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Gonçalves P, Magalhães J, Corujo D. Estimating the Energy Expenditure of Grazing Farm Animals Based on Dynamic Body Acceleration. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2140. [PMID: 39123666 PMCID: PMC11310946 DOI: 10.3390/ani14152140] [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: 06/26/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Indirect methods of measuring the energy expenditure of grazing animals using heartbeat variation or accelerometers are very convenient due to their low cost and low intrusiveness, allowing animals to maintain their usual routine. In the case of accelerometers, it is possible to use them to measure activity, as well as to classify animal behavior, allowing their usage in other scenarios. Despite the obvious convenience of use, it is important to evaluate the measurement error and understand the validity of the measurement through a simplistic method. In this paper, data from accelerometers were used to classify behavior and measure animal activity, and an algorithm was developed to calculate the energy expended by sheep. The results of the energy expenditure calculations were subsequently compared with the values reported in the literature, and it was verified that the values obtained were within the reference ranges. Although it cannot be used as a real metering of energy expended, the method is promising, as it can be integrated with other complementary sources of information, such as the evolution of the animal's weight and ingestion time, thus providing assistance in animals' dietary management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Gonçalves
- Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão de Águeda and Instituto de Telecomunicações, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-198 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - João Magalhães
- Departamento de Eletrónica Telecomunicações and Informática and Instituto de Telecomunicações, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-198 Aveiro, Portugal; (J.M.); (D.C.)
| | - Daniel Corujo
- Departamento de Eletrónica Telecomunicações and Informática and Instituto de Telecomunicações, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-198 Aveiro, Portugal; (J.M.); (D.C.)
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2
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Doekes HP, Petie R, de Jong R, Adriaens I, Wisselink HJ, Stockhofe-Zurwieden N. Added Value of Sensor-Based Behavioural Monitoring in an Infectious Disease Study with Sheep Infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1908. [PMID: 38998020 PMCID: PMC11240357 DOI: 10.3390/ani14131908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Sensor technologies are increasingly used to monitor laboratory animal behaviour. The aim of this study was to investigate the added value of using accelerometers and video to monitor the activity and drinking behaviour of three rams from 5 days before to 22 days after inoculation with Toxoplasma gondii. We computed the activity from accelerometer data as the vectorial dynamic body acceleration (VDBA). In addition, we assessed individual drinking behaviour from video, using frame differencing above the drinker to identify drinking bouts, and Aruco markers for individual identification. Four days after inoculation, rams developed fever and activity decreased. The daytime VDBA from days 4 to 10 was 60-80% of that before inoculation. Animal caretakers scored rams as lethargic on days 5 and 6 and, for one ram, also on the morning of day 7. Video analysis showed that each ram decreased its number of visits to the drinker, as well as its time spent at the drinker, by up to 50%. The fever and corresponding sickness behaviours lasted until day 10. Overall, while we recognize the limited conclusiveness due to the small number of animals, the sensor technologies provided continuous, individual, detailed, and objective data and offered additional insights as compared to routine observations. We recommend the wider implementation of such technologies in animal disease trials to refine experiments and guarantee the quality of experimental results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harmen P. Doekes
- Animal Breeding and Genomics, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University & Research, 8221 RA Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Ronald Petie
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University & Research, 8221 RA Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Rineke de Jong
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University & Research, 8221 RA Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Ines Adriaens
- Research Group BioVism, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Livestock Technology Group, Department of Biosystems, Division of Animal and Human Health Engineering, Kleinhoefstraat 4, 2440 Geel, Belgium
| | - Henk J. Wisselink
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University & Research, 8221 RA Lelystad, The Netherlands
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3
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Mortlock E, Silovský V, Güldenpfennig J, Faltusová M, Olejarz A, Börger L, Ježek M, Jennings DJ, Capellini I. Sleep in the wild: the importance of individual effects and environmental conditions on sleep behaviour in wild boar. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232115. [PMID: 38808449 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Sleep serves vital physiological functions, yet how sleep in wild animals is influenced by environmental conditions is poorly understood. Here we use high-resolution biologgers to investigate sleep in wild animals over ecologically relevant time scales and quantify variability between individuals under changing conditions. We developed a robust classification for accelerometer data and measured multiple dimensions of sleep in the wild boar (Sus scrofa) over an annual cycle. In support of the hypothesis that environmental conditions determine thermoregulatory challenges, which regulate sleep, we show that sleep quantity, efficiency and quality are reduced on warmer days, sleep is less fragmented in longer and more humid days, while greater snow cover and rainfall promote sleep quality. Importantly, this longest and most detailed analysis of sleep in wild animals to date reveals large inter- and intra-individual variation. Specifically, short-sleepers sleep up to 46% less than long-sleepers but do not compensate for their short sleep through greater plasticity or quality, suggesting they may pay higher costs of sleep deprivation. Given the major role of sleep in health, our results suggest that global warming and the associated increase in extreme climatic events are likely to negatively impact sleep, and consequently health, in wildlife, particularly in nocturnal animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Euan Mortlock
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Václav Silovský
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6-Suchdol 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Justine Güldenpfennig
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6-Suchdol 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Monika Faltusová
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6-Suchdol 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Astrid Olejarz
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6-Suchdol 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Miloš Ježek
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6-Suchdol 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Dómhnall J Jennings
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Isabella Capellini
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
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4
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Dunford CE, Marks NJ, Wilson RP, Scantlebury DM. Identifying animal behaviours from accelerometers: Improving predictive accuracy of machine learning by refining the variables selected, data frequency, and sample duration. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11380. [PMID: 38756684 PMCID: PMC11097004 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Observing animals in the wild often poses extreme challenges, but animal-borne accelerometers are increasingly revealing unobservable behaviours. Automated machine learning streamlines behaviour identification from the substantial datasets generated during multi-animal, long-term studies; however, the accuracy of such models depends on the qualities of the training data. We examined how data processing influenced the predictive accuracy of random forest (RF) models, leveraging the easily observed domestic cat (Felis catus) as a model organism for terrestrial mammalian behaviours. Nine indoor domestic cats were equipped with collar-mounted tri-axial accelerometers, and behaviours were recorded alongside video footage. From this calibrated data, eight datasets were derived with (i) additional descriptive variables, (ii) altered frequencies of acceleration data (40 Hz vs. a mean over 1 s) and (iii) standardised durations of different behaviours. These training datasets were used to generate RF models that were validated against calibrated cat behaviours before identifying the behaviours of five free-ranging tag-equipped cats. These predictions were compared to those identified manually to validate the accuracy of the RF models for free-ranging animal behaviours. RF models accurately predicted the behaviours of indoor domestic cats (F-measure up to 0.96) with discernible improvements observed with post-data-collection processing. Additional variables, standardised durations of behaviours and higher recording frequencies improved model accuracy. However, prediction accuracy varied with different behaviours, where high-frequency models excelled in identifying fast-paced behaviours (e.g. locomotion), whereas lower-frequency models (1 Hz) more accurately identified slower, aperiodic behaviours such as grooming and feeding, particularly when examining free-ranging cat behaviours. While RF modelling offered a robust means of behaviour identification from accelerometer data, field validations were important to validate model accuracy for free-ranging individuals. Future studies may benefit from employing similar data processing methods that enhance RF behaviour identification accuracy, with extensive advantages for investigations into ecology, welfare and management of wild animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn E. Dunford
- School of Biological SciencesQueen's University BelfastBelfastUK
- PantheraNew York CityNew YorkUSA
| | - Nikki J. Marks
- School of Biological SciencesQueen's University BelfastBelfastUK
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5
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Hirsch BT, Kays R, Alavi S, Caillaud D, Havmoller R, Mares R, Crofoot M. Smarter foragers do not forage smarter: a test of the diet hypothesis for brain expansion. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240138. [PMID: 38808448 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
A leading hypothesis for the evolution of large brains in humans and other species is that a feedback loop exists whereby intelligent animals forage more efficiently, which results in increased energy intake that fuels the growth and maintenance of large brains. We test this hypothesis for the first time with high-resolution tracking data from four sympatric, frugivorous rainforest mammal species (42 individuals) and drone-based maps of their predominant feeding trees. We found no evidence that larger-brained primates had more efficient foraging paths than smaller brained procyonids. This refutes a key assumption of the fruit-diet hypothesis for brain evolution, suggesting that other factors such as temporal cognition, extractive foraging or sociality have been more important for brain evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben T Hirsch
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panamá
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Roland Kays
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panamá
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Shauhin Alavi
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Damien Caillaud
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Rasmus Havmoller
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark
| | - Rafael Mares
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panamá
| | - Margaret Crofoot
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panamá
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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6
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Chopra K, Hodges HR, Barker ZE, Vázquez Diosdado JA, Amory JR, Cameron TC, Croft DP, Bell NJ, Thurman A, Bartlett D, Codling EA. Bunching behavior in housed dairy cows at higher ambient temperatures. J Dairy Sci 2024; 107:2406-2425. [PMID: 37923206 PMCID: PMC10982438 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Bunching behavior in cattle may occur for several reasons including enabling social interactions, a response to stress or danger, or due to shared interest in resources such as feeding or watering areas. There is evidence in pasture grazed cattle that bunching may occur more frequently at higher ambient temperatures, possibly due to sharing of fly-load or to seek shade from the direct sun under heat stress conditions. Here we demonstrate how bunching behavior is associated with higher ambient temperatures in a barn-housed UK dairy herd. A real-time local positioning system was used, as part of a precision livestock farming (PLF) approach, to track the spatial position and activity of a commercial dairy herd (∼100 cows) in a freestall barn continuously at high temporal resolution for 4 mo between August and November 2014. Bunching was determined using 4 different spatial measures determined on an hourly basis: herd full and core range size, mean herd intercow distance (ICD), and mean herd nearest-neighbor distance (NND). For hourly mean ambient temperatures above 20°C, the herd showed higher bunching behavior with increasing ambient temperature (i.e., reduced full and core range size, ICD, and NND). Aggregated space-use intensity was found to positively correlate with localized variations in temperature across the barn (as measured by animal-mounted sensors), but the level of correlation decreased at higher ambient barn temperatures. Bunching behavior may increase localized temperatures experienced by individuals and hence may be a maladaptive behavioral response in housed dairy cattle, which are known to suffer heat stress at higher temperatures. Our study is the first to use high-resolution positional data to provide evidence of associations between bunching behavior and higher ambient temperatures for a barn-housed dairy herd in a temperate region (UK). Further studies are needed to explore the exact mechanisms for this response to inform both welfare and production management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kareemah Chopra
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom.
| | - Holly R Hodges
- Writtle University College, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 3RR, United Kingdom
| | - Zoe E Barker
- Writtle University College, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 3RR, United Kingdom
| | - Jorge A Vázquez Diosdado
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan R Amory
- Writtle University College, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 3RR, United Kingdom
| | - Tom C Cameron
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
| | - Darren P Croft
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QG, United Kingdom
| | - Nick J Bell
- Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, United Kingdom
| | - Andy Thurman
- Omnisense Limited, St. Neots, Cambridgeshire, PE19 6WL, United Kingdom
| | - David Bartlett
- Omnisense Limited, St. Neots, Cambridgeshire, PE19 6WL, United Kingdom
| | - Edward A Codling
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
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7
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Noda T, Koizumi T, Yukitake N, Yamamoto D, Nakaizumi T, Tanaka K, Okuyama J, Ichikawa K, Hara T. Animal-borne soundscape logger as a system for edge classification of sound sources and data transmission for monitoring near-real-time underwater soundscape. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6394. [PMID: 38493174 PMCID: PMC10944488 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56439-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The underwater environment is filled with various sounds, with its soundscape composed of biological, geographical, and anthropological sounds. Our work focused on developing a novel method to observe and classify these sounds, enriching our understanding of the underwater ecosystem. We constructed a biologging system allowing near-real-time observation of underwater soundscapes. Utilizing deep-learning-based edge processing, this system classifies the sources of sounds, and upon the tagged animal surfacing, it transmits positional data, results of sound source classification, and sensor readings such as depth and temperature. To test the system, we attached the logger to sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) and collected data through a cellular network. The data provided information on the location-specific sounds detected by the sea turtles, suggesting the possibility to infer the distribution of specific species of organisms over time. The data showed that not only biological sounds but also geographical and anthropological sounds can be classified, highlighting the potential for conducting multi-point and long-term observations to monitor the distribution patterns of various sound sources. This system, which can be considered an autonomous mobile platform for oceanographic observations, including soundscapes, has significant potential to enhance our understanding of acoustic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Kotaro Tanaka
- Japan Fisheries Science and Technology Association, Tokyo, Japan
- Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Junichi Okuyama
- Fisheries Technology Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Kotaro Ichikawa
- Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takeshi Hara
- Japan Fisheries Science and Technology Association, Tokyo, Japan
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8
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Cowan MA, Dunlop JA, Gibson LA, Moore HA, Setterfield SA, Nimmo DG. Movement ecology of an endangered mesopredator in a mining landscape. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:5. [PMID: 38233871 PMCID: PMC10795371 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00439-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Efficient movement and energy expenditure are vital for animal survival. Human disturbance can alter animal movement due to changes in resource availability and threats. Some animals can exploit anthropogenic disturbances for more efficient movement, while others face restricted or inefficient movement due to fragmentation of high-resource habitats, and risks associated with disturbed habitats. Mining, a major anthropogenic disturbance, removes natural habitats, introduces new landscape features, and alters resource distribution in the landscape. This study investigates the effect of mining on the movement of an endangered mesopredator, the northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus). Using GPS collars and accelerometers, we investigate their habitat selection and energy expenditure in an active mining landscape, to determine the effects of this disturbance on northern quolls. METHODS We fit northern quolls with GPS collars and accelerometers during breeding and non-breeding season at an active mine site in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. We investigated broad-scale movement by calculating the movement ranges of quolls using utilisation distributions at the 95% isopleth, and compared habitat types and environmental characteristics within observed movement ranges to the available landscape. We investigated fine-scale movement by quolls with integrated step selection functions, assessing the relative selection strength for each habitat covariate. Finally, we used piecewise structural equation modelling to analyse the influence of each habitat covariate on northern quoll energy expenditure. RESULTS At the broad scale, northern quolls predominantly used rugged, rocky habitats, and used mining habitats in proportion to their availability. However, at the fine scale, habitat use varied between breeding and non-breeding seasons. During the breeding season, quolls notably avoided mining habitats, whereas in the non-breeding season, they frequented mining habitats equally to rocky and riparian habitats, albeit at a higher energetic cost. CONCLUSION Mining impacts northern quolls by fragmenting favoured rocky habitats, increasing energy expenditure, and potentially impacting breeding dispersal. While mining habitats might offer limited resource opportunities in the non-breeding season, conservation efforts during active mining, including the creation of movement corridors and progressive habitat restoration would likely be useful. However, prioritising the preservation of natural rocky and riparian habitats in mining landscapes is vital for northern quoll conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Cowan
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, 386 Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona, NSW, 2640, Australia.
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - J A Dunlop
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, 386 Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona, NSW, 2640, Australia
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - L A Gibson
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, WA, 6151, Australia
| | - H A Moore
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, WA, 6151, Australia
| | - S A Setterfield
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - D G Nimmo
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, 386 Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona, NSW, 2640, Australia
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9
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Sutton GJ, Angel LP, Speakman JR, Arnould JPY. Determining energy expenditure in a large seabird using accelerometry. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb246922. [PMID: 37947172 PMCID: PMC10714144 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The trade off between energy gained and expended is the foundation of understanding how, why and when animals perform any activity. Based on the concept that animal movements have an energetic cost, accelerometry is increasingly being used to estimate energy expenditure. However, validation of accelerometry as an accurate proxy for field metabolic rate in free-ranging species is limited. In the present study, Australasian gannets (Morus serrator) from the Pope's Eye colony (38°16'42″S 144°41'48″E), south-eastern Australia, were equipped with GPS and tri-axial accelerometers and dosed with doubly labelled water (DLW) to measure energy expenditure during normal behaviour for 3-5 days. The correlation between daily energy expenditure from the DLW and vectorial dynamic body acceleration (VeDBA) was high for both a simple correlation and activity-specific approaches (R2=0.75 and 0.80, respectively). Varying degrees of success were observed for estimating at-sea metabolic rate from accelerometry when removing time on land using published energy expenditure constants (R2=0.02) or activity-specific approaches (R2=0.42). The predictive capacity of energy expenditure models for total and at-sea periods was improved by the addition of total distance travelled and proportion of the sampling period spent at sea during the night, respectively (R2=0.61-0.82). These results indicate that accelerometry can be used to estimate daily energy expenditure in free-ranging gannets and its accuracy may depend on the inclusion of movement parameters not detected by accelerometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace J. Sutton
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
- Department of Environment & Genetics, and Research Centre for Future Landscapes, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Lauren P. Angel
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - John R. Speakman
- Institute of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
- Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advance Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - John P. Y. Arnould
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
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10
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Minasandra P, Jensen FH, Gersick AS, Holekamp KE, Strauss ED, Strandburg-Peshkin A. Accelerometer-based predictions of behaviour elucidate factors affecting the daily activity patterns of spotted hyenas. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230750. [PMID: 38026018 PMCID: PMC10645113 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Animal activity patterns are highly variable and influenced by internal and external factors, including social processes. Quantifying activity patterns in natural settings can be challenging, as it is difficult to monitor animals over long time periods. Here, we developed and validated a machine-learning-based classifier to identify behavioural states from accelerometer data of wild spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), social carnivores that live in large fission-fusion societies. By combining this classifier with continuous collar-based accelerometer data from five hyenas, we generated a complete record of activity patterns over more than one month. We used these continuous behavioural sequences to investigate how past activity, individual idiosyncrasies, and social synchronization influence hyena activity patterns. We found that hyenas exhibit characteristic crepuscular-nocturnal daily activity patterns. Time spent active was independent of activity level on previous days, suggesting that hyenas do not show activity compensation. We also found limited evidence for an effect of individual identity on activity, and showed that pairs of hyenas who synchronized their activity patterns must have spent more time together. This study sheds light on the patterns and drivers of activity in spotted hyena societies, and also provides a useful tool for quantifying behavioural sequences from accelerometer data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranav Minasandra
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Biology Department, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Organismal Biology, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Frants H. Jensen
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
- Biology Department, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Andrew S. Gersick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Computer Science, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Kay E. Holekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Eli D. Strauss
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Biology Department, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Biology Department, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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11
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Benoit L, Morellet N, Bonnot NC, Cargnelutti B, Chaval Y, Gaillard JM, Loison A, Lourtet B, Marchand P, Coulon A, Hewison AJM. Reproductive tactics, birth timing and the risk-resource trade-off in an income breeder. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230948. [PMID: 37876188 PMCID: PMC10598439 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In variable environments, habitats that are rich in resources often carry a higher risk of predation. As a result, natural selection should favour individuals that balance allocation of time to foraging versus avoiding predation through an optimal decision-making process that maximizes fitness. The behavioural trade-off between resource acquisition and risk avoidance is expected to be particularly acute during gestation and lactation, when the energetic demands of reproduction peak. Here, we investigated how reproductive female roe deer adjust their foraging activity and habitat use during the birth period to manage this trade-off compared with non-reproductive juveniles, and how parturition date constrains individual tactics of risk-resource management. Activity of reproductive females more than doubled immediately following parturition, when energy demand is highest. Furthermore, compared with non-reproductive juveniles, they increased their exposure to risk by using open habitat more during daytime and ranging closer to roads. However, these post-partum modifications in behaviour were particularly pronounced in late-parturient females who adopted a more risk-prone tactic, presumably to compensate for the growth handicap of their late-born offspring. In income breeders, individuals that give birth late may be constrained to trade risk avoidance for foraging during peak allocation to reproduction, with probable consequences for individual fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Benoit
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
- LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, 31320 Auzeville-Tolosane, France
| | - Nicolas Morellet
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
- LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, 31320 Auzeville-Tolosane, France
| | - Nadège C Bonnot
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
- LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, 31320 Auzeville-Tolosane, France
- INRAE, EFNO, 45290 Nogent-sur-Vernisson, France
| | - Bruno Cargnelutti
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
- LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, 31320 Auzeville-Tolosane, France
| | - Yannick Chaval
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
- LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, 31320 Auzeville-Tolosane, France
| | - Jean-Michel Gaillard
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive UMR 5558, CNRS, Université Lyon 1, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Anne Loison
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont-Blanc, CNRS, LECA, 38058 Grenoble, France
| | - Bruno Lourtet
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
- LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, 31320 Auzeville-Tolosane, France
| | - Pascal Marchand
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Direction de la Recherche et de l'Appui Scientifique, Service Anthropisation et Fonctionnement des Ecosystèmes Terrestres, 147 avenue de Lodève, Les Portes du Soleil, 34990 Juvignac, France
| | - Aurélie Coulon
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier 75005 Paris, France
- CEFE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - A J Mark Hewison
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
- LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, 31320 Auzeville-Tolosane, France
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12
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Jewell OJD, D'Antonio B, Blane S, Gosden E, Taylor MD, Calich HJ, Fraser MW, Sequeira AMM. Back to the wild: movements of a juvenile tiger shark released from a public aquarium. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2023; 103:735-740. [PMID: 37227750 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15464] [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: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Sharks are an important attraction for aquaria; however, larger species can rarely be kept indefinitely. To date, there has been little work tracking shark movements post-release to the wild. The authors used high-resolution biologgers to monitor a sub-adult tiger shark's pre- and post-release fine-scale movements following 2 years of captivity in an aquarium. They also compared its movement with that of a wild shark tagged nearby. Despite the differences in movement between the two sharks, with vertical oscillations notably absent and greater levels of turning seen from the released shark, the captive shark survived the release. These biologgers improve insight into post-release movements of captive sharks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver J D Jewell
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Ben D'Antonio
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Perth, WA, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Perth, WA, Australia
| | | | | | - Michael D Taylor
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Hannah J Calich
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Perth, WA, Australia
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Matthew W Fraser
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Perth, WA, Australia
- Centre for OceanOmics, The Minderoo Foundation, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Ana M M Sequeira
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Perth, WA, Australia
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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13
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Lennox RJ, Eldøy SH, Dahlmo LS, Matley JK, Vollset KW. Acoustic accelerometer transmitters and their growing relevance to aquatic science. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:45. [PMID: 37501158 PMCID: PMC10375738 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00403-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
There has recently been great interest in the use of accelerometers onboard electronic transmitters to characterise various aspects of the ecology of wild animals. We review use cases and outline how these tools can provide opportunities for studying activity and survival, exercise physiology of wild animals, the response to stressors, energy landscapes and conservation planning tools, and the means with which to identify behaviours remotely from transmitted data. Accelerometer transmitters typically send data summaries to receivers at fixed intervals after filtering out static acceleration and calculating root-mean square error or overall dynamic body action of 2- or 3-axis acceleration values (often at 5-12.5 Hz) from dynamic acceleration onboard the tag. Despite the popularity of these transmitters among aquatic ecologists, we note that there is wide variation in the sampling frequencies and windows used among studies that will potentially affect the ability to make comparisons in the future. Accelerometer transmitters will likely become increasingly popular tools for studying finer scale details about cryptic species that are difficult to recapture and hence not suitable for studies using data loggers. We anticipate that there will continue to be opportunities to adopt methods used for analysing data from loggers to datasets generated from acceleration transmitters, to generate new knowledge about the ecology of aquatic animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Lennox
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Høgskoleringen 9, 7034, Norway.
- NORCE Norwegian Research Centre Laboratory for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Nygaardsgaten 112, 5008, Bergen, Norway.
- Ocean Tracking Network, Dalhousie University, 1335 Oxford St, B3H 3Z1, Halifax, Canada.
| | - Sindre H Eldøy
- NTNU Vitenskapsmuseet, Erling Skakkes gate 47B, 7012, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Lotte S Dahlmo
- NORCE Norwegian Research Centre Laboratory for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Nygaardsgaten 112, 5008, Bergen, Norway
| | - Jordan K Matley
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Knut Wiik Vollset
- NORCE Norwegian Research Centre Laboratory for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Nygaardsgaten 112, 5008, Bergen, Norway
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Ozsanlav‐Harris L, Hilton GM, Griffin LR, Walsh AJ, Cao L, Weegman MD, Bearhop S. Differing drivers of decline within a migratory metapopulation has implications for future conservation. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10281. [PMID: 37456071 PMCID: PMC10347676 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Researchers generally ascribe demographic drivers in a single sub-population and presume they are representative. With this information, practitioners implement blanket conservation measures across metapopulations to reverse declines. However, such approaches may not be appropriate in circumstances where sub-populations are spatiotemporally segregated and exposed to different environmental variation. The Greenland White-fronted Goose, Anser albifrons flavirostris, is an Arctic-nesting migrant that largely comprises two sub-populations (delineated by northerly and southerly breeding areas in west Greenland). The metapopulation has declined since 1999 but this trend is only mirrored in one sub-population and the causes of this disparity are unclear. Here we compare the drivers and trends of productivity in both sub-populations using population- and individual-level analysis. We examined how temperature and precipitation influenced population-level reproductive success over 37 years and whether there was a change in the relationship when metapopulation decline commenced. In addition, we used biologging devices to remotely classify incubation events for 86 bird-years and modelled how phenology and environmental conditions influenced individual-level nest survival. Correlations between reproductive success and temperature/precipitation on the breeding grounds have weakened for both sub-populations. This has resulted in lower reproductive success for the northerly, but not southerly breeding sub-population, which at the individual-level appears to be driven by lower nest survival. Earlier breeding ground arrival and less precipitation during incubation increased nest survival in the northerly breeding population, while no factors examined were important for the southerly breeding sub-population. This suggests reproductive success is driven by different factor(s) in the two sub-populations. Demographic rates and their environmental drivers differ between the sub-populations examined here and consequently we encourage further decomposition of demography within metapopulations. This is important for conservation practitioners to consider as bespoke conservation strategies, targeting different limiting factors, may be required for different sub-populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Ozsanlav‐Harris
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
- Wildfowl & Wetlands TrustGloucesterUK
| | | | | | - Alyn J. Walsh
- National Parks and Wildlife ServiceWexford Wildfowl ReserveNorth SlobIreland
| | - Lei Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Centre for Eco‐Environmental SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Mitch D. Weegman
- Department of BiologyUniversity of SaskatchewanSaskatoonSaskatchewanCanada
| | - Stuart Bearhop
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
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15
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Olejarz A, Faltusová M, Börger L, Güldenpfennig J, Jarský V, Ježek M, Mortlock E, Silovský V, Podgórski T. Worse sleep and increased energy expenditure yet no movement changes in sub-urban wild boar experiencing an influx of human visitors (anthropulse) during the COVID-19 pandemic. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 879:163106. [PMID: 36966827 PMCID: PMC10038670 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Expansion of urban areas, landscape transformation and increasing human outdoor activities strongly affect wildlife behaviour. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in particular led to drastic changes in human behaviour, exposing wildlife around the world to either reduced or increased human presence, potentially altering animal behaviour. Here, we investigate behavioural responses of wild boar (Sus scrofa) to changing numbers of human visitors to a suburban forest near Prague, Czech Republic, during the first 2.5 years of the COVID-19 epidemic (April 2019-November 2021). We used bio-logging and movement data of 63 GPS-collared wild boar and human visitation data based on an automatic counter installed in the field. We hypothesised that higher levels of human leisure activity will have a disturbing effect on wild boar behaviour manifested in increased movements and ranging, energy spent, and disrupted sleep patterns. Interestingly, whilst the number of people visiting the forest varied by two orders of magnitude (from 36 to 3431 people weekly), even high levels of human presence (>2000 visitors per week) did not affect weekly distance travelled, home range size, and maximum displacement of wild boar. Instead, individuals spent 41 % more energy at high levels of human presence (>2000 visitors per week), with more erratic sleep patterns, characterised by shorter and more frequent sleeping bouts. Our results highlight multifaceted effects of increased human activities ('anthropulses'), such as those related to COVID-19 countermeasures, on animal behaviour. High human pressure may not affect animal movements or habitat use, especially in highly adaptable species such as wild boar, but may disrupt animal activity rhythms, with potentially detrimental fitness consequences. Such subtle behavioural responses can be overlooked if using only standard tracking technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Olejarz
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences,Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6-Suchdol, 165 00, Czech Republic.
| | - Monika Faltusová
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences,Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6-Suchdol, 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, Wales, UK
| | - Justine Güldenpfennig
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences,Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6-Suchdol, 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Vilém Jarský
- Department of Forestry and Wood Economics, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6-Suchdol, 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Miloš Ježek
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences,Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6-Suchdol, 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Euan Mortlock
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT95DL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Václav Silovský
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences,Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6-Suchdol, 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Tomasz Podgórski
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences,Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6-Suchdol, 165 00, Czech Republic; Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland
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16
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Boom MP, Lameris TK, Schreven KHT, Buitendijk NH, Moonen S, de Vries PP, Zaynagutdinova E, Nolet BA, van der Jeugd HP, Eichhorn G. Year-round activity levels reveal diurnal foraging constraints in the annual cycle of migratory and non-migratory barnacle geese. Oecologia 2023:10.1007/s00442-023-05386-x. [PMID: 37270441 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05386-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Performing migratory journeys comes with energetic costs, which have to be compensated within the annual cycle. An assessment of how and when such compensation occurs is ideally done by comparing full annual cycles of migratory and non-migratory individuals of the same species, which is rarely achieved. We studied free-living migratory and resident barnacle geese belonging to the same flyway (metapopulation), and investigated when differences in foraging activity occur, and when foraging extends beyond available daylight, indicating a diurnal foraging constraint in these usually diurnal animals. We compared foraging activity of migratory (N = 94) and resident (N = 30) geese throughout the annual cycle using GPS-transmitters and 3D-accelerometers, and corroborated this with data on seasonal variation in body condition. Migratory geese were more active than residents during most of the year, amounting to a difference of over 370 h over an entire annual cycle. Activity differences were largest during the periods that comprised preparation for spring and autumn migration. Lengthening days during spring facilitated increased activity, which coincided with an increase in body condition. Both migratory and resident geese were active at night during winter, but migratory geese were also active at night before autumn migration, resulting in a period of night-time activity that was 6 weeks longer than in resident geese. Our results indicate that, at least in geese, seasonal migration requires longer daily activity not only during migration but throughout most of the annual cycle, with migrants being more frequently forced to extend foraging activity into the night.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel P Boom
- Vogeltrekstation-Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Thomas K Lameris
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Kees H T Schreven
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nelleke H Buitendijk
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sander Moonen
- Wageningen Environmental Reseach (WEnR), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Institute of Avian Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- Institute for Wetlands and Waterbird Research e.V., Verden (Aller), Germany
| | - Peter P de Vries
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Elmira Zaynagutdinova
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Saint Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Bart A Nolet
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henk P van der Jeugd
- Vogeltrekstation-Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Götz Eichhorn
- Vogeltrekstation-Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
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17
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Chakravarty P, Cozzi G, Scantlebury DM, Ozgul A, Aminian K. Combining accelerometry with allometry for estimating daily energy expenditure in joules when in-lab calibration is unavailable. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:29. [PMID: 37254220 PMCID: PMC10228015 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00395-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND All behaviour requires energy, and measuring energy expenditure in standard units (joules) is key to linking behaviour to ecological processes. Animal-borne accelerometers are commonly used to infer proxies of energy expenditure, termed 'dynamic body acceleration' (DBA). However, converting acceleration proxies (m/s2) to standard units (watts) involves costly in-lab respirometry measurements, and there is a lack of viable substitutes for empirical calibration relationships when these are unavailable. METHODS We used past allometric work quantifying energy expenditure during resting and locomotion as a function of body mass to calibrate DBA. We used the resulting 'power calibration equation' to estimate daily energy expenditure (DEE) using two models: (1) locomotion data-based linear calibration applied to the waking period, and Kleiber's law applied to the sleeping period (ACTIWAKE), and (2) locomotion and resting data-based linear calibration applied to the 24-h period (ACTIREST24). Since both models require locomotion speed information, we developed an algorithm to estimate speed from accelerometer, gyroscope, and behavioural annotation data. We applied these methods to estimate DEE in free-ranging meerkats (Suricata suricatta), and compared model estimates with published DEE measurements made using doubly labelled water (DLW) on the same meerkat population. RESULTS ACTIWAKE's DEE estimates did not differ significantly from DLW (t(19) = - 1.25; P = 0.22), while ACTIREST24's estimates did (t(19) = - 2.38; P = 0.028). Both models underestimated DEE compared to DLW: ACTIWAKE by 14% and ACTIREST by 26%. The inter-individual spread in model estimates of DEE (s.d. 1-2% of mean) was lower than that in DLW (s.d. 33% of mean). CONCLUSIONS We found that linear locomotion-based calibration applied to the waking period, and a 'flat' resting metabolic rate applied to the sleeping period can provide realistic joule estimates of DEE in terrestrial mammals. The underestimation and lower spread in model estimates compared to DLW likely arise because the accelerometer only captures movement-related energy expenditure, whereas DLW is an integrated measure. Our study offers new tools to incorporate body mass (through allometry), and changes in behavioural time budgets and intra-behaviour changes in intensity (through DBA) in acceleration-based field assessments of daily energy expenditure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pritish Chakravarty
- Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Universität Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Constance, Germany.
| | - Gabriele Cozzi
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Universität Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, 8467, South Africa
| | | | - Arpat Ozgul
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Universität Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, 8467, South Africa
| | - Kamiar Aminian
- Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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18
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Royer M, Meyer C, Royer J, Maloney K, Cardona E, Blandino C, Fernandes da Silva G, Whittingham K, Holland KN. "Breath holding" as a thermoregulation strategy in the deep-diving scalloped hammerhead shark. Science 2023; 380:651-655. [PMID: 37167384 DOI: 10.1126/science.add4445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Fish moving between different thermal environments experience heat exchange via conduction through the body wall and convection from blood flow across the gills. We report a strategy of preventing convective heat loss at the gills during excursions into deep, cold water by the tropical scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphryna lewini). Adult scalloped hammerhead sharks dive rapidly and repeatedly from warm (~26°C) surface waters to depths exceeding 800 meters with temperatures as low as 5°C. Biologgers attached to adult sharks show that warm muscle temperatures were maintained throughout the deepest portion of each dive. Substantive cooling only occurred during the latter stages of the ascent phase and, once initiated, was rapid. Heat transfer coefficient modeling indicated that convective heat transfer was suspended, probably by suppressing gill function during deep dives. This previously unobserved strategy has broad similarities to marine mammal "breath hold" diving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Royer
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI 96744, USA
| | - Carl Meyer
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI 96744, USA
| | - John Royer
- School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, UK
| | - Kelsey Maloney
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI 96744, USA
| | - Edward Cardona
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI 96744, USA
| | - Chloé Blandino
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI 96744, USA
| | - Guilherme Fernandes da Silva
- Department of Marine Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, 11070-102 Santos, Brazil
- Ocean and Resources Engineering, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | | | - Kim N Holland
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI 96744, USA
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19
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Hewitt DE, Johnson DD, Suthers IM, Taylor MD. Crabs ride the tide: incoming tides promote foraging of Giant Mud Crab (Scylla serrata). MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:21. [PMID: 37069648 PMCID: PMC10108527 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00384-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Effective fisheries management of mobile species relies on robust knowledge of animal behaviour and habitat-use. Indices of behaviour can be useful for interpreting catch-per-unit-effort data which acts as a proxy for relative abundance. Information about habitat-use can inform stocking release strategies or the design of marine protected areas. The Giant Mud Crab (Scylla serrata; Family: Portunidae) is a swimming estuarine crab that supports significant fisheries harvest throughout the Indo-West Pacific, but little is known about the fine-scale movement and behaviour of this species. METHODS We tagged 18 adult Giant Mud Crab with accelerometer-equipped acoustic tags to track their fine-scale movement using a hyperbolic positioning system, alongside high temporal resolution environmental data (e.g., water temperature), in a temperate south-east Australian estuary. A hidden Markov model was used to classify movement (i.e., step length, turning angle) and acceleration data into discrete behaviours, while also considering the possibility of individual variation in behavioural dynamics. We then investigated the influence of environmental covariates on these behaviours based on previously published observations. RESULTS We fitted a model with two well-distinguished behavioural states describing periods of inactivity and foraging, and found no evidence of individual variation in behavioural dynamics. Inactive periods were most common (79% of time), and foraging was most likely during low, incoming tides; while inactivity was more likely as the high tide receded. Model selection removed time (hour) of day and water temperature (°C) as covariates, suggesting that they do not influence Giant Mud Crab behavioural dynamics at the temporal scale investigated. CONCLUSIONS Our study is the first to quantitatively link fine-scale movement and behaviour of Giant Mud Crab to environmental variation. Our results suggest Giant Mud Crab are a predominantly sessile species, and support their status as an opportunistic scavenger. We demonstrate a relationship between the tidal cycle and foraging that is likely to minimize predation risk while maximizing energetic efficiency. These results may explain why tidal covariates influence catch rates in swimming crabs, and provide a foundation for standardisation and interpretation of catch-per-unit-effort data-a commonly used metric in fisheries science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Hewitt
- Fisheries and Marine Environmental Research Lab, Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, NSW, Sydney, 2052, Australia.
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, NSW, Locked Bag 1, Nelson Bay, 2315, Australia.
| | - Daniel D Johnson
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, NSW, Locked Bag 1, Nelson Bay, 2315, Australia
| | - Iain M Suthers
- Fisheries and Marine Environmental Research Lab, Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, NSW, Sydney, 2052, Australia
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, NSW, Australia
| | - Matthew D Taylor
- Fisheries and Marine Environmental Research Lab, Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, NSW, Sydney, 2052, Australia
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, NSW, Locked Bag 1, Nelson Bay, 2315, Australia
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20
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Morgan A, Christensen C, Bracken AM, O'Riain MJ, King AJ, Fürtbauer I. Effects of accelerometry-derived physical activity energy expenditure on urinary C-peptide levels in a wild primate (Papio ursinus). Horm Behav 2023; 152:105355. [PMID: 37031555 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Animals have finite energy reserves for growth, survival, and reproduction and must maintain a stable energy balance. Measuring energy balance in the wild, however, is beset with methodological challenges. Quantification of urinary C-peptide (uCP), a proxy for insulin secretion, has enabled researchers to non-invasively estimate energy balance, and positive relationships between uCP levels and energy intake have been documented in numerous non-human primates. Comparatively few studies show that, consistent with insulin physiology, energy expenditure also alters levels of uCP. The timescale and extent of this relationship, however, remains unclear given the reliance on crude measures of activity and inferred energy expenditure. Here, for the first time, we test for effects of accelerometer-derived Vectorial Dynamic Body Acceleration (VeDBA) - a continuous measure of physical activity energy expenditure - on urinary C-peptide (uCP) levels in n = 12 wild chacma baboons (Papio ursinus). Applying a model selection approach, we show that VeDBA summed over short timescales (30 min to 1 h) prior to urine collection was negatively associated with uCP levels. Using the acceleration-based time individuals spent 'non-stationary' (i.e. locomoting) prior to urine collection as a predictor - instead of summed VeDBA - revealed similar but less clear results. Overall, the negative relationship between VeDBA and uCP levels highlights the importance of quantifying physical activity energy expenditure when using uCP measures to estimate energy balance and has potential implications for the field of energetics accelerometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angharad Morgan
- Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Charlotte Christensen
- Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, United Kingdom; Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Anna M Bracken
- Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, United Kingdom; School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - M Justin O'Riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Andrew J King
- Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Ines Fürtbauer
- Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, United Kingdom.
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21
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Wild TA, van Schalkwyk L, Viljoen P, Heine G, Richter N, Vorneweg B, Koblitz JC, Dechmann DKN, Rogers W, Partecke J, Linek N, Volkmer T, Gregersen T, Havmøller RW, Morelle K, Daim A, Wiesner M, Wolter K, Fiedler W, Kays R, Ezenwa VO, Meboldt M, Wikelski M. A multi-species evaluation of digital wildlife monitoring using the Sigfox IoT network. ANIMAL BIOTELEMETRY 2023; 11:13. [PMID: 38800509 PMCID: PMC11116194 DOI: 10.1186/s40317-023-00326-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Bio-telemetry from small tags attached to animals is one of the principal methods for studying the ecology and behaviour of wildlife. The field has constantly evolved over the last 80 years as technological improvement enabled a diversity of sensors to be integrated into the tags (e.g., GPS, accelerometers, etc.). However, retrieving data from tags on free-ranging animals remains a challenge since satellite and GSM networks are relatively expensive and or power hungry. Recently a new class of low-power communication networks have been developed and deployed worldwide to connect the internet of things (IoT). Here, we evaluated one of these, the Sigfox IoT network, for the potential as a real-time multi-sensor data retrieval and tag commanding system for studying fauna across a diversity of species and ecosystems. We tracked 312 individuals across 30 species (from 25 g bats to 3 t elephants) with seven different device concepts, resulting in more than 177,742 successful transmissions. We found a maximum line of sight communication distance of 280 km (on a flying cape vulture [Gyps coprotheres]), which sets a new documented record for animal-borne digital data transmission using terrestrial infrastructure. The average transmission success rate amounted to 68.3% (SD 22.1) on flying species and 54.1% (SD 27.4) on terrestrial species. In addition to GPS data, we also collected and transmitted data products from accelerometers, barometers, and thermometers. Further, we assessed the performance of Sigfox Atlas Native, a low-power method for positional estimates based on radio signal strengths and found a median accuracy of 12.89 km (MAD 5.17) on animals. We found that robust real-time communication (median message delay of 1.49 s), the extremely small size of the tags (starting at 1.28 g without GPS), and the low power demands (as low as 5.8 µAh per transmitted byte) unlock new possibilities for ecological data collection and global animal observation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timm A. Wild
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Constance, Germany
- Product Development Group Zurich (pd|z), ETH Zürich, Leonhardstr. 21, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Louis van Schalkwyk
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, P.O. Box 12, Skukuza, 1350 South Africa
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Soutpan Road, Pretoria, 0110 South Africa
| | - Pauli Viljoen
- Scientific Services, South African National Parks, Skukuza, 1350 South Africa
| | - Georg Heine
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Nina Richter
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Bernd Vorneweg
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Jens C. Koblitz
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Constance, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Constance, Germany
| | - Dina K. N. Dechmann
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Constance, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Constance, Germany
| | - Will Rogers
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 165 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511 USA
| | - Jesko Partecke
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Constance, Germany
| | - Nils Linek
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Constance, Germany
| | - Tamara Volkmer
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Constance, Germany
| | - Troels Gregersen
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Section for Zoology, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, OE Denmark
| | - Rasmus W. Havmøller
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Section for Zoology, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, OE Denmark
| | - Kevin Morelle
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Czech University of Life Science, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Andreas Daim
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Kerri Wolter
- Vulpro NpC, Vulture Programme, Plot 121 Boekenhoutkloof Road, Rietfontein, 0216 South Africa
| | - Wolfgang Fiedler
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Roland Kays
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC 27601 USA
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607 USA
| | - Vanessa O. Ezenwa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 165 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511 USA
| | - Mirko Meboldt
- Product Development Group Zurich (pd|z), ETH Zürich, Leonhardstr. 21, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Constance, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Constance, Germany
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22
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Mizrahy-Rewald O, Winkler N, Amann F, Neugebauer K, Voelkl B, Grogger HA, Ruf T, Fritz J. The impact of shape and attachment position of biologging devices in Northern Bald Ibises. ANIMAL BIOTELEMETRY 2023; 11:8. [PMID: 38800510 PMCID: PMC11116193 DOI: 10.1186/s40317-023-00322-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Background The impact of biologging devices on the aerodynamics or hydrodynamics of animals is still poorly understood. This stands in marked contrast to the ever more extensive use of such technologies in wild-living animals. Recently, increasing concerns have been raised about the impairing effects of these devices on the animals concerned. In the early days of biotelemetry, attention was focused solely on reducing weight, but now aerodynamic effects are also increasingly being considered. To investigate these effects, we trained Northern Bald Ibises to fly in a wind tunnel in which we measured heart rate and dynamic body acceleration (VeDBA) as proxies for energy expenditure in relation to different logger shapes and wind flow directions. Results Our data provide evidence that the position of biologging devices significantly influence the flight distances, and the shape of biologging devices has a considerable effect on heart rate and VeDBA, both of which have been used as proxies for energy expenditure. Unfavorable shape and positioning go beyond merely affecting the effort required during flapping flight. The energetically probably more important effect is that the devices impair the bird's ability to glide or soar and thus force them to perform the energetically much more demanding flapping flight more frequently. This effect was more pronounced in rising air than in horizontal airflow. A complementary study with wild Northern Bald Ibises during spring migration provides evidence that the position of the devices on the bird's back affects the length of the flight stages. Birds carrying the devices on the upper back, fixed by wing-loop harnesses, had significantly shorter flight stages compared to birds with a more caudally positioned device, fixed by leg-loop harnesses. Conclusion The attachment of biologging devices on birds affects their performance and behavior and thus may influence their fitness and mortality. Our results show that detrimental effects can be reduced with relatively little effort, in particular through a strictly aerodynamic design of the housing and increased consideration of aerodynamics when attaching the device to the body. In birds, the attachment of biologging devices via leg loops to the lower back is clearly preferable to the common attachment via wing loops on the upper back, even if this affects the efficiency of the solar panels. Nevertheless, the importance of drag reduction may vary between systems, as the benefits of having a biologging devices close to the center of gravity may outweigh the increase in drag that this involves. Overall, more research is required in this field. This is both in the interest of animal welfare and of avoiding biasing the quality of the collected data. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40317-023-00322-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ortal Mizrahy-Rewald
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160 Vienna, Austria
- Waldrappteam Conservation and Research, Schulgasse 28, 6162 Mutters, Austria
| | - Natalie Winkler
- Animal Welfare Division, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Laenggassstrasse 120, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Frederik Amann
- Waldrappteam Conservation and Research, Schulgasse 28, 6162 Mutters, Austria
| | - Katharina Neugebauer
- Waldrappteam Conservation and Research, Schulgasse 28, 6162 Mutters, Austria
- Vienna Scientific Instruments, Heiligenkreuzer Strasse 466, 2534 Alland, Austria
| | - Bernhard Voelkl
- Animal Welfare Division, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Laenggassstrasse 120, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Herwig A. Grogger
- Engineering Department, University of Applied Sciences Joanneum, Alte Poststrasse 149, 8020 Graz, Austria
| | - Thomas Ruf
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes Fritz
- Waldrappteam Conservation and Research, Schulgasse 28, 6162 Mutters, Austria
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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23
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Redpath SHA, Marks NJ, Menzies FD, O'Hagan MJH, Wilson RP, Smith S, Magowan EA, McClune DW, Collins SF, McCormick CM, Scantlebury DM. Impact of test, vaccinate or remove protocol on home ranges and nightly movements of badgers a medium density population. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2592. [PMID: 36788237 PMCID: PMC9929337 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28620-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In the British Isles, the European badger (Meles meles) is thought to be the primary wildlife reservoir of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), an endemic disease in cattle. Test, vaccinate or remove ('TVR') of bTB test-positive badgers, has been suggested to be a potentially useful protocol to reduce bTB incidence in cattle. However, the practice of removing or culling badgers is controversial both for ethical reasons and because there is no consistent observed effect on bTB levels in cattle. While removing badgers reduces population density, it may also result in disruption of their social behaviour, increase their ranging, and lead to greater intra- and inter-species bTB transmission. This effect has been recorded in high badger density areas, such as in southwest England. However, little is known about how TVR affects the behaviour and movement of badgers within a medium density population, such as those that occur in Northern Ireland (NI), which the current study aimed to examine. During 2014-2017, badger ranging behaviours were examined prior to and during a TVR protocol in NI. Nightly distances travelled by 38 individuals were determined using Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements of animal tracks and GPS-enhanced dead-reckoned tracks. The latter was calculated using GPS, tri-axial accelerometer and tri-axial magnetometer data loggers attached to animals. Home range and core home range size were measured using 95% and 50% autocorrelated kernel density estimates, respectively, based on location fixes. TVR was not associated with measured increases in either distances travelled per night (mean = 3.31 ± 2.64 km) or home range size (95% mean = 1.56 ± 0.62 km2, 50% mean = 0.39 ± 0.62 km2) over the four years of study. However, following trapping, mean distances travelled per night increased by up to 44% eight days post capture. Findings differ from those observed in higher density badger populations in England, in which badger ranging increased following culling. Whilst we did not assess behaviours of individual badgers, possible reasons why no differences in home range size were observed include higher inherent 'social fluidity' in Irish populations whereby movements are less restricted by habitat saturation and/or that the numbers removed did not reach a threshold that might induce increases in ranging behaviour. Nevertheless, short-term behavioural disruption from trapping was observed, which led to significant increases in the movements of individual animals within their home range. Whether or not TVR may alter badger behaviours remains to be seen, but it would be better to utilise solutions such as oral vaccination of badgers and/or cattle as well as increased biosecurity to limit bTB transmission, which may be less likely to cause interference and thereby reduce the likelihood of bTB transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie H A Redpath
- School of Biological Sciences, Queens' University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, Northern Ireland
- Veterinary Sciences Division, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Belfast, BT4 3SD, Northern Ireland
| | - Nikki J Marks
- School of Biological Sciences, Queens' University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, Northern Ireland
| | - Fraser D Menzies
- Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Veterinary Epidemiology Unit, Belfast, BT4 3SB, Northern Ireland
| | - Maria J H O'Hagan
- Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Veterinary Epidemiology Unit, Belfast, BT4 3SB, Northern Ireland
| | - Rory P Wilson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, Wales
| | - Sinéad Smith
- School of Biological Sciences, Queens' University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, Northern Ireland
| | - Elizabeth A Magowan
- School of Biological Sciences, Queens' University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, Northern Ireland
| | - David W McClune
- School of Biological Sciences, Queens' University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, Northern Ireland
| | - Shane F Collins
- Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Veterinary Epidemiology Unit, Belfast, BT4 3SB, Northern Ireland
| | - Carl M McCormick
- Veterinary Sciences Division, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Belfast, BT4 3SD, Northern Ireland
| | - D Michael Scantlebury
- School of Biological Sciences, Queens' University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, Northern Ireland.
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24
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Gaschk JL, Del Simone K, Wilson RS, Clemente CJ. Resting disparity in quoll semelparity: examining the sex-linked behaviours of wild roaming northern quolls ( Dasyurus hallucatus) during breeding season. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:221180. [PMID: 36756058 PMCID: PMC9890097 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Semelparity is a breeding strategy whereby an individual invests large amounts of resources into a single breeding season, leading to the death of the individual. Male northern quolls (Dasyurus hallucatus) are the largest known mammal to experience a post-breeding die-off; however, the cause of their death is unknown, dissimilar from causes in other semelparous dasyurids. To identify potential differences between male northern quolls that breed once, and females that can breed for up to four seasons, the behaviours, activity budgets, speeds and distances travelled were examined. Northern quolls were captured on Groote Eylandt off the coast of the Northern Territory, Australia, and were fitted with accelerometers. A machine learning algorithm (Self-organizing Map) was trained on more than 76 h of recorded footage of quoll behaviours and used to predict behaviours in 42 days of data from wild roaming quolls (7M : 6F). Male northern quolls were more active (male 1.27 g, s.d. = 0.41; female 1.18 g, s.d. = 0.36), spent more time walking (13.09% male: 8.93% female) and engaged in less lying/resting behaviour than female northern quolls (7.67% male: 23.65% female). Reduced resting behaviour among males could explain the post-breeding death as the deterioration in appearance reflects that reported for sleep-deprived rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua L. Gaschk
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia
| | - Kaylah Del Simone
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Robbie S. Wilson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Christofer J. Clemente
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia
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25
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Gregersen T, Wild TA, Havmøller LW, Møller PR, Lenau TA, Wikelski M, Havmøller RW. A novel kinetic energy harvesting system for lifetime deployments of wildlife trackers. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285930. [PMID: 37196042 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Wildlife tracking devices are key in obtaining detailed insights on movement, animal migration, natal dispersal, home-ranges, resource use and group dynamics of free-roaming animals. Despite a wide use of such devices, tracking for entire lifetimes is still a considerable challenge for most animals, mainly due to technological limitations. Deploying battery powered wildlife tags on smaller animals is limited by the mass of the devices. Micro-sized devices with solar panels sometimes solve this challenge, however, nocturnal species or animals living under low light conditions render solar cells all but useless. For larger animals, where battery weight can be higher, battery longevity becomes the main challenge. Several studies have proposed solutions to these limitations, including harvesting thermal and kinetic energy on animals. However, these concepts are limited by size and weight. In this study, we used a small, lightweight kinetic energy harvesting unit as the power source for a custom wildlife tracking device to investigate its suitability for lifetime animal tracking. We integrated a Kinetron MSG32 microgenerator and a state-of-the-art lithium-ion capacitor (LIC) into a custom GPS-enabled tracking device that is capable of remotely transmitting data via the Sigfox 'Internet of Things' network. Prototypes were tested on domestic dog (n = 4), wild-roaming Exmoor pony (n = 1) and wisent (n = 1). One of the domestic dogs generated up to 10.04 joules of energy in a day, while the Exmoor pony and wisent generated on average 0.69 joules and 2.38 joules per day, respectively. Our results show a significant difference in energy generation between animal species and mounting method, but also highlight the potential for this technology to be a meaningful advancement in ecological research requiring lifetime tracking of animals. The design of the Kinefox is provided open source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Troels Gregersen
- Section for Zoology, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Section for Engineering Design and Product Development, Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Timm A Wild
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Product Development Group Zurich (pd|z), ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Linnea Worsøe Havmøller
- Section for Zoology, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter Rask Møller
- Section for Zoology, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Torben Anker Lenau
- Section for Engineering Design and Product Development, Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Rasmus Worsøe Havmøller
- Section for Zoology, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
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26
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Auge AC, Blouin-Demers G, Murray DL. Developing a classification system to assign activity states to two species of freshwater turtles. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277491. [PMID: 36449460 PMCID: PMC9710770 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Research in ecology often requires robust assessment of animal behaviour, but classifying behavioural patterns in free-ranging animals and in natural environments can be especially challenging. New miniaturised bio-logging devices such as accelerometers are increasingly available to record animal behaviour remotely, and thereby address the gap in knowledge related to behaviour of free-ranging animals. However, validation of these data is rarely conducted and classification model transferability across closely-related species is often not tested. Here, we validated accelerometer and water sensor data to classify activity states in two free-ranging freshwater turtle species (Blanding's turtle, Emydoidea blandingii, and Painted turtle, Chrysemys picta). First, using only accelerometer data, we developed a decision tree to separate motion from motionless states, and second, we included water sensor data to classify the animal as being motionless or in-motion on land or in water. We found that accelerometers separated in-motion from motionless behaviour with > 83% accuracy, whereas models also including water sensor data predicted states in terrestrial and aquatic locations with > 77% accuracy. Despite differences in values separating activity states between the two species, we found high model transferability allowing cross-species application of classification models. Note that reducing sampling frequency did not affect predictive accuracy of our models up to a sampling frequency of 0.0625 Hz. We conclude that the use of accelerometers in animal research is promising, but requires prior data validation and development of robust classification models, and whenever possible cross-species assessment should be conducted to establish model generalisability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dennis L. Murray
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
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27
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Cunningham SA, Pyszczynski T, Watson TM, Bakerian R, Jensen PG, Frair JL. Detecting denning behavior with camera traps: an example with fishers. WILDLIFE SOC B 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A. Cunningham
- State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry 1 Forestry Drive Syracuse NY 13210 USA
| | - Timothy Pyszczynski
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 317 Washington Street Watertown NY 13601 USA
| | - Timothy M. Watson
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 232 Golf Course Road Warrensburg NY 12885 USA
| | - Rachel Bakerian
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 232 Golf Course Road Warrensburg NY 12885 USA
| | - Paul G. Jensen
- State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry 1 Forestry Drive Syracuse NY 13210 USA
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 1115 State Route 85 Ray Brook NY 12977 USA
| | - Jacqueline L. Frair
- State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry 1 Forestry Drive Syracuse NY 13210 USA
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28
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Lyamin OI, Nazarenko EA, Rozhnov VV. Evaluation of an Instrumental Method of Classification of Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) Behaviors Based on the Parameters of Acceleration. DOKL BIOCHEM BIOPHYS 2022; 506:223-226. [DOI: 10.1134/s1607672922050106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Stiegler J, Lins A, Dammhahn M, Kramer-Schadt S, Ortmann S, Blaum N. Personality drives activity and space use in a mammalian herbivore. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:33. [PMID: 35964147 PMCID: PMC9375925 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00333-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal personality has emerged as a key concept in behavioral ecology. While many studies have demonstrated the influence of personality traits on behavioral patterns, its quantification, especially in wild animal populations, remains a challenge. Only a few studies have established a link between personality and recurring movements within home ranges, although these small-scale movements are of key importance for identifying ecological interactions and forming individual niches. In this regard, differences in space use among individuals might reflect different exploration styles between behavioral types along the shy-bold continuum. METHODS We assessed among-individual differences in behavior in the European hare (Lepus europaeus), a characteristic mammalian herbivore in agricultural landscapes using a standardized box emergence test for captive and wild hares. We determined an individuals' degree of boldness by measuring the latencies of behavioral responses in repeated emergence tests in captivity. During capture events of wild hares, we conducted a single emergence test and recorded behavioral responses proven to be stable over time in captive hares. Applying repeated novel environment tests in a near-natural enclosure, we further quantified aspects of exploration and activity in captive hares. Finally, we investigated whether and how this among-individual behavioral variation is related to general activity and space use in a wild hare population. Wild and captive hares were treated similarly and GPS-collared with internal accelerometers prior to release to the wild or the outdoor enclosure, respectively. General activity was quantified as overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA) obtained from accelerometers. Finally, we tested whether boldness explained variation in (i) ODBA in both settings and (ii) variation in home ranges and core areas across different time scales of GPS-collared hares in a wild population. RESULTS We found three behavioral responses to be consistent over time in captive hares. ODBA was positively related to boldness (i.e., short latencies to make first contact with the new environment) in both captive and wild hares. Space use in wild hares also varied with boldness, with shy individuals having smaller core areas and larger home ranges than bold conspecifics (yet in some of the parameter space, this association was just marginally significant). CONCLUSIONS Against our prediction, shy individuals occupied relatively large home ranges but with small core areas. We suggest that this space use pattern is due to them avoiding risky, and energy-demanding competition for valuable resources. Carefully validated, activity measurements (ODBA) from accelerometers provide a valuable tool to quantify aspects of animal personality along the shy-bold continuum remotely. Without directly observing-and possibly disturbing-focal individuals, this approach allows measuring variability in animal personality, especially in species that are difficult to assess with experiments. Considering that accelerometers are often already built into GPS units, we recommend activating them at least during the initial days of tracking to estimate individual variation in general activity and, if possible, match them with a simple novelty experiment. Furthermore, information on individual behavioral types will help to facilitate mechanistic understanding of processes that drive spatial and ecological dynamics in heterogeneous landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Stiegler
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Alisa Lins
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Melanie Dammhahn
- Department for Behavioral Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Stephanie Kramer-Schadt
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sylvia Ortmann
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Niels Blaum
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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Wilson RP, Reynolds SD, Potts JR, Redcliffe J, Holton M, Buxton A, Rose K, Norman BM. Highlighting when animals expend excessive energy for travel using Dynamic Body Acceleration. iScience 2022; 25:105008. [PMID: 36105597 PMCID: PMC9464956 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Travel represents a major cost for many animals so there should be selection pressure for it to be efficient – at minimum cost. However, animals sometimes exceed minimum travel costs for reasons that must be correspondingly important. We use Dynamic Body Acceleration (DBA), an acceleration-based metric, as a proxy for movement-based power, in tandem with vertical velocity (rate of change in depth) in a shark (Rhincodon typus) to derive the minimum estimated power required to swim at defined vertical velocities. We show how subtraction of measured DBA from the estimated minimum power for any given vertical velocity provides a “proxy for power above minimum” metric (PPAmin), highlighting when these animals travel above minimum power. We suggest that the adoption of this metric across species has value in identifying where and when animals are subject to compelling conditions that lead them to deviate from ostensibly judicious energy expenditure. Plots of vertical speed vs DBA in sharks show swimming with minimum power DBA values above this minimum indicate higher speeds or increases in drag Linked to space use, this can identify regions and times of excess power use
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Hering R, Hauptfleisch M, Jago M, Smith T, Kramer-Schadt S, Stiegler J, Blaum N. Don't stop me now: Managed fence gaps could allow migratory ungulates to track dynamic resources and reduce fence related energy loss. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.907079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In semi-arid environments characterized by erratic rainfall and scattered primary production, migratory movements are a key survival strategy of large herbivores to track resources over vast areas. Veterinary Cordon Fences (VCFs), intended to reduce wildlife-livestock disease transmission, fragment large parts of southern Africa and have limited the movements of large wild mammals for over 60 years. Consequently, wildlife-fence interactions are frequent and often result in perforations of the fence, mainly caused by elephants. Yet, we lack knowledge about at which times fences act as barriers, how fences directly alter the energy expenditure of native herbivores, and what the consequences of impermeability are. We studied 2-year ungulate movements in three common antelopes (springbok, kudu, eland) across a perforated part of Namibia's VCF separating a wildlife reserve and Etosha National Park using GPS telemetry, accelerometer measurements, and satellite imagery. We identified 2905 fence interaction events which we used to evaluate critical times of encounters and direct fence effects on energy expenditure. Using vegetation type-specific greenness dynamics, we quantified what animals gained in terms of high quality food resources from crossing the VCF. Our results show that the perforation of the VCF sustains herbivore-vegetation interactions in the savanna with its scattered resources. Fence permeability led to peaks in crossing numbers during the first flush of woody plants before the rain started. Kudu and eland often showed increased energy expenditure when crossing the fence. Energy expenditure was lowered during the frequent interactions of ungulates standing at the fence. We found no alteration of energy expenditure when springbok immediately found and crossed fence breaches. Our results indicate that constantly open gaps did not affect energy expenditure, while gaps with obstacles increased motion. Closing gaps may have confused ungulates and modified their intended movements. While browsing, sedentary kudu's use of space was less affected by the VCF; migratory, mixed-feeding springbok, and eland benefited from gaps by gaining forage quality and quantity after crossing. This highlights the importance of access to vast areas to allow ungulates to track vital vegetation patches.
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Mizrahy-Rewald O, Perinot E, Fritz J, Vyssotski AL, Fusani L, Voelkl B, Ruf T. Empirical Evidence for Energy Efficiency Using Intermittent Gliding Flight in Northern Bald Ibises. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.891079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds face exceptionally high energy demands during their flight. One visible feature of some species is alternating between flapping and gliding, which should allow them to save energy. To date, there is no empirical evidence of an energetic benefit to this. To understand the physiology behind the strategy, we equipped hand-raised Northern Bald Ibises (Geronticus eremita) with data loggers during human-guided migration. We monitored the position of the birds, wingbeats, overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA), and heart rates as a proxy for energy expenditure. The energy expenditure was significantly affected by the length of flapping and gliding bouts. A pronounced decrease in heart rate was measured after already 1 s of gliding. Additionally, the heart rate at flapping bouts up to 30 s increased steadily but stabilized thereafter. The gilding proportion during intermittent flight affected the energy saving compared to continuous flapping. At a gliding proportion of about 20%, we measured a maximum of 11% saving based on heart rate measurement. At higher gliding proportions, the additional energy saving was negligible. Furthermore, as during flight, not all energy is used for mechanical work, we found a greater decrease rate of ODBA at different gliding proportions compared to heart rate. Nevertheless, the combination of the two methods is essential to determine birds’ movement and energy expenditure. This study provides empirical evidence that intermittent flight is energetically beneficial and can reduce the high costs of flights.
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Parameterizing animal sounds and motion with animal-attached tags to study acoustic communication. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03154-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Stemming from the traditional use of field observers to score states and events, the study of animal behaviour often relies on analyses of discrete behavioural categories. Many studies of acoustic communication record sequences of animal sounds, classify vocalizations, and then examine how call categories are used relative to behavioural states and events. However, acoustic parameters can also convey information independent of call type, offering complementary study approaches to call classifications. Animal-attached tags can continuously sample high-resolution behavioural data on sounds and movements, which enables testing how acoustic parameters of signals relate to parameters of animal motion. Here, we present this approach through case studies on wild common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Using data from sound-and-movement recording tags deployed in Sarasota (FL), we parameterized dolphin vocalizations and motion to investigate how senders and receivers modified movement parameters (including vectorial dynamic body acceleration, “VeDBA”, a proxy for activity intensity) as a function of signal parameters. We show that (1) VeDBA of one female during consortships had a negative relationship with centroid frequency of male calls, matching predictions about agonistic interactions based on motivation-structural rules; (2) VeDBA of four males had a positive relationship with modulation rate of their pulsed vocalizations, confirming predictions that click-repetition rate of these calls increases with agonism intensity. Tags offer opportunities to study animal behaviour through analyses of continuously sampled quantitative parameters, which can complement traditional methods and facilitate research replication. Our case studies illustrate the value of this approach to investigate communicative roles of acoustic parameter changes.
Significance statement
Studies of animal behaviour have traditionally relied on classification of behavioural patterns and analyses of discrete behavioural categories. Today, technologies such as animal-attached tags enable novel approaches, facilitating the use of quantitative metrics to characterize behaviour. In the field of acoustic communication, researchers typically classify vocalizations and examine usage of call categories. Through case studies of bottlenose dolphin social interactions, we present here a novel tag-based complementary approach. We used high-resolution tag data to parameterize dolphin sounds and motion, and we applied continuously sampled parameters to examine how individual dolphins responded to conspecifics’ signals and moved while producing sounds. Activity intensity of senders and receivers changed with specific call parameters, matching our predictions and illustrating the value of our approach to test communicative roles of acoustic parameter changes. Parametric approaches can complement traditional methods for animal behaviour and facilitate research replication.
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Garde B, Wilson RP, Fell A, Cole N, Tatayah V, Holton MD, Rose KAR, Metcalfe RS, Robotka H, Wikelski M, Tremblay F, Whelan S, Elliott KH, Shepard ELC. Ecological inference using data from accelerometers needs careful protocols. Methods Ecol Evol 2022; 13:813-825. [PMID: 35910299 PMCID: PMC9303593 DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Accelerometers in animal-attached tags are powerful tools in behavioural ecology, they can be used to determine behaviour and provide proxies for movement-based energy expenditure. Researchers are collecting and archiving data across systems, seasons and device types. However, using data repositories to draw ecological inference requires a good understanding of the error introduced according to sensor type and position on the study animal and protocols for error assessment and minimisation.Using laboratory trials, we examine the absolute accuracy of tri-axial accelerometers and determine how inaccuracies impact measurements of dynamic body acceleration (DBA), a proxy for energy expenditure, in human participants. We then examine how tag type and placement affect the acceleration signal in birds, using pigeons Columba livia flying in a wind tunnel, with tags mounted simultaneously in two positions, and back- and tail-mounted tags deployed on wild kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla. Finally, we present a case study where two generations of tag were deployed using different attachment procedures on red-tailed tropicbirds Phaethon rubricauda foraging in different seasons.Bench tests showed that individual acceleration axes required a two-level correction to eliminate measurement error. This resulted in DBA differences of up to 5% between calibrated and uncalibrated tags for humans walking at a range of speeds. Device position was associated with greater variation in DBA, with upper and lower back-mounted tags varying by 9% in pigeons, and tail- and back-mounted tags varying by 13% in kittiwakes. The tropicbird study highlighted the difficulties of attributing changes in signal amplitude to a single factor when confounding influences tend to covary, as DBA varied by 25% between seasons.Accelerometer accuracy, tag placement and attachment critically affect the signal amplitude and thereby the ability of the system to detect biologically meaningful phenomena. We propose a simple method to calibrate accelerometers that can be executed under field conditions. This should be used prior to deployments and archived with resulting data. We also suggest a way that researchers can assess accuracy in previously collected data, and caution that variable tag placement and attachment can increase sensor noise and even generate trends that have no biological meaning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Adam Fell
- Department of BiosciencesSwansea UniversitySwanseaUK
- Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of StirlingStirlingUK
| | - Nik Cole
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation TrustLa Profonde RueJerseyJersey
| | | | | | | | - Richard S. Metcalfe
- Applied Sports Science, Technology, Exercise and Medicine Research Centre (A‐STEM)Swansea UniversitySwanseaUK
| | | | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of MigrationMax Planck Institute of Animal BehaviorRadolfzellGermany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective BehaviourUniversity of KonstanzConstanceGermany
| | - Fred Tremblay
- Department of Natural Resources SciencesMcGill UniversitySainte‐Anne‐de‐BellevueQCCanada
| | - Shannon Whelan
- Department of Natural Resources SciencesMcGill UniversitySainte‐Anne‐de‐BellevueQCCanada
| | - Kyle H. Elliott
- Department of Natural Resources SciencesMcGill UniversitySainte‐Anne‐de‐BellevueQCCanada
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Dhanjal-Adams KL, Willener AST, Liechti F. sspamlr: a toolbox for analysing animal behaviour using pressure, acceleration, temperature, magnetic or light data in R. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1345-1360. [PMID: 35362103 PMCID: PMC9542251 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Light‐level geolocators have revolutionised the study of animal behaviour. However, lacking spatial precision, their usage has been primary targeted towards the analysis of large‐scale movements. Recent technological developments have allowed the integration of magnetometers and accelerometers into geolocator tags in addition to barometers and thermometers, offering new behavioural insights. Here, we introduce an R toolbox for identifying behavioural patterns from multisensor geolocator tags, with functions specifically designed for data visualisation, calibration, classification and error estimation. More specifically, the package allows for the flexible analysis of any combination of sensor data using k‐means clustering, expectation maximisation binary clustering, hidden Markov models and changepoint analyses. Furthermore, the package integrates tailored algorithms for identifying periods of prolonged high activity (most commonly used for identifying migratory flapping flight), and pressure changes (most commonly used for identifying dive or flight events). Finally, we highlight some of the limitations, implications and opportunities of using these methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiran L Dhanjal-Adams
- Swiss ornithological institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464, Konstanz, Germany.,Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Bücklestraße 5, 78467, Konstanz, Germany
| | | | - Felix Liechti
- Swiss ornithological institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland
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Ishikawa K, Wu H, Mitarai S, Genin A. Effects of prey density and flow speed on plankton feeding by garden eels: A flume study. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274794. [PMID: 35315487 PMCID: PMC9124482 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Feeding by zooplanktivorous fish depends on their foraging movements and the flux of prey to which they are exposed. While prey flux is a linear function of zooplankton density and flow speed, those two factors are expected to contribute differently to fish movements. Our objective was to determine the effects of these factors for garden eels, stationary fish that feed while anchored to the sandy bottom by keeping the posterior parts of their bodies inside a burrow. Using a custom-made flume with a sandy bottom, we quantified the effects of prey density and flow speed on feeding rates by spotted garden eels (Heteroconger hassi). Feeding rates increased linearly with prey density. However, feeding rates did not show a linear relationship with flow speed and decreased at 0.25 m s−1. Using label-free tracking of body points and 3D movement analysis, we found that the reduction in feeding rates was related to modulation of the eel's movements, whereby the expected increase in energy expenditure was avoided by reducing exposure and drag. No effects of flow speed on strike speed, reactive distance or vectorial dynamic body acceleration (VeDBA) were found. A foraging model based on the body length extended from the burrow showed correspondence with observations. These findings suggest that as a result of their unique foraging mode, garden eels can occupy self-made burrows in exposed shelter-free sandy bottoms where they can effectively feed on drifting zooplankton. Summary: Analysis of feeding by anchored garden eels in a flume shows their unique strategies, modulating dependence on burrows and foraging movements, to enable effective feeding at a wide range of flow speeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kota Ishikawa
- Marine Biophysics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Heng Wu
- Marine Biophysics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Satoshi Mitarai
- Marine Biophysics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Amatzia Genin
- The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat and Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Eilat, Israel
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37
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Ariano‐Sánchez D, Mortensen RM, Wilson RP, Bjureke P, Reinhardt S, Rosell F. Temperature and barometric pressure affect the activity intensity and movement of an endangered thermoconforming lizard. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ariano‐Sánchez
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences University of South‐Eastern Norway Bø Telemark Norway
- Centro de Estudios Ambientales y Biodiversidad Universidad del Valle de Guatemala Guatemala City Guatemala
| | - Rasmus M. Mortensen
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences University of South‐Eastern Norway Bø Telemark Norway
| | - Rory P. Wilson
- Biosciences, College of Science Swansea University Swansea Wales UK
| | - Peder Bjureke
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences University of South‐Eastern Norway Bø Telemark Norway
| | - Stefanie Reinhardt
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences University of South‐Eastern Norway Bø Telemark Norway
| | - Frank Rosell
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences University of South‐Eastern Norway Bø Telemark Norway
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Magowan EA, Maguire IE, Smith S, Redpath S, Marks NJ, Wilson RP, Menzies F, O’Hagan M, Scantlebury DM. Dead-reckoning elucidates fine-scale habitat use by European badgers Meles meles. ANIMAL BIOTELEMETRY 2022; 10:10. [PMID: 37521810 PMCID: PMC8908954 DOI: 10.1186/s40317-022-00282-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Background Recent developments in both hardware and software of animal-borne data loggers now enable large amounts of data to be collected on both animal movement and behaviour. In particular, the combined use of tri-axial accelerometers, tri-axial magnetometers and GPS loggers enables animal tracks to be elucidated using a procedure of 'dead-reckoning'. Although this approach was first suggested 30 years ago by Wilson et al. (1991), surprisingly few measurements have been made in free-ranging terrestrial animals. The current study examines movements, interactions with habitat features, and home-ranges calculated from just GPS data and also from dead-reckoned data in a model terrestrial mammal, the European badger (Meles meles). Methods Research was undertaken in farmland in Northern Ireland. Two badgers (one male, one female) were live-trapped and fitted with a GPS logger, a tri-axial accelerometer, and a tri-axial magnetometer. Thereafter, the badgers' movement paths over 2 weeks were elucidated using just GPS data and GPS-enabled dead-reckoned data, respectively. Results Badgers travelled further using data from dead-reckoned calculations than using the data from only GPS data. Whilst once-hourly GPS data could only be represented by straight-line movements between sequential points, the sub-second resolution dead-reckoned tracks were more tortuous. Although there were no differences in Minimum Convex Polygon determinations between GPS- and dead-reckoned data, Kernel Utilisation Distribution determinations of home-range size were larger using the former method. This was because dead-reckoned data more accurately described the particular parts of landscape constituting most-visited core areas, effectively narrowing the calculation of habitat use. Finally, the dead-reckoned data showed badgers spent more time near to field margins and hedges than simple GPS data would suggest. Conclusion Significant differences emerge when analyses of habitat use and movements are compared between calculations made using just GPS data or GPS-enabled dead-reckoned data. In particular, use of dead-reckoned data showed that animals moved 2.2 times farther, had better-defined use of the habitat (revealing clear core areas), and made more use of certain habitats (field margins, hedges). Use of dead-reckoning to provide detailed accounts of animal movement and highlight the minutiae of interactions with the environment should be considered an important technique in the ecologist's toolkit.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. A. Magowan
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL Northern Ireland UK
- Randox Laboratories Ltd. Crumlin, Antrim, Northern Ireland UK
| | - I. E. Maguire
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL Northern Ireland UK
- Randox Laboratories Ltd. Crumlin, Antrim, Northern Ireland UK
| | - S. Smith
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL Northern Ireland UK
| | - S. Redpath
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL Northern Ireland UK
| | - N. J. Marks
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL Northern Ireland UK
| | - R. P. Wilson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - F. Menzies
- Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Veterinary Epidemiology Unit, Belfast, UK
| | - M. O’Hagan
- Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Veterinary Epidemiology Unit, Belfast, UK
| | - D. M. Scantlebury
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL Northern Ireland UK
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Loftus JC, Harel R, Núñez CL, Crofoot MC. Ecological and social pressures interfere with homeostatic sleep regulation in the wild. eLife 2022; 11:73695. [PMID: 35229719 PMCID: PMC8887896 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep is fundamental to the health and fitness of all animals. The physiological importance of sleep is underscored by the central role of homeostasis in determining sleep investment – following periods of sleep deprivation, individuals experience longer and more intense sleep bouts. Yet, most sleep research has been conducted in highly controlled settings, removed from evolutionarily relevant contexts that may hinder the maintenance of sleep homeostasis. Using triaxial accelerometry and GPS to track the sleep patterns of a group of wild baboons (Papio anubis), we found that ecological and social pressures indeed interfere with homeostatic sleep regulation. Baboons sacrificed time spent sleeping when in less familiar locations and when sleeping in proximity to more group-mates, regardless of how long they had slept the prior night or how much they had physically exerted themselves the preceding day. Further, they did not appear to compensate for lost sleep via more intense sleep bouts. We found that the collective dynamics characteristic of social animal groups persist into the sleep period, as baboons exhibited synchronized patterns of waking throughout the night, particularly with nearby group-mates. Thus, for animals whose fitness depends critically on avoiding predation and developing social relationships, maintaining sleep homeostasis may be only secondary to remaining vigilant when sleeping in risky habitats and interacting with group-mates during the night. Our results highlight the importance of studying sleep in ecologically relevant contexts, where the adaptive function of sleep patterns directly reflects the complex trade-offs that have guided its evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Carter Loftus
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, Davis, United States.,Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, United States
| | - Roi Harel
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.,Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Chase L Núñez
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Margaret C Crofoot
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, Davis, United States.,Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, United States
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41
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Kitajima K, Oishi K, Kojima T, Uenishi S, Yasunaka Y, Sakai K, Kumagai H, Hirooka H. An Assessment of Stress Status in Fattening Steers by Monitoring Heart Rate Variability: A Case of Dietary Vitamin A Restriction. FRONTIERS IN ANIMAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fanim.2021.799289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Heart rate variability (HRV), heart beat-to-beat variations, is a measure of cardiac autonomic functions, and HRV monitoring using sensor technology can be a non-invasive way to assess stress of animals. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary vitamin A (VA) restriction to enhance beef quality on the physiological status of fattening steers by HRV analysis. Six Japanese Black steers were equally allocated into VA-restricted (RES) and VA-supplemented (SUP) groups. The RES steers were fed VA-restricted diets from 11 to 20 months of age. The inter-beat intervals and blood VA concentration were measured at 18 and 24 months of age. HRV parameters in time, frequency, and non-linear domains were calculated using the inter-beat intervals. Blood VA concentration was significantly lower in RES steers than in SUP steers at 18 months of age (P < 0.05) but did not differ between the groups at 24 months of age. The HRV analysis indicated greater sympathetic and lower parasympathetic activities in RES steers than in SUP steers (P < 0.05). However, there were significant interactions of the group and age on HRV parameters (P < 0.05), indicating that although RES steers at 18 months of age might suffer from slight stress, the response could recover to a level similar to SUP steers at 24 months of age by the increase in blood VA concentration.
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Allen AS, Read AJ, Shorter KA, Gabaldon J, Blawas AM, Rocho-Levine J, Fahlman A. Dynamic body acceleration as a proxy to predict the cost of locomotion in bottlenose dolphins. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274390. [PMID: 35014667 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Estimates of the energetic costs of locomotion (COL) at different activity levels are necessary to answer fundamental eco-physiological questions and to understand the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance to marine mammals. We combined estimates of energetic costs derived from breath-by-breath respirometry with measurements of overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA) from biologging tags to validate ODBA as a proxy for COL in trained common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). We measured resting metabolic rate (RMR); mean individual RMR was 0.71-1.42 times that of a similarly sized terrestrial mammal and agreed with past measurements which used breath-by-breath and flow-through respirometry. We also measured energy expenditure during submerged swim trials, at primarily moderate exercise levels. We subtracted RMR to obtain COL, and normalized COL by body size to incorporate individual swimming efficiencies. We found both mass-specific energy expenditure and mass-specific COL were linearly related with ODBA. Measurements of activity level and cost of transport (the energy required to move a given distance) improve understanding of the costs of locomotion in marine mammals. The strength of the correlation between ODBA and COL varied among individuals, but the overall relationship can be used at a broad scale to estimate the energetic costs of disturbance, daily locomotion costs to build energy budgets, and investigate the costs of diving in free-ranging animals where bio-logging data are available. We propose that a similar approach could be applied to other cetacean species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - K Alex Shorter
- Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | | | | | - Andreas Fahlman
- Fundación Oceanogràfic de la Comunitat Valenciana, Research Department, Valencia, Spain.,Global Diving Research S.L., Valencia, Spain
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Gunner RM, Wilson RP, Holton MD, Hopkins P, Bell SH, Marks NJ, Bennett NC, Ferreira S, Govender D, Viljoen P, Bruns A, van Schalkwyk OL, Bertelsen MF, Duarte CM, van Rooyen MC, Tambling CJ, Göppert A, Diesel D, Scantlebury DM. Decision rules for determining terrestrial movement and the consequences for filtering high-resolution global positioning system tracks: a case study using the African lion ( Panthera leo). J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20210692. [PMID: 35042386 PMCID: PMC8767188 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The combined use of global positioning system (GPS) technology and motion sensors within the discipline of movement ecology has increased over recent years. This is particularly the case for instrumented wildlife, with many studies now opting to record parameters at high (infra-second) sampling frequencies. However, the detail with which GPS loggers can elucidate fine-scale movement depends on the precision and accuracy of fixes, with accuracy being affected by signal reception. We hypothesized that animal behaviour was the main factor affecting fix inaccuracy, with inherent GPS positional noise (jitter) being most apparent during GPS fixes for non-moving locations, thereby producing disproportionate error during rest periods. A movement-verified filtering (MVF) protocol was constructed to compare GPS-derived speed data with dynamic body acceleration, to provide a computationally quick method for identifying genuine travelling movement. This method was tested on 11 free-ranging lions (Panthera leo) fitted with collar-mounted GPS units and tri-axial motion sensors recording at 1 and 40 Hz, respectively. The findings support the hypothesis and show that distance moved estimates were, on average, overestimated by greater than 80% prior to GPS screening. We present the conceptual and mathematical protocols for screening fix inaccuracy within high-resolution GPS datasets and demonstrate the importance that MVF has for avoiding inaccurate and biased estimates of movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard M. Gunner
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies Radolfzell, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Rory P. Wilson
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies Radolfzell, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Mark D. Holton
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies Radolfzell, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Phil Hopkins
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies Radolfzell, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Stephen H. Bell
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Nikki J. Marks
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Nigel C. Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 002, South Africa
| | - Sam Ferreira
- Savanna and Grassland Research Unit, South African National Parks, Scientific Services Skukuza, Kruger National Park, Skukuza 1350, South Africa
| | - Danny Govender
- Savanna and Grassland Research Unit, South African National Parks, Scientific Services Skukuza, Kruger National Park, Skukuza 1350, South Africa
| | - Pauli Viljoen
- Savanna and Grassland Research Unit, South African National Parks, Scientific Services Skukuza, Kruger National Park, Skukuza 1350, South Africa
| | - Angela Bruns
- Veterinary Wildlife Services, South African National Parks, 97 Memorial Road, Old Testing Grounds, 8301 Kimberley, South Africa
| | - O. Louis van Schalkwyk
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Government of South Africa, Skukuza, South Africa
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Mads F. Bertelsen
- Center for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Roskildevej 38, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Carlos M. Duarte
- Red Sea Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Martin C. van Rooyen
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 002, South Africa
| | - Craig J. Tambling
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Fort Hare Alice Campus, Ring Road, Alice 5700, South Africa
| | - Aoife Göppert
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Delmar Diesel
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
| | - D. Michael Scantlebury
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
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44
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Bennison A, Giménez J, Quinn JL, Green JA, Jessopp M. A bioenergetics approach to understanding sex differences in the foraging behaviour of a sexually monomorphic species. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:210520. [PMID: 35116139 PMCID: PMC8790366 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Many animals show sexually divergent foraging behaviours reflecting different physiological constraints or energetic needs. We used a bioenergetics approach to examine sex differences in foraging behaviour of the sexually monomorphic northern gannet. We derived a relationship between dynamic body acceleration and energy expenditure to quantify the energetic cost of prey capture attempts (plunge dives). Fourteen gannets were tracked using GPS, time depth recorders (TDR) and accelerometers. All plunge dives in a foraging trip represented less than 4% of total energy expenditure, with no significant sex differences in expenditure. Despite females undertaking significantly more dives than males, this low energetic cost resulted in no sex differences in overall energy expenditure across a foraging trip. Bayesian stable isotope mixing models based on blood samples highlighted sex differences in diet; however, calorific intake from successful prey capture was estimated to be similar between sexes. Females experienced 10.28% higher energy demands, primarily due to unequal chick provisioning. Estimates show a minimum of 19% of dives have to be successful for females to meet their daily energy requirements, and 26% for males. Our analyses suggest northern gannets show sex differences in foraging behaviour primarily related to dive rate and success rather than the energetic cost of foraging or energetic content of prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Bennison
- Centre for Marine Renewable Energy, University College Cork, Ireland
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Science, Engineering and Food Science, University College Cork, Ireland
| | - Joan Giménez
- Centre for Marine Renewable Energy, University College Cork, Ireland
- Marine Renewable Resources Department, Institute of Marine Science (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - John L. Quinn
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Science, Engineering and Food Science, University College Cork, Ireland
| | - Jonathan A. Green
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK
| | - Mark Jessopp
- Centre for Marine Renewable Energy, University College Cork, Ireland
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Science, Engineering and Food Science, University College Cork, Ireland
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45
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Jennings S, Lumpkin D, Warnock N, Condeso TE, Kelly JP. Great egret (Ardea alba) habitat selection and foraging behavior in a temperate estuary: Comparing natural wetlands to areas with shellfish aquaculture. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0261963. [PMID: 34972178 PMCID: PMC8719746 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Movement by animals to obtain resources and avoid predation often depends on natural cycles, and human alteration of the landscape may disrupt or enhance the utility of different habitats or resources to animals through the phases of these cycles. We studied habitat selection by GPS/accelerometer-tagged great egrets (Ardea alba) foraging in areas with shellfish aquaculture infrastructure and adjacent natural wetlands, while accounting for tide-based changes in water depth. We used integrated step selection analysis to test the prediction that egrets would express stronger selection for natural wetlands (eelgrass, tidal marsh, and other tidal wetlands) than for shellfish aquaculture areas. We also evaluated differences in foraging behavior among shellfish aquaculture areas and natural wetlands by comparing speed travelled (estimated from distance between GPS locations) and energy expended (Overall Dynamic Body Acceleration) while foraging. We found evidence for stronger overall habitat selection for eelgrass than for shellfish aquaculture areas, with results conditional on water depth: egrets used shellfish aquaculture areas, but only within a much narrower range of water depths than they used eelgrass and other natural wetlands. We found only slight differences in our metrics of foraging behavior among shellfish aquaculture areas and natural wetlands. Our results suggest that although great egrets appear to perceive or experience shellfish aquaculture areas as suitable foraging habitat during some conditions, those areas provide less foraging opportunity throughout tidal cycles than natural wetlands. Thus, expanding the footprint of shellfish aquaculture into additional intertidal areas may reduce foraging opportunities for great egrets across the range of tidal cycles. Over longer time scales, the ways in which natural wetlands and shellfish aquaculture areas adapt to rising sea levels (either through passive processes or active management) may change the ratios of these wetland types and consequently change the overall value of Tomales Bay to foraging great egrets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Jennings
- Cypress Grove Research Center, Audubon Canyon Ranch, Marshall, California, United States of America
| | - David Lumpkin
- Cypress Grove Research Center, Audubon Canyon Ranch, Marshall, California, United States of America
| | - Nils Warnock
- Cypress Grove Research Center, Audubon Canyon Ranch, Marshall, California, United States of America
| | - T. Emiko Condeso
- Cypress Grove Research Center, Audubon Canyon Ranch, Marshall, California, United States of America
| | - John P. Kelly
- Cypress Grove Research Center, Audubon Canyon Ranch, Marshall, California, United States of America
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46
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Sidrow E, Heckman N, Fortune SME, Trites AW, Murphy I, Auger‐Méthé M. Modelling multi‐scale, state‐switching functional data with hidden Markov models. CAN J STAT 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/cjs.11673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Evan Sidrow
- Department of Statistics University of British Columbia Vancouver V6T 1Z4 British Columbia Canada
| | - Nancy Heckman
- Department of Statistics University of British Columbia Vancouver V6T 1Z4 British Columbia Canada
| | - Sarah M. E. Fortune
- Marine Mammal Research Unit University of British Columbia Vancouver V6T 1Z4 British Columbia Canada
| | - Andrew W. Trites
- Department of Zoology University of British Columbia Vancouver V6T 1Z4 British Columbia Canada
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries University of British Columbia Vancouver V6T 1Z4 British Columbia Canada
| | - Ian Murphy
- Department of Biostatistics University of Florida Gainesville 32611 FL U.S.A
| | - Marie Auger‐Méthé
- Department of Statistics University of British Columbia Vancouver V6T 1Z4 British Columbia Canada
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries University of British Columbia Vancouver V6T 1Z4 British Columbia Canada
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47
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Martín López LM, Aguilar de Soto N, Madsen PT, Johnson M. Overall dynamic body acceleration measures activity differently on large versus small aquatic animals. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Martina Martín López
- School of Environmental Sciences University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
- Ipar Perspective Asociación Karabiondo Kalea Sopela Spain
| | - Natacha Aguilar de Soto
- BIOECOMAC Department of Animal Biology, Edaphology and Geology University of La Laguna Tenerife Spain
| | - Peter T. Madsen
- Zoophysiology Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
| | - Mark Johnson
- Zoophysiology Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
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48
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Wilson RP, Rose KA, Gunner R, Holton MD, Marks NJ, Bennett NC, Bell SH, Twining JP, Hesketh J, Duarte CM, Bezodis N, Jezek M, Painter M, Silovsky V, Crofoot MC, Harel R, Arnould JPY, Allan BM, Whisson DA, Alagaili A, Scantlebury DM. Animal lifestyle affects acceptable mass limits for attached tags. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20212005. [PMID: 34702077 PMCID: PMC8548787 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2005] [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] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal-attached devices have transformed our understanding of vertebrate ecology. To minimize any associated harm, researchers have long advocated that tag masses should not exceed 3% of carrier body mass. However, this ignores tag forces resulting from animal movement. Using data from collar-attached accelerometers on 10 diverse free-ranging terrestrial species from koalas to cheetahs, we detail a tag-based acceleration method to clarify acceptable tag mass limits. We quantify animal athleticism in terms of fractions of animal movement time devoted to different collar-recorded accelerations and convert those accelerations to forces (acceleration × tag mass) to allow derivation of any defined force limits for specified fractions of any animal's active time. Specifying that tags should exert forces that are less than 3% of the gravitational force exerted on the animal's body for 95% of the time led to corrected tag masses that should constitute between 1.6% and 2.98% of carrier mass, depending on athleticism. Strikingly, in four carnivore species encompassing two orders of magnitude in mass (ca 2–200 kg), forces exerted by ‘3%' tags were equivalent to 4–19% of carrier body mass during moving, with a maximum of 54% in a hunting cheetah. This fundamentally changes how acceptable tag mass limits should be determined by ethics bodies, irrespective of the force and time limits specified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory P Wilson
- Swansea Laboratory for Animal Movement, Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Kayleigh A Rose
- Swansea Laboratory for Animal Movement, Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Richard Gunner
- Swansea Laboratory for Animal Movement, Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Mark D Holton
- College of Science, Swansea University, Fabian Way, Swansea SA1 8EN, UK
| | - Nikki J Marks
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Nigel C Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
| | - Stephen H Bell
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Joshua P Twining
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Jamie Hesketh
- Swansea Laboratory for Animal Movement, Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Carlos M Duarte
- Red Sea Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Neil Bezodis
- Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Medicine (A-STEM) Research Centre, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Bay Campus, Swansea SA1 8EN, UK
| | - Milos Jezek
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Michael Painter
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Vaclav Silovsky
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Margaret C Crofoot
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Bücklestraβe 5, Konstanz D-78467, Germany
| | - Roi Harel
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Bücklestraβe 5, Konstanz D-78467, Germany.,Germany and Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78457, Germany
| | - John P Y Arnould
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VC 3125, Victoria, Australia
| | - Blake M Allan
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VC 3125, Victoria, Australia
| | - Desley A Whisson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VC 3125, Victoria, Australia
| | - Abdulaziz Alagaili
- KSU Mammals Research Chair, Zoology Department, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Flôres DEFL, Jannetti MG, Improta GC, Tachinardi P, Valentinuzzi VS, Oda GA. Telling the Seasons Underground: The Circadian Clock and Ambient Temperature Shape Light Exposure and Photoperiodism in a Subterranean Rodent. Front Physiol 2021; 12:738471. [PMID: 34658922 PMCID: PMC8517108 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.738471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Living organisms anticipate the seasons by tracking the proportion of light and darkness hours within a day—photoperiod. The limits of photoperiod measurement can be investigated in the subterranean rodents tuco-tucos (Ctenomys aff. knighti), which inhabit dark underground tunnels. Their exposure to light is sporadic and, remarkably, results from their own behavior of surface emergence. Thus, we investigated the endogenous and exogenous regulation of this behavior and its consequences to photoperiod measurement. In the field, animals carrying biologgers displayed seasonal patterns of daily surface emergence, exogenously modulated by temperature. In the laboratory, experiments with constant lighting conditions revealed the endogenous regulation of seasonal activity by the circadian clock, which has a multi-oscillatory structure. Finally, mathematical modeling corroborated that tuco-tuco’s light exposure across the seasons is sufficient for photoperiod encoding. Together, our results elucidate the interrelationship between the circadian clock and temperature in shaping seasonal light exposure patterns that convey photoperiod information in an extreme photic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo E F L Flôres
- Laboratorio de Cronobiologia Binacional Argentina-Brasil, Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Milene G Jannetti
- Laboratorio de Cronobiologia Binacional Argentina-Brasil, Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giovane C Improta
- Laboratorio de Cronobiologia Binacional Argentina-Brasil, Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Patricia Tachinardi
- Laboratorio de Cronobiologia Binacional Argentina-Brasil, Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Veronica S Valentinuzzi
- Laboratorio de Cronobiologia Binacional Argentina-Brasil, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Cientificas y de Transferencia Tecnológica (CRILAR), Anillaco, Argentina
| | - Gisele A Oda
- Laboratorio de Cronobiologia Binacional Argentina-Brasil, Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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50
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Gunner RM, Holton MD, Scantlebury DM, Hopkins P, Shepard ELC, Fell AJ, Garde B, Quintana F, Gómez-Laich A, Yoda K, Yamamoto T, English H, Ferreira S, Govender D, Viljoen P, Bruns A, van Schalkwyk OL, Cole NC, Tatayah V, Börger L, Redcliffe J, Bell SH, Marks NJ, Bennett NC, Tonini MH, Williams HJ, Duarte CM, van Rooyen MC, Bertelsen MF, Tambling CJ, Wilson RP. How often should dead-reckoned animal movement paths be corrected for drift? ANIMAL BIOTELEMETRY 2021; 9:43. [PMID: 34900262 PMCID: PMC7612089 DOI: 10.1186/s40317-021-00265-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding what animals do in time and space is important for a range of ecological questions, however accurate estimates of how animals use space is challenging. Within the use of animal-attached tags, radio telemetry (including the Global Positioning System, 'GPS') is typically used to verify an animal's location periodically. Straight lines are typically drawn between these 'Verified Positions' ('VPs') so the interpolation of space-use is limited by the temporal and spatial resolution of the system's measurement. As such, parameters such as route-taken and distance travelled can be poorly represented when using VP systems alone. Dead-reckoning has been suggested as a technique to improve the accuracy and resolution of reconstructed movement paths, whilst maximising battery life of VP systems. This typically involves deriving travel vectors from motion sensor systems and periodically correcting path dimensions for drift with simultaneously deployed VP systems. How often paths should be corrected for drift, however, has remained unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS Here, we review the utility of dead-reckoning across four contrasting model species using different forms of locomotion (the African lion Panthera leo, the red-tailed tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda, the Magellanic penguin Spheniscus magellanicus, and the imperial cormorant Leucocarbo atriceps). Simulations were performed to examine the extent of dead-reckoning error, relative to VPs, as a function of Verified Position correction (VP correction) rate and the effect of this on estimates of distance moved. Dead-reckoning error was greatest for animals travelling within air and water. We demonstrate how sources of measurement error can arise within VP-corrected dead-reckoned tracks and propose advancements to this procedure to maximise dead-reckoning accuracy. CONCLUSIONS We review the utility of VP-corrected dead-reckoning according to movement type and consider a range of ecological questions that would benefit from dead-reckoning, primarily concerning animal-barrier interactions and foraging strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard M. Gunner
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, Wales, UK
| | - Mark D. Holton
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, Wales, UK
| | - David M. Scantlebury
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Phil Hopkins
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, Wales, UK
| | - Emily L. C. Shepard
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, Wales, UK
| | - Adam J. Fell
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK
| | - Baptiste Garde
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, Wales, UK
| | - Flavio Quintana
- Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos (IBIOMAR), CONICET. Boulevard Brown, 2915, U9120ACD Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Agustina Gómez-Laich
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución & Instituto de Ecología, Genética Y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA), CONICET, Pabellón II Ciudad Universitaria, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ken Yoda
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Takashi Yamamoto
- Organization for the Strategic Coordination of Research and Intellectual Properties, Meiji University, Nakano, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Holly English
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sam Ferreira
- Savanna and Grassland Research Unit, Scientific Services Skukuza, South African National Parks, Kruger National Park, Skukuza 1350, South Africa
| | - Danny Govender
- Savanna and Grassland Research Unit, Scientific Services Skukuza, South African National Parks, Kruger National Park, Skukuza 1350, South Africa
| | - Pauli Viljoen
- Savanna and Grassland Research Unit, Scientific Services Skukuza, South African National Parks, Kruger National Park, Skukuza 1350, South Africa
| | - Angela Bruns
- Veterinary Wildlife Services, South African National Parks, 97 Memorial Road, Old Testing Grounds, Kimberley 8301, South Africa
| | - O. Louis van Schalkwyk
- Department of Agriculture, Government of South Africa, Land Reform and Rural Development, Pretoria 001, South Africa
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
| | - Nik C. Cole
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Les Augrès Manor, Channel Islands, Trinity JE3 5BP, Jersey, UK
- Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Grannum Road, Indian Ocean, Vacoas, Mauritius
| | - Vikash Tatayah
- Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Grannum Road, Indian Ocean, Vacoas, Mauritius
| | - Luca Börger
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, Wales, UK
- Centre for Biomathematics, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - James Redcliffe
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, Wales, UK
| | - Stephen H. Bell
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Nikki J. Marks
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Nigel C. Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute. Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 002., South Africa
| | - Mariano H. Tonini
- Instituto Andino Patagónico de Tecnologías Biológicas y Geoambientales, Grupo GEA, IPATEC-UNCO-CONICET, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Hannah J. Williams
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Carlos M. Duarte
- Red Sea Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Martin C. van Rooyen
- Mammal Research Institute. Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 002., South Africa
| | - Mads F. Bertelsen
- Center for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Roskildevej 38, DK-2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Craig J. Tambling
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Fort Hare, Alice Campus, Ring Road, Alice 5700, South Africa
| | - Rory P. Wilson
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, Wales, UK
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