1
|
Prokopenko CM, Ellington EH, Robitaille A, Aubin JA, Balluffi-Fry J, Laforge M, Webber QMR, Zabihi-Seissan S, Vander Wal E. Friends because of foes: synchronous movement within predator-prey domains. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230374. [PMID: 39230459 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
For prey, movement synchrony represents a potent antipredator strategy. Prey, however, must balance the costs and benefits of using conspecifics to mediate risk. Thus, the emergent patterns of risk-driven sociality depend on variation in space and in the predators and prey themselves. We applied the concept of predator-prey habitat domain, the space in which animals acquire food resources, to test the conditions under which individuals synchronize their movements relative to predator and prey habitat domains. We tested the response of movement synchrony of prey to predator-prey domains in two populations of ungulates that vary in their gregariousness and predator community: (i) elk, which are preyed on by wolves; and (ii) caribou, which are preyed on by coyotes and black bears. Prey in both communities responded to cursorial predators by increasing synchrony during seasons of greater predation pressure. Elk moved more synchronously in the wolf habitat domain during winter and caribou moved more synchronously in the coyote habitat domains during spring. In the winter, caribou increased movement synchrony when coyote and caribou domains overlapped. By integrating habitat domains with movement ecology, we provide a compelling argument for social behaviours and collective movement as an antipredator response. This article is part of the theme issue 'The spatial-social interface: A theoretical and empirical integration'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christina M Prokopenko
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave , St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - E Hance Ellington
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave , St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
- Range Cattle Research and Education Center, University of Florida, 3401 Experiment Station Rd , Ona, FL, USA
| | - Alec Robitaille
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave , St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Jaclyn A Aubin
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's , NL, Canada
| | - Juliana Balluffi-Fry
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave , St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Michel Laforge
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave , St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Quinn M R Webber
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's , NL, Canada
| | - Sana Zabihi-Seissan
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave , St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave , St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's , NL, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Thapa SK, de Jong JF, Hof AR, Subedi N, Liefting Y, Prins HHT. Integration of the landscape of fear concept in grassland management: An experimental study on subtropical monsoon grasslands in Bardia National Park, Nepal. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70098. [PMID: 39100204 PMCID: PMC11294578 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70098] [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: 04/28/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The 'landscape of fear' concept offers valuable insights into wildlife behaviour, yet its practical integration into habitat management for conservation remains underexplored. In this study, conducted in the subtropical monsoon grasslands of Bardia National Park, Nepal, we aimed to bridge this gap through a multi-year, landscape-scale experimental investigation in Bardia National Park, Nepal. The park has the highest density of tigers (with an estimated density of ~7 individuals per 100 km2) in Nepal, allowing us to understand the effect of habitat management on predation risk and resource availability especially for three cervid species: chital (Axis axis), swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii) and hog deer (Axis porcinus). We used plots with varying mowing frequency (0-4 times per year), size (ranging from small: 49 m2 to large: 3600 m2) and artificial fertilisation type (none, phosphorus, nitrogen) to assess the trade-offs between probable predation risk and resources for these cervid species, which constitute primary prey for tigers in Nepal. Our results showed distinct responses of these deer to perceived predation risk within grassland habitats. Notably, these deer exhibited heightened use of larger plots, indicative of a perceived sense of safety, as evidenced by the higher occurrence of pellet groups in the larger plots (mean = 0.1 pellet groups m-2 in 3600 m2 plots vs. 0.07 in 400 m2 and 0.05 in 49 m2 plots). Furthermore, the level of use by the deer was significantly higher in larger plots that received mowing and fertilisation treatments compared to smaller plots subjected to similar treatments. Of particular interest is the observation that chital and swamp deer exhibited greater utilisation of the centre (core) areas within the larger plots (mean = 0.21 pellet groups m-2 at the centre vs. 0.13 at the edge) despite the edge (periphery) also provided attractive resources to these deer. In contrast, hog deer did not display any discernible reaction to the experimental treatments, suggesting potential species-specific variations in response to perceived predation risk arising from management interventions. Our findings emphasise the importance of a sense of security as a primary determinant of habitat selection for medium-sized deer within managed grassland environments. These insights carry practical implications for park managers, providing a nuanced understanding of integrating the 'landscape of fear' into habitat management strategies. This study emphasises that the 'landscape of fear' concept can and should be integrated into habitat management to maintain delicate predator-prey dynamics within ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shyam Kumar Thapa
- National Trust for Nature ConservationLalitpurNepal
- Zoological Society of London, Nepal OfficeKathmanduNepal
| | - Joost F. de Jong
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation GroupWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Anouschka R. Hof
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation GroupWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | | | - Yorick Liefting
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation GroupWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Takada H, Nakamura K. Effects of Human Harvesting, Residences, and Forage Abundance on Deer Spatial Distribution. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1924. [PMID: 38998036 PMCID: PMC11240362 DOI: 10.3390/ani14131924] [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: 05/20/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
It has been known that harvesting by humans strongly influences individual within-home range habitat selection of many deer species; however, little is known about the effect of harvesting on coarse-scale habitat selection (i.e., spatial distribution). We examined the summer spatial distribution of sika deer Cervus nippon in relation to human harvesting and other factors, such as human residences, forage abundance, and cover, using pellet group counts at Mount Fuji, central Japan, in 2018. In the study area, harvesting is conducted at medium elevation areas throughout the year, but not at high or low elevation areas where access is difficult or harvesting is prohibited. Spatial distribution of deer was significantly biased to non-harvesting areas and far from residential areas, suggesting that they avoid riskier spaces by establishing a landscape of fear. High-quality food resources (deciduous broad-leaved trees and forbs) were more abundant in harvesting areas than in non-harvesting areas, suggesting that foraging pressure by deer reduce them. However, there were no differences in abundances of more fibrous dwarf bamboo between harvesting and non-harvesting areas, and spatial distribution of deer was significantly biased to higher dwarf bamboo abundance areas, suggesting that the dwarf bamboo is an alternative food resource in non-harvesting areas where supplies of high-quality food were limited. Our results suggest that human harvesting pressure and residences shifted the spatial distribution of deer from the montane forests to subalpine/alpine zones, which may increase damage to vulnerable ecosystems due to severe foraging pressure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hayato Takada
- Mount Fuji Research Institute, Yamanashi Prefecture Government, 5597-1 Kenmarubi, Kamiyoshida, Fujiyoshida 403-0005, Yamanashi, Japan
- Wildlife Management Center, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwaicho, Fuchu 183-8509, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keita Nakamura
- Mount Fuji Research Institute, Yamanashi Prefecture Government, 5597-1 Kenmarubi, Kamiyoshida, Fujiyoshida 403-0005, Yamanashi, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Farley ZJ, Thompson CJ, Boyle ST, Tatman NM, Cain JW. Behavioral trade-offs and multitasking by elk in relation to predation risk from Mexican gray wolves. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11383. [PMID: 38803606 PMCID: PMC11128461 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11383] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Predator non-consumptive effects (NCE) can alter prey foraging time and habitat use, potentially reducing fitness. Prey can mitigate NCEs by increasing vigilance, chewing-vigilance synchronization, and spatiotemporal avoidance of predators. We quantified the relationship between Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) predation risk and elk (Cervus canadensis) behavior. We conducted behavioral observations on adult female elk and developed predation risk indices using GPS collar data from Mexican wolves, locations of elk killed by wolves, and landscape covariates. We compared a priori models to determine the best predictors of adult female behavior and multitasking. Metrics that quantified both spatial and temporal predation risk were the most predictive. Vigilance was positively associated with increased predation risk. The effect of predation risk on foraging and resting differed across diurnal periods. During midday when wolf activity was lower, the probability of foraging increased while resting decreased in high-risk areas. During crepuscular periods when elk and wolves were most active, increased predation risk was associated with increased vigilance and slight decreases in foraging. Our results suggest elk are temporally avoiding predation risk from Mexican wolves by trading resting for foraging, a trade-off often not evaluated in behavioral studies. Probability of multitasking depended on canopy openness and an interaction between maternal period and predation risk; multitasking decreased prior to parturition and increased post parturition in high-risk areas. Openness was inversely related to multitasking. These results suggest adult female elk are altering the type of vigilance used depending on resource availability/quality, current energetic needs, and predation risk. Our results highlight potentially important, but often-excluded behaviors and trade-offs prey species may use to reduce the indirect effects of predation and contribute additional context to our understanding of predator-prey dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J. Farley
- Department of Fish Wildlife and Conservation EcologyNew Mexico State UniversityLas CrucesNew MexicoUSA
| | - Cara J. Thompson
- Department of Fish Wildlife and Conservation EcologyNew Mexico State UniversityLas CrucesNew MexicoUSA
| | - Scott T. Boyle
- Department of Fish Wildlife and Conservation EcologyNew Mexico State UniversityLas CrucesNew MexicoUSA
| | | | - James W. Cain
- U.S. Geological Survey New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fish Wildlife and Conservation EcologyNew Mexico State UniversityLas CrucesNew MexicoUSA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wehr NH, Moore SA, Isaac EJ, Kellner KF, Millspaugh JJ, Belant JL. Spatial overlap of gray wolves and ungulate prey changes seasonally corresponding to prey migration. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:33. [PMID: 38671527 PMCID: PMC11046751 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00466-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prey are more vulnerable during migration due to decreased familiarity with their surroundings and spatially concentrated movements. Predators may respond to increased prey vulnerability by shifting their ranges to match prey. Moose (Alces alces) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are primary gray wolf (Canis lupus) prey and important subsistence species for Indigenous communities. We hypothesized wolves would increase use of ungulate migration corridors during migrations and predicted wolf distributions would overlap primary available prey. METHODS We examined seasonal gray wolf, moose, and white-tailed deer movements on and near the Grand Portage Indian Reservation, Minnesota, USA. We analyzed GPS collar data during 2012-2021 using Brownian bridge movement models (BBMM) in Migration Mapper and mechanistic range shift analysis (MRSA) to estimate individual- and population-level occurrence distributions and determine the status and timing of range shifts. We estimated proportional overlap of wolf distributions with moose and deer distributions and tested for differences among seasons, prey populations, and wolf sex and pack affiliations. RESULTS We identified a single migration corridor through which white-tailed deer synchronously departed in April and returned in October-November. Gray wolf distributions overlapped the deer migration corridor similarly year-round, but wolves altered within-range distributions seasonally corresponding to prey distributions. Seasonal wolf distributions had the greatest overlap with deer during fall migration (10 October-28 November) and greatest overlap with moose during summer (3 May-9 October). CONCLUSIONS Gray wolves did not increase their use of the white-tailed deer migration corridor but altered distributions within their territories in response to seasonal prey distributions. Greater overlap of wolves and white-tailed deer in fall may be due to greater predation success facilitated by asynchronous deer migration movements. Greater summer overlap between wolves and moose may be linked to moose calf vulnerability, American beaver (Castor canadensis) co-occurrence, and reduced deer abundance associated with migration. Our results suggest increases in predation pressure on deer in fall and moose in summer, which can inform Indigenous conservation efforts. We observed seasonal plasticity of wolf distributions suggestive of prey switching; that wolves did not exhibit migratory coupling was likely due to spatial constraints resulting from territoriality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel H Wehr
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
| | - Seth A Moore
- Department of Biology and Environment, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Grand Portage, MN, USA
| | - Edmund J Isaac
- Department of Biology and Environment, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Grand Portage, MN, USA
| | - Kenneth F Kellner
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Joshua J Millspaugh
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
- Camp Fire Program in Wildlife Conservation, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Jerrold L Belant
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Landry-Ducharme L, Lai S, Vézina F, Tam A, Berteaux D. Vegetation biomass and topography are associated with seasonal habitat selection and fall translocation behavior in Arctic hares. Oecologia 2024; 204:775-788. [PMID: 38554159 PMCID: PMC11062897 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05534-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
Habitat selection theory suggests that environmental features selected at coarse scales reveal fundamental factors affecting animal fitness. When these factors vary across seasons, they may lead to large-scale movements, including long-distance seasonal migrations. We analyzed the seasonal habitat selection of 25 satellite-tracked Arctic hares from a population on Ellesmere Island (Nunavut, Canada) that relocated over 100 km in the fall. Since no other lagomorph is known to perform such extensive movements, this population offered an ideal setting to test animal movement and habitat selection theory. On summer grounds hares selected low elevation areas, while on winter grounds they selected high vegetation biomass, high elevation, and steep slopes. During fall relocation, they alternated between stopover and traveling behavioral states (ratio 2:1). Stopover locations were characterized by higher vegetation heterogeneity and lower rugosity than traveling locations, while vegetation biomass and elevation interacted to explain stopover locations in a more complex way. The selected combination of environmental features thus varied across seasons and behavioral states, in a way broadly consistent with predictions based on the changing food and safety needs of hares. Although causality was not demonstrated, our results improve our understanding of long-distance movements and habitat selection in Arctic hares, as well as herbivore ecology in the polar desert. Results also provide strong support to animal movement and habitat selection theory, by showing how some important hypotheses hold when tested in a species phylogenetically distinct from most animal models used in this research field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ludovic Landry-Ducharme
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec À Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, Canada
- Canada Research Chair On Northern Biodiversity, Université du Québec À Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, Canada
- Centre for Northern Studies, Université du Québec À Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, Canada
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science, Université du Québec À Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, Canada
| | - Sandra Lai
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec À Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, Canada
- Canada Research Chair On Northern Biodiversity, Université du Québec À Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, Canada
- Centre for Northern Studies, Université du Québec À Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, Canada
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science, Université du Québec À Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, Canada
| | - François Vézina
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec À Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, Canada
- Centre for Northern Studies, Université du Québec À Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, Canada
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science, Université du Québec À Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, Canada
| | - Andrew Tam
- Department of National Defence, 8 Wing Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Astra, ON, Canada
| | - Dominique Berteaux
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec À Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, Canada.
- Canada Research Chair On Northern Biodiversity, Université du Québec À Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, Canada.
- Centre for Northern Studies, Université du Québec À Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, Canada.
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science, Université du Québec À Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Masto NM, Blake-Bradshaw AG, Highway CJ, Keever AC, Feddersen JC, Hagy HM, Cohen BS. Human access constrains optimal foraging and habitat availability in an avian generalist. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 34:e2952. [PMID: 38417451 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Animals balance costs of antipredator behaviors with resource acquisition to minimize hunting and other mortality risks and maximize their physiological condition. This inherent trade-off between forage abundance, its quality, and mortality risk is intensified in human-dominated landscapes because fragmentation, habitat loss, and degradation of natural vegetation communities is often coupled with artificially enhanced vegetation (i.e., food plots), creating high-risk, high-reward resource selection decisions. Our goal was to evaluate autumn-winter resource selection trade-offs for an intensively hunted avian generalist. We hypothesized human access was a reliable cue for hunting predation risk. Therefore, we predicted resource selection patterns would be spatiotemporally dependent upon levels of access and associated perceived risk. Specifically, we evaluated resource selection of local-scale flights between diel periods for 426 mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) relative to wetland type, forage quality, and differing levels of human access across hunting and nonhunting seasons. Mallards selected areas that prohibited human access and generally avoided areas that allowed access diurnally, especially during the hunting season. Mallards compensated by selecting for high-energy and greater quality foraging patches on allowable human access areas nocturnally when they were devoid of hunters. Postseason selection across human access gradients did not return to prehunting levels immediately, perhaps suggesting a delayed response to reacclimate to nonhunted activities and thus agreeing with the assessment mismatch hypothesis. Last, wetland availability and human access constrained selection for optimal natural forage quality (i.e., seed biomass and forage productivity) diurnally during preseason and hunting season, respectively; however, mallards were freed from these constraints nocturnally during hunting season and postseason periods. Our results suggest risk-avoidance of human accessible (i.e., hunted) areas is a primary driver of resource selection behaviors by mallards and could be a local to landscape-level process influencing distributions, instead of forage abundance and quality, which has long-been assumed by waterfowl conservation planners in North America. Broadly, even an avian generalist, well adapted to anthropogenic landscapes, avoids areas where hunting and human access are allowed. Future conservation planning and implementation must consider management for recreational access (i.e., people) equally important as foraging habitat management for wintering waterfowl.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M Masto
- Tennessee Technological University, College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Cookeville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Abigail G Blake-Bradshaw
- Tennessee Technological University, College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Cookeville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Cory J Highway
- Tennessee Technological University, College of Arts and Sciences, Cookeville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Allison C Keever
- Tennessee Technological University, College of Arts and Sciences, Cookeville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jamie C Feddersen
- Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Migratory Gamebird Program, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Heath M Hagy
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Refuge System, Stanton, Tennessee, USA
| | - Bradley S Cohen
- Tennessee Technological University, College of Arts and Sciences, Cookeville, Tennessee, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Williams S, Hebblewhite M, Martin H, Meyer C, Whittington J, Killeen J, Berg J, MacAulay K, Smolko P, Merrill EH. Predation risk drives long-term shifts in migratory behaviour and demography in a large herbivore population. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:21-35. [PMID: 37982331 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Migration is an adaptive life-history strategy across taxa that helps individuals maximise fitness by obtaining forage and avoiding predation risk. The mechanisms driving migratory changes are poorly understood, and links between migratory behaviour, space use, and demographic consequences are rare. Here, we use a nearly 20-year record of individual-based monitoring of a large herbivore, elk (Cervus canadensis) to test hypotheses for changing patterns of migration in and adjacent to a large protected area in Banff National Park (BNP), Canada. We test whether bottom-up (forage quality) or top-down (predation risk) factors explained trends in (i) the proportion of individuals using 5 different migratory tactics, (ii) differences in survival rates of migratory tactics during migration and whilst on summer ranges, (iii) cause-specific mortality by wolves and grizzly bears, and (iv) population abundance. We found dramatic shifts in migration consistent with behavioural plasticity in individual choice of annual migratory routes. Shifts were inconsistent with exposure to the bottom-up benefits of migration. Instead, exposure to landscape gradients in predation risk caused by exploitation outside the protected area drove migratory shifts. Carnivore exploitation outside the protected area led to higher survival rates for female elk remaining resident or migrating outside the protected area. Cause-specific mortality aligned with exposure to predation risk along migratory routes and summer ranges. Wolf predation risk was higher on migratory routes than summer ranges of montane-migrant tactics, but wolf predation risk traded-off with heightened risk from grizzly bears on summer ranges. A novel eastern migrant tactic emerged following a large forest fire that enhanced forage in an area with lower predation risk outside of the protected area. The changes in migratory behaviour translated to population abundance, where abundance of the montane-migratory tactics declined over time. The presence of diverse migratory life histories maintained a higher total population abundance than would have been the case with only one migratory tactic in the population. Our study demonstrates the complex ways in which migratory populations change over time through behavioural plasticity and associated demographic consequences because of individuals balancing predation risk and forage trade-offs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Williams
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - M Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - H Martin
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - C Meyer
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - J Whittington
- Banff National Park, Parks Canada, Banff, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Killeen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Berg
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - K MacAulay
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - P Smolko
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Applied Zoology and Wildlife Management, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - E H Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Roberts BH, Morrongiello JR, Morgan DL, King AJ, Saunders TM, Banks SC, Crook DA. Monsoonal wet season influences the migration tendency of a catadromous fish (barramundi Lates calcarifer). J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:83-94. [PMID: 37984847 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Many animals exhibit partial migration, which occurs when populations contain coexisting contingents of migratory and resident individuals. This individual-level variation in migration behaviour may drive differences in growth, age at maturity and survival. Therefore, partial migration is widely considered to play a key role in shaping population demography. Otolith chemistry and microstructural analysis were used to identify the environmental- and individual-specific factors that influence migratory behaviour in the facultatively catadromous barramundi (Lates calcarifer) at two distinct life history stages: firstly, as juveniles migrating upstream into fresh water; and secondly, as adults or sub-adults returning to the estuarine/marine spawning habitat. Monsoonal climate played an important role in determining the migration propensity of juveniles: individuals born in the driest year examined (weak monsoon) were more than twice as likely to undergo migration to freshwater than those born in the wettest (strong monsoon) year. In contrast, the ontogenetic timing of return migrations to the estuary by adults and sub-adults was highly variable and not strongly associated with the environmental parameters examined. We propose that scarce resources within saline natal habitats during lower rainfall years may provide an ecological incentive for juveniles to migrate upstream, whereas more abundant resources in higher rainfall years may promote resident life histories within estuaries. We conclude that inter-annual climatic variation, here evidenced by monsoonal strength, likely plays an important role in driving the persistence of diversified life histories within wild barramundi populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brien H Roberts
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
- Fisheries Research, Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade, Berrimah, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - John R Morrongiello
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - David L Morgan
- Freshwater Fish Group & Fish Health Unit, Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Alison J King
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
- Centre for Freshwater Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Albury-Wodonga, Victoria, Australia
- CSIRO Environment, Albury, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Thor M Saunders
- Fisheries Research, Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade, Berrimah, Northern Territory, Australia
- Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens Fisheries Centre, Port Stephens, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sam C Banks
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - David A Crook
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
- Centre for Freshwater Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Albury-Wodonga, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Primary Industries, Narrandera Fisheries Centre, Narrandera, New South Wales, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Béland S, Vuillaume B, Leclerc M, Bernier M, Côté SD. Selection of summer feeding sites and food resources by female migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus) determined using camera collars. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0294846. [PMID: 38019854 PMCID: PMC10686509 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus) is a socioeconomically and culturally key species for northern communities in the Arctic, and most of its populations are experiencing a sharp decline. Female migratory caribou depend on the availability of summer habitat resources to meet the needs associated with lactation and the accumulation of fat reserves to survive when resources are less abundant. Because of the large scales at which habitat and resource data are usually available, information on how female migratory caribou select habitat and resources at fine scales in the wild is lacking. To document selection of summer feeding sites, we equipped 60 female caribou with camera collars from 2016 to 2018. We collected a total of 65,150 10-sec videos between June 1st and September 1st for three years with contrasted spring phenology. We determined the selection at the feeding site scale (3rd scale of Johnson) and food item scale (4th scale of Johnson) using resource selection probability functions. Wetlands were highly selected as feeding sites in June and July while they were avoided in August. Shrublands were mostly selected in July and August. At the resources scale, lichen, birch, willow, and mushrooms were the most strongly selected resources. Our results provide precise and novel information on habitat selection at feeding sites and food resources selected by female caribou in the wild. This information will help understand foraging patterns and habitat selection behavior of female migratory caribou and will contribute to the management and conservation of its declining populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sophiane Béland
- Département de Biologie & Centre d’études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Barbara Vuillaume
- Département de Biologie & Centre d’études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Martin Leclerc
- Département de Biologie & Centre d’études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
- Département des Sciences Fondamentales & Centre d’étude de la Forêt, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada
| | - Martin Bernier
- Département de Physique, de Génie Physique et d’optique, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Département de Biologie & Centre d’études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Johnson-Bice SM, Gable TD, Homkes AT, Windels SK, Bump JK, Bruggink JG. Logging, linear features, and human infrastructure shape the spatial dynamics of wolf predation on an ungulate neonate. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2911. [PMID: 37602927 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Humans are increasingly recognized as important players in predator-prey dynamics by modifying landscapes. This trend has been well-documented for large mammal communities in North American boreal forests: logging creates early seral forests that benefit ungulates such as white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), while the combination of infrastructure development and resource extraction practices generate linear features that allow predators such as wolves (Canis lupus) to travel and forage more efficiently throughout the landscape. Disturbances from recreational activities and residential development are other major sources of human activity in boreal ecosystems that may further alter wolf-ungulate dynamics. Here, we evaluate the influence that several major types of anthropogenic landscape modifications (timber harvest, linear features, and residential infrastructure) have on where and how wolves hunt ungulate neonates in a southern boreal forest ecosystem in Minnesota, USA. We demonstrate that each major anthropogenic disturbance significantly influences wolf predation of white-tailed deer fawns (n = 427 kill sites). In contrast with the "human shield hypothesis" that posits prey use human-modified areas as refuge, wolves killed fawns closer to residential buildings than expected based on spatial availability. Fawns were also killed within recently-logged areas more than expected. Concealment cover was higher at kill sites than random sites, suggesting wolves use senses other than vision, probably olfaction, to detect hidden fawns. Wolves showed strong selection for hunting along linear features, and kill sites were also closer to linear features than expected. We hypothesize that linear features facilitated wolf predation on fawns by allowing wolves to travel efficiently among high-quality prey patches (recently logged areas, near buildings), and also increase encounter rates with olfactory cues that allow them to detect hidden fawns. These findings provide novel insight into the strategies predators use to hunt ungulate neonates and the many ways human activity alters wolf-ungulate neonate predator-prey dynamics, which have remained elusive due to the challenges of locating sites where predators kill small prey. Our research has important management and conservation implications for wolf-ungulate systems subjected to anthropogenic pressures, particularly as the range of overlap between wolves and deer expands and appears to be altering food web dynamics in boreal ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sean M Johnson-Bice
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Thomas D Gable
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Austin T Homkes
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
- Department of Biology, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan, USA
| | - Steve K Windels
- Voyageurs National Park, International Falls, Minnesota, USA
| | - Joseph K Bump
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - John G Bruggink
- Department of Biology, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Brown MB, Fennessy JT, Crego RD, Fleming CH, Alves J, Brandlová K, Fennessy S, Ferguson S, Hauptfleisch M, Hejcmanova P, Hoffman R, Leimgruber P, Masiaine S, McQualter K, Mueller T, Muller B, Muneza A, O'Connor D, Olivier AJ, Rabeil T, Seager S, Stacy-Dawes J, van Schalkwyk L, Stabach J. Ranging behaviours across ecological and anthropogenic disturbance gradients: a pan-African perspective of giraffe ( Giraffa spp .) space use. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230912. [PMID: 37357852 PMCID: PMC10291724 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal movement behaviours are shaped by diverse factors, including resource availability and human impacts on the landscape. We generated home range estimates and daily movement rate estimates for 149 giraffe (Giraffa spp.) from all four species across Africa to evaluate the effects of environmental productivity and anthropogenic disturbance on space use. Using the continuous time movement modelling framework and a novel application of mixed effects meta-regression, we summarized overall giraffe space use and tested for the effects of resource availability and human impact on 95% autocorrelated kernel density estimate (AKDE) size and daily movement. The mean 95% AKDE was 359.9 km2 and the mean daily movement was 14.2 km, both with marginally significant differences across species. We found significant negative effects of resource availability, and significant positive effects of resource heterogeneity and protected area overlap on 95% AKDE size. There were significant negative effects of overall anthropogenic disturbance and positive effects of the heterogeneity of anthropogenic disturbance on daily movements and 95% AKDE size. Our results provide unique insights into the interactive effects of resource availability and anthropogenic development on the movements of a large-bodied browser and highlight the potential impacts of rapidly changing landscapes on animal space-use patterns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Butler Brown
- Giraffe Conservation Foundation, PO Box 86099, Eros, Windhoek, Namibia
- Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Conservation Ecology Center, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| | | | - Ramiro D. Crego
- Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Conservation Ecology Center, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| | - Christen H. Fleming
- Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Conservation Ecology Center, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Joel Alves
- Wildscapes Veterinary & Conservation Services, Hoedspruit, South Africa
| | - Karolina Brandlová
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 16500 Prague, Czechia
| | | | - Sara Ferguson
- Giraffe Conservation Foundation, PO Box 86099, Eros, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Morgan Hauptfleisch
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Namibia University of Science and Technology, 8 Johann Albrecht Street, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Pavla Hejcmanova
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 16500 Prague, Czechia
| | - Rigardt Hoffman
- Giraffe Conservation Foundation, PO Box 86099, Eros, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Peter Leimgruber
- Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Conservation Ecology Center, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| | - Symon Masiaine
- Conservation Science & Wildlife Health, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Kylie McQualter
- Centre for Ecosystem Studies, School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Thomas Mueller
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre and Department of Biological Science, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ben Muller
- Wildscapes Veterinary & Conservation Services, Hoedspruit, South Africa
| | - Arthur Muneza
- Giraffe Conservation Foundation, PO Box 86099, Eros, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - David O'Connor
- Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Conservation Ecology Center, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre and Department of Biological Science, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Adriaan Jacobus Olivier
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | | | | | - Jenna Stacy-Dawes
- Conservation Science & Wildlife Health, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Louis van Schalkwyk
- Office of the State Veterinarian, Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Kruger National Park, Skukuza, South Africa
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jared Stabach
- Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Conservation Ecology Center, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Baldwin RW, Beaver JT, Messinger M, Muday J, Windsor M, Larsen GD, Silman MR, Anderson TM. Camera Trap Methods and Drone Thermal Surveillance Provide Reliable, Comparable Density Estimates of Large, Free-Ranging Ungulates. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:1884. [PMID: 37889800 PMCID: PMC10252056 DOI: 10.3390/ani13111884] [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: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Camera traps and drone surveys both leverage advancing technologies to study dynamic wildlife populations with little disturbance. Both techniques entail strengths and weaknesses, and common camera trap methods can be confounded by unrealistic assumptions and prerequisite conditions. We compared three methods to estimate the population density of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virgnianus) in a section of Pilot Mountain State Park, NC, USA: (1) camera trapping using mark-resight ratios or (2) N-mixture modeling and (3) aerial thermal videography from a drone platform. All three methods yielded similar density estimates, suggesting that they converged on an accurate estimate. We also included environmental covariates in the N-mixture modeling to explore spatial habitat use, and we fit models for each season to understand temporal changes in population density. Deer occurred in greater densities on warmer, south-facing slopes in the autumn and winter and on cooler north-facing slopes and in areas with flatter terrain in the summer. Seasonal density estimates over two years suggested an annual cycle of higher densities in autumn and winter than in summer, indicating that the region may function as a refuge during the hunting season.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert W. Baldwin
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA; (R.W.B.); (M.M.); (J.M.); (G.D.L.); (M.R.S.); (T.M.A.)
| | - Jared T. Beaver
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA; (R.W.B.); (M.M.); (J.M.); (G.D.L.); (M.R.S.); (T.M.A.)
- Wake Forest University Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Max Messinger
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA; (R.W.B.); (M.M.); (J.M.); (G.D.L.); (M.R.S.); (T.M.A.)
- Wake Forest University Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Jeffrey Muday
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA; (R.W.B.); (M.M.); (J.M.); (G.D.L.); (M.R.S.); (T.M.A.)
| | - Matt Windsor
- Pilot Mountain State Park, North Carolina State Parks, 1792 Pilot Knob Park Rd, Pinnacle, NC 27043, USA;
| | - Gregory D. Larsen
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA; (R.W.B.); (M.M.); (J.M.); (G.D.L.); (M.R.S.); (T.M.A.)
- Wake Forest University Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Miles R. Silman
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA; (R.W.B.); (M.M.); (J.M.); (G.D.L.); (M.R.S.); (T.M.A.)
- Wake Forest University Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - T. Michael Anderson
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA; (R.W.B.); (M.M.); (J.M.); (G.D.L.); (M.R.S.); (T.M.A.)
- Wake Forest University Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Eacker DR, Jakes AF, Jones PF. Spatiotemporal risk factors predict landscape‐scale survivorship for a northern ungulate. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew F. Jakes
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute Missoula Montana USA
- National Wildlife Federation Missoula Montana USA
| | - Paul F. Jones
- Alberta Conservation Association Lethbridge Alberta Canada
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Bonar M, Anderson SJ, Anderson CR, Wittemyer G, Northrup JM, Shafer ABA. Genomic correlates for migratory direction in a free-ranging cervid. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221969. [PMID: 36475444 PMCID: PMC9727677 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal migrations are some of the most ubiquitous and one of the most threatened ecological processes globally. A wide range of migratory behaviours occur in nature, and this behaviour is not uniform among and within species, where even individuals in the same population can exhibit differences. While the environment largely drives migratory behaviour, it is necessary to understand the genetic mechanisms influencing migration to elucidate the potential of migratory species to cope with novel conditions and adapt to environmental change. In this study, we identified genes associated with a migratory trait by undertaking pooled genome-wide scans on a natural population of migrating mule deer. We identified genomic regions associated with variation in migratory direction, including FITM1, a gene linked to the formation of lipids, and DPPA3, a gene linked to epigenetic modifications of the maternal line. Such a genetic basis for a migratory trait contributes to the adaptive potential of the species and might affect the flexibility of individuals to change their behaviour in the face of changes in their environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maegwin Bonar
- Environmental & Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9L 0G2
| | - Spencer J. Anderson
- Environmental & Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9L 0G2
| | - Charles R. Anderson
- Mammals Research Section, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - George Wittemyer
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Joseph M. Northrup
- Environmental & Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9L 0G2,Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9J 3C7
| | - Aaron B. A. Shafer
- Environmental & Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9L 0G2
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Jaguar’s Predation and Human Shield, a Tapir Story. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14121103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Despite the risks associated, some species choose to shield behind a predator to decrease predation risk by another predator. In this study, we demonstrate how Baird’s tapirs (Tapirus bairdii) use humans as a “shield” to reduce the risk of being preyed upon by jaguars (Panthera onca). We collected georeferenced photographic records of 23 tapirs (seven of them injured) sighted near human settlements (0 to 5 km) in the Calakmul region of Mexico from 2008 to 2019. Using multidimensional scale analysis, we determined which possible factors (tapir health status, injuries, distance to the settlement, as well as seasonality) are related to the decision of tapirs to approach human settlements. To support our claims of jaguars’ attacks, we described the pattern of injuries believed to have been inflicted by jaguars on tapirs, and we analysed photographs and videos of species of the genus Panthera attacking larger prey than themselves to establish a pattern of injuries and compare it to the injuries observed on tapirs. Our study shows that tapir sightings near human settlements are related to health deterioration, injuries by jaguars and seasonality. The injuries found on tapirs are similar to those caused by other big cats on large prey, providing strong support for jaguar-inflicted wounds. Further studies should investigate whether the increasing human presence in different habitats in the Neotropical region could be influencing the behaviour and distribution of prey and predators.
Collapse
|
17
|
DeVoe JD, Proffitt KM, Millspaugh JJ. Fence types influence pronghorn movement responses. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse D. DeVoe
- Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula Montana USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Ranglack DH, Proffitt KM, Canfield JE, Gude JA, Rotella J, Garrott RA. Modeling broad‐scale patterns of elk summer resource selection in Montana using regional and population‐specific models. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dustin H. Ranglack
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana USA
| | | | - Jodie E. Canfield
- Custer Gallatin National Forest, USDA Forest Service Bozeman Montana USA
| | | | - Jay Rotella
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana USA
| | - Robert A. Garrott
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Berg JE, Eacker DR, Hebblewhite M, Merrill EH. Summer elk calf survival in a partially migratory population. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jodi E. Berg
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | | | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W. A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation University of Montana Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Evelyn H. Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Gunson KE, Clevenger AP, Ford AT. A comparison of elk‐vehicle collision patterns with demographic and abundance data in the
Central Canadian Rocky Mountains. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
|
21
|
Does predation risk affect spatial use in an introduced ungulate species? The case of a Mediterranean mouflon alpine colony. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-022-01611-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPredation risk is known to affect the spatial use of prey species, imposing a trade-off between feeding requirements and predation avoidance. As a result, prey species can leave high-quality forage areas to use sub-optimal, but safer, habitat patches, defined as “refuge areas.” In this study, we describe changes in the spatial use of an introduced ungulate species, the Mediterranean mouflon Ovis aries musimon, following the recolonization (in 1996) of wolves Canis lupus into the Albergian Hunting Estate (Italian Western Alps). Since 1988, we monitored the mouflon population by spring counts from vantage points. We georeferenced all observations and recorded the size and structure of the spotted groups. Finally, we identified available refuges by selecting patches characterized by (i) the presence of rocks and (ii) high values of steepness and ruggedness. We found that mouflons significantly reduced the average distance from refuge areas over the years, with the yearly average distance from refuges being 56% lower after wolves recolonized the area (i.e., 93.8 ± 32.1 vs. 213.1 ± 40.9 m). The analysis of orographic parameters showed that mouflons used patches with higher values in elevation, slope, ruggedness, and a significant difference in all three parameters when comparing years pre and post wolf return. Both sexes were significantly affected, but ewes were particularly sensitive and selected patches closer to refuge areas (75.8 ± 30.3 m) than males (131.0 ± 53.6 m). Our results suggest that the presence of new predators can alter the distribution of an introduced species such as the Mediterranean mouflon, triggering the resurgence of anti-predation behavior.
Collapse
|
22
|
Forshee SC, Mitchell MS, Stephenson TR. Predator avoidance influences selection of neonatal lambing habitat by Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shannon C. Forshee
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | | | - Thomas R. Stephenson
- Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program California Department of Fish and Wildlife 787 N. Main Street, Suite 220 Bishop CA 93514 USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Water dependence structures predation risk for large herbivores in insular protected areas. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00278-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
24
|
Boucher NP, Anderson M, Ladle A, Procter C, Marshall S, Kuzyk G, Starzomski BM, Fisher JT. Cumulative effects of widespread landscape change alter predator-prey dynamics. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11692. [PMID: 35804035 PMCID: PMC9270463 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15001-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Predator search efficiency can be enhanced by anthropogenic landscape change, leading to increased predator–prey encounters and subsequent prey population declines. Logging increases early successional vegetation, providing ungulate forage. This increased forage, however, is accompanied by linear feature networks that increase predator hunting efficiency by facilitating predator movement and increasing prey vulnerability. We used integrated step selection analyses to weigh support for multiple hypotheses representing the combined impact of logging features (cutblocks and linear features) on wolf (Canis lupus) movement and habitat selection in interior British Columbia. Further, we examine the relationship between logging and wolf kill-sites of moose (Alces alces) identified using spatiotemporal wolf location cluster analysis. Wolves selected for linear features, which increased their movement rates. New (0–8 years since harvest) cutblocks were selected by wolves. Moose kill-sites had a higher probability of occurring in areas with higher proportions of new and regenerating (9–24 years since harvest) cutblocks. The combined selection and movement responses by wolves to logging features, coupled with increased moose mortality sites associated with cutblocks, indicate that landscape change increases risk for moose. Cumulative effects of landscape change contribute to moose population declines, stressing the importance of cohesive management and restoration of anthropogenic features.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole P Boucher
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada.
| | - Morgan Anderson
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, 2000 South Ospika Boulevard, Prince George, BC, V2N 4W5, Canada
| | - Andrew Ladle
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Chris Procter
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, 1259 Dalhousie Drive, Kamloops, BC, V2C 5Z5, Canada
| | - Shelley Marshall
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 6J9, Canada
| | - Gerald Kuzyk
- Government of Saskatchewan Fish, Wildlife and Lands Branch, Ministry of Environment, Unit #1-101 Railway Place, Box 607, Meadow Lake, SK, S9X 1Y5, Canada
| | - Brian M Starzomski
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Jason T Fisher
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Snobl LA, Proffitt KM, Millspaugh JJ. Wildfire extends the shelf life of elk nutritional resources regardless of fire severity. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A. Snobl
- Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula Montana USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Bradley HS, Craig MD, Tomlinson S, Cross AT, Bamford MJ, Bateman PW. Predators in a mining landscape: Threats to a behaviourally unique, endangered lizard. AUSTRAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Holly S. Bradley
- ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration, School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Kent Street, Bentley Perth West Australia 6102 Australia
| | - Michael D. Craig
- School of Biological Sciences University of Western Australia Crawley West Australia Australia
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences Murdoch University Murdoch West Australia Australia
| | - Sean Tomlinson
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Perth West Australia Australia
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Kings Park Science Perth West Australia Australia
- School of Biological Sciences University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia Australia
| | - Adam T. Cross
- ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration, School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Kent Street, Bentley Perth West Australia 6102 Australia
- EcoHealth Network: https://ecohealthglobal.org Brookline Massachusetts USA
| | | | - Philip W. Bateman
- Behavioural Ecology Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Perth West Australia Australia
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Olsoy PJ, Milling CR, Nobler JD, Camp MJ, Shipley LA, Forbey JS, Rachlow JL, Thornton DH. Food quality, security, and thermal refuge influence the use of microsites and patches by pygmy rabbits (
Brachylagus idahoensis
) across landscapes and seasons. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8892. [PMID: 35600688 PMCID: PMC9106561 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
How intensely animals use habitat features depends on their functional properties (i.e., how the feature influences fitness) and the spatial and temporal scale considered. For herbivores, habitat use is expected to reflect the competing risks of starvation, predation, and thermal stress, but the relative influence of each functional property is expected to vary in space and time. We examined how a dietary and habitat specialist, the pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis), used these functional properties of its sagebrush habitat—food quality, security, and thermal refuge—at two hierarchical spatial scales (microsite and patch) across two seasons (winter and summer). At the microsite and patch scales, we determined which plant functional traits predicted the number of bites (i.e., foraging) by pygmy rabbits and the number of their fecal pellets (i.e., general habitat use). Pygmy rabbits used microsites and patches more intensely that had higher crude protein and aerial concealment cover and were closer to burrows. Food quality was more influential when rabbits used microsites within patches. Security was more influential in winter than summer, and more at Cedar Gulch than Camas. However, the influence of functional properties depended on phytochemical and structural properties of sagebrush and was not spatiotemporally consistent. These results show function‐dependent habitat use that varied according to specific activities by a central‐place browsing herbivore. Making spatially explicit predictions of the relative value of habitat features that influence different types of habitat use (i.e., foraging, hiding, and thermoregulating) will improve how we predict patterns of habitat use by herbivores and how we monitor and manage functional traits within habitats for wildlife.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Olsoy
- School of the Environment Washington State University Pullman Washington USA
- Department of Biological Sciences Boise State University Boise Idaho USA
| | - Charlotte R. Milling
- School of Environment and Natural Resources Ohio State University Columbus Ohio USA
| | - Jordan D. Nobler
- Department of Biological Sciences Boise State University Boise Idaho USA
| | - Meghan J. Camp
- School of the Environment Washington State University Pullman Washington USA
| | - Lisa A. Shipley
- School of the Environment Washington State University Pullman Washington USA
| | - Jennifer S. Forbey
- Department of Biological Sciences Boise State University Boise Idaho USA
| | - Janet L. Rachlow
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow Idaho USA
| | - Daniel H. Thornton
- School of the Environment Washington State University Pullman Washington USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Bastille-Rousseau G, Wittemyer G. Simple metrics to characterize inter-individual and temporal variation in habitat selection behaviour. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1693-1706. [PMID: 35535017 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Individual variation in habitat selection and movement behavior is receiving growing attention, but primarily with respect to characterizing behaviors in different contexts as opposed to decomposing structure in behavior within populations. This focus may be limiting advances in understanding the diversity of individual behavior and its influence on population organization. We propose a framework for characterizing variation in space-use behavior with the aim of advancing interpretation of its form and function. Using outputs from integrated Step Selection Analyses of 20 years of telemetry data from African elephants (Loxodonta Africana), we developed four metrics characterizing differentiation in resource selection behavior within a population [specialization (magnitude of the response independent of direction), heterogeneity (inter-individual variation), consistency (temporal shift in response) and reversal (frequency of directional changes in the response)]. We contrast insight from the developed metrics relative to the mean population response using an example focused on two covariates. We then expanded this contrast by evaluating if the metrics identify structurally important information on seasonal shifts in resource selection behaviors in addition to that provided by mean selection coefficients through Principal Component Analyses (PCAs) and a random forest classification. The simplified example highlighted that for some covariates focusing on the population average failed to capture complex individual variation in behaviors. The PCAs revealed that the developed metrics provided additional information in explaining the patterns in elephant selection beyond that offered by population average covariate values. For elephants, specialization and heterogeneity were informative, with specialization often being a better descriptor of differences in seasonal resource selection behavior than population average responses. Summarizing these metrics spatially and temporally, we illustrate how these metrics can provide insights on overlooked aspects of animal behavior. Our work offers a new approach in how we conceptualize variation in space-use behavior (i.e., habitat selection and movement) by providing ways of encapsulating variation that enables diagnoses of the drivers of individual level variability in a population. The developed metrics explicitly distill how variation in a behavior is structured among individuals and over time which could facilitate comparative work across time, populations, or strata within populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau
- Southern Illinois University, Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Carbondale, IL, USA.,Southern Illinois University, School of Biological Sciences, Carbondale, IL, USA.,Save the Elephants, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - George Wittemyer
- Save the Elephants, Nairobi, Kenya.,Colorado State University, Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Evolutionary causes and consequences of ungulate migration. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:998-1006. [PMID: 35513579 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01749-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Ungulate migrations are crucial for maintaining abundant populations and functional ecosystems. However, little is known about how or why migratory behaviour evolved in ungulates. To investigate the evolutionary origins of ungulate migration, we employed phylogenetic path analysis using a comprehensive species-level phylogeny of mammals. We found that 95 of 207 extant ungulate species are at least partially migratory, with migratory behaviour originating independently in 17 lineages. The evolution of migratory behaviour is associated with reliance on grass forage and living at higher latitudes wherein seasonal resource waves are most prevalent. Indeed, originations coincide with mid-Miocene cooling and the subsequent rise of C4 grasslands. Also, evolving migratory behaviour supported the evolution of larger bodies, allowing ungulates to exploit new ecological space. Reconstructions of migratory behaviour further revealed that seven of ten recently extinct species were probably migratory, suggesting that contemporary migrations are important models for understanding the ecology of the past.
Collapse
|
30
|
Londe DW, Elmore RD, Davis CA, Hovick TJ, Fuhlendorf SD, Rutledge J. Why did the chicken not cross the road? Anthropogenic development influences the movement of a grassland bird. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2543. [PMID: 35080784 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Movement and selection are inherently linked behaviors that form the foundation of a species' space-use patterns. Anthropogenic development in natural ecosystems can result in a variety of behavioral responses that can involve changes in either movement (speed or direction of travel) or selection (resources used), which in turn may cause population-level consequences including loss of landscape connectivity. Understanding how a species alters these different behaviors in response to human activity is essential for effective conservation. In this study, we investigated the effects of anthropogenic development such as roads, power lines and oil wells on the greater prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) movement and selection behaviors in the post-nesting and non-breeding season. Our first objective was to assess using integrated step selection analysis (iSSA) if greater prairie-chickens altered their movement behaviors or their selection patterns when encountering oil wells, power lines, or roads. Our second objective was to determine whether prairie-chickens avoided crossing linear features such as roads or power lines by comparing the number of crossing events in greater prairie-chicken movement tracks to the number of movements that crossed these features in simulated movement tracks. Based on the iSSA analysis, we found that greater prairie-chickens avoided oil wells, power lines, and roads in both seasons, and altered their rate of movement when near anthropogenic structures. However, changes in speed varied by season, with prairie-chickens increasing their movement rates in the post-nesting season when near to development and decreasing movement rates in the non-breeding season. Furthermore, prairie-chickens crossed roads and power lines at much lower rates than expected. These changes in behavior can result in habitat loss for greater prairie-chickens, as well as the potential loss of landscape connectivity. By considering both movement and selection, we were able to develop an ecological understanding of how increasing human activity may influence the space use of this species of conservation concern. Furthermore, this research provides insight into the decision-making processes by animals when they encounter anthropogenic development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David W Londe
- Department of Natural Resources Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Robert Dwayne Elmore
- Department of Natural Resources Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Craig A Davis
- Department of Natural Resources Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Torre J Hovick
- School of Natural Resources Sciences-Range Science, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA
| | - Samuel D Fuhlendorf
- Department of Natural Resources Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Cavedon M, vonHoldt B, Hebblewhite M, Hegel T, Heppenheimer E, Hervieux D, Mariani S, Schwantje H, Steenweg R, Watters M, Musiani M. Selection of both habitat and genes in specialized and endangered caribou. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36. [PMID: 35146809 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Genetic mechanisms determining habitat selection and specialization of individuals within species have been hypothesized, but not tested at the appropriate individual level in nature. In this work, we analyzed habitat selection for 139 GPS-collared caribou belonging to three declining ecotypes sampled throughout Northwestern Canada. We used Resource Selection Functions (RSFs) comparing resources at used and available locations. We found that the three caribou ecotypes differed in their use of habitat suggesting specialization. On expected grounds, we also found differences in habitat selection between summer and winter, but also, originally, among the individuals within an ecotype. We next obtained Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) for the same caribou individuals, we detected those associated to habitat selection, and then identified genes linked to these SNPs. These genes had functions related in other organisms to habitat and dietary specializations, and climatic adaptations. We therefore suggest that individual variation in habitat selection was based on genotypic variation in the SNPs of individual caribou, indicating that genetic forces underlie habitat and diet selection in the species. We also suggest that the associations between habitat and genes that we detected may lead to lack of resilience in the species, thus contributing to caribou endangerment. Our work emphasizes that similar mechanisms may exist for other specialized, endangered species. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cavedon
- Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Bridgett vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, 106A Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ, 08544-2016, USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Montana, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Troy Hegel
- Yukon Department of Environment, Whitehorse, Yukon, Y1A 2C6, Canada
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Alberta Environment and Parks, 4999 98 Ave., Edmonton, AB, T6B 2×3, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Heppenheimer
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, 106A Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ, 08544-2016, USA
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Alberta Environment and Parks, Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 6J4, Canada
| | - Stefano Mariani
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Helen Schwantje
- Wildlife and Habitat Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Government of British Columbia, 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 6J 9, Canada
| | - Robin Steenweg
- Pacific Region, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, BC, V4K 3N2, Canada
| | - Megan Watters
- Land and Resource Specialist, 300 - 10003 110th Avenue Fort, St. John, BC, V1J 6M7, Canada
| | - Marco Musiani
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Veterinary Medicine (Joint Appointment), University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
MacAulay KM, Spilker EG, Berg JE, Hebblewhite M, Merrill EH. Beyond the encounter: Predicting multi-predator risk to elk ( Cervus canadensis) in summer using predator scats. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8589. [PMID: 35222962 PMCID: PMC8843817 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence that prey perceive the risk of predation and alter their behavior in response, resulting in changes in spatial distribution and potential fitness consequences. Previous approaches to mapping predation risk across a landscape quantify predator space use to estimate potential predator-prey encounters, yet this approach does not account for successful predator attack resulting in prey mortality. An exception is a prey kill site that reflects an encounter resulting in mortality, but obtaining information on kill sites is expensive and requires time to accumulate adequate sample sizes.We illustrate an alternative approach using predator scat locations and their contents to quantify spatial predation risk for elk (Cervus canadensis) from multiple predators in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. We surveyed over 1300 km to detect scats of bears (Ursus arctos/U. americanus), cougars (Puma concolor), coyotes (Canis latrans), and wolves (C. lupus). To derive spatial predation risk, we combined predictions of scat-based resource selection functions (RSFs) weighted by predator abundance with predictions that a predator-specific scat in a location contained elk. We evaluated the scat-based predictions of predation risk by correlating them to predictions based on elk kill sites. We also compared scat-based predation risk on summer ranges of elk following three migratory tactics for consistency with telemetry-based metrics of predation risk and cause-specific mortality of elk.We found a strong correlation between the scat-based approach presented here and predation risk predicted by kill sites and (r = .98, p < .001). Elk migrating east of the Ya Ha Tinda winter range were exposed to the highest predation risk from cougars, resident elk summering on the Ya Ha Tinda winter range were exposed to the highest predation risk from wolves and coyotes, and elk migrating west to summer in Banff National Park were exposed to highest risk of encountering bears, but it was less likely to find elk in bear scats than in other areas. These patterns were consistent with previous estimates of spatial risk based on telemetry of collared predators and recent cause-specific mortality patterns in elk.A scat-based approach can provide a cost-efficient alternative to kill sites of quantifying broad-scale, spatial patterns in risk of predation for prey particularly in multiple predator species systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kara M. MacAulay
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Eric G. Spilker
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Jodi E. Berg
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology ProgramDepartment of Ecosystem and Conservation SciencesW. A. Franke College of Forestry and ConservationUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMontanaUSA
| | - Evelyn H. Merrill
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Martin HW, Hebblewhite M, Merrill EH. Large herbivores in a partially migratory population search for the ideal free home. Ecology 2022; 103:e3652. [PMID: 35084736 PMCID: PMC10162400 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3652] [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: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Migration is a tactic used across taxa to access resources in temporally heterogenous landscapes. Populations that migrate can attain higher abundances because such movements allow access to higher quality resources, or reduction in predation risk resulting in increased fitness. However, most migratory species occur in partially migratory populations, a mix of migratory and non-migratory individuals. It is thought that the portion of migrants in a partial migration population is maintained either through 1) a population-level evolutionary stable state where counteracting density-dependent vital rates act on migrants and residents to balance fitness, or 2) conditional migration, where the propensity to migrate is influenced by the individual's state. However, in many respects, migration is also a form of habitat selection and the proportion of migrants and residents may be the result of density-dependent habitat selection. Here, we test whether the theory of Ideal Free Distribution (IFD) can explain the coexistence of different migratory tactics in a partially migratory population. IFD predicts individuals exhibit density-dependent vital rates and select different migratory tactics to maximize individual fitness resulting in equal fitness (λ) between tactics. We tested the predictions of IFD in a partially migratory elk population that declined by 70% with 19 years of demographic data and migratory tactic switching rates from >300 individuals. We found evidence of density dependence for resident pregnancy and adult female survival providing a fitness incentive to switch tactics. Despite differences in vital rates between migratory tactics, mean λ (fitness) was equal. However, as predicted by the IFD, individuals switched tactics toward those of higher fitness. Our analysis reveals that partial migration may be driven by tactic selection that follows the ideal free distribution. These findings reinforce that migration across taxa may be a polymorphic behavior in large herbivores where migratory tactic selection is determined by differential costs and benefits, mediated by density-dependence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hans W Martin
- Wildlife Biology Program, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Evelyn H Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Cumulative effects of human footprint, natural features and predation risk best predict seasonal resource selection by white-tailed deer. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1072. [PMID: 35058533 PMCID: PMC8776810 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05018-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Land modified for human use alters matrix shape and composition and is a leading contributor to global biodiversity loss. It can also play a key role in facilitating range expansion and ecosystem invasion by anthrophilic species, as it can alter food abundance and distribution while also influencing predation risk; the relative roles of these processes are key to habitat selection theory. We researched these relative influences by examining human footprint, natural habitat, and predator occurrence on seasonal habitat selection by range-expanding boreal white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the oil sands of western Canada. We hypothesized that polygonal industrial features (e.g. cutblocks, well sites) drive deer distributions as sources of early seral forage, while linear features (e.g. roads, trails, and seismic lines) and habitat associated with predators are avoided by deer. We developed seasonal 2nd -order resource selection models from three years of deer GPS-telemetry data, a camera-trap-based model of predator occurrence, and landscape spatial data to weigh evidence for six competing hypotheses. Deer habitat selection was best explained by the combination of polygonal and linear features, intact deciduous forest, and wolf (Canis lupus) occurrence. Deer strongly selected for linear features such as roads and trails, despite a potential increased risk of wolf encounters. Linear features may attract deer by providing high density forage opportunity in heavily exploited landscapes, facilitating expansion into the boreal north.
Collapse
|
35
|
Newediuk L, Prokopenko CM, Vander Wal E. Individual differences in habitat selection mediate landscape level predictions of a functional response. Oecologia 2022; 198:99-110. [PMID: 34984521 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05098-0] [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: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Predicting future space use by animals requires models that consider both habitat availability and individual differences in habitat selection. The functional response in habitat selection posits animals adjust their habitat selection to availability, but population-level responses to availability may differ from individual responses. Generalized functional response (GFR) models account for functional responses by including fixed effect interactions between habitat availability and selection. Population-level resource selection functions instead account for individual selection responses to availability with random effects. We compared predictive performance of both approaches using a functional response in elk (Cervus canadensis) selection for mixed forest in response to road proximity, and avoidance of roads in response to mixed forest availability. We also investigated how performance changed when individuals responded differently to availability from the rest of the population. Individual variation in road avoidance decreased performance of both models (random effects: β = 0.69, 95% CI 0.47, 0.91; GFR: β = 0.38, 95% CI 0.05, 0.71). Changes in individual road and forest availability affected performance of neither model, suggesting individual responses to availability different from the functional response mediated performance. We also found that overall, both models performed similarly for predicting mixed forest selection (F1, 58 = 0.14, p = 0.71) and road avoidance (F1, 58 = 0.28, p = 0.60). GFR estimates were slightly better, but its larger number of covariates produced greater variance than the random effects model. Given this bias-variance trade-off, we conclude that neither model performs better for future space use predictions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Levi Newediuk
- Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada.
| | | | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Peterson CJ, DeCesare NJ, Hayes TA, Bishop CJ, Mitchell MS. Consequences of migratory strategy on habitat selection by mule deer. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Collin J. Peterson
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula 59812 MT USA
| | - Nicholas J. DeCesare
- Montana Department of Fish Wildlife, and Parks 3201 Spurgin Road Missoula 59804 MT USA
| | - Teagan A. Hayes
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula 59812 MT USA
| | - Chad J. Bishop
- Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula 59812 MT USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Kienle SS, Friedlaender AS, Crocker DE, Mehta RS, Costa DP. Trade-offs between foraging reward and mortality risk drive sex-specific foraging strategies in sexually dimorphic northern elephant seals. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:210522. [PMID: 35116140 PMCID: PMC8767210 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Sex-specific phenotypic differences are widespread throughout the animal kingdom. Reproductive advantages provided by trait differences come at a cost. Here, we link sex-specific foraging strategies to trade-offs between foraging reward and mortality risk in sexually dimorphic northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris). We analyse a decadal dataset on movement patterns, dive behaviour, foraging success and mortality rates. Females are deep-diving predators in open ocean habitats. Males are shallow-diving benthic predators in continental shelf habitats. Males gain six times more mass and acquire energy 4.1 times faster than females. High foraging success comes with a high mortality rate. Males are six times more likely to die than females. These foraging strategies and trade-offs are related to different energy demands and life-history strategies. Males use a foraging strategy with a high mortality risk to attain large body sizes necessary to compete for females, as only a fraction of the largest males ever mate. Females use a foraging strategy with a lower mortality risk, maximizing reproductive success by pupping annually over a long lifespan. Our results highlight how sex-specific traits can drive disparity in mortality rates and expand species' niche space. Further, trade-offs between foraging rewards and mortality risk can differentially affect each sex's ability to maximize fitness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah S. Kienle
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97399, Waco, TX 76798, USA
| | - Ari S. Friedlaender
- Ocean Science, University of California, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Daniel E. Crocker
- Biology, Sonoma State University, 1801 East Cotati Avenue, Rohnert Park, CA 94928, USA
| | - Rita S. Mehta
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Daniel P. Costa
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Passoni G, Coulson T, Ranc N, Corradini A, Hewison AJM, Ciuti S, Gehr B, Heurich M, Brieger F, Sandfort R, Mysterud A, Balkenhol N, Cagnacci F. Roads constrain movement across behavioural processes in a partially migratory ungulate. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:57. [PMID: 34774097 PMCID: PMC8590235 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00292-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human disturbance alters animal movement globally and infrastructure, such as roads, can act as physical barriers that impact behaviour across multiple spatial scales. In ungulates, roads can particularly hamper key ecological processes such as dispersal and migration, which ensure functional connectivity among populations, and may be particularly important for population performance in highly human-dominated landscapes. The impact of roads on some aspects of ungulate behaviour has already been studied. However, potential differences in response to roads during migration, dispersal and home range movements have never been evaluated. Addressing these issues is particularly important to assess the resistance of European landscapes to the range of wildlife movement processes, and to evaluate how animals adjust to anthropogenic constraints. METHODS We analysed 95 GPS trajectories from 6 populations of European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) across the Alps and central Europe. We investigated how roe deer movements were affected by landscape characteristics, including roads, and we evaluated potential differences in road avoidance among resident, migratory and dispersing animals (hereafter, movement modes). First, using Net Squared Displacement and a spatio-temporal clustering algorithm, we classified individuals as residents, migrants or dispersers. We then identified the start and end dates of the migration and dispersal trajectories, and retained only the GPS locations that fell between those dates (i.e., during transience). Finally, we used the resulting trajectories to perform an integrated step selection analysis. RESULTS We found that roe deer moved through more forested areas during the day and visited less forested areas at night. They also minimised elevation gains and losses along their movement trajectories. Road crossings were strongly avoided at all times of day, but when they occurred, they were more likely to occur during longer steps and in more forested areas. Road avoidance did not vary among movement modes and, during dispersal and migration, it remained high and consistent with that expressed during home range movements. CONCLUSIONS Roads can represent a major constraint to movement across modes and populations, potentially limiting functional connectivity at multiple ecological scales. In particular, they can affect migrating individuals that track seasonal resources, and dispersing animals searching for novel ranges.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gioele Passoni
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Zoology Research and Administration Building, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK.
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre (CRI), Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy.
| | - Tim Coulson
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Zoology Research and Administration Building, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Nathan Ranc
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, 95064, USA
| | - Andrea Corradini
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre (CRI), Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering (DICAM), University of Trento, via Mesiano 77, 38123, Trento, TN, Italy
- Stelvio National Park, Via De Simoni 42, 23032, Bormio, SO, Italy
| | - A J Mark Hewison
- INRAE, CEFS, Université de Toulouse, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France
- LTSER ZA Pyrénées Garonne, 31320, Auzeville Tolosane, France
| | - Simone Ciuti
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, University College Dublin, Belfield, D4, Ireland
| | - Benedikt Gehr
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marco Heurich
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Straße 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
- Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Straße 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Institute for Forest and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Science, 2480, Koppang, Norway
| | - Falko Brieger
- Wildlife Institute, Forest Research Institute Baden-Wuerttemberg, Wonnhaldestraße 4, 79100, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Robin Sandfort
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Gregor-Mendel Straße 33, 1180, Vienna, Austria
| | - Atle Mysterud
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindern, P.O. Box 1066, 0316, Oslo, Norway
| | - Niko Balkenhol
- Wildlife Sciences, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Buesgenweg 3, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre (CRI), Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Nisi AC, Suraci JP, Ranc N, Frank LG, Oriol-Cotterill A, Ekwanga S, Williams TM, Wilmers CC. Temporal scale of habitat selection for large carnivores: Balancing energetics, risk and finding prey. J Anim Ecol 2021; 91:182-195. [PMID: 34668571 PMCID: PMC9298125 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
When navigating heterogeneous landscapes, large carnivores must balance trade-offs between multiple goals, including minimizing energetic expenditure, maintaining access to hunting opportunities and avoiding potential risk from humans. The relative importance of these goals in driving carnivore movement likely changes across temporal scales, but our understanding of these dynamics remains limited. Here we quantified how drivers of movement and habitat selection changed with temporal grain for two large carnivore species living in human-dominated landscapes, providing insights into commonalities in carnivore movement strategies across regions. We used high-resolution GPS collar data and integrated step selection analyses to model movement and habitat selection for African lions Panthera leo in Laikipia, Kenya and pumas Puma concolor in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California across eight temporal grains, ranging from 5 min to 12 hr. Analyses considered landscape covariates that are related to energetics, resource acquisition and anthropogenic risk. For both species, topographic slope, which strongly influences energetic expenditure, drove habitat selection and movement patterns over fine temporal grains but was less important at longer temporal grains. In contrast, avoiding anthropogenic risk during the day, when risk was highest, was consistently important across grains, but the degree to which carnivores relaxed this avoidance at night was strongest for longer term movements. Lions and pumas modified their movement behaviour differently in response to anthropogenic features: lions sped up while near humans at fine temporal grains, while pumas slowed down in more developed areas at coarse temporal grains. Finally, pumas experienced a trade-off between energetically efficient movement and avoiding anthropogenic risk. Temporal grain is an important methodological consideration in habitat selection analyses, as drivers of both movement and habitat selection changed across temporal grain. Additionally, grain-dependent patterns can reflect meaningful behavioural processes, including how fitness-relevant goals influence behaviour over different periods of time. In applying multi-scale analysis to fine-resolution data, we showed that two large carnivore species in very different human-dominated landscapes balanced competing energetic and safety demands in largely similar ways. These commonalities suggest general strategies of landscape use across large carnivore species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Nisi
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Justin P Suraci
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.,Conservation Science Partners, Truckee, CA, USA
| | - Nathan Ranc
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Laurence G Frank
- Living with Lions, Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Alayne Oriol-Cotterill
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Zoology Department, Oxford University, Abingdon, UK.,Lion Landscapes, Teignmouth, UK
| | - Steven Ekwanga
- Living with Lions, Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Terrie M Williams
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Christopher C Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Olson L, Van Deelen T, Storm D, Crimmins S. Understanding environmental patterns of canid predation on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2021-0024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The outcome of encounters between predators and prey affects predation rates and ultimately population dynamics. Determining how environmental features influence predation rates helps guide conservation and management efforts. We studied where gray wolves (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) and coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823) killed white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780)) in northern Wisconsin, USA. We monitored 499 white-tailed deer for cause-specific mortality between 2011 and 2014 using VHF radio collars. We investigated the locations of 125 deer mortalities and determined that 63 were canid (wolf or coyote) kill sites. We analyzed spatial patterns of kill sites using resource selection functions in a model selection framework, incorporating environmental variables including vegetative cover, human development, snow depth, and water. We found no evidence that vegetative cover or human development affected predation risk; however, we did find that increasing snow depth resulted in increased relative predation risk. This finding is consistent with existing research on the influence of snow cover on white-tailed deer survival. Our results suggest that understanding the spatial and temporal patterns of white-tailed deer predation requires a better understanding of snow depth variation in space and time. As climate change scenarios predict changes in snowfall throughout the northern hemisphere, understanding the effect on predator–prey spatial dynamics will be important for management and conservation efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L.O. Olson
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - T.R. Van Deelen
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - D.J. Storm
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 1300 West Clairemont Avenue, Eau Claire, WI 54701-6127, USA
| | - S.M. Crimmins
- College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, 800 Reserve Street, Stevens Point, WI 54481, USA
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Muneza AB, Linden DW, Kimaro MH, Dickman AJ, Macdonald DW, Roloff GJ, Hayward MW, Montgomery RA. Exploring the connections between giraffe skin disease and lion predation. J Zool (1987) 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. B. Muneza
- Research on the Ecology of Carnivores and their Prey (RECaP) Laboratory Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
- Giraffe Conservation Foundation Nairobi Kenya
| | - D. W. Linden
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Gloucester MA USA
| | - M. H. Kimaro
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxon UK
| | - A. J. Dickman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxon UK
| | - D. W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxon UK
| | - G. J. Roloff
- Applied Forest and Wildlife Ecology Laboratory (AFWEL) Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
| | - M. W. Hayward
- Conservation Biology Research Group School of Environmental and Life Sciences University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW Australia
| | - R. A. Montgomery
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxon UK
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Berg JE, Reimer J, Smolko P, Bohm H, Hebblewhite M, Merrill EH. Mothers' Movements: Shifts in Calving Area Selection by Partially Migratory Elk. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jodi E. Berg
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Jody Reimer
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Peter Smolko
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Holger Bohm
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W. A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation University of Montana Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Evelyn H. Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Sand H, Jamieson M, Andrén H, Wikenros C, Cromsigt J, Månsson J. Behavioral effects of wolf presence on moose habitat selection: testing the landscape of fear hypothesis in an anthropogenic landscape. Oecologia 2021; 197:101-116. [PMID: 34420087 PMCID: PMC8445880 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04984-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Landscape of fear refers to the spatial variation in prey perception of predation risk, that under certain conditions, may lead to changes in their behavior. Behavioral responses of prey in relation to large carnivore predation risk have mainly been conducted in areas with low anthropogenic impact. We used long-term data on the distribution of moose in different habitat types in a system characterized by intensive management of all three trophic levels (silviculture, harvest of wolves and moose) to study effects on moose habitat selection resulting from the return of an apex predator, the wolf. We assumed that coursing predators such as wolves will cause an increased risk for moose in some habitat types and tested the hypotheses that moose will avoid open or young forest habitats following wolf establishment. After wolf recolonization, moose reduced their use of one type of open habitat (bog) but there was neither change in the use of the other open habitat type (clear-cut), nor in their use of young forest. Wolf establishment did not influence the use of habitat close to dense habitat when being in open habitats. Thus, the effect of wolves varied among habitat types and there was no unidirectional support for a behavioral effect of wolves' establishment on moose habitat use. Human-driven habitat heterogeneity, concentration of moose forage to certain habitat types, and the effects of a multiple predator guild on moose may all contribute to the results found. We conclude that the landscape of fear is likely to have weak ecological effects on moose in this system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Håkan Sand
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 739 93, Riddarhyttan, Sweden.
| | - Mark Jamieson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 739 93, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Henrik Andrén
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 739 93, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Camilla Wikenros
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 739 93, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Joris Cromsigt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83, Skogsmarksgränd, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Johan Månsson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 739 93, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Lowrey B, DeVoe JD, Proffitt KM, Garrott RA. Behavior‐specific habitat models as a tool to inform ungulate restoration. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- B. Lowrey
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana 59717 USA
| | - J. D. DeVoe
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana 59717 USA
| | - K. M. Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks 1400 South 19th Avenue Bozeman Montana 59718 USA
| | - R. A. Garrott
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana 59717 USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Peterson CJ, Mitchell MS, DeCesare NJ, Bishop CJ, Sells SS. Habitat selection by wolves and mountain lions during summer in western Montana. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254827. [PMID: 34293042 PMCID: PMC8297843 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In the Northern Rockies of the United States, predators like wolves (Canis lupus) and mountain lions (Puma concolor) have been implicated in fluctuations or declines in populations of game species like elk (Cervus canadensis) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). In particular, local distributions of these predators may affect ungulate behavior, use of space, and dynamics. Our goal was to develop generalizable predictions of habitat selection by wolves and mountain lions across western Montana. We hypothesized both predator species would select habitat that maximized their chances of encountering and killing ungulates and that minimized their chances of encountering humans. We assessed habitat selection by these predators during summer using within-home range (3rd order) resource selection functions (RSFs) in multiple study areas throughout western Montana, and tested how generalizable RSF predictions were by applying them to out-of-sample telemetry data from separate study areas. Selection for vegetation cover-types varied substantially among wolves in different study areas. Nonetheless, our predictions of 3rd order selection by wolves were highly generalizable across different study areas. Wolves consistently selected simple topography where ungulate prey may be more susceptible to their cursorial hunting mode. Topographic features may serve as better proxies of predation risk by wolves than vegetation cover-types. Predictions of mountain lion distribution were less generalizable. Use of rugged terrain by mountain lions varied across ecosystem-types, likely because mountain lions targeted the habitats of different prey species in each study area. Our findings suggest that features that facilitate the hunting mode of a predator (i.e. simple topography for cursorial predators and hiding cover for stalking predators) may be more generalizable predictors of their habitat selection than features associated with local prey densities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Collin J. Peterson
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Michael S. Mitchell
- US Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States of America
| | - Nicholas J. DeCesare
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Missoula, MT, United States of America
| | - Chad J. Bishop
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States of America
| | - Sarah S. Sells
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Desforges JE, Birnie-Gauvin K, Aarestrup K, Cooke SJ. Upper Thermal Tolerance Indicated by CT max Fails to Predict Migration Strategy and Timing, Growth, and Predation Vulnerability in Juvenile Brown Trout ( Salmo trutta). Physiol Biochem Zool 2021; 94:215-227. [PMID: 33974516 DOI: 10.1086/714636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPartial migration is common in a variety of taxa and has important ecological and evolutionary implications, yet the underlying factors that lead to different migratory strategies are not clearly understood. Given the importance of temperature in serving as a cue for migration, along with its role in regulating metabolism, growth, reproduction, and survival, we examined how intraspecific variation in critical thermal maximum (CTmax) values influenced migratory strategy (residency vs. migration), timing of migration, growth, and predation vulnerability in a wild population of partially anadromous juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta). Using passive integrated transponder telemetry and mark-recapture techniques, we identified individuals that out-migrated to sea, assumed residency, and were predated by cormorants several months later. Acute thermal stress induced by conducting CTmax trials did not affect the final fate of assayed fish compared with controls. We found that mass and body condition predicted CTmax and migration timing, but CTmax failed to predict migratory strategy or timing, growth (of resident fish), or predation vulnerability. Although there may be links between mass, thermal tolerance, and migration strategy, the relationship between CTmax and migration remains unclear. The role of upper thermal tolerance in influencing life-history strategies should not be neglected, however, as alternative indicators of thermal tolerance could be further explored. The high degree of variation in CTmax estimates warrants additional investigation of how increasingly prevalent high-temperature events might drive selection toward thermally tolerant extremes, which is particularly relevant in a rapidly warming world.
Collapse
|
47
|
Chisholm JD, Hodder DP, Crowley SM, Rea RV, Marshall S. Seasonal movements of migratory and resident female moose (Alces alces) in north-central British Columbia, Canada. MAMMAL RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-021-00575-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|
48
|
Neupane B, Chhetri NB, Dhami B. Habitat selection of Himalayan Musk Deer Moschus leucogaster (Mammalia: Artiodactyla: Moschidae) with respect to biophysical attributes in Annapurna Conservation Area of Nepal. JOURNAL OF THREATENED TAXA 2021. [DOI: 10.11609/jott.6725.13.7.18703-18712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Himalayan or White-bellied Musk Deer Moschus leucogaster, an IUCN indexed endangered species, is distributed in isolated pockets in the Himalaya. The deer population is decreasing owing to several pressures that include habitat loss and fragmentation, and poaching. It is essential to identify preferred habitat characteristics to support appropriate management strategies for conserving this endangered species. This study was carried out in the Nysheang basin of Annapurna Conservation Area of Nepal to identify habitats preferred by the musk deer. Habitat field parameters were collected using transect surveys. To analyze vegetation use and availability, nested quadrate plots size 20 m2 were established. Ivlev’s electivity index (IV) (-1 to +1) was employed to determine habitat preference, and one-way ANOVA (F) and chi-square tests (χ2) were used to examine different habitat parameters. Similarly, the importance value index (IVI) of the vegetation was calculated. Our results showed that the Himalayan Musk Deer strongly preferred habitats at 3601–3800 m altitude (IV= 0.3, F= 4.58, P <0.05), with 21–30º slope (IV= 0.2, F= 4.14, P <0.05), 26–50 % crown cover (IV= 0.25, F= 4.45, P <0.05), 26–50 % ground cover (IV= 0.15, F= 4.13, P <0.05), and mixed forest (IV= 0.29, χ2= 28.82, df= 3, p <0.001). Among the trees, Abies spectabilis (IVI= 74.87, IV= 0.035) and Rhododendron arboretum (IVI= 55.41, IV= 0.02) were the most preferred, while Rhododendron lepidotum, Cassiope fastigiata (IV= 0.35) and Berberis aristata (IV= 0.25) were the most preferred shrubs, and Primula denticulata (IV= 0.87) and Primula rotundifolia (IV= 0.31) were the most preferred herbs. These preferred habitat conditions should be maintained and conserved to sustain a viable population of deer in the study area. Further studies will be required to assess the effects of climate change on habitat suitability.
Collapse
|
49
|
Semenzato P, Cagnacci F, Ossi F, Eccel E, Morellet N, Hewison AJM, Sturaro E, Ramanzin M. Behavioural heat-stress compensation in a cold-adapted ungulate: Forage-mediated responses to warming Alpine summers. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1556-1568. [PMID: 34028149 PMCID: PMC8362020 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Alpine large herbivores have developed physiological and behavioural mechanisms to cope with fluctuations in climate and resource availability that may become maladaptive under climate warming. We tested this hypothesis in female Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) by modelling annual and daily movement and activity patterns in relation to temperature, vegetation productivity and reproductive status based on bio‐logging data and climate change projections. In summer, ibex moved upslope, tracking the green wave. Ibex decreased diel activity sharply above a threshold temperature of 13–14°C, indicating thermal stress, but compensated behaviourally by foraging both earlier and later in the day, and by moving further upslope than on cooler days, especially reproductive females. This critical temperature will be exceeded three times as often under climate change projections. Under such scenarios, the altitudinal extent of the area will limit the available habitat providing thermal shelter, potentially impacting performance and population distribution of this emblematic mountain ungulate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paola Semenzato
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology Department, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all' Adige (TN), Italy
| | - Federico Ossi
- Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology Department, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all' Adige (TN), Italy.,Center Agriculture Food Environment (C3A), University of Trento, San Michele all'Adige (TN), Italy
| | - Emanuele Eccel
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all' Adige (TN), Italy
| | - Nicolas Morellet
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, Castanet-Tolosan, France.,LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, Auzeville Tolosane, France
| | - A J Mark Hewison
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, Castanet-Tolosan, France.,LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, Auzeville Tolosane, France
| | - Enrico Sturaro
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Maurizio Ramanzin
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Wolf JF, Kriss KD, MacAulay KM, Munro K, Patterson BR, Shafer ABA. Gut microbiome composition predicts summer core range size in two divergent ungulates. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 97:6174673. [PMID: 33729507 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiab048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiome of animals vary by age, diet, and habitat, and directly influences an individual's health. Similarly, variation in home ranges is linked to feeding strategies and fitness. Ungulates (hooved mammals) exhibit species-specific microbiomes and habitat use patterns. We combined gut microbiome and movement data to assess relationships between space use and the gut microbiome in a specialist and a generalist ungulate. We GPS radiocollared 24 mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) and 34 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), collected fecal samples, and conducted high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. We generated gut diversity metrics and key bacterial ratios. Our research question centred around the idea that larger Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratios confer body size or fat advantages that allow for larger home ranges, and relationships of disproportionate habitat use are stronger in the habitat specialist mountain goat. Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratios were positively correlated with core range area in both species. Mountain goats exhibited a negative relationship between gut diversity and proportional use of treed areas and escape terrain, and no relationships were detected in the habitat generalist white-tailed deer. This is the first study to relate range size to the gut microbiome in wild ungulates and is an important proof of concept that advances the information that can be gleaned from non-invasive sampling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse F Wolf
- Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - Krystal D Kriss
- Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development, 3726 Alfred Avenue, Smithers, British Columbia V0J 2N0, Canada
| | - Kara M MacAulay
- Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development, 3726 Alfred Avenue, Smithers, British Columbia V0J 2N0, Canada
| | - Keith Munro
- Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada.,Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, 4601 Guthrie Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 8L5, Canada
| | - Brent R Patterson
- Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada.,Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - Aaron B A Shafer
- Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada.,Forensic Science Program, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada
| |
Collapse
|