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Rahimi E, Dong P, Ahmadzadeh F. Energy-based corridor identification for mammals between protected areas in Iran. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11551. [PMID: 38863719 PMCID: PMC11164971 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11551] [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: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Body mass plays a crucial role in determining the mass-specific energy expenditure during terrestrial locomotion across diverse animal taxa, affecting locomotion patterns. The energy landscape concept offers a framework to explore the relationship between landscape characteristics and energy expenditure, enhancing our understanding of animal movement. Although the energy landscape approach solely considers the topographic obstacles faced by animals, its suitability compared to previous methods for constructing resistance maps and delineating corridors has not been comprehensively examined. In this study, we utilized the enerscape R package to generate resistance maps in kilocalories (kcal) by incorporating digital elevation models (DEMs) and body size data (kg). We assigned body sizes ranging from 0.5 to 100 kg to encompass a wide range of small and large mammals in Iran, adjusting maximum dispersal distances accordingly from 50 to 200 km. By analyzing these scenarios, we produced four resistance maps for each body size. Next, we identified potential corridors between terrestrial protected areas in Iran using the Linkage Mapper toolkit and examined barriers and pinch-points along these paths. Our study revealed significant findings regarding the shared corridors between small and large mammals in Iran's landscape. Despite their differing body sizes and energy requirements, many corridors were found to be utilized by both small and large mammal species. For example, we identified 206 corridors for mammals weighing 500 g, which were also recognized as the least-cost paths for 100 kg mammals. Thus, embracing a comprehensive method in resistance map creation, one that incorporates species-specific traits and human infrastructure becomes imperative for accurately identifying least-cost paths and consequently pinpointing pinch points and barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Rahimi
- Environmental Sciences Research InstituteShahid Beheshti UniversityTehranIran
| | - Pinliang Dong
- Department of Geography and the EnvironmentUniversity of North TexasDentonTexasUSA
| | - Faraham Ahmadzadeh
- Environmental Sciences Research InstituteShahid Beheshti UniversityTehranIran
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2
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Terlau JF, Brose U, Eisenhauer N, Amyntas A, Boy T, Dyer A, Gebler A, Hof C, Liu T, Scherber C, Schlägel UE, Schmidt A, Hirt MR. Microhabitat conditions remedy heat stress effects on insect activity. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:3747-3758. [PMID: 37186484 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16712] [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: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic global warming has major implications for mobile terrestrial insects, including long-term effects from constant warming, for example, on species distribution patterns, and short-term effects from heat extremes that induce immediate physiological responses. To cope with heat extremes, they either have to reduce their activity or move to preferable microhabitats. The availability of favorable microhabitat conditions is strongly promoted by the spatial heterogeneity of habitats, which is often reduced by anthropogenic land transformation. Thus, it is decisive to understand the combined effects of these global change drivers on insect activity. Here, we assessed the movement activity of six insect species (from three orders) in response to heat stress using a unique tracking approach via radio frequency identification. We tracked 465 individuals at the iDiv Ecotron across a temperature gradient up to 38.7°C. In addition, we varied microhabitat conditions by adding leaf litter from four different tree species to the experimental units, either spatially separated or well mixed. Our results show opposing effects of heat extremes on insect activity depending on the microhabitat conditions. The insect community significantly decreased its activity in the mixed litter scenario, while we found a strong positive effect on activity in the separated litter scenario. We hypothesize that the simultaneous availability of thermal refugia as well as resources provided by the mixed litter scenario allows animals to reduce their activity and save energy in response to heat stress. Contrary, the spatial separation of beneficial microclimatic conditions and resources forces animals to increase their activity to fulfill their energetic needs. Thus, our study highlights the importance of habitat heterogeneity on smaller scales, because it may buffer the consequences of extreme temperatures of insect performance and survival under global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jördis F Terlau
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Ulrich Brose
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Angelos Amyntas
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas Boy
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Alexander Dyer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Alban Gebler
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christian Hof
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Life Science Systems, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Tao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Christoph Scherber
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Centre for Biodiversity Monitoring, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ulrike E Schlägel
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anja Schmidt
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Myriam R Hirt
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
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3
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Arnold PA, Cassey P, White CR. Morphological shifts in response to spatial sorting on dispersal behaviour in red flour beetles across multiple generations. J Zool (1987) 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.13062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- P. A. Arnold
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD Australia
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - P. Cassey
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Adelaide Adelaide SA Australia
| | - C. R. White
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD Australia
- Centre for Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences Monash University Melbourne VIC Australia
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4
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Zepeda JA, Bautista A, Féron C, Martínez-Gómez M, Robles-Guerrero F, Reyes Meza V, Hudson R, Rödel HG. Patterns and predictors of inter-litter differences in rabbit pup locomotor activity, based on an automatized quantification method. Physiol Behav 2023; 261:114089. [PMID: 36657652 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114089] [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: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Individual-level sibling interactions in the litter huddle have been studied extensively, especially in the domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). However, little is known about inter-litter differences in pup activity patterns during early postnatal life, in particular regarding the drivers of such variation. In our study on 2-3-day-old rabbit pups, we predicted lower locomotor activity in litters with lower mean body masses on the day of birth (starting body mass) and with lower daily milk intake per pup, possibly constituting a behavioral strategy of pups to cope with associated energetic constraints. For an automatized assessment of pup locomotor activity in the litter huddle, we successfully developed and validated a method based on the quantification of dissimilarities between consecutive frames of video footage. Using this method, we could confirm a U-shaped time course of litter-level locomotor activity, with maximum values shortly before and after the once-daily nursing typical for the rabbit. As predicted, between-litter variation in mean starting body mass and in daily milk intake affected the degree of locomotor activity in the litter huddle, in an interactive way. That is, in litters with heavier starting body masses, pup locomotor activity was greater in pups with an initially higher milk intake, suggesting that only pups with better body condition and a higher energy intake could afford higher levels of activity. This interaction was exclusively apparent during the middle phase of the 24 h inter-nursing interval, when litter activity was low. Shortly before nursing, when pups show higher levels of locomotor behavior in anticipation of the mother's arrival, and shortly after nursing when the pups were more active possibly due to adjustments of their positions in the huddle, activity levels were decoupled from pups' starting body mass and previous milk intake. Our findings highlight the importance of pup body mass and daily energy intake, two parameters known to be related to maternal characteristics, in shaping inter-litter differences in pup locomotor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Alfredo Zepeda
- Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico; Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico; Preparatoria Alfonso Calderon Moreno, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico
| | - Amando Bautista
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico.
| | - Christophe Féron
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée UR 4443 (LEEC), Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, F-93430 Villetaneuse, France
| | - Margarita Martínez-Gómez
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico; Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Franco Robles-Guerrero
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée UR 4443 (LEEC), Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, F-93430 Villetaneuse, France
| | - Verónica Reyes Meza
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Robyn Hudson
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Heiko G Rödel
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée UR 4443 (LEEC), Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, F-93430 Villetaneuse, France.
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5
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McMillan NA, Fuhlendorf SD, Luttbeg B, Goodman LE, Davis CA, Allred BW, Hamilton RG. Bison movements change with weather: Implications for their continued conservation in the Anthropocene. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9586. [PMID: 36514548 PMCID: PMC9731910 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9586] [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: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal movement patterns are affected by complex interactions between biotic and abiotic landscape conditions, and these patterns are being altered by weather variability associated with a changing climate. Some animals, like the American plains bison (Bison bison L.; hereafter, plains bison), are considered keystone species, thus their response to weather variability may alter ecosystem structure and biodiversity patterns. Many movement studies of plains bison and other ungulates have focused on point-pattern analyses (e.g., resource-selection) that have provided information about where these animals move, but information about when or why these animals move is limited. For example, information surrounding the influence of weather on plains bison movement in response to weather is limited but has important implications for their conservation in a changing climate. To explore how movement distance is affected by weather patterns and drought, we utilized 12-min GPS data from two of the largest plains bison herds in North America to model their response to weather and drought parameters using generalized additive mixed models. Distance moved was best predicted by air temperature, wind speed, and rainfall. However, air temperature best explained the variation in distance moved compared to any other single parameter we measured, predicting a 48% decrease in movement rates above 28°C. Moreover, severe drought (as indicated by 25-cm depth soil moisture) better predicted movement distance than moderate drought. The strong influence of weather and drought on plains bison movements observed in our study suggest that shifting climate and weather will likely affect plains bison movement patterns, further complicating conservation efforts for this wide-ranging keystone species. Moreover, changes in plains bison movement patterns may have cascading effects for grassland ecosystem structure, function, and biodiversity. Plains bison and grassland conservation efforts need to be proactive and adaptive when considering the implications of a changing climate on bison movement patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A. McMillan
- Department of Agronomy and HorticultureSchool of Natural ResourcesUniversity of Nebraska‐LincolnLincolnNebraskaUSA
| | - Samuel D. Fuhlendorf
- Natural Resource Ecology and ManagementOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOklahomaUSA
| | - Barney Luttbeg
- Integrative BiologyOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOklahomaUSA
| | - Laura E. Goodman
- Natural Resource Ecology and ManagementOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOklahomaUSA
| | - Craig A. Davis
- Natural Resource Ecology and ManagementOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOklahomaUSA
| | - Brady W. Allred
- W.A. Franke College of Forestry & ConservationUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMontanaUSA
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Dorfman A, Hills TT, Scharf I. A guide to area-restricted search: a foundational foraging behaviour. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:2076-2089. [PMID: 35821610 PMCID: PMC9796321 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Area-restricted search is the capacity to change search effort adaptively in response to resource encounters or expectations, from directional exploration (global, extensive search) to focused exploitation (local, intensive search). This search pattern is used by numerous organisms, from worms and insects to humans, to find various targets, such as food, mates, nests, and other resources. Area-restricted search has been studied for at least 80 years by ecologists, and more recently in the neurological and psychological literature. In general, the conditions promoting this search pattern are: (1) clustered resources; (2) active search (e.g. not a sit-and-wait predator); (3) searcher memory for recent target encounters or expectations; and (4) searcher ignorance about the exact location of targets. Because area-restricted search adapts to resource encounters, the search can be performed at multiple spatial scales. Models and experiments have demonstrated that area-restricted search is superior to alternative search patterns that do not involve a memory of the exact location of the target, such as correlated random walks or Lévy walks/flights. Area-restricted search is triggered by sensory cues whereas concentrated search in the absence of sensory cues is associated with other forms of foraging. Some neural underpinnings of area-restricted search are probably shared across metazoans, suggesting a shared ancestry and a shared solution to a common ecological problem of finding clustered resources. Area-restricted search is also apparent in other domains, such as memory and visual search in humans, which may indicate an exaptation from spatial search to other forms of search. Here, we review these various aspects of area-restricted search, as well as how to identify it, and point to open questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arik Dorfman
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life SciencesTel Aviv University6997801Tel AvivIsrael
| | - Thomas T. Hills
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of WarwickCoventryCV4 7ALUK
| | - Inon Scharf
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life SciencesTel Aviv University6997801Tel AvivIsrael
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7
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Wijers M, Trethowan P, du Preez B, Loveridge AJ, Markham A, Macdonald DW, Montgomery RA. Something in the wind: the influence of wind speed and direction on African lion movement behavior. Behav Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Olfaction is a key sense, enabling animals to locate forage, select mates, navigate their environment, and avoid predation. Wind is an important abiotic factor that modulates the strength of olfactory information detected by animals. In theory, when airflow is unidirectional, an animal can increase odor detection probability and maximize the amount of olfactory information gained by moving crosswind. Given energetic costs inherent to activity and locomotion, behavioral search strategies that optimize the benefit-cost ratio should be advantageous. We tested whether African lions (Panthera leo) modify their movement directionality and distance according to wind speed and direction during hours of darkness when they are most active. We tracked 29 lions in southern Zimbabwe using GPS collars and deployed a weather station to collect detailed abiotic data. We found that when wind speeds increased lions were more likely to move crosswind. We also found that female lions, which tend to hunt more often than males, traveled farther when wind speeds were stronger. The results of our analysis suggest that lions adjust their movement behavior according to wind speed and direction. We inferred that this was a behavioral decision to maximize the amount of olfactory information gained per unit of energy spent. Our findings not only offer one of the first detailed insights on large carnivore anemotaxis (movement direction relative to wind) but also make an important contribution towards understanding the influence of wind on predator ecology in general which remains understudied to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Wijers
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre , Abingdon Road, Tubney , United Kingdom
| | - Paul Trethowan
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre , Abingdon Road, Tubney , United Kingdom
| | - Byron du Preez
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre , Abingdon Road, Tubney , United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J Loveridge
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre , Abingdon Road, Tubney , United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Markham
- Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford , Parks Road, Oxford , United Kingdom
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre , Abingdon Road, Tubney , United Kingdom
| | - Robert A Montgomery
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre , Abingdon Road, Tubney , United Kingdom
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8
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Anton CB, DeCesare NJ, Peterson C, Hayes TA, Bishop CJ. Climate, habitat interactions, and mule deer resource selection on winter landscapes. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Colby B. Anton
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | | | | | - Teagan A. Hayes
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Chad J. Bishop
- Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana Missoula MT 59812 USA
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Jahn M, Seebacher F. Variations in cost of transport and their ecological consequences: a review. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:276242. [PMID: 35942859 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Movement is essential in the ecology of most animals, and it typically consumes a large proportion of individual energy budgets. Environmental conditions modulate the energetic cost of movement (cost of transport, COT), and there are pronounced differences in COT between individuals within species and across species. Differences in morphology affect COT, but the physiological mechanisms underlying variation in COT remain unresolved. Candidates include mitochondrial efficiency and the efficiency of muscle contraction-relaxation dynamics. Animals can offset increased COT behaviourally by adjusting movement rate and habitat selection. Here, we review the theory underlying COT and the impact of environmental changes on COT. Increasing temperatures, in particular, increase COT and its variability between individuals. Thermal acclimation and exercise can affect COT, but this is not consistent across taxa. Anthropogenic pollutants can increase COT, although few chemical pollutants have been investigated. Ecologically, COT may modify the allocation of energy to different fitness-related functions, and thereby influence fitness of individuals, and the dynamics of animal groups and communities. Future research should consider the effects of multiple stressors on COT, including a broader range of pollutants, the underlying mechanisms of COT and experimental quantifications of potential COT-induced allocation trade-offs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miki Jahn
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences A08, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Frank Seebacher
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences A08, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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10
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Marrotte RR, Howe EJ, Beauclerc KB, Potter D, Northrup JM. Explaining detection heterogeneity with finite mixture and non-Euclidean movement in spatially explicit capture-recapture models. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13490. [PMID: 35694380 PMCID: PMC9186326 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13490] [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: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Landscape structure affects animal movement. Differences between landscapes may induce heterogeneity in home range size and movement rates among individuals within a population. These types of heterogeneity can cause bias when estimating population size or density and are seldom considered during analyses. Individual heterogeneity, attributable to unknown or unobserved covariates, is often modelled using latent mixture distributions, but these are demanding of data, and abundance estimates are sensitive to the parameters of the mixture distribution. A recent extension of spatially explicit capture-recapture models allows landscape structure to be modelled explicitly by incorporating landscape connectivity using non-Euclidean least-cost paths, improving inference, especially in highly structured (riparian & mountainous) landscapes. Our objective was to investigate whether these novel models could improve inference about black bear (Ursus americanus) density. We fit spatially explicit capture-recapture models with standard and complex structures to black bear data from 51 separate study areas. We found that non-Euclidean models were supported in over half of our study areas. Associated density estimates were higher and less precise than those from simple models and only slightly more precise than those from finite mixture models. Estimates were sensitive to the scale (pixel resolution) at which least-cost paths were calculated, but there was no consistent pattern across covariates or resolutions. Our results indicate that negative bias associated with ignoring heterogeneity is potentially severe. However, the most popular method for dealing with this heterogeneity (finite mixtures) yielded potentially unreliable point estimates of abundance that may not be comparable across surveys, even in data sets with 136-350 total detections, 3-5 detections per individual, 97-283 recaptures, and 80-254 spatial recaptures. In these same study areas with high sample sizes, we expected that landscape features would not severely constrain animal movements and modelling non-Euclidian distance would not consistently improve inference. Our results suggest caution in applying non-Euclidean SCR models when there is no clear landscape covariate that is known to strongly influence the movement of the focal species, and in applying finite mixture models except when abundant data are available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robby R. Marrotte
- Wildlife Research & Monitoring Section, Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eric J. Howe
- Wildlife Research & Monitoring Section, Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kaela B. Beauclerc
- Wildlife Research & Monitoring Section, Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Derek Potter
- Wildlife Research & Monitoring Section, Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joseph M. Northrup
- Wildlife Research & Monitoring Section, Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada,Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
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11
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Dickinson E, Hanna CS, Fischer HM, Davoli EC, Currier AA, Granatosky MC. Locomotor energetics in the Indonesian blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua gigas) with implications for the cost of belly-dragging in early tetrapods. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:329-336. [PMID: 34914867 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
During the last decade, biomechanical and kinematic studies have suggested that a belly-dragging gait may have represented a critical locomotor stage during tetrapod evolution. This form of locomotion is hypothesized to facilitate animals to move on land with relatively weaker pectoral muscles. The Indonesian blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua gigas) is known for its belly-dragging locomotion and is thought to employ many of the same spatiotemporal gait characteristics of stem tetrapods. Conversely, the savannah monitor (Varanus exanthematicus) employs a raised quadrupedal gait. Thus, differences in the energetic efficiency of locomotion between these taxa may elucidate the role of energetic optimization in driving gait shifts in early tetrapods. Five Tiliqua and four Varanus were custom-fitted for 3D printed helmets that, combined with a Field Metabolic System, were used to collect open-flow respirometry data including O2 consumption, CO2 production, water vapor pressure, barometric pressure, room temperature, and airflow rates. Energetic data were collected for each species at rest, and when walking at three different speeds. Energetic consumption in each taxon increased at greater speeds. On a per-stride basis, energetic costs appear similar between taxa. However, significant differences were observed interspecifically in terms of net cost of transport. Overall, energy expenditure was ~20% higher in Tiliqua at equivalent speeds, suggesting that belly-dragging does impart a tangible energetic cost during quadrupedal locomotion. This cost, coupled with the other practical constraints of belly-dragging (e.g., restricting top-end speed and reducing maneuverability in complex terrains) may have contributed to the adoption of upright quadrupedal walking throughout tetrapod locomotor evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin Dickinson
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Christopher S Hanna
- New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Hannah M Fischer
- New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Elizabeth C Davoli
- New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Allen A Currier
- New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Michael C Granatosky
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA.,Center for Biomedical Innovation, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
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12
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Watkins B, de Guinea M, Poindexter SA, Ganzhorn JU, Donati G, Eppley TM. Routes matter: the effect of seasonality on bamboo lemur navigational strategies. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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13
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Klappstein NJ, Potts JR, Michelot T, Börger L, Pilfold NW, Lewis MA, Derocher AE. Energy‐based step selection analysis: modelling the energetic drivers of animal movement and habitat use. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:946-957. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan R. Potts
- School of Mathematics and Statistics University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, Hounsfield Road Sheffield UK
| | - Théo Michelot
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences Swansea University Swansea UK
- Centre for Biomathematics, College of Science Swansea University Swansea UK
| | - Nicholas W. Pilfold
- Conservation Science and Wildlife Health, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance San Diego USA
| | - Mark A. Lewis
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton Canada
- Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton Canada
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14
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Armstrong TA, Lahiri C, Moran WK, Fuller BD, Mix JA, Cerny TM, Ibarra‐Garibay EJ. Wildlife visitation at abandoned mines. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A. Armstrong
- Department of Biology and Geosciences Adams State University 208 Edgemont Boulevard Alamosa CO 81101 USA
| | - Chayan Lahiri
- Department of Biology and Geosciences Adams State University 208 Edgemont Boulevard Alamosa CO 81101 USA
| | - Wyatt K. Moran
- Department of Biology and Geosciences Adams State University 208 Edgemont Boulevard Alamosa CO 81101 USA
| | - Brett D. Fuller
- Department of Biology and Geosciences Adams State University 208 Edgemont Boulevard Alamosa CO 81101 USA
| | - Jose A. Mix
- Department of Biology and Geosciences Adams State University 208 Edgemont Boulevard Alamosa CO 81101 USA
| | - Tyler M. Cerny
- Department of Biology and Geosciences Adams State University 208 Edgemont Boulevard Alamosa CO 81101 USA
| | - Erika J. Ibarra‐Garibay
- Department of Biology and Geosciences Adams State University 208 Edgemont Boulevard Alamosa CO 81101 USA
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15
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Berti E, Davoli M, Buitenwerf R, Dyer A, Hansen OLP, Hirt M, Svenning J, Terlau JF, Brose U, Vollrath F. The
r
package
enerscape
: A general energy landscape framework for terrestrial movement ecology. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emilio Berti
- EcoNetLab German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity Friedrich‐Schiller‐University Jena Jena Germany
| | - Marco Davoli
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Robert Buitenwerf
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Alexander Dyer
- EcoNetLab German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity Friedrich‐Schiller‐University Jena Jena Germany
| | - Oskar L. P. Hansen
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Myriam Hirt
- EcoNetLab German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity Friedrich‐Schiller‐University Jena Jena Germany
| | - Jens‐Christian Svenning
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Jördis F. Terlau
- EcoNetLab German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity Friedrich‐Schiller‐University Jena Jena Germany
| | - Ulrich Brose
- EcoNetLab German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity Friedrich‐Schiller‐University Jena Jena Germany
| | - Fritz Vollrath
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
- Save the Elephants Nairobi Kenya
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16
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Nisi AC, Suraci JP, Ranc N, Frank LG, Oriol-Cotterill A, Ekwanga S, Williams TM, Wilmers CC. Temporal scale of habitat selection for large carnivores: Balancing energetics, risk and finding prey. J Anim Ecol 2021; 91:182-195. [PMID: 34668571 PMCID: PMC9298125 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
When navigating heterogeneous landscapes, large carnivores must balance trade-offs between multiple goals, including minimizing energetic expenditure, maintaining access to hunting opportunities and avoiding potential risk from humans. The relative importance of these goals in driving carnivore movement likely changes across temporal scales, but our understanding of these dynamics remains limited. Here we quantified how drivers of movement and habitat selection changed with temporal grain for two large carnivore species living in human-dominated landscapes, providing insights into commonalities in carnivore movement strategies across regions. We used high-resolution GPS collar data and integrated step selection analyses to model movement and habitat selection for African lions Panthera leo in Laikipia, Kenya and pumas Puma concolor in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California across eight temporal grains, ranging from 5 min to 12 hr. Analyses considered landscape covariates that are related to energetics, resource acquisition and anthropogenic risk. For both species, topographic slope, which strongly influences energetic expenditure, drove habitat selection and movement patterns over fine temporal grains but was less important at longer temporal grains. In contrast, avoiding anthropogenic risk during the day, when risk was highest, was consistently important across grains, but the degree to which carnivores relaxed this avoidance at night was strongest for longer term movements. Lions and pumas modified their movement behaviour differently in response to anthropogenic features: lions sped up while near humans at fine temporal grains, while pumas slowed down in more developed areas at coarse temporal grains. Finally, pumas experienced a trade-off between energetically efficient movement and avoiding anthropogenic risk. Temporal grain is an important methodological consideration in habitat selection analyses, as drivers of both movement and habitat selection changed across temporal grain. Additionally, grain-dependent patterns can reflect meaningful behavioural processes, including how fitness-relevant goals influence behaviour over different periods of time. In applying multi-scale analysis to fine-resolution data, we showed that two large carnivore species in very different human-dominated landscapes balanced competing energetic and safety demands in largely similar ways. These commonalities suggest general strategies of landscape use across large carnivore species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Nisi
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Justin P Suraci
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.,Conservation Science Partners, Truckee, CA, USA
| | - Nathan Ranc
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Laurence G Frank
- Living with Lions, Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Alayne Oriol-Cotterill
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Zoology Department, Oxford University, Abingdon, UK.,Lion Landscapes, Teignmouth, UK
| | - Steven Ekwanga
- Living with Lions, Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Terrie M Williams
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Christopher C Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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17
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18
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de Guinea M, Estrada A, Nekaris KAI, Van Belle S. Cognitive maps in the wild: revealing the use of metric information in black howler monkey route navigation. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:271801. [PMID: 34384101 PMCID: PMC8380465 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
When navigating, wild animals rely on internal representations of the external world – called ‘cognitive maps’ – to take movement decisions. Generally, flexible navigation is hypothesized to be supported by sophisticated spatial skills (i.e. Euclidean cognitive maps); however, constrained movements along habitual routes are the most commonly reported navigation strategy. Even though incorporating metric information (i.e. distances and angles between locations) in route-based cognitive maps would likely enhance an animal's navigation efficiency, there has been no evidence of this strategy reported for non-human animals to date. Here, we examined the properties of the cognitive map used by a wild population of primates by testing a series of cognitive hypotheses against spatially explicit movement simulations. We collected 3104 h of ranging and behavioural data on five groups of black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) at Palenque National Park, Mexico, from September 2016 through August 2017. We simulated correlated random walks mimicking the ranging behaviour of the study subjects and tested for differences between observed and simulated movement patterns. Our results indicated that black howler monkeys engaged in constrained movement patterns characterized by a high path recursion tendency, which limited their capacity to travel in straight lines and approach feeding trees from multiple directions. In addition, we found that the structure of observed route networks was more complex and efficient than simulated route networks, suggesting that black howler monkeys incorporate metric information into their cognitive map. Our findings not only expand the use of metric information during route navigation to non-human animals, but also highlight the importance of considering efficient route-based navigation as a cognitively demanding mechanism. Highlighted Article: Black howler monkeys rely on route-based cognitive maps, which constrain their movement decisions, but likely incorporate metric information to navigate more efficiently along frequently used routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel de Guinea
- School of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.,Movement Ecology Lab, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Alejandro Estrada
- Institute of Biology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, CP 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Sarie Van Belle
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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19
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Harel R, Loftus JC, Crofoot MC. Locomotor compromises maintain group cohesion in baboon troops on the move. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210839. [PMID: 34315256 PMCID: PMC8316813 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
When members of a group differ in locomotor capacity, coordinating collective movement poses a challenge: some individuals may have to move faster (or slower) than their preferred speed to remain together. Such compromises have energetic repercussions, yet research in collective behaviour has largely neglected locomotor consensus costs. Here, we integrate high-resolution tracking of wild baboon locomotion and movement with simulations to demonstrate that size-based variation in locomotor capacity poses an obstacle to the collective movement. While all baboons modulate their gait and move-pause dynamics during collective movement, the costs of maintaining cohesion are disproportionately borne by smaller group members. Although consensus costs are not distributed equally, all group-mates do make locomotor compromises, suggesting a shared decision-making process drives the pace of collective movement in this highly despotic species. These results highlight the importance of considering how social dynamics and locomotor capacity interact to shape the movement ecology of group-living species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roi Harel
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Life Sciences institute, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel 9190401.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - J Carter Loftus
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Life Sciences institute, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel 9190401.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Margaret C Crofoot
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Life Sciences institute, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel 9190401.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.,Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
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20
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Papageorgiou D, Rozen-Rechels D, Nyaguthii B, Farine DR. Seasonality impacts collective movements in a wild group-living bird. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:38. [PMID: 34238382 PMCID: PMC8268463 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00271-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A challenge faced by animals living in groups with stable long-term membership is to effectively coordinate their actions and maintain cohesion. However, as seasonal conditions alter the distribution of resources across a landscape, they can change the priority of group members and require groups to adapt and respond collectively across changing contexts. Little is known about how stable group-living animals collectively modify their movement behaviour in response to environment changes, such as those induced by seasonality. Further, it remains unclear how environment-induced changes in group-level movement behaviours might scale up to affect population-level properties, such as a population's footprint. METHODS Here we studied the collective movement of each distinct social group in a population of vulturine guineafowl (Acryllium vulturinum), a largely terrestrial and non-territorial bird. We used high-resolution GPS tracking of group members over 22 months, combined with continuous time movement models, to capture how and where groups moved under varying conditions, driven by seasonality and drought. RESULTS Groups used larger areas, travelled longer distances, and moved to new places more often during drier seasons, causing a three-fold increase in the area used at the population level when conditions turned to drought. By contrast, groups used smaller areas with more regular movements during wetter seasons. CONCLUSIONS The consistent changes in collective outcomes we observed in response to different environments raise questions about the role of collective behaviour in facilitating, or impeding, the capacity for individuals to respond to novel environmental conditions. As droughts will be occurring more often under climate change, some group living animals may have to respond to them by expressing dramatic shifts in their regular movement patterns. These shifts can have consequences on their ranging behaviours that can scale up to alter the footprints of animal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danai Papageorgiou
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Constance, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Constance, Germany
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Constance, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Kenya Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 40241-001000, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - David Rozen-Rechels
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Constance, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Constance, Germany
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Constance, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Brendah Nyaguthii
- School of Natural Resource Management, Department of Wildlife, University of Eldoret, Eldoret, 1125-30100 Kenya
- Mpala Research Center, P.O. Box 92, Nanyuki, 10400 Kenya
- Department of Ornithology, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658-001000, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Constance, Germany
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Constance, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Ornithology, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658-001000, Nairobi, Kenya
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21
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Kott A, Gart S, Pusey J. From cockroaches to tanks: The same power-mass-speed relation describes both biological and artificial ground-mobile systems. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0249066. [PMID: 33901211 PMCID: PMC8075212 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper explores whether artificial ground-mobile systems exhibit a consistent regularity of relation among mass, power, and speed, similar to that which exists for biological organisms. To this end, we investigate an empirical allometric formula proposed in the 1980s for estimating the mechanical power expended by an organism of a given mass to move at a given speed, applicable over several orders of magnitude of mass, for a broad range of species, to determine if a comparable regularity applies to a range of vehicles. We show empirically that not only does a similar regularity apply to a wide variety of mobile systems; moreover, the formula is essentially the same, describing organisms and systems ranging from a roach (1 g) to a battle tank (35,000 kg). We also show that for very heavy vehicles (35,000–100,000,000 kg), the formula takes a qualitatively different form. These findings point to a fundamental similarity between biological and artificial locomotion that transcends great differences in morphology, mechanisms, materials, and behaviors. To illustrate the utility of this allometric relation, we investigate the significant extent to which ground robotic systems exhibit a higher cost of transport than either organisms or conventional vehicles, and discuss ways to overcome inefficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Kott
- U.S. Army CCDC Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Sean Gart
- U.S. Army CCDC Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jason Pusey
- U.S. Army CCDC Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, Maryland, United States of America
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22
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Carnahan AM, van Manen FT, Haroldson MA, Stenhouse GB, Robbins CT. Quantifying energetic costs and defining energy landscapes experienced by grizzly bears. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:224/6/jeb241083. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.241083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Animal movements are major determinants of energy expenditure and ultimately the cost–benefit of landscape use. Thus, we sought to understand those costs and how grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) move in mountainous landscapes. We trained captive grizzly bears to walk on a horizontal treadmill and up and down 10% and 20% slopes. The cost of moving upslope increased linearly with speed and slope angle, and this was more costly than moving horizontally. The cost of downslope travel at slower speeds was greater than the cost of traveling horizontally but appeared to decrease at higher speeds. The most efficient walking speed that minimized cost per unit distance was 1.19±0.11 m s−1. However, grizzly bears fitted with GPS collars in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem moved at an average velocity of 0.61±0.28 m s−1 and preferred to travel on near-horizontal slopes at twice their occurrence. When traveling uphill or downhill, grizzly bears chose paths across all slopes that were ∼54% less steep and costly than the maximum available slope. The net costs (J kg−1 m−1) of moving horizontally and uphill were the same for grizzly bears, humans and digitigrade carnivores, but those costs were 46% higher than movement costs for ungulates. These movement costs and characteristics of landscape use determined using captive and wild grizzly bears were used to understand the strategies that grizzly bears use for preying on large ungulates and the similarities in travel between people and grizzly bears that might affect the risk of encountering each other on shared landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M. Carnahan
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
| | - Frank T. van Manen
- US Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, Bozeman, MT 59715, USA
| | - Mark A. Haroldson
- US Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, Bozeman, MT 59715, USA
| | | | - Charles T. Robbins
- School of the Environment and School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
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23
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Davies AB, Tambling CJ, Marneweck DG, Ranc N, Druce DJ, Cromsigt JPGM, le Roux E, Asner GP. Spatial heterogeneity facilitates carnivore coexistence. Ecology 2021; 102:e03319. [PMID: 33636010 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Competitively dominant carnivore species can limit the population sizes and alter the behavior of inferior competitors. Established mechanisms that enable carnivore coexistence include spatial and temporal avoidance of dominant predator species by subordinates, and dietary niche separation. However, spatial heterogeneity across landscapes could provide inferior competitors with refuges in the form of areas with lower competitor density and/or locations that provide concealment from competitors. Here, we combine temporally overlapping telemetry data from dominant lions (Panthera leo) and subordinate African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) with high-resolution remote sensing in an integrated step selection analysis to investigate how fine-scaled landscape heterogeneity might facilitate carnivore coexistence in South Africa's Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, where both predators occur at exceptionally high densities. We ask whether the primary lion-avoidance strategy of wild dogs is spatial avoidance of lions or areas frequented by lions, or if wild dogs selectively use landscape features to avoid detection by lions. Within this framework, we also test whether wild dogs rely on proactive or reactive responses to lion risk. In contrast to previous studies finding strong spatial avoidance of lions by wild dogs, we found that the primary wild dog lion-avoidance strategy was to select landscape features that aid in avoidance of lion detection. This habitat selection was routinely used by wild dogs, and especially when in areas and during times of high lion-encounter risk, suggesting a proactive response to lion risk. Our findings suggest that spatial landscape heterogeneity could represent an alternative mechanism for carnivore coexistence, especially as ever-shrinking carnivore ranges force inferior competitors into increased contact with dominant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew B Davies
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Craig J Tambling
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa
| | - David G Marneweck
- Eugène Marais Chair of Wildlife Management, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Endangered Wildlife Trust, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Wildlife Ecology Lab, School of Natural Resource Management, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Nathan Ranc
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Dave J Druce
- Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa.,School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Joris P G M Cromsigt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Zoology, Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.,Faculty of Geosciences, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Elizabeth le Roux
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Gregory P Asner
- Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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24
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de Knegt HJ, Eikelboom JAJ, van Langevelde F, Spruyt WF, Prins HHT. Timely poacher detection and localization using sentinel animal movement. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4596. [PMID: 33633133 PMCID: PMC7907380 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83800-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildlife crime is one of the most profitable illegal industries worldwide. Current actions to reduce it are far from effective and fail to prevent population declines of many endangered species, pressing the need for innovative anti-poaching solutions. Here, we propose and test a poacher early warning system that is based on the movement responses of non-targeted sentinel animals, which naturally respond to threats by fleeing and changing herd topology. We analyzed human-evasive movement patterns of 135 mammalian savanna herbivores of four different species, using an internet-of-things architecture with wearable sensors, wireless data transmission and machine learning algorithms. We show that the presence of human intruders can be accurately detected (86.1% accuracy) and localized (less than 500 m error in 54.2% of the experimentally staged intrusions) by algorithmically identifying characteristic changes in sentinel movement. These behavioral signatures include, among others, an increase in movement speed, energy expenditure, body acceleration, directional persistence and herd coherence, and a decrease in suitability of selected habitat. The key to successful identification of these signatures lies in identifying systematic deviations from normal behavior under similar conditions, such as season, time of day and habitat. We also show that the indirect costs of predation are not limited to vigilance, but also include (1) long, high-speed flights; (2) energetically costly flight paths; and (3) suboptimal habitat selection during flights. The combination of wireless biologging, predictive analytics and sentinel animal behavior can benefit wildlife conservation via early poacher detection, but also solve challenges related to surveillance, safety and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik J de Knegt
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jasper A J Eikelboom
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Frank van Langevelde
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, 4000, South Africa
| | | | - Herbert H T Prins
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, De Elst 1, 6708 WD, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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25
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Nickel BA, Suraci JP, Nisi AC, Wilmers CC. Energetics and fear of humans constrain the spatial ecology of pumas. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2004592118. [PMID: 33495339 PMCID: PMC7865164 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2004592118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Energetic demands and fear of predators are considered primary factors shaping animal behavior, and both are likely drivers of movement decisions that ultimately determine the spatial ecology of wildlife. Yet energetic constraints on movement imposed by the physical landscape have only been considered separately from those imposed by risk avoidance, limiting our understanding of how short-term movement decisions scale up to affect long-term space use. Here, we integrate the costs of both physical terrain and predation risk into a common currency, energy, and then quantify their effects on the short-term movement and long-term spatial ecology of a large carnivore living in a human-dominated landscape. Using high-resolution GPS and accelerometer data from collared pumas (Puma concolor), we calculated the short-term (i.e., 5-min) energetic costs of navigating both rugged physical terrain and a landscape of risk from humans (major sources of both mortality and fear for our study population). Both the physical and risk landscapes affected puma short-term movement costs, with risk having a relatively greater impact by inducing high-energy but low-efficiency movement behavior. The cumulative effects of short-term movement costs led to reductions of 29% to 68% in daily travel distances and total home range area. For male pumas, long-term patterns of space use were predominantly driven by the energetic costs of human-induced risk. This work demonstrates that, along with physical terrain, predation risk plays a primary role in shaping an animal's "energy landscape" and suggests that fear of humans may be a major factor affecting wildlife movements worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barry A Nickel
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
| | - Justin P Suraci
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
| | - Anna C Nisi
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
| | - Christopher C Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
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Malagnino A, Marchand P, Garel M, Cargnelutti B, Itty C, Chaval Y, Hewison A, Loison A, Morellet N. Do reproductive constraints or experience drive age-dependent space use in two large herbivores? Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Reijers VC, Hoeks S, van Belzen J, Siteur K, de Rond AJA, van de Ven CN, Lammers C, van de Koppel J, van der Heide T. Sediment availability provokes a shift from Brownian to Lévy-like clonal expansion in a dune building grass. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:258-268. [PMID: 33179408 PMCID: PMC7839770 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
In biogeomorphic landscapes, plant traits can steer landscape development through plant-mediated feedback interactions. Interspecific differences in clonal expansion strategy can therefore lead to the emergence of different landscape organisations. Yet, whether landscape-forming plants adopt different clonal expansion strategies depending on their physical environment remains to be tested. Here, we use a field survey and a complementary mesocosm approach to investigate whether sediment deposition affects the clonal expansion strategy employed by dune-building marram grass individuals. Our results reveal a consistent shift in expansion pattern from more clumped, Brownian-like, movement in sediment-poor conditions, to patchier, Lévy-like, movement under high sediment supply rates. Additional model simulations illustrate that the sediment-dependent shift in movement strategies induces a shift in optimisation of the cost-benefit relation between landscape engineering (i.e. dune formation) and expansion. Plasticity in expansion strategy may therefore allow landscape-forming plants to optimise their engineering ability depending on their physical landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie C. Reijers
- Department of Coastal SystemsRoyal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht UniversityP.O. Box 59Den Burg1790 ABthe Netherlands
- Department of Aquatic Ecology & Environmental BiologyFaculty of ScienceInstitute for Water and Wetland ResearchRadboud UniversityP.O. Box 9010Nijmegen6500 GLThe Netherlands
- Department of Physical GeographyFaculty of GeosciencesUtrecht UniversityUtrecht3508 TCthe Netherlands
| | - Selwyn Hoeks
- Department of Aquatic Ecology & Environmental BiologyFaculty of ScienceInstitute for Water and Wetland ResearchRadboud UniversityP.O. Box 9010Nijmegen6500 GLThe Netherlands
- Department of Environmental ScienceFaculty of ScienceInstitute for Water and Wetland ResearchRadboud UniversityHeyendaalseweg 135Nijmegen6525 AJthe Netherlands
| | - Jim van Belzen
- Department of Estuarine and Delta SystemsRoyal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research and Utrecht UniversityYerseke4401 NTthe Netherlands
| | - Koen Siteur
- Department of Estuarine and Delta SystemsRoyal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research and Utrecht UniversityYerseke4401 NTthe Netherlands
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco‐Restoration & Center for Global Change and Ecological ForecastingSchool of Ecological and Environmental ScienceEast China Normal UniversityShanghai200241China
| | - Anne J. A. de Rond
- Department of Aquatic Ecology & Environmental BiologyFaculty of ScienceInstitute for Water and Wetland ResearchRadboud UniversityP.O. Box 9010Nijmegen6500 GLThe Netherlands
| | - Clea N. van de Ven
- Department of Coastal SystemsRoyal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht UniversityP.O. Box 59Den Burg1790 ABthe Netherlands
| | - Carlijn Lammers
- Department of Coastal SystemsRoyal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht UniversityP.O. Box 59Den Burg1790 ABthe Netherlands
- Department of Aquatic Ecology & Environmental BiologyFaculty of ScienceInstitute for Water and Wetland ResearchRadboud UniversityP.O. Box 9010Nijmegen6500 GLThe Netherlands
| | - Johan van de Koppel
- Department of Estuarine and Delta SystemsRoyal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research and Utrecht UniversityYerseke4401 NTthe Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology GroupGroningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningen9700 CCthe Netherlands
| | - Tjisse van der Heide
- Department of Coastal SystemsRoyal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht UniversityP.O. Box 59Den Burg1790 ABthe Netherlands
- Department of Aquatic Ecology & Environmental BiologyFaculty of ScienceInstitute for Water and Wetland ResearchRadboud UniversityP.O. Box 9010Nijmegen6500 GLThe Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology GroupGroningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningen9700 CCthe Netherlands
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Merienne H, Latil G, Moretto P, Fourcassié V. Dynamics of locomotion in the seed harvesting ant Messor barbarus: effect of individual body mass and transported load mass. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10664. [PMID: 33575127 PMCID: PMC7849507 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ants are well-known for their amazing load carriage performances. Yet, the biomechanics of locomotion during load transport in these insects has so far been poorly investigated. Here, we present a study of the biomechanics of unloaded and loaded locomotion in the polymorphic seed-harvesting ant Messor barbarus (Linnaeus, 1767). This species is characterized by a strong intra-colonial size polymorphism with allometric relationships between the different body parts of the workers. In particular, big ants have much larger heads relative to their size than small ants. Their center of mass is thus shifted forward and even more so when they are carrying a load in their mandibles. We investigated the dynamics of the ant center of mass during unloaded and loaded locomotion. We found that during both unloaded and loaded locomotion, the kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy of the ant center of mass are in phase, which is in agreement with what has been described by other authors as a grounded-running gait. During unloaded locomotion, small and big ants do not display the same posture. However, they expend the same amount of mechanical energy to raise and accelerate their center of mass per unit of distance and per unit of body mass. While carrying a load, compared to the unloaded situation, ants seem to modify their locomotion gradually with increasing load mass. Therefore, loaded and unloaded locomotion do not involve discrete types of gait. Moreover, small ants carrying small loads expend less mechanical energy per unit of distance and per unit of body mass and their locomotion thus seem more mechanically efficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Merienne
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Gérard Latil
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Pierre Moretto
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Vincent Fourcassié
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
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Chimpanzees Use Least-Cost Routes to Out-of-Sight Goals. Curr Biol 2020; 30:4528-4533.e5. [PMID: 33007243 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.08.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
While the ability of naturally ranging animals to recall the location of food resources and use straight-line routes between them has been demonstrated in several studies [1, 2], it is not known whether animals can use knowledge of their landscape to walk least-cost routes [3]. This ability is likely to be particularly important for animals living in highly variable energy landscapes, where movement costs are exacerbated [4, 5]. Here, we used least-cost modeling, which determines the most efficient route assuming full knowledge of the environment, to investigate whether chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) living in a rugged, montane environment walk least-cost routes to out-of-sight goals. We compared the "costs" and geometry of observed movements with predicted least-cost routes and local knowledge (agent-based) and straight-line null models. The least-cost model performed better than the local knowledge and straight-line models across all parameters, and linear mixed modeling showed a strong relationship between the cost of observed chimpanzee travel and least-cost routes. Our study provides the first example of the ability to take least-cost routes to out-of-sight goals by chimpanzees and suggests they have spatial memory of their home range landscape. This ability may be a key trait that has enabled chimpanzees to maintain their energy balance in a low-resource environment. Our findings provide a further example of how the advanced cognitive complexity of hominins may have facilitated their adaptation to a variety of environmental conditions and lead us to hypothesize that landscape complexity may play a role in shaping cognition.
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Dunford CE, Marks NJ, Wilmers CC, Bryce CM, Nickel B, Wolfe LL, Scantlebury DM, Williams TM. Surviving in steep terrain: a lab-to-field assessment of locomotor costs for wild mountain lions ( Puma concolor). MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2020; 8:34. [PMID: 32782806 PMCID: PMC7414561 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-020-00215-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Under current scenarios of climate change and habitat loss, many wild animals, especially large predators, are moving into novel energetically challenging environments. Consequently, changes in terrain associated with such moves may heighten energetic costs and effect the decline of populations in new localities. METHODS To examine locomotor costs of a large carnivorous mammal moving in mountainous habitats, the oxygen consumption of captive pumas (Puma concolor) was measured during treadmill locomotion on level and incline (6.8°) surfaces. These data were used to predict energetic costs of locomotor behaviours of free-ranging pumas equipped with GPS/accelerometer collars in California's Santa Cruz Mountains. RESULTS Incline walking resulted in a 42.0% ± 7.2 SEM increase in the costs of transport compared to level performance. Pumas negotiated steep terrain by traversing across hillsides (mean hill incline 17.2° ± 0.3 SEM; mean path incline 7.3° ± 0.1 SEM). Pumas also walked more slowly up steeper paths, thereby minimizing the energetic impact of vertical terrains. Estimated daily energy expenditure (DEE) based on GPS-derived speeds of free-ranging pumas was 18.3 MJ day- 1 ± 0.2 SEM. Calculations show that a 20 degree increase in mean steepness of the terrain would increase puma DEE by less than 1% as they only spend a small proportion (10%) of their day travelling. They also avoided elevated costs by utilizing slower speeds and shallower path angles. CONCLUSIONS While many factors influence survival in novel habitats, we illustrate the importance of behaviours which reduce locomotor costs when traversing new, energetically challenging environments, and demonstrate that these behaviours are utilised by pumas in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn E. Dunford
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute of Global Food Security, Queen’s University of Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL Northern Ireland
| | - Nikki J. Marks
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute of Global Food Security, Queen’s University of Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL Northern Ireland
| | - Christopher C. Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California- Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 USA
| | | | - Barry Nickel
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California- Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 USA
| | - Lisa L. Wolfe
- Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, Wildlife Health Program, 4330 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521-2153 USA
| | - D. Michael Scantlebury
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute of Global Food Security, Queen’s University of Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL Northern Ireland
| | - Terrie M. Williams
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Coastal Biology Building, 130 McAllister Way, University of California- Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA
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Green SJ, Boruff BJ, Grueter CC. From ridge tops to ravines: landscape drivers of chimpanzee ranging patterns. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Zamora-Camacho FJ. Toads modulate flight strategy according to distance to refuge. ZOOLOGY 2020; 139:125741. [PMID: 32062301 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2019.125741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Among antipredator behaviours, escaping and hiding in a refuge are widespread in nature. Frequently, threatened prey flee towards a refuge nearby, if available. Therefore, refuge proximity may affect the fleeing strategy of a prey. In this work, I tested this hypothesis in Epidalea calamita, a cursorial toad that flees by means of intermittent runs. In a linear runway in standardized conditions, toads were recorded while conducting a short-distance (refuge at 70 cm), a medium-distance (refuge at 140 cm, divided in two 70-cm tracks), and a long-distance trial (refuge at 210 cm, divided in three 70-cm tracks), in a random sequence. Video analyses permitted to calculate sprint speed and run rates (number of runs per meter) in each track. Distance to refuge affected toad flight strategy. Toads started flights at a faster speed in the short-distance trials. In the medium- and the long-distance trials, toads accelerated after the first track, seemingly not motivated by refuge proximity. In these trials, run rate was greater in the first tracks. Altogether, these findings suggest that threatened toads respond firstly with slow, intermittent movements, and only shift to less intermittent, faster sprints if the threat persists. However, run rate was lower in the short-distance trial than in the first tracks of the other trials, suggesting straighter (and faster) flight toward the refuge when it is close. The effects of refuge proximity were greater in males, which (jointly with faster sprint speed) could reflect a greater conspicuousness of males to predator resulting in better escape strategies.
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Domenici P, Seebacher F. The impacts of climate change on the biomechanics of animals: Themed Issue Article: Biomechanics and Climate Change. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coz102. [PMID: 31976075 PMCID: PMC6956782 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic climate change induces unprecedented variability in a broad range of environmental parameters. These changes will impact material properties and animal biomechanics, thereby affecting animal performance and persistence of populations. Climate change implies warming at the global level, and it may be accompanied by altered wind speeds, wave action, ocean circulation, acidification as well as increased frequency of hypoxic events. Together, these environmental drivers affect muscle function and neural control and thereby movement of animals such as bird migration and schooling behaviour of fish. Altered environmental conditions will also modify material properties of animals. For example, ocean acidification, particularly when coupled with increased temperatures, compromises calcified shells and skeletons of marine invertebrates and byssal threads of mussels. These biomechanical consequences can lead to population declines and disintegration of habitats. Integrating biomechanical research with ecology is instrumental in predicting the future responses of natural systems to climate change and the consequences for ecosystem services such as fisheries and ecotourism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Domenici
- IAS-CNR, Località Sa Mardini, Torregrande, Oristano, 09170 Italy
| | - Frank Seebacher
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences A08, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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de Guinea M, Estrada A, Nekaris KAI, Van Belle S. Arboreal route navigation in a Neotropical mammal: energetic implications associated with tree monitoring and landscape attributes. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2019; 7:39. [PMID: 31890215 PMCID: PMC6918719 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-019-0187-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although navigating along a network of routes might constrain animal movement flexibility, it may be an energetically efficient strategy. Routinely using the same route allows for visually monitoring of food resources, which might reduce the cognitive load and as such facilitate the process of movement decision-making. Similarly, locating routes in areas that avoid costly landscape attributes will enhance their overall energy balance. In this study we determined the benefits of route navigation in an energy minimiser arboreal primate, the black howler monkey (Alouatta pigra). METHODS We monitored five neighbouring groups of black howler monkeys at Palenque National Park, Mexico from September 2016 through August 2017. We recorded the location of the focal group every 20 m and mapped all travel paths to establish a route network (N = 1528 travel bouts). We constructed linear mixed models to assess the influence of food resource distribution (N = 931 trees) and landscape attributes (slope, elevation and presence of canopy gaps) on the location of routes within a route network. RESULTS The number of food trees that fell within the visual detection distance from the route network was higher (mean: 156.1 ± SD 44.9) than randomly simulated locations (mean: 121.9 ± SD 46.4). Similarly, the number of food trees found within the monkey's visual range per meter travelled increased, on overage, 0.35 ± SE 0.04 trees/m with increasing use of the route. In addition, route segments used at least twice were more likely to occur with increasing density of food resources and decreasing presence of canopy gaps. Route segments used at least four times were more likely to occur in elevated areas within the home ranges but only under conditions of reduced visual access to food resources. CONCLUSIONS Route navigation emerged as an efficient movement strategy in a group-living arboreal primate. Highly used route segments potentially increased visual access to food resources while avoiding energetically costly landscape features securing foraging success in a tropical rainforest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel de Guinea
- Department of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gibbs Building, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP UK
| | - Alejandro Estrada
- Institute of Biology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - K. Anne-Isola Nekaris
- Department of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gibbs Building, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP UK
| | - Sarie Van Belle
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
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Oberhauser FB, Middleton EJT, Latty T, Czaczkes TJ. Meat ants cut more trail shortcuts when facing long detours. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.205773. [PMID: 31586020 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.205773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Engineered paths increase efficiency and safety but also incur construction and maintenance costs, leading to a trade-off between investment and gain. Such a trade-off is faced by Australian meat ants, which create and maintain vegetation-free trails between nests and food sources, and thus their trails are expected to be constructed selectively. To test this, we placed an artificial obstacle consisting of 300 paper grass blades between a sucrose feeder and the colony, flanked by walls either 10 cm or 80 cm long. To exploit the feeder, ants could detour around the walls or take a direct route by traversing through the obstacle. We found that, when confronted with a long alternative detour, 76% of colonies removed more grass blades and ants were also 60% more likely to traverse the obstacle instead of detouring, with clearing activity favouring higher ant flow or vice versa. An analysis of cut patterns revealed that ants did not cut randomly, but instead concentrated on creating a trail to the food source. Meat ants were thus able to collectively deploy their trail-clearing efforts in a directed manner when detour costs were high, and rapidly established cleared trails to the food source by focusing on completing a central, vertically aligned trail which was then followed by the ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix B Oberhauser
- Animal Comparative Economics Laboratory, Department of Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany .,Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Eliza J T Middleton
- Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Tanya Latty
- Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Tomer J Czaczkes
- Animal Comparative Economics Laboratory, Department of Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
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Can your behaviour blow you away? Contextual and phenotypic precursors to passive aerial dispersal in phytophagous mites. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Jahn M, Seebacher F. Cost of transport is a repeatable trait but is not determined by mitochondrial efficiency in zebrafish ( Danio rerio). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.201400. [PMID: 30962281 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.201400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The energy used to move a given distance (cost of transport; CoT) varies significantly between individuals of the same species. A lower CoT allows animals to allocate more of their energy budget to growth and reproduction. A higher CoT may cause animals to adjust their movement across different environmental gradients to reduce energy allocated to movement. The aim of this project was to determine whether CoT is a repeatable trait within individuals, and to determine its physiological causes and ecological consequences. We found that CoT is a repeatable trait in zebrafish (Danio rerio). We rejected the hypothesis that mitochondrial efficiency (P/O ratios) predicted CoT. We also rejected the hypothesis that CoT is modulated by temperature acclimation, exercise training or their interaction, although CoT increased with increasing acute test temperature. There was a weak but significant negative correlation between CoT and dispersal, measured as the number of exploration decisions made by fish, and the distance travelled against the current in an artificial stream. However, CoT was not correlated with the voluntary speed of fish moving against the current. The implication of these results is that CoT reflects a fixed physiological phenotype of an individual, which is not plastic in response to persistent environmental changes. Consequently, individuals may have fundamentally different energy budgets as they move across environments, and may adjust movement patterns as a result of allocation trade-offs. It was surprising that mitochondrial efficiency did not explain differences in CoT, and our working hypothesis is that the energetics of muscle contraction and relaxation may determine CoT. The increase in CoT with increasing acute environmental temperature means that warming environments will increase the proportion of the energy budget allocated to locomotion unless individuals adjust their movement patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miki Jahn
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences A08, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Frank Seebacher
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences A08, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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Pagano AM, Williams TM. Estimating the energy expenditure of free-ranging polar bears using tri-axial accelerometers: A validation with doubly labeled water. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:4210-4219. [PMID: 31015999 PMCID: PMC6468055 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2018] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Measures of energy expenditure can be used to inform animal conservation and management, but methods for measuring the energy expenditure of free-ranging animals have a variety of limitations. Advancements in biologging technologies have enabled the use of dynamic body acceleration derived from accelerometers as a proxy for energy expenditure. Although dynamic body acceleration has been shown to strongly correlate with oxygen consumption in captive animals, it has been validated in only a few studies on free-ranging animals. Here, we use relationships between oxygen consumption and overall dynamic body acceleration in resting and walking polar bears Ursus maritimus and published values for the costs of swimming in polar bears to estimate the total energy expenditure of 6 free-ranging polar bears that were primarily using the sea ice of the Beaufort Sea. Energetic models based on accelerometry were compared to models of energy expenditure on the same individuals derived from doubly labeled water methods. Accelerometer-based estimates of energy expenditure on average predicted total energy expenditure to be 30% less than estimates derived from doubly labeled water. Nevertheless, accelerometer-based measures of energy expenditure strongly correlated (r 2 = 0.70) with measures derived from doubly labeled water. Our findings highlight the strengths and limitations in dynamic body acceleration as a measure of total energy expenditure while also further supporting its use as a proxy for instantaneous, detailed energy expenditure in free-ranging animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M. Pagano
- Alaska Science CenterU.S. Geological SurveyAnchorageAlaska
- Present address:
Institute for Conservation ResearchSan Diego Zoo GlobalSan DiegoCalifornia
| | - Terrie M. Williams
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California, Santa CruzSanta CruzCalifornia
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Ngama S, Bindelle J, Poulsen JR, Hornick JL, Linden A, Korte L, Doucet JL, Vermeulen C. Do topography and fruit presence influence occurrence and intensity of crop-raiding by forest elephants (Loxodonta africana cyclotis)? PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213971. [PMID: 30901366 PMCID: PMC6430389 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Crop damage by forest elephants (Loxodonta africana cyclotis) and the resulting human-elephant conflict are issues of great concern for both the conservation of the species and the protection of rural livelihoods in Central Africa. Addressing these problems requires identifying the factors that facilitate or impede crop-raiding by forest elephants. Yet to date, the environmental or anthropogenic factors that influence the occurrence and intensity of crop-raiding by forest elephants are largely unknown. We used a multivariate approach to investigate conditions under which forest elephants raid some fields and not others in the buffer zone of Monts de Cristal National Park (MCNP), Gabon. We first interviewed 121 farmers from 11 villages situated within 10 km of MCNP regarding the occurrence of elephant crop-raiding of their fields. We then collected data on 39 explanatory variables to characterize the agricultural fields. Of these, the most important predictors of elephant raid occurrence of crop damage were presence of fruit trees, elephant deterrents (scarecrows, fire, wire string fences and empty barrels), and field topography. We secondly assessed the effect of stage of crop growth, presence of fruit trees, field topography and presence of elephant deterrents on crop-raiding occurrence and intensity by counting raids and measuring areas of crop damage every week in 17 plantations over 19 weeks in the most elephant-impacted zone of the study area. We found that fruit presence and stage of crop growth led to more intense damage to crops, whereas local deterrents did not inhibit raiding events and crop damage by elephants. We report a tradeoff between non-timber forest products (NTFP) services and crop-raiding by elephants. We show for the first time that steep topography impedes elephant damage to crops with no raids recorded in fields with surrounding slopes greater than 25%. We discuss whether farming on steep fields could be used as a strategy for mitigating crop-raiding to favor human-elephant coexistence and enhance elephant conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steeve Ngama
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Forest Is Life, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
- Laboratoire de santé et production animale, Département de Zootechnie, Institut de Recherches Agronomiques et Forestières, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique (IRAF-CENAREST), Libreville, Gabon
- AgroBioChem/TERRA, Precision livestock and nutrition unit/Agriculture Is Life, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Jerome Bindelle
- AgroBioChem/TERRA, Precision livestock and nutrition unit/Agriculture Is Life, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - John R. Poulsen
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Jean-Luck Hornick
- Fundamental and Applied Research on Animal and Health, Animal Production Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Belgium
| | - Annick Linden
- Surveillance Network of Wildlife Diseases in Southern Belgium, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Liege, Belgium
| | - Lisa Korte
- Independent Biodiversity and Natural Resources Specialist, Saint Cloud, MN, United States of America
| | - Jean-Louis Doucet
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Forest Is Life, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Cédric Vermeulen
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Forest Is Life, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
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Mann DH, Groves P, Gaglioti BV, Shapiro BA. Climate-driven ecological stability as a globally shared cause of Late Quaternary megafaunal extinctions: the Plaids and Stripes Hypothesis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:328-352. [PMID: 30136433 PMCID: PMC7379602 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 07/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Controversy persists about why so many large-bodied mammal species went extinct around the end of the last ice age. Resolving this is important for understanding extinction processes in general, for assessing the ecological roles of humans, and for conserving remaining megafaunal species, many of which are endangered today. Here we explore an integrative hypothesis that asserts that an underlying cause of Late Quaternary megafaunal extinctions was a fundamental shift in the spatio-temporal fabric of ecosystems worldwide. This shift was triggered by the loss of the millennial-scale climate fluctuations that were characteristic of the ice age but ceased approximately 11700 years ago on most continents. Under ice-age conditions, which prevailed for much of the preceding 2.6 Ma, these radical and rapid climate changes prevented many ecosystems from fully equilibrating with their contemporary climates. Instead of today's 'striped' world in which species' ranges have equilibrated with gradients of temperature, moisture, and seasonality, the ice-age world was a disequilibrial 'plaid' in which species' ranges shifted rapidly and repeatedly over time and space, rarely catching up with contemporary climate. In the transient ecosystems that resulted, certain physiological, anatomical, and ecological attributes shared by megafaunal species pre-adapted them for success. These traits included greater metabolic and locomotory efficiency, increased resistance to starvation, longer life spans, greater sensory ranges, and the ability to be nomadic or migratory. When the plaid world of the ice age ended, many of the advantages of being large were either lost or became disadvantages. For instance in a striped world, the low population densities and slow reproductive rates associated with large body size reduced the resiliency of megafaunal species to population bottlenecks. As the ice age ended, the downsides of being large in striped environments lowered the extinction thresholds of megafauna worldwide, which then increased the vulnerability of individual species to a variety of proximate threats they had previously tolerated, such as human predation, competition with other species, and habitat loss. For many megafaunal species, the plaid-to-stripes transition may have been near the base of a hierarchy of extinction causes whose relative importances varied geographically, temporally, and taxonomically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel H. Mann
- Department of Geosciences and Institute of Arctic BiologyUniversity of AlaskaFairbanksAK 99775USA
| | - Pamela Groves
- Institute of Arctic BiologyUniversity of AlaskaFairbanksAK 99775USA
| | | | - Beth A. Shapiro
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaSanta CruzCA 95064USA
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Terrestrial locomotion energy costs vary considerably between species: no evidence that this is explained by rate of leg force production or ecology. Sci Rep 2019; 9:656. [PMID: 30679474 PMCID: PMC6345976 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36565-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Inter-specifically, relative energy costs of terrestrial transport vary several-fold. Many pair-wise differences of locomotor costs between similarly-sized species are considerable, and are yet to be explained by morphology or gait kinematics. Foot contact time, a proxy for rate of force production, is a strong predictor of locomotor energy costs across species of different size and might predict variability between similarly sized species. We tested for a relationship between foot contact time and metabolic rate during locomotion from published data. We investigated the phylogenetic correlation between energy expenditure rate and foot contact time, conditioned on fixed effects of mass and speed. Foot contact time does not explain variance in rate of energy expenditure during locomotion, once speed and body size are accounted for. Thus, perhaps surprisingly, inter-specific differences in the mass-independent net cost of terrestrial transport (NCOT) are not explained by rates of force production. We also tested for relationships between locomotor energy costs and eco-physiological variables. NCOT did not relate to any of the tested eco-physiological variables; we thus conclude either that interspecific differences in transport cost have no influence on macroecological and macrophysiological patterns, or that NCOT is a poor indicator of animal energy expenditure beyond the treadmill.
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Hooten MB, Scharf HR, Morales JM. Running on empty: recharge dynamics from animal movement data. Ecol Lett 2018; 22:377-389. [PMID: 30548152 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 08/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Vital rates such as survival and recruitment have always been important in the study of population and community ecology. At the individual level, physiological processes such as energetics are critical in understanding biomechanics and movement ecology and also scale up to influence food webs and trophic cascades. Although vital rates and population-level characteristics are tied with individual-level animal movement, most statistical models for telemetry data are not equipped to provide inference about these relationships because they lack the explicit, mechanistic connection to physiological dynamics. We present a framework for modelling telemetry data that explicitly includes an aggregated physiological process associated with decision making and movement in heterogeneous environments. Our framework accommodates a wide range of movement and physiological process specifications. We illustrate a specific model formulation in continuous-time to provide direct inference about gains and losses associated with physiological processes based on movement. Our approach can also be extended to accommodate auxiliary data when available. We demonstrate our model to infer mountain lion (Puma concolor; in Colorado, USA) and African buffalo (Syncerus caffer; in Kruger National Park, South Africa) recharge dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mevin B Hooten
- U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation and Department of Statistics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Henry R Scharf
- Department of Statistics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Juan M Morales
- Grupo de Ecología Cuantitativa, INIBIOMA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET, Bariloche S4140, Argentina
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Zamora-Camacho FJ, García-Astilleros J, Aragón P. Does predation risk outweigh the costs of lost feeding opportunities or does it generate a behavioural trade-off? A case study with Iberian ribbed newt larvae. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Pedro Aragón
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), C/José Gutiérrez Abascal, Madrid, Spain
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Halsey LG. Keeping Slim When Food Is Abundant: What Energy Mechanisms Could Be at Play? Trends Ecol Evol 2018; 33:745-753. [PMID: 30241777 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The obesity epidemic in humans is juxtaposed by observations of passerine birds exhibiting fine-scale body mass regulation. The ecology literature is replete with research into why these animals regulate body weight, citing tradeoffs between competing pressures such as emaciation and predation. Yet studies on the underlying mechanisms of mass regulation in these animals are scarce. Maintaining or decreasing weight could obviously be achieved by limiting food intake. However, there are numerous reasons why an animal may not control ingestion, at least precisely. This Opinion article investigates the plausibility of possible behavioural and physiological mechanisms to adaptively maintain or decrease body mass in birds and other animals. Candidate behavioural mechanisms include exercising and fidgeting, while physiological mechanisms could include reducing digestive efficiency or mitochondrial efficiency.
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Williams TD. Physiology, activity and costs of parental care in birds. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:221/17/jeb169433. [PMID: 30201656 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.169433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Parental care is assumed to be costly in that it requires sustained, high-intensity activity sufficient to cause costs of reproduction (decreased survival and future fecundity of parents). Costs of reproduction are, in turn, thought to have a physiological basis where intense activity causes a decrease in parental condition. However, attempts to identify the physiological basis of costs of reproduction have produced mixed results. Here, I argue that in birds, the central idea that parental care represents sustained, high-intensity work might be incorrect. Specifically: (a) the duration of intense activity associated with chick-rearing might be quite limited; (b) flight, the most obvious sustained, high-intensity activity, might only represent a small component of an individual's overall activity budget; (c) some (high-quality) individuals might be able to tolerate costs of intense activity, either owing to their physiological state or because they have access to more resources, without perturbation of physiological homeostasis; and (d) individuals might utilise other mechanisms to modulate costs of activity, for example, mass loss, again avoiding more substantial physiological costs. Furthermore, I highlight the important fact that life-history theory predicts that reproductive trade-offs should only be expected under food stress. Most birds breed in spring and early summer precisely because of seasonal increases in food abundance, and so it is unclear how often parents are food stressed. Consequently, I argue that there are many reasons why costs of reproduction, and any physiological signature of these costs, might be quite rare, both temporally (in different years) and among individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony D Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6
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Bouchebti S, Travaglini RV, Forti LC, Fourcassié V. Dynamics of physical trail construction and of trail usage in the leaf-cutting ant Atta laevigata. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2018.1503197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Bouchebti
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse 31062, France
| | - Raphael Vacchi Travaglini
- Laboratorio de Insetos Sociais Pragas, UNESP, Faculdade de Ciências Agrònomica de Botucatu, Departamento de Produção Vegetal, Fazenda Experimental Lageado, P.O. Box 237, 18610-307 Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Luiz Carlos Forti
- Laboratorio de Insetos Sociais Pragas, UNESP, Faculdade de Ciências Agrònomica de Botucatu, Departamento de Produção Vegetal, Fazenda Experimental Lageado, P.O. Box 237, 18610-307 Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Vincent Fourcassié
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse 31062, France
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The “Lévy or Diffusion” Controversy: How Important Is the Movement Pattern in the Context of Trapping? MATHEMATICS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/math6050077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Bidder OR, Goulding C, Toledo A, van Walsum TA, Siebert U, Halsey LG. Does the Treadmill Support Valid Energetics Estimates of Field Locomotion? Integr Comp Biol 2018; 57:301-319. [PMID: 28859410 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
SYNOPSIS Quantifying animal energy expenditure during locomotion in the field is generally based either on treadmill measurements or on estimates derived from a measured proxy. Two common proxies are heart rate (ƒH) and dynamic body acceleration (accelerometry). Both ƒH and accelerometry have been calibrated extensively under laboratory conditions, which typically involve prompting the animal to locomote on a treadmill at different speeds while simultaneously recording its rate of oxygen uptake (V̇o2) and the proxy. Field estimates of V̇o2 during locomotion obtained directly from treadmill running or from treadmill-calibrated proxies make assumptions about similarities between running in the field and in the laboratory. The present study investigated these assumptions, focusing on humans as a tractable species. First we investigated experimentally if and how the rate of energy expenditure during treadmill locomotion differs to that during field locomotion at the same speeds, with participants walking and running on a treadmill, on tarmac, and on grass, while wearing a mobile respirometry system. V̇o2 was substantially higher during locomotion in both of the field conditions compared with on a level treadmill: 9.1% on tarmac and 17.7% on grass. Second, we included these data in a meta-analysis of previous, related studies. The results were influenced by the studies excluded due to particulars of the experiment design, suggesting that participant age, the surface type, and the degree of turning during field locomotion may influence by how much treadmill and field locomotion V̇o2 differ. Third, based on our experiments described earlier, we investigated the accuracy of treadmill-calibrated accelerometry and ƒH for estimating V̇o2 in the field. The mean algebraic estimate errors varied between 10% and 35%, with the ƒH associated errors being larger than those derived from accelerometry. The mean algebraic errors were all underestimates of field V̇o2, by around 10% for fH and varying between 0% and 15% for accelerometry. Researchers should question and consider how accurately a treadmill-derived proxy calibration of V̇o2 will estimate V̇o2 during terrestrial locomotion in free-living animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen R Bidder
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstr. 6, Büsum 25761, Germany.,Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Colette Goulding
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15?4JD, UK
| | - Alejandra Toledo
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15?4JD, UK
| | - Tessa A van Walsum
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15?4JD, UK
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstr. 6, Büsum 25761, Germany
| | - Lewis G Halsey
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15?4JD, UK
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Zamora-Camacho FJ. Locomotor performance in a running toad: roles of morphology, sex and agrosystem versus natural habitat. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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50
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Wang Y, Smith JA, Wilmers CC. Residential development alters behavior, movement, and energetics in an apex predator, the puma. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184687. [PMID: 29020087 PMCID: PMC5636101 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human development strongly influences large carnivore survival and persistence globally. Behavior changes are often the first measureable responses to human disturbances, and can have ramifications on animal populations and ecological communities. We investigated how a large carnivore responds to anthropogenic disturbances by measuring activity, movement behavior, and energetics in pumas along a housing density gradient. We used log-linear analyses to examine how habitat, time of day, and proximity to housing influenced the activity patterns of both male and female pumas in the Santa Cruz Mountains. We used spatial GPS location data in combination with Overall Dynamic Body Acceleration measurements recorded by onboard accelerometers to quantify how development density affected the average distances traveled and energy expended by pumas. Pumas responded to development differently depending on the time of day; at night, they were generally more active and moved further when they were in developed areas, but these relationships were not consistent during the day. Higher nighttime activity in developed areas increased daily caloric expenditure by 10.1% for females and 11.6% for males, resulting in increases of 3.4 and 4.0 deer prey required annually by females and males respectively. Our results support that pumas have higher energetic costs and resource requirements in human-dominated habitats due to human-induced behavioral change. Increased energetic costs for pumas are likely to have ramifications on prey species and exacerbate human-wildlife conflict, especially as exurban growth continues. Future conservation work should consider the consequences of behavioral shifts on animal energetics, individual fitness, and population viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwei Wang
- San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, 524 Valley Way, Milpitas, CA, United States of America
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - Justine A. Smith
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, Mulford Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Christopher C. Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
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