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Olejarz A, Augustsson E, Kjellander P, Ježek M, Podgórski T. Experience shapes wild boar spatial response to drive hunts. Sci Rep 2024; 14:19930. [PMID: 39198665 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-71098-8] [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: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Human-induced disturbances of the environment are rapid and often unpredictable in space and time, exposing wildlife to strong selection pressure favouring plasticity in specific traits. Measuring wildlife behavioural plasticity in response to human-induced disturbances such as hunting pressures is crucial in understanding population expansion in the highly plastic wild boar species. We collected GPS-based movement data from 55 wild boars during drive hunts over three hunting seasons (2019-2022) in the Czech Republic and Sweden to identify behavioural plasticity in space use and movement strategies over a range of experienced hunting disturbances. Daily distance, daily range, and daily range overlap with hunting area were not affected by hunting intensity but were clearly related to wild boar hunting experience. On average, the post-hunt flight distance was 1.80 km, and the flight duration lasted 25.8 h until they returned to their previous ranging area. We detected no relationship in flight behaviour to hunting intensity or wild boar experience. Wild boar monitored in our study showed two behavioural responses to drive hunts, "remain" or "leave". Wild boars tended to "leave" more often with increasing hunting experience. Overall, this study highlights the behavioural plasticity of wild boar in response to drive hunts.
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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.
| | - Evelina Augustsson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 73993, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Petter Kjellander
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 73993, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - 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
| | - 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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Gitau CG, Mbau JS, Ngugi RK, ngumbi E, Muneza AB. Activitybudget and foraging patterns ofNubian giraffe ( Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis) in Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11463. [PMID: 38826174 PMCID: PMC11139672 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11463] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The activity budget of giraffe in various African populations has been studied extensively, revealing that it is affected by body size, foraging patterns, and sex. Foraging patterns show an animal's feeding choices in its environment and are influenced by resource availability, competition, and predation risk. The ability of giraffe to survive and reproduce is significantly impacted by the variation in activity budget and foraging across different ecosystems. Our study focused on evaluating the seasonal activity budgets and foraging patterns of Nubian giraffe in Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya. We used the scan sampling method to record the activity budget of giraffe which included foraging, movement, resting, and drinking water. We then evaluated if activities varied with the seasons. A total of 11,280 activities were documented, with 4560 (40.4%) occurring during the dry season and 6720 (59.6%) during the wet season. Foraging accounted for 53% of the time budget during the dry season, but increased to 57% during the wet season. There was a slight drop in records of movement (22%; n = 995 of 4560) and resting (25%; n = 1145 of 4560) from the dry season to the wet season (20%; n = 1375 out of 6720 and 22%; n = 1515 of 6720). During the dry season, females (53%) foraged longer than males (47%), whereas males (44%) had longer resting periods than females (56%). Giraffe frequently fed on Vachellia xanthophloea (67%; n = 4136 of 6215 foraging records), Maytenus senegalensis (19%), and Solanum incanum (9%) over both seasons. Overall, seasons had little impact on giraffe activity time budgets and foraging patterns in Lake Nakuru National Park. A better insight into the behavioural patterns of this subspecies will allow managers to enhance the protection and conservation of the species and its habitat. Heavy foraging on Vachellia by giraffe at LNNP has been associated with a population decline in number, so perhaps planting more of this species in LNNP could promote a rebound in numbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Consolata G. Gitau
- Department of Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology (LARMAT)University of NairobiNairobiKenya
- Present address:
School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent UniversityNottinghamUK
| | - Judith S. Mbau
- Department of Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology (LARMAT)University of NairobiNairobiKenya
| | - Robinson K. Ngugi
- Department of Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology (LARMAT)University of NairobiNairobiKenya
| | - Emmanuel ngumbi
- Africa Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW) KenyaNairobiKenya
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Čapkun-Huot C, Blumstein DT, Garant D, Sol D, Réale D. Toward a unified framework for studying behavioural tolerance. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:446-455. [PMID: 38177010 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.12.006] [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: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Behavioural responses are widely held to allow animals to cope with human-induced environmental changes. Less often appreciated is that the absence of behavioural response can also be advantageous. This is particularly true when animals become tolerant to situations that may be perceived as risky, although the actual risk is nonexistent. We provide a framework to understand the causes and consequences of behavioural tolerance. Tolerance can emerge from genetic, epigenetic, or learning mechanisms, each exerting different degrees of influence on its speed of acquisition, reversibility, specificity, and duration. The ultimate impact on fitness hinges on the interplay between these mechanisms and the nature of the stressor. Mechanistic clarity is therefore essential to better understand and manage human-wildlife interactions in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Čapkun-Huot
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal H2X 1Y4, Canada.
| | - Daniel T Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Daniel Sol
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centre for Ecological Research and Applied Forestries, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Denis Réale
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal H2X 1Y4, Canada
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Dijkgraaf L, Stenbacka F, Cromsigt JPGM, Ericsson G, Neumann W. Bear in mind! Bear presence and individual experience with calf survival shape the selection of calving sites in a long-lived solitary ungulate. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11177. [PMID: 38510538 PMCID: PMC10950790 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11177] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The careful selection of ungulate calving sites to improve offspring survival is vital in the face of predation. In general, there is limited knowledge to which degree predator presence and prey's individual experience shape the selection of calving sites. Predator presence influences the spatiotemporal risk of encountering a predator, while individual experiences with previous predation events shape perceived mortality risks. We used a multi-year movement dataset of a long-lived female ungulate (moose, Alces alces, n = 79) and associated calf survival to test how predator presence (i.e., encounter risk) and females' individual experiences with previous calf mortality events affected their calving site selection and site fidelity. Using data from areas with and without Scandinavian brown bear (Ursus arctos) predation, we compared females' calving site selection using individual-based analyses. Our findings suggest two things. First, bear presence influences calving site selection in this solitary living ungulate. Females in areas with bears were selected for higher shrub and tree cover and showed lower site fidelity than in the bear-free area. Second, the individual experience of calf loss changes females' selection the following year. Females with lost calves had a lower site fidelity compared to females with surviving calves. Our findings suggest that increased vegetation cover may be important for reducing encounter risk in bear areas, possibly by improving calf concealment. Lower site fidelity might represent a strategy to make the placement of calving sites less predictable for predators. We suggest that bear presence shapes both habitat selection and calving site fidelity in a long-lived animal, whereas the effect of individual experience with previous calf loss varies. We encourage further research on the relevance of female experience on the success of expressed anti-predator strategies during calving periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Dijkgraaf
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and ConservationWageningen University (WUR)WageningenThe Netherlands
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)UmeaSweden
| | - Fredrik Stenbacka
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)UmeaSweden
| | - Joris P. G. M. Cromsigt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)UmeaSweden
| | - Göran Ericsson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)UmeaSweden
| | - Wiebke Neumann
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)UmeaSweden
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Poulin MP, Cherry SG, Merkle JA. Dynamic balancing of risks and rewards in a large herbivore: Further extending predator-prey concepts to road ecology. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:1954-1965. [PMID: 37462330 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13985] [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: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Animal behaviour is shaped by the ability to identify risks and profitably balance the levels of risks encountered with the payoffs experienced. Anthropogenic disturbances like roads generate novel risks and opportunities that wildlife must accurately perceive and respond to. Basic concepts in predator-prey ecology are often used to understand responses of animals to roads (e.g. increased vigilance, selection for cover in their vicinity). However, prey often display complex behaviours such as modulating space use given varying risks and rewards, and it is unclear if such dynamic balancing is used by animals in the context of road crossings. We tested whether animals dynamically balance risks and rewards relative to roads using extensive field-based and GPS collar data from elk in Yoho National Park (British Columbia, Canada), where a major highway completely bisects their range during most of the year. We analysed elk behaviour by combining hidden Markov movement models with a step-selection function framework. Rewards were indexed by a dynamic map of available forage biomass, and risks were indexed by road crossings and traffic volumes. We found that elk generally selected intermediate and high forage biomass, and avoided crossing the road. Most of the time, elk modulated their behaviour given varying risks and rewards. When crossing the highway compared with not crossing, elk selected for greater forage biomass and this selection was stronger as the number of highway crossings increased. However, with traffic volume, elk only balanced foraging rewards when they crossed a single time during a travel sequence. Using a road ecology system, we empirically tested an important component of predator-prey ecology-the ability to dynamically modulate behaviour in response to varying levels of risks and rewards. Such a test articulates how decision-making processes that consider the spatiotemporal variation in risks and rewards allow animals to successfully and profitably navigate busy roads. Applying well-developed concepts in predator-prey theory helps understand how animals respond to anthropogenic disturbances and anticipate the adaptive capacity for individuals and populations to adjust to rapidly changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Pier Poulin
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Seth G Cherry
- Parks Canada Agency, Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jerod A Merkle
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
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Vajas P, Von Essen E, Tickle L, Gamelon M. Meeting the challenges of wild boar hunting in a modern society: The case of France. AMBIO 2023; 52:1359-1372. [PMID: 36943619 PMCID: PMC10271942 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-023-01852-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Modern hunting is an ambivalent practice, torn between leisure and labor. Nowhere are these conflicting dimensions better manifested than for wild boar-a simultaneous game and pest species in many countries. Here, we consider the sociological, political and cultural phenomenon of wild boar hunting from a change perspective, starting at its historical roots to future implications concerning the changing demographics, drivers, needs and practices of a modernizing hunting community. Using the case context of France, we present an approach to deconstructing each component of wild boar hunting firstly, and subsequently the external forces that change the nature of hunting. The objective of this manuscript is to discuss of the wild boar optimal harvesting to be applied in changing social and ecological environment. Findings show that the challenges facing wild boar management will likely intensify in the future, especially under the spotlight of a controversial public debate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Vajas
- DECOD (Ecosystem Dynamics and Sustainability), IFREMER, INRAe, Institut-Agro-Agrocampus Ouest, rue de L’île d’Yeu, 44311 Nantes Cedex 3, France
| | - Erica Von Essen
- Department of Social Anthropology, Stockholm University, Universitetsvägen 10 B, Socialantropologiska Institutionen, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Innlandet, Norway
| | - Lara Tickle
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Innlandet, Norway
| | - Marlène Gamelon
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, CNRS, Université Lyon 1, Campus de la Doua, Bâtiment Gregor Mendel, 43 Boulevard du 11 novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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Thorsen NH, Hansen JE, Støen OG, Kindberg J, Zedrosser A, Frank SC. Movement and habitat selection of a large carnivore in response to human infrastructure differs by life stage. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:52. [PMID: 36447280 PMCID: PMC9706841 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00349-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The movement extent of mammals is influenced by human-modified areas, which can affect population demographics. Understanding how human infrastructure influences movement at different life stages is important for wildlife management. This is true especially for large carnivores, due to their substantial space requirements and potential for conflict with humans. METHODS We investigated human impact on movement and habitat selection by GPS-collared male brown bears (Ursus arctos) in two life stages (residents and dispersers) in central Sweden. We identified dispersers visually based on their GPS locations and used hidden Markov models to delineate dispersal events. We used integrated step selection analysis (iSSA) to infer movement and habitat selection at a local scale (availability defined by hourly relocations), and resource selection functions (RSFs) to infer habitat selection at a landscape scale (availability defined by the study area extent). RESULTS Movement of residents on a local scale was facilitated by small forestry roads as they moved faster and selected areas closer to forestry roads, and they avoided areas closer to larger public roads and buildings on both scales. Dispersers were more ambivalent in their response to human infrastructure. Dispersers increased their speed closer to small forestry roads and larger public roads, did not exhibit selection for or against any road class, and avoided areas closer to buildings only at local scale. Dispersers did not select for any features on the landscape, which is likely explained by the novelty of the landscape or their naivety towards it. CONCLUSION Our results show that movement in male brown bears is life stage-dependent and indicate that connectivity maps derived from movement data of dispersing animals may provide more numerous and more realistic pathways than those derived from resident animal data alone. This suggests that data from dispersing animals provide more realistic models for reconnecting populations and maintaining connectivity than if data were derived from resident animals alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- N H Thorsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Oslo, Norway.
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
| | - J E Hansen
- Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø, Telemark, Norway
| | - O-G Støen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Oslo, Norway
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - J Kindberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - A Zedrosser
- Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø, Telemark, Norway.
- Department of Integrative Biology, Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
| | - S C Frank
- Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø, Telemark, Norway
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Meisingset EL, Gusevik J, Skjørestad A, Brekkum Ø, Mysterud A, Rosell F. Impacts of human disturbance on flight response and habitat use of red deer. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Erling L. Meisingset
- Department of Forestry and Forestry Resources Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research Tingvoll Norway
| | - Joar Gusevik
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health University of South‐Eastern Norway Bø i Telemark Norway
| | - Atle Skjørestad
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health University of South‐Eastern Norway Bø i Telemark Norway
| | - Øystein Brekkum
- Department of Forestry and Forestry Resources Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research Tingvoll Norway
| | - Atle Mysterud
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences University of Oslo Oslo Norway
| | - Frank Rosell
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health University of South‐Eastern Norway Bø i Telemark Norway
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Kidd‐Weaver AD, Rainwater TR, Murphy TM, Bodinof Jachowski CM. Evaluating the efficacy of capture as aversive conditioning for American alligators in human‐dominated landscapes. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anjelika D. Kidd‐Weaver
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation Clemson University 261 Lehotsky Hall Clemson SC 29634 USA
| | - Thomas R. Rainwater
- Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center and Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science Clemson University PO Box 596 Georgetown SC 29440 USA
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10
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Sarkar R, Bhadra A. How do animals navigate the urban jungle? A review of cognition in urban-adapted animals. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Chitwood MC, Baruzzi C, Lashley MA. “Ecology of fear” in ungulates: Opportunities for improving conservation. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8657. [PMID: 35261746 PMCID: PMC8888265 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Because ungulates are important contributors to ecosystem function, understanding the “ecology of fear” could be important to the conservation of ecosystems. Although studying ungulate ecology of fear is common, knowledge from ungulate systems is highly contested among ecologists. Here, we review the available literature on the ecology of fear in ungulates to generalize our current knowledge and how we can leverage it for conservation. Four general focus areas emerged from the 275 papers included in our literature search (and some papers were included in multiple categories): behavioral responses to predation risk (79%), physiological responses to predation risk (15%), trophic cascades resulting from ungulate responses to predation risk (20%), and manipulation of predation risk (1%). Of papers focused on behavior, 75% were about movement and habitat selection. Studies were biased toward North America (53%), tended to be focused on elk (Cervus canadensis; 29%), and were dominated by gray wolves (40%) or humans (39%) as predators of interest. Emerging literature suggests that we can utilize predation risk for conservation with top‐down (i.e., increasing predation risk) and bottom‐up (i.e., manipulating landscape characteristics to increase risk or risk perception) approaches. It is less clear whether fear‐related changes in physiology have population‐level fitness consequences or cascading effects, which could be fruitful avenues for future research. Conflicting evidence of trait‐mediated trophic cascades might be improved with better replication across systems and accounting for confounding effects of ungulate density. Improving our understanding of mechanisms modulating the nature of trophic cascades likely is most important to ensure desirable conservation outcomes. We recommend future work embrace the complexity of natural systems by attempting to link together the focal areas of study identified herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Colter Chitwood
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management Oklahoma State University Stillwater Oklahoma USA
| | - Carolina Baruzzi
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Mississippi State University Starkville Mississippi USA
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
| | - Marcus A. Lashley
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Mississippi State University Starkville Mississippi USA
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
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Abrahms B, Teitelbaum CS, Mueller T, Converse SJ. Ontogenetic shifts from social to experiential learning drive avian migration timing. Nat Commun 2021; 12:7326. [PMID: 34916500 PMCID: PMC8677782 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27626-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Migrating animals may benefit from social or experiential learning, yet whether and how these learning processes interact or change over time to produce observed migration patterns remains unexplored. Using 16 years of satellite-tracking data from 105 reintroduced whooping cranes, we reveal an interplay between social and experiential learning in migration timing. Both processes dramatically improved individuals' abilities to dynamically adjust their timing to track environmental conditions along the migration path. However, results revealed an ontogenetic shift in the dominant learning process, whereby subadult birds relied on social information, while mature birds primarily relied on experiential information. These results indicate that the adjustment of migration phenology in response to the environment is a learned skill that depends on both social context and individual age. Assessing how animals successfully learn to time migrations as environmental conditions change is critical for understanding intraspecific differences in migration patterns and for anticipating responses to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana Abrahms
- Center for Ecosystem Sentinels, Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | | | - Thomas Mueller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe-University Frankfurt and Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sarah J Converse
- U.S. Geological Survey, Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences & School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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13
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Prescribed fire has slight influence on Roosevelt elk population dynamics. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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14
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Zepeda E, Payne E, Wurth A, Sih A, Gehrt S. Early life experience influences dispersal in coyotes ( Canis latrans). Behav Ecol 2021; 32:728-737. [PMID: 34421364 PMCID: PMC8374878 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Natal dispersal plays an important role in connecting individual animal behavior with ecological processes at all levels of biological organization. As urban environments are rapidly increasing in extent and intensity, understanding how urbanization influences these long distance movements is critical for predicting the persistence of species and communities. There is considerable variation in the movement responses of individuals within a species, some of which is attributed to behavioral plasticity which interacts with experience to produce interindividual differences in behavior. For natal dispersers, much of this experience occurs in the natal home range. Using data collected from VHF collared coyotes (Canis latrans) in the Chicago Metropolitan Area we explored the relationship between early life experience with urbanization and departure, transience, and settlement behavior. Additionally, we looked at how early life experience with urbanization influenced survival to adulthood and the likelihood of experiencing a vehicle related mortality. We found that coyotes with more developed habitat in their natal home range were more likely to disperse and tended to disperse farther than individuals with more natural habitat in their natal home range. Interestingly, our analysis produced mixed results for the relationship between natal habitat and habitat selection during settlement. Finally, we found no evidence that early life experience with urbanization influenced survival to adulthood or the likelihood of experiencing vehicular mortality. Our study provides evidence that early life exposure influences dispersal behavior; however, it remains unclear how these differences ultimately affect fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Zepeda
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California at Davis, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Eric Payne
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California at Davis, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Ashley Wurth
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California at Davis, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Stanley Gehrt
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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Sergeyev M, McMillan BR, Hersey KR, Larsen RT. How Size and Condition Influence Survival and Cause‐Specific Mortality of Female Elk. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maksim Sergeyev
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Brigham Young University Provo UT 84604 USA
| | - Brock R. McMillan
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Brigham Young University Provo UT 84604 USA
| | - Kent R. Hersey
- Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Salt Lake City UT 84116 USA
| | - Randy T. Larsen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Brigham Young University Provo UT 84604 USA
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Smith JA, Gaynor KM, Suraci JP. Mismatch Between Risk and Response May Amplify Lethal and Non-lethal Effects of Humans on Wild Animal Populations. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.604973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Human activity has rapidly transformed the planet, leading to declines of animal populations around the world through a range of direct and indirect pathways. Humans have strong numerical effects on wild animal populations, as highly efficient hunters and through unintentional impacts of human activity and development. Human disturbance also induces costly non-lethal effects by changing the behavior of risk-averse animals. Here, we suggest that the unique strength of these lethal and non-lethal effects is amplified by mismatches between the nature of risk associated with anthropogenic stimuli and the corresponding response by wild animals. We discuss the unique characteristics of cues associated with anthropogenic stimuli in the context of animal ecology and evolutionary history to explore why and when animals fail to appropriately (a) detect, (b) assess, and (c) respond to both benign and lethal stimuli. We then explore the costs of over-response to a benign stimulus (Type I error) and under-response to a lethal stimulus (Type II error), which can scale up to affect individual fitness and ultimately drive population dynamics and shape ecological interactions. Finally, we highlight avenues for future research and discuss conservation measures that can better align animal perception and response with risk to mitigate unintended consequences of human disturbance.
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Malagnino A, Marchand P, Garel M, Cargnelutti B, Itty C, Chaval Y, Hewison A, Loison A, Morellet N. Do reproductive constraints or experience drive age-dependent space use in two large herbivores? Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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18
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Sergeyev M, McMillan BR, Hersey KR, Larsen RT. The influence of habitat use on harvest vulnerability of cow elk (Cervus canadensis). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242841. [PMID: 33227036 PMCID: PMC7682858 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pressure from hunting can alter the behavior and habitat selection of game species. During hunting periods, cervids such as elk (Cervus canadensis) typically select for areas further from roads and closer to tree cover, while altering the timing of their daily activities to avoid hunters. Our objective was to determine the habitat characteristics most influential in predicting harvest risk of elk. We captured 373 female elk between January 2015 and March 2017 in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and surrounding area of central Utah, USA. We determined habitat selection during the hunting season using a resource selection function (RSF) for 255 adult cow elk. Additionally, we used a generalized linear mixed model to evaluate risk of harvest based on habitat use within home ranges (3rd order selection) as well as the location of the home range on the landscape to evaluate vulnerability on a broader scale. Female elk selected for areas that reduced hunter access (rugged terrain, within tree cover, on private land). Age, elevation and distance to roads within a home range were most influential in predicting harvest risk (top model accounted for 36.2% of AIC weight). Elevation and distance to trees were most influential in predicting risk when evaluating the location of the home range (top model accounted for 42.1% of AIC weight). Vulnerability to harvest was associated with proximity to roads. Additionally, survival in our landscape decreased with age of femaleelk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maksim Sergeyev
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Brock R. McMillan
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States of America
| | - Kent R. Hersey
- Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
| | - Randy T. Larsen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States of America
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Perry TA, Laforge MP, Vander Wal E, Knight TW, McLoughlin PD. Individual responses to novel predation risk and the emergence of a landscape of fear. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A. Perry
- Department of Biology University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon SaskatchewanS7N 5E2Canada
| | - Michel P. Laforge
- Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s Newfoundland and LabradorA1B 3X9Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s Newfoundland and LabradorA1B 3X9Canada
| | - Thomas W. Knight
- Parks Canada AgencyGMNP Rocky Harbour Newfoundland and LabradorA0K 4N0Canada
| | - Philip D. McLoughlin
- Department of Biology University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon SaskatchewanS7N 5E2Canada
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Haus JM, Webb SL, Strickland BK, McCarthy KP, Rogerson JE, Bowman JL. Individual heterogeneity in resource selection has implications for mortality risk in white‐tailed deer. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob M. Haus
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology University of Delaware 531 South College Avenue Newark Delaware 19716 USA
| | - Stephen L. Webb
- Noble Research Institute, LLC 2510 Sam Noble Parkway Ardmore Oklahoma 73401 USA
| | - Bronson K. Strickland
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Mississippi State University Box 9690 Mississippi State Mississippi 39762 USA
| | - Kyle P. McCarthy
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology University of Delaware 531 South College Avenue Newark Delaware 19716 USA
| | - Joseph E. Rogerson
- Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife 6180 Hay Point Landing Road Smyrna Delaware 19977 USA
| | - Jacob L. Bowman
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology University of Delaware 531 South College Avenue Newark Delaware 19716 USA
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21
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Lamont BG, Kauffman MJ, Merkle JA, Mong TW, Hayes MM, Monteith KL. Bark Beetle‐Affected Forests Provide Elk Only a Marginal Refuge from Hunters. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bryan G. Lamont
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of Wyoming, Department 3166, 1000 E. University AvenueLaramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Matthew J. Kauffman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of Wyoming, Department 3166, 1000 E. University AvenueLaramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Jerod A. Merkle
- Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of Wyoming, Department 3166, 1000 E. University AvenueLaramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Tony W. Mong
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department 2820 Highway 120 Cody WY 82414 USA
| | - Matthew M. Hayes
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of Wyoming, Department 3166, 1000 E. University AvenueLaramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of Wyoming, 804 East FremontLaramie WY 82072 USA
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Chassagneux A, Calenge C, Marchand P, Richard E, Guillaumat E, Baubet E, Saïd S. Should I stay or should I go? Determinants of immediate and delayed movement responses of female red deer (Cervus elaphus) to drive hunts. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228865. [PMID: 32150545 PMCID: PMC7062277 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Hunting can be used as a tool for wildlife management, through limitation of population densities and dissuading game from using sensitive areas. The success of these approaches requires in depth knowledge of prey movement. Indeed, movement decisions of game during hunting may affect the killing success of hunters as well as the subsequent location of surviving animals. We thus investigated red deer movement responses to drive hunts and their causal factors. We studied 34 hunting events in the National Estate of Chambord (France) and thereby provided a fine-scale characterization of the immediate and delayed movement responses of red deer to drive hunts. Red deer responded to drive hunts either by immediately fleeing the hunted area, or by initially remaining before ultimately fleeing after the hunters had departed. A few hours after the hunt, all individuals were located in distant areas (> 2 kilometres) from the hunted area. Immediate flight responses were less common when drive hunts occurred in areas with dense understorey. However, neither beater/dog densities nor site familiarity influenced the immediate flight decision. Following a drive hunt, red deer remained outside the hunted areas for periods twice as long compared to periods when no hunting occurred (34 hours vs. 17 hours). Such knowledge of game movement rates in response to drive hunts may help the development of informed management policy for hunted red deer populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agathe Chassagneux
- Direction de la Recherche et de l’Appui Scientifique-Unité Ongulés Sauvages, Office Français de la Biodiversité, Birieux, France
- Direction de la Recherche et de l’Appui Scientifique-Unité Flore et Végétation, Office Français de la Biodiversité, Birieux, France
| | - Clément Calenge
- Direction surveillance, évaluation, données-Unité données et appui méthodologique, Office Français de la Biodiversité, Le Perray en Yvelines, France
| | - Pascal Marchand
- Direction de la Recherche et de l’Appui Scientifique-Unité Ongulés Sauvages, Office Français de la Biodiversité, Birieux, France
| | | | - Etienne Guillaumat
- Direction de la chasse et de la forêt, Domaine National de Chambord, Chambord, France
| | - Eric Baubet
- Direction de la Recherche et de l’Appui Scientifique-Unité Ongulés Sauvages, Office Français de la Biodiversité, Birieux, France
| | - Sonia Saïd
- Direction de la Recherche et de l’Appui Scientifique-Unité Ongulés Sauvages, Office Français de la Biodiversité, Birieux, France
- Direction de la Recherche et de l’Appui Scientifique-Unité Flore et Végétation, Office Français de la Biodiversité, Birieux, France
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Bachorec E, Horáček I, Hulva P, Konečný A, Lučan RK, Jedlička P, Shohdi WM, Řeřucha Š, Abi-Said M, Bartonička T. Spatial networks differ when food supply changes: Foraging strategy of Egyptian fruit bats. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229110. [PMID: 32097434 PMCID: PMC7041839 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [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: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals are faced with a range of ecological constraints that shape their behavioural decisions. Habitat features that affect resource abundance will also have an impact, especially as regards spatial distribution, which will in turn affect associations between the animals. Here we utilised a network approach, using spatial and genetic data, to describe patterns in use of space (foraging sites) by free-ranging Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) at the Dakhla Oasis in Egypt. We observed a decrease in home range size during spring, when food availability was lowest, which was reflected by differences in space sharing networks. Our data showed that when food was abundant, space sharing networks were less connected and more related individuals shared more foraging sites. In comparison, when food was scarce the bats had few possibilities to decide where and with whom to forage. Overall, both networks had high mean degree, suggesting communal knowledge of predictable food distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Bachorec
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Horáček
- Department of Zoology, Charles University in Prague, Viničná, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Hulva
- Department of Zoology, Charles University in Prague, Viničná, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Adam Konečný
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Radek K. Lučan
- Department of Zoology, Charles University in Prague, Viničná, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Jedlička
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences (ISI), Královopolská, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Šimon Řeřucha
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences (ISI), Královopolská, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Mounir Abi-Said
- Department of Earth and Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences II, Lebanese University, Fanar, Lebanon
| | - Tomáš Bartonička
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská, Brno, Czech Republic
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24
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The influence of population-control methods and seasonality on the activity pattern of wild boars (Sus scrofa) in high-altitude forests. Mamm Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-019-00003-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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25
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Bengsen AJ, Forsyth DM, Harris S, Latham ADM, McLeod SR, Pople A. A systematic review of ground-based shooting to control overabundant mammal populations. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/wr19129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Context Ground-based shooting is widely used in management programs aiming to alleviate the impacts of invasive or overabundant wildlife populations. However, evaluations of individual shooting operations have shown variable results, and the effectiveness of ground-shooting as a population-management intervention has not been systematically examined.
Aims Our review aimed to (1) assess the efficacy of shooting as a population management tool, and (2) identify commonalities among studies that will help managers identify situations where ground-shooting is most likely to be effective.
Methods We systematically reviewed the literature to identify studies involving ground-shooting. From each study, we collated information about operational objectives, target taxa, geographic context, type of shooter used, effort, effectiveness, and use of additional control tools.
Key results Most studies had no a priori quantifiable objectives. However, 60% of the 64 case studies produced a detectable reduction in population density and/or damage. The most common type of operation used unpaid or commercial harvest-oriented shooters to reduce herbivore density or damage. Only 30% of the operations that used volunteer shooters or recreational hunters achieved their objectives. Target taxa, geographic area or integration of shooting with other population-control methods had no detectable effect on the effectiveness of shooting operations. Common factors that hindered the effectiveness of shooting operations included immigration of target species from adjacent areas (n=13), decreasing effort from shooters as the target population declined (n=7) and selective harvesting (n=7).
Conclusions Ground-based shooting can be an effective management tool for overabundant wildlife populations, but many shooting operations did not achieve a notable decrease in animal abundance or damage. The source of failure could often be attributed to an inability to remove a sufficient proportion of the population to cause a population decline.
Implications Managers contemplating using ground-based shooting to reduce the impacts or density of wildlife populations should (1) carefully consider whether this is a suitable management tool to achieve the desired outcomes, (2) establish clear objectives that aim to meet defined outcomes and allow for continuous improvement, and (3) ensure that operations are sufficiently resourced to achieve and maintain those objectives.
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26
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DeMars C, Nielsen S, Edwards M. Effects of linear features on resource selection and movement rates of wood bison (Bison bison athabascae). CAN J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Human-mediated disturbances can lead to novel environmental features that can affect native biota beyond simple habitat loss. In boreal forests of western Canada, linear features (LFs; e.g., pipelines, seismic lines, and roads) are known to alter behaviour, movements, and interactions among species. Understanding LF impacts on native species has therefore been a management priority. Here, we investigate how LFs affect the spatial behaviour of wood bison (Bison bison athabascae Rhoads, 1898), which are designated as “threatened” in Canada. Using data collected from the Ronald Lake population in northeastern Alberta, we assessed how LFs influenced habitat selection and movement of bison by testing support among three hypotheses explaining whether LFs (i) increased forage availability, (ii) enhanced movement efficiency, or (iii) increased predation risk. Results supported the movement efficiency hypothesis as bison were generally ambivalent toward LFs, showing weak selection or avoidance depending on land-cover type, but moved slightly faster when on them. These findings contrast with avoidance behaviours reported for sympatric woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou (Gmelin, 1788)), which are also “threatened.” Our results should inform critical habitat decisions for wood bison, but we caution that further research is needed to understand the effects of LFs on bison demography.
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Affiliation(s)
- C.A. DeMars
- Caribou Monitoring Unit, Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, CW405 Biological Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - S.E. Nielsen
- Applied Conservation Ecology (ACE) Lab, Department of Renewable Resources, 701 General Services Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H1, Canada
| | - M.A. Edwards
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, and Mammalogy Program, Royal Alberta Museum, 12845–102 Ave., Edmonton, AB T5N 0M6, Canada
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27
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Vajas P, Calenge C, Richard E, Fattebert J, Rousset C, Saïd S, Baubet E. Many, large and early: Hunting pressure on wild boar relates to simple metrics of hunting effort. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 698:134251. [PMID: 31783467 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 09/01/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Wild boar populations have increased dramatically over the last decades throughout Europe and in France in particular. While hunting is considered the most efficient way to control game populations, many local conflicts persist after the hunting period due to remaining high densities of wild boar despite the large number of animals culled every year. Therefore, increasing the efficiency of hunting is a timely issue. Herein, we assessed how hunting effort can be measured, and we determined whether the hunting effort carried out by hunters explains the observed hunting pressure. We measured the characteristics and results of all hunts that occurred in the experimental forest of Châteauvillain-Arc-en-Barrois (Northeastern France), and we modelled the number of animals culled as a function of the hunting effort, measured by the number of beaters, hunters, and dogs, as well as the size of the hunting area. We also accounted for variables suspected to affect the hunting efficiency achieved with a given effort, such as time of day (AM/PM), the month during which hunting occurred. We found that more posted hunters, larger hunted areas, and hunts carried out early in the season, i.e. before February, increased the number of culled animals. Our model can be used by wildlife managers to adjust hunting effort in order to reach the hunting pressure expected to meet management objectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Vajas
- Fondation François Sommer, Pôle Nature, 60 rue des archives, 75003 Paris, France; Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune sauvage, DRE-Unité Ongulés Sauvages, Monfort 01330, Birieux, France.
| | - Clément Calenge
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune sauvage, DRE-Cellule d'Appui Méthodologique, 5 rue Saint Thibault, Saint Benoist, BP 20, 78612 Le Perray en Yvelines Cedex, France.
| | - Emmanuelle Richard
- Fondation François Sommer, Pôle Nature, 60 rue des archives, 75003 Paris, France.
| | - Julien Fattebert
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA; Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban 4000, South Africa.
| | - Cyril Rousset
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune sauvage, DRE-Unité Ongulés Sauvages, 2 bis rue des religieuses, 52120 Châteauvillain, France.
| | - Sonia Saïd
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune sauvage, DRE-Unité Ongulés Sauvages, Monfort 01330, Birieux, France.
| | - Eric Baubet
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune sauvage, DRE-Unité Ongulés Sauvages, Monfort 01330, Birieux, France.
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28
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Found R, St. Clair CC. Influences of Personality on Ungulate Migration and Management. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Pruvot M, Musiani M, Boyce MS, Kutz S, Orsel K. Integrating livestock management and telemetry data to assess disease transmission risk between wildlife and livestock. Prev Vet Med 2019; 174:104846. [PMID: 31765959 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2019.104846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Overlap of cattle and wild elk ranges in southwestern Alberta foothills is an opportunity for inter-species interactions. To assess the spatio-temporal patterns of disease transmission risk between cattle and elk, several risk indexes were defined to represent different transmission routes. Risk indexes were estimated by combining elk telemetry data obtained from 168 GPS-collared elk, and cattle management information obtained by interviews conducted in 16 cow-calf operations overlapping the elk home range. We assessed the bias resulting from ignoring cattle movement related to seasonnal grazing practices, and the impact of the assessment of spatio-temporal patterns of risk. Direct transmission risk indexes peaked during winter months, due to aggregation at higher densities of both elk and cattle on winter ranges and winter pastures, respectively. However, a summer peak also was observed when risk indexes were not adjusted for pasture area, due to larger cattle summer pastures overlapping a higher number of elk telemetry locations. We identified periods when the proximity of elk to specific features (such as mineral blocks, hay land, winter-feeding areas, or water sources) may increase the risk of inter-species transmission. Indirect transmission risk indexes increased with the survival of pathogens in the environment, as the temporal constraint for cattle and elk overlap decreased. Finally, integrating pasture management information substantially influenced the magnitude and temporal patterns of transmission risk indexes, highlighting the importance of collecting detailed livestock management data in the context of assessing the risk of inter-species disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Pruvot
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Wildlife Conservation Society, Wildlife Health Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA.
| | - Marco Musiani
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Mark S Boyce
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Susan Kutz
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Karin Orsel
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
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Spitz DB, Rowland MM, Clark DA, Wisdom MJ, Smith JB, Brown CL, Levi T. Behavioral changes and nutritional consequences to elk (
Cervus canadensis
) avoiding perceived risk from human hunters. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Derek B. Spitz
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Mary M. Rowland
- U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station La Grande Oregon 97850 USA
| | - Darren A. Clark
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife La Grande Oregon 97850 USA
| | - Michael J. Wisdom
- U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station La Grande Oregon 97850 USA
| | - Joshua B. Smith
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife La Grande Oregon 97850 USA
| | - Casey L. Brown
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife La Grande Oregon 97850 USA
| | - Taal Levi
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
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McArthur C, Finnerty PB, Schmitt MH, Shuttleworth A, Shrader AM. Plant volatiles are a salient cue for foraging mammals: elephants target preferred plants despite background plant odour. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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32
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Berger-Tal O, Saltz D. Invisible barriers: anthropogenic impacts on inter- and intra-specific interactions as drivers of landscape-independent fragmentation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180049. [PMID: 31352896 PMCID: PMC6710564 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenically induced fragmentation constitutes a major threat to biodiversity. Presently, conservation research and actions focus predominantly on fragmentation caused directly by physical transformation of the landscape (e.g. deforestation, agriculture, urbanization, roads, etc.). While there is no doubt that landscape features play a key role in fragmenting populations or enhancing connectivity, fragmentation may also come about by processes other than the transformation of the landscape and which may not be readily visible. Such landscape-independent fragmentation (LIF) usually comes about when anthropogenic disturbance alters the inter- and intra-specific interactions among and within species. LIF and its drivers have received little attention in the scientific literature and in the management of wildlife populations. We discuss three major classes of LIF processes and their relevance for the conservation and management of species and habitats: (i) interspecific dispersal dependency, in which populations of species that rely on other species for transport and propagation become fragmented as the transporting species declines; (ii) interspecific avoidance induction, where species are excluded from habitats and corridors owing to interspecific interactions resulting from anthropogenically induced changes in community structure (e.g. exclusions by increased predation pressure); and (iii) intraspecific behavioural divergence, where populations become segregated owing to anthropogenically induced behavioural differentiation among them. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Linking behaviour to dynamics of populations and communities: application of novel approaches in behavioural ecology to conservation'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oded Berger-Tal
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 8499000 Midreshet Ben Gurion, Israel
| | - David Saltz
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 8499000 Midreshet Ben Gurion, Israel
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Lesmerises F, Johnson CJ, St‐Laurent M. Effect of behavioral marginality on survival of an alpine ungulate. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Lesmerises
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie Centre for Northern Studies Université du Québec à Rimouski 300 Allée des Ursulines Rimouski G5L 3A1 Québec Canada
| | - Chris J. Johnson
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Institute University of Northern British Columbia 3333 University Way Prince George British Columbia V2N 4Z9 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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Bowyer RT, Boyce MS, Goheen JR, Rachlow JL. Conservation of the world’s mammals: status, protected areas, community efforts, and hunting. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyy180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- R Terry Bowyer
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - Mark S Boyce
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jacob R Goheen
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Janet L Rachlow
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
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Austin CM, Ramp D. Behavioural Plasticity by Eastern Grey Kangaroos inResponse to Human Behaviour. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:ani9050244. [PMID: 31096679 PMCID: PMC6562978 DOI: 10.3390/ani9050244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Many species of wildlife live in landscapes they share with people. Some exploit resources and protection provided by close proximity to people, while others learn to avoid people all together. In this study, we sought to test whether individuals from a population of eastern grey kangaroos altered grouping and spacing behaviour in response to human presence, depending upon whether the intent and actions of those people were benign or harmful. Under harmful conditions, kangaroos failed to form larger groups when far from cover, however, this typical antipredator grouping behaviour persisted when human disturbances were benign. These differences in grouping and spacing behaviour suggest that kangaroos can exhibit bidirectional behavioural plasticity at fine scales, a trait that may confer adaptive advantages when sharing landscapes with humans. Abstract Sharing landscapes with humans is an increasingly fraught challenge for wildlife across the globe. While some species benefit from humans by exploiting novel opportunities (e.g., provision of resources or removal of competitors or predators), many wildlife experience harmful effects, either directly through persecution or indirectly through loss of habitat. Consequently, some species have been shown to be attracted to human presence while others avoid us. For any given population of a single species, though, the question of whether they can recognise and change their response to human presence depending on the type of human actions (i.e., either positive or negative) has received little attention to date. In this study, we chose to examine the behavioural plasticity within a single population of eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) to both positive and negative human activity. Within a relatively small and contiguous landscape, we identified areas where kangaroos experience a combination of either low and high frequencies of benign and harmful human disturbances. From six sampling sessions over five months, we found that density and group sizes were higher where humans acted benignly towards them, and that these groups had higher representations of sub-adults and juveniles than where humans had harmful intentions. Importantly, we found that the vital antipredator strategy of increasing group size with distance from cover was not detectable at sites with low and high levels of harm. Our findings suggest that these kangaroos are recognising and adjusting their behavioural response to humans at fine spatial scales, a plasticity trait that may be key to the survival of these species in human dominated landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Austin
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney,Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.
| | - Daniel Ramp
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney,Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.
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Chassagneux A, Calenge C, Siat V, Mortz P, Baubet E, Saïd S. Proximity to the risk and landscape features modulate female red deer movement patterns over several days after drive hunts. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Agathe Chassagneux
- Agathe Chassagneux (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6265-710X) , V. Siat, E. Baubet and S. Saïd, Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune sauvage, DRE-Unité Ongulés Sauvages, FR-01330 Birieux, France
| | - Clément Calenge
- C. Calenge, Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune sauvage, DRE-Cellule d'Appui Méthodologique, Saint Benoist, Le Perray en Yvelines Cedex, France
| | - Vivien Siat
- Agathe Chassagneux (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6265-710X) , V. Siat, E. Baubet and S. Saïd, Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune sauvage, DRE-Unité Ongulés Sauvages, FR-01330 Birieux, France
| | - Philippe Mortz
- P. Mortz, Office National des Forêts, Agence Territoriale Nord Alsace, Saverne Cedex, France
| | - Eric Baubet
- Agathe Chassagneux (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6265-710X) , V. Siat, E. Baubet and S. Saïd, Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune sauvage, DRE-Unité Ongulés Sauvages, FR-01330 Birieux, France
| | - Sonia Saïd
- Agathe Chassagneux (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6265-710X) , V. Siat, E. Baubet and S. Saïd, Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune sauvage, DRE-Unité Ongulés Sauvages, FR-01330 Birieux, France
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Ofstad EG, Herfindal I, Solberg EJ, Heim M, Rolandsen CM, Sæther B. Use, selection, and home range properties: complex patterns of individual habitat utilization. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Endre Grüner Ofstad
- Department of Biology Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Ivar Herfindal
- Department of Biology Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | | | - Morten Heim
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Trondheim Norway
| | | | - Bernt‐Erik Sæther
- Department of Biology Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
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Whittington J, Low P, Hunt B. Temporal road closures improve habitat quality for wildlife. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3772. [PMID: 30846820 PMCID: PMC6405904 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40581-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing levels of human activity threaten wildlife populations through direct mortality, habitat degradation, and habitat fragmentation. Area closures can improve habitat quality for wildlife, but may be difficult to achieve where tourism or other economic drivers are a priority. Temporal closures that limit human use during specific times of day have potential to increase habitat quality for wildlife, while continuing to provide opportunities for human use. However, the effectiveness of daily temporal closures has not been tested. We assessed how implementation of a temporal road closure affected wildlife movements in Banff National Park. Parks Canada closed a popular 17 km stretch of road between 2000 and 0800 hours to improve habitat quality for wildlife. We assessed the effectiveness of the closure on nine mammal species using three sets of data: remote cameras, road surveys, and grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) GPS data. In all three analyses, wildlife detection rates on the road doubled during the closure while remaining unchanged in reference areas. Our strong and consistent results suggest temporal closures are an important conservation tool that can increase habitat quality for wildlife while minimizing effects on people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Whittington
- Parks Canada Agency, Banff National Park Resource Conservation, Banff, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Petah Low
- Parks Canada Agency, Banff National Park Resource Conservation, Banff, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bill Hunt
- Parks Canada Agency, Banff National Park Resource Conservation, Banff, Alberta, Canada
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Fattebert J, Morelle K, Jurkiewicz J, Ukalska J, Borkowski J. Safety first: seasonal and diel habitat selection patterns by red deer in a contrasted landscape. J Zool (1987) 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Fattebert
- School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Durban South Africa
| | - K. Morelle
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Science Bialowieza Poland
| | - J. Jurkiewicz
- Wildlife Monitoring Project Jolanta Jurkiewicz Mogilany Poland
| | - J. Ukalska
- Department of Econometrics and Statistics Warsaw Agricultural University Warsaw Poland
| | - J. Borkowski
- Department of Forestry and Forest Ecology University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn Olsztyn Poland
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Amor JM, Newman R, Jensen WF, Rundquist BC, Walter WD, Boulanger JR. Seasonal home ranges and habitat selection of three elk (Cervus elaphus) herds in North Dakota. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0211650. [PMID: 30716128 PMCID: PMC6361512 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in land use have resulted in range shifts of many wildlife species, including those entering novel environments, resulting in the critical need to understand their spatial ecology to inform ecosystem effects and management decisions. Dispersing elk (Cervus elaphus) were colonizing areas of suitable habitat in the Northern Great Plains, USA, resulting in crop depredation complaints in these areas. Although state resource managers had little information on these elk herds, limited evidence suggested temporal movements into Canada. We collected and analyzed essential information on home range and habitat selection for 3 elk herds residing in North Dakota. We captured 5 adult female elk in each study area, affixed global positioning system collars, and monitored them for 1 year (2016-2017). We estimated diel period, seasonal, and hunting season home ranges using Brownian Bridge Movement Models for each individual. We analyzed habitat selection using multinomial logit models to test for differences in use of land classes, and for departures from proportionate use based on random sampling; our predictor variables included individual elk, diel period, and season. Home ranges differed between the 3 herds, seasons, and diel period; gun and winter season home ranges were both larger than in summer, as was night when compared with day. Female elk generally restricted themselves to cover during the day and entered open areas at night and during winter months. Our results also suggest that elk in our study areas tended to seek more cover, and in the case of our Turtle Mountain study area, some cross into Canada during gun season. Our study provides a better understanding of the spatial ecology of elk in the Northern Great Plains while highlighting the need for enhanced international cooperative management efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline M. Amor
- Department of Geography, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Robert Newman
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - William F. Jensen
- North Dakota Game and Fish Department, Bismarck, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Bradley C. Rundquist
- Department of Geography, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - W. David Walter
- United States Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jason R. Boulanger
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Slabach BL, Hast JT, Murphy SM, Bowling WE, Crank RD, Jenkins G, Johannsen KL, Cox JJ. Survival and cause-specific mortality of elk Cervus canadensis in Kentucky, USA. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brittany L. Slabach
- B. L. Slabach , Dept of Biology, Univ. of Kentucky, 101 TH Morgan Building, Lexin
| | - John T. Hast
- J. T. Hast, Dept of Animal and Food Sciences, Univ. of Kentucky Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Sean M. Murphy
- S. M. Murphy (http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9404- 8878), Dept of Forestry and Natural Resources, Dept o
| | - Willie E. Bowling
- JTH, W. E. Bowling, R. D. Crank, G. Jenkins and K. L. Johannsen, Kentucky Dept of Fish and Wildlife
| | - R. Daniel Crank
- JTH, W. E. Bowling, R. D. Crank, G. Jenkins and K. L. Johannsen, Kentucky Dept of Fish and Wildlife
| | - Gabe Jenkins
- JTH, W. E. Bowling, R. D. Crank, G. Jenkins and K. L. Johannsen, Kentucky Dept of Fish and Wildlife
| | - Kristina L. Johannsen
- JTH, W. E. Bowling, R. D. Crank, G. Jenkins and K. L. Johannsen, Kentucky Dept of Fish and Wildlife
| | - John J. Cox
- J. J. Cox, Dept of Forestry and Natural Resources, Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark S Boyce
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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43
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Froy H, Börger L, Regan CE, Morris A, Morris S, Pilkington JG, Crawley MJ, Clutton-Brock TH, Pemberton JM, Nussey DH. Declining home range area predicts reduced late-life survival in two wild ungulate populations. Ecol Lett 2018; 21:1001-1009. [PMID: 29656580 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Revised: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Demographic senescence is increasingly recognised as an important force shaping the dynamics of wild vertebrate populations. However, our understanding of the processes that underpin these declines in survival and fertility in old age remains limited. Evidence for age-related changes in foraging behaviour and habitat use is emerging from wild vertebrate studies, but the extent to which these are driven by within-individual changes, and the consequences for fitness, remain unclear. Using longitudinal census observations collected over four decades from two long-term individual-based studies of unmanaged ungulates, we demonstrate consistent within-individual declines in home range area with age in adult females. In both systems, we found that within-individual decreases in home range area were associated with increased risk of mortality the following year. Our results provide the first evidence from the wild that age-related changes in space use are predictive of adult mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Froy
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Charlotte E Regan
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Alison Morris
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Sean Morris
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Jill G Pilkington
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Michael J Crawley
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | | | - Josephine M Pemberton
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Daniel H Nussey
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
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Schnitzler A, Granado J, Putelat O, Arbogast RM, Drucker D, Eberhard A, Schmutz A, Klaefiger Y, Lang G, Salzburger W, Schibler J, Schlumbaum A, Bocherens H. Genetic diversity, genetic structure and diet of ancient and contemporary red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) from north-eastern France. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0189278. [PMID: 29304165 PMCID: PMC5755736 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In north-eastern France, red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) populations were rebuilt from a few hundred individuals, which have subsisted in remote valleys of the Vosges mountains, and to a lesser extent from individuals escaped from private enclosures; at present times, this species occupies large areas, mainly in the Vosges Mountains. In this study, we examined the population dynamics of red deer in the Vosges Mountains using ancient and contemporary mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 140 samples (23 ancient + 117 modern) spanning the last 7'000 years. In addition, we reconstructed the feeding habits and the habitat of red deer since the beginning of agriculture applying isotopic analyses in order to establish a basis for current environmental management strategies. We show that past and present red deer in the Vosges Mountains belong to mtDNA haplogroup A, suggesting that they originated from the Iberian refugium after the last glacial maximum (LGM). Palaeogenetic analysis of ancient bone material revealed the presence of two distinct haplotypes with different temporal distributions. Individuals belonging to the two haplotype groups apparently occupied two different habitats over at least 7'000 years. AM6 correlates with an ecological type that feeds in densely forested mountain landscapes, while AM235 correlates with feeding in lowland landscapes, composed of a mixture of meadows and riverine, herb-rich woodlands. Our results suggest that red deer of north-eastern France was able to adapt, over the long term, to these different habitat types, possibly due to efficient ethological barriers. Modern haplotype patterns support the historical record that red deer has been exposed to strong anthropogenic influences as a major game species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annik Schnitzler
- LIEC UMR 7360, University of Lorraine - UFR Sci FA, Campus Bridoux, Metz, France
- * E-mail:
| | - José Granado
- Integrative Prehistoric and Archaeological Science (IPAS), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Putelat
- Archéologie Alsace, Sélestat & UMR 7041 ArScan - Archéologies environnementales - Maison de l’Archéologie et de l’Ethnologie, Nanterre, France
| | | | - Dorothée Drucker
- Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (HEP), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anna Eberhard
- Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anja Schmutz
- Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yuri Klaefiger
- Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Joerg Schibler
- Integrative Prehistoric and Archaeological Science (IPAS), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Angela Schlumbaum
- Integrative Prehistoric and Archaeological Science (IPAS), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hervé Bocherens
- Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (HEP), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Dept of Geosciences (Biogeology), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Kiley-Worthington M. The Mental Homologies of Mammals. Towards an Understanding of Another Mammals World View. Animals (Basel) 2017; 7:E87. [PMID: 29168729 PMCID: PMC5742781 DOI: 10.3390/ani7120087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Revised: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammals' mental homologies include that they look after their young, suckle and protect them; they acquire information about the world by learning. They have five types of sensory receptors and a brain to analyze the information and they feel: that is they are sentient. Mental homologies have been largely ignored by behavioural scientists since Darwin because of certain historical beliefs. This however has not been the case for people who have had to do with non-human mammals who have long recognized their mental similarities to humans. As a result, behavioural science has sponsored some inappropriate research (examples are given). The study of another mammal species epistemology, (knowledge and world view) requires a recognition of these mental homologies. The result of a 25 year multi-disciplinary study indicates that there are nine mammalian mental homologies which define mammals. These are discussed and reviewed and further mental aptitudes which logically follow from these are pointed out. A Conditional Anthropomorphic approach is proposed. By recognizing the body/mind, whole "being" homologies of mammals, we can advance in understanding other mammal species' and individual's epistemology (world view), and consequently better their welfare and enrich our own lives.
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Abrahams MI, Peres CA, Costa HCM. Measuring local depletion of terrestrial game vertebrates by central-place hunters in rural Amazonia. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0186653. [PMID: 29040340 PMCID: PMC5645145 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The degree to which terrestrial vertebrate populations are depleted in tropical forests occupied by human communities has been the subject of an intense polarising debate that has important conservation implications. Conservation ecologists and practitioners are divided over the extent to which community-based subsistence offtake is compatible with ecologically functional populations of tropical forest game species. To quantify depletion envelopes of forest vertebrates around human communities, we deployed a total of 383 camera trap stations and 78 quantitative interviews to survey the peri-community areas controlled by 60 semi-subsistence communities over a combined area of over 3.2 million hectares in the Médio Juruá and Uatumã regions of Central-Western Brazilian Amazonia. Our results largely conform with prior evidence that hunting large-bodied vertebrates reduces wildlife populations near settlements, such that they are only found at a distance to settlements where they are hunted less frequently. Camera trap data suggest that a select few harvest-sensitive species, including lowland tapir, are either repelled or depleted by human communities. Nocturnal and cathemeral species were detected relatively more frequently in disturbed areas close to communities, but individual species did not necessarily shift their activity patterns. Group biomass of all species was depressed in the wider neighbourhood of urban areas rather than communities. Interview data suggest that species traits, especially group size and body mass, mediate these relationships. Large-bodied, large-group-living species are detected farther from communities as reported by experienced informants. Long-established communities in our study regions have not "emptied" the surrounding forest. Low human population density and low hunting offtake due to abundant sources of alternative aquatic protein, suggest that these communities represent a best-case scenario for sustainable hunting of wildlife for food, thereby providing a conservative assessment of game depletion. Given this 'best-case' camera trap and interview-based evidence for hunting depletion, regions with higher human population densities, external trade in wildlife and limited access to alternative protein will likely exhibit more severe depletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark I. Abrahams
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Carlos A. Peres
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Hugo C. M. Costa
- PPG Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Brazil
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