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Evans TS, Ellison N, Boudreau MR, Strickland BK, Street GM, Iglay RB. What drives wild pig (Sus scrofa) movement in bottomland and upland forests? MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:32. [PMID: 38664784 PMCID: PMC11044336 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00472-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The wild pig (Sus scrofa) is an exotic species that has been present in the southeastern United States for centuries yet continues to expand into new areas dominated by bottomland and upland forests, the latter of which are less commonly associated with wild pigs. Here, we aimed to investigate wild pig movement and space use attributes typically used to guide wild pig management among multiple spatiotemporal scales. Our investigation focused on a newly invaded landscape dominated by bottomland and upland forests. METHODS We examined (1) core and total space use using an autocorrelated kernel density estimator; (2) resource selection patterns and hot spots of space use in relation to various landscape features using step-selection analysis; and (3) daily and hourly differences in movement patterns between non-hunting and hunting seasons using generalized additive mixed models. RESULTS Estimates of total space use among wild pigs (n = 9) were smaller at calculated core (1.2 ± 0.3 km2) and 90% (5.2 ± 1.5 km2) isopleths than estimates reported in other landscapes in the southeastern United States, suggesting that wild pigs were able to meet foraging, cover, and thermoregulatory needs within smaller areas. Generally, wild pigs selected areas closer to herbaceous, woody wetlands, fields, and perennial streams, creating corridors of use along these features. However, selection strength varied among individuals, reinforcing the generalist, adaptive nature of wild pigs. Wild pigs also showed a tendency to increase movement from fall to winter, possibly paralleling increases in hard mast availability. During this time, there were also increases in anthropogenic pressures (e.g. hunting), causing movements to become less diurnal as pressure increased. CONCLUSIONS Our work demonstrates that movement patterns by exotic generalists must be understood across individuals, the breadth of landscapes they can invade, and multiple spatiotemporal scales. This improved understanding will better inform management strategies focused on curbing emerging invasions in novel landscapes, while also protecting native natural resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler S Evans
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, 775 Stone Boulevard, Mississippi State, Mississippi, 39762, USA.
| | - Natasha Ellison
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, 775 Stone Boulevard, Mississippi State, Mississippi, 39762, USA
| | - Melanie R Boudreau
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, 775 Stone Boulevard, Mississippi State, Mississippi, 39762, USA
| | - Bronson K Strickland
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, 775 Stone Boulevard, Mississippi State, Mississippi, 39762, USA
| | - Garrett M Street
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, 775 Stone Boulevard, Mississippi State, Mississippi, 39762, USA
| | - Raymond B Iglay
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, 775 Stone Boulevard, Mississippi State, Mississippi, 39762, USA
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Yang A, Boughton R, Miller RS, Snow NP, Vercauteren KC, Pepin KM, Wittemyer G. Individual-level patterns of resource selection do not predict hotspots of contact. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:74. [PMID: 38037089 PMCID: PMC10687890 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00435-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Contact among animals is crucial for various ecological processes, including social behaviors, disease transmission, and predator-prey interactions. However, the distribution of contact events across time and space is heterogeneous, influenced by environmental factors and biological purposes. Previous studies have assumed that areas with abundant resources and preferred habitats attract more individuals and, therefore, lead to more contact. To examine the accuracy of this assumption, we used a use-available framework to compare landscape factors influencing the location of contacts between wild pigs (Sus scrofa) in two study areas in Florida and Texas (USA) from those influencing non-contact space use. We employed a contact-resource selection function (RSF) model, where contact locations were defined as used points and locations without contact as available points. By comparing outputs from this contact RSF with a general, population-level RSF, we assessed the factors driving both habitat selection and contact. We found that the landscape predictors (e.g., wetland, linear features, and food resources) played different roles in habitat selection from contact processes for wild pigs in both study areas. This indicated that pigs interacted with their landscapes differently when choosing habitats compared to when they encountered other individuals. Consequently, relying solely on the spatial overlap of individual or population-level RSF models may lead to a misleading understanding of contact-related ecology. Our findings challenge prevailing assumptions about contact and introduce innovative approaches to better understand the ecological drivers of spatially explicit contact. By accurately predicting the spatial distribution of contact events, we can enhance our understanding of contact based ecological processes and their spatial dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anni Yang
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
| | - Raoul Boughton
- Archbold Biological Station, Buck Island Ranch, Lake Placid, FL, 33852, USA
| | - Ryan S Miller
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Service, Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health, 2150 Centre Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | - Nathan P Snow
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Wildlife Research Center, Wildlife Services, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA
| | - Kurt C Vercauteren
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Wildlife Research Center, Wildlife Services, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA
| | - Kim M Pepin
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Wildlife Research Center, Wildlife Services, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA
| | - George Wittemyer
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
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Garabedian JE, Cox KJ, Vukovich M, Kilgo JC. Co‐occurrence of native white‐tailed deer and invasive wild pigs: Evidence for competition? Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- James E. Garabedian
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station New Ellenton South Carolina USA
| | - Kyle J. Cox
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station New Ellenton South Carolina USA
| | - Mark Vukovich
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station New Ellenton South Carolina USA
| | - John C. Kilgo
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station New Ellenton South Carolina USA
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Biological invasions disrupt activity patterns of native wildlife: An example from wild pigs. FOOD WEBS 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2022.e00270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Potts JR, Börger L, Strickland BK, Street GM. Assessing the predictive power of step selection functions: how social and environmental interactions affect animal space use. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R. Potts
- School of Mathematics and Statistics University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, Hounsfield Road Sheffield UK
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences College of Science Swansea University, Singleton Park Swansea Wales UK
- Centre for Biomathematics College of Science Swansea University, Singleton Park Swansea Wales UK
| | - Bronson K. Strickland
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Mississippi State University Mississippi State MS USA
| | - Garrett M. Street
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Mississippi State University Mississippi State MS USA
- Quantitative Ecology and Spatial Technologies Laboratory Mississippi State University Mississippi State MS USA
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Kramer C, Boudreau MR, Miller RS, Powers R, VerCauteren K, Brook RK. Summer habitat use and movements of invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) in Canadian agro-ecosystems. CAN J ZOOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2021-0116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Resource selection informs understanding of a species’ ecology and is especially pertinent for invasive species. Since introduced to Canada, wild pigs (Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1978) remain understudied despite recognized negative impacts to native and agricultural systems globally. Elsewhere in North America, pigs typically use forests and forage in agricultural crops. We hypothesized Canadian wild pigs would behave similarly and using GPS locations from 15 individuals we examined diel and seasonal resource selection and movement in the Canadian prairie region. Forests were predominately selected during the day, while corn (Zea mays L.), oilseeds, and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were predominately selected at night. Forests and corn were consistently selected throughout the growing season. Wetlands and forests showed greater use rates than other habitats, with evident trade-offs as crop use increased with the timing of maturation. Activity was consistent with foraging in growing crops. Results indicate diel patterns were likely a function of short-term needs to avoid daytime anthropogenic risk, while seasonal patterns demonstrate how habitats that fill multiple functional roles – food, cover, and thermoregulation – can be optimized. Understanding selection by invasive species is an important step in understanding their potential environmental impacts in novel environments and informs their management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey Kramer
- University of Saskatchewan College of Agriculture and Bioresources, 98627, Animal and Poultry Science, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Melanie R. Boudreau
- Mississippi State University College of Forest Resources, 237137, Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States
| | | | - Ryan Powers
- USDA, 1097, Bismarck, North Dakota, United States
| | - Kurt VerCauteren
- USDA-APHIS National Wildlife Research Center, 93514, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
| | - Ryan K. Brook
- University of Saskatchewan College of Agriculture and Bioresources, 98627, Department of Animal and Poultry Science & Indigenous Land Management Institute, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada,
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Muthoka CM, Andren H, Nyaga J, Augustsson E, Kjellander P. Effect of supplemental feeding on habitat and crop selection by wild boar in Sweden. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.2024265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia M. Muthoka
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Embu, P.O. Box 6, Embu 60100, Kenya
| | - Henrik Andren
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-739 93 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Justin Nyaga
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Embu, P.O. Box 6, Embu 60100, Kenya
| | - Evelina Augustsson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-739 93 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Petter Kjellander
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-739 93 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
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Street GM, Potts JR, Börger L, Beasley JC, Demarais S, Fryxell JM, McLoughlin PD, Monteith KL, Prokopenko CM, Ribeiro MC, Rodgers AR, Strickland BK, Beest FM, Bernasconi DA, Beumer LT, Dharmarajan G, Dwinnell SP, Keiter DA, Keuroghlian A, Newediuk LJ, Oshima JEF, Rhodes O, Schlichting PE, Schmidt NM, Vander Wal E. Solving the sample size problem for resource selection functions. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Garrett M. Street
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Mississippi State University Mississippi State MS USA
- Quantitative Ecology and Spatial Technologies Laboratory Mississippi State University Mississippi State MS USA
| | - Jonathan R. Potts
- School of Mathematics and Statistics University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences Swansea University Swansea UK
- Centre for Biomathematics Swansea University Swansea UK
| | - James C. Beasley
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia Aiken SC USA
| | - Stephen Demarais
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Mississippi State University Mississippi State MS USA
| | - John M. Fryxell
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
| | | | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
| | | | - Miltinho C. Ribeiro
- Instituto de Biosciências Universidad Estadual Paulista Rio Claro, São Paulo Brazil
| | - Arthur R. Rodgers
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry ON Canada
| | - Bronson K. Strickland
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Mississippi State University Mississippi State MS USA
| | | | | | | | - Guha Dharmarajan
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia Aiken SC USA
| | - Samantha P. Dwinnell
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit University of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
| | - David A. Keiter
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia Aiken SC USA
| | | | - Levi J. Newediuk
- Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s NL Canada
| | - Júlia Emi F. Oshima
- Instituto de Biosciências Universidad Estadual Paulista Rio Claro, São Paulo Brazil
| | - Olin Rhodes
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia Aiken SC USA
| | | | | | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s NL Canada
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Severson JP, Johnson HE, Arthur SM, Leacock WB, Suitor MJ. Spring phenology drives range shifts in a migratory Arctic ungulate with key implications for the future. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:4546-4563. [PMID: 33993595 PMCID: PMC8456794 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Annual variation in phenology can have profound effects on the behavior of animals. As climate change advances spring phenology in ecosystems around the globe, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how animals respond to variation in the timing of seasonal events and how their responses may shift in the future. We investigated the influence of spring phenology on the behavior of migratory, barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus), a species that has evolved to cope with short Arctic summers. Specifically, we examined the effect of spring snow melt and vegetation growth on the current and potential future space-use patterns of the Porcupine Caribou Herd (PCH), which exhibits large, inter-annual shifts in their calving and post-calving distributions across the U.S.-Canadian border. We quantified PCH selection for snow melt and vegetation phenology using machine learning models, determined how selection resulted in annual shifts in space-use, and then projected future distributions based on climate-driven phenology models. Caribou exhibited strong, scale-dependent selection for both snow melt and vegetation growth. During the calving season, caribou selected areas at finer scales where the snow had melted and vegetation was greening, but within broader landscapes that were still brown or snow covered. During the post-calving season, they selected vegetation with intermediate biomass expected to have high forage quality. Annual variation in spring phenology predicted major shifts in PCH space-use. In years with early spring phenology, PCH predominately used habitat in Alaska, while in years with late phenology, they spent more time in Yukon. Future climate conditions were projected to advance spring phenology, shifting PCH calving and post-calving distributions further west into Alaska. Our results demonstrate that caribou selection for habitat in specific phenological stages drive dramatic shifts in annual space-use patterns, and will likely affect future distributions, underscoring the importance of maintaining sufficient suitable habitat to allow for behavioral plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stephen M. Arthur
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceArctic National Wildlife RefugeFairbanksAKUSA
| | - William B. Leacock
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceArctic National Wildlife RefugeFairbanksAKUSA
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11
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Wilber MQ, Chinn SM, Beasley JC, Boughton RK, Brook RK, Ditchkoff SS, Fischer JW, Hartley SB, Holmstrom LK, Kilgo JC, Lewis JS, Miller RS, Snow NP, VerCauteren KC, Wisely SM, Webb CT, Pepin KM. Predicting functional responses in agro-ecosystems from animal movement data to improve management of invasive pests. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 30:e02015. [PMID: 31596984 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Functional responses describe how changing resource availability affects consumer resource use, thus providing a mechanistic approach to prediction of the invasibility and potential damage of invasive alien species (IAS). However, functional responses can be context dependent, varying with resource characteristics and availability, consumer attributes, and environmental variables. Identifying context dependencies can allow invasion and damage risk to be predicted across different ecoregions. Understanding how ecological factors shape the functional response in agro-ecosystems can improve predictions of hotspots of highest impact and inform strategies to mitigate damage across locations with varying crop types and availability. We linked heterogeneous movement data across different agro-ecosystems to predict ecologically driven variability in the functional responses. We applied our approach to wild pigs (Sus scrofa), one of the most successful and detrimental IAS worldwide where agricultural resource depredation is an important driver of spread and establishment. We used continental-scale movement data within agro-ecosystems to quantify the functional response of agricultural resources relative to availability of crops and natural forage. We hypothesized that wild pigs would selectively use crops more often when natural forage resources were low. We also examined how individual attributes such as sex, crop type, and resource stimulus such as distance to crops altered the magnitude of the functional response. There was a strong agricultural functional response where crop use was an accelerating function of crop availability at low density (Type III) and was highly context dependent. As hypothesized, there was a reduced response of crop use with increasing crop availability when non-agricultural resources were more available, emphasizing that crop damage levels are likely to be highly heterogeneous depending on surrounding natural resources and temporal availability of crops. We found significant effects of crop type and sex, with males spending 20% more time and visiting crops 58% more often than females, and both sexes showing different functional responses depending on crop type. Our application demonstrates how commonly collected animal movement data can be used to understand context dependencies in resource use to improve our understanding of pest foraging behavior, with implications for prioritizing spatiotemporal hotspots of potential economic loss in agro-ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Q Wilber
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA
- USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80521-2154, USA
| | - Sarah M Chinn
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, South Carolina, 29081, USA
| | - James C Beasley
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, South Carolina, 29081, USA
| | - Raoul K Boughton
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Range Cattle Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Ona, Florida, 33865, USA
| | - Ryan K Brook
- Department of Animal & Poultry Science and Indigenous Land Management Institute, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5AB, Canada
| | - Stephen S Ditchkoff
- School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, 36849 , USA
| | - Justin W Fischer
- USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80521-2154, USA
| | - Steve B Hartley
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, 700 Cajundome Boulevarde, Lafayette, Louisiana, 70506, USA
| | - Lindsey K Holmstrom
- Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health, USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526, USA
| | - John C Kilgo
- USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, P.O. Box 700, New Ellenton, South Carolina, 29809, USA
| | - Jesse S Lewis
- College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, Arizona State University, Mesa, Arizona, 85212, USA
| | - Ryan S Miller
- Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health, USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526, USA
| | - Nathan P Snow
- USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80521-2154, USA
| | - Kurt C VerCauteren
- USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80521-2154, USA
| | - Samantha M Wisely
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA
| | - Colleen T Webb
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA
| | - Kim M Pepin
- USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80521-2154, USA
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Paolini KE, Strickland BK, Tegt JL, VerCauteren KC, Street GM. The habitat functional response links seasonal third-order selection to second-order landscape characteristics. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:4683-4691. [PMID: 31031935 PMCID: PMC6476861 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 02/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining how animals respond to differences in resource availabilities across spatiotemporal extents is critical to our understanding of organism distributions. Variations in resource distribution leading to changes in spatial arrangements across landscapes are indicative of a habitat functional response. Our goal was to assess how resource availabilities influenced both second-order (i.e., home ranging behavior) and third-order (i.e., habitat or resource selection) selection by feral pigs (Sus scrofa) in an agricultural landscape. We defined agriculturally based seasons to estimate home range characteristics using autocorrelated kernel density estimation within each season. We then modeled home range size as a function of resource availability (i.e., resource selection analyses) to determine whether individual behaviors were predicted by shifts in home ranging behavior. Both home range analyses and resource selection analyses indicated seasonal differences in selection for agricultural resources as availabilities changed, suggesting second- and third-order selection is mechanistically linked through a habitat functional response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey E. Paolini
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippi
| | - Bronson K. Strickland
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippi
| | - Jessica L. Tegt
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippi
| | - Kurt C. VerCauteren
- United States Department of AgricultureNational Wildlife Research CenterFort CollinsColorado
| | - Garrett M. Street
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippi
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