1
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Sultaire SM, Montgomery RA, Jackson PJ, Millspaugh JJ. Spatial patterns of reproduction suggest marginal habitat limits continued range expansion of black bears at a forest-desert ecotone. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10658. [PMID: 37915808 PMCID: PMC10616736 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Investigating spatial patterns of animal occupancy and reproduction in peripheral populations can provide insight into factors that form species range boundaries. Following historical extirpation, American black bears (Ursus americanus) recolonized the western Great Basin in Nevada from the Sierra Nevada during the late 1900s. This range expansion, however, has not continued further into the Great Basin despite the presence of additional habitat. We aimed to quantify whether reduced reproduction toward the range edge contributes to this range boundary. We analyzed black bear detections from 100 camera traps deployed across black bear distribution in western Nevada using a multistate occupancy model that quantified the probability of occupancy and reproduction (i.e., female bears with cubs occupancy) in relation to changes in habitat type and habitat amount toward the range boundary. We detected a strong effect of habitat amount and habitat type on the probability of black bear occupancy and reproduction. At similar levels of landscape-scale habitat amount (e.g., 50%), estimated probability of occupancy for adult bears in piñon-juniper woodlands near the range boundary was 0.39, compared to ~1.0 in Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forest (i.e., core habitat). Furthermore, estimated probability of cub occupancy, conditional on adult bear occupancy, in landscapes with 50% habitat was 0.32 in Great Basin piñon-juniper woodlands, compared to 0.92 in Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forest. Black bear range in the western Great Basin conforms to the center-periphery hypothesis, with piñon-juniper woodland at the range edge supporting ecologically marginal habitat for the species compared to habitat in the Sierra Nevada. Further geographic expansion of black bears in the Great Basin may be limited by lower occupancy of reproducing females in piñon-juniper woodland. Center-periphery range dynamics may be common in large carnivore species, as their dispersal ability allows them to colonize low-quality habitat near range edges.
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2
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Black Bear Behavior and Movements Are Not Definitive Measures of Anthropogenic Food Use. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13050950. [PMID: 36899806 PMCID: PMC10000168 DOI: 10.3390/ani13050950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing human-bear conflicts are a growing concern, and managers often assume bears in developed areas are food-conditioned. We examined the relationship between human-bear conflicts and food conditioning by analyzing isotopic values of hair from black bears (Ursus americanus floridanus) involved in research (n = 34) and conflicts (n = 45). We separated research bears into wild and developed subgroups based on the impervious surface within their home ranges and separated conflict bears based on observations of human food consumption (anthropogenic = observations; management = no observations). We initially assumed wild bears were not food conditioned and anthropogenic bears were. However, using isotopic values, we classified 79% of anthropogenic bears and 8% of wild bears as food conditioned. Next, we assigned these bears to the appropriate food conditioned category and used the categorizations as a training set to classify developed and management bears. We estimated that 53% of management bears and 20% of developed bears were food conditioned. Only 60% of bears captured within or using developed areas showed evidence of food conditioning. We also found that δ13C values were a better predictor of anthropogenic foods in a bear's diet than δ15N values. Our results indicate that bears in developed areas are not necessarily food conditioned and caution against management actions based on limited observations of bear behavior.
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3
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Lewis AC, Hughes C, Rogers TL. Living in human-modified landscapes narrows the dietary niche of a specialised mammalian scavenger. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3582. [PMID: 36869089 PMCID: PMC9984462 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30490-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic impacts on carnivores can be complex, posing numerous threats to many species, yet also benefits to those able to exploit certain resources. This balancing act is particularly precarious for those adapters that exploit dietary resources provided by humans, but still require other resources only available in native habitat. Here we measure the dietary niche of one such species, the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), a specialised mammalian scavenger, across an anthropogenic habitat gradient stretching from cleared pasture to undisturbed rainforest. Populations inhabiting areas of greater disturbance showed restricted dietary niches, suggesting that all individuals fed on similar food items, even within regenerated native forest. Populations in undisturbed rainforest habitats had comparatively broad diets and showed evidence of niche partitioning by body size, which may reduce intraspecific competition. Despite the potential benefits of reliable access to high-quality food items in anthropogenically-modified habitats, the constrained niches we observed may be harmful, indicating altered behaviours and potentially increasing the rate of fights between individuals over food. This is of particular concern for a species at risk of extinction due to a deadly cancer primarily transmitted through aggressive interactions. The lack of diversity in devil diets within regenerated native forest compared to those in old-growth rainforest also indicates the conservation value of the latter for both the devil and the species which they consume.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Lewis
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- The Carnivore Conservancy, Ulverstone, TAS, Australia.
| | - Channing Hughes
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- The Carnivore Conservancy, Ulverstone, TAS, Australia
| | - Tracey L Rogers
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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4
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Sultaire SM, Kawai‐Harada Y, Kimmel A, Greeson EM, Jackson PJ, Contag CH, Lackey CW, Beckmann JP, Millspaugh JJ, Montgomery RA. Black bear density and habitat use variation at the Sierra Nevada‐Great Basin Desert transition. J Wildl Manage 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sean M. Sultaire
- Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana 32 Campus Drive Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Yuki Kawai‐Harada
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
| | - Ashley Kimmel
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
- College of Veterinary Medicine Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
| | - Emily M. Greeson
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
| | - Patrick J. Jackson
- Nevada Department of Wildlife 6980 Sierra Center Parkway, Suite 120 Reno NV 89511 USA
| | - Christopher H. Contag
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
| | - Carl W. Lackey
- Nevada Department of Wildlife 6980 Sierra Center Parkway, Suite 120 Reno NV 89511 USA
| | - Jon P. Beckmann
- Wildlife Conservation Society Rockies Program 1050 E Main, Suite 2 Bozeman MT 59715 USA
| | - Joshua J. Millspaugh
- Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana 32 Campus Drive Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Robert A. Montgomery
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The Recanati‐Kaplan Centre University of Oxford Tubney House, Abingdon Road Tubney Oxon OX13 5QL United Kingdom
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5
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Devlin AL, Frair JL, Crawshaw PG, Hunter LTB, Tortato FR, Hoogesteijn R, Robinson N, Robinson HS, Quigley HB. Drivers of large carnivore density in non‐hunted, multi‐use landscapes. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Allison L. Devlin
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry New York New York USA
- Panthera New York New York USA
- Wildlife Biology Program, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation University of Montana Missoula Montana USA
| | - Jacqueline L. Frair
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry New York New York USA
| | - Peter G. Crawshaw
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros/Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade Atibaia Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Nathaniel Robinson
- Panthera New York New York USA
- The Nature Conservancy Arlington Virginia USA
| | - Hugh S. Robinson
- Panthera New York New York USA
- Wildlife Biology Program, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation University of Montana Missoula Montana USA
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6
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Hatch KA, Kester KA, Loveless A, Roeder BL, van Manen FT. Tooth wear and the apparent consumption of human foods among American black bears (Ursus americanus) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00310-x] [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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7
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Klees van Bommel J, Sun C, Ford AT, Todd M, Burton AC. Coexistence or conflict: Black bear habitat use along an urban-wildland gradient. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276448. [PMID: 36445857 PMCID: PMC9707782 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The urban-wildland interface is expanding and increasing the risk of human-wildlife conflict. Some wildlife species adapt to or avoid living near people, while others select for anthropogenic resources and are thus more prone to conflict. To promote human-wildlife coexistence, wildlife and land managers need to understand how conflict relates to habitat and resource use in the urban-wildland interface. We investigated black bear (Ursus americanus) habitat use across a gradient of human disturbance in a North American hotspot of human-black bear conflict. We used camera traps to monitor bear activity from July 2018 to July 2019, and compared bear habitat use to environmental and anthropogenic variables and spatiotemporal probabilities of conflict. Bears predominantly used areas of high vegetation productivity and increased their nocturnality near people. Still, bears used more high-conflict areas in summer and autumn, specifically rural lands with ripe crops. Our results suggest that bears are generally modifying their behaviours in the urban-wildland interface through spatial and temporal avoidance of humans, which may facilitate coexistence. However, conflict still occurs, especially in autumn when hyperphagia and peak crop availability attract bears to abundant rural food resources. To improve conflict mitigation practices, we recommend targeting seasonal rural attractants with pre-emptive fruit picking, bear-proof compost containment, and other forms of behavioural deterrence. By combining camera-trap monitoring of a large carnivore along an anthropogenic gradient with conflict mapping, we provide a framework for evidence-based improvements in human-wildlife coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Klees van Bommel
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Catherine Sun
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Adam T. Ford
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Melissa Todd
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Coast Area Research Section, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | - A. Cole Burton
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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8
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Owen‐Ramos JD, Sanchez CJ, Blair S, Holm S, Furnas BJ, Sacks BN. Use of fecal DNA to estimate black bear density in an urban‐wildland interface. WILDLIFE SOC B 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julia D. Owen‐Ramos
- Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit, Veterinary Genetics Laboratory University of California Davis, 1 Shields Avenue Davis CA 95616 USA
| | - Camilo J. Sanchez
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife Genetics Research Laboratory 1701 Nimbus Road Rancho Cordova CA 95670 USA
| | - Shelly Blair
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife North Central Region 1701 Nimbus Road Rancho Cordova CA 95670 USA
| | - Sara Holm
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife North Central Region 1701 Nimbus Road Rancho Cordova CA 95670 USA
| | - Brett J. Furnas
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife Wildlife Health Laboratory 1701 Nimbus Road Rancho Cordova CA 95670 USA
| | - Benjamin N. Sacks
- Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit, Veterinary Genetics Laboratory University of California Davis, 1 Shields Avenue Davis CA 95616 USA
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine University of California Davis, 1 Shields Avenue Davis CA 95616 USA
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9
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Brunk KM, West EH, Peery MZ, Pidgeon A. Failed despots and the equitable distribution of fitness in a subsidized species. Behav Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Territorial species are often predicted to adhere to an ideal despotic distribution and under-match local food resources, meaning that individuals in high-quality habitat achieve higher fitness than those in low-quality habitat. However, conditions such as high density, territory compression, and frequent territorial disputes in high-quality habitat are expected to cause habitat quality to decline as population density increases and, instead, promote resource matching. We studied a highly human-subsidized and under-matched population of Steller’s jays (Cyanocitta stelleri) to determine how under-matching is maintained despite high densities, compressed territories, and frequent agonistic behaviors, which should promote resource matching. We examined the distribution of fitness among individuals in high-quality, subsidized habitat, by categorizing jays into dominance classes and characterizing individual consumption of human food, body condition, fecundity, and core area size and spatial distribution. Individuals of all dominance classes consumed similar amounts of human food and had similar body condition and fecundity. However, the most dominant individuals maintained smaller core areas that had greater overlap with subsidized habitat than those of subordinates. Thus, we found that (1) jays attain high densities in subsidized areas because dominant individuals do not exclude subordinates from human food subsidies and (2) jay densities do not reach the level necessary to facilitate resource matching because dominant individuals monopolize space in subsidized areas. Our results suggest that human-modified landscapes may decouple dominance from fitness and that incomplete exclusion of subordinates may be a common mechanism underpinning high densities and creating source populations of synanthropic species in subsidized environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin M Brunk
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison , 1630 Linden Drive, Madison WI 53706 , USA
| | - Elena H West
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities , 2003 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108 , USA
| | - M Zachariah Peery
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison , 1630 Linden Drive, Madison WI 53706 , USA
| | - Anna Pidgeon
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison , 1630 Linden Drive, Madison WI 53706 , USA
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10
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Keyes CA, Myburgh J, Brits D. Identifying forensically relevant urban scavengers in Johannesburg, South Africa. Sci Justice 2022; 62:399-409. [PMID: 35598932 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2022.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Unidentified human remains are frequently recovered in urban environments in South Africa, which undergo forensic (medico-legal) investigations. These remains often exhibit animal scavenging modifications and are frequently scattered by animals. This impacts the collection and forensic analysis of the remains. This study aimed to identify scavenging animals present in two urban environments in Johannesburg, South Africa, and describe their scavenging and scattering behaviours. Six pig carcasses (Sus scrofa domesticus) (30-80 kg) were placed in a veldt in Johannesburg and in an abandoned building complex. Motion-activated cameras recorded the scavenging activities. Scavenger species were identified and their behaviours, scattering pattern, and scavenging bone modifications were described. Slender mongooses (Galerella sanguinea) were the most prolific veldt scavengers. They scattered remains to a maximum distance of 10.5 m in two directions: north and southeast. These mongooses scavenged during the advanced and dry decomposition stages. Gnawing on the angle of the mandible - with multiple parallel scores on the flat surfaces and the angle margin having a stepped appearance - may be a distinguishing scavenging modification feature of the slender mongoose. Hadeda ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) were the only scavengers recorded scavenging on the intestines of a pig carcass in the abandoned building complex. They favoured colonizing insects and created multiple, large holes in the skin and removed the lips to access the insects. The described scavenging behaviours will assist in the reconstruction of postmortem events in forensic cases and the location and collection of scattered remains in Southern Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig Adam Keyes
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, School of Clinical Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, WITS 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Jolandie Myburgh
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, PO Box 667, Pretoria 0001, South Africa.
| | - Desiré Brits
- Human Variation and Identification Research Unit, School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, WITS 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa.
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11
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Arun AS, Sharp TR, Swaminathan S, Pannerselvam Y, Satyanarayan K, Seshamani G. Sloth bears and anthropogenic risks in Karnataka, India. URSUS 2022. [DOI: 10.2192/ursus-d-21-00005.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Attur Shanmugam Arun
- Wildlife SOS, Bannerghatta Bear Rescue and Rehab Centre, Bangalore, India – 560083
| | | | | | - Yogaraj Pannerselvam
- Wildlife SOS, Bannerghatta Bear Rescue and Rehab Centre, Bangalore, India – 560083
| | | | - Geeta Seshamani
- Wildlife SOS, Wildlife SOS, D-210, Defence Colony, New Delhi, India – 110024
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12
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Meade J, Martin JM, Welbergen JA. Fast food in the city? Nomadic flying-foxes commute less and hang around for longer in urban areas. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Urbanization creates novel ecological spaces where some species thrive. Geographical urbanization promotes human–wildlife conflict; however, we know relatively little about the drivers of biological urbanization, which poses impediments for sound wildlife management and conservation action. Flying-foxes are extremely mobile and move nomadically in response to flowering resources, but are now increasingly found in urban areas, for reasons that are poorly understood. To investigate the mechanisms behind flying-fox urbanization, we examined the movement of 99 satellite tracked grey-headed flying-foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) over 1 year in urban versus non-urban environments. We found that tracked individuals preferentially visited major-urban roosts, exhibited higher fidelity to major-urban roosts, and foraged over shorter distances when roosting in major-urban areas. In contrast to other colonial species, there were no density-dependent effects of colony size on foraging distance, suggesting that at a landscape scale, flying-foxes distribute themselves across roosts in an ideal-free manner, minimizing competition over urban and non-urban foraging resources. Yet, males consistently foraged over shorter distances than females, suggesting that at a local scale foraging distances reflect competitive inequalities between individuals. Overall, our study supports the hypothesis that flying-fox urbanization is driven by increased spatiotemporal availability of food resources in urban areas; however, unlike in other species, it is likely a consequence of increased urban visitation by nomadic individuals rather than a subset of the population becoming “urban residents” per se. We discuss the implications of the movement behavior we report for the conservation and management of highly mobile species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Meade
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Bourke Street, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - John M Martin
- Institute of Science and Learning, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Bradley’s Head Rd, Mosman, 2088 NSW, Australia
| | - Justin A Welbergen
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Bourke Street, Richmond, NSW, Australia
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13
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Becker JA, Hutchinson MC, Potter AB, Park S, Guyton JA, Abernathy K, Americo VF, Conceiçāo A, Kartzinel TR, Kuziel L, Leonard NE, Lorenzi E, Martins NC, Pansu J, Scott WL, Stahl MK, Torrens KR, Stalmans ME, Long RA, Pringle RM. Ecological and behavioral mechanisms of density‐dependent habitat expansion in a recovering African ungulate population. ECOL MONOGR 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Justine A. Becker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, 82072, USA
| | - Matthew C. Hutchinson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
| | - Arjun B. Potter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
| | - Shinkyu Park
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
| | - Jennifer A. Guyton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
| | - Kyler Abernathy
- Exploration Technology Lab National Geographic Society Washington D.C. 20036 USA
| | - Victor F. Americo
- Department of Scientific Services Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Sofala Mozambique
| | - Anagledis Conceiçāo
- Department of Scientific Services Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Sofala Mozambique
| | - Tyler R. Kartzinel
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Brown University Providence Rhode Island 02912 USA
- Institute at Brown for Environment and Society Brown University Providence Rhode Island 02912 USA
| | - Luca Kuziel
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
| | - Naomi E. Leonard
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
| | - Eli Lorenzi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Maryland College Park Maryland 20742 USA
| | - Nuno C. Martins
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Maryland College Park Maryland 20742 USA
| | - Johan Pansu
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
- Station Biologique de Roscoff UMR 7144 CNRS‐Sorbonne Université Roscoff France
- CSIRO Ocean & Atmosphere Lucas Heights New South Wales Australia
| | - William L. Scott
- Department of Mechanical Engineering Bucknell University Lewisburg Pennsylvania 17837 USA
| | - Maria K. Stahl
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
| | - Kai R. Torrens
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
| | - Marc E. Stalmans
- Department of Scientific Services Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Sofala Mozambique
| | - Ryan A. Long
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow Idaho 83844 USA
| | - Robert M. Pringle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
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14
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Hantak MM, McLean BS, Li D, Guralnick RP. Mammalian body size is determined by interactions between climate, urbanization, and ecological traits. Commun Biol 2021; 4:972. [PMID: 34400755 PMCID: PMC8367959 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02505-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenically-driven climate warming is a hypothesized driver of animal body size reductions. Less understood are effects of other human-caused disturbances on body size, such as urbanization. We compiled 140,499 body size records of over 100 North American mammals to test how climate and human population density, a proxy for urbanization, and their interactions with species traits, impact body size. We tested three hypotheses of body size variation across urbanization gradients: urban heat island effects, habitat fragmentation, and resource availability. Our results demonstrate that both urbanization and temperature influence mammalian body size variation, most often leading to larger individuals, thus supporting the resource availability hypothesis. In addition, life history and other ecological factors play a critical role in mediating the effects of climate and urbanization on body size. Larger mammals and species that utilize thermal buffering are more sensitive to warmer temperatures, while flexibility in activity time appears to be advantageous in urbanized areas. This work highlights the value of using digitized, natural history data to track how human disturbance drives morphological variation. Anthropogenically-driven climate change is responsible for body size decreases in mammals. Using an important dataset of historically-collected data and data from continental-scale survey efforts from the National Ecological Observatory Network, Hantak et al. show that urbanization plays an important role in mediating this dynamic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie M Hantak
- Department of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Bryan S McLean
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Daijiang Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.,Center for Computation & Technology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Robert P Guralnick
- Department of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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15
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Castillo-Contreras R, Mentaberre G, Fernandez Aguilar X, Conejero C, Colom-Cadena A, Ráez-Bravo A, González-Crespo C, Espunyes J, Lavín S, López-Olvera JR. Wild boar in the city: Phenotypic responses to urbanisation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 773:145593. [PMID: 33940737 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Urbanisation is a global human-induced environmental change and one of the most important threats to biodiversity. To survive in human-modified environments, wildlife must adjust to the challenging selection pressures of urban areas through behaviour, morphology, physiology and/or genetic changes. Here we explore the effect of urbanisation in a large, highly adaptable and generalist urban adapter species, the wild boar (Sus scrofa, Linnaeus 1758). From 2005 to 2018, we gathered wild boar data and samples from three areas in NE Spain: one urban (Barcelona municipality, n = 445), and two non-urban (Serra de Collserola Natural Park, n = 183, and Sant Llorenç del Munt i Serra de l'Obac Natural Park, n = 54). We investigated whether urbanisation influenced wild boar body size, body mass, body condition, and the concentration of serum metabolites, considering also the effect of age, sex and use of anthropogenic food resources. Wild boars from the urban area had larger body size, higher body mass, better body condition, and a higher triglyceride and lower creatinine serum concentrations than non-urban wild boars. In addition, urban wild boars consumed food from anthropogenic origin more frequently, which suggests that differences in their diet probably induced the biometric and the metabolic changes observed. These responses are probably adaptive and suggest that wild boars are thriving in the urban environment. Our results show that urbanisation can change the morphological and physiological traits of a large mammal urban adapter, which may have consequences in the ecology and response to urban selection pressures by the species. The phenotypic plasticity shown by wild boars provides both further and new evidence on the mechanisms that allow urban adapter species of greater size to respond to urbanisation, which is expected to continue growing globally over the coming decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Castillo-Contreras
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Travessera dels Turons s/n, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gregorio Mentaberre
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Travessera dels Turons s/n, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Serra Húnter fellow, Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H) and Departament de Ciència Animal, Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria Agraria (ETSEA), Universitat de Lleida (UdL), 25098 Lleida, Spain
| | - Xavier Fernandez Aguilar
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Travessera dels Turons s/n, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carles Conejero
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Travessera dels Turons s/n, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andreu Colom-Cadena
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Travessera dels Turons s/n, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arián Ráez-Bravo
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Travessera dels Turons s/n, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos González-Crespo
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Travessera dels Turons s/n, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Johan Espunyes
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Travessera dels Turons s/n, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Santiago Lavín
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Travessera dels Turons s/n, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jorge R López-Olvera
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Travessera dels Turons s/n, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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Engebretsen KN, Beckmann JP, Lackey CW, Andreasen A, Schroeder C, Jackson P, Young JK. Recolonizing carnivores: Is cougar predation behaviorally mediated by bears? Ecol Evol 2021; 11:5331-5343. [PMID: 34026010 PMCID: PMC8131799 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Conservation and management efforts have resulted in population increases and range expansions for some apex predators, potentially changing trophic cascades and foraging behavior. Changes in sympatric carnivore and dominant scavenger populations provide opportunities to assess how carnivores affect one another. Cougars (Puma concolor) were the apex predator in the Great Basin of Nevada, USA, for over 80 years. Black bears (Ursus americanus) have recently recolonized the area and are known to heavily scavenge on cougar kills. To evaluate the impacts of sympatric, recolonizing bears on cougar foraging behavior in the Great Basin, we investigated kill sites of 31 cougars between 2009 and 2017 across a range of bear densities. We modeled the variation in feeding bout duration (number of nights spent feeding on a prey item) and the proportion of primary prey, mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), in cougar diets using mixed-effects models. We found that feeding bout duration was driven primarily by the size of the prey item being consumed, local bear density, and the presence of dependent kittens. The proportion of mule deer in cougar diet across all study areas declined over time, was lower for male cougars, increased with the presence of dependent kittens, and increased with higher bear densities. In sites with feral horses (Equus ferus), a novel large prey, cougar consumption of feral horses increased over time. Our results suggest that higher bear densities over time may reduce cougar feeding bout durations and influence the prey selection trade-off for cougars when alternative, but more dangerous, large prey are available. Shifts in foraging behavior in multicarnivore systems can have cascading effects on prey selection. This study highlights the importance of measuring the impacts of sympatric apex predators and dominant scavengers on a shared resource base, providing a foundation for monitoring dynamic multipredator/scavenger systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jon P. Beckmann
- Wildlife Conservation SocietyBozemanMTUSA
- Present address:
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and TourismPrattKSUSA
| | | | - Alyson Andreasen
- Natural Resources and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Nevada‐RenoRenoNVUSA
| | | | - Pat Jackson
- Game DivisionNevada Department of WildlifeRenoNVUSA
| | - Julie K. Young
- Deparment of Wildland ResourcesUtah State UniversityLoganUTUSA
- USDA‐NWRC‐Predator Research FacilityMillvilleUTUSA
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17
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Sengupta A, McConkey KR, Kwit C. The influence of provisioning on animal‐mediated seed dispersal. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Asmita Sengupta
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment Bangalore Karnataka India
- National Inst. of Advanced Studies Bangalore Karnataka India
| | - Kim R. McConkey
- School of Geography, Univ. of Nottingham Malaysia Campus Semenyih Selangor Malaysia
| | - Charles Kwit
- Dept of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, Univ. of Tennessee Knoxville TN USA
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18
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Abstract
Abstract
Under the ideal free distribution (IFD), the number of organisms competing for a resource at different sites is proportional to the resource distribution among sites. The ideal free distribution of competitors in a heterogeneous environment often predicts habitat matching, where the relative number of individuals using any two patches matches the relative availability of resources in those same two patches. If a resource is scarce, access might be restricted to individuals with high resource holding potential, resulting in deviation from the IFD. The distribution of animals may also deviate from the IFD in the case of resource abundance, when social attraction or preference for specific locations rather than competition may determine distribution. While it was originally developed to explain habitat choice, we apply the habitat matching rule to microscale foraging decisions. We show that chickens feeding from two nondepleting feeders distribute proportionally to feeder space under intermediate levels of competition. However, chicken distribution between the feeders deviates from the IFD when feeder space is limited and competition high. Further, despite decreasing aggression with increasing feeder space, deviation from IFD is also observed under an excess supply of feeder space, indicating different mechanisms responsible for deviations from the IFD. Besides demonstrating IFD sensitivity to competition, these findings highlight IFD’s potential as a biological basis for determining minimal resource requirements in animal housing.
Significance statement
The ideal free distribution (IFD) predicts how animals ought to distribute themselves within a habitat in order to maximize their payoff. Recent studies, however, have questioned the validity of the IFD concept following anomalous results. We studied the IFD in chickens by systematically varying the amount and distribution of space at two feed troughs. We show that when tested over a sufficiently large range, the distribution of birds depends on the overall resource availability. Furthermore, behavioral data suggest that distinctly different mechanisms account for deviations from the IFD at shortage and excess supply of feeder space, respectively.
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19
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Fehlmann G, O'riain MJ, FÜrtbauer I, King AJ. Behavioral Causes, Ecological Consequences, and Management Challenges Associated with Wildlife Foraging in Human-Modified Landscapes. Bioscience 2021; 71:40-54. [PMID: 33442328 PMCID: PMC7791362 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa129] [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] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have altered up to half of the world's land surface. Wildlife living within or close to these human-modified landscapes are presented with opportunities and risks associated with feeding on human-derived foods (e.g., agricultural crops and food waste). Understanding whether and how wildlife adapts to these landscapes is a major challenge, with thousands of studies published on the topic over the past 10 years. In the present article, we build on established theoretical frameworks to understand the behavioral causes of crop and urban foraging by wildlife. We then develop and extend this framework to describe the multifaceted ecological consequences of crop and urban foraging for the individuals and populations in which they arise, with emphasis on social species for which interactions with people are, on balance, negative (commonly referred to as raiding species). Finally, we discuss the management challenges faced by urban and rural land managers, businesses, and government organizations in mitigating human-wildlife conflicts and propose ways to improve the lives of both wildlife and humans living in human-modified landscapes and to promote coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - M Justin O'riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife, Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ines FÜrtbauer
- Behavioural Ecology and Endocrinology Laboratory and Andrew King is an associate professor and head of the SHOAL group in the Department of Biosciences at Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J King
- Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, Bodensee, Germany
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20
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O’Donnell K, delBarco-Trillo J. Changes in the home range sizes of terrestrial vertebrates in response to urban disturbance: a meta-analysis. JOURNAL OF URBAN ECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jue/juaa014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The unprecedented growth rate in human population and the increasing movement of people to urban areas is causing a rapid increase in urbanisation globally. Urban environments may restrict or affect the behaviour of many animal species. Importantly, urban populations may change their spatial movement, particularly decreasing their home ranges in response to habitat fragmentation, the presence of landscape barriers and the availability and density of resources. Several species-specific studies suggest that urban animals decrease their home ranges compared with their non-urban counterparts; however, it remained unclear whether this pattern is widespread across taxa or is instead restricted to specific taxonomic groups. Consequently, we conducted a meta-analysis, collecting 41 sets of data comparing home ranges in both natural and urban environments in 32 species of reptiles, birds and mammals. We calculated effect sizes as the difference in animal home range sizes between natural and urban environments. We found that the home ranges were smaller in urban environments compared with natural environments (mean effect size = −0.844), and we observed a similar result when considering birds and mammals separately. We also found that home range sizes were not significantly affected when disturbance in urban areas was minimal, which suggests that many species may be able to tolerate low levels of disturbance without changing their movement patterns. Our study thus indicates that increasing levels of urbanisation restrict the spatial movement of species across taxa; this information is relevant for ecological studies of further urban species as well as for the development of management strategies for urban populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate O’Donnell
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork T23 TK30, Ireland
| | - Javier delBarco-Trillo
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork T23 TK30, Ireland
- Environmental Research Institute, Lee Road, Cork T23 XE10, Ireland
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21
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Johnson HE, Lewis DL, Breck SW. Individual and population fitness consequences associated with large carnivore use of residential development. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Heather E. Johnson
- Alaska Science Center U.S. Geological Survey 4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska 99508 USA
| | - David L. Lewis
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife 415 Turner Drive Durango Colorado 81303 USA
| | - Stewart W. Breck
- USDA National Wildlife Research Center 4101 La Porte Ave Fort Collins Colorado 80521 USA
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22
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O'Neil ST, Vucetich JA, Beyer DE, Hoy SR, Bump JK. Territoriality drives preemptive habitat selection in recovering wolves: Implications for carnivore conservation. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1433-1447. [PMID: 32145068 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
According to the ideal-free distribution (IFD), individuals within a population are free to select habitats that maximize their chances of success. Assuming knowledge of habitat quality, the IFD predicts that average fitness will be approximately equal among individuals and between habitats, while density varies, implying that habitat selection will be density dependent. Populations are often assumed to follow an IFD, although this assumption is rarely tested with empirical data, and may be incorrect when territoriality indicates habitat selection tactics that deviate from the IFD (e.g. ideal-despotic distribution or ideal-preemptive distribution). When territoriality influences habitat selection, species' density will not directly reflect components of fitness such as reproductive success or survival. In such cases, assuming an IFD can lead to false conclusions about habitat quality. We tested theoretical models of density-dependent habitat selection on a species known to exhibit territorial behaviour in order to determine whether commonly applied habitat models are appropriate under these circumstances. We combined long-term radiotelemetry and census data from grey wolves Canis lupus in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA to relate spatiotemporal variability in wolf density to underlying classifications of habitat within a hierarchical state-space modelling framework. We then iteratively applied isodar analysis to evaluate which distribution of habitat selection best described this recolonizing wolf population. The wolf population in our study expanded by >1,000% during our study (~50 to >600 individuals), and density-dependent habitat selection was most consistent with the ideal-preemptive distribution, as opposed to the ideal-free or ideal-despotic alternatives. Population density of terrestrial carnivores may not be positively correlated with the fitness value of their habitats, and density-dependent habitat selection patterns may help to explain complex predator-prey dynamics and cascading indirect effects. Source-sink population dynamics appear likely when species exhibit rapid growth and occupy interspersed habitats of contrasting quality. These conditions are likely and have implications for large carnivores in many systems, such as areas in North America and Europe where large predator species are currently recolonizing their former ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn T O'Neil
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, MI, USA
| | - John A Vucetich
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, MI, USA
| | - Dean E Beyer
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, MI, USA.,Wildlife Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, 1990 U.S. Hwy 41 So, Marquette, MI, USA
| | - Sarah R Hoy
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, MI, USA
| | - Joseph K Bump
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, 2003 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN, USA
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23
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Welti EAR, Prather RM, Sanders NJ, de Beurs KM, Kaspari M. Bottom-up when it is not top-down: Predators and plants control biomass of grassland arthropods. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1286-1294. [PMID: 32115723 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We investigate where bottom-up and top-down control regulates ecological communities as a mechanism linking ecological gradients to the geography of consumer abundance and biomass. We use standardized surveys of 54 North American grasslands to test alternate hypotheses predicting 100-fold shifts in the biomass of four common grassland arthropod taxa-Auchenorrhyncha, sucking herbivores, Acrididae, chewing herbivores, Tettigoniidae, omnivores, and Araneae, predators. Bottom-up models predict that consumer biomass tracks plant quantity (e.g. productivity and standing biomass) and quality (nutrient content) and that ectotherm access to food increases with temperature. Each of the focal trophic groups responded differently to these drivers: the biomass of sucking herbivores and omnivores increased with plant biomass; that of chewing herbivores tracked plant quality; and predator biomass did not depend on plant quality, plant quantity or temperature. The Exploitation Ecosystem Hypothesis is a top-down hypothesis that predicts a shift from resource limitation of herbivores when plant production is low, to predator limitation when plant production is high. In grasslands where spider biomass was low, herbivore biomass increased with plant biomass, whereas bottom-up structuring was not evident when spiders were abundant. Furthermore, neither predator biomass nor trophic position (via stable isotope analysis) increased with plant biomass, suggesting predators themselves are top-down limited. Stable isotope analysis revealed that trophic position of the chewing herbivore and omnivore increased significantly with plant biomass, suggesting these groups increased scavenging and meat consumption in grasslands with higher carbohydrate availability. Taken together, our snapshot sampling documents gradients of food web structure across 54 grasslands, consistent with multiple hypotheses of bottom-up and top-down regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen A R Welti
- Geographical Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Rebecca M Prather
- Geographical Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Nathan J Sanders
- The Environmental Program, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Kirsten M de Beurs
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Michael Kaspari
- Geographical Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
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24
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Teunissen van Manen J, Lackey CW, Beckmann JP, Muller LI, Li ZH. Assimilated diet patterns of American black bears in the Sierra Nevada and western Great Basin, Nevada, USA. URSUS 2020. [DOI: 10.2192/ursus-d-17-00031.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Carl W. Lackey
- Nevada Department of Wildlife, 1100 Valley Road, Reno, NV 89512, USA
| | - Jon P. Beckmann
- Wildlife Conservation Society, North America Program, 1050 E Main, Suite 2, Bozeman, MT 59715, USA
| | - Lisa I. Muller
- University of Tennessee, Department of Forestry Wildlife, and Fisheries, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Zheng-Hua Li
- University of Tennessee, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
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25
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Church KDW, Grant JWA. Effects of habitat complexity, dominance and personality on habitat selection: Ideal despotic cichlids. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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26
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Kelt DA, Heske EJ, Lambin X, Oli MK, Orrock JL, Ozgul A, Pauli JN, Prugh LR, Sollmann R, Sommer S. Advances in population ecology and species interactions in mammals. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe study of mammals has promoted the development and testing of many ideas in contemporary ecology. Here we address recent developments in foraging and habitat selection, source–sink dynamics, competition (both within and between species), population cycles, predation (including apparent competition), mutualism, and biological invasions. Because mammals are appealing to the public, ecological insight gleaned from the study of mammals has disproportionate potential in educating the public about ecological principles and their application to wise management. Mammals have been central to many computational and statistical developments in recent years, including refinements to traditional approaches and metrics (e.g., capture-recapture) as well as advancements of novel and developing fields (e.g., spatial capture-recapture, occupancy modeling, integrated population models). The study of mammals also poses challenges in terms of fully characterizing dynamics in natural conditions. Ongoing climate change threatens to affect global ecosystems, and mammals provide visible and charismatic subjects for research on local and regional effects of such change as well as predictive modeling of the long-term effects on ecosystem function and stability. Although much remains to be done, the population ecology of mammals continues to be a vibrant and rapidly developing field. We anticipate that the next quarter century will prove as exciting and productive for the study of mammals as has the recent one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas A Kelt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Edward J Heske
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Xavier Lambin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Madan K Oli
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - John L Orrock
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Arpat Ozgul
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jonathan N Pauli
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Laura R Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rahel Sollmann
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Stefan Sommer
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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27
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Evans MJ, Hawley JE, Rego PW, Rittenhouse TAG. Hourly movement decisions indicate how a large carnivore inhabits developed landscapes. Oecologia 2018; 190:11-23. [PMID: 30506304 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4307-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The ecology of wildlife living in proximity to humans often differs from that in more natural places. Animals may perceive anthropogenic features and people as threats, exhibiting avoidance behavior, or may acclimate to human activities. As development expands globally, changes in the ecology of species in response to human phenomena may determine whether animals persist in these changing environments. We hypothesize that American black bears (Ursus americanus) persist within developed areas by effectively avoiding risky landscape features. We test this by quantifying changes in the movements of adult females from a population living within exurban and suburban development. We collected hourly GPS data from 23 individuals from 2012 to 2014 and used step-selection functions to estimate selection for anthropogenic features. Females were more avoidant of roads and highways when with cubs than without and were more responsive to increased traffic volume. As bears occupied greater housing densities, selection for housing increased, while avoidance of roads and responsiveness to traffic increased. Behavioral flexibility allowed bears in highly developed areas to alter selection and avoidance for anthropogenic features seasonally. These findings support the hypothesis that black bears perceive human activity as risky, and effectively avoid these risks while inhabiting developed areas. We document a high amount of individual variation in selection of anthropogenic features within the study population. Our findings suggest that initially, wildlife can successfully inhabit developed landscapes by effectively avoiding human activity. However, variation among individuals provides the capacity for population-level shifts in behavior over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Evans
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut, Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Center, Unit 4087, 1376 Storrs Rd., Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
| | - Jason E Hawley
- Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Wildlife Division, 341 Milford St., Burlington, CT, 06013, USA
| | - Paul W Rego
- Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Wildlife Division, 341 Milford St., Burlington, CT, 06013, USA
| | - Tracy A G Rittenhouse
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut, Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Center, Unit 4087, 1376 Storrs Rd., Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
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28
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Wynn-Grant R, Ginsberg JR, Lackey CW, Sterling EJ, Beckmann JP. Risky business: Modeling mortality risk near the urban-wildland interface for a large carnivore. Glob Ecol Conserv 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2018.e00443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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29
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Stoner DC, Sexton JO, Choate DM, Nagol J, Bernales HH, Sims SA, Ironside KE, Longshore KM, Edwards TC. Climatically driven changes in primary production propagate through trophic levels. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:4453-4463. [PMID: 30088318 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Climate and land-use change are the major drivers of global biodiversity loss. Their effects are particularly acute for wide-ranging consumers, but little is known about how these factors interact to affect the abundance of large carnivores and their herbivore prey. We analyzed population densities of a primary and secondary consumer (mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus, and mountain lion, Puma concolor) across a climatic gradient in western North America by combining satellite-based maps of plant productivity with estimates of animal abundance and foraging area derived from Global Positioning Systems telemetry data (GPS). Mule deer density exhibited a positive, linear relationship with plant productivity (r2 = 0.58), varying by a factor of 18 across the climate-vegetation gradient (range: 38-697 individuals/100 km2 ). Mountain lion home range size decreased in response to increasing primary productivity and consequent changes in the abundance of their herbivore prey (range: 20-450 km2 ). This pattern resulted in a strong, positive association between plant productivity and mountain lion density (r2 = 0.67). Despite varying densities, the ratio of prey to predator remained constant across the climatic gradient (mean ± SE = 363 ± 29 mule deer/mountain lion), suggesting that the determinacy of the effect of primary productivity on consumer density was conserved across trophic levels. As droughts and longer term climate changes reduce the suitability of marginal habitats, consumer home ranges will expand in order for individuals to meet basic nutritional requirements. These changes portend decreases in the abundance of large-bodied, wide-ranging wildlife through climatically driven reductions in carrying capacity, as well as increased human-wildlife interactions stemming from anthropogenic land use and habitat fragmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Stoner
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
| | - Joseph O Sexton
- Global Land Cover Facility, Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
- terraPulse, Inc., North Potomac, Maryland
| | - David M Choate
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada
| | - Jyothy Nagol
- Global Land Cover Facility, Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | | | - Steven A Sims
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
| | - Kirsten E Ironside
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, Arizona
| | - Kathleen M Longshore
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Las Vegas Field Station, Henderson, Nevada
| | - Thomas C Edwards
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
- U.S. Geological Survey, Utah Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Quinney College of Natural Resources, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
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Evans MJ, Rittenhouse TAG, Hawley JE, Rego PW, Eggert LS. Spatial genetic patterns indicate mechanism and consequences of large carnivore cohabitation within development. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:4815-4829. [PMID: 29876060 PMCID: PMC5980631 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Patterns of human development are shifting from concentrated housing toward sprawled housing intermixed with natural land cover, and wildlife species increasingly persist in close proximity to housing, roads, and other anthropogenic features. These associations can alter population dynamics and evolutionary trajectories. Large carnivores increasingly occupy urban peripheries, yet the ecological consequences for populations established entirely within urban and exurban landscapes are largely unknown. We applied a spatial and landscape genetics approach, using noninvasively collected genetic data, to identify differences in black bear spatial genetic patterns across a rural‐to‐urban gradient and quantify how development affects spatial genetic processes. We quantified differences in black bear dispersal, spatial genetic structure, and migration between differing levels of development within a population primarily occupying areas with >6 houses/km2 in western Connecticut. Increased development disrupted spatial genetic structure, and we found an association between increased housing densities and longer dispersal. We also found evidence that roads limited gene flow among bears in more rural areas, yet had no effect among bears in more developed ones. These results suggest dispersal behavior is condition‐dependent and indicate the potential for landscapes intermixing development and natural land cover to facilitate shifts toward increased dispersal. These changes can affect patterns of range expansion and the phenotypic and genetic composition of surrounding populations. We found evidence that subpopulations occupying more developed landscapes may be sustained by male‐biased immigration, creating potentially detrimental demographic shifts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Evans
- Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Center Department of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Connecticut Storrs CT USA
| | - Tracy A G Rittenhouse
- Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Center Department of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Connecticut Storrs CT USA
| | - Jason E Hawley
- Wildlife Division Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Sessions Woods WMA Burlington CT USA
| | - Paul W Rego
- Wildlife Division Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Sessions Woods WMA Burlington CT USA
| | - Lori S Eggert
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Missouri Columbia MO USA
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31
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Katz N, Scharf I. Habitat geometry and limited perceptual range affect habitat choice of a trap-building predator. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Noa Katz
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Inon Scharf
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Behavioral mechanisms leading to improved fitness in a subsidized predator. Oecologia 2017; 184:787-798. [PMID: 28689262 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3898-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
General mechanisms underlying the distribution and fitness of synanthropic predators in human-influenced landscapes remain unclear. Under the consumer resource-matching hypothesis, synanthropes are expected to distribute themselves among habitats according to resource availability, such that densities are greater in human-subsidized habitats, but mean individual fitness is equal among habitats because of negative density dependence. However, "under-matching" to human food resources can occur, because dominant individuals exclude subordinates from subsidized habitats and realize relatively high fitness. We integrated physiological, behavioral, and demographic information to test resource-matching hypotheses in Steller's jays (Cyanocitta stelleri), a synanthropic nest predator, to understand how behavior and social systems can influence how synanthropes respond to food subsidies. Jays consumed more human foods at subsidized (park campground) sites than jays at unsubsidized (interior forest) sites based on stable isotope analyses. Jays that occurred at higher densities were in better body condition (based on feather growth bars and lipid analyses), and had greater reproductive output at subsidized than unsubsidized sites. Jays with breeding territories in subsidized sites maintained relatively small home ranges that overlapped with multiple conspecifics, and exhibited a social system where dominant individuals typically won contests over food. Thus, jays appeared to be under-matched to prevalent resource subsidies despite high densities and behaviors expected to lead to resource matching. Our results also indicate that local resource subsidies within protected areas can result in source habitats for synanthropes, potentially impacting sensitive species over broader spatial scales.
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Garshelis DL, Baruch-Mordo S, Bryant A, Gunther KA, Jerina K. Is diversionary feeding an effective tool for reducing human–bear conflicts? Case studies from North America and Europe. URSUS 2017. [DOI: 10.2192/ursu-d-16-00019.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kerry A. Gunther
- Bear Management Office, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA
| | - Klemen Jerina
- Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 83, 1000 Slovenia
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36
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Morehouse AT, Boyce MS. Evaluation of intercept feeding to reduce livestock depredation by grizzly bears. URSUS 2017. [DOI: 10.2192/ursu-d-16-00026.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea T. Morehouse
- University of Alberta, CW405 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Mark S. Boyce
- University of Alberta, CW405 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
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Hertel AG, Bischof R, Langval O, Mysterud A, Kindberg J, Swenson JE, Zedrosser A. Berry production drives bottom-up effects on body mass and reproductive success in an omnivore. OIKOS 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anne G. Hertel
- Norwegian Univ. of Life Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management; NO-1430 Ås Norway
| | - Richard Bischof
- Norwegian Univ. of Life Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management; NO-1430 Ås Norway
| | - Ola Langval
- Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences; Uppsala Sweden
| | - Atle Mysterud
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Dept of Biosciences, Univ. of Oslo; Oslo Norway
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences; Uppsala Sweden
- Norwegian Inst. for Nature Research; Trondheim Norway
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- Norwegian Univ. of Life Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management; NO-1430 Ås Norway
- Norwegian Inst. for Nature Research; Trondheim Norway
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Telemark Univ. College, Dept of Environmental and Health Sciences; Porsgrunn Norway
- Inst. for Wildlife Biology and Game Management, Univ. for Natural Resources and Life Sciences; Vienna Austria
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Coogan SCP, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Senior AM, Martin JM, Major RE, Raubenheimer D. Macronutrient selection of free-ranging urban Australian white ibis (Threskiornis moluccus). Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Sato Y. The Future of Urban Brown Bear Management in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan: a Review. MAMMAL STUDY 2017. [DOI: 10.3106/041.042.0102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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40
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Duquette JF, Belant JL, Wilton CM, Fowler N, Waller BW, Beyer DE, Svoboda NJ, Simek SL, Beringer J. Black bear (Ursus americanus) functional resource selection relative to intraspecific competition and human risk. CAN J ZOOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2016-0031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The spatial scales at which animals make behavioral trade-offs is assumed to relate to the scales at which factors most limiting resources and increasing mortality risk occur. We used global positioning system collar locations of 29 reproductive-age female black bears (Ursus americanus Pallas, 1780) in three states to assess resource selection relative to bear population-specific density, an index of vegetation productivity, riparian corridors, or two road classes of and within home ranges during spring–summer of 2009–2013. Female resource selection was best explained by functional responses to vegetation productivity across nearly all populations and spatial scales, which appeared to be influenced by variation in bear density (i.e., intraspecific competition). Behavioral trade-offs were greatest at the landscape scale, but except for vegetation productivity, were consistent for populations across spatial scales. Females across populations selected locations nearer to tertiary roads, but females in Michigan and Mississippi selected main roads and avoided riparian corridors, whereas females in Missouri did the opposite, suggesting population-level trade-offs between resource (e.g., food) acquisition and mortality risks (e.g., vehicle collisions). Our study emphasizes that female bear population-level resource selection can be influenced by multiple spatially dependent factors, and that scale-dependent functional behavior should be identified for management of bears across their range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared F. Duquette
- Carnivore Ecology Laboratory, Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
| | - Jerrold L. Belant
- Carnivore Ecology Laboratory, Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
| | - Clay M. Wilton
- Carnivore Ecology Laboratory, Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
| | - Nicholas Fowler
- Carnivore Ecology Laboratory, Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
| | - Brittany W. Waller
- Carnivore Ecology Laboratory, Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
| | - Dean E. Beyer
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division, Marquette, MI 49855, USA
| | - Nathan J. Svoboda
- Carnivore Ecology Laboratory, Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
| | - Stephanie L. Simek
- Carnivore Ecology Laboratory, Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
| | - Jeff Beringer
- Missouri Department of Conservation, Columbia, MO 65201, USA
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41
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Shape complexity of space used by American black bears influenced by sex and intensity of use. Basic Appl Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2016.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Raithel JD, Reynolds-Hogland MJ, Koons DN, Carr PC, Aubry LM. Recreational harvest and incident-response management reduce human-carnivore conflicts in an anthropogenic landscape. J Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jarod D. Raithel
- Department of Wildland Resources; Ecology Center; Utah State University; Logan UT USA
| | | | - David N. Koons
- Department of Wildland Resources; Ecology Center; Utah State University; Logan UT USA
| | | | - Lise M. Aubry
- Department of Wildland Resources; Ecology Center; Utah State University; Logan UT USA
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Morehouse AT, Graves TA, Mikle N, Boyce MS. Nature vs. Nurture: Evidence for Social Learning of Conflict Behaviour in Grizzly Bears. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0165425. [PMID: 27851753 PMCID: PMC5112868 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The propensity for a grizzly bear to develop conflict behaviours might be a result of social learning between mothers and cubs, genetic inheritance, or both learning and inheritance. Using non-invasive genetic sampling, we collected grizzly bear hair samples during 2011-2014 across southwestern Alberta, Canada. We targeted private agricultural lands for hair samples at grizzly bear incident sites, defining an incident as an occurrence in which the grizzly bear caused property damage, obtained anthropogenic food, or killed or attempted to kill livestock or pets. We genotyped 213 unique grizzly bears (118 M, 95 F) at 24 microsatellite loci, plus the amelogenin marker for sex. We used the program COLONY to assign parentage. We evaluated 76 mother-offspring relationships and 119 father-offspring relationships. We compared the frequency of problem and non-problem offspring from problem and non-problem parents, excluding dependent offspring from our analysis. Our results support the social learning hypothesis, but not the genetic inheritance hypothesis. Offspring of problem mothers are more likely to be involved in conflict behaviours, while offspring from non-problem mothers are not likely to be involved in incidents or human-bear conflicts themselves (Barnard's test, p = 0.05, 62.5% of offspring from problem mothers were problem bears). There was no evidence that offspring are more likely to be involved in conflict behaviour if their fathers had been problem bears (Barnard's test, p = 0.92, 29.6% of offspring from problem fathers were problem bears). For the mother-offspring relationships evaluated, 30.3% of offspring were identified as problem bears independent of their mother's conflict status. Similarly, 28.6% of offspring were identified as problem bears independent of their father's conflict status. Proactive mitigation to prevent female bears from becoming problem individuals likely will help prevent the perpetuation of conflicts through social learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea T. Morehouse
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Tabitha A. Graves
- US Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, West Glacier, Montana, United States of America
| | - Nate Mikle
- US Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, West Glacier, Montana, United States of America
| | - Mark S. Boyce
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Lamb CT, Mowat G, McLellan BN, Nielsen SE, Boutin S. Forbidden fruit: human settlement and abundant fruit create an ecological trap for an apex omnivore. J Anim Ecol 2016; 86:55-65. [PMID: 27677529 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Habitat choice is an evolutionary product of animals experiencing increased fitness when preferentially occupying high-quality habitat. However, an ecological trap (ET) can occur when an animal is presented with novel conditions and the animal's assessment of habitat quality is poorly matched to its resulting fitness. We tested for an ET for grizzly (brown) bears using demographic and movement data collected in an area with rich food resources and concentrated human settlement. We derived measures of habitat attractiveness from occurrence models of bear food resources and estimated demographic parameters using DNA mark-recapture information collected over 8 years (2006-2013). We then paired this information with grizzly bear mortality records to investigate kill and movement rates. Our results demonstrate that a valley high in both berry resources and human density was more attractive than surrounding areas, and bears occupying this region faced 17% lower apparent survival. Despite lower fitness, we detected a net flow of bears into the ET, which contributed to a study-wide population decline. This work highlights the presence and pervasiveness of an ET for an apex omnivore that lacks the evolutionary cues, under human-induced rapid ecological change, to assess trade-offs between food resources and human-caused mortality, which results in maladaptive habitat selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clayton T Lamb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Garth Mowat
- Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Nelson, BC, V1L 4K3, Canada.,Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. 5003, 1430 Ås, Norway
| | - Bruce N McLellan
- BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, P.O. Box 1732, D'Arcy, BC V0N 1L0, Canada
| | - Scott E Nielsen
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H1, Canada
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
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Lewis JS, Bailey LL, VandeWoude S, Crooks KR. Interspecific interactions between wild felids vary across scales and levels of urbanization. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:5946-61. [PMID: 26811767 PMCID: PMC4717346 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Revised: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Ongoing global landscape change resulting from urbanization is increasingly linked to changes in species distributions and community interactions. However, relatively little is known about how urbanization influences competitive interactions among mammalian carnivores, particularly related to wild felids. We evaluated interspecific interactions between medium‐ and large‐sized carnivores across a gradient of urbanization and multiple scales. Specifically, we investigated spatial and temporal interactions of bobcats and pumas by evaluating circadian activity patterns, broad‐scale seasonal interactions, and fine‐scale daily interactions in wildland–urban interface (WUI), exurban residential development, and wildland habitats. Across levels of urbanization, interspecific interactions were evaluated using two‐species and single‐species occupancy models with data from motion‐activated cameras. As predicted, urbanization increased the opportunity for interspecific interactions between wild felids. Although pumas did not exclude bobcats from areas at broad spatial or temporal scales, bobcats responded behaviorally to the presence of pumas at finer scales, but patterns varied across levels of urbanization. In wildland habitat, bobcats avoided using areas for short temporal periods after a puma visited an area. In contrast, bobcats did not appear to avoid areas that pumas recently visited in landscapes influenced by urbanization (exurban development and WUI habitat). In addition, overlap in circadian activity patterns between bobcats and pumas increased in exurban development compared to wildland habitat. Across study areas, bobcats used sites less frequently as the number of puma photographs increased at a site. Overall, bobcats appear to shape their behavior at fine spatial and temporal scales to reduce encounters with pumas, but residential development can potentially alter these strategies and increase interaction opportunities. We explore three hypotheses to explain our results of how urbanization affected interspecific interactions that consider activity patterns, landscape configuration, and animal scent marking. Altered competitive interactions between animals in urbanized landscapes could potentially increase aggressive encounters and the frequency of disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse S Lewis
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80523
| | - Larissa L Bailey
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80523
| | - Sue VandeWoude
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80523
| | - Kevin R Crooks
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80523
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Ditmer MA, Garshelis DL, Noyce KV, Haveles AW, Fieberg JR. Are American black bears in an agricultural landscape being sustained by crops? J Mammal 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyv153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Human-altered landscapes are thought to reduce habitat quality for many forest-dependent species, but some omnivorous, opportunist species take advantage of human-related food sources, such as garbage and crops. It is unknown, however, whether anthropogenic foods can sustain populations in areas with relatively little natural habitat. We studied (2007–2012) a population of American black bears ( Ursus americanus ) at the western periphery of their range in Minnesota, in a landscape that was heavily impacted by agriculture (~50%). We estimated the dietary contributions of corn and sunflowers (2–4% of the landscape) versus seasonally available natural foods (spring vegetation, ants, deer, fruit, and nuts) with stable isotope analyses (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) of 110 hair samples from 51 bears. We identified associations between diet and sex, age, body size and condition, reproductive status, space use, habitat connectivity, and natural food abundance. At the population level, adult males and adult females without cubs consumed considerable crops in fall (95% credible intervals: males = 19–46% of diet, females = 10–40%), but females with cubs and juvenile bears rarely consumed crops. Individual estimates of crop consumption were positively correlated with the proportion of GPS-collar locations in crop fields. Females, but not males, decreased crop consumption in years with high availability of natural fall foods. Further, the degree of crop consumption was more closely tied to local crop availability and landscape composition in females than in males. Weight and fat were positively correlated with crop use for both sexes, and males’ use of crops also increased with their physical stature, suggesting that crops provided substantial caloric benefits to bears and that social dominance may have influenced foraging decisions. However, a large segment of this bear population (44% of sampled bear–years) made little use of crops, and crops accounted for more than half the fall diet for only 14% of the population. Whereas some bears clearly benefited from consumption of crops, we conclude that a population of bears could be sustained in this largely agricultural region even without crops as a food source.
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Beckmann JP, Waits LP, Hurt A, Whitelaw A, Bergen S. Using Detection Dogs and Rspf Models to Assess Habitat Suitability for Bears in Greater Yellowstone. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2015. [DOI: 10.3398/064.075.0410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Beecham JJ, De Gabriel Hernando M, Karamanlidis AA, Beausoleil RA, Burguess K, Jeong DH, Binks M, Bereczky L, Ashraf NVK, Skripova K, Rhodin L, Auger J, Lee BK. Management implications for releasing orphaned, captive-reared bears back to the wild. J Wildl Manage 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John J. Beecham
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game; 600 S. Walnut Street, Boise, ID 83707, USA and 7252 N. Pierce Park Lane; Boise, ID 83703 USA
| | | | - Alexandros A. Karamanlidis
- ARCTUROS, Civil Society for the Protection and Management of Wildlife and the Natural Environment, Florina 53075; Greece and Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences; Ås 1432 Norway
| | - Richard A. Beausoleil
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; 3515 State Highway 97A; Wenatchee, WA 98801 USA
| | - Kelcey Burguess
- New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife; 141 Van Syckels Road; Hampton, NJ 08827 USA
| | - Dong-Hyuk Jeong
- Species Restoration Technology Institute of Korea National Park Service; 53-1, Hwangjeon-ri, Masan-myeon, Gurye; Jeonnam Province South Korea
| | - Mathew Binks
- Laurentian University; Sudbury; Ontario; Canada and 104 David Street, Sudbury, ON P3E 1T1 Canada
| | - Leonardo Bereczky
- Association for Conserving Natural Values; 1st December Street Number 22; Balan 535200 Romania
| | - N. V. K. Ashraf
- Wildlife Trust of India; F13, Sector 8, Noida; Uttar Pradesh 201301 India
| | - Kira Skripova
- Vladivostok Branch of Russian Customs Academy 16v; Strelkovaya Street; Vladivostok 690034 Russia
| | - Lisa Rhodin
- Montana Wildlife Center at Montana Wild; Post Office Box 200701; Helena, Montana 59601 USA
| | - Janene Auger
- 1110 Monte L. Bean Museum; Brigham Young University; Provo, UT 84602 USA
| | - Bae-Keun Lee
- Species Restoration Technology Institute of Korea National Park Service; 53-1, Hwangjeon-ri, Masan-myeon, Gurye, Jeonnam Province South Korea
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Lewis DL, Baruch-Mordo S, Wilson KR, Breck SW, Mao JS, Broderick J. Foraging ecology of black bears in urban environments: guidance for human-bear conflict mitigation. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es15-00137.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Simek SL, Belant JL, Fan Z, Young BW, Leopold BD, Fleming J, Waller B. Source populations and roads affect American black bear recolonization. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-015-0933-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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