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Callaghan CT, Santini L, Spake R, Bowler DE. Population abundance estimates in conservation and biodiversity research. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:515-523. [PMID: 38508923 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.01.012] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Measuring and tracking biodiversity from local to global scales is challenging due to its multifaceted nature and the range of metrics used to describe spatial and temporal patterns. Abundance can be used to describe how a population changes across space and time, but it can be measured in different ways, with consequences for the interpretation and communication of spatiotemporal patterns. We differentiate between relative and absolute abundance, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each for biodiversity monitoring, conservation, and ecological research. We highlight when absolute abundance can be advantageous and should be prioritized in biodiversity monitoring and research, and conclude by providing avenues for future research directions to better assess the necessity of absolute abundance in biodiversity monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey T Callaghan
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL 33314-7719, USA.
| | - Luca Santini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Rebecca Spake
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AS, UK
| | - Diana E Bowler
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
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2
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Adams MS, Levi T, Bourbonnais M, Service CN, Artelle K, Bryan H, Paquet P, Nelson T, Darimont CT. Human disturbance in riparian areas disrupts predator-prey interactions between grizzly bears and salmon. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11058. [PMID: 38505181 PMCID: PMC10950355 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11058] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Wildlife must increasingly balance trade-offs between the need to access important foods and the mortality risks associated with human-dominated landscapes. Human disturbance can profoundly influence wildlife behavior, but managers know little about the relationship between disturbance-behavior dynamics and associated consequences for foraging. We address this gap by empirically investigating the consequences of human activity on a keystone predator-prey interaction in a region with limited but varied industrial disturbance. Using stable isotope data from 226 hair samples of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) collected from 1995 to 2014 across 22 salmon-bearing watersheds (88,000 km2) in British Columbia, Canada, we examined how human activity influenced their consumption of spawning salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), a fitness-related food. Accounting for the abundance of salmon and other foods, salmon consumption strongly decreased (up to 59% for females) with increasing human disturbance (as measured by the human footprint index) in riparian zones of salmon-bearing rivers. Declines in salmon consumption occurred with disturbance even in watersheds with low footprints. In a region currently among the least influenced by industrial activity, intensification of disturbance in river valleys is predicted to increasingly decouple bears from salmon, possibly driving associated reductions in population productivity and provisioning of salmon nutrients to terrestrial ecosystems. Accordingly, we draw on our results to make landscape-scale and access-related management recommendations beyond current streamside protection buffers. This work illustrates the interaction between habitat modification and food security for wildlife, highlighting the potential for unacknowledged interactions and cumulative effects in increasingly modified landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan S. Adams
- Department of GeographyUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Raincoast Conservation FoundationSidneyBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Hakai InstituteCampbell RiverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Central Coast Indigenous Resource AllianceCampbell RiverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Taal Levi
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregonUSA
| | - Mathieu Bourbonnais
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographic SciencesUniversity of British Columbia OkanaganKelownaBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Christina N. Service
- Department of GeographyUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Kitasoo Xai'xais Stewardship Authority, Kitasoo Xai'xais First NationKlemtuBritish ColumbiaCanada
- School of Environmental StudiesUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Kyle Artelle
- Department of GeographyUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Raincoast Conservation FoundationSidneyBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographic SciencesUniversity of British Columbia OkanaganKelownaBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Department of Environmental Biology, and Center for Native Peoples and the EnvironmentState University of New York, College of Environmental Science and ForestrySyracuseNew YorkUSA
| | - Heather Bryan
- Department of GeographyUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Raincoast Conservation FoundationSidneyBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Hakai InstituteCampbell RiverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Department of Ecosystem Science and ManagementUniversity of Northern British ColumbiaPrince GeorgeBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Paul Paquet
- Department of GeographyUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Raincoast Conservation FoundationSidneyBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Trisalyn Nelson
- Department of GeographyUniversity of California Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Chris T. Darimont
- Department of GeographyUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Raincoast Conservation FoundationSidneyBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Hakai InstituteCampbell RiverBritish ColumbiaCanada
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3
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Palm EC, Landguth EL, Holden ZA, Day CC, Lamb CT, Frame PF, Morehouse AT, Mowat G, Proctor MF, Sawaya MA, Stenhouse G, Whittington J, Zeller KA. Corridor-based approach with spatial cross-validation reveals scale-dependent effects of geographic distance, human footprint and canopy cover on grizzly bear genetic connectivity. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:5211-5227. [PMID: 37602946 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17098] [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: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how human infrastructure and other landscape attributes affect genetic differentiation in animals is an important step for identifying and maintaining dispersal corridors for these species. We built upon recent advances in the field of landscape genetics by using an individual-based and multiscale approach to predict landscape-level genetic connectivity for grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) across ~100,000 km2 in Canada's southern Rocky Mountains. We used a genetic dataset with 1156 unique individuals genotyped at nine microsatellite loci to identify landscape characteristics that influence grizzly bear gene flow at multiple spatial scales and map predicted genetic connectivity through a matrix of rugged terrain, large protected areas, highways and a growing human footprint. Our corridor-based modelling approach used a machine learning algorithm that objectively parameterized landscape resistance, incorporated spatial cross validation and variable selection and explicitly accounted for isolation by distance. This approach avoided overfitting, discarded variables that did not improve model performance across withheld test datasets and spatial predictive capacity compared to random cross-validation. We found that across all spatial scales, geographic distance explained more variation in genetic differentiation in grizzly bears than landscape variables. Human footprint inhibited connectivity across all spatial scales, while open canopies inhibited connectivity at the broadest spatial scale. Our results highlight the negative effect of human footprint on genetic connectivity, provide strong evidence for using spatial cross-validation in landscape genetics analyses and show that multiscale analyses provide additional information on how landscape variables affect genetic differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric C Palm
- Computational Ecology Lab, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
- Rocky Mountain Research Station, Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, US Forest Service, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Erin L Landguth
- Computational Ecology Lab, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
- Center for Population Health Research, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | | | - Casey C Day
- Computational Ecology Lab, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Clayton T Lamb
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Paul F Frame
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Government of Alberta, Whitecourt, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Garth Mowat
- Wildlife & Habitat Branch, British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development, Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences, UBC Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Jesse Whittington
- Parks Canada, Banff National Park Resource Conservation, Banff, Alberta, Canada
| | - Katherine A Zeller
- Rocky Mountain Research Station, Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, US Forest Service, Missoula, Montana, USA
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4
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Hsiao C, Ju YT, Chang CH, Chen SW, Tsai HW, Wang L, Lin WC, Hwang MH. Genetic status and conservation implications of endangered Formosan black bears. URSUS 2022. [DOI: 10.2192/ursus-d-21-00011.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chen Hsiao
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 10617 Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ten Ju
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 10617 Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hao Chang
- Institute of Wildlife Conservation, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Sec. 1, Hsech-Fu Road, Pingtung, 912301 Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Wei Chen
- Institute of Wildlife Conservation, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Sec. 1, Hsech-Fu Road, Pingtung, 912301 Taiwan
| | - Hui-Wen Tsai
- Institute of Wildlife Conservation, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Sec. 1, Hsech-Fu Road, Pingtung, 912301 Taiwan
| | - Ling Wang
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 10617 Taiwan
| | - Wan-Ching Lin
- Institute of Wildlife Conservation, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Sec. 1, Hsech-Fu Road, Pingtung, 912301 Taiwan
| | - Mei-Hsiu Hwang
- Institute of Wildlife Conservation, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Sec. 1, Hsech-Fu Road, Pingtung, 912301 Taiwan
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Abstract
Habitat modeling is one of the most common practices in ecology today, aimed at understanding complex associations between species and an array of environmental, bioclimatic, and anthropogenic factors. This review of studies of seven species of terrestrial bears (Ursidae) occupying four continents examines how habitat models have been employed, and the functionality of their predictions for management and conservation. Bear occurrence data have been obtained at the population level, as presence points (e.g., sign surveys or camera trapping), or as locations of individual radio-collared animals. Radio-collars provide greater insights into how bears interact with their environment and variability within populations; they are more commonly used in North America and Europe than in South America and Asia. Salient problematic issues apparent from this review included: biases in presence data; predictor variables being poor surrogates of actual behavioral drivers; predictor variables applied at a biologically inappropriate scale; and over-use of data repositories that tend to detach investigators from the species. In several cases, multiple models in the same area yielded different predictions; new presence data occurred outside the range of predicted suitable habitat; and future range projections, based on where bears presently exist, underestimated their adaptability. Findings here are likely relevant to other taxa.
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7
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Long‐term monitoring using DNA sampling reveals the dire demographic status of the critically endangered Gobi bear. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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8
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Lustig EJ, Lyda SB, Leslie DM, Luttbeg B, Fairbanks WS. Resource Selection by Recolonizing American Black Bears. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elliot J. Lustig
- Oklahoma State University 008C Agricultural Hall Stillwater OK 74078 USA
| | - Sara Bales Lyda
- Oklahoma State University 007 Agricultural Hall Stillwater OK 74078 USA
| | - David M. Leslie
- Oklahoma State University 007 Agricultural Hall Stillwater OK 74078 USA
| | - Barney Luttbeg
- Oklahoma State University 501 Life Sciences W Stillwater OK 74078 USA
| | - W. Sue Fairbanks
- Oklahoma State University 008C Agricultural Hall Stillwater OK 74078 USA
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9
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Rine KM, Braaten AM, Oelfke JG, Ransom JI. Evidence for historical grizzly bear occurrence in the North Cascades, USA. URSUS 2020. [DOI: 10.2192/ursus-d-19-00005.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin M. Rine
- North Cascades National Park Service Complex, National Park Service, 810 State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284, USA
| | - Anne M. Braaten
- North Cascades National Park Service Complex, National Park Service, 810 State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284, USA
| | - Jack G. Oelfke
- North Cascades National Park Service Complex, National Park Service, 810 State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284, USA
| | - Jason I. Ransom
- North Cascades National Park Service Complex, National Park Service, 810 State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284, USA
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10
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Levi T, Hilderbrand GV, Hocking MD, Quinn TP, White KS, Adams MS, Armstrong JB, Crupi AP, Darimont CT, Deacy W, Gilbert SL, Ripple WJ, Shakeri YN, Wheat RE, Wilmers CC. Community Ecology and Conservation of Bear-Salmon Ecosystems. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.513304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Apex predators play keystone roles in ecosystems through top-down control, but the effects of apex omnivores on ecosystems could be more varied because changes in the resource base alter their densities and reverberate through ecosystems in complex ways. In coastal temperate ecosystems throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere, anadromous salmon once supported abundant bear populations, but both taxa have declined or been extirpated from large parts of their former ranges with limited research on the consequences of diminished or absent interactions among species. Here we review the biogeography of bear-salmon interactions and the role of salmon-subsidized bears in (1) resource provisioning to plants and scavengers through the distribution of salmon carcasses, (2) competition among bears and other large carnivores, (3) predation of ungulate neonates, (4) seed dispersal, and (5) resource subsidies to rodents with seed-filled scats. In addition to our review of the literature, we present original data to demonstrate two community-level patterns that are currently unexplained. First, deer densities appear to be consistently higher on islands with abundant brown bears than adjacent islands with black bears and wolves, and moose calf survival is higher at low bear densities (<∼25 bears per 100 km2) but is constant across the vast majority of bear densities found in the wild (i.e., ∼>25 bears per 100 km2). Our review and empirical data highlight key knowledge gaps and research opportunities to understand the complex ecosystem effects related to bear-salmon interactions.
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11
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Abstract
The persistence of large carnivores in human-dominated landscapes will become increasingly challenging as the human footprint expands. Here, we bring together long-term demographic and behavioral data on one of the worlds’ most conflict-prone species, the brown bear, to quantify the mechanisms facilitating human–carnivore coexistence. We found that human-dominated landscapes are highly lethal, especially to young bears, until they learn to adapt to people. As bears age, they avoid times when people are most active but do not strongly avoid where people live. To sustain human–carnivore coexistence under high rates of mortality requires the influx of animals from areas with low human presence (i.e., demographic rescue). Paradoxically, our work demonstrates that connectivity leads to both coexistence and conflict. With a shrinking supply of wilderness and growing recognition that top predators can have a profound influence on ecosystems, the persistence of large carnivores in human-dominated landscapes has emerged as one of the greatest conservation challenges of our time. Carnivores fascinate society, yet these animals pose threats to people living near them, resulting in high rates of carnivore death near human settlements. We used 41 y of demographic data for more than 2,500 brown bears—one of the world’s most widely distributed and conflict-prone carnivores—to understand the behavioral and demographic mechanisms promoting carnivore coexistence in human-dominated landscapes. Bear mortality was high and unsustainable near people, but a human-induced shift to nocturnality facilitated lower risks of bear mortality and rates of conflict with people. Despite these behavioral shifts, projected population growth rates for bears in human-dominated areas revealed a source-sink dynamic. Despite some female bears successfully reproducing in the sink areas, bear persistence was reliant on a supply of immigrants from areas with minimal human influence (i.e., wilderness). Such mechanisms of coexistence reveal a striking paradox: Connectivity to wilderness areas supplies bears that likely will die from people, but these bears are essential to avert local extirpation. These insights suggest carnivores contribute to human–carnivore coexistence through behavioral and demographic mechanisms, and that connected wilderness is critical to sustain coexistence landscapes.
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14
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Mowat G, Clevenger AP, Kortello AD, Hausleitner D, Barrueto M, Smit L, Lamb C, DorsEy B, Ott PK. The Sustainability of Wolverine Trapping Mortality in Southern Canada. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Garth Mowat
- Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Suite 401, 333 Victoria Street Nelson BC V1L 4K3 Canada
| | - Anthony P. Clevenger
- Western Transportation InstituteMontana State University PO Box 174250 Bozeman MT 59717 USA
| | - Andrea D. Kortello
- Grylloblatta Ecological Consulting 206 Innes Street Nelson BC V1L 5E3 Canada
| | - Doris Hausleitner
- Seepanee Ecological Consulting 2880 Granite Road Nelson BC V1L 6Y5 Canada
| | - Mirjam Barrueto
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Calgary 2500 University Drive NW Calgary AB T2N 1N4 Canada
| | - Laura Smit
- Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Suite 401, 333 Victoria Street Nelson BC V1L 4K3 Canada
| | - Clayton Lamb
- Center for Interdisciplinary Sciences, University of Alberta 116 Street and 85 Avenue Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - BenJAMIN DorsEy
- Parks Canada Agency, Box 350 Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National ParksRevelstoke BC V0E 2S0 Canada
| | - Peter K. Ott
- Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development 727 Fisgard Street Victoria BC V8W 1R8 Canada
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15
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Proctor MF, McLellan BN, Stenhouse GB, Mowat G, Lamb CT, Boyce MS. Effects of roads and motorized human access on grizzly bear populations in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. URSUS 2020. [DOI: 10.2192/ursus-d-18-00016.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael F. Proctor
- Birchdale Ecological, P.O. Box 606, Kaslo, British Columbia, V0G 1M0, Canada
| | - Bruce N. McLellan
- Ministry of Forest, Lands, & Natural Resource Operations, P.O. Box 1732, D'Arcy, British Columbia, V0N 1L0, Canada
| | | | - Garth Mowat
- Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development, Nelson, British Columbia, V1L 4K3, Canada
| | - Clayton T. Lamb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Mark S. Boyce
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
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16
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Hatter IW, Mowat G, McLellan BN. Statistical population reconstruction to evaluate grizzly bear trends in British Columbia, Canada. URSUS 2018. [DOI: 10.2192/ursus-d-18-00001.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ian W. Hatter
- Nature Wise Consulting, 308 Uganda Avenue, Victoria, BC V9A 5X7, Canada
| | - Garth Mowat
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development, Suite 401-333 Victoria Street, Nelson, BC V1L 4K3, Canada
| | - Bruce N. McLellan
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, & Rural Development, P.O. Box 1732, D'Arcy, BC V0N 1L0, Canada
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17
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Robbins CT, Woodford NL, Goolsby Clyde G, Minor C, Nelson OL, Brewer MM, Khalife PH, Hawley JR. Salmon poisoning disease in grizzly bears with population recovery implications. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Charles T. Robbins
- School of the Environment and School of Biological Sciences; Washington State University; Pullman WA 99164-4236 USA
| | - Nina L. Woodford
- Office of Campus Veterinarian; Washington State University; Pullman WA 99164-1165 USA
| | - Gaylynn Goolsby Clyde
- Office of Campus Veterinarian; Washington State University; Pullman WA 99164-1165 USA
| | - Cody Minor
- Colorado State University; Center for Companion Animal Studies; Ft. Collins CO 80523-1678 USA
| | - O. Lynne Nelson
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences; College of Veterinary Medicine; Washington State University; Pullman WA 99164-6610 USA
| | - Melissa M. Brewer
- Colorado State University; Center for Companion Animal Studies; Ft. Collins CO 80523-1678 USA
| | - Patrick H. Khalife
- Colorado State University; Center for Companion Animal Studies; Ft. Collins CO 80523-1678 USA
| | - Jennifer R. Hawley
- Colorado State University; Center for Companion Animal Studies; Ft. Collins CO 80523-1678 USA
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18
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Hamilton SG, Derocher AE. Assessment of global polar bear abundance and vulnerability. Anim Conserv 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- S. G. Hamilton
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB Canada
| | - A. E. Derocher
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB Canada
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19
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Burton AC, Fisher JT, Adriaens P, Treweek J, Paetkau D, Wikstrom M, Callender A, Vardanyan R, Stepanyan A. Density and distribution of a brown bear (Ursus arctos) population within the Caucasus biodiversity hotspot. J Mammal 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyy081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- A Cole Burton
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jason T Fisher
- InnoTech Alberta, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W, Canada
| | - Peter Adriaens
- Treweek Environmental Consultants, Chancery Cottage, Kentisbeare, Cullompton, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Jo Treweek
- Treweek Environmental Consultants, Chancery Cottage, Kentisbeare, Cullompton, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - David Paetkau
- Wildlife Genetics International, Nelson, British Columbia V1L, Canada
| | - Marten Wikstrom
- Treweek Environmental Consultants, Chancery Cottage, Kentisbeare, Cullompton, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Callender
- Treweek Environmental Consultants, Chancery Cottage, Kentisbeare, Cullompton, Devon, United Kingdom
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Lamb CT, Mowat G, Gilbert SL, McLellan BN, Nielsen SE, Boutin S. Density-dependent signaling: An alternative hypothesis on the function of chemical signaling in a non-territorial solitary carnivore. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184176. [PMID: 28981540 PMCID: PMC5628802 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Brown bears are known to use rubbing behavior as a means of chemical communication, but the function of this signaling is unclear. One hypothesis that has gained support is that male bears rub to communicate dominance to other males. We tested the communication of dominance hypothesis in a low-density brown bear population in southeast British Columbia. We contrasted rubbing rates for male and female bears during and after the breeding season using ten years of DNA-mark-recapture data for 643 individuals. Here we demonstrate that male brown bears rub 60% more during the breeding than the non-breeding season, while female rubbing had no seasonal trends. Per capita rub rates by males were, on average, 2.7 times higher than females. Our results suggest that the function of rubbing in the Rocky Mountains may not only be to communicate dominance, but also to self-advertise for mate attraction. We propose that the role of chemical communication in this species may be density-dependent, where the need to self-advertise for mating is inversely related to population density and communicating for dominance increases with population density. We suggest that future endeavors to elucidate the function of rubbing should sample the behavior across a range of population densities using camera trap and genotypic data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clayton T. Lamb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Garth Mowat
- Ministry of Forests Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences, The University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sophie L. Gilbert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bruce N. McLellan
- Ministry of Forests Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Scott E. Nielsen
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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21
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Serrouya R, McLellan BN, van Oort H, Mowat G, Boutin S. Experimental moose reduction lowers wolf density and stops decline of endangered caribou. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3736. [PMID: 28875080 PMCID: PMC5580390 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The expansion of moose into southern British Columbia caused the decline and extirpation of woodland caribou due to their shared predators, a process commonly referred to as apparent competition. Using an adaptive management experiment, we tested the hypothesis that reducing moose to historic levels would reduce apparent competition and therefor recover caribou populations. Nested within this broad hypothesis were three specific hypotheses: (1) sport hunting could be used to substantially reduce moose numbers to an ecological target; (2) wolves in this ecosystem were primarily limited by moose abundance; and (3) caribou were limited by wolf predation. These hypotheses were evaluated with a before-after control-impact (BACI) design that included response metrics such as population trends and vital rates of caribou, moose, and wolves. Three caribou subpopulations were subject to the moose reduction treatment and two were in a reference area where moose were not reduced. When the moose harvest was increased, the moose population declined substantially in the treatment area (by 70%) but not the reference area, suggesting that the policy had the desired effect and was not caused by a broader climatic process. Wolf numbers subsequently declined in the treatment area, with wolf dispersal rates 2.5× greater, meaning that dispersal was the likely mechanism behind the wolf numerical response, though reduced recruitment and starvation was also documented in the treatment area. Caribou adult survival increased from 0.78 to 0.88 in the treatment area, but declined in the reference. Caribou recruitment was unaffected by the treatment. The largest caribou subpopulation stabilized in the treatment area, but declined in the reference area. The observed population stability is comparable to other studies that used intensive wolf control, but is insufficient to achieve recovery, suggesting that multiple limiting factors and corresponding management tools must be addressed simultaneously to achieve population growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Serrouya
- Columbia Mountains Caribou Research Project, Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada.,Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bruce N McLellan
- Columbia Mountains Caribou Research Project, Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada.,Research Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations, D'Arcy, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Harry van Oort
- Columbia Mountains Caribou Research Project, Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Garth Mowat
- Natural Resource Science Section, Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations, Nelson, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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22
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Mclellan BN, Mowat G, Hamilton T, Hatter I. Sustainability of the grizzly bear hunt in British Columbia, Canada. J Wildl Manage 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bruce N. Mclellan
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations; P.O. Box 1732 D'Arcy BC V0N 1L0 Canada
| | - Garth Mowat
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations; Suite 401-333 Victoria St. Nelson BC V1L 4K3 Canada
| | - Tony Hamilton
- British Columbia Ministry of Environment; 2975 Jutland Road Victoria BC V8W 9M1 Canada
| | - Ian Hatter
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations; 2975 Jutland Road Victoria BC V8W 9M8 Canada
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23
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Nielsen SE, Larsen TA, Stenhouse GB, Coogan SCP. Complementary food resources of carnivory and frugivory affect local abundance of an omnivorous carnivore. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.03144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Scott E. Nielsen
- Dept of Renewable Resources; Univ. of Alberta; 751 General Services Building Edmonton AB T6G 2H1 Canada
| | | | | | - Sean C. P. Coogan
- Dept of Renewable Resources; Univ. of Alberta; 751 General Services Building Edmonton AB T6G 2H1 Canada
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences and the Charles Perkins Centre; Univ. of Sydney; Sydney NSW Australia
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24
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Sollmann R, Gardner B, Belant JL, Wilton CM, Beringer J. Habitat associations in a recolonizing, low‐density black bear population. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rahel Sollmann
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology University of California Davis 1088 Academic Surge, One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Beth Gardner
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle Washington 98195 USA
| | - Jerrold L. Belant
- Carnivore Ecology Laboratory Forest and Wildlife Research Center Mississippi State University Box 9690 Mississippi State Mississippi 39762 USA
| | - Clay M. Wilton
- Carnivore Ecology Laboratory Forest and Wildlife Research Center Mississippi State University Box 9690 Mississippi State Mississippi 39762 USA
| | - Jeff Beringer
- Missouri Department of Conservation 3500 E Gans Road Columbia Missouri 65202 USA
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25
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Staying cool in a changing landscape: the influence of maximum daily ambient temperature on grizzly bear habitat selection. Oecologia 2016; 181:1101-16. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3630-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Boyce MS, Johnson CJ, Merrill EH, Nielsen SE, Solberg EJ, van Moorter B. REVIEW: Can habitat selection predict abundance? J Anim Ecol 2015; 85:11-20. [PMID: 25786026 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Habitats have substantial influence on the distribution and abundance of animals. Animals' selective movement yields their habitat use. Animals generally are more abundant in habitats that are selected most strongly. Models of habitat selection can be used to distribute animals on the landscape or their distribution can be modelled based on data of habitat use, occupancy, intensity of use or counts of animals. When the population is at carrying capacity or in an ideal-free distribution, habitat selection and related metrics of habitat use can be used to estimate abundance. If the population is not at equilibrium, models have the flexibility to incorporate density into models of habitat selection; but abundance might be influenced by factors influencing fitness that are not directly related to habitat thereby compromising the use of habitat-based models for predicting population size. Scale and domain of the sampling frame, both in time and space, are crucial considerations limiting application of these models. Ultimately, identifying reliable models for predicting abundance from habitat data requires an understanding of the mechanisms underlying population regulation and limitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark S Boyce
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Chris J Johnson
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC, V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Evelyn H Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Scott E Nielsen
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H1, Canada
| | - Erling J Solberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, 7485, Norway
| | - Bram van Moorter
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, 7485, Norway
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27
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Hoi H, Krištofík J, Darolová A. All you can eat: is food supply unlimited in a colonially breeding bird? Ecol Evol 2015; 5:450-8. [PMID: 25691970 PMCID: PMC4314275 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2014] [Revised: 11/27/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Food availability is generally considered to determine breeding site selection and therefore plays an important role in hypotheses explaining the evolution of colony formation. Hypotheses trying to explain why birds join a colony usually assume that food is not limited, whereas those explaining variation in colony size suggest that food is under constraint. In this study, we investigate the composition and amount of food items not eaten by the nestlings and found in nest burrows of colonially nesting European bee-eaters (Merops apiaster). We aimed to determine whether this unconsumed food is an indicator of unlimited food supply, the result of mistakes during food transfer between parents and chicks or foraging selectivity of chicks. Therefore, we investigated the amount of dropped food for each nest in relation to reproductive performance and parameters reflecting parental quality. Our data suggest that parents carry more food to the nest than chicks can eat and, hence, food is not limited. This assumption is supported by the facts that there is a positive relationship between dropped food found in a nest and the number of fledglings, nestling age, and chick health condition and that the amount of dropped food is independent of colony size. There is variation in the amount of dropped food within colonies, suggesting that parent foraging efficiency may also be an important determinant. Pairs nesting in the center of a colony performed better than those nesting on the edge, which supports the assumption that quality differences between parents are important as well. However, dropped food cannot be used as an indicator of local food availability as (1) within-colony variation in dropped food is larger than between colony variation and, (2) the average amount of dropped food is not related to colony size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herbert Hoi
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
| | - Ján Krištofík
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Alžbeta Darolová
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences Bratislava, Slovakia
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28
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Service CN, Adams MS, Artelle KA, Paquet P, Grant LV, Darimont CT. Indigenous knowledge and science unite to reveal spatial and temporal dimensions of distributional shift in wildlife of conservation concern. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101595. [PMID: 25054635 PMCID: PMC4108310 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2013] [Accepted: 06/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Range shifts among wildlife can occur rapidly and impose cascading ecological, economic, and cultural consequences. However, occurrence data used to define distributional limits derived from scientific approaches are often outdated for wide ranging and elusive species, especially in remote environments. Accordingly, our aim was to amalgamate indigenous and western scientific evidence of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) records and detail a potential range shift on the central coast of British Columbia, Canada. In addition, we test the hypothesis that data from each method yield similar results, as well as illustrate the complementary nature of this coupled approach. Combining information from traditional and local ecological knowledge (TEK/LEK) interviews with remote camera, genetic, and hunting data revealed that grizzly bears are now present on 10 islands outside their current management boundary. LEK interview data suggested this expansion has accelerated over the last 10 years. Both approaches provided complementary details and primarily affirmed one another: all islands with scientific evidence for occupation had consistent TEK/LEK evidence. Moreover, our complementary methods approach enabled a more spatially and temporally detailed account than either method would have afforded alone. In many cases, knowledge already held by local indigenous people could provide timely and inexpensive data about changing ecological processes. However, verifying the accuracy of scientific and experiential knowledge by pairing sources at the same spatial scale allows for increased confidence and detail. A similarly coupled approach may be useful across taxa in many regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina N. Service
- Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Denny Island, BC, Canada
- Spirit Bear Research Foundation, Klemtu, BC, Canada
- Hakai Beach Institute, Heriot Bay, BC, Canada
| | - Megan S. Adams
- Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Denny Island, BC, Canada
- Hakai Beach Institute, Heriot Bay, BC, Canada
| | - Kyle A. Artelle
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Denny Island, BC, Canada
- Hakai Beach Institute, Heriot Bay, BC, Canada
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Paul Paquet
- Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Denny Island, BC, Canada
| | - Laura V. Grant
- Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Spirit Bear Research Foundation, Klemtu, BC, Canada
| | - Chris T. Darimont
- Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Denny Island, BC, Canada
- Spirit Bear Research Foundation, Klemtu, BC, Canada
- Hakai Beach Institute, Heriot Bay, BC, Canada
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29
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle A Artelle
- Earth to Ocean Research Group (Biological Sciences), Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
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30
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Canadian grizzly bears face expanded hunt. Nature 2014. [DOI: 10.1038/nature.2014.14914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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