1
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Leblond M, Boulanger Y, Pascual Puigdevall J, St-Laurent MH. There is still time to reconcile forest management with climate-driven declines in habitat suitability for boreal caribou. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
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2
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Lochhead KD, Kleynhans EJ, Muhly TB. Linking woodland caribou abundance to forestry disturbance in southern British Columbia, Canada. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kyle D. Lochhead
- Ministry of Forest Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development PO Box 9512, Stn. Prov. Govt. Victoria, BC V8W 9C2 Canada
| | - Elizabeth J. Kleynhans
- Ministry of Forest Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development PO Box 9512, Stn. Prov. Govt. Victoria, BC V8W 9C2 Canada
| | - Tyler B. Muhly
- Ministry of Forest Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development PO Box 9512, Stn. Prov. Govt. Victoria, BC V8W 9C2 Canada
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3
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Wittische J, Heckbert S, James PMA, Burton AC, Fisher JT. Community-level modelling of boreal forest mammal distribution in an oil sands landscape. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 755:142500. [PMID: 33049527 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic landscape disturbances are known to alter, destroy, and fragment habitat, which typically leads to biodiversity loss. The effects of landscape disturbance generally vary among species and depend on the nature of the disturbances, which may interact and result in synergistic effects. Western Canada's oil sands region experiences disturbances from forestry and energy sector activities as well as municipal and transportation infrastructure. The effects of those disturbances on single species have been studied and have been implicated in declines of the boreal woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). Yet, the specific responses of the mammal community, and of functional groups such as prey and predators, to those interacting disturbances are still poorly known. We investigated the responses of black bear, grey wolf, coyote, fisher, lynx, red fox, American red squirrel, white-tailed deer, moose, caribou, and snowshoe hare to both natural habitat and disturbance associated with anthropogenic features within Alberta's northeast boreal forest. We used a novel community-level modelling framework on three years of camera-trap data collected in an oil sands landscape. This framework allowed us to identify the natural and anthropogenic features which explained the most variation in occurrence frequency among functional groups, as well as compare responses to linear and non-linear anthropogenic disturbance. Occurrence frequency by predators was better explained by anthropogenic features than by natural habitat. Both linear and non-linear anthropogenic features helped explain occurrence frequency by prey and predators, although the effects differed in magnitude and spatial scale. To better conserve boreal biodiversity, management actions should extend beyond a focus on caribou and wolves and aim to restore habitat across a diversity of anthropogenic disturbances and monitor the dynamics of the entire mammal community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Wittische
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.
| | - Scott Heckbert
- Department of Geography, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; Alberta Energy Regulator, Calgary, AB T2P 0R4, Canada
| | - Patrick M A James
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Graduate Department of Forestry, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, University of Toronto, 33 Willcocks St., Toronto M5S 2J5, ON, Canada
| | - A Cole Burton
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Jason T Fisher
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
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4
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Francis AL, Procter C, Kuzyk G, Fisher JT. Female Moose Prioritize Forage Over Mortality Risk in Harvested Landscapes. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Chris Procter
- Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations 1259 Dalhousie Drive Kamloops BC V2C 5Z5 Canada
| | - Gerald Kuzyk
- Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations 205 Industrial Road G Cranbrook BC V1C 7G5 Canada
| | - Jason T. Fisher
- University of Victoria 3800 Finnerty Road Victoria BC V8P 5C2 Canada
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5
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Samplonius JM, Atkinson A, Hassall C, Keogan K, Thackeray SJ, Assmann JJ, Burgess MD, Johansson J, Macphie KH, Pearce-Higgins JW, Simmonds EG, Varpe Ø, Weir JC, Childs DZ, Cole EF, Daunt F, Hart T, Lewis OT, Pettorelli N, Sheldon BC, Phillimore AB. Strengthening the evidence base for temperature-mediated phenological asynchrony and its impacts. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 5:155-164. [PMID: 33318690 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01357-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Climate warming has caused the seasonal timing of many components of ecological food chains to advance. In the context of trophic interactions, the match-mismatch hypothesis postulates that differential shifts can lead to phenological asynchrony with negative impacts for consumers. However, at present there has been no consistent analysis of the links between temperature change, phenological asynchrony and individual-to-population-level impacts across taxa, trophic levels and biomes at a global scale. Here, we propose five criteria that all need to be met to demonstrate that temperature-mediated trophic asynchrony poses a growing risk to consumers. We conduct a literature review of 109 papers studying 129 taxa, and find that all five criteria are assessed for only two taxa, with the majority of taxa only having one or two criteria assessed. Crucially, nearly every study was conducted in Europe or North America, and most studies were on terrestrial secondary consumers. We thus lack a robust evidence base from which to draw general conclusions about the risk that climate-mediated trophic asynchrony may pose to populations worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelmer M Samplonius
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | | | - Christopher Hassall
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Katharine Keogan
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Marine Scotland Science, Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen, UK
| | | | | | - Malcolm D Burgess
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, Sandy, UK.,Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | | | - Kirsty H Macphie
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James W Pearce-Higgins
- British Trust for Ornithology, Thetford, UK.,Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Emily G Simmonds
- Department of Mathematical Sciences and Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Øystein Varpe
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Bergen, Norway
| | - Jamie C Weir
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Dylan Z Childs
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Ella F Cole
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Tom Hart
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Owen T Lewis
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Ben C Sheldon
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Albert B Phillimore
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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6
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Leclerc M, Tarroux A, Fauchald P, Stien A, Tveraa T, St-Laurent MH. Effects of human-induced disturbances and weather on herbivore movement. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Human-caused habitat disturbances and climate change are leading threats to biodiversity. Studying the impacts of human activities on wildlife from a behavioral perspective is a relevant starting point to understand the mechanisms underlying population and species resistance and resilience to disturbances. In this study, we assessed the effects of weather (temperature and precipitation), habitat disturbances (roads and clearcuts), and natural habitat types on the space use patterns of a threatened boreal population of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). An extensive data set of 288,665 relocations from 50 adult females outfitted with GPS collars over 7 years in the boreal forest of Québec, Canada was used to evaluate residency time in natural and disturbed habitats for five distinct biologically defined periods. The most parsimonious linear mixed-effects model for each period showed that individuals stayed longer in more natural habitat types. During calving and summer, residency time decreased with increasing road density, whereas residency time decreased with increasing temperature during winter and spring. We found no evidence of a synergistic effect between daily weather and human disturbances on movement behavior of caribou, but consider their respective influence as additive. We also showed large individual variation in residency time, except during the calving period. Lower individual variation in residency time during calving may be explained by strong evolutionary constraints on behavior faced by females to ensure protection and survival of their offspring. Based on our results, we suggest keeping large patches of suitable and roadless habitat for caribou to favor the spacing-out antipredator strategy exhibited by females during calving. By tracking individuals over several complete annual cycles, we showed variation in the effects of daily weather and human disturbances on residency time across biological periods. Our study highlights that the inclusion of daily weather variables helps better understand space-use patterns of a threatened species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Leclerc
- Applied Conservation Science Lab, Department of Geography, University of Victoria, STN CSC, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Sidney, BC, Canada
- Centre for Northern Studies and Centre for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, Canada
| | - Arnaud Tarroux
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Arctic Ecology Department, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Per Fauchald
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Arctic Ecology Department, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Audun Stien
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Arctic Ecology Department, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Torkild Tveraa
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Arctic Ecology Department, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Martin-Hugues St-Laurent
- Centre for Northern Studies and Centre for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, Canada
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7
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Lafontaine A, Drapeau P, Fortin D, Gauthier S, Boulanger Y, St‐Laurent M. Exposure to historical burn rates shapes the response of boreal caribou to timber harvesting. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Lafontaine
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie Centre for Northern Studies & Centre for Forest Research Université du Québec à Rimouski 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski Québec G5L 3A1 Canada
| | - Pierre Drapeau
- NSERC‐UQAT‐UQAM Département des Sciences Biologiques Centre for Forest Research UQAT‐UQAM NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Sustainable Forest Management Université du Québec à Montréal 141 Avenue du Président‐Kennedy Montréal Québec H2X 1Y4 Canada
| | - Daniel Fortin
- Département de Biologie Centre for Forest Research Université Laval 1045 Av. de la Médecine, Pavillon Alexandre‐Vachon Québec Québec G1V 0A6 Canada
| | - Sylvie Gauthier
- Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Laurentian Forestry Centre 1055 9 du P.E.P.S., P.O. Box 10380, Stn. Sainte‐Foy Québec Québec G1V 4C7 Canada
| | - Yan Boulanger
- Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Laurentian Forestry Centre 1055 9 du P.E.P.S., P.O. Box 10380, Stn. Sainte‐Foy Québec Québec G1V 4C7 Canada
| | - Martin‐Hugues St‐Laurent
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie Centre for Northern Studies & Centre for Forest Research Université du Québec à Rimouski 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski Québec G5L 3A1 Canada
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8
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Lesmerises F, Johnson CJ, St-Laurent MH. Landscape knowledge is an important driver of the fission dynamics of an alpine ungulate. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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9
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Bennett VJ. Effects of Road Density and Pattern on the Conservation of Species and Biodiversity. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40823-017-0020-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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10
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11
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Vergara PM, Soto GE, Moreira-Arce D, Rodewald AD, Meneses LO, Pérez-Hernández CG. Foraging Behaviour in Magellanic Woodpeckers Is Consistent with a Multi-Scale Assessment of Tree Quality. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159096. [PMID: 27416115 PMCID: PMC4945014 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Theoretical models predict that animals should make foraging decisions after assessing the quality of available habitat, but most models fail to consider the spatio-temporal scales at which animals perceive habitat availability. We tested three foraging strategies that explain how Magellanic woodpeckers (Campephilus magellanicus) assess the relative quality of trees: 1) Woodpeckers with local knowledge select trees based on the available trees in the immediate vicinity. 2) Woodpeckers lacking local knowledge select trees based on their availability at previously visited locations. 3) Woodpeckers using information from long-term memory select trees based on knowledge about trees available within the entire landscape. We observed foraging woodpeckers and used a Brownian Bridge Movement Model to identify trees available to woodpeckers along foraging routes. Woodpeckers selected trees with a later decay stage than available trees. Selection models indicated that preferences of Magellanic woodpeckers were based on clusters of trees near the most recently visited trees, thus suggesting that woodpeckers use visual cues from neighboring trees. In a second analysis, Cox’s proportional hazards models showed that woodpeckers used information consolidated across broader spatial scales to adjust tree residence times. Specifically, woodpeckers spent more time at trees with larger diameters and in a more advanced stage of decay than trees available along their routes. These results suggest that Magellanic woodpeckers make foraging decisions based on the relative quality of trees that they perceive and memorize information at different spatio-temporal scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo M. Vergara
- Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Laboratorio de Ecología y Conservación, Departamento de Gestión Agraria, Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 3363, Santiago, Chile
- * E-mail:
| | - Gerardo E. Soto
- Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Laboratorio de Ecología y Conservación, Departamento de Gestión Agraria, Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 3363, Santiago, Chile
- Cornell University, Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Department of Natural Resources, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Darío Moreira-Arce
- Universidad de Chile, Laboratorio de Conservación, Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Santiago, Chile
| | - Amanda D. Rodewald
- Cornell University, Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Department of Natural Resources, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Luis O. Meneses
- Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Laboratorio de Ecología y Conservación, Departamento de Gestión Agraria, Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 3363, Santiago, Chile
| | - Christian G. Pérez-Hernández
- Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Laboratorio de Ecología y Conservación, Departamento de Gestión Agraria, Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 3363, Santiago, Chile
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12
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Kennedy CG, Mather ME, Smith JM, Finn JT, Deegan LA. Discontinuities concentrate mobile predators: quantifying organism-environment interactions at a seascape scale. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina G. Kennedy
- Department of Environmental Conservation; University of Massachusetts; Amherst Massachusetts 01003 USA
- University of Massachusetts Graduate Program in Marine Sciences; Amherst Massachusetts 01003 USA
| | - Martha E. Mather
- Department of Environmental Conservation; University of Massachusetts; Amherst Massachusetts 01003 USA
- University of Massachusetts Graduate Program in Marine Sciences; Amherst Massachusetts 01003 USA
- United States Geological Survey; Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Kansas State University; Manhattan Kansas 66506 USA
| | - Joseph M. Smith
- University of Massachusetts Graduate Program in Marine Sciences; Amherst Massachusetts 01003 USA
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences; University of Washington; Seattle Washington 98195 USA
| | - John T. Finn
- Department of Environmental Conservation; University of Massachusetts; Amherst Massachusetts 01003 USA
| | - Linda A. Deegan
- Ecosystems Center; Marine Biological Laboratory; Woods Hole Massachusetts 02543 USA
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13
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Christin S, St-Laurent MH, Berteaux D. Evaluation of Argos Telemetry Accuracy in the High-Arctic and Implications for the Estimation of Home-Range Size. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141999. [PMID: 26545245 PMCID: PMC4636246 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal tracking through Argos satellite telemetry has enormous potential to test hypotheses in animal behavior, evolutionary ecology, or conservation biology. Yet the applicability of this technique cannot be fully assessed because no clear picture exists as to the conditions influencing the accuracy of Argos locations. Latitude, type of environment, and transmitter movement are among the main candidate factors affecting accuracy. A posteriori data filtering can remove “bad” locations, but again testing is still needed to refine filters. First, we evaluate experimentally the accuracy of Argos locations in a polar terrestrial environment (Nunavut, Canada), with both static and mobile transmitters transported by humans and coupled to GPS transmitters. We report static errors among the lowest published. However, the 68th error percentiles of mobile transmitters were 1.7 to 3.8 times greater than those of static transmitters. Second, we test how different filtering methods influence the quality of Argos location datasets. Accuracy of location datasets was best improved when filtering in locations of the best classes (LC3 and 2), while the Douglas Argos filter and a homemade speed filter yielded similar performance while retaining more locations. All filters effectively reduced the 68th error percentiles. Finally, we assess how location error impacted, at six spatial scales, two common estimators of home-range size (a proxy of animal space use behavior synthetizing movements), the minimum convex polygon and the fixed kernel estimator. Location error led to a sometimes dramatic overestimation of home-range size, especially at very local scales. We conclude that Argos telemetry is appropriate to study medium-size terrestrial animals in polar environments, but recommend that location errors are always measured and evaluated against research hypotheses, and that data are always filtered before analysis. How movement speed of transmitters affects location error needs additional research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Christin
- Chaire de recherche du Canada en biodiversité nordique and Center for Northern Studies, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec, Canada
| | - Martin-Hugues St-Laurent
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Center for Northern Studies and Centre for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Canada
| | - Dominique Berteaux
- Chaire de recherche du Canada en biodiversité nordique and Center for Northern Studies, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec, Canada
- * E-mail:
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14
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Stillfried M, Belant JL, Svoboda NJ, Beyer DE, Kramer-Schadt S. When top predators become prey: Black bears alter movement behaviour in response to hunting pressure. Behav Processes 2015; 120:30-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2015.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Revised: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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15
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Hammerschlag N, Broderick AC, Coker JW, Coyne MS, Dodd M, Frick MG, Godfrey MH, Godley BJ, Griffin DB, Hartog K, Murphy SR, Murphy TM, Nelson ER, Williams KL, Witt MJ, Hawkes LA. Evaluating the landscape of fear between apex predatory sharks and mobile sea turtles across a large dynamic seascape. Ecology 2015; 96:2117-26. [DOI: 10.1890/14-2113.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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16
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Yannic G, Pellissier L, Le Corre M, Dussault C, Bernatchez L, Côté SD. Temporally dynamic habitat suitability predicts genetic relatedness among caribou. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 281:rspb.2014.0502. [PMID: 25122223 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Landscape heterogeneity plays a central role in shaping ecological and evolutionary processes. While species utilization of the landscape is usually viewed as constant within a year, the spatial distribution of individuals is likely to vary in time in relation to particular seasonal needs. Understanding temporal variation in landscape use and genetic connectivity has direct conservation implications. Here, we modelled the daily use of the landscape by caribou in Quebec and Labrador, Canada and tested its ability to explain the genetic relatedness among individuals. We assessed habitat selection using locations of collared individuals in migratory herds and static occurrences from sedentary groups. Connectivity models based on habitat use outperformed a baseline isolation-by-distance model in explaining genetic relatedness, suggesting that variations in landscape features such as snow, vegetation productivity and land use modulate connectivity among populations. Connectivity surfaces derived from habitat use were the best predictors of genetic relatedness. The relationship between connectivity surface and genetic relatedness varied in time and peaked during the rutting period. Landscape permeability in the period of mate searching is especially important to allow gene flow among populations. Our study highlights the importance of considering temporal variations in habitat selection for optimizing connectivity across heterogeneous landscape and counter habitat fragmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn Yannic
- Caribou Ungava, Département de Biologie and Centre d'Etudes Nordiques, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, Québec, Canada G1V 0A6 Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Pavillon Charles-Eugène-Marchand, Québec, Québec, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Loïc Pellissier
- Department of Biology Unit of Ecology and Evolution, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Maël Le Corre
- Caribou Ungava, Département de Biologie and Centre d'Etudes Nordiques, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, Québec, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Christian Dussault
- Direction de la Faune Terrestre et de l'Avifaune, Ministère du Développement Durable, de l'Environnement, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec, 880 chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec, Québec, Canada G1S 4X4
| | - Louis Bernatchez
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Pavillon Charles-Eugène-Marchand, Québec, Québec, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Steeve D Côté
- Caribou Ungava, Département de Biologie and Centre d'Etudes Nordiques, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, Québec, Canada G1V 0A6
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17
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Thompson ID, Wiebe PA, Mallon E, Rodgers AR, Fryxell JM, Baker JA, Reid D. Factors influencing the seasonal diet selection by woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) in boreal forests in Ontario. CAN J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2014-0140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
We used remote video cameras to assess seasonal diet composition of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus tarandus (L., 1758)) at three areas across the boreal forest of Ontario. Caribou consume lichens in winter, but we expected they would significantly reduce lichen consumption in favour of higher protein levels in green plants in summer. We sampled videos from 23 caribou, from 2 years, to derive seasonal diet composition. Diet differed among seasons and study areas, except in winter when lichens dominated. Diet breadth doubled from winter to summer, but overlap between seasons was still >60%. Green plants were less commonly eaten than we expected, only three genera were preferred, and few species constituted more than 2% of the diet. Preferred foods varied by land-cover types. Diet differed between managed and unmanaged landscapes but did not result from use of plant species found in successional habitats. Caribou selected a nonoptimal diet in the snow-free seasons, especially with respect to protein, suggesting factors other than nutrition influenced diet choice, and indicating the possibility of bottom-up limitation on production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian D. Thompson
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, 1219 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Philip A. Wiebe
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, 1219 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Erin Mallon
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Arthur R. Rodgers
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystems Research, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E5, Canada
| | - John M. Fryxell
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - James A. Baker
- Ontario Forest Research Institute, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 1235 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Douglas Reid
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystems Research, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E5, Canada
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18
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Beauchesne D, Jaeger JAG, St-Laurent MH. Disentangling woodland caribou movements in response to clearcuts and roads across temporal scales. PLoS One 2013; 8:e77514. [PMID: 24223713 PMCID: PMC3818373 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although prey species typically respond to the most limiting factors at coarse spatiotemporal scales while addressing biological requirements at finer scales, such behaviour may become challenging for species inhabiting human altered landscapes. We investigated how woodland caribou, a threatened species inhabiting North-American boreal forests, modified their fine-scale movements when confronted with forest management features (i.e. clearcuts and roads). We used GPS telemetry data collected between 2004 and 2010 on 49 female caribou in a managed area in Québec, Canada. Movements were studied using a use--availability design contrasting observed steps (i.e. line connecting two consecutive locations) with random steps (i.e. proxy of immediate habitat availability). Although caribou mostly avoided disturbances, individuals nonetheless modulated their fine-scale response to disturbances on a daily and annual basis, potentially compromising between risk avoidance in periods of higher vulnerability (i.e. calving, early and late winter) during the day and foraging activities in periods of higher energy requirements (i.e. spring, summer and rut) during dusk/dawn and at night. The local context in which females moved was shown to influence their decision to cross clearcut edges and roads. Indeed, although females typically avoided crossing clearcut edges and roads at low densities, crossing rates were found to rapidly increase in greater disturbance densities. In some instance, however, females were less likely to cross edges and roads as densities increased. Females may then be trapped and forced to use disturbed habitats, known to be associated with higher predation risk. We believe that further increases in anthropogenic disturbances could exacerbate such behavioural responses and ultimately lead to population level consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Beauchesne
- Department of Geography, Planning and Environment & Centre for Northern Studies, Concordia University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Jochen AG. Jaeger
- Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Concordia University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Martin-Hugues St-Laurent
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Centre for Northern Studies & Centre for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Canada
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