pinta and a second clade comprising the rest of the islands, historically forming a single landmass. Subsequently, the separation of the landmass ~900 kya may have led to the isolation of the Isabela population with more panmictic populations found on Santa Cruz and Santiago islands. We found that rails genomes contain long runs of homozygosity (>2 Mb) that could be related to the introduction of goats. Finally, our findings show that the modern eradication of goats was critical to avoiding episodes of inbreeding in most populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Chavez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
- Escuela de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Av. 12 de Octubre, Quito 170901, Ecuador
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, The Biodesign Institute, AZ School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Taylor Hains
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL 60605, United States
- Grainger Bioinformatics Center, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL 60605, United States
| | - Sebastian Espinoza-Ulloa
- Escuela de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Av. 12 de Octubre, Quito 170901, Ecuador
| | - Robert K Wayne
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Jaime A Chaves
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132-1722, United States
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
- Galapagos Science Center, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Islas Galápagos, Ecuador
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2
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McGrane-Corrigan B, Mason O, de Andrade Moral R. Inferring stochastic group interactions within structured populations via coupled autoregression. J Theor Biol 2024; 584:111793. [PMID: 38492917 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2024.111793] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
The internal behaviour of a population is an important feature to take account of when modelling its dynamics. In line with kin selection theory, many social species tend to cluster into distinct groups in order to enhance their overall population fitness. Temporal interactions between populations are often modelled using classical mathematical models, but these sometimes fail to delve deeper into the, often uncertain, relationships within populations. Here, we introduce a stochastic framework that aims to capture the interactions of animal groups and an auxiliary population over time. We demonstrate the model's capabilities, from a Bayesian perspective, through simulation studies and by fitting it to predator-prey count time series data. We then derive an approximation to the group correlation structure within such a population, while also taking account of the effect of the auxiliary population. We finally discuss how this approximation can lead to ecologically realistic interpretations in a predator-prey context. This approximation also serves as verification to whether the population in question satisfies our various assumptions. Our modelling approach will be useful for empiricists for monitoring groups within a conservation framework and also theoreticians wanting to quantify interactions, to study cooperation and other phenomena within social populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake McGrane-Corrigan
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Kildare, Ireland.
| | - Oliver Mason
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Kildare, Ireland
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3
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Leon-Apodaca AV, Kumar M, del Castillo A, Conroy GC, Lamont RW, Ogbourne S, Cairns KM, Borburgh L, Behrendorff L, Subramanian S, Szpiech ZA. Genomic consequences of isolation and inbreeding in an island dingo population. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.15.557950. [PMID: 37745583 PMCID: PMC10516007 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.15.557950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Dingoes come from an ancient canid lineage that originated in East Asia around 8000-11,000 years BP. As Australia's largest terrestrial predator, dingoes play an important ecological role. A small, protected population exists on a world heritage listed offshore island, K'gari (formerly Fraser Island). Concern regarding the persistence of dingoes on K'gari has risen due to their low genetic diversity and elevated inbreeding levels. However, whole-genome sequencing data is lacking from this population. Here, we include five new whole-genome sequences of K'gari dingoes. We analyze a total of 18 whole genome sequences of dingoes sampled from mainland Australia and K'gari to assess the genomic consequences of their demographic histories. Long (>1 Mb) runs of homozygosity (ROH) - indicators of inbreeding - are elevated in all sampled dingoes. However, K'gari dingoes showed significantly higher levels of very long ROH (>5 Mb), providing genomic evidence for small population size, isolation, inbreeding, and a strong founder effect. Our results suggest that, despite current levels of inbreeding, the K'gari population is purging strongly deleterious mutations, which, in the absence of further reductions in population size, may facilitate the persistence of small populations despite low genetic diversity and isolation. However, there may be little to no purging of mildly deleterious alleles, which may have important long-term consequences, and should be considered by conservation and management programs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Manoharan Kumar
- School of Science, Technology & Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, 1 Moreton Parade, Petrie, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Gabriel C. Conroy
- School of Science, Technology & Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - Robert W Lamont
- School of Science, Technology & Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - Steven Ogbourne
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - Kylie M. Cairns
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Australia, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Australia, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Liz Borburgh
- School of Science, Technology & Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - Linda Behrendorff
- Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Environment & Science, K’gari, Australia
| | - Sankar Subramanian
- School of Science, Technology & Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, 1 Moreton Parade, Petrie, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - Zachary A. Szpiech
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA
- Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA
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Gable TD, Johnson-Bice SM, Homkes AT, Fieberg J, Bump JK. Wolves alter the trajectory of forests by shaping the central place foraging behaviour of an ecosystem engineer. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231377. [PMID: 37935367 PMCID: PMC10645084 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1377] [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: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Predators can directly and indirectly alter the foraging behaviour of prey through direct predation and the risk of predation, and in doing so, initiate indirect effects that influence myriad species and ecological processes. We describe how wolves indirectly alter the trajectory of forests by constraining the distance that beavers, a central place forager and prolific ecosystem engineer, forage from water. Specifically, we demonstrate that wolves wait in ambush and kill beavers on longer feeding trails than would be expected based on the spatio-temporal availability of beavers. This pattern is driven by temporal dynamics of beaver foraging: beavers make more foraging trips and spend more time on land per trip on longer feeding trails that extend farther from water. As a result, beavers are more vulnerable on longer feeding trails than shorter ones. Wolf predation appears to be a selective evolutionary pressure propelled by consumptive and non-consumptive mechanisms that constrain the distance from water beavers forage, which in turn limits the area of forest around wetlands, lakes and rivers beavers alter through foraging. Thus, wolves appear intricately linked to boreal forest dynamics by shaping beaver foraging behaviour, a form of natural disturbance that alters the successional and ecological states of forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D. Gable
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, 2003 Upper Buford Circles, 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 Circles, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - John Fieberg
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, 2003 Upper Buford Circles, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Joseph K. Bump
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, 2003 Upper Buford Circles, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
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Hoy SR, Hedrick PW, Peterson RO, Vucetich LM, Brzeski KE, Vucetich JA. The far-reaching effects of genetic process in a keystone predator species, grey wolves. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadc8724. [PMID: 37611108 PMCID: PMC10446474 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adc8724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Although detrimental genetic processes are known to adversely affect the viability of populations, little is known about how detrimental genetic processes in a keystone species can affect the functioning of ecosystems. Here, we assessed how changes in the genetic characteristics of a keystone predator, grey wolves, affected the ecosystem of Isle Royale National Park over two decades. Changes in the genetic characteristic of the wolf population associated with a genetic rescue event, followed by high levels of inbreeding, led to a rise and then fall in predation rates on moose, the primary prey of wolves and dominant mammalian herbivore in this system. Those changes in predation rate led to large fluctuations in moose abundance, which in turn affected browse rates on balsam fir, the dominant forage for moose during winter and an important boreal forest species. Thus, forest dynamics can be traced back to changes in the genetic characteristics of a predator population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R. Hoy
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931
| | | | - Rolf O. Peterson
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931
| | - Leah M. Vucetich
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931
| | - Kristin E. Brzeski
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931
| | - John A. Vucetich
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931
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6
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Scoleri VP, Ingram J, Johnson CN, Jones ME. Top predator restricts the niche breadth of prey: effects of assisted colonization of Tasmanian devils on a widespread omnivorous prey. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222113. [PMID: 36919429 PMCID: PMC10015323 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Few landscape-scale experiments test the effects of predators on the abundance and distribution of prey across habitat gradients. We use the assisted colonization of a top predator, the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), to test the impacts of predation on the abundance, habitat use and temporal activity of a widespread prey species, the omnivorous common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). Before introduction of devils to Maria Island, Tasmania, Australia, in 2012, possums were abundant in open grasslands as well as forests. Predation by devils caused high mortality of possums in grasslands, but individuals with access to trees had a higher survival probability. Possum abundance declined across the whole island from 2012-2016, as possums disappeared almost completely from grasslands and declined in drier forests with more open understorey. Abundance remained stable in wet forests, which are not preferred habitat for possums but provide better refuge from devils. Abundance and habitat use of possums remained unchanged at a control site on the adjacent Tasmanian mainland, where the devil population was low and stable. This study demonstrates how spatial variation in predator-caused mortality can limit both abundance and habitat breadth in generalist prey species, excluding them entirely from certain habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent P Scoleri
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay 7005, Australia
| | - Janeane Ingram
- School of Geography, Planning and Spatial Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay 7005, Australia
| | - Christopher N Johnson
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay 7005, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay 7005, Australia
| | - Menna E Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay 7005, Australia
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7
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She W, Gu J, Holyoak M, Yan C, Qi J, Wan X, Liu S, Xu L, Roberts NJ, Zhang Z, Jiang G. Impacts of top predators and humans on the mammal communities of recovering temperate forest regions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 862:160812. [PMID: 36493822 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160812] [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: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Top predators are important drivers in shaping ecological community structure via top-down effects. However, the ecological consequences and mechanisms of top predator loss under accelerated human impacts have rarely been quantitatively assessed due to the limited availability of long-term community data. With increases in top predator populations in northern China over the past two decades, forests with varying densities of top predators and humans provide an opportunity to study their ecological effects on mammal communities. We hypothesized a priori of conceptual models and tested these using structural equation models (SEMs) with multi-year camera trap data, aiming to reveal the underlying independent ecological effects of top predators (tigers, bears, and leopards) and humans on mammal communities. We used random forest models and correlations among species pairs to validate results. We found that top predator reduction could be related to augmented populations of large ungulates ("large ungulate release") and mesopredators ("mesopredator release"), consistent with observations of mammal communities in other ecosystems. Additionally, top predator reduction could be related to reduced small mammal abundance. Hierarchical SEMs identified three bottom-up pathways from forest quality to human activities, large ungulates, and some small mammals, and five top-down pathways from human activities and top predators to some small mammals, large ungulates, and mesopredators. Furthermore, our results suggest that humans showed predominant top-down effects on multiple functional groups, partially replacing the role of top predators, rather than be mediated by them; effects of humans and top predators appeared largely independent. Effects of humans on top predators were non-significant. This study provides novel insights into the effects of top predators and humans as super-predators on mammal communities in forest ecosystems and presents cues of bottom-up effects that can be translated into actionable management plans for improving forest quality, thereby supporting top predator recovery and work/life activities of local people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen She
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Jiayin Gu
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Marcel Holyoak
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Chuan Yan
- Institute of Innovation Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jinzhe Qi
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Xinru Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shuyan Liu
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Nathan James Roberts
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Guangshun Jiang
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
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8
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Mooney JA, Marsden CD, Yohannes A, Wayne RK, Lohmueller KE. Long-term Small Population Size, Deleterious Variation, and Altitude Adaptation in the Ethiopian Wolf, a Severely Endangered Canid. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msac277. [PMID: 36585842 PMCID: PMC9847632 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Ethiopian wolves, a canid species endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands, have been steadily declining in numbers for decades. Currently, out of 35 extant species, it is now one of the world's most endangered canids. Most conservation efforts have focused on preventing disease, monitoring movements and behavior, and assessing the geographic ranges of sub-populations. Here, we add an essential layer by determining the Ethiopian wolf's demographic and evolutionary history using high-coverage (∼40×) whole-genome sequencing from 10 Ethiopian wolves from the Bale Mountains. We observe exceptionally low diversity and enrichment of weakly deleterious variants in the Ethiopian wolves in comparison with two North American gray wolf populations and four dog breeds. These patterns are consequences of long-term small population size, rather than recent inbreeding. We infer the demographic history of the Ethiopian wolf and find it to be concordant with historic records and previous genetic analyses, suggesting Ethiopian wolves experienced a series of both ancient and recent bottlenecks, resulting in a census population size of fewer than 500 individuals and an estimated effective population size of approximately 100 individuals. Additionally, long-term small population size may have limited the accumulation of strongly deleterious recessive mutations. Finally, as the Ethiopian wolves have inhabited high-altitude areas for thousands of years, we searched for evidence of high-altitude adaptation, finding evidence of positive selection at a transcription factor in a hypoxia-response pathway [CREB-binding protein (CREBBP)]. Our findings are pertinent to continuing conservation efforts and understanding how demography influences the persistence of deleterious variation in small populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jazlyn A Mooney
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Clare D Marsden
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Abigail Yohannes
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Robert K Wayne
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kirk E Lohmueller
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Hoy SR, Vucetich JA, Peterson RO. The Role of Wolves in Regulating a Chronic Non-communicable Disease, Osteoarthritis, in Prey Populations. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.819137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is widely accepted that predators disproportionately prey on individuals that are old, weak, diseased or injured. By selectively removing individuals with diseases, predators may play an important role in regulating the overall health of prey populations. However, that idea is seldom tested empirically. Here we assess the extent that wolves (Canis lupus) select adult moose (Alces alces) in Isle Royale National Park on the basis of age-class and osteoarthritis, a chronic, non-communicable disease. We also assess how temporal variation in kill rates (on moose by wolves) were associated with the subsequent incidence of osteoarthritis in the moose population over a 33-year period (1975–2007). Wolves showed strong selection for senescent moose and tended to avoid prime-aged adults. However, the presence of severe osteoarthritis, but not mild or moderate osteoarthritis, appeared to increase the vulnerability of prime-aged moose to predation. There was weak evidence to suggest that senescent moose with osteoarthritis maybe more vulnerable to wolves, compared to senescent moose without the disease. The incidence of osteoarthritis declined following years with higher kill rates–which is plausibly due to the selective removal of individuals with osteoarthritis. Together those results suggest that selective predation plays an important role in regulating the health of prey populations. Additionally, because osteoarthritis is influenced by genetic factors, these results highlight how wolf predation may act as a selective force against genes associated with developing severe osteoarthritis as a prime-aged adult. Our findings highlight one benefits of allowing predators to naturally regulate prey populations. The evidence we present for predation’s influence on the health of prey populations is also relevant for policy-related arguments about refraining from intensively hunting wolf populations.
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Rewilding by Wolf Recolonisation, Consequences for Ungulate Populations and Game Hunting. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11020317. [PMID: 35205183 PMCID: PMC8869524 DOI: 10.3390/biology11020317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Humans extirpated the wolf Canis lupus from many regions of Europe. Today, the wolf is returning to many of these areas, and with it, people’s opposition due to its predatory habits on, among others, ungulate game species. Based on existing data on wolf prey selection, kill rates and territory size, we extrapolated the results from central Sweden and Poland to southern Sweden, where wolf recolonization has not yet occurred and conservation conflicts with hunters are expected. Thus, we calculated the proportion of moose Alces alces, roe deer Capreolus capreolus, red deer Cervus elaphus, fallow deer Dama dama and wild boar Sus scrofa that would be killed by wolves in the municipalities of southern Sweden if wolf recolonization occurs. We found that the current system of five ungulate species in southern Sweden could potentially support a wolf density two to four times higher than in the current wolf distribution in central Sweden, which are mainly inhabited by roe deer and moose. With this type of research, we can anticipate and work to ameliorate the social unrest and expected conservation conflicts that may arise once wolves or other large carnivore species recolonize areas of Europe that are returning to the wild. Abstract The ongoing recolonisations of human-transformed environments in Europe by large carnivores like the wolf Canis lupus means that conservation conflicts could re-surface, among other reasons, due to predation on ungulate game species. We estimated the effect of wolves on ungulate species using data on wolf prey selection, kill rates and territory size to build a hypothetical case of future expansion. We extrapolated results on predation from the current wolf distribution in central Sweden and eastern Poland to the eventual wolf recolonisation of southern Sweden. We then calculated the proportion of five ungulate game species killed annually by wolves, and the ratio between the predicted annual predation by wolves given future colonization and the number of ungulates currently harvested by hunters. Results showed that wolf recolonization in southern Sweden would have a minor impact on the estimated population densities of red deer Cervus elaphus, fallow deer Dama dama and wild boar Sus scrofa, but is likely to lead to a significant reduction in human captures of moose Alces alces and roe deer Capreolus capreolus. The current five-ungulate species system in southern Sweden suggests a potential for two to four times higher wolf density than the two-ungulate species system in the northern part of their current distribution. Management and conservation of recolonizing large carnivores require a better understanding of the observed impact on game populations under similar ecological conditions to ameliorate conservation conflicts and achieve a paradigm of coexistence. Integrating these predictions into management is paramount to the current rewilding trend occurring in many areas of Europe or North America.
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11
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Brice EM, Larsen EJ, MacNulty DR. Sampling bias exaggerates a textbook example of a trophic cascade. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:177-188. [PMID: 34748261 PMCID: PMC9298920 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Understanding trophic cascades in terrestrial wildlife communities is a major challenge because these systems are difficult to sample properly. We show how a tradition of non-random sampling has confounded this understanding in a textbook system (Yellowstone National Park) where carnivore [Canis lupus (wolf)] recovery is associated with a trophic cascade involving changes in herbivore [Cervus canadensis (elk)] behaviour and density that promote plant regeneration. Long-term data indicate a practice of sampling only the tallest young plants overestimated regeneration of overstory aspen (Populus tremuloides) by a factor of 4-7 compared to random sampling because it favoured plants taller than the preferred browsing height of elk and overlooked non-regenerating aspen stands. Random sampling described a trophic cascade, but it was weaker than the one that non-random sampling described. Our findings highlight the critical importance of basic sampling principles (e.g. randomisation) for achieving an accurate understanding of trophic cascades in terrestrial wildlife systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine M. Brice
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Eric J. Larsen
- Department of Geography and GeologyUniversity of Wisconsin – Stevens PointStevens PointWisconsinUSA
| | - Daniel R. MacNulty
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
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12
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R. Hoy S, Forbey JS, Melody DP, Vucetich LM, Peterson RO, Koitzsch KB, Koitzsch LO, Von Duyke AL, Henderson JJ, Parikh GL, Vucetich JA. The nutritional condition of moose co‐varies with climate, but not with density, predation risk or diet composition. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R. Hoy
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological Univ. Houghton MI USA
| | | | | | - Leah M. Vucetich
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological Univ. Houghton MI USA
| | - Rolf O. Peterson
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological Univ. Houghton MI USA
| | - K. B. Koitzsch
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological Univ. Houghton MI USA
- K2 Consulting Waitsfield VT USA
| | - Lisa O. Koitzsch
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological Univ. Houghton MI USA
- K2 Consulting Waitsfield VT USA
| | | | - John J. Henderson
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological Univ. Houghton MI USA
| | - Grace L. Parikh
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological Univ. Houghton MI USA
| | - John A. Vucetich
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological Univ. Houghton MI USA
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13
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Hoy SR, MacNulty DR, Metz MC, Smith DW, Stahler DR, Peterson RO, Vucetich JA. Negative frequency-dependent prey selection by wolves and its implications on predator–prey dynamics. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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14
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Fowler NL, Kautz TM, Petroelje TR, Wilton CM, Kellner KF, O'Brien DJ, Parsons B, Beyer DE, Belant JL. Marginal support for a trophic cascade among sympatric canids in peripheral wolf range. Ecology 2021; 102:e03494. [PMID: 34309013 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Trophic cascades reportedly structure ecological communities through indirect species interactions. Though the predator-herbivore-autotroph relationship has received much attention, mechanistic evidence supporting intraguild trophic cascades is rare. We established 348 remote camera sites (1 August-5 September 2019) across seven study areas of varying wolf (Canis lupus) density including one study area where wolves were absent in northern Michigan, USA. Using multi-species occupancy modeling at species-relevant spatial scales, we evaluated the hypothesis that increased wolf occurrence suppresses coyote (C. latrans) occurrence with corresponding increased red fox (Vulpes vulpes) occurrence mediated by land cover edge density, human presence, and temporal partitioning. Remote cameras recorded >600,000 images and included 6,370, 10,137, and 4,876 detections of wolves, coyotes, and foxes, respectively. Fox occupancy probability was more than three times as high (0.29) at camera sites where wolves were present, relative to sites wolves were absent (0.09). Pairwise species interactions supported expected size-based dominance patterns among canids and insignificant effects were directionally consistent with reported reduced strength of top-down effects in peripheral wolf range. Increased edge density also increased co-occurrence of coyote and wolves, likely a function of increased prey availability and refugia for coyotes. Though foxes occurred in spatial proximity to wolves, competition was limited by greater temporal partitioning than observed between coyotes and foxes that were spatially segregated. Collectively, our results provide marginal support for the reported trophic cascade among wolves, coyotes, and foxes wherein top-down effects may be reduced near the edge of current wolf distributions. As predators continue to recolonize portions of their historic range, knowledge of the effects on intraguild predators has implications for species management and predicting prey population responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas L Fowler
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, New York, 13210, USA
| | - Todd M Kautz
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, New York, 13210, USA
| | - Tyler R Petroelje
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, New York, 13210, USA
| | - Clay M Wilton
- Michigan Natural Features Inventory, P.O. Box 13036, Lansing, Michigan, 48901, USA
| | - Kenneth F Kellner
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, New York, 13210, USA
| | - Daniel J O'Brien
- Wildlife Disease Laboratory, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, 4125 Beaumont Road, Room 250, Lansing, Michigan, 48910, USA
| | - Bill Parsons
- Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Natural Resource Department, 7845 Odawa Circle, Harbor Springs, Michigan, 49740, USA
| | - Dean E Beyer
- Wildlife Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, 1990 US Highway 41 S, Marquette, Michigan, 49855, USA
| | - Jerrold L Belant
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, New York, 13210, USA
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15
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Malcom J, Carter A. Better Representation Is Needed in U.S. Endangered Species Act Implementation. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2021.650543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the United States, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uses the concepts of resilience, redundancy, and representation—often known as the “3Rs”—to guide implementation of the Endangered Species Act, which requires the U.S. government to designate imperiled species as threatened or endangered, and take action to recover them. The Service has done little, however, to relate the 3Rs to the statutory requirements of the Act. Here we focus on interpreting the concept of representation given core tenets of science and conservation policy. We show that the Service's current interpretation, which focuses on a narrow set of characteristics intrinsic to species that facilitate future adaptation, falls far short of a reasonable interpretation from the scientific literature and other policy, and has significant consequences for the conservation of threatened and endangered species, including those found in other countries. To illustrate the shortcomings in practice, we discuss the cases of the Lower 48 gray wolf (Canis lupus) delisting, the proposed Red-cockadedWoodpecker (Picoides borealis) downlisting, and the possible downlisting of the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis). We then propose an alternative interpretation of representation that accommodates the Service's narrow interpretation and broadens it to include the importance of intraspecific variation for its own sake as well as extrinsic characteristics such as a species' role in ecological communities. We argue that this interpretation better reflects the intent of the Endangered Species Act, the best available science, and policy needs for conserving imperiled wildlife, all of which recognize the importance not only of preventing global extinction but also of preventing ecological extinction and extirpation across significant portions of a species' range.
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16
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Smith DW, Peterson RO. Intended and unintended consequences of wolf restoration to Yellowstone and Isle Royale National Parks. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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17
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Liao CP, Hsu JY, Huang SP, Clark RW, Lin JW, Tseng HY, Huang WS. Sum of fears among intraguild predators drives the survival of green sea turtle ( Chelonia mydas) eggs. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20202631. [PMID: 33563122 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecologists have long theorized that apex predators stabilize trophic systems by exerting a net protective effect on the basal resource of a food web. Although experimental and observational studies have borne this out, it is not always clear what behavioural mechanisms among the trophically connected species are responsible for this stability. Fear of intraguild predation is commonly identified as one such mechanism in models and mesocosm studies, but empirical evidence in natural systems remains limited, as the complexity of many trophic systems renders detailed behavioural studies of species interactions challenging. Here, we combine long-term field observations of a trophic system in nature with experimental behavioural studies of how all the species in this system interact, in both pairs and groups. The results demonstrate how an abundant, sessile and palatable prey item (sea turtle eggs, Chelonia mydas) survives when faced by three potential predators that all readily eat eggs: an apex predator (the stink ratsnake, Elaphe carinata) and two mesopredators (the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus, and kukri snake, Oligodon formosanus). Our results detail how fear of intraguild predation, conspecific cannibalism, habitat structure and territorial behaviour among these species interact in a complex fashion that results in high egg survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Pan Liao
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Ya Hsu
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Shi-Ping Huang
- Department of Life Sciences, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Rulon W Clark
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jhan-Wei Lin
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Yun Tseng
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-San Huang
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Life Sciences, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
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18
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Abstract
The effects of human disturbance spread over virtually all ecosystems and ecological communities on Earth. In this review, we focus on the effects of human disturbance on terrestrial apex predators. We summarize their ecological role in nature and how they respond to different sources of human disturbance. Apex predators control their prey and smaller predators numerically and via behavioral changes to avoid predation risk, which in turn can affect lower trophic levels. Crucially, reducing population numbers and triggering behavioral responses are also the effects that human disturbance causes to apex predators, which may in turn influence their ecological role. Some populations continue to be at the brink of extinction, but others are partially recovering former ranges, via natural recolonization and through reintroductions. Carnivore recovery is both good news for conservation and a challenge for management, particularly when recovery occurs in human-dominated landscapes. Therefore, we conclude by discussing several management considerations that, adapted to local contexts, may favor the recovery of apex predator populations and their ecological functions in nature.
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19
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Wirsing AJ, Heithaus MR, Brown JS, Kotler BP, Schmitz OJ. The context dependence of non-consumptive predator effects. Ecol Lett 2020; 24:113-129. [PMID: 32990363 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Non-consumptive predator effects (NCEs) are now widely recognised for their capacity to shape ecosystem structure and function. Yet, forecasting the propagation of these predator-induced trait changes through particular communities remains a challenge. Accordingly, focusing on plasticity in prey anti-predator behaviours, we conceptualise the multi-stage process by which predators trigger direct and indirect NCEs, review and distil potential drivers of contingencies into three key categories (properties of the prey, predator and setting), and then provide a general framework for predicting both the nature and strength of direct NCEs. Our review underscores the myriad factors that can generate NCE contingencies while guiding how research might better anticipate and account for them. Moreover, our synthesis highlights the value of mapping both habitat domains and prey-specific patterns of evasion success ('evasion landscapes') as the basis for predicting how direct NCEs are likely to manifest in any particular community. Looking ahead, we highlight two key knowledge gaps that continue to impede a comprehensive understanding of non-consumptive predator-prey interactions and their ecosystem consequences; namely, insufficient empirical exploration of (1) context-dependent indirect NCEs and (2) the ways in which direct and indirect NCEs are shaped interactively by multiple drivers of context dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron J Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Box 352100, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Michael R Heithaus
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marine Sciences Program, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st St, North Miami, FL, 33181, USA
| | - Joel S Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 West Taylor Street, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.,Department of Integrated Mathematical Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Dr, Tampa, FL, 33613, USA
| | - Burt P Kotler
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet, Ben-Gurion, 84990, Israel
| | - Oswald J Schmitz
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, 195 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
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20
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De Jager NR, Rohweder JJ, Duveneck MJ. Climate Change Is Likely to Alter Future Wolf – Moose – Forest Interactions at Isle Royale National Park, United States. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.543915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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21
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Gaynor KM, Cherry MJ, Gilbert SL, Kohl MT, Larson CL, Newsome TM, Prugh LR, Suraci JP, Young JK, Smith JA. An applied ecology of fear framework: linking theory to conservation practice. Anim Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn M. Gaynor
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
| | - Michael J. Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute Texas A&M University‐Kingsville Kingsville Texas USA
| | - Sophie L. Gilbert
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow Idaho USA
| | - Michel T. Kohl
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
| | | | - Thomas M. Newsome
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Laura R. Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle WA USA
| | - Justin P. Suraci
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research Environmental Studies Department University of California Santa Cruz CA USA
| | - Julie K. Young
- Predator Research Facility USDA‐National Wildlife Research Center Millville Utah USA
| | - Justine A. Smith
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology University of California, Davis Davis CA USA
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22
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Abstract
Abstract
The critical agenda for mammalian ecologists over this century is to obtain a synthetic and predictive understanding of the factors that limit the distribution and abundance of mammals on Earth. During the last 100 years, a start has been made on this agenda, but only a start. Most mammal species have been described, but there still are tropical areas of undisclosed species richness. We have been measuring changes in distribution and abundance of many common mammals during the last century, and this monitoring agenda has become more critical as climate change has accelerated and habitat destruction has increased with human population growth. There are a small number of factors that can limit the distribution and abundance of mammals: weather, predation, food supplies, disease, and social behavior. Weather limits distribution and abundance mostly in an indirect manner by affecting food supplies, disease, and predation in the short term and habitat composition and structure in the longer term. A good starting point for all studies of mammals is to define them within a well-structured trophic web, and then quantify the major linkages within that web. We still are far from having data on enough model systems to develop a complete theory and understanding of how food webs are structured and constrained as climate shifts and humans disturb habitats. We have many of the bits and pieces for some of our major ecosystems but a poor understanding of the links and the resilience of our mammalian communities to changes in trophic webs driven by climate change and human disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles J Krebs
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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23
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O'Neil ST, Vucetich JA, Beyer DE, Hoy SR, Bump JK. Territoriality drives preemptive habitat selection in recovering wolves: Implications for carnivore conservation. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1433-1447. [PMID: 32145068 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
According to the ideal-free distribution (IFD), individuals within a population are free to select habitats that maximize their chances of success. Assuming knowledge of habitat quality, the IFD predicts that average fitness will be approximately equal among individuals and between habitats, while density varies, implying that habitat selection will be density dependent. Populations are often assumed to follow an IFD, although this assumption is rarely tested with empirical data, and may be incorrect when territoriality indicates habitat selection tactics that deviate from the IFD (e.g. ideal-despotic distribution or ideal-preemptive distribution). When territoriality influences habitat selection, species' density will not directly reflect components of fitness such as reproductive success or survival. In such cases, assuming an IFD can lead to false conclusions about habitat quality. We tested theoretical models of density-dependent habitat selection on a species known to exhibit territorial behaviour in order to determine whether commonly applied habitat models are appropriate under these circumstances. We combined long-term radiotelemetry and census data from grey wolves Canis lupus in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA to relate spatiotemporal variability in wolf density to underlying classifications of habitat within a hierarchical state-space modelling framework. We then iteratively applied isodar analysis to evaluate which distribution of habitat selection best described this recolonizing wolf population. The wolf population in our study expanded by >1,000% during our study (~50 to >600 individuals), and density-dependent habitat selection was most consistent with the ideal-preemptive distribution, as opposed to the ideal-free or ideal-despotic alternatives. Population density of terrestrial carnivores may not be positively correlated with the fitness value of their habitats, and density-dependent habitat selection patterns may help to explain complex predator-prey dynamics and cascading indirect effects. Source-sink population dynamics appear likely when species exhibit rapid growth and occupy interspersed habitats of contrasting quality. These conditions are likely and have implications for large carnivores in many systems, such as areas in North America and Europe where large predator species are currently recolonizing their former ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn T O'Neil
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, MI, USA
| | - John A Vucetich
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, MI, USA
| | - Dean E Beyer
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, MI, USA.,Wildlife Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, 1990 U.S. Hwy 41 So, Marquette, MI, USA
| | - Sarah R Hoy
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, MI, USA
| | - Joseph K Bump
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, 2003 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN, USA
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24
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Martin JL, Chamaillé-Jammes S, Waller DM. Deer, wolves, and people: costs, benefits and challenges of living together. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:782-801. [PMID: 32043747 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Human-driven species annihilations loom as a major crisis. However the recovery of deer and wolf populations in many parts of the northern hemisphere has resulted in conflicts and controversies rather than in relief. Both species interact in complex ways with their environment, each other, and humans. We review these interactions in the context of the ecological and human costs and benefits associated with these species. We integrate scattered information to widen our perspective on the nature and perception of these costs and benefits and how they link to each other and ongoing controversies regarding how we manage deer and wolf populations. After revisiting the ecological roles deer and wolves play in contemporary ecosystems, we explore how they interact, directly and indirectly, with human groups including farmers, foresters, shepherds, and hunters. Interactions with deer and wolves generate various axes of tension, posing both ecological and sociological challenges. Resolving these tensions and conflicts requires that we address key questions using integrative approaches: what are the ecological consequences of deer and wolf recovery? How do they influence each other? What are the social and socio-ecological consequences of large deer populations and wolf presence? Finally, what key obstacles must be overcome to allow deer, wolves and people to coexist? Reviewing contemporary ecological and sociological results suggests insights and ways to improve our understanding and resolve long-standing challenges to coexistence. We should begin by agreeing to enhance aggregate benefits while minimizing the collective costs we incur by interacting with deer and wolves. We should also view these species, and ourselves, as parts of integrated ecosystems subject to long-term dynamics. If co-existence is our goal, we need deer and wolves to persevere in ways that are compatible with human interests. Our human interests, however, should be inclusive and fairly value all the costs and benefits deer and wolves entail including their intrinsic value. Shifts in human attitudes and cultural learning that are already occurring will reshape our ecological interactions with deer and wolves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Louis Martin
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier, EPHE - PSL, IRD, 34293, Montpellier, France
| | - Simon Chamaillé-Jammes
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier, EPHE - PSL, IRD, 34293, Montpellier, France
| | - Donald M Waller
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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25
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Vucetich JA, Nelson MP, Bruskotter JT. What Drives Declining Support for Long-Term Ecological Research? Bioscience 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biz151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractSeveral recent papers have reinvigorated a chronic concern about the need for ecological science to focus more on long-term research. For a few decades, significant voices among ecologists have been assembling elements of a case in favor of long-term ecological research. In this article and for the first time, we synthesize the elements of this case and present it in succinct form. We also argue that this case is unlikely to result in more long-term research. Finally, we present ideas that, if implemented, are more likely to result in appropriate levels of investment in long-term research in ecological science. The article comes at an important time, because the US National Science Foundation is currently undertaking a 40-year review of its Long-Term Ecological Research Network.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Vucetich
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University Houghton
| | - Michael Paul Nelson
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis
| | - Jeremy T Bruskotter
- School Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus
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26
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Russell JC, Kaiser-Bunbury CN. Consequences of Multispecies Introductions on Island Ecosystems. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2019. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110218-024942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The rate of non-native species introductions continues to increase, with directionality from continents to islands. It is no longer single species but entire networks of coevolved and newly interacting continental species that are establishing on islands. The consequences of multispecies introductions on the population dynamics and interactions of native and introduced species will depend on the form of trophic limitation on island ecosystems. Freed from biotic constraints in their native range, species introduced to islands no longer experience top-down limitation, instead becoming limited by and disrupting bottom-up processes that dominate on resource-limited islands. This framing of the ecological and evolutionary relationships among introduced species with one another and their ecosystem has important consequences for conservation. Whereas on continents the focus of conservation is on restoring native apex species and top-down limitation, on islands the focus must instead be on removing introduced animal and plant species to restore bottom-up limitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C. Russell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Christopher N. Kaiser-Bunbury
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
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27
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Pedersen S, Angelstam P, Ferguson MA, Wabakken P, Storaas T. Impacts of wolves on rural economies from recreational small game hunting. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-019-1319-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Centralized management of large carnivore populations in rural and remote landscapes used by local people often leads to conflicts between the objectives of wildlife conservation and rural development. We tested the hypothesis that the presence of wolves indirectly reduces landowner revenues from traditional small game hunting, and that landowner revenues are more variable closer to wolf territories. The assumed mechanism is that hunters fear that their economically and culturally valuable hunting dogs may be killed by wolves, which results in reduced hunting, and thus reduced revenues for landowners where and when wolves occur. To determine the effect of wolf presence on revenues from sport hunting, we obtained data from 1990 to 2009 on income from small game management areas, in Hedmark and Oppland Counties in Norway, as well as locations of wolf territories. Small game management areas experienced increased sport hunting revenue with increasing distance to the closest wolf territory. Also, inter-annual variation in revenue decreased with increasing distance from wolf territories. Thus, wolf presence may reduce landowners’ revenues from small game hunting, and cause higher economic variability in rural communities. It is important to note that while the economic impacts of wolves may be compensated where governments have the will and the economic resources, the impacts on the lifestyles of rural people (e.g. hunter’s fear of losing prized dogs to wolves) will remain controversial.
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28
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Van Valkenburgh B, Peterson RO, Smith DW, Stahler DR, Vucetich JA. Tooth fracture frequency in gray wolves reflects prey availability. eLife 2019; 8:e48628. [PMID: 31549963 PMCID: PMC6759352 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Exceptionally high rates of tooth fracture in large Pleistocene carnivorans imply intensified interspecific competition, given that tooth fracture rises with increased bone consumption, a behavior that likely occurs when prey are difficult to acquire. To assess the link between prey availability and dental attrition, we documented dental fracture rates over decades among three well-studied populations of extant gray wolves that differed in prey:predator ratio and levels of carcass utilization. When prey:predator ratios declined, kills were more fully consumed, and rates of tooth fracture more than doubled. This supports tooth fracture frequency as a relative measure of the difficulty of acquiring prey, and reveals a rapid response to diminished food levels in large carnivores despite risks of infection and reduced fitness due to dental injuries. More broadly, large carnivore tooth fracture frequency likely reflects energetic stress, an aspect of predator success that is challenging to quantify in wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blaire Van Valkenburgh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Rolf O Peterson
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental ScienceMichigan Technological UniversityHoughtonUnited States
| | - Douglas W Smith
- Yellowstone Center for ResourcesNational Park Service, Yellowstone National ParkWyomingUnited States
| | - Daniel R Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for ResourcesNational Park Service, Yellowstone National ParkWyomingUnited States
| | - John A Vucetich
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental ScienceMichigan Technological UniversityHoughtonUnited States
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29
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Kohl MT, Ruth TK, Metz MC, Stahler DR, Smith DW, White PJ, MacNulty DR. Do prey select for vacant hunting domains to minimize a multi-predator threat? Ecol Lett 2019; 22:1724-1733. [PMID: 31373137 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Many ecosystems contain sympatric predator species that hunt in different places and times. We tested whether this provides vacant hunting domains, places and times where and when predators are least active, that prey use to minimize threats from multiple predators simultaneously. We measured how northern Yellowstone elk (Cervus elaphus) responded to wolves (Canis lupus) and cougars (Puma concolor), and found that elk selected for areas outside the high-risk domains of both predators consistent with the vacant domain hypothesis. This enabled elk to avoid one predator without necessarily increasing its exposure to the other. Our results demonstrate how the diel cycle can serve as a key axis of the predator hunting domain that prey exploit to manage predation risk from multiple sources. We argue that a multi-predator, spatiotemporal framework is vital to understand the causes and consequences of prey spatial response to predation risk in environments with more than one predator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel T Kohl
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Toni K Ruth
- Hornocker Wildlife Institute/Wildlife Conservation Society, Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA.,Salmon Valley Stewardship, Salmon, ID, 83467, USA
| | - Matthew C Metz
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 82190, USA.,Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Daniel R Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 82190, USA
| | - Douglas W Smith
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 82190, USA
| | - P J White
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 82190, USA
| | - Daniel R MacNulty
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
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30
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Hoy SR, Vucetich JA, Liu R, DeAngelis DL, Peterson RO, Vucetich LM, Henderson JJ. Negative frequency-dependent foraging behaviour in a generalist herbivore (Alces alces) and its stabilizing influence on food web dynamics. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:1291-1304. [PMID: 31131882 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Resource selection is widely appreciated to be context-dependent and shaped by both biological and abiotic factors. However, few studies have empirically assessed the extent to which selective foraging behaviour is dynamic and varies in response to environmental conditions for free-ranging animal populations. Here, we assessed the extent that forage selection fluctuated in response to different environmental conditions for a free-ranging herbivore, moose (Alces alces), in Isle Royale National Park, over a 10-year period. More precisely, we assessed how moose selection for coniferous versus deciduous forage in winter varied between geographic regions and in relation to (a) the relative frequency of forage types in the environment (e.g. frequency-dependent foraging behaviour), (b) moose abundance, (c) predation rate (by grey wolves) and (d) snow depth. These factors are potentially important for their influence on the energetics of foraging. We also built a series of food-chain models to assess the influence of dynamic foraging strategies on the stability of food webs. Our analysis indicates that moose exhibited negative frequency dependence, by selectively exploiting rare resources. Frequency-dependent foraging was further mediated by density-dependent processes, which are likely to be predation, moose abundance or some combination of both. In particular, frequency dependence was weaker in years when predation risk was high (i.e. when the ratio of moose to wolves was relatively low). Selection for conifers was also slightly weaker during deep snow years. The food-chain analysis indicates that the type of frequency-dependent foraging strategy exhibited by herbivores had important consequences for the stability of ecological communities. In particular, the dynamic foraging strategy that we observed in the empirical analysis (i.e. negative frequency dependence being mediated by density-dependent processes) was associated with more stable food web dynamics compared to fixed foraging strategies. The results of this study indicated that forage selection is a complex ecological process, varying in response to both biological (predation and moose density) and abiotic factors (snow depth) and over relatively small spatial scales (between regions). This study also provides a useful framework for assessing the influence of other aspects of foraging behaviour on the stability of food web dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R Hoy
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan
| | - John A Vucetich
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan
| | - Rongsong Liu
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
| | - Don L DeAngelis
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Rolf O Peterson
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan
| | - Leah M Vucetich
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan
| | - John J Henderson
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan
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31
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Robinson JA, Räikkönen J, Vucetich LM, Vucetich JA, Peterson RO, Lohmueller KE, Wayne RK. Genomic signatures of extensive inbreeding in Isle Royale wolves, a population on the threshold of extinction. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaau0757. [PMID: 31149628 PMCID: PMC6541468 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aau0757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The observation that small isolated populations often suffer reduced fitness from inbreeding depression has guided conservation theory and practice for decades. However, investigating the genome-wide dynamics associated with inbreeding depression in natural populations is only now feasible with relatively inexpensive sequencing technology and annotated reference genomes. To characterize the genome-wide effects of intense inbreeding and isolation, we performed whole-genome sequencing and morphological analysis of an iconic inbred population, the gray wolves (Canis lupus) of Isle Royale. Through population genetic simulations and comparison with wolf genomes from a variety of demographic histories, we find evidence that severe inbreeding depression in this population is due to increased homozygosity of strongly deleterious recessive mutations. Our results have particular relevance in light of the recent translocation of wolves from the mainland to Isle Royale, as well as broader implications for management of genetic variation in the fragmented landscape of the modern world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline A. Robinson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Jannikke Räikkönen
- Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 50007, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Leah M. Vucetich
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - John A. Vucetich
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Rolf O. Peterson
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Kirk E. Lohmueller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Interdepartmental Program in Bioinformatics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Robert K. Wayne
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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32
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Conserving large carnivores amidst human-wildlife conflict: The scope of ecological theory to guide conservation practice. FOOD WEBS 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2018.e00108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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33
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Harvey E, Altermatt F. Regulation of the functional structure of aquatic communities across spatial scales in a major river network. Ecology 2019; 100:e02633. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric Harvey
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich CH‐8057 Switzerland
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology Duebendorf CH‐8600 Switzerland
- Département de Sciences Biologiques Université de Montréal Montréal H2V 2S9 Canada
| | - Florian Altermatt
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich CH‐8057 Switzerland
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology Duebendorf CH‐8600 Switzerland
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Jessop TS, Ariefiandy A, Purwandana D, Benu YJ, Hyatt M, Letnic M. Little to fear: largest lizard predator induces weak defense responses in ungulate prey. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tim S Jessop
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Science, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
- Komodo Survival Program, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia
| | | | | | | | - Matthew Hyatt
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mike Letnic
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
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35
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Derham TT, Duncan RP, Johnson CN, Jones ME. Hope and caution: rewilding to mitigate the impacts of biological invasions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:rstb.2018.0127. [PMID: 30348875 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Rewilding is a novel approach to ecological restoration. Trophic rewilding in particular aims to reinstate ecological functions, especially trophic interactions, through the introduction of animals. We consider the potential for trophic rewilding to address biological invasions. In this broad review, we note some of the important conceptual and ethical foundations of rewilding, including a focus on ecosystem function rather than composition, reliance on animal agency, and an appeal to an ethic of coexistence. Second, we use theory from invasion biology to highlight pathways by which rewilding might prevent or mitigate the impacts of an invasion, including increasing biotic resistance. Third, we use a series of case studies to illustrate how reintroductions can mitigate the impacts of invasions. These include reintroductions and positive management of carnivores and herbivores including European pine martens (Martes martes), Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra), dingoes (Canis dingo), Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) and tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes). Fourth, we consider the risk that rewilding may enable a biological invasion or aggravate its impacts. Lastly, we highlight lessons that rewilding science might take from invasion biology.This article is part of the theme issue 'Trophic rewilding: consequences for ecosystems under global change'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan T Derham
- School of Natural Sciences and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Richard P Duncan
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Christopher N Johnson
- School of Natural Sciences and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Menna E Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
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36
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Painter LE, Beschta RL, Larsen EJ, Ripple WJ. Aspen recruitment in the Yellowstone region linked to reduced herbivory after large carnivore restoration. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Luke E. Painter
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; Oregon State University; Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Robert L. Beschta
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society; Oregon State University; Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Eric J. Larsen
- Department of Geography and Geology; University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; Stevens Point Wisconsin 54481-3897 USA
| | - William J. Ripple
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society; Oregon State University; Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
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37
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Kohl MT, Stahler DR, Metz MC, Forester JD, Kauffman MJ, Varley N, White PJ, Smith DW, MacNulty DR. Diel predator activity drives a dynamic landscape of fear. ECOL MONOGR 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michel T. Kohl
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center; Utah State University; Logan Utah 84322 USA
| | - Daniel R. Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources; National Park Service; Yellowstone National Park; Wyoming Montana 82190 USA
| | - Matthew C. Metz
- Yellowstone Center for Resources; National Park Service; Yellowstone National Park; Wyoming Montana 82190 USA
- Wildlife Biology Program; University of Montana; Missoula Montana 59812 USA
| | - James D. Forester
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; University of Minnesota; St. Paul Minnesota 55108 USA
| | - Matthew J. Kauffman
- U.S. Geological Survey; Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Department of Zoology and Physiology; University of Wyoming; Laramie Wyoming 82071 USA
| | - Nathan Varley
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alberta; Edmonton Alberta T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - P. J. White
- Yellowstone Center for Resources; National Park Service; Yellowstone National Park; Wyoming Montana 82190 USA
| | - Douglas W. Smith
- Yellowstone Center for Resources; National Park Service; Yellowstone National Park; Wyoming Montana 82190 USA
| | - Daniel R. MacNulty
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center; Utah State University; Logan Utah 84322 USA
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38
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Peers MJL, Majchrzak YN, Neilson E, Lamb CT, Hämäläinen A, Haines JA, Garland L, Doran-Myers D, Broadley K, Boonstra R, Boutin S. Quantifying fear effects on prey demography in nature. Ecology 2018; 99:1716-1723. [PMID: 29897623 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, it has been argued that the effect of predator fear exacts a greater demographic toll on prey populations than the direct killing of prey. However, efforts to quantify the effects of fear have primarily relied on experiments that replace predators with predator cues. Interpretation of these experiments must consider two important caveats: (1) the magnitude of experimenter-induced predator cues may not be realistically comparable to those of the prey's natural sensory environment, and (2) given functional predators are removed from the treatments, the fear effect is measured in the absence of any consumptive effects, a situation which never occurs in nature. We contend that demographic consequences of fear in natural populations may have been overestimated because the intensity of predator cues applied by experimenters in the majority of studies has been unnaturally high, in some instances rarely occurring in nature without consumption. Furthermore, the removal of consumption from the treatments creates the potential situation that individual prey in poor condition (those most likely to contribute strongly to the observed fear effects via starvation or reduced reproductive output) may have been consumed by predators in nature prior to the expression of fear effects, thus confounding consumptive and fear effects. Here, we describe an alternative treatment design that does not utilize predator cues, and in so doing, better quantifies the demographic effect of fear on wild populations. This treatment substitutes the traditional cue experiment where consumptive effects are eliminated and fear is simulated with a design where fear is removed and consumptive effects are simulated through the experimental removal of prey. Comparison to a natural population would give a more robust estimate of the effect of fear in the presence of consumption on the demographic variable of interest. This approach represents a critical advance in quantifying the mechanistic pathways through which predation structures ecological communities. Discussing the merits of both treatments will motivate researchers to go beyond simply describing the existence of fear effects and focus on testing their true magnitude in wild populations and natural communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J L Peers
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Yasmine N Majchrzak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Eric Neilson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Clayton T Lamb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Anni Hämäläinen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Jessica A Haines
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Laura Garland
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Darcy Doran-Myers
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Kate Broadley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Rudy Boonstra
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
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39
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Bull JW, Ejrnaes R, Macdonald DW, Svenning JC, Sandom CJ. Fences can support restoration in human-dominated ecosystems when rewilding with large predators. Restor Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W. Bull
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation; University of Kent; Kent CT2 7NZ U.K
- Department of Food and Resource Economics & Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate; University of Copenhagen; Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Rasmus Ejrnaes
- Department of Bioscience, Biodiversity & Conservation; Aarhus University; Grenåvej 14, 8410 Rønde Denmark
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Department of Zoology, Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre; University of Oxford; Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon OX13 5QL U.K
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Department of Bioscience, Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity; Aarhus University; Ny Munkegade, 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C Denmark
- Department of Bioscience, Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE); Aarhus University; Ny Munkegade, 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C Denmark
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40
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Hoy SR, Peterson RO, Vucetich JA. Climate warming is associated with smaller body size and shorter lifespans in moose near their southern range limit. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:2488-2497. [PMID: 29226555 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Despite the importance of body size for individual fitness, population dynamics and community dynamics, the influence of climate change on growth and body size is inadequately understood, particularly for long-lived vertebrates. Although temporal trends in body size have been documented, it remains unclear whether these changes represent the adverse impact of climate change (environmental stress constraining phenotypes) or its mitigation (via phenotypic plasticity or evolution). Concerns have also been raised about whether climate change is indeed the causal agent of these phenotypic shifts, given the length of time-series analysed and that studies often do not evaluate - and thereby sufficiently rule out - other potential causes. Here, we evaluate evidence for climate-related changes in adult body size (indexed by skull size) over a 4-decade period for a population of moose (Alces alces) near the southern limit of their range whilst also considering changes in density, predation, and human activities. In particular, we document: (i) a trend of increasing winter temperatures and concurrent decline in skull size (decline of 19% for males and 13% for females) and (ii) evidence of a negative relationship between skull size and winter temperatures during the first year of life. These patterns could be plausibly interpreted as an adaptive phenotypic response to climate warming given that latitudinal/temperature clines are often accepted as evidence of adaptation to local climate. However, we also observed: (iii) that moose with smaller skulls had shorter lifespans, (iv) a reduction in lifespan over the 4-decade study period, and (v) a negative relationship between lifespan and winter temperatures during the first year of life. Those observations indicate that this phenotypic change is not an adaptive response to climate change. However, this decline in lifespan was not accompanied by an obvious change in population dynamics, suggesting that climate change may affect population dynamics and life-histories differently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R Hoy
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USA
| | - Rolf O Peterson
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USA
| | - John A Vucetich
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USA
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41
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Behrendorff L, Leung LKP, Allen BL. Utilisation of stranded marine fauna washed ashore on K’gari (Fraser Island), Australia, by dingoes. AUST J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/zo18022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Stranded marine fauna have been identified as a potentially significant food resource for terrestrial carnivores, but how such subsidisation influences terrestrial species ecology is not well understood. We describe the dietary and behavioural responses of dingoes (Canis familiaris) to the occurrence of large-animal marine strandings (e.g. dead cetaceans, marine turtles and pinnipeds) between 2006 and 2016 on K’gari (Fraser Island), Australia, to better understand the trophic links between marine and terrestrial systems. A total of 309 strandings were recorded during this period (~3.1 strandings per month), yielding an annual average of 30.3 tons of available carrion to the 100–200 dingoes present on the island. Carcass monitoring with camera traps showed that dingoes used carcasses almost daily after a short period of decomposition. Whole packs of up to seven dingoes of all age classes at a time were observed visiting carcasses for multiple successive days. These data demonstrate that large-animal marine subsidies can be a common, substantial and important food source for dingoes, and that the estimated daily dietary needs of roughly 5–10% of the island’s dingo population were supported by this food source. Our data suggest that marine subsidisation can influence terrestrial carnivore diet, behaviour and abundance, which may produce cascading indirect effects for terrestrial ecosystems in contexts where subsidised carnivores interact strongly with other species.
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42
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Allen BL, Fawcett A, Anker A, Engeman RM, Lisle A, Leung LKP. Environmental effects are stronger than human effects on mammalian predator-prey relationships in arid Australian ecosystems. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 610-611:451-461. [PMID: 28818660 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2017] [Revised: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Climate (drought, rainfall), geology (habitat availability), land use change (provision of artificial waterpoints, introduction of livestock), invasive species (competition, predation), and direct human intervention (lethal control of top-predators) have each been identified as processes driving the sustainability of threatened fauna populations. We used a systematic combination of empirical observational studies and experimental manipulations to comprehensively evaluate the effects of these process on a model endangered rodent, dusky hopping-mice (Notomys fuscus). We established a large manipulative experiment in arid Australia, and collected information from relative abundance indices, camera traps, GPS-collared dingoes (Canis familiaris) and dingo scats, along with a range of related environmental data (e.g. rainfall, habitat type, distance to artificial water etc.). We show that hopping-mice populations were most strongly influenced by geological and climatic effects of resource availability and rainfall, and not land use, invasive species, or human effects of livestock grazing, waterpoint provision, or the lethal control of dingoes. Hopping-mice distribution declined along a geological gradient of more to less available hopping-mice habitat (sand dunes), and their abundance was driven by rainfall. Hopping-mice populations fluctuated independent of livestock presence, artificial waterpoint availability or repeated lethal dingo control. Hopping-mice populations appear to be limited first by habitat availability, then by food availability, then by predation. Contemporary top-predator control practices (for protection of livestock) have little influence on hopping-mice behaviour or population dynamics. Given our inability to constrain the effects of predation across broad scales, management actions focusing on increasing available food and habitat (e.g. alteration of fire and herbivory) may have a greater chance of improving the conservation status of hopping-mice and other small mammals in arid areas. Our study also reaffirms the importance of using systematic and experimental approaches to detect true drivers of population distribution and dynamics where multiple potential drivers operate simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L Allen
- University of Southern Queensland, Institute for Agriculture and the Environment, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia.
| | - Alana Fawcett
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, Sippy Downs, Queensland 4556, Australia.
| | - Alison Anker
- Robert Wicks Pest Animal Research Centre, Biosecurity Queensland, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia
| | - Richard M Engeman
- National Wildlife Research Centre, US Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO 8051-2154, USA.
| | - Allan Lisle
- University of Queensland, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia.
| | - Luke K-P Leung
- University of Queensland, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia.
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Bruskotter JT, Vucetich JA, Smith DW, Nelson MP, Karns GR, Peterson RO. The role of science in understanding (and saving) large carnivores: A response to Allen and colleagues. FOOD WEBS 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2017.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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44
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Morgan HR, Hunter JT, Ballard G, Fleming PJ. The trophic cascades concept may constrain Australian dingo reintroduction experiments: A response to Newsome et al. (2017). FOOD WEBS 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2017.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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45
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Reprint of: The case for a dingo reintroduction in Australia remains strong: A reply to Morgan et al., 2016. FOOD WEBS 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2017.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Large carnivore science: non-experimental studies are useful, but experiments are better. FOOD WEBS 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2017.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Lane PA. Assumptions about trophic cascades: The inevitable collision between reductionist simplicity and ecological complexity. FOOD WEBS 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2017.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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A review of the trophic cascade concept using the lens of loop analysis: “The truth is the whole”. FOOD WEBS 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2017.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Piovia-Scott J, Yang LH, Wright AN. Temporal Variation in Trophic Cascades. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2017. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-121415-032246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The trophic cascade has emerged as a key paradigm in ecology. Although ecologists have made progress in understanding spatial variation in the strength of trophic cascades, temporal variation remains relatively unexplored. Our review suggests that strong trophic cascades are often transient, appearing when ecological conditions support high consumer abundance and rapidly growing, highly edible prey. Persistent top-down control is expected to decay over time in the absence of external drivers, as strong top-down control favors the emergence of better-defended resources. Temporal shifts in cascade strength—including those driven by contemporary global change—can either stabilize or destabilize ecological communities. We suggest that a more temporally explicit approach can improve our ability to explain the drivers of trophic cascades and predict the impact of changing cascade strength on community dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonah Piovia-Scott
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Vancouver, Washington
| | - Louie H. Yang
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, California
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Congreve CR, Falk AR, Lamsdell JC. Biological hierarchies and the nature of extinction. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:811-826. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Revised: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Curtis R. Congreve
- Department of Geosciences; 510 Deike Building, Pennsylvania State University; University Park PA 16802 U.S.A
| | - Amanda R. Falk
- Department of Biology; Centre College, 600 West Walnut Street; Danville KY 40422 U.S.A
| | - James C. Lamsdell
- Department of Geology and Geography, 98 Beechurst Avenure, Brooks Hall; West Virginia University; Morgantown WV 26506 U.S.A
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