1
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Mori T, Mori SN, Izumiyama S. Temporal and individual variation in the feeding habits of Asiatic black bears ( Ursus thibetanus). Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11562. [PMID: 38988342 PMCID: PMC11233272 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Foraging plays a vital role in the survival of wildlife, and shifts in food availability can impact species fitness and survival. Ursids are known to consume a wide variety of foods and are known to be opportunistic omnivores. Consequently, seasonal shifts in diet, which correspond to temporal and spatial shifts in the availability of food resources, have long captivated researchers studying the foraging behavior of Ursidae. Nevertheless, comprehensive dietary studies encompassing both the population and individual levels remain scarce. In this study, we investigated the dietary patterns of Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) at both the population and individual levels, using data collected through GPS collars and field surveys of individual bear scat samples in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, from 2016 to 2020. From early April to late June, bears mainly foraged on green vegetation. During this period, male and large-bodied female bears showed a strong preference for green vegetation. Small-bodied female bears also ate mostly green vegetation but tended to consume more fruit than other bears towards the end of this period. From June to October, bears' diets included a substantial amount of fruit, with notable peaks in fruit consumption in late June and early September. During the summer months, female bears often incorporated social insects into their diet compared to the population-level trend. In mid-September, the consumption of seeds from the Fagaceae family surged, becoming the primary dietary component during this period. This trend was consistently observed across the population. These findings underscore the importance conducting in-depth dietary analyses that take into account individual characteristics such as sex, age, and body weight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoki Mori
- Institute for Mountain Science Shinshu University Minami-minowa, Kami-Ina Japan
- Present address: Research Center for Wildlife Management Gifu University Gifu Japan
| | - Saki N Mori
- Graduate School of Science and Technology Shinshu University Minami-minowa, Kami-Ina Japan
| | - Shigeyuki Izumiyama
- Institute for Mountain Science Shinshu University Minami-minowa, Kami-Ina Japan
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2
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Mychajliw AM, Adams AJ, Brown KC, Campbell BT, Hardesty-Moore M, Welch ZS, Page HM, Southon JR, Cooper SD, Alagona PS. Coupled social and ecological change drove the historical extinction of the California grizzly bear ( Ursus arctos californicus). Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20230921. [PMID: 38196370 PMCID: PMC10777157 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0921] [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: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Large carnivores (order Carnivora) are among the world's most threatened mammals due to a confluence of ecological and social forces that have unfolded over centuries. Combining specimens from natural history collections with documents from archival records, we reconstructed the factors surrounding the extinction of the California grizzly bear (Ursus arctos californicus), a once-abundant brown bear subspecies last seen in 1924. Historical documents portrayed California grizzlies as massive hypercarnivores that endangered public safety. Yet, morphological measurements on skulls and teeth generate smaller body size estimates in alignment with extant North American grizzly populations (approx. 200 kg). Stable isotope analysis (δ13C, δ15N) of pelts and bones (n = 57) revealed that grizzlies derived less than 10% of their nutrition from terrestrial animal sources and were therefore largely herbivorous for millennia prior to the first European arrival in this region in 1542. Later colonial land uses, beginning in 1769 with the Mission era, led grizzlies to moderately increase animal protein consumption (up to 26% of diet), but grizzlies still consumed far less livestock than otherwise claimed by contemporary accounts. We show how human activities can provoke short-term behavioural shifts, such as heightened levels of carnivory, that in turn can lead to exaggerated predation narratives and incentivize persecution, triggering rapid loss of an otherwise widespread and ecologically flexible animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis M. Mychajliw
- Department of Biology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, USA
- Environmental Studies Program, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, USA
- La Brea Tar Pits & Museum, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Andrea J. Adams
- Earth Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Kevin C. Brown
- Environmental Studies Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Beau T. Campbell
- Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Molly Hardesty-Moore
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Zoë S. Welch
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Henry M. Page
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - John R. Southon
- Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Scott D. Cooper
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Peter S. Alagona
- Environmental Studies Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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3
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Mayer P, Grêt-Regamey A, Ciucci P, Salliou N, Stritih A. Mapping human- and bear-centered perspectives on coexistence using a participatory Bayesian framework. J Nat Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2023.126387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
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4
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Fattorini N, Lovari S, Franceschi S, Chiatante G, Brunetti C, Baruzzi C, Ferretti F. Animal conflicts escalate in a warmer world. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 871:161789. [PMID: 36716887 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161789] [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: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The potential for climate change to affect animal behaviour is widely recognized, yet its possible consequences on aggressiveness are still unclear. If warming and drought limit the availability of food resources, climate change may elicit an increase of intraspecific conflicts stemming from resource competition. By measuring aggressivity indices in a group-living, herbivorous mammal (the Apennine chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata) in two sites differing in habitat quality, and coupling them with estimates of plant productivity, we investigated whether harsh climatic conditions accumulated during the growing season influenced agonistic contests at feeding via vegetation-mediated effects, and their interaction with the site-specific habitat quality. We focused on females, which exhibit intra-group contest competition to access nutritious food patches. Accounting for confounding variables, we found that (1) the aggression rate between foraging individuals increased with the warming accumulated over previous weeks; (2) the probability to deliver more aggressive behaviour patterns toward contestants increased with decreasing rainfall recorded in previous weeks; (3) the effects of cumulative warming and drought on aggressivity indices occurred at time windows spanning 15-30 days, matching those found on vegetation productivity; (4) the effects of unfavourable climatic conditions via vegetation growth on aggressivity were independent of the site-specific habitat quality. Simulations conducted on our model species predict a ~50 % increase in aggression rate following the warming projected over the next 60 years. Where primary productivity will be impacted by warming and drought, our findings suggest that the anticipated climate change scenarios may trigger bottom-up consequences on intraspecific animal conflicts. This study opens the doors for a better understanding of the multifactorial origin of aggression in group-living foragers, emphasising how the escalation of agonistic contests could emerge as a novel response of animal societies to ongoing global warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niccolò Fattorini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Sandro Lovari
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy; Maremma Natural History Museum, Strada Corsini 5, 58100 Grosseto, Italy
| | - Sara Franceschi
- Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Siena, Piazza San Francesco 8, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Gianpasquale Chiatante
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy; Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Claudia Brunetti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Carolina Baruzzi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy; Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, North Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, 155 Research Rd., Quincy, FL 32351, USA
| | - Francesco Ferretti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
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5
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Takatsuki S, Tsuji Y, Prayitno B, Widayati KA, Suryobroto B. Seasonal changes in dietary compositions of the Malayan flying lemur (Galeopterus variegatus) with reference to food availability. MAMMAL RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-022-00658-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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6
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Isotopic signature in isolated south-western populations of European brown bear (Ursus arctos). MAMMAL RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-022-00654-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
AbstractStable isotope analysis of animal tissue samples is increasingly used to study the trophic ecology of target species. The isotopic signatures respond to the type of diet, but also to the environmental conditions of their habitat. In the case of omnivorous, seasonal or opportunistic feeding species, the interpretation of isotopic values is more complex, as it is largely determined by food selection, either due to individual choice or because of availability. We analysed C and N isotopes in brown bear (Ursus arctos) hair from four isolated populations of south-western Europe (Cantabrian, Pyrenees, Central Apennines and Alpine) accounting for the geographical and climatic differences among the four areas. We found inter-population differences in isotopic signatures that cannot be attributed to climatic differences alone, indicating that at least some bears from relatively higher altitude populations experiencing higher precipitation (Pyrenees) show a greater consumption of animal foods than those from lower altitudes (Cantabrian and Apennines). The quantification of isotopic niche space using Layman’s metrics identified significant similarities between the Cantabrian and Central Apennine samples that markedly differ from the Pyrenean and Alpine. Our study provides a baseline to allow further comparisons in isotopic niche spaces in a broad ranged omnivorous mammal, whose European distribution requires further conservation attention especially for southern isolated populations.
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Donatelli A, Mastrantonio G, Ciucci P. Circadian activity of small brown bear populations living in human-dominated landscapes. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15804. [PMID: 36138081 PMCID: PMC9499929 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20163-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Whereas numerous studies on large carnivores have focused on analyzing spatial patterns and habitat use, the temporal dimension of their activity has been relatively little investigated, making this a topic of growing interest, especially in human-dominated landscapes. Relict and isolated Apennine brown bears (Ursus arctos marsicanus) have been living in a human-modified landscape since millennia, but no information is available on their activity patterns. By means of GPS telemetry (26,880 GPS locations collected from 18 adult Apennine brown bears) we investigated their circadian rhythms, using hourly movement rates as an index of bear activity. Based on a Bayesian modeling approach, circadian activity of Apennine brown bears was described by a bimodal curve, with peaks of activity around sunrise and sunset. We revealed seasonal effects, with bears exhibiting higher movement rates throughout the mating season, but no relevant influence of sex. In addition, bears increased their movement rate at distances < 100–500 m to roads and settlements exclusively during spring and late summer, suggesting a trade-off between foraging opportunities and risk avoidance. The absence of a marked nocturnality in Apennine brown bears suggests a relatively low degree of habitat encroachment and disturbance by humans. Yet, the occurrence of crepuscular activity patterns and the responses in proximity of anthropogenic landscape features likely indicate a coadaptation by bears to human presence through a shift in their temporal niche. Further studies should aim to unveil fitness implications of such modifications in activity patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora Donatelli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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8
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Patterns of Human–Brown Bear Conflict in the Urban Area of Brașov, Romania. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14137833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Human–bear conflicts are increasing in number due to deforestation, urban expansion, tourism, and habitat invasion by humans. Our study was conducted in Brașov, a picturesque city in central Romania. Brașov is surrounded by forests and has significant tourist traffic, but also much uncollected garbage and many garbage containers, which attract brown bears. We recorded human–bear conflicts in four districts (Răcădău, the Historic Centre, Noua, and Gară) between 2004 and 2018, finding 55 cases in total, of which in 19 cases involving people, 4 people were killed and 32 were injured. In 36 cases, there were no human victims. We mapped the locations of human–bear conflicts and garbage containers, then analysed their space–time location and human victims in terms of behavioural factors. The altitudes at which brown bears were identified ranged from 580 to 790 m, whereas bears were found in the city at distances of between 100 and 2600 m from the forest. The highest frequency of human–bear conflicts occurred during summer and autumn, and the most common behavioural factor was human outdoor activities. This study provides an important background for understanding human–bear conflicts and will help local authorities develop effective strategies to reduce human–bear conflicts and mitigate risk.
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9
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Bogdanović N, Hertel AG, Zedrosser A, Paunović M, Plećaš M, Ćirović D. Seasonal and diel movement patterns of brown bears in a population in southeastern Europe. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:15972-15983. [PMID: 34824804 PMCID: PMC8601923 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Most animals concentrate their movement into certain hours of the day depending on drivers such as photoperiod, ambient temperature, inter- or intraspecific competition, and predation risk. The main activity periods of many mammal species, especially in human-dominated landscapes, are commonly set at dusk, dawn, and during nighttime hours. Large carnivores, such as brown bears, often display great flexibility in diel movement patterns throughout their range, and even within populations, striking between individual differences in movement have been demonstrated. Here, we evaluated how seasonality and reproductive class affected diel movement patterns of brown bears of the Dinaric-Pindos and Carpathian bear populations in Serbia. We analyzed the movement distances and general probability of movement of 13 brown bears (8 males and 5 females) equipped with GPS collars and monitored over 1-3 years. Our analyses revealed that movement distances and probability of bear movement differed between seasons (mating versus hyperphagia) and reproductive classes. Adult males, solitary females, and subadult males showed a crepuscular movement pattern. Compared with other reproductive classes, females with offspring were moving significantly less during crepuscular hours and during the night, particularly during the mating season, suggesting temporal niche partitioning among different reproductive classes. Adult males, solitary females, and in particular subadult males traveled greater hourly distances during the mating season in May-June than the hyperphagia in July-October. Subadult males significantly decreased their movement from the mating season to hyperphagia, whereas females with offspring exhibited an opposite pattern with almost doubling their movement from the mating to hyperphagia season. Our results provide insights into how seasonality and reproductive class drive intrapopulation differences in movement distances and probability of movement in a recovering, to date little studied, brown bear population in southeastern Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anne G. Hertel
- Behavioral EcologyDepartment of BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians University of MunichPlanegg‐MartinsriedGermany
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental HealthFaculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime SciencesUniversity of South‐Eastern NorwayBø i TelemarkNorway
- Department of Integrative BiologyInstitute of Wildlife Biology and Game ManagementUniversity of Natural Resources and Applied Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | | | - Milan Plećaš
- Faculty of BiologyUniversity of BelgradeBelgradeSerbia
| | - Duško Ćirović
- Faculty of BiologyUniversity of BelgradeBelgradeSerbia
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10
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Careddu G, Ciucci P, Mondovì S, Calizza E, Rossi L, Costantini ML. Gaining insight into the assimilated diet of small bear populations by stable isotope analysis. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14118. [PMID: 34238974 PMCID: PMC8266819 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93507-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Apennine brown bears (Ursus arctos marsicanus) survive in an isolated and critically endangered population, and their food habits have been studied using traditional scat analysis. To complement current dietary knowledge, we applied Stable Isotope Analysis (SIA) to non-invasively collected bear hairs that had been individually recognized through multilocus genotyping. We analysed carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotopes of hair sections and bear key foods in a Bayesian mixing models framework to reconstruct the assimilated diet on a seasonal basis and to assess gender and management status effects. In total, we analysed 34 different seasonal bear key foods and 35 hair samples belonging to 27 different bears (16 females and 11 males) collected during a population survey in 2014. Most bears showed wide δ15N and δ13C ranges and individual differences in seasonal isotopic patterns. Vegetable matter (herbs, fleshy fruits and hard mast) represented the major component of the assimilated diet across the dietary seasons, whereas vegetable crops were rarely and C4 plants (i.e., corn) never consumed. We confirmed an overall low consumption of large mammals by Apennine bears consistently between sexes, with highest values in spring followed by early summer but null in the other seasons. We also confirmed that consumption of fleshy fruits peaked in late summer, when wild predominated over cultivated fleshy fruits, even though the latter tended to be consumed in higher proportion in autumn. Male bears had higher δ 15N values than females in spring and autumn. Our findings also hint at additional differences in the assimilated diet between sexes, with females likely consuming more herbs during spring, ants during early summer, and hard mast during fall compared to males. In addition, although effect sizes were small and credibility intervals overlapped considerably, management bears on average were 0.9‰ lower in δ 13C and 2.9‰ higher in δ 15N compared to non-management bears, with differences in isotopic values between the two bear categories peaking in autumn. While non-management bears consumed more herbs, wild fleshy fruits, and hard mast, management bears tended to consume higher proportions of cultivated fruits, ants, and large mammals, possibly including livestock. Although multi-year sampling and larger sample sizes are needed to support our findings, our application confirms that SIA can effectively integrate previous knowledge and be efficiently conducted using samples non-invasively collected during population surveys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Careddu
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Stella Mondovì
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Edoardo Calizza
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Loreto Rossi
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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11
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Cost of Coexisting with a Relict Large Carnivore Population: Impact of Apennine Brown Bears, 2005-2015. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11051453. [PMID: 34069365 PMCID: PMC8158715 DOI: 10.3390/ani11051453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-carnivore conflicts are a major conservation issue. As bears are expanding their range in Europe's human-modified landscapes, it is increasingly important to understand, prevent, and address human-bear conflicts and evaluate mitigation strategies in areas of historical coexistence. Based on verified claims, we assessed costs, patterns, and drivers of bear damages in the relict Apennine brown bear population in the Abruzzo Lazio and Molise National Park (PNALM), central Italy. During 2005-2015, 203 ± 71 (SD) damage events were verified annually, equivalent to 75,987 ± 30,038 €/year paid for compensation. Most damages occurred in summer and fall, with livestock depredation, especially sheep and cattle calves, prevailing over other types of damages, with apiaries ranking second in costs of compensation. Transhumant livestock owners were less impacted than residential ones, and farms that adopted prevention measures loaned from the PNALM were less susceptible to bear damages. Livestock farms chronically damaged by bears represented 8 ± 3% of those annually impacted, corresponding to 24 ± 6% of compensation costs. Further improvements in the conflict mitigation policy adopted by the PNALM include integrated prevention, conditional compensation, and participatory processes. We discuss the implications of our study for Human-bear coexistence in broader contexts.
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12
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Shirane Y, Jimbo M, Yamanaka M, Nakanishi M, Mori F, Ishinazaka T, Sashika M, Tsubota T, Shimozuru M. Dining from the coast to the summit: Salmon and pine nuts determine the summer body condition of female brown bears on the Shiretoko Peninsula. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:5204-5219. [PMID: 34026001 PMCID: PMC8131783 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Body condition in mammals fluctuates depending on energy intake and expenditure. For brown bears (Ursus arctos), high-protein foods facilitate efficient mass gain, while lipids and carbohydrates play important roles in adjusting dietary protein content to optimal levels to maximize energy intake. On the Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan, brown bears have seasonal access to high-lipid pine nuts and high-protein salmon. To assess seasonal and annual fluctuation in the body condition of adult female brown bears in relation to diet and reproductive status, we conducted a longitudinal study in a special wildlife protection area on the Shiretoko Peninsula during 2012-2018. First, analyses of 2,079 bear scats revealed that pine nuts accounted for 39.8% of energy intake in August and salmon accounted for 46.1% in September and that their consumption by bears varied annually. Second, we calculated the ratio of torso height to torso length as an index of body condition from 1,226 photographs of 12 adult females. Results indicated that body condition continued to decline until late August and started to increase in September when salmon consumption increased. In addition, body condition began to recover earlier in years when consumption of both pine nuts and salmon was high. Furthermore, females with offspring had poorer body condition than solitary females, in particular in late August in years with low salmon consumption. Our findings suggest that coastal and subalpine foods, which are unique to the Shiretoko Peninsula, determine the summer body condition of female brown bears, as well as their survival and reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Shirane
- Graduate School of Veterinary MedicineHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
| | - Mina Jimbo
- Graduate School of Veterinary MedicineHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
| | | | | | - Fumihiko Mori
- Graduate School of Veterinary MedicineHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
| | | | - Mariko Sashika
- Graduate School of Veterinary MedicineHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
| | - Toshio Tsubota
- Graduate School of Veterinary MedicineHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
| | - Michito Shimozuru
- Graduate School of Veterinary MedicineHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
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13
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Loy A, Ciucci P, Guidarelli G, Roccotelli E, Colangelo P. Developmental instability and phenotypic evolution in a small and isolated bear population. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20200729. [PMID: 33878275 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We explored fluctuating asymmetry (FA) and morphological integration (MI) in the skull of the small, highly inbred and divergent Apennine bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus), to explore its uniqueness and investigate any potential effects of inbreeding depression. We used 3D geometric morphometrics contrasting Apennine bears with other two large outbred bear populations from Scandinavia and Kamchatka as controls. Shape divergence and variability were explored by a principal component analysis on aligned coordinates of 39 landmarks. Procrustes ANOVA, morphological disparity and the global integration index were used to explore FA, shape variance and MI. By remarking Apennine bears as a highly divergent phenotype, we recorded the highest FA and deviation from self-similarity compared with the other two control populations. We conclude that Apennine bears are likely facing developmental instability as a consequence of inbreeding depression, whereas the divergent trait covariance pattern may represent a potential source of evolutionary novelties. We discuss the implications for the conservation and management of this imperiled taxon.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Loy
- Envix Lab, Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, 86090 Pesche (IS), Italy
| | - P Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies 'Charles Darwin', University of Rome La Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - G Guidarelli
- Envix Lab, Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, 86090 Pesche (IS), Italy
| | - E Roccotelli
- Envix Lab, Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, 86090 Pesche (IS), Italy
| | - P Colangelo
- Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems, National Research Council, 00015 Montelibretti, Rome, Italy
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14
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Ballesteros F, Palomero G, Blanco JC, López-Bao JV. Sexually selected infanticide or predation? Killing and consumption of a female brown bear in a male infanticide attempt. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-021-01466-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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15
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De Angelis D, Kusak J, Huber D, Reljić S, Gužvica G, Ciucci P. Environmental and anthropogenic correlates of seasonal migrations in the Dinaric‐Pindos brown bear population. J Zool (1987) 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniele De Angelis
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin” Sapienza University of Rome Roma Italy
| | - Josip Kusak
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia
| | - Djuro Huber
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia
- Institute of Nature Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences Kraków Poland
| | - Slaven Reljić
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia
| | - Goran Gužvica
- Oikon Ltd. Institute of Applied Ecology Zagreb Croatia
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin” Sapienza University of Rome Roma Italy
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16
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Seed dispersal by the brown bear in a mixed temperate forest: fruit type matters. MAMMAL RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-020-00551-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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17
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Karimi S, Hemami MR, Tarkesh Esfahani M, Baltzinger C. Endozoochorous dispersal by herbivores and omnivores is mediated by germination conditions. BMC Ecol 2020; 20:49. [PMID: 32867734 PMCID: PMC7457502 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-020-00317-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Vertebrate-mediated seed dispersal is probably the main long distance dispersal mode. Through endozoochory, large mammals act as mobile links between habitats within and among forest patches. Along with other factors, their feeding regimes do affect their contribution as dispersal vectors. We conducted a cross-species comparative experiment involving two herbivores, red deer and roe deer; and two opportunistic omnivores, wild boar and brown bear, all occurring in the forest and steppe-forest ecotone habitats of the south-eastern Caspian region. We compared their role as endozoochorous seed dispersal agents by monitoring seedling emergence in their dungs under greenhouse and natural conditions. Results In total, 3078 seedlings, corresponding to 136 plant taxa sprouted from 445 paired dung sub-samples, under greenhouse and natural conditions. Only 336 seedlings, corresponding to 36 plant taxa, emerged under natural conditions, among which five taxa did not appear under greenhouse conditions. Graminoids and forbs composed 91% of the seedlings in the greenhouse whereas shrubs were more abundant under natural conditions, representing 55% of the emerged seedlings. Under greenhouse conditions, first red deer and then wild boar dispersed more species than the other two mammals, while under natural conditions brown bear was the most effective vector. We observed remarkably higher species richness and seedling abundance per dung sub-sample under buffered greenhouse conditions than we did under natural conditions. Conclusions The four sympatric mammals studied provided different seed dispersal services, both in terms of seedling abundance and species richness and may therefore be regarded as complementary. Our results highlight a positive bias when only considering germination under buffered greenhouse conditions. This must be taken into account when planning management options to benefit plant biodiversity based on the dispersal services concluded from greenhouse experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sorour Karimi
- Department of Natural Resources, Isfahan University of Technology, 84156-83111, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mahmoud-Reza Hemami
- Department of Natural Resources, Isfahan University of Technology, 84156-83111, Isfahan, Iran.
| | | | - Christophe Baltzinger
- INRAE Val de Loire, Research Unit Forest Ecosystems, Domaine des Barres, 45290, Nogent-sur-Vernisson, France.,Centre for Invasion Biology and Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa
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18
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McClelland CJ, Coops NC, Kearney SP, Burton AC, Nielsen SE, Stenhouse GB. Variations in grizzly bear habitat selection in relation to the daily and seasonal availability of annual plant-food resources. ECOL INFORM 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2020.101116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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19
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Ciucci P, Mancinelli S, Boitani L, Gallo O, Grottoli L. Anthropogenic food subsidies hinder the ecological role of wolves: Insights for conservation of apex predators in human-modified landscapes. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
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20
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Fattorini N, Brunetti C, Baruzzi C, Chiatante G, Lovari S, Ferretti F. Temporal variation in foraging activity and grouping patterns in a mountain-dwelling herbivore: Environmental and endogenous drivers. Behav Processes 2019; 167:103909. [PMID: 31330169 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.103909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In temperate ecosystems, seasonality influences animal behaviour. Food availability, weather, photoperiod and endogenous factors relevant to the biological cycle of individuals have been shown as major drivers of temporal changes in activity rhythms and group size/structure of herbivorous species. We evaluated how diurnal female foraging activity and grouping patterns of a mountain herbivore, the Apennine chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata, varied during a decreasing gradient of pasture availability along the summer-autumn progression (July-October), a crucial period for the life cycle of mountain ungulates. Females increased diurnal foraging activity, possibly because of constrains elicited by variation in environmental factors. Size of mixed groups did not vary, in contrast with the hypothesis that groups should be smaller when pasture availability is lower. Proportion of females in groups increased, possibly suggesting that they concentrated on patchily distributed nutritious forbs. Occurrence of yearlings in groups decreased, which may have depended on dispersal of chamois in this age class. Presence of kids in groups did not show variation through summer-autumn, suggesting a close mother-juvenile relationship even at the end of weaning and/or, possibly, low summer mortality. Both endogenous and environmental factors contribute to shape variation in foraging activity and grouping behaviour in mountain-dwelling herbivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niccolò Fattorini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena. Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy.
| | - Claudia Brunetti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena. Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Carolina Baruzzi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena. Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Gianpasquale Chiatante
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Sandro Lovari
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena. Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy; Maremma Natural History Museum, Strada Corsini 5, 58100 Grosseto, Italy
| | - Francesco Ferretti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena. Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
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21
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Fedorca A, Russo IRM, Ionescu O, Ionescu G, Popa M, Fedorca M, Curtu AL, Sofletea N, Tabor GM, Bruford MW. Inferring fine-scale spatial structure of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) population in the Carpathians prior to infrastructure development. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9494. [PMID: 31263171 PMCID: PMC6602936 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45999-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Landscape genetics is increasingly being used in landscape planning for biodiversity conservation by assessing habitat connectivity and identifying landscape barriers, using intraspecific genetic data and quantification of landscape heterogeneity to statistically test the link between genetic variation and landscape variability. In this study we used genetic data to understand how landscape features and environmental factors influence demographic connectedness in Europe’s largest brown bear population and to assist in mitigating planned infrastructure development in Romania. Model-based clustering inferred one large and continuous bear population across the Carpathians suggesting that suitable bear habitat has not become sufficiently fragmented to restrict movement of individuals. However, at a finer scale, large rivers, often located alongside large roads with heavy traffic, were found to restrict gene flow significantly, while eastern facing slopes promoted genetic exchange. Since the proposed highway infrastructure development threatens to fragment regions of the Carpathians where brown bears occur, we develop a decision support tool based on models that assess the landscape configuration needed for brown bear conservation using wildlife corridor parameters. Critical brown bear corridors were identified through spatial mapping and connectivity models, which may be negatively influenced by infrastructure development and which therefore require mitigation. We recommend that current and proposed infrastructure developments incorporate these findings into their design and where possible avoid construction measures that may further fragment Romania’s brown bear population or include mitigation measures where alternative routes are not feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ancuta Fedorca
- National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry Marin Dracea, Brasov, 500040, Closca Street 13, Romania. .,Faculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, 500123, Beethoven Lane 1, Romania.
| | - Isa-Rita M Russo
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Sir Martin Evans Building, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Ovidiu Ionescu
- National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry Marin Dracea, Brasov, 500040, Closca Street 13, Romania.,Faculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, 500123, Beethoven Lane 1, Romania
| | - Georgeta Ionescu
- National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry Marin Dracea, Brasov, 500040, Closca Street 13, Romania.,Faculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, 500123, Beethoven Lane 1, Romania
| | - Marius Popa
- National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry Marin Dracea, Brasov, 500040, Closca Street 13, Romania.,Faculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, 500123, Beethoven Lane 1, Romania
| | - Mihai Fedorca
- National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry Marin Dracea, Brasov, 500040, Closca Street 13, Romania.,Faculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, 500123, Beethoven Lane 1, Romania
| | - Alexandru Lucian Curtu
- Faculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, 500123, Beethoven Lane 1, Romania
| | - Neculae Sofletea
- Faculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, 500123, Beethoven Lane 1, Romania
| | - Gary M Tabor
- Center for Large Landscape Conservation, 303 W Mendenhall St #4, Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
| | - Michael W Bruford
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Sir Martin Evans Building, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
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22
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Glikman JA, Ciucci P, Marino A, Davis EO, Bath AJ, Boitani L. Local attitudes toward Apennine brown bears: Insights for conservation issues. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jenny A. Glikman
- Community EngagementInstitute for Conservation Research San Diego California
- Geography DepartmentMemorial University St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and BiotechnologyUniversity of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Agnese Marino
- Institute of ZoologyRegent's Park London UK
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity College London London UK
| | - Elizabeth O. Davis
- Community EngagementInstitute for Conservation Research San Diego California
- Department of Archaeology and AnthropologyUniversity of Bristol Bristol UK
| | - Alistair J. Bath
- Geography DepartmentMemorial University St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador
| | - Luigi Boitani
- Department of Biology and BiotechnologyUniversity of Rome Rome Italy
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23
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Ogurtsov SS. The Diet of the Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) in the Central Forest Nature Reserve (West-European Russia), Based on Scat Analysis Data. BIOL BULL+ 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359018090145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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24
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25
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Fattorini N, Brunetti C, Baruzzi C, Macchi E, Pagliarella MC, Pallari N, Lovari S, Ferretti F. Being “hangry”: food depletion and its cascading effects on social behaviour. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Niccolò Fattorini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, Siena, Italy
| | - Claudia Brunetti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, Siena, Italy
| | - Carolina Baruzzi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, Siena, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Macchi
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, Via L. Da Vinci, Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Pagliarella
- Department of Bioscience and Territory, University of Molise, Via F. De Sanctis, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Noemi Pallari
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, Siena, Italy
| | - Sandro Lovari
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, Siena, Italy
- Maremma Natural History Museum, Strada Corsini, Grosseto, Italy
| | - Francesco Ferretti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, Siena, Italy
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26
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Pop IM, Bereczky L, Chiriac S, Iosif R, Nita A, Popescu VD, Rozylowicz L. Movement ecology of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in the Romanian Eastern Carpathians. NATURE CONSERVATION 2018. [DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.26.22955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Brown bear movement patterns are driven by their opportunistic feeding behaviour, with their complex life history and seasonality playing an important role in habitat selection. Within a large unfragmented forest habitats persisting over decades in the Romanian Carpathians and a prohibitive hunting management during 40 years of communist centralised game management, information about brown bear movements and spatial ecology is lacking. Using data obtained from 13 brown bears fitted with GPS telemetry collars, we estimated home ranges and core activity areas and we investigated the daily, seasonal and altitudinal movements of brown bears in the Eastern Romanian Carpathians and surrounding high hills. The median MCP95% home ranges of brown bears was 629.92 km2 and the median size of core activity areas (estimated as 50% kernel density) was 36.37 km2, with no significant differences between males and females. The mean daily distance travelled, measured as daily displacement length, was 1818 m and an analysis of seasonal movements indicated significant differences between seasons (greatest movements during the Hyperphagia season). The GPS-collared brown bears travelled between a minimum altitude measured at ~234 m and a maximum at ~1634 m. Analysing the spatial overlap between the estimated home range and the game management units (GMU) limits, we obtained a median number of 8 GMUs overlapping totally or partially with estimated home range polygons. Our study, using GPS telemetry, highlights the complex spatial ecology of the brown bear in the Romanian Carpathians, with larger home range size than those estimated in other European brown bear populations and with daily movements that vary by season and within a large altitude range. Our study supports the implementation of brown bear monitoring at a regional scale, rather than focusing on county level GMUs as the monitoring unit.
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27
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Coogan SCP, Raubenheimer D, Stenhouse GB, Coops NC, Nielsen SE. Functional macronutritional generalism in a large omnivore, the brown bear. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:2365-2376. [PMID: 29468050 PMCID: PMC5817158 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We combine a recently developed framework for describing dietary generalism with compositional data analysis to examine patterns of omnivory in a large widely distributed mammal. Using the brown bear (Ursus arctos) as a model species, we collected and analyzed data from the literature to estimate the proportions of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, and lipid) in the diets of bear populations. Across their range, bears consumed a diversity of foods that resulted in annual population diets that varied in macronutrient proportions, suggesting a wide fundamental macronutrient niche. The variance matrix of pairwise macronutrient log-ratios indicated that the most variable macronutrient among diets was carbohydrate, while protein and lipid were more proportional or codependent (i.e., relatively more constant log-ratios). Populations that consumed anthropogenic foods, such agricultural crops and supplementary feed (e.g., corn), had a higher geometric mean proportion of carbohydrate, and lower proportion of protein, in annual diets. Seasonally, mean diets were lower in protein and higher in carbohydrate, during autumn compared to spring. Populations with anthropogenic subsidies, however, had higher mean proportions of carbohydrate and lower protein, across seasons compared to populations with natural diets. Proportions of macronutrients similar to those selected in experiments by captive brown bears, and which optimized primarily fat mass gain, were observed among hyperphagic prehibernation autumn diets. However, the majority of these were from populations consuming anthropogenic foods, while diets of natural populations were more variable and typically higher in protein. Some anthropogenic diets were close to the proportions selected by captive bears during summer. Our results suggest that omnivory in brown bears is a functional adaptation enabling them to occupy a diverse range of habitats and tolerate variation in the nutritional composition and availability of food resources. Furthermore, we show that populations consuming human-sourced foods have different dietary macronutrient proportions relative to populations with natural diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean C. P. Coogan
- Department of Renewable ResourcesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonABCanada
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, and the Charles Perkins CentreUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | | | - Nicholas C. Coops
- Department of Forest Resource ManagementUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
| | - Scott E. Nielsen
- Department of Renewable ResourcesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonABCanada
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28
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Pop MI, Iosif R, Miu IV, Rozylowicz L, Popescu VD. Combining resource selection functions and home-range data to identify habitat conservation priorities for brown bears. Anim Conserv 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. I. Pop
- Centre for Environmental Research (CCMESI); University of Bucharest; Bucharest Romania
- Asociatia pentru Conservarea Diversitatii Biologice (ACDB); Focsani Romania
| | - R. Iosif
- Centre for Environmental Research (CCMESI); University of Bucharest; Bucharest Romania
| | - I. V. Miu
- Centre for Environmental Research (CCMESI); University of Bucharest; Bucharest Romania
| | - L. Rozylowicz
- Centre for Environmental Research (CCMESI); University of Bucharest; Bucharest Romania
| | - V. D. Popescu
- Centre for Environmental Research (CCMESI); University of Bucharest; Bucharest Romania
- Department of Biological Sciences and Sustainability Studies Theme; Ohio University; Athens OH USA
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29
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Tosoni
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Charles Darwin”, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Roma, Italy
- Ente Parco Nazionale D’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise, Pescasseroli, Italy
| | - M. Mei
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Charles Darwin”, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Roma, Italy
| | - P. Ciucci
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Charles Darwin”, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Roma, Italy
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30
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Benazzo A, Trucchi E, Cahill JA, Maisano Delser P, Mona S, Fumagalli M, Bunnefeld L, Cornetti L, Ghirotto S, Girardi M, Ometto L, Panziera A, Rota-Stabelli O, Zanetti E, Karamanlidis A, Groff C, Paule L, Gentile L, Vilà C, Vicario S, Boitani L, Orlando L, Fuselli S, Vernesi C, Shapiro B, Ciucci P, Bertorelle G. Survival and divergence in a small group: The extraordinary genomic history of the endangered Apennine brown bear stragglers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E9589-E9597. [PMID: 29078308 PMCID: PMC5692547 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1707279114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
About 100 km east of Rome, in the central Apennine Mountains, a critically endangered population of ∼50 brown bears live in complete isolation. Mating outside this population is prevented by several 100 km of bear-free territories. We exploited this natural experiment to better understand the gene and genomic consequences of surviving at extremely small population size. We found that brown bear populations in Europe lost connectivity since Neolithic times, when farming communities expanded and forest burning was used for land clearance. In central Italy, this resulted in a 40-fold population decline. The overall genomic impact of this decline included the complete loss of variation in the mitochondrial genome and along long stretches of the nuclear genome. Several private and deleterious amino acid changes were fixed by random drift; predicted effects include energy deficit, muscle weakness, anomalies in cranial and skeletal development, and reduced aggressiveness. Despite this extreme loss of diversity, Apennine bear genomes show nonrandom peaks of high variation, possibly maintained by balancing selection, at genomic regions significantly enriched for genes associated with immune and olfactory systems. Challenging the paradigm of increased extinction risk in small populations, we suggest that random fixation of deleterious alleles (i) can be an important driver of divergence in isolation, (ii) can be tolerated when balancing selection prevents random loss of variation at important genes, and (iii) is followed by or results directly in favorable behavioral changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Benazzo
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Emiliano Trucchi
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo 1066, Norway
| | - James A Cahill
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
| | - Pierpaolo Maisano Delser
- Institute de Systematics, Evolution, Biodiversite, UMR 7205-CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), CP39, 75005 Paris, France
- EPHE, Paris Sciences & Lettres Research University, 75005 Paris, France
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Stefano Mona
- Institute de Systematics, Evolution, Biodiversite, UMR 7205-CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), CP39, 75005 Paris, France
- EPHE, Paris Sciences & Lettres Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Matteo Fumagalli
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot SL5 7PY, United Kingdom
| | - Lynsey Bunnefeld
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, United Kingdom
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, United Kingdom
| | - Luca Cornetti
- Zoological Institute, University of Basel, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Silvia Ghirotto
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Matteo Girardi
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Lino Ometto
- Department of Sustainable Agro-Ecosystems and Bioresources, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- Independent Researcher, 38016 Mezzocorona, Italy
| | - Alex Panziera
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Omar Rota-Stabelli
- Department of Sustainable Agro-Ecosystems and Bioresources, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Enrico Zanetti
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alexandros Karamanlidis
- Protection and Management of Wildlife and the Natural Environment, ARCTUROS, 53075 Aetos, Florina, Greece
| | - Claudio Groff
- Forest and Wildlife Service, Provincia Autonoma di Trento, 38100 Trento, Italy
| | - Ladislav Paule
- Department of Phytology, Faculty of Forestry, Technical University, 96053 Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - Leonardo Gentile
- Veterinary Service, National Park of Abruzzo Lazio and Molise, 67032 Pescasseroli, Italy
| | - Carles Vilà
- Department of Integrative Ecology, Doñana Biological Station, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 4102 Seville, Spain
| | - Saverio Vicario
- Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research and Technologies, National Research Council, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Luigi Boitani
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin," University of Rome La Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Ludovic Orlando
- Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, 1350 K Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Silvia Fuselli
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Cristiano Vernesi
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Beth Shapiro
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin," University of Rome La Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Bertorelle
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy;
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31
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Tosoni E, Boitani L, Mastrantonio G, Latini R, Ciucci P. Counts of unique females with cubs in the Apennine brown bear population, 2006–2014. URSUS 2017. [DOI: 10.2192/ursu-d-16-00022.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Tosoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, University of Rome La Sapienza, Roma, 00185, Italy
| | - Luigi Boitani
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, University of Rome La Sapienza, Roma, 00185, Italy
| | | | - Roberta Latini
- Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, Pescasseroli, 67032, Italy
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, University of Rome La Sapienza, Roma, 00185, Italy
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32
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Murphy SM, Ulrey WA, Guthrie JM, Maehr DS, Abrahamson WG, Maehr SC, Cox JJ. Food habits of a small Florida black bear population in an endangered ecosystem. URSUS 2017. [DOI: 10.2192/ursu-d-16-00031.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sean M. Murphy
- Department of Forestry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
| | - Wade A. Ulrey
- Department of Forestry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
| | - Joseph M. Guthrie
- Department of Forestry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
| | - David S. Maehr
- Department of Forestry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
| | | | - Sutton C. Maehr
- Department of Forestry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
| | - John J. Cox
- Department of Forestry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
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33
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Tosoni E, Boitani L, Gentile L, Gervasi V, Latini R, Ciucci P. Assessment of key reproductive traits in the Apennine brown bear population. URSUS 2017. [DOI: 10.2192/ursu-d-16-00025.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Tosoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Roma 00185, Italy
| | - Luigi Boitani
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Roma 00185, Italy
| | - Leonardo Gentile
- Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, Pescasseroli, l'Aquila, 67032, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Gervasi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Roma 00185, Italy
| | - Roberta Latini
- Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, Pescasseroli, l'Aquila, 67032, Italy
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Roma 00185, Italy
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Meloro C, Guidarelli G, Colangelo P, Ciucci P, Loy A. Mandible size and shape in extant Ursidae (Carnivora, Mammalia): A tool for taxonomy and ecogeography. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Meloro
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology; School of Natural Sciences and Psychology; Liverpool John Moores University; Liverpool UK
| | | | - Paolo Colangelo
- CNR - Institute for Ecosystem Study; Verbania-Pallanza Italy
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies ‘Charles Darwin’; University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’; Roma Italy
| | - Anna Loy
- Department S.T.A.T.; University of Molise; Pesche Italy
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Baruzzi C, Lovari S, Fattorini N. Catch me if you can: antipredatory behaviour of chamois to the wolf. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2016.1271016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Baruzzi
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Sandro Lovari
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Niccolò Fattorini
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
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ŠtofÍk J, Merganič J, Merganičová K, Bučko J, Saniga M. Brown Bear Winter Feeding Ecology in the Area with Supplementary Feeding — Eastern Carpathians (Slovakia). POLISH JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.3161/15052249pje2016.64.2.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Human impacts on bear feeding habits and habitat selection in the Poľana Mountains, Slovakia. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-016-1009-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Tosi G, Chirichella R, Zibordi F, Mustoni A, Giovannini R, Groff C, Zanin M, Apollonio M. Brown bear reintroduction in the Southern Alps: To what extent are expectations being met? J Nat Conserv 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2015.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Ciucci P, Gervasi V, Boitani L, Boulanger J, Paetkau D, Prive R, Tosoni E. Estimating abundance of the remnant Apennine brown bear population using multiple noninvasive genetic data sources. J Mammal 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyu029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Maiorano L, Boitani L, Monaco A, Tosoni E, Ciucci P. Modeling the distribution of Apennine brown bears during hyperphagia to reduce the impact of wild boar hunting. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-014-0894-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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