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Bean WT, Butterfield HS, Howard JK, Batter TJ. Climatically robust multiscale species distribution models to support pronghorn recovery in California. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11454. [PMID: 38903145 PMCID: PMC11188984 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
We combined two climate-based distribution models with three finer-scale suitability models to identify habitat for pronghorn recovery in California now and into the future. We used a consensus approach to identify areas of suitable climate now and future for pronghorn in California. We compared the results of climate models from two separate hypotheses about their historical ecology in the state. Under the migration hypothesis, pronghorn were expected to be limited climatically by extreme cold in winter and extreme heat in summer; under the niche reduction hypothesis, historical pronghorn of distribution would have better represented the climatic limitations of the species. We combined occurrences from GPS collars distributed across three populations of pronghorn in the state to create three distinct habitat suitability models: (1) an ensemble model using random forests, Maxent, classification and regression Trees, and a generalized linear model; (2) a step selection function; and (3) an expert-driven model. We evaluated consensus among both the climate models and the suitability models to prioritize areas for, and evaluate the prospects of, pronghorn recovery. Climate suitability for pronghorn in the future depends heavily on model assumptions. Under the migration hypothesis, our model predicted that there will be no suitable climate in California in the future. Under the niche reduction hypothesis, by contrast, suitable climate will expand. Habitat suitability also depended on the methods used, but areas of consensus among all three models exist in large patches throughout the state. Identifying habitat for a species which has undergone extreme range collapse, and which has very fine scale habitat needs, presents novel challenges for spatial ecologists. Our multimethod, multihypothesis approach can allow habitat modelers to identify areas of consensus and, perhaps more importantly, fill critical knowledge gaps that could resolve disagreements among the models. For pronghorn, a better understanding of their upper thermal tolerances and whether historical populations migrated will be crucial to their potential recovery in California and throughout the arid Southwest.
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Affiliation(s)
- William T. Bean
- California Polytechnic State University – San Luis ObispoSan Luis ObispoCaliforniaUSA
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2
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Hofmann DD, Cozzi G, Fieberg J. Methods for implementing integrated step-selection functions with incomplete data. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:37. [PMID: 38725084 PMCID: PMC11081933 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00476-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Integrated step-selection analyses (iSSAs) are versatile and powerful frameworks for studying habitat and movement preferences of tracked animals. iSSAs utilize integrated step-selection functions (iSSFs) to model movements in discrete time, and thus, require animal location data that are regularly spaced in time. However, many real-world datasets are incomplete due to tracking devices failing to locate an individual at one or more scheduled times, leading to slight irregularities in the duration between consecutive animal locations. To address this issue, researchers typically only consider bursts of regular data (i.e., sequences of locations that are equally spaced in time), thereby reducing the number of observations used to model movement and habitat selection. We reassess this practice and explore four alternative approaches that account for temporal irregularity resulting from missing data. Using a simulation study, we compare these alternatives to a baseline approach where temporal irregularity is ignored and demonstrate the potential improvements in model performance that can be gained by leveraging these additional data. We also showcase these benefits using a case study on a spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta).
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Affiliation(s)
- David D Hofmann
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Botswana Predator Conservation Program, Wild Entrust, Private Bag 13, Maun, Botswana.
| | - Gabriele Cozzi
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
- Botswana Predator Conservation Program, Wild Entrust, Private Bag 13, Maun, Botswana
| | - John Fieberg
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
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Brønnvik H, Nourani E, Fiedler W, Flack A. Experience reduces route selection for conspecifics by the collectively migrating white stork. Curr Biol 2024; 34:2030-2037.e3. [PMID: 38636512 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Migration can be an energetically costly behavior with strong fitness consequences in terms of mortality and reproduction.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 Migrants should select migratory routes to minimize their costs, but both costs and benefits may change with experience.12,13,14 This raises the question of whether experience changes how individuals select their migratory routes. Here, we investigate the effect of age on route selection criteria in a collectively migrating soaring bird, the white stork (Ciconia ciconia). We perform step-selection analysis on a longitudinal dataset tracking 158 white storks over up to 9 years to quantify how they select their routes based on the social and atmospheric environments and to examine how this selection changes with age. We find clear ontogenetic shifts in route selection criteria. Juveniles choose routes that have good atmospheric conditions and high conspecific densities. Yet, as they gain experience, storks' selection on the availability of social information reduces-after their fifth migration, experienced birds also choose routes with low conspecific densities. Thus, our results suggest that as individuals age, they gradually replace information gleaned from other individuals with information gained from experience, allowing them to shift their migration timing and increasing the timescale at which they select their routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hester Brønnvik
- Collective Migration Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Elham Nourani
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany; Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78468 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Fiedler
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Andrea Flack
- Collective Migration Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78468 Konstanz, Germany.
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Evans TS, Ellison N, Boudreau MR, Strickland BK, Street GM, Iglay RB. What drives wild pig (Sus scrofa) movement in bottomland and upland forests? MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:32. [PMID: 38664784 PMCID: PMC11044336 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00472-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The wild pig (Sus scrofa) is an exotic species that has been present in the southeastern United States for centuries yet continues to expand into new areas dominated by bottomland and upland forests, the latter of which are less commonly associated with wild pigs. Here, we aimed to investigate wild pig movement and space use attributes typically used to guide wild pig management among multiple spatiotemporal scales. Our investigation focused on a newly invaded landscape dominated by bottomland and upland forests. METHODS We examined (1) core and total space use using an autocorrelated kernel density estimator; (2) resource selection patterns and hot spots of space use in relation to various landscape features using step-selection analysis; and (3) daily and hourly differences in movement patterns between non-hunting and hunting seasons using generalized additive mixed models. RESULTS Estimates of total space use among wild pigs (n = 9) were smaller at calculated core (1.2 ± 0.3 km2) and 90% (5.2 ± 1.5 km2) isopleths than estimates reported in other landscapes in the southeastern United States, suggesting that wild pigs were able to meet foraging, cover, and thermoregulatory needs within smaller areas. Generally, wild pigs selected areas closer to herbaceous, woody wetlands, fields, and perennial streams, creating corridors of use along these features. However, selection strength varied among individuals, reinforcing the generalist, adaptive nature of wild pigs. Wild pigs also showed a tendency to increase movement from fall to winter, possibly paralleling increases in hard mast availability. During this time, there were also increases in anthropogenic pressures (e.g. hunting), causing movements to become less diurnal as pressure increased. CONCLUSIONS Our work demonstrates that movement patterns by exotic generalists must be understood across individuals, the breadth of landscapes they can invade, and multiple spatiotemporal scales. This improved understanding will better inform management strategies focused on curbing emerging invasions in novel landscapes, while also protecting native natural resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler S Evans
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, 775 Stone Boulevard, Mississippi State, Mississippi, 39762, USA.
| | - Natasha Ellison
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, 775 Stone Boulevard, Mississippi State, Mississippi, 39762, USA
| | - Melanie R Boudreau
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, 775 Stone Boulevard, Mississippi State, Mississippi, 39762, USA
| | - Bronson K Strickland
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, 775 Stone Boulevard, Mississippi State, Mississippi, 39762, USA
| | - Garrett M Street
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, 775 Stone Boulevard, Mississippi State, Mississippi, 39762, USA
| | - Raymond B Iglay
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, 775 Stone Boulevard, Mississippi State, Mississippi, 39762, USA
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Ortega AC, Merkle JA, Sawyer H, Monteith KL, Lionberger P, Valdez M, Kauffman MJ. A test of the frost wave hypothesis in a temperate ungulate. Ecology 2024; 105:e4238. [PMID: 38212148 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Growing evidence supports the hypothesis that temperate herbivores surf the green wave of emerging plants during spring migration. Despite the importance of autumn migration, few studies have conceptualized resource tracking of temperate herbivores during this critical season. We adapted the frost wave hypothesis (FWH), which posits that animals pace their autumn migration to reduce exposure to snow but increase acquisition of forage. We tested the FWH in a population of mule deer in Wyoming, USA by tracking the autumn migrations of n = 163 mule deer that moved 15-288 km from summer to winter range. Migrating deer experienced similar amounts of snow but 1.4-2.1 times more residual forage than if they had naïve knowledge of when or how fast to migrate. Importantly, deer balanced exposure to snow and forage in a spatial manner. At the fine scale, deer avoided snow near their mountainous summer ranges and became more risk prone to snow near winter range. Aligning with their higher tolerance of snow and lingering behavior to acquire residual forage, deer increased stopover use by 1 ± 1 day (95% CI) day for every 10% of their migration completed. Our findings support the prediction that mule deer pace their autumn migration with the onset of snow and residual forage, but refine the FWH to include movement behavior en route that is spatially dynamic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Ortega
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
- Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Jerod A Merkle
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Hall Sawyer
- Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc., Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Kevin L Monteith
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Patrick Lionberger
- Bureau of Land Management, Rock Springs Field Office, Rock Springs, Wyoming, USA
| | - Miguel Valdez
- Bureau of Land Management, Rock Springs Field Office, Rock Springs, Wyoming, USA
| | - Matthew J Kauffman
- US Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
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Ganz TR, DeVivo MT, Wirsing AJ, Bassing SB, Kertson BN, Walker SL, Prugh LR. Cougars, wolves, and humans drive a dynamic landscape of fear for elk. Ecology 2024; 105:e4255. [PMID: 38361248 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
To manage predation risk, prey navigate a dynamic landscape of fear, or spatiotemporal variation in risk perception, reflecting predator distributions, traits, and activity cycles. Prey may seek to reduce risk across this landscape using habitat at times and in places when predators are less active. In multipredator landscapes, avoiding one predator could increase vulnerability to another, making the landscape of fear difficult to predict and navigate. Additionally, humans may shape interactions between predators and prey, and induce new sources of risk. Humans can function as a shield, providing a refuge for prey from human-averse carnivores, and as a predator, causing mortality through hunting and vehicle collisions and eliciting a fear response that can exceed that of carnivores. We used telemetry data collected between 2017 and 2021 from 63 Global Positioning System-collared elk (Cervus canadensis), 42 cougars (Puma concolor), and 16 wolves (Canis lupus) to examine how elk habitat selection changed in relation to carnivores and humans in northeastern Washington, USA. Using step selection functions, we evaluated elk habitat use in relation to cougars, wolves, and humans, diel period (daytime vs. nighttime), season (summer calving season vs. fall hunting season), and habitat structure (open vs. closed habitat). The diel cycle was critical to understanding elk movement, allowing elk to reduce encounters with predators where and when they would be the largest threat. Elk strongly avoided cougars at night but had a near-neutral response to cougars during the day, whereas elk avoided wolves at all times of day. Elk generally used more open habitats where cougars and wolves were most active, rather than altering the use of habitat structure depending on the predator species. Elk avoided humans during the day and ~80% of adult female mortality was human caused, suggesting that humans functioned as a "super predator" in this system. Simultaneously, elk leveraged the human shield against wolves but not cougars at night, and no elk were confirmed to have been killed by wolves. Our results add to the mounting evidence that humans profoundly affect predator-prey interactions, highlighting the importance of studying these dynamics in anthropogenic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor R Ganz
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Melia T DeVivo
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Spokane Valley, Washington, USA
| | - Aaron J Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sarah B Bassing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Brian N Kertson
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Snoqualmie, Washington, USA
| | | | - Laura R Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Sassi Y, Nouzières B, Scacco M, Tremblay Y, Duriez O, Robira B. The use of social information in vulture flight decisions. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20231729. [PMID: 38471548 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Animals rely on a balance of personal and social information to decide when and where to move next in order to access a desired resource. The benefits from cueing on conspecifics to reduce uncertainty about resource availability can be rapidly overcome by the risks of within-group competition, often exacerbated toward low-ranked individuals. Being obligate soarers, relying on thermal updraughts to search for carcasses around which competition can be fierce, vultures represent ideal models to investigate the balance between personal and social information during foraging movements. Linking dominance hierarchy, social affinities and meteorological conditions to movement decisions of eight captive vultures, Gyps spp., released for free flights in natural soaring conditions, we found that they relied on social information (i.e. other vultures using/having used the thermals) to find the next thermal updraught, especially in unfavourable flight conditions. Low-ranked individuals were more likely to disregard social cues when deciding where to go next, possibly to minimize the competitive risk of social aggregation. These results exemplify the architecture of decision-making during flight in social birds. It suggests that the environmental context, the context of risk and the social system as a whole calibrate the balance between personal and social information use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohan Sassi
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Martina Scacco
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Yann Tremblay
- Marine Biodiversity Exploitation and Conservation (MARBEC), University of Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Sète, France
| | - Olivier Duriez
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Benjamin Robira
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
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Eisaguirre JM, Williams PJ, Hooten MB. Rayleigh step-selection functions and connections to continuous-time mechanistic movement models. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:14. [PMID: 38331810 PMCID: PMC10854073 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00442-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The process known as ecological diffusion emerges from a first principles view of animal movement, but ecological diffusion and other partial differential equation models can be difficult to fit to data. Step-selection functions (SSFs), on the other hand, have emerged as powerful practical tools for ecologists studying the movement and habitat selection of animals. METHODS SSFs typically involve comparing resources between a set of used and available points at each step in a sequence of observed positions. We use change of variables to show that ecological diffusion implies certain distributions for available steps that are more flexible than others commonly used. We then demonstrate advantages of these distributions with SSF models fit to data collected for a mountain lion in Colorado, USA. RESULTS We show that connections between ecological diffusion and SSFs imply a Rayleigh step-length distribution and uniform turning angle distribution, which can accommodate data collected at irregular time intervals. The results of fitting an SSF model with these distributions compared to a set of commonly used distributions revealed how precision and inference can vary between the two approaches. CONCLUSIONS Our new continuous-time step-length distribution can be integrated into various forms of SSFs, making them applicable to data sets with irregular time intervals between successive animal locations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Perry J Williams
- Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Mevin B Hooten
- Department of Statistics and Data Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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Berigan LA, Aulicky CSH, Teige EC, Sullins DS, Fricke KA, Reitz JH, Rossi LG, Schultz KA, Rice MB, Tanner E, Fuhlendorf SD, Haukos DA. Lesser prairie-chicken dispersal after translocation: Implications for restoration and population connectivity. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10871. [PMID: 38304269 PMCID: PMC10828740 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Conservation translocations are frequently inhibited by extensive dispersal after release, which can expose animals to dispersal-related mortality or Allee effects due to a lack of nearby conspecifics. However, translocation-induced dispersals also provide opportunities to study how animals move across a novel landscape, and how their movements are influenced by landscape configuration and anthropogenic features. Translocation among populations is considered a potential conservation strategy for lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus). We determined the influence of release area on dispersal frequency by translocated lesser prairie-chickens and measured how lesser prairie-chickens move through grassland landscapes through avoidance of anthropogenic features during their dispersal movements. We translocated 411 lesser prairie-chickens from northwest Kansas to southeastern Colorado and southwestern Kansas in 2016-2019. We used satellite GPS transmitters to track 115 lesser prairie-chickens throughout their post-release dispersal movements. We found that almost all lesser prairie-chickens that survived from their spring release date until June undergo post-translocation dispersal, and there was little variation in dispersal frequency by release area (96% of all tracked birds, 100% in Baca County, Colorado, 94% in Morton County, Kansas, n = 55). Dispersal movements (male: 103 ± 73 km, female: 175 ± 108 km, n = 62) led to diffusion across landscapes, with 69% of birds settling >5 km from their release site. During dispersal movements, translocated lesser prairie-chickens usually travel by a single 3.75 ± 4.95 km dispersal flight per day, selecting for steps that end far from roads and in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands. Due to this "stepping stone" method of transit, landscape connectivity is optimized when <5 km separates grassland patches on the landscape. Future persistence of lesser prairie-chicken populations can be aided through conservation of habitat and strategic placement of CRP to maximize habitat connectivity. Dispersal rates suggest that translocation is better suited to objectives for regional, rather than site-specific, population augmentation for this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam A. Berigan
- Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Division of BiologyKansas State UniversityManhattanKansasUSA
| | - Carly S. H. Aulicky
- Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Division of BiologyKansas State UniversityManhattanKansasUSA
- Present address:
Native Prairies Association of TexasSan MarcosTexasUSA
| | - Elisabeth C. Teige
- Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Division of BiologyKansas State UniversityManhattanKansasUSA
| | - Daniel S. Sullins
- Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Division of BiologyKansas State UniversityManhattanKansasUSA
- Present address:
Department of Horticulture and Natural ResourcesKansas State UniversityManhattanKansasUSA
| | | | | | - Liza G. Rossi
- Colorado Parks and WildlifeSteamboat SpringsColoradoUSA
| | | | - Mindy B. Rice
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Refuge SystemFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Evan Tanner
- Department of Rangeland and Wildlife Sciences, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research InstituteTexas A&M UniversityKingsvilleTexasUSA
| | - Samuel D. Fuhlendorf
- Natural Resource Ecology & ManagementOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOklahomaUSA
| | - David A. Haukos
- U.S. Geological Survey, Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitKansas State UniversityManhattanKansasUSA
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Elings J, Bruneel S, Pauwels IS, Schneider M, Kopecki I, Coeck J, Mawer R, Goethals PLM. Finding navigation cues near fishways. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:313-327. [PMID: 37813384 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13023] [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: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Many fish species depend on migration for various parts of their life cycle. Well-known examples include diadromous fish such as salmon and eels that need both fresh water and salt water to complete their life cycle. Migration also occurs within species that depend only on fresh water. In recent decades, anthropogenic pressures on freshwater systems have increased greatly, and have resulted, among other effects, in drastic habitat fragmentation. Fishways have been developed to mitigate the resulting habitat fragmentation, but these are not always effective. To improve fishway efficiency, the variety of navigation cues used by fish must be better understood: fish use a multitude of sensory inputs ranging from flow variables to olfactory cues. The reaction of a fish is highly dependent on the intensity of the cue, the fish species involved, and individual traits. Recently developed monitoring technologies allow us to gain insights into different combinations of environmental and physiological conditions. By combining fish behavioural models with environmental models, interactions among these components can be investigated. Several methods can be used to analyse fish migration, with state-space models, hidden Markov models, and individual-based models potentially being the most relevant since they can use individual data and can tie them to explicit spatial locations within the considered system. The aim of this review is to analyse the navigational cues used by fish and the models that can be applied to gather knowledge on these processes. Such knowledge could greatly improve the design and operation of fishways for a wider range of fish species and conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelger Elings
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium
| | - Stijn Bruneel
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium
| | - Ine S Pauwels
- INBO, Team Aquatic Management, Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Havenlaan 88, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Matthias Schneider
- SJE Ecohydraulic Engineering GmbH, Dilleniusstrasse 13, Backnang, 71522, Germany
| | - Ianina Kopecki
- SJE Ecohydraulic Engineering GmbH, Dilleniusstrasse 13, Backnang, 71522, Germany
| | - Johan Coeck
- INBO, Team Aquatic Management, Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Havenlaan 88, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Rachel Mawer
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium
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Cowan MA, Dunlop JA, Gibson LA, Moore HA, Setterfield SA, Nimmo DG. Movement ecology of an endangered mesopredator in a mining landscape. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:5. [PMID: 38233871 PMCID: PMC10795371 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00439-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Efficient movement and energy expenditure are vital for animal survival. Human disturbance can alter animal movement due to changes in resource availability and threats. Some animals can exploit anthropogenic disturbances for more efficient movement, while others face restricted or inefficient movement due to fragmentation of high-resource habitats, and risks associated with disturbed habitats. Mining, a major anthropogenic disturbance, removes natural habitats, introduces new landscape features, and alters resource distribution in the landscape. This study investigates the effect of mining on the movement of an endangered mesopredator, the northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus). Using GPS collars and accelerometers, we investigate their habitat selection and energy expenditure in an active mining landscape, to determine the effects of this disturbance on northern quolls. METHODS We fit northern quolls with GPS collars and accelerometers during breeding and non-breeding season at an active mine site in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. We investigated broad-scale movement by calculating the movement ranges of quolls using utilisation distributions at the 95% isopleth, and compared habitat types and environmental characteristics within observed movement ranges to the available landscape. We investigated fine-scale movement by quolls with integrated step selection functions, assessing the relative selection strength for each habitat covariate. Finally, we used piecewise structural equation modelling to analyse the influence of each habitat covariate on northern quoll energy expenditure. RESULTS At the broad scale, northern quolls predominantly used rugged, rocky habitats, and used mining habitats in proportion to their availability. However, at the fine scale, habitat use varied between breeding and non-breeding seasons. During the breeding season, quolls notably avoided mining habitats, whereas in the non-breeding season, they frequented mining habitats equally to rocky and riparian habitats, albeit at a higher energetic cost. CONCLUSION Mining impacts northern quolls by fragmenting favoured rocky habitats, increasing energy expenditure, and potentially impacting breeding dispersal. While mining habitats might offer limited resource opportunities in the non-breeding season, conservation efforts during active mining, including the creation of movement corridors and progressive habitat restoration would likely be useful. However, prioritising the preservation of natural rocky and riparian habitats in mining landscapes is vital for northern quoll conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Cowan
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, 386 Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona, NSW, 2640, Australia.
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - J A Dunlop
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, 386 Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona, NSW, 2640, Australia
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - L A Gibson
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, WA, 6151, Australia
| | - H A Moore
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, WA, 6151, Australia
| | - S A Setterfield
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - D G Nimmo
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, 386 Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona, NSW, 2640, Australia
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12
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McClintock BT, Lander ME. A multistate Langevin diffusion for inferring behavior-specific habitat selection and utilization distributions. Ecology 2024; 105:e4186. [PMID: 37794831 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
The identification of important habitat and the behavior(s) associated with it is critical to conservation and place-based management decisions. Behavior also links life-history requirements and habitat use, which are key to understanding why animals use certain habitats. Animal population studies often use tracking data to quantify space use and habitat selection, but they typically either ignore movement behavior (e.g., foraging, migrating, nesting) or adopt a two-stage approach that can induce bias and fail to propagate uncertainty. We develop a habitat-driven Langevin diffusion for animals that exhibit distinct movement behavior states, thereby providing a novel single-stage statistical method for inferring behavior-specific habitat selection and utilization distributions in continuous time. Practitioners can customize, fit, assess, and simulate our integrated model using the provided R package. Simulation experiments demonstrated that the model worked well under a range of sampling scenarios as long as observations were of sufficient temporal resolution. Our simulations also demonstrated the importance of accounting for different behaviors and the misleading inferences that can result when these are ignored. We provide case studies using plains zebra (Equus quagga) and Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) telemetry data. In the zebra example, our model identified distinct "encamped" and "exploratory" states, where the encamped state was characterized by strong selection for grassland and avoidance of other vegetation types, which may represent selection for foraging resources. In the sea lion example, our model identified distinct movement behavior modes typically associated with this marine central-place forager and, unlike previous analyses, found foraging-type movements to be associated with steeper offshore slopes characteristic of the continental shelf, submarine canyons, and seamounts that are believed to enhance prey concentrations. This is the first single-stage approach for inferring behavior-specific habitat selection and utilization distributions from tracking data that can be readily implemented with user-friendly software. As certain behaviors are often more relevant to specific conservation or management objectives, practitioners can use our model to help inform the identification and prioritization of important habitats. Moreover, by linking individual-level movement behaviors to population-level spatial processes, the multistate Langevin diffusion can advance inferences at the intersection of population, movement, and landscape ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett T McClintock
- Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Michelle E Lander
- Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Seattle, Washington, USA
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13
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Severson JP, Vosburgh TC, Johnson HE. Effects of vehicle traffic on space use and road crossings of caribou in the Arctic. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2923. [PMID: 37788067 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Assessing the effects of industrial development on wildlife is a key objective of managers and conservation practitioners. However, wildlife responses are often only investigated with respect to the footprint of infrastructure, even though human activity can strongly mediate development impacts. In Arctic Alaska, there is substantial interest in expanding energy development, raising concerns about the potential effects on barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti). While caribou generally avoid industrial infrastructure, little is known about the role of human activity in moderating their responses, and whether managing activity levels could minimize development effects. To address this uncertainty, we examined the influence of traffic volume on caribou summer space use and road crossings in the Central Arctic Herd within the Kuparuk and Milne Point oil fields on the North Slope of Alaska. We first modeled spatiotemporal variation in hourly traffic volumes across the road system from traffic counter data using gradient-boosted regression trees. We then used generalized additive models to estimate nonlinear step selection functions and road-crossing probabilities from collared female caribou during the post-calving and insect harassment seasons, when they primarily interact with roads. Step selection analyses revealed that caribou selected areas further from roads (~1-3 km) during the post-calving and mosquito seasons and selected areas with lower traffic volumes during all seasons, with selection probabilities peaking when traffic was <5 vehicles/h. Using road-crossing models, we found that caribou were less likely to cross roads during the insect seasons as traffic increased, but that response dissipated as insect harassment became more severe. Past studies suggested that caribou exhibit behavioral responses when traffic exceeds 15 vehicles/h, but our results demonstrate behavioral responses at much lower traffic levels. Our results illustrate that vehicle activity mediates caribou responses to road infrastructure, information that can be used in future land-use planning to minimize the behavioral responses of caribou to industrial development in sensitive Arctic landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Severson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | - Timothy C Vosburgh
- Bureau of Land Management, Arctic District Office, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
| | - Heather E Johnson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
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14
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van den Bosch M, Kellner KF, Gantchoff MG, Patterson BR, Barber-Meyer SM, Beyer DE, Erb JD, Isaac EJ, MacFarland DM, Moore SA, Norton DC, Petroelje TR, Price Tack JL, Roell BJ, Schrage M, Belant JL. Habitat selection of resident and non-resident gray wolves: implications for habitat connectivity. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20415. [PMID: 37990118 PMCID: PMC10663587 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47815-0] [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: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Habitat selection studies facilitate assessing and predicting species distributions and habitat connectivity, but habitat selection can vary temporally and among individuals, which is often ignored. We used GPS telemetry data from 96 Gray wolves (Canis lupus) in the western Great Lakes region of the USA to assess differences in habitat selection while wolves exhibited resident (territorial) or non-resident (dispersing or floating) movements and discuss implications for habitat connectivity. We used a step-selection function (SSF) to assess habitat selection by wolves exhibiting resident or non-resident movements, and modeled circuit connectivity throughout the western Great Lakes region. Wolves selected for natural land cover and against areas with high road densities, with no differences in selection among wolves when resident, dispersing, or floating. Similar habitat selection between resident and non-resident wolves may be due to similarity in environmental conditions, when non-resident movements occur largely within established wolf range rather than near the periphery or beyond the species range. Alternatively, non-resident wolves may travel through occupied territories because higher food availability or lower human disturbance outweighs risks posed by conspecifics. Finally, an absence of differences in habitat selection between resident and non-resident wolf movements may be due to other unknown reasons. We recommend considering context-dependency when evaluating differences in movements and habitat use between resident and non-resident individuals. Our results also provide independent validation of a previous species distribution model and connectivity analysis suggesting most potential wolf habitat in the western Great Lakes region is occupied, with limited connectivity to unoccupied habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- M van den Bosch
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
| | - K F Kellner
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - M G Gantchoff
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
| | - B R Patterson
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Wildlife Research and Development Section, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | | | - D E Beyer
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - J D Erb
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Forest Wildlife Populations and Research Group, Grand Rapids, MN, USA
| | - E J Isaac
- Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Biology and Environment, Grand Portage, MN, USA
| | - D M MacFarland
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Office of Applied Science, Rhinelander, WI, USA
| | - S A Moore
- Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Biology and Environment, Grand Portage, MN, USA
| | - D C Norton
- Wildlife Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Marquette, MI, USA
| | - T R Petroelje
- Wildlife Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Marquette, MI, USA
| | - J L Price Tack
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Office of Applied Science, Rhinelander, WI, USA
| | - B J Roell
- Wildlife Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Marquette, MI, USA
| | - M Schrage
- Fond du Lac Resource Management Division, Cloquet, MN, USA
| | - J L Belant
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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15
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Kays R, Hirsch B, Caillaud D, Mares R, Alavi S, Havmøller RW, Crofoot M. Multi-scale movement syndromes for comparative analyses of animal movement patterns. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:61. [PMID: 37794525 PMCID: PMC10552421 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00365-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal movement is a behavioral trait shaped by the need to find food and suitable habitat, avoid predators, and reproduce. Using high-resolution tracking data, it is possible to describe movement in greater detail than ever before, which has led to many discoveries about the behavioral strategies of particular species. Recently, enough data been become available to enable a comparative approach, which has the potential to uncover general causes and consequences of variation in movement patterns, but which must be scale specific. METHODS Here we introduce a new multi-scale movement syndrome (MSMS) framework for describing and comparing animal movements and use it to explore the behavior of four sympatric mammals. MSMS incorporates four hierarchical scales of animal movement: (1) fine-scale movement steps which accumulate into (2) daily paths which then, over weeks or months, form a (3) life-history phase. Finally, (4) the lifetime track of an individual consists of multiple life-history phases connected by dispersal or migration events. We suggest a series of metrics to describe patterns of movement at each of these scales and use the first three scales of this framework to compare the movement of 46 animals from four frugivorous mammal species. RESULTS While subtle differences exist between the four species in their step-level movements, they cluster into three distinct movement syndromes in both path- and life-history phase level analyses. Differences in feeding ecology were a better predictor of movement patterns than a species' locomotory or sensory adaptations. CONCLUSIONS Given the role these species play as seed dispersers, these movement syndromes could have important ecosystem implications by affecting the pattern of seed deposition. This multiscale approach provides a hierarchical framework for comparing animal movement for addressing ecological and evolutionary questions. It parallels scales of analyses for resource selection functions, offering the potential to connect movement process with emergent patterns of space use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Kays
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama.
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC, USA.
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Ben Hirsch
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Damien Caillaud
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Rafael Mares
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Shauhin Alavi
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Constance, Germany
| | - Rasmus Worsøe Havmøller
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Constance, Germany
- Research and Collections, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Margaret Crofoot
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama.
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Constance, Germany.
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Constance, Germany.
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Constance, Germany.
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16
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Cheng H, Jin BC, Luo K, Zhang XL, Pei JY, Zhang YH, Han LQ, Tang JQ, Li FM, Sun GJ, Ben Wu X. Seasonal resource selection of free-ranging Zhongwei goats in the semi-arid grassland. Animal 2023; 17:100972. [PMID: 37757525 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2023.100972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Goats rarely move and forage randomly. They tend to move in ways generally influenced by biotic and abiotic factors, respectively. However, few studies have explored the foraging behaviour of goats in the absence of predation and human disturbance. Based on step selection function modelling framework, Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, vegetation surveys, and Global Positioning System tracking of 124 free-ranging domestic adult male Zhongwei goats over one year (2016-2017) were used to assess how biotic and abiotic environmental factors affected their spatiotemporal distribution, and developed a conceptual model to represent the goats' trade-off between forage quantity and preference at different seasons, in the semi-arid grassland of Loess Plateau of 1 178 hectare. The results showed that spatial distributions of goats responded to spatiotemporal variation of biotic factors rather than abiotic factors of elevation, slope and solar radiation, which indicated that biotic factors were of priority to abiotic factors in the foraging process for the goats. According to the season changing, the goats positively used areas with higher forage quantity in the spring and winter, areas of higher forage quantity and preferred species in summer, and areas of abundance of preferred species in autumn. We developed a model to describe the phenomenon that the goats selected areas with higher preferred species only when the forage quantity was plentiful, otherwise they selected areas with higher forage quantity. Better understanding of the patterns and drivers of spatiotemporal distribution of the goats can improve our ability to predict foraging behaviour of livestock in heterogeneous environment and lead to better management practices and policies for the sustainability of these semi-arid landscapes and associated ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Cheng
- School of Tourism, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; Institute of Arid Agroecology, State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, and School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Bao-Cheng Jin
- College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025 China
| | - Kai Luo
- Institute of Arid Agroecology, State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, and School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xue-Li Zhang
- College of Water Conservancy Science & Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Jiu-Ying Pei
- Institute of Arid Agroecology, State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, and School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yong-Hong Zhang
- Institute of Arid Agroecology, State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, and School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Li-Qin Han
- School of Tourism, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Jia-Qi Tang
- Institute of Arid Agroecology, State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, and School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Feng-Min Li
- Institute of Arid Agroecology, State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, and School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Guo-Jun Sun
- Institute of Arid Agroecology, State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, and School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - X Ben Wu
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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17
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Benhamou S, Courbin N. Accounting for central place foraging constraints in habitat selection studies. Ecology 2023; 104:e4134. [PMID: 37386731 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Habitat selection studies contrast actual space use with the expected use under the null hypothesis of no selection (hereafter neutral use). Neutral use is most often equated to the relative frequencies with which environmental features occur. This generates a considerable bias when studying habitat selection by foragers that perform numerous trips back and forth to a central place (CP). Indeed, the increased space use close to the CP with respect to distant places reflects a mechanical effect, rather than a true selection for the closest habitats. Yet, correctly estimating habitat selection by CP foragers is of paramount importance for a better understanding of their ecology and to properly plan conservation actions. We show that including the distance to the CP as a covariate in unconditional Resource Selection Functions, as applied in several studies, is ineffective to correct for the bias. This bias can be eliminated only by contrasting the actual use to an appropriate neutral use that considers the CP forager behavior. We also show that the need to specify an appropriate neutral use overall distribution can be bypassed by relying on a conditional approach, where the neutral use is assessed locally regardless of the distance to the CP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Benhamou
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Nicolas Courbin
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS, Montpellier, France
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18
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Tosa MI, Biel MJ, Graves TA. Bighorn sheep associations: understanding tradeoffs of sociality and implications for disease transmission. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15625. [PMID: 37576510 PMCID: PMC10416771 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Sociality directly influences mating success, survival rates, and disease, but ultimately likely evolved for its fitness benefits in a challenging environment. The tradeoffs between the costs and benefits of sociality can operate at multiple scales, resulting in different interpretations of animal behavior. We investigated the influence of intrinsic (e.g., relatedness, age) and extrinsic factors (e.g., land cover type, season) on direct contact (simultaneous GPS locations ≤ 25 m) rates of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) at multiple scales near the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. During 2002-2012, male and female bighorn were equipped with GPS collars. Indirect contact (GPS locations ≤ 25 m regardless of time) networks identified two major breaks whereas direct contact networks identified an additional barrier in the population, all of which corresponded with prior disease exposure metrics. More direct contacts occurred between same-sex dyads than female-male dyads and between bighorn groups with overlapping summer home ranges. Direct contacts occurred most often during the winter-spring season when bighorn traveled at low speeds and when an adequate number of bighorn were collared in the area. Direct contact probabilities for all dyad types were inversely related to habitat quality, and differences in contact probability were driven by variables related to survival such as terrain ruggedness, distance to escape terrain, and canopy cover. We provide evidence that probabilities of association are higher when there is greater predation risk and that contact analysis provides valuable information for understanding fitness tradeoffs of sociality and disease transmission potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie I. Tosa
- Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, West Glacier, MT, United States of America
| | - Mark J. Biel
- Glacier National Park, National Park Service, West Glacier, MT, United States of America
| | - Tabitha A. Graves
- Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, West Glacier, MT, United States of America
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19
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Mawer R, Bruneel SP, Pauwels IS, Elings J, Pickholtz E, Pickholtz R, Schneider M, Coeck J, Goethals PLM. Individual variation in the habitat selection of upstream migrating fish near a barrier. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:49. [PMID: 37550782 PMCID: PMC10405436 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00414-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Migration is a vital element of the life cycle of many freshwater fish species but is increasingly hampered globally by riverine barriers. Fish passes are a common approach to enable migration past barriers but are often ineffective. More knowledge is required on fish behaviour as they approach barriers such as habitat preferences. METHODS We evaluate the habitat selection of two upstream migrating fish species, barbel Barbus barbus and grayling Thymallus thymallus, at a hydropower plant in southern Germany, considering individual variation and population trends. Fish were tracked via fine-scale 2D acoustic telemetry in 2018 during their spawning migration. Step selection functions were used to evaluate selection of hydraulic parameters by the fish for a time step of 20 s. Exploratory models were built via model selection for each individual fish, to evaluate the extent of individual variation in model structure. A population model was developed for each species by averaging coefficients from individual models to describe general trends. The extent of individual variation was determined and confidence intervals for the population model coefficients were calculated. RESULTS Fish varied greatly in individual model structure though common terms were apparent in both species, such as depth, flow velocity, the angular difference between fish and velocity, and the logarithm of the step length. Final population models for barbel included several parameters describing habitat selection and displacement. Barbel selected for faster flows, deeper water, and higher spatial velocity gradients. In addition, they selected to move more with the flow than against. Interactions were also present between habitat parameters, suggesting selection is context dependent. Barbel movement speed also changed with depth, flow velocity and spatial velocity gradient. With grayling, terms often had contrasting effects among individuals and thus general trends could not be distinguished for most terms. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate habitat selection by upstream migrating fish approaching a fish pass and differences in individual selection which may have an impact on barrier management. Step selection functions are a promising approach and can provide useful insight into habitat selection and movement by migrating freshwater fish in an altered river system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Mawer
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
- SJE Ecohydraulic Engineering, Backnang, Germany.
| | - Stijn P Bruneel
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ine S Pauwels
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jelger Elings
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Renanel Pickholtz
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences of Eilat, Eilat, Israel
| | | | - Johan Coeck
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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20
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Serieys LE, Bishop JM, Rogan MS, Smith JA, Suraci JP, O’Riain MJ, Wilmers CC. Anthropogenic activities and age class mediate carnivore habitat selection in a human-dominated landscape. iScience 2023; 26:107050. [PMID: 37534145 PMCID: PMC10391726 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Human activities increasingly challenge wild animal populations by disrupting ecological connectivity and population persistence. Yet, human-modified habitats can provide resources, resulting in selection of disturbed areas by generalist species. To investigate spatial and temporal responses of a generalist carnivore to human disturbance, we investigated habitat selection and diel activity patterns in caracals (Caracal caracal). We GPS-collared 25 adults and subadults in urban and wildland-dominated subregions in Cape Town, South Africa. Selection responses for landscape variables were dependent on subregion, animal age class, and diel period. Contrary to expectations, caracals did not become more nocturnal in urban areas. Caracals increased their selection for proximity to urban areas as the proportion of urban area increased. Differences in habitat selection between urban and wildland caracals suggest that individuals of this generalist species exhibit high behavioral flexibility in response to anthropogenic disturbances that emerge as a function of habitat context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel E.K. Serieys
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Panthera, New York, NY 10018, USA
- Cape Leopard Trust, Cape Town 7966, South Africa
| | - Jacqueline M. Bishop
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Matthew S. Rogan
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
- Natural State, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Justine A. Smith
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Justin P. Suraci
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Conservation Science Partners, Inc. Truckee, CA 96161, USA
| | - M. Justin O’Riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Christopher C. Wilmers
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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Gervasi V, Sordilli M, Loi F, Guberti V. Estimating the Directional Spread of Epidemics in Their Early Stages Using a Simple Regression Approach: A Study on African Swine Fever in Northern Italy. Pathogens 2023; 12:812. [PMID: 37375502 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12060812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The early identification of the spreading patterns of an epidemic infectious disease is an important first step towards the adoption of effective interventions. We developed a simple regression-based method to estimate the directional speed of a disease's spread, which can be easily applied with a limited dataset. We tested the method using simulation tools, then applied it on a real case study of an African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak identified in late 2021 in northwestern Italy. Simulations showed that, when carcass detection rates were <0.1, the model produced negatively biased estimates of the ASF-affected area, with the average bias being about -10%. When detection rates were >0.1, the model produced asymptotically unbiased and progressively more predictable estimates. The model produced rather different estimates of ASF's spreading speed in different directions of northern Italy, with the average speed ranging from 33 to 90 m/day. The resulting ASF-infected areas of the outbreak were estimated to be 2216 km2, about 80% bigger than the ones identified only thorough field-collected carcasses. Additionally, we estimated that the actual initial date of the ASF outbreak was 145 days earlier than the day of first notification. We recommend the use of this or similar inferential tools as a quick, initial way to assess an epidemic's patterns in its early stages and inform quick and timely management actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Gervasi
- Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, Via Ca' Fornacetta, 9, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Italy
| | - Marco Sordilli
- Direzione Generale Sanità Animale e Farmaci Veterinari, Ministero della Salute, Via Giorgio Ribotta, 5, 00144 Roma, Italy
| | - Federica Loi
- Osservatorio Epidemiologico Veterinario Regionale della Sardegna, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Vittorio Guberti
- Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, Via Ca' Fornacetta, 9, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Italy
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22
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Brown L, Zedrosser A, Arnemo JM, Fuchs B, Kindberg J, Pelletier F. Landscape of fear or landscape of food? Moose hunting triggers an antipredator response in brown bears. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2840. [PMID: 36912774 PMCID: PMC10909462 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Hunters can affect the behavior of wildlife by inducing a landscape of fear, selecting individuals with specific traits, or altering resource availability across the landscape. Most research investigating the influence of hunting on wildlife resource selection has focused on target species and less attention has been devoted to nontarget species, such as scavengers that can be both attracted or repelled by hunting activities. We used resource selection functions to identify areas where hunters were most likely to kill moose (Alces alces) in south-central Sweden during the fall. Then, we used step-selection functions to determine whether female brown bears (Ursus arctos) selected or avoided these areas and specific resources during the moose hunting season. We found that, during both day and nighttime, female brown bears avoided areas where hunters were more likely to kill moose. We found evidence that resource selection by brown bears varied substantially during the fall and that some behavioral changes were consistent with disturbance associated with moose hunters. Brown bears were more likely to select concealed locations in young (i.e., regenerating) and coniferous forests and areas further away from roads during the moose hunting season. Our results suggest that brown bears react to both spatial and temporal variations in apparent risk during the fall: moose hunters create a landscape of fear and trigger an antipredator response in a large carnivore even if bears are not specifically targeted during the moose hunting season. Such antipredator responses might lead to indirect habitat loss and lower foraging efficiency and the resulting consequences should be considered when planning hunting seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovick Brown
- Département de biologieUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeCanada
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental HealthUniversity of South‐Eastern NorwayBø in TelemarkNorway
- Institute for Wildlife Biology and Game ManagementUniversity for Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Jon M. Arnemo
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Boris Fuchs
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchTrondheimNorway
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologieUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeCanada
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23
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Mawer R, Pauwels IS, Bruneel SP, Goethals PLM, Kopecki I, Elings J, Coeck J, Schneider M. Individual based models for the simulation of fish movement near barriers: Current work and future directions. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 335:117538. [PMID: 36848809 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
River fragmentation is an increasing issue for water managers and conservationists. Barriers such as dams interfere with freshwater fish migration, leading to drastic population declines. While there are a range of widely implemented mitigation approaches, e.g. fish passes, such measures are often inefficient due to suboptimal operation and design. There is increasing need to be able to assess mitigation options prior to implementation. Individual based models (IBMs) are a promising option. IBMs can simulate the fine-scale movement of individual fish within a population as they attempt to find a fish pass, incorporating movement processes themselves. Moreover, IBMs have high transferability to other sites or conditions (e.g. changing mitigation, change in flow conditions), making them potentially valuable for freshwater fish conservation yet their application to the fine-scale movement of fish past barriers is still novel. Here, we present an overview of existing IBMs for fine-scale freshwater fish movement, with emphasis on study species and the parameters driving movement in the models. In this review, we focus on IBMs suitable for the simulation of fish tracks as they approach or pass a single barrier. The selected IBMs for modelling fine-scale freshwater fish movement largely focus on salmonids and cyprinid species. IBMs have many applications in the context of fish passage, such as testing different mitigation options or understanding processes behind movement. Existing IBMs include movement processes such as attraction and rejection behaviours, as reported in literature. Yet some factors affecting fish movement e.g. biotic interactions are not covered by existing IBMs. As the technology available for fine scale data collection continues to advance, such as increasing data linking fish behaviour to hydraulics, IBMs could become a more common tool in the design and implementation of fish bypass structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Mawer
- University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium; SJE Ecohydraulic Engineering, Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Ine S Pauwels
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium
| | | | | | | | | | - Johan Coeck
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium
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24
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Nourani E, Safi K, de Grissac S, Anderson DJ, Cole NC, Fell A, Grémillet D, Lempidakis E, Lerma M, McKee JL, Pichegru L, Provost P, Rattenborg NC, Ryan PG, Santos CD, Schoombie S, Tatayah V, Weimerskirch H, Wikelski M, Shepard ELC. Seabird morphology determines operational wind speeds, tolerable maxima, and responses to extremes. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1179-1184.e3. [PMID: 36827987 PMCID: PMC10789609 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.01.068] [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: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Storms can cause widespread seabird stranding and wrecking,1,2,3,4,5 yet little is known about the maximum wind speeds that birds are able to tolerate or the conditions they avoid. We analyzed >300,000 h of tracking data from 18 seabird species, including flapping and soaring fliers, to assess how flight morphology affects wind selectivity, both at fine scales (hourly movement steps) and across the breeding season. We found no general preference or avoidance of particular wind speeds within foraging tracks. This suggests seabird flight morphology is adapted to a "wind niche," with higher wing loading being selected in windier environments. In support of this, wing loading was positively related to the median wind speeds on the breeding grounds, as well as the maximum wind speeds in which birds flew. Yet globally, the highest wind speeds occur in the tropics (in association with tropical cyclones) where birds are morphologically adapted to low median wind speeds. Tropical species must therefore show behavioral responses to extreme winds, including long-range avoidance of wind speeds that can be twice their operable maxima. By contrast, Procellariiformes flew in almost all wind speeds they encountered at a seasonal scale. Despite this, we describe a small number of cases where albatrosses avoided strong winds at close range, including by flying into the eye of the storm. Extreme winds appear to pose context-dependent risks to seabirds, and more information is needed on the factors that determine the hierarchy of risk, given the impact of global change on storm intensity.6,7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Nourani
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Kamran Safi
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Sophie de Grissac
- Diomedea Science - Research & Scientific Communication, 819 route de la Jars, 38 950 Quaix-en-Chartreuse, France
| | - David J Anderson
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, 1834 Wake Forest Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Nik C Cole
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, La Profonde Rue, La Profonde Rue, JE3 5BP Jersey, Channel Islands; Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Grannum Road, 73418 Vacoas, Mauritius
| | - Adam Fell
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - David Grémillet
- CEFE, University Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, Institut de Recherche Pour le Développement, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France; FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Miriam Lerma
- Research and Technology Centre (FTZ), University of Kiel, Hafentörn 1, 25761 Büsum, Germany
| | - Jennifer L McKee
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, 1834 Wake Forest Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Lorien Pichegru
- Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha 6031, South Africa
| | - Pascal Provost
- Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux, Réserve Naturelle Nationale des Sept-Iles, 22560 Pleumeur Bodou, France
| | - Niels C Rattenborg
- Avian Sleep Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße, 82319 Starnberg, Germany
| | - Peter G Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Carlos D Santos
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Núcleo de Teoria Pesquisa do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, R. Augusto Corrêa, 01 - Guamá, 66075-110 Belém, PA, Brazil; CESAM - Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Stefan Schoombie
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Vikash Tatayah
- Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Grannum Road, 73418 Vacoas, Mauritius
| | | | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany; Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Emily L C Shepard
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA1 8PP, UK
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Navigating Storms: Examining Vultures’ Behavior in Response to Extreme Weather Events. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15030441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
Extreme weather events such as hurricanes and tornadoes have been found to change the spatial and temporal abundance of raptors by decreasing survival and forcing the emigration of individuals, or by increasing habitat heterogeneity and facilitating recolonization of disturbed areas. Nonetheless, little is known about how extreme weather events could affect raptors’ movements and their space use in areas disturbed by large-scale weather events. We studied how extreme weather affected the movements of black and turkey vultures (Coragyps atratus and Cathartes aura, respectively) in Mississippi, USA, facing Hurricane Zeta in November 2020, winter storm Viola in February 2021, and tornados MS-43 and MS-44 in May 2021. We GPS-tracked 28 vultures in the paths of these events. We compared movement rates, net-squared displacements, and use of forest cover, before, during, and after the events. Since storm avoidance behavior has been observed in other birds, we expected that vultures would shift their movements out of the path of these events before storms hit. Further, we forecasted that vultures would make greater use of forested areas as protection against harsh conditions such as strong winds and heavy rain. Vultures responded differently to each weather event; they shifted their movements out of the predicted path of the hurricane and tornadoes but not the snowstorm. These findings reveal that both species use avoidance behavior and adjust their navigation and hazard detection accordingly. Avoidance behavior was more pronounced in turkey vultures than in black vultures. In general, vultures did not make greater use of forest areas as we expected, but turkey vultures did select forest areas during the snowstorm. We propose that olfaction and audition may be key in vultures’ response to extreme weather events.
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Pero EM, Palm EC, Chitwood MC, Hildreth AM, Keller BJ, Sumners JA, Hansen LP, Isabelle JL, Millspaugh JJ. Spatial acclimation of elk during population restoration to the Missouri Ozarks, USA. Anim Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- E. M. Pero
- Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula MT USA
| | - E. C. Palm
- Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula MT USA
| | - M. C. Chitwood
- Natural Resource Ecology & Management Oklahoma State University Stillwater OK USA
| | | | - B. J. Keller
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources St. Paul MN USA
| | - J. A. Sumners
- Missouri Department of Conservation Jefferson City MO USA
| | - L. P. Hansen
- Missouri Department of Conservation Columbia MO USA
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources St. Paul MN USA
| | - J. L. Isabelle
- Missouri Department of Conservation Columbia MO USA
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources St. Paul MN USA
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Joint use of location and acceleration data reveals influences on transitions among habitats in wintering birds. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2132. [PMID: 36746981 PMCID: PMC9902612 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28937-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Quantifying relationships between animal behavior and habitat use is essential to understanding animal decision-making. High-resolution location and acceleration data allows unprecedented insights into animal movement and behavior. These data types allow researchers to study the complex linkages between behavioral plasticity and habitat distribution. We used a novel Markov model in a Bayesian framework to quantify the influence of behavioral state frequencies and environmental variables on transitions among landcover types through joint use of location and tri-axial accelerometer data. Data were collected from 56 greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons frontalis) across seven ecologically distinct winter regions over two years in midcontinent North America. We showed that goose decision-making varied across landcover types, ecoregions, and abiotic conditions, and was influenced by behavior. We found that time spent in specific behaviors explained variation in the probability of transitioning among habitats, revealing unique behavioral responses from geese among different habitats. Combining GPS and acceleration data allowed unique study of potential influences of an ongoing large-scale range shift in the wintering distribution of a migratory bird across midcontinent North America. We anticipate that behavioral adaptations among variable landscapes is a likely mechanism explaining goose use of highly variable ecosystems during winter in ways which optimize their persistence.
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Barker NA, Joubert FG, Kasaona M, Shatumbu G, Stowbunenko V, Alexander KA, Slotow R, Getz WM. Coursing hyenas and stalking lions: The potential for inter- and intraspecific interactions. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0265054. [PMID: 36735747 PMCID: PMC9897591 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Resource partitioning promotes coexistence among guild members, and carnivores reduce interference competition through behavioral mechanisms that promote spatio-temporal separation. We analyzed sympatric lion and spotted hyena movements and activity patterns to ascertain the mechanisms facilitating their coexistence within semi-arid and wetland ecosystems. We identified recurrent high-use (revisitation) and extended stay (duration) areas within home ranges, as well as correlated movement-derived measures of inter- and intraspecific interactions with environmental variables. Spatial overlaps among lions and hyenas expanded during the wet season, and occurred at edges of home ranges, around water-points, along pathways between patches of high-use areas. Lions shared more of their home ranges with spotted hyenas in arid ecosystems, but shared more of their ranges with conspecifics in mesic environments. Despite shared space use, we found evidence for subtle temporal differences in the nocturnal movement and activity patterns between the two predators, suggesting a fine localized-scale avoidance strategy. Revisitation frequency and duration within home ranges were influenced by interspecific interactions, after land cover categories and diel cycles. Intraspecific interactions were also important for lions and, important for hyenas were moon illumination and ungulates attracted to former anthrax carcass sites in Etosha, with distance to water in Chobe/Linyanti. Recursion and duration according to locales of competitor probabilities were similar among female lions and both sexes of hyenas, but different for male lions. Our results suggest that lions and spotted hyenas mediate the potential for interference competition through subtle differences in temporal activity, fine-scale habitat use differentiation, and localized reactive-avoidance behaviors. These findings enhance our understanding of the potential effects of interspecific interactions among large carnivore space-use patterns within an apex predator system and show adaptability across heterogeneous and homogeneous environments. Future conservation plans should emphasize the importance of inter- and intraspecific competition within large carnivore communities, particularly moderating such effects within increasingly fragmented landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy A. Barker
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Marthin Kasaona
- Etosha Ecological Institute, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Okaukeujo, Namibia
| | - Gabriel Shatumbu
- Etosha Ecological Institute, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Okaukeujo, Namibia
| | - Vincent Stowbunenko
- Department of Computer Science, San José State University, San Jose, California, United States of America
| | - Kathleen A. Alexander
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Rob Slotow
- Oppenheimer Fellow in Functional Ecology, Centre for Functional Ecology, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Wayne M. Getz
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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29
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Iverson AR, Humple DL, Cormier RL, Hull J. Land cover and NDVI are important predictors in habitat selection along migration for the Golden-crowned Sparrow, a temperate-zone migrating songbird. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:2. [PMID: 36639697 PMCID: PMC9837890 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00353-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Migrating passerines in North America have shown sharp declines. Understanding habitat selection and threats along migration paths are critical research needs, but details about migrations have been limited due to the difficulty of tracking small birds. Recent technological advances of tiny GPS-tags provide new opportunities to delineate fine-scale movements in small passerines during a life stage that has previously been inherently difficult to study. METHODS We investigated habitat selection along migration routes for a temperate-zone migratory passerine, the Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla), given GPS tags on California wintering grounds. We used a resource selection function combined with conditional logistic regression to compare matched sets of known stopover locations and available but unused locations to determine how land cover class, vegetation greenness and climate variables influence habitat selection during migration. We also provide general migration descriptions for this understudied species including migration distance, duration, and elevation, and repeated use of stopover areas. RESULTS We acquired 22 tracks across 19 individuals, with a total of 541 valid spring and fall migration locations. Birds traveled to breeding grounds in Alaska and British Columbia along coastal routes, selecting for shrubland and higher vegetation greenness in both migration seasons as well as grasslands during fall migration. However, model interactions showed they selected sites with lower levels of greenness when in forest (both seasons) and shrubland (fall only), which may reflect their preference for more open habitats or represent a trade-off in selection between habitat type and productivity. Birds also selected for locations with higher daily maximum temperature during spring migration. Routes during spring migration were lower in elevation on average, shorter in duration, and had fewer long stopovers than in fall migration. For two birds, we found repeated use of the same stopover areas in spring and fall migration. CONCLUSIONS Using miniaturized GPS, this study provides new insight into habitat selection along migration routes for a common temperate-zone migrating songbird, contributing to a better understanding of full annual cycle models, and informing conservation efforts. Golden-crowned Sparrows selected for specific habitats along migration routes, and we found previously unknown behaviors such as repeated use of the same stopover areas by individuals across different migratory seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Autumn R Iverson
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
| | - Diana L Humple
- Point Blue Conservation Science, 3820 Cypress Drive #11, Petaluma, CA, 94954, USA
| | - Renée L Cormier
- Point Blue Conservation Science, 3820 Cypress Drive #11, Petaluma, CA, 94954, USA
| | - Josh Hull
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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Gochanour B, Fernández‐López J, Contina A. abmR
: An R package for agent‐based model analysis of large‐scale movements across taxa. Methods Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.14014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Gochanour
- Corix Plains Institute University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma USA
- Oklahoma Biological Survey University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma USA
| | | | - Andrea Contina
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Colorado Denver Denver Colorado USA
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology Center for Earth Observation and Modeling University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma USA
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas USA
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31
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Potts JR, Börger L. How to scale up from animal movement decisions to spatiotemporal patterns: An approach via step selection. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:16-29. [PMID: 36321473 PMCID: PMC10099581 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Uncovering the mechanisms behind animal space use patterns is of vital importance for predictive ecology, thus conservation and management of ecosystems. Movement is a core driver of those patterns so understanding how movement mechanisms give rise to space use patterns has become an increasingly active area of research. This study focuses on a particular strand of research in this area, based around step selection analysis (SSA). SSA is a popular way of inferring drivers of movement decisions, but, perhaps less well appreciated, it also parametrises a model of animal movement. Of key interest is that this model can be propagated forwards in time to predict the space use patterns over broader spatial and temporal scales than those that pertain to the proximate movement decisions of animals. Here, we provide a guide for understanding and using the various existing techniques for scaling up step selection models to predict broad-scale space use patterns. We give practical guidance on when to use which technique, as well as specific examples together with code in R and Python. By pulling together various disparate techniques into one place, and providing code and instructions in simple examples, we hope to highlight the importance of these techniques and make them accessible to a wider range of ecologists, ultimately helping expand the usefulness of SSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R Potts
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.,Centre for Biomathematics, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
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32
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Brunet MJ, Monteith KL, Huggler KS, Thompson DJ, Burke PW, Zornes M, Lionberger P, Valdez M, Holbrook JD. Spatiotemporal predictions of the alternative prey hypothesis: Predator habitat use during decreasing prey abundance. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell J. Brunet
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
| | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
| | - Katey S. Huggler
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
| | | | | | - Mark Zornes
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department Green River Wyoming USA
| | - Patrick Lionberger
- Bureau of Land Management, Rock Springs Field Office Rock Springs Wyoming USA
| | - Miguel Valdez
- Bureau of Land Management, Rock Springs Field Office Rock Springs Wyoming USA
| | - Joseph D. Holbrook
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
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Gonnerman M, Shea SA, Sullivan K, Kamath P, Overturf K, Blomberg E. Dynamic winter weather moderates movement and resource selection of wild turkeys at high-latitude range limits. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2734. [PMID: 36057107 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2734] [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: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
For wide-ranging species in temperate environments, populations at high-latitude range limits are subject to more extreme conditions, colder temperatures, and greater snow accumulation compared with their core range. As climate change progresses, these bounding pressures may become more moderate on average, while extreme weather occurs more frequently. Individuals can mitigate temporarily extreme conditions by changing daily activity budgets and exhibiting plasticity in resource selection, both of which facilitate existence at and expansion of high-latitude range boundaries. However, relatively little work has explored how animals moderate movement and vary resource selection with changing weather, and a general framework for such investigations is lacking. We applied hidden Markov models and step selection functions to GPS data from wintering wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) near their northern range limit to identify how weather influenced transition among discrete movement states, as well as state-specific resource selection. We found that turkeys were more likely to spend time in a stationary state as wind chill temperatures decreased and snow depth increased. Both stationary and roosting turkeys selected conifer forests and avoided land covers associated with foraging, such as agriculture and residential areas, while shifting their strength of selection for these features during poor weather. In contrast, mobile turkeys showed relatively weak resource selection, with less response in selection coefficients during poor weather. Our findings illustrate that behavioral plasticity in response to weather was context dependent, but movement behaviors most associated with poor weather were also those in which resource selection was most plastic. Given our results, the potential for wild turkey range expansion will partly be determined by the availability of habitat that allows them to withstand periodic inclement weather. Combining hidden Markov models with step selection functions is broadly applicable for evaluating plasticity in animal behavior and dynamic resource selection in response to changing weather. We studied turkeys at northern range limits, but this approach is applicable for any system expected to experience significant changes in the coming decade, and may be particularly relevant to populations existing at range peripheries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Gonnerman
- Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Stephanie A Shea
- School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Kelsey Sullivan
- Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Bangor, Maine, USA
| | - Pauline Kamath
- School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Kaj Overturf
- Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Erik Blomberg
- Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
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Pinti J, Shatley M, Carlisle A, Block BA, Oliver MJ. Using pseudo-absence models to test for environmental selection in marine movement ecology: the importance of sample size and selection strength. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:60. [PMID: 36581885 PMCID: PMC9798696 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00362-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the selection of environmental conditions by animals requires knowledge of where they are, but also of where they could have been. Presence data can be accurately estimated by direct sampling, sightings, or through electronic tag deployments. However, absence data are harder to determine because absences are challenging to measure in an uncontrolled setting. To address this problem, ecologists have developed different methods for generating pseudo-absence data relying on theoretical movement models. These null models represent the movement of environmentally naive individuals, creating a set of locations that animals could have been if they were not exhibiting environmental selection. METHODS Here, we use four different kinds of null animal movement models-Brownian motion, Lévy walks, Correlated random walks, and Joint correlated random walks to test the ability and power of each of these null movement models to serve as appropriate animal absence models. We use Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests to detect environmental selection using two data sets, one of simulated animal tracks biased towards warmer sea surface temperatures, and one of 57 observed blue shark tracks of unknown sea surface temperature selection. RESULTS The four different types of movement models showed minimal difference in the ability to serve as appropriate null models for environmental selection studies. Selection strength and sample size were more important in detecting true environmental selection. We show that this method can suffer from high false positive rates, especially in the case where animals are not selecting for specific environments. We provide estimates of test accuracy at different sample sizes and selection strengths to avoid false positives when using this method. CONCLUSION We show how movement models can be used to generate pseudo-absences and test for habitat selection in marine organisms. While this approach efficiently detects environmental selection in marine organisms, it cannot detect the underlying mechanisms driving this selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Pinti
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE, 19958, USA.
| | - Matthew Shatley
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE, 19958, USA
| | - Aaron Carlisle
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE, 19958, USA
| | - Barbara A Block
- Hopkins Marine Station, Biology Department, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, USA
| | - Matthew J Oliver
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE, 19958, USA
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Torretta E, Corradini A, Pedrotti L, Bani L, Bisi F, Dondina O. Hide-and-Seek in a Highly Human-Dominated Landscape: Insights into Movement Patterns and Selection of Resting Sites of Rehabilitated Wolves ( Canis lupus) in Northern Italy. Animals (Basel) 2022; 13:ani13010046. [PMID: 36611657 PMCID: PMC9817923 DOI: 10.3390/ani13010046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Assessing the behavioural responses of floating wolves to human presence is crucial for investigating the chance of wolf populations expanding into urbanised landscapes. We studied the movement ecology of three rehabilitated wolves in a highly human-dominated landscape (Po Plain, Italy) to explore wolf's plasticity amid widespread human pressure. To reach this aim, we estimated individual 95% utilisation distributions (UD) after the release and inspected both 95% UDs and net squared displacements to identify individual movement patterns; tested for differences in movement patterns during day and night; and analysed the selection of resting sites during dispersal movement in a highly human-altered environment. Both the 95% UDs and step lengths were smaller for wolves settling in suitable areas than for those settling in more urbanised areas. All wolves exhibited strong temporal segregation with humans during all movement phases, particularly while dispersing across highly urbanised areas. Main roads and proximity to built-up areas were shown to limit wolves' dispersal, whereas small-wooded patches that provide shelter during rest facilitated long-distance movements. This study provides important insights into wolf movement and settling in urban and peri-urban areas, providing critical knowledge to promote human-carnivore coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Torretta
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Andrea Corradini
- Animal Ecology Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Edmund Mach, 1, 38098 San Michele all’Adige, Italy
| | | | - Luciano Bani
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Bisi
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Insubria University, Via J. H. Dunant, 3-I, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Olivia Dondina
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence:
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Paun I, Husmeier D, Hopcraft JGC, Masolele MM, Torney CJ. Inferring spatially varying animal movement characteristics using a hierarchical continuous-time velocity model. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:2726-2738. [PMID: 36256526 PMCID: PMC9828272 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the spatial dynamics of animal movement is an essential component of maintaining ecological connectivity, conserving key habitats, and mitigating the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance. Altered movement and migratory patterns are often an early warning sign of the effects of environmental disturbance, and a precursor to population declines. Here, we present a hierarchical Bayesian framework based on Gaussian processes for analysing the spatial characteristics of animal movement. At the heart of our approach is a novel covariance kernel that links the spatially varying parameters of a continuous-time velocity model with GPS locations from multiple individuals. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework by first applying it to a synthetic data set and then by analysing telemetry data from the Serengeti wildebeest migration. Through application of our approach, we are able to identify the key pathways of the wildebeest migration as well as revealing the impacts of environmental features on movement behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ionut Paun
- School of Mathematics and StatisticsUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Dirk Husmeier
- School of Mathematics and StatisticsUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - J. Grant C. Hopcraft
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGraham Kerr BuildingGlasgowUK
| | | | - Colin J. Torney
- School of Mathematics and StatisticsUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
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Brogi R, Apollonio M, Brivio F, Merli E, Grignolio S. Behavioural syndromes going wild: individual risk-taking behaviours of free-ranging wild boar. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Thorsen NH, Hansen JE, Støen OG, Kindberg J, Zedrosser A, Frank SC. Movement and habitat selection of a large carnivore in response to human infrastructure differs by life stage. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:52. [PMID: 36447280 PMCID: PMC9706841 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00349-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The movement extent of mammals is influenced by human-modified areas, which can affect population demographics. Understanding how human infrastructure influences movement at different life stages is important for wildlife management. This is true especially for large carnivores, due to their substantial space requirements and potential for conflict with humans. METHODS We investigated human impact on movement and habitat selection by GPS-collared male brown bears (Ursus arctos) in two life stages (residents and dispersers) in central Sweden. We identified dispersers visually based on their GPS locations and used hidden Markov models to delineate dispersal events. We used integrated step selection analysis (iSSA) to infer movement and habitat selection at a local scale (availability defined by hourly relocations), and resource selection functions (RSFs) to infer habitat selection at a landscape scale (availability defined by the study area extent). RESULTS Movement of residents on a local scale was facilitated by small forestry roads as they moved faster and selected areas closer to forestry roads, and they avoided areas closer to larger public roads and buildings on both scales. Dispersers were more ambivalent in their response to human infrastructure. Dispersers increased their speed closer to small forestry roads and larger public roads, did not exhibit selection for or against any road class, and avoided areas closer to buildings only at local scale. Dispersers did not select for any features on the landscape, which is likely explained by the novelty of the landscape or their naivety towards it. CONCLUSION Our results show that movement in male brown bears is life stage-dependent and indicate that connectivity maps derived from movement data of dispersing animals may provide more numerous and more realistic pathways than those derived from resident animal data alone. This suggests that data from dispersing animals provide more realistic models for reconnecting populations and maintaining connectivity than if data were derived from resident animals alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- N H Thorsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Oslo, Norway.
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
| | - J E Hansen
- Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø, Telemark, Norway
| | - O-G Støen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Oslo, Norway
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - J Kindberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - A Zedrosser
- Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø, Telemark, Norway.
- Department of Integrative Biology, Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
| | - S C Frank
- Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø, Telemark, Norway
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Alston JM, Fleming CH, Kays R, Streicher JP, Downs CT, Ramesh T, Reineking B, Calabrese JM. Mitigating pseudoreplication and bias in resource selection functions with autocorrelation‐informed weighting. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.14025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse M. Alston
- Center for Advanced Systems Understanding Görlitz Germany
- Helmholtz‐Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf (HZDR) Dresden Germany
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson Arizona USA
| | - Christen H. Fleming
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park Front Royal Virginia USA
- Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park Maryland USA
| | - Roland Kays
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina USA
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Raleigh North Carolina USA
| | - Jarryd P. Streicher
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Pietermaritzburg South Africa
| | - Colleen T. Downs
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Pietermaritzburg South Africa
| | - Tharmalingam Ramesh
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Pietermaritzburg South Africa
- Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) Coimbatore Tamil Nadu India
| | - Björn Reineking
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INRAE, LESSEM Saint‐Martin‐d'Hères France
| | - Justin M. Calabrese
- Center for Advanced Systems Understanding Görlitz Germany
- Helmholtz‐Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf (HZDR) Dresden Germany
- Department of Ecological Modelling Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) Leipzig Germany
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40
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Dyal JR, Miller KV, Cherry MJ, D'Angelo GJ. White‐tailed deer movement in response to helicopter surveys. WILDLIFE SOC B 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jordan R. Dyal
- Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Karl V. Miller
- Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Michael J. Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute Texas A&M University‐Kingsville 700 University Boulevard Kingsville TX 78363 USA
| | - Gino J. D'Angelo
- Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens GA 30602 USA
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Gilbertson MLJ, Ketz AC, Hunsaker M, Jarosinski D, Ellarson W, Walsh DP, Storm DJ, Turner WC. Agricultural land use shapes dispersal in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:43. [PMID: 36289549 PMCID: PMC9608933 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00342-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dispersal is a fundamental process to animal population dynamics and gene flow. In white-tailed deer (WTD; Odocoileus virginianus), dispersal also presents an increasingly relevant risk for the spread of infectious diseases. Across their wide range, WTD dispersal is believed to be driven by a suite of landscape and host behavioral factors, but these can vary by region, season, and sex. Our objectives were to (1) identify dispersal events in Wisconsin WTD and determine drivers of dispersal rates and distances, and (2) determine how landscape features (e.g., rivers, roads) structure deer dispersal paths. METHODS We developed an algorithmic approach to detect dispersal events from GPS collar data for 590 juvenile, yearling, and adult WTD. We used statistical models to identify host and landscape drivers of dispersal rates and distances, including the role of agricultural land use, the traversability of the landscape, and potential interactions between deer. We then performed a step selection analysis to determine how landscape features such as agricultural land use, elevation, rivers, and roads affected deer dispersal paths. RESULTS Dispersal predominantly occurred in juvenile males, of which 64.2% dispersed, with dispersal events uncommon in other sex and age classes. Juvenile male dispersal probability was positively associated with the proportion of the natal range that was classified as agricultural land use, but only during the spring. Dispersal distances were typically short (median 5.77 km, range: 1.3-68.3 km), especially in the fall. Further, dispersal distances were positively associated with agricultural land use in potential dispersal paths but negatively associated with the number of proximate deer in the natal range. Lastly, we found that, during dispersal, juvenile males typically avoided agricultural land use but selected for areas near rivers and streams. CONCLUSION Land use-particularly agricultural-was a key driver of dispersal rates, distances, and paths in Wisconsin WTD. In addition, our results support the importance of deer social environments in shaping dispersal behavior. Our findings reinforce knowledge of dispersal ecology in WTD and how landscape factors-including major rivers, roads, and land-use patterns-structure host gene flow and potential pathogen transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie L J Gilbertson
- Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Dr, 53706, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Alison C Ketz
- Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Dr, 53706, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Matthew Hunsaker
- Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Dr, 53706, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Dana Jarosinski
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 1500 N Johns St, 53533, Dodgeville, WI, USA
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 E Green St, 30602, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Wesley Ellarson
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 1500 N Johns St, 53533, Dodgeville, WI, USA
| | - Daniel P Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive NS 205, 59812, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Daniel J Storm
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 1300 West Clairemont Ave, 54701, Eau Claire, WI, USA
| | - Wendy C Turner
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Dr, 53706, Madison, WI, USA
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Gardner B, McClintock BT, Converse SJ, Hostetter NJ. Integrated animal movement and spatial capture-recapture models: Simulation, implementation, and inference. Ecology 2022; 103:e3771. [PMID: 35638187 PMCID: PMC9787507 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decade, spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models have become widespread for estimating demographic parameters in ecological studies. However, the underlying assumptions about animal movement and space use are often not realistic. This is a missed opportunity because interesting ecological questions related to animal space use, habitat selection, and behavior cannot be addressed with most SCR models, despite the fact that the data collected in SCR studies - individual animals observed at specific locations and times - can provide a rich source of information about these processes and how they relate to demographic rates. We developed SCR models that integrated more complex movement processes that are typically inferred from telemetry data, including a simple random walk, correlated random walk (i.e., short-term directional persistence), and habitat-driven Langevin diffusion. We demonstrated how to formulate, simulate from, and fit these models with standard SCR data using data-augmented Bayesian analysis methods. We evaluated their performance through a simulation study, in which we varied the detection, movement, and resource selection parameters. We also examined different numbers of sampling occasions and assessed performance gains when including auxiliary location data collected from telemetered individuals. Across all scenarios, the integrated SCR movement models performed well in terms of abundance, detection, and movement parameter estimation. We found little difference in bias for the simple random walk model when reducing the number of sampling occasions from T = 25 to T = 15. We found some bias in movement parameter estimates under several of the correlated random walk scenarios, but incorporating auxiliary location data improved parameter estimates and significantly improved mixing during model fitting. The Langevin movement model was able to recover resource selection parameters from standard SCR data, which is particularly appealing because it explicitly links the individual-level movement process with habitat selection and population density. We focused on closed population models, but the movement models developed here can be extended to open SCR models. The movement process models could also be easily extended to accommodate additional "building blocks" of random walks, such as central tendency (e.g., territoriality) or multiple movement behavior states, thereby providing a flexible and coherent framework for linking animal movement behavior to population dynamics, density, and distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Gardner
- School of Environmental and Forest SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Brett T. McClintock
- Marine Mammal LaboratoryNOAA‐NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science CenterSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Sarah J. Converse
- U.S. Geological Survey, Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences and School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Nathan J. Hostetter
- U.S. Geological Survey, North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Applied EcologyNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNorth CarolinaUSA
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McClintock BT, Abrahms B, Chandler RB, Conn PB, Converse SJ, Emmet RL, Gardner B, Hostetter NJ, Johnson DS. An integrated path for spatial capture-recapture and animal movement modeling. Ecology 2022; 103:e3473. [PMID: 34270790 PMCID: PMC9786756 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Ecologists and conservation biologists increasingly rely on spatial capture-recapture (SCR) and movement modeling to study animal populations. Historically, SCR has focused on population-level processes (e.g., vital rates, abundance, density, and distribution), whereas animal movement modeling has focused on the behavior of individuals (e.g., activity budgets, resource selection, migration). Even though animal movement is clearly a driver of population-level patterns and dynamics, technical and conceptual developments to date have not forged a firm link between the two fields. Instead, movement modeling has typically focused on the individual level without providing a coherent scaling from individual- to population-level processes, whereas SCR has typically focused on the population level while greatly simplifying the movement processes that give rise to the observations underlying these models. In our view, the integration of SCR and animal movement modeling has tremendous potential for allowing ecologists to scale up from individuals to populations and advancing the types of inferences that can be made at the intersection of population, movement, and landscape ecology. Properly accounting for complex animal movement processes can also potentially reduce bias in estimators of population-level parameters, thereby improving inferences that are critical for species conservation and management. This introductory article to the Special Feature reviews recent advances in SCR and animal movement modeling, establishes a common notation, highlights potential advantages of linking individual-level (Lagrangian) movements to population-level (Eulerian) processes, and outlines a general conceptual framework for the integration of movement and SCR models. We then identify important avenues for future research, including key challenges and potential pitfalls in the developments and applications that lie ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett T. McClintock
- Marine Mammal LaboratoryNOAA‐NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science CenterSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Briana Abrahms
- Department of BiologyUniversity of WashingtonLife Sciences Building, Box 351800SeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of Georgia180 E. Green St.AthensGeorgiaUSA
| | - Paul B. Conn
- Marine Mammal LaboratoryNOAA‐NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science CenterSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Sarah J. Converse
- U.S. Geological SurveyWashington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitSchool of Environmental and Forest Sciences & School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesUniversity of WashingtonBox 355020SeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Robert L. Emmet
- Quantitative Ecology and Resource ManagementUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Beth Gardner
- School of Environmental and Forest SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Nathan J. Hostetter
- Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitSchool of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Devin S. Johnson
- Marine Mammal LaboratoryNOAA‐NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science CenterSeattleWashingtonUSA
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Reshamwala HS, Raina P, Hussain Z, Khan S, Dirzo R, Habib B. On the move: spatial ecology and habitat use of red fox in the Trans-Himalayan cold desert. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13967. [PMID: 36128190 PMCID: PMC9482768 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the most widespread wild carnivore globally, occupying diverse habitats. The species is known for its adaptability to survive in dynamic anthropogenic landscapes. Despite being one of the most extensively studied carnivores, there is a dearth of information on red fox from the Trans-Himalayan region. We studied the home range sizes of red fox using the different estimation methods: minimum convex polygon (MCP), kernel density estimator (KDE), local convex hull (LoCoH) and Brownian-bridge movement model (BBMM). We analysed the daily movement and assessed the habitat selection with respect to topographic factors (ruggedness, elevation and slope), environmental factor (distance to water) and anthropogenic factors (distance to road and human settlements). We captured and GPS-collared six red fox individuals (three males and three females) from Chiktan and one female from Hemis National Park, Ladakh, India. The collars were programmed to record GPS fixes every 15-min. The average BBMM home range estimate (95% contour) was 22.40 ± 12.12 SD km2 (range 3.81-32.93 km2) and the average core area (50% contour) was 1.87 ± 0.86 SD km2 (range 0.55-2.69 km2). The estimated average daily movement of red fox was 17.76 ± 8.45 SD km/d (range 10.91-34.22 km/d). Red fox significantly selected lower elevations with less rugged terrain and were positively associated with water. This is the first study in the Trans-Himalayan landscape which aims to understand the daily movement of red fox at a fine temporal scale. Studying the movement and home range sizes helps understand the daily energetics and nutritional requirements of red fox. Movement information of a species is important for the prioritisation of areas for conservation and can aid in understanding ecosystem functioning and landscape management.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pankaj Raina
- Department of Wildlife Protection, Leh, Ladakh Union Territory, India
| | | | - Shaheer Khan
- Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Rodolfo Dirzo
- Stanford University, Stanford, United States of America
| | - Bilal Habib
- Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
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Vales DJ, Nielson RM, Middleton MP. Black‐tailed deer seasonal habitat selection: accounting for missing global positioning system fixes. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David J. Vales
- Muckleshoot Indian Tribe Wildlife Program 39015 172nd Avenue SE Auburn WA 98092 USA
| | - Ryan M. Nielson
- Eagle Environmental, Inc. 30 Fonda Road Santa Fe NM 87508 USA
| | - Michael P. Middleton
- Muckleshoot Indian Tribe Wildlife Program 39015 172nd Avenue SE Auburn WA 98092 USA
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McDuie F, Matchett EL, Prosser DJ, Takekawa JY, Pitesky ME, Lorenz AA, McCuen MM, T OC, Ackerman JT, De La Cruz SEW, Casazza ML. Pathways for avian influenza virus spread: GPS reveals wild waterfowl in commercial livestock facilities and connectivity with the natural wetland landscape. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:2898-2912. [PMID: 34974641 PMCID: PMC9788224 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Zoonotic diseases are of considerable concern to the human population and viruses such as avian influenza (AIV) threaten food security, wildlife conservation and human health. Wild waterfowl and the natural wetlands they use are known AIV reservoirs, with birds capable of virus transmission to domestic poultry populations. While infection risk models have linked migration routes and AIV outbreaks, there is a limited understanding of wild waterfowl presence on commercial livestock facilities, and movement patterns linked to natural wetlands. We documented 11 wild waterfowl (three Anatidae species) in or near eight commercial livestock facilities in Washington and California with GPS telemetry data. Wild ducks used dairy and beef cattle feed lots and facility retention ponds during both day and night suggesting use for roosting and foraging. Two individuals (single locations) were observed inside poultry facility boundaries while using nearby wetlands. Ducks demonstrated high site fidelity, returning to the same areas of habitats (at livestock facilities and nearby wetlands), across months or years, showed strong connectivity with surrounding wetlands, and arrived from wetlands up to 1251 km away in the week prior. Telemetry data provides substantial advantages over observational data, allowing assessment of individual movement behaviour and wetland connectivity that has significant implications for outbreak management. Telemetry improves our understanding of risk factors for waterfowl-livestock virus transmission and helps identify factors associated with coincident space use at the wild waterfowl-domestic livestock interface. Our research suggests that even relatively small or isolated natural and artificial water or food sources in/near facilities increases the likelihood of attracting waterfowl, which has important consequences for managers attempting to minimize or prevent AIV outbreaks. Use and interpretation of telemetry data, especially in near-real-time, could provide key information for reducing virus transmission risk between waterfowl and livestock, improving protective barriers between wild and domestic species, and abating outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona McDuie
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field StationSuite D DixonCaliforniaUSA,San Jose State University Research FoundationMoss Landing Marine LaboratoriesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Elliott L Matchett
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field StationSuite D DixonCaliforniaUSA
| | - Diann J Prosser
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center at the Patuxent Research Refuge (formerly USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center)LaurelMarylandUSA
| | - John Y Takekawa
- Suisun Resource Conservation District, Suisun Marsh ProgramWest SacramentoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Maurice E Pitesky
- University of California Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Poultry Health and Food Safety Epidemiology, One Shields AvenueDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | - Austen A Lorenz
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field StationSuite D DixonCaliforniaUSA
| | - Madeline M McCuen
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field StationSuite D DixonCaliforniaUSA
| | - Overton Cory T
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field StationSuite D DixonCaliforniaUSA
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field StationSuite D DixonCaliforniaUSA
| | - Susan E. W. De La Cruz
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center, San Francisco Bay Estuary Field StationMoffett FieldCaliforniaUSA
| | - Michael L Casazza
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field StationSuite D DixonCaliforniaUSA
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Benitez L, Kilian JW, Wittemyer G, Hughey LF, Fleming CH, Leimgruber P, du Preez P, Stabach JA. Precipitation, vegetation productivity, and human impacts control home range size of elephants in dryland systems in northern Namibia. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9288. [PMID: 36177134 PMCID: PMC9471278 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Climatic variability, resource availability, and anthropogenic impacts heavily influence an animal's home range. This makes home range size an effective metric for understanding how variation in environmental factors alter the behavior and spatial distribution of animals. In this study, we estimated home range size of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) across four sites in Namibia, along a gradient of precipitation and human impact, and investigated how these gradients influence the home range size on regional and site scales. Additionally, we estimated the time individuals spent within protected area boundaries. The mean 50% autocorrelated kernel density estimate for home range was 2200 km2 [95% CI:1500–3100 km2]. Regionally, precipitation and vegetation were the strongest predictors of home range size, accounting for a combined 53% of observed variation. However, different environmental covariates explained home range variation at each site. Precipitation predicted most variation (up to 74%) in home range sizes (n = 66) in the drier western sites, while human impacts explained 71% of the variation in home range sizes (n = 10) in Namibia's portion of the Kavango‐Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area. Elephants in all study areas maintained high fidelity to protected areas, spending an average of 85% of time tracked on protected lands. These results suggest that while most elephant space use in Namibia is driven by natural dynamics, some elephants are experiencing changes in space use due to human modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Benitez
- Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute Front Royal Virginia USA
| | - J Werner Kilian
- Etosha Ecological Institute, Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism Okaukuejo Namibia
| | - George Wittemyer
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA.,Save the Elephants Nairobi Kenya
| | - Lacey F Hughey
- Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute Front Royal Virginia USA
| | - Chris H Fleming
- Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute Front Royal Virginia USA.,Department of Biology University of Maryland Maryland USA
| | - Peter Leimgruber
- Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute Front Royal Virginia USA
| | | | - Jared A Stabach
- Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute Front Royal Virginia USA
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48
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Jones PF, Jakes AF, Vegter SE, Verhage MS. Is it the road or the fence? Influence of linear anthropogenic features on the movement and distribution of a partially migratory ungulate. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:37. [PMID: 36038930 PMCID: PMC9422137 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00336-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anthropogenic linear features change the behavior and selection patterns of species, which must adapt to these ever-increasing features on the landscape. Roads are a well-studied linear feature that alter the survival, movement, and distribution of animals. Less understood are the effects of fences on wildlife, though they tend to be more ubiquitous across the landscape than roads. Even less understood are potential indirect effects when fences are found in tandem with roads along transportation corridors. METHODS We assessed how the spatial configuration of fences and roads effect the movement (crossing effect) and distribution (proximity effect) of a partially migratory pronghorn population (Antilocapra americana) on the grasslands of southern Alberta, Canada. We used data from 55 collared pronghorn within a step-selection function framework to assess the influence of 4 linear features: (1) pasture fences, (2) roads not fenced, (3) roads fenced on one side, and (4) roads fenced on both sides on the selection pattern of migratory and resident animals. We examined whether steps along a movement pathway (i.e., crossing effect) were influenced by the type of linear feature animals attempted to cross and, whether these features affected the distribution of pronghorn (i.e., proximity effect) across the landscape. RESULTS The top model for crossing effect for both movement tactics contained all 4 linear features and land cover. Regression coefficients were negative for all linear features, indicating that individuals were less likely to chose steps that crossed linear features. For the proximity effect, migrant animals avoided all linear features except roads fenced on both sides, where they selected areas closer to this feature. Resident animals, on the other hand, were found closer to pasture fences but further from roads without fences. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that both fences and roads are indirectly affecting pronghorn resource use spatially and behaviorally, whether each linear feature is found separately or in tandem. Modifying existing fences and roads to account for responses to these distinct linear features could facilitate more successful crossing opportunities and/or shifts in distribution. Allowing pronghorn to freely move across the landscape will maintain functional connectivity to ensure population persistence of this endemic ungulate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul F Jones
- Alberta Conservation Association, #400 817-4th Ave South, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 0P3, Canada.
| | - Andrew F Jakes
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Scott E Vegter
- Alberta Conservation Association, #400 817-4th Ave South, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 0P3, Canada
| | - Mike S Verhage
- Alberta Conservation Association, #400 817-4th Ave South, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 0P3, Canada
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Conn PB, Ver Hoef JM, McClintock BT, Johnson DS, Brost B. A
GLMM
approach for combining multiple relative abundance surfaces. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul B. Conn
- Marine Mammal Laboratory Alaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service Seattle WA USA
| | - Jay M. Ver Hoef
- Marine Mammal Laboratory Alaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service Seattle WA USA
| | - Brett T. McClintock
- Marine Mammal Laboratory Alaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service Seattle WA USA
| | - Devin S. Johnson
- Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service Honolulu HI USA
| | - Brian Brost
- Marine Mammal Laboratory Alaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service Seattle WA USA
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50
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Colosimo G, Gargano M, Loreti P, Bracciale L, De Luca M, Catini A, Di Natale C, Vera C, Sevilla CR, Gerber GP, Gentile G. Remote tracking of Galápagos pink land iguana reveals large elevational shifts in habitat use. J Nat Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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