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Quiles P, Barrientos R. Interspecific interactions disrupted by roads. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1121-1139. [PMID: 38303408 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13061] [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: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Roads have pervasive impacts on wildlife, including habitat loss and fragmentation, road mortality, habitat pollution and increased human use of habitats surrounding them. However, the effects of roads on interspecific interactions are less understood. Here we provide a synthesis of the existing literature on how species interactions may be disrupted by roads, identify knowledge gaps, and suggest avenues for future research and conservation management. We conducted a systematic search using the Web of Science database for each species interaction (predation, competition, mutualism, parasitism, commensalism and amensalism). These searches yielded 2144 articles, of which 195 were relevant to our topic. Most of these studies focused on predation (50%) or competition (24%), and less frequently on mutualism (17%) or, parasitism (9%). We found no studies on commensalism or amensalism. Studies were biased towards mammals from high-income countries, with most conducted in the USA (34%) or Canada (18%). Our literature review identified several patterns. First, roads disrupt predator-prey relationships, usually with negative impacts on prey populations. Second, new disturbed habitats created in road corridors often benefit more competitive species, such as invasive species, although some native or endangered species can also thrive there. Third, roads degrade mutualistic interactions like seed dispersal and pollination. Fourth, roads can increase parasitism rates, although the intensity of the alteration is species specific. To reduce the negative impacts of roads on interspecific interactions, we suggest the following management actions: (i) verges should be as wide and heterogenous as possible, as this increases microhabitat diversity, thus enhancing ecosystem services like pollination and seed dispersal; (ii) combining different mowing regimes can increase the complexity of the habitat corridor, enabling it to act as a habitat for more species; (iii) the use of de-icing salts should be gradually reduced and replaced with less harmful products or maintenance practices; (iv) wildlife passes should be implemented in groups to reduce animal concentrations inside them; (v) periodic removal of carcasses from the road to reduce the use of this resource by wildlife; and (vi) implementation of traffic-calming schemes could enhance interspecific interactions like pollination and avoid disruption of predator-prey relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Quiles
- Road Ecology Lab, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, C/ José Antonio Novais 12, E-28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Barrientos
- Road Ecology Lab, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, C/ José Antonio Novais 12, E-28040, Madrid, Spain
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Cano‐Martínez R, Thorsen NH, Hofmeester TR, Odden J, Linnell J, Devineau O, Angoh SYJ, Odden M. Bottom-up rather than top-down mechanisms determine mesocarnivore interactions in Norway. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11064. [PMID: 38463636 PMCID: PMC10920318 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Interactions among coexisting mesocarnivores can be influenced by different factors such as the presence of large carnivores, land-use, environmental productivity, or human disturbance. Disentangling the relative importance of bottom-up and top-down processes can be challenging, but it is important for biodiversity conservation and wildlife management. The aim of this study was to assess how the interactions among mesocarnivores (red fox Vulpes vulpes, badger Meles meles, and pine marten Martes martes) were affected by large carnivores (Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx and wolf Canis lupus), land cover variables (proportion of agricultural land and primary productivity), and human disturbance, as well as how these top-down and bottom-up mechanisms were influenced by season. We analyzed 3 years (2018-2020) of camera trapping observations from Norway and used structural equation models to assess hypothesized networks of causal relationships. Our results showed that land cover variables were more strongly associated with mesocarnivore detection rates than large carnivores in Norway. This might be caused by a combination of low density of large carnivores in an unproductive ecosystem with strong seasonality. Additionally, detection rates of all mesocarnivores showed positive associations among each other, which were stronger in winter. The prevalence of positive interactions among predators might indicate a tendency to use the same areas and resources combined with weak interference competition. Alternatively, it might indicate some kind of facilitative relationship among species. Human disturbance had contrasting effects for different species, benefiting the larger mesocarnivores (red fox and badger) probably through food subsidization, but negatively affecting apex predators (wolf and lynx) and smaller mesocarnivores (pine marten). In a human-dominated world, this highlights the importance of including anthropogenic influences in the study of species interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Cano‐Martínez
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | | | - Tim R. Hofmeester
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - John Odden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchOsloNorway
| | - John Linnell
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchLillehammerNorway
| | - Olivier Devineau
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | - Siow Yan Jennifer Angoh
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | - Morten Odden
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
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3
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Habitat Selection by Brown Bears with Varying Levels of Predation Rates on Ungulate Neonates. DIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/d13120678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In northern Eurasia, large carnivores overlap with semi-domestic reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and moose (Alces alces). In Scandinavia, previous studies have quantified brown bear (Ursus arctos) spring predation on neonates of reindeer (mostly in May) and moose (mostly in June). We explored if habitat selection by brown bears changed following resource pulses and whether these changes are more pronounced on those individuals characterised by higher predatory behaviour. Fifteen brown bears in northern Sweden (2010–2012) were fitted with GPS proximity collars, and 2585 female reindeers were collared with UHF transmitters. Clusters of bear positions were visited to investigate moose and reindeer predation. Bear kill rates and home ranges were calculated to examine bear movements and predatory behaviour. Bear habitat selection was modelled using resource selection functions over four periods (pre-calving, reindeer calving, moose calving, and post-calving). Coefficients of selection for areas closer to different land cover classes across periods were compared, examining the interactions between different degrees of predatory behaviour (i.e., high and low). Bear habitat selection differed throughout the periods and between low and high predatory bears. Differences among individuals’ predatory behaviour are reflected in the selection of habitat types, providing empirical evidence that different levels of specialization in foraging behaviour helps to explain individual variation in bear habitat selection.
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Tallian A, Ordiz A, Metz MC, Zimmermann B, Wikenros C, Smith DW, Stahler DR, Wabakken P, Swenson JE, Sand H, Kindberg J. Of wolves and bears: Seasonal drivers of interference and exploitation competition between apex predators. ECOL MONOGR 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aimee Tallian
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research NO‐7485 Trondheim Norway
| | - Andrés Ordiz
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research Station Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SE‐739 93 Riddarhyttan Sweden
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences Postbox 5003, NO‐1432 Ås Norway
- Dpto. de Biodiversidad y Gestión Ambiental Área de Zoología Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales Universidad de León Campus de Vegazana s/n 24071 León Spain
| | - Matthew C. Metz
- Wildlife Biology Program Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences University of Montana Missoula Montana 59812 USA
- Yellowstone Center for Resources Yellowstone National Park Box 168, Mammoth Hot Springs WY 82190 USA
| | - Barbara Zimmermann
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences Evenstad NO‐2480 Koppang Norway
| | - Camilla Wikenros
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research Station Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SE‐739 93 Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Douglas W. Smith
- Yellowstone Center for Resources Yellowstone National Park Box 168, Mammoth Hot Springs WY 82190 USA
| | - Daniel R. Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources Yellowstone National Park Box 168, Mammoth Hot Springs WY 82190 USA
| | - Petter Wabakken
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences Evenstad NO‐2480 Koppang Norway
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences Postbox 5003, NO‐1432 Ås Norway
| | - Håkan Sand
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research Station Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SE‐739 93 Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research NO‐7485 Trondheim Norway
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SE‐901 83 Umeå Sweden
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6
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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.
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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
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7
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The return of large carnivores: Using hunter observation data to understand the role of predators on ungulate populations. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
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Abstract
The effects of human disturbance spread over virtually all ecosystems and ecological communities on Earth. In this review, we focus on the effects of human disturbance on terrestrial apex predators. We summarize their ecological role in nature and how they respond to different sources of human disturbance. Apex predators control their prey and smaller predators numerically and via behavioral changes to avoid predation risk, which in turn can affect lower trophic levels. Crucially, reducing population numbers and triggering behavioral responses are also the effects that human disturbance causes to apex predators, which may in turn influence their ecological role. Some populations continue to be at the brink of extinction, but others are partially recovering former ranges, via natural recolonization and through reintroductions. Carnivore recovery is both good news for conservation and a challenge for management, particularly when recovery occurs in human-dominated landscapes. Therefore, we conclude by discussing several management considerations that, adapted to local contexts, may favor the recovery of apex predator populations and their ecological functions in nature.
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Individual Variation in Predatory Behavior, Scavenging and Seasonal Prey Availability as Potential Drivers of Coexistence between Wolves and Bears. DIVERSITY-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12090356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Several large carnivore populations are recovering former ranges, and it is important to understand interspecific interactions between overlapping species. In Scandinavia, recent research has reported that brown bear presence influences gray wolf habitat selection and kill rates. Here, we characterized the temporal use of a common prey resource by sympatric wolves and bears and described individual and seasonal variation in their direct and/or indirect interactions. Most bear–wolf interactions were indirect, via bear scavenging of wolf kills. Bears used >50% of wolf kills, whereas we did not record any wolf visit at bear kills. Adult and subadult bears visited wolf kills, but female bears with cubs of the year, the most vulnerable age class to conspecifics and other predators, did not. Wolf and bear kill rates peaked in early summer, when both targeted neonate moose calves, which coincided with a reduction in bear scavenging rate. Some bears were highly predatory and some did not kill any calf. Individual and age-class variation (in bear predation and scavenging patterns) and seasonality (in bear scavenging patterns and main prey availability of both wolves and bears) could mediate coexistence of these apex predators. Similar processes likely occur in other ecosystems with varying carnivore assemblages.
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10
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A dispersing bear in Białowieża Forest raises important ecological and conservation management questions for the central European lowlands. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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11
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Ordiz A, Uzal A, Milleret C, Sanz-Pérez A, Zimmermann B, Wikenros C, Wabakken P, Kindberg J, Swenson JE, Sand H. Wolf habitat selection when sympatric or allopatric with brown bears in Scandinavia. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9941. [PMID: 32555291 PMCID: PMC7303184 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66626-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat selection of animals depends on factors such as food availability, landscape features, and intra- and interspecific interactions. Individuals can show several behavioral responses to reduce competition for habitat, yet the mechanisms that drive them are poorly understood. This is particularly true for large carnivores, whose fine-scale monitoring is logistically complex and expensive. In Scandinavia, the home-range establishment and kill rates of gray wolves (Canis lupus) are affected by the coexistence with brown bears (Ursus arctos). Here, we applied resource selection functions and a multivariate approach to compare wolf habitat selection within home ranges of wolves that were either sympatric or allopatric with bears. Wolves selected for lower altitudes in winter, particularly in the area where bears and wolves are sympatric, where altitude is generally higher than where they are allopatric. Wolves may follow the winter migration of their staple prey, moose (Alces alces), to lower altitudes. Otherwise, we did not find any effect of bear presence on wolf habitat selection, in contrast with our previous studies. Our new results indicate that the manifestation of a specific driver of habitat selection, namely interspecific competition, can vary at different spatial-temporal scales. This is important to understand the structure of ecological communities and the varying mechanisms underlying interspecific interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Ordiz
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, NO-2480, Koppang, Norway. .,Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Post box 5003, NO-1432, Ås, Norway. .,School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, NG25 0FQ, UK.
| | - Antonio Uzal
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, NG25 0FQ, UK
| | - Cyril Milleret
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Post box 5003, NO-1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Ana Sanz-Pérez
- Biodiversity and Animal Conservation Lab, Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC), 25280, Solsona, Spain
| | - Barbara Zimmermann
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, NO-2480, Koppang, Norway
| | - Camilla Wikenros
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-730 91, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Petter Wabakken
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, NO-2480, Koppang, Norway
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NO-7485, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83, Umea, Sweden
| | - Jon E Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Post box 5003, NO-1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Håkan Sand
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-730 91, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
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12
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The impact of human land use and landscape productivity on population dynamics of red fox in southeastern Norway. MAMMAL RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-020-00494-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIn the boreal forest, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a key species due to its many strong food web linkages and its exploitation of niches that form in the wake of human activities. Recent altitudinal range expansion and a perceived population increase have become topics of concern in Scandinavia, primarily due to the potential impacts of red foxes on both prey and competitor species. However, despite it being a common species, there is still surprisingly little knowledge about the temporal and spatial characteristics of its population dynamics. In this study, we synthesized 12 years of snow-track transect data covering a 27,000-km2 study area to identify factors associated with red fox distribution and population dynamics. Using Bayesian hierarchical regression models, we evaluated the relationships of landscape productivity and climate gradients as well as anthropogenic subsidies with an index of red fox population size and growth rates. We found that landscapes with high human settlement density and large amounts of gut piles from moose (Alces alces) hunting were associated with higher red fox abundances. Population dynamics were characterized by direct density-dependent growth, and the structure of density dependence was best explained by the amount of agricultural land in the landscape. Population equilibrium levels increased, and populations were more stable, in areas with a higher presence of agricultural lands, whereas density-dependent population growth was more prominent in areas of low agricultural presence. We conclude that human land use is a dominant driver of red fox population dynamics in the boreal forest. We encourage further research focusing on contrasting effects of anthropogenic subsidization on predator population carrying capacities and temporal stability, and potential impacts on prey dynamics.
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High frequency GPS bursts and path-level analysis reveal linear feature tracking by red foxes. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8849. [PMID: 31221989 PMCID: PMC6586955 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45150-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a need to quantify and better understand how wildlife interact with linear features, as these are integral elements of most landscapes. One potentially important aspect is linear feature tracking (LFT), yet studies rarely succeed in directly revealing or quantifying this behavior. In a proof-of-concept study, we employed short-term intensive GPS monitoring of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in a multiple-use landscape in southern Norway. Using periodic bursts of high frequency GPS position fixes, we performed modified path selection analyses to estimate the propensity of foxes to track natural and man-made linear features (roads, forest edges, and streams) once they are encountered. Foxes in our study tracked primarily forest edges and roads. Forty-three percent of bursts that encountered any linear feature resulted in LFT. LFT, although prominent, was manifested as a short-lived behavior, with overall median times to linear feature abandonment around two minutes. Movement speeds were highest along roads, perhaps due to greater ease of travel or higher perceived risk. In the highly heterogeneous habitats that characterize human-dominated landscapes, LFT may be manifested at such a fine spatio-temporal scale that it would remain hidden during telemetry studies employing conventional position fix frequencies. The approach described here may aid others studying spatial behaviors that are manifested over very short durations, yet are biologically significant.
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14
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Testing the influence of habitat experienced during the natal phase on habitat selection later in life in Scandinavian wolves. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6526. [PMID: 31024020 PMCID: PMC6484024 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42835-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Natal habitat preference induction (NHPI) occurs when characteristics of the natal habitat influence the future habitat selection of an animal. However, the influence of NHPI after the dispersal phase has received remarkably little attention. We tested whether exposure to humans in the natal habitat helps understand why some adult wolves Canis lupus may approach human settlements more than other conspecifics, a question of both ecological and management interest. We quantified habitat selection patterns within home ranges using resource selection functions and GPS data from 21 wolf pairs in Scandinavia. We identified the natal territory of each wolf with genetic parental assignment, and we used human-related characteristics within the natal territory to estimate the degree of anthropogenic influence in the early life of each wolf. When the female of the adult wolf pair was born in an area with a high degree of anthropogenic influence, the wolf pair tended to select areas further away from humans, compared to wolf pairs from natal territories with a low degree of anthropogenic influence. Yet the pattern was statistically weak, we suggest that our methodological approach can be useful in other systems to better understand NHPI and to inform management about human-wildlife interactions.
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15
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Sanz-Pérez A, Ordiz A, Sand H, Swenson JE, Wabakken P, Wikenros C, Zimmermann B, Åkesson M, Milleret C. No place like home? A test of the natal habitat-biased dispersal hypothesis in Scandinavian wolves. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:181379. [PMID: 30662744 PMCID: PMC6304128 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Natal dispersal is an important mechanism for the viability of populations. The influence of local conditions or experience gained in the natal habitat could improve fitness if dispersing individuals settle in an area with similar habitat characteristics. This process, defined as 'natal habitat-biased dispersal' (NHBD), has been used to explain distribution patterns in large carnivores, but actual studies evaluating it are rare. We tested whether grey wolf Canis lupus territory establishment was influenced by the habitat characteristics of the natal territory using the long-term monitoring of the Scandinavian wolf population. We paired the locations of natal and established territories, accounted for available habitats along the dispersing route, and compared their habitat characteristics for 271 wolves during 1998-2012. Wolves with the shortest dispersal distances established in natal-like habitat types more than expected by chance, whereas wolves that dispersed longer distances did not show NHBD. The pattern was consistent for male and female wolves, with females showing more NHBD than males. Chances to detect NHBD increased with the size of habitat defined as available. This highlights the importance of considering the biological characteristics of the studied species when defining habitat availability. Our methodological approach can prove useful to inform conservation and management to identify habitats to be selected by reintroduced or naturally expanding populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Sanz-Pérez
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, 2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Andrés Ordiz
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Postbox 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Håkan Sand
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 730 91 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Postbox 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Petter Wabakken
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, 2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Camilla Wikenros
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 730 91 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Barbara Zimmermann
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, 2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Mikael Åkesson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 730 91 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Cyril Milleret
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, 2480 Koppang, Norway
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16
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Milleret C, Ordiz A, Chapron G, Andreassen HP, Kindberg J, Månsson J, Tallian A, Wabakken P, Wikenros C, Zimmermann B, Swenson JE, Sand H. Habitat segregation between brown bears and gray wolves in a human-dominated landscape. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:11450-11466. [PMID: 30598748 PMCID: PMC6303696 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying how sympatric species belonging to the same guild coexist is a major question of community ecology and conservation. Habitat segregation between two species might help reduce the effects of interspecific competition and apex predators are of special interest in this context, because their interactions can have consequences for lower trophic levels. However, habitat segregation between sympatric large carnivores has seldom been studied. Based on monitoring of 53 brown bears (Ursus arctos) and seven sympatric adult gray wolves (Canis lupus) equipped with GPS collars in Sweden, we analyzed the degree of interspecific segregation in habitat selection within their home ranges in both late winter and spring, when their diets overlap the most. We used the K-select method, a multivariate approach that relies on the concept of ecological niche, and randomization methods to quantify habitat segregation between bears and wolves. Habitat segregation between bears and wolves was greater than expected by chance. Wolves tended to select for moose occurrence, young forests, and rugged terrain more than bears, which likely reflects the different requirements of an omnivore (bear) and an obligate carnivore (wolf). However, both species generally avoided human-related habitats during daytime. Disentangling the mechanisms that can drive interspecific interactions at different spatial scales is essential for understanding how sympatric large carnivores occur and coexist in human-dominated landscapes, and how coexistence may affect lower trophic levels. The individual variation in habitat selection detected in our study may be a relevant mechanism to overcome intraguild competition and facilitate coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyril Milleret
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural SciencesInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
| | - Andrés Ordiz
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
| | - Guillaume Chapron
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research StationDepartment of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
| | - Harry Peter Andreassen
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural SciencesInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchTrondheimNorway
| | - Johan Månsson
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research StationDepartment of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
| | - Aimee Tallian
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research StationDepartment of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
- Department of Wildland Resources & Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtah
| | - Petter Wabakken
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural SciencesInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | - Camilla Wikenros
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research StationDepartment of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
| | - Barbara Zimmermann
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural SciencesInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchTrondheimNorway
| | - Håkan Sand
- Grimsӧ Wildlife Research StationDepartment of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
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17
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Spatial organization in wolves Canis lupus recolonizing north-west Poland: Large territories at low population density. Mamm Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2018.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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18
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Suutarinen J, Kojola I. One way or another: predictors of wolf poaching in a legally harvested wolf population. Anim Conserv 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - I. Kojola
- Natural Resources Institute Finland; Rovaniemi Finland
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19
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Ronnenberg K, Habbe B, Gräber R, Strauß E, Siebert U. Coexistence of wolves and humans in a densely populated region (Lower Saxony, Germany). Basic Appl Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2017.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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20
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Frank SC, Ordiz A, Gosselin J, Hertel A, Kindberg J, Leclerc M, Pelletier F, Steyaert SMJG, Støen OG, Van de Walle J, Zedrosser A, Swenson JE. Indirect effects of bear hunting: a review from Scandinavia. URSUS 2017. [DOI: 10.2192/ursu-d-16-00028.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shane C. Frank
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Environmental and Health Studies, University College of Southeast Norway, NO-3800 Bø i Telemark, Norway
| | - Andrés Ordiz
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Jacinthe Gosselin
- Départment de Biologie, Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Demography, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Anne Hertel
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-90183 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Martin Leclerc
- Départment de Biologie, Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Demography, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Départment de Biologie, Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Demography, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Sam M. J. G. Steyaert
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Environmental and Health Studies, University College of Southeast Norway, NO-3800 Bø i Telemark, Norway
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Ole-Gunnar Støen
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Joanie Van de Walle
- Départment de Biologie, Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Demography, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Environmental and Health Studies, University College of Southeast Norway, NO-3800 Bø i Telemark, Norway
- Institute for Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University for Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Gregor Mendel Str. 33, A-1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
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21
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Tallian A, Ordiz A, Metz MC, Milleret C, Wikenros C, Smith DW, Stahler DR, Kindberg J, MacNulty DR, Wabakken P, Swenson JE, Sand H. Competition between apex predators? Brown bears decrease wolf kill rate on two continents. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20162368. [PMID: 28179516 PMCID: PMC5310606 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Trophic interactions are a fundamental topic in ecology, but we know little about how competition between apex predators affects predation, the mechanism driving top-down forcing in ecosystems. We used long-term datasets from Scandinavia (Europe) and Yellowstone National Park (North America) to evaluate how grey wolf (Canis lupus) kill rate was affected by a sympatric apex predator, the brown bear (Ursus arctos). We used kill interval (i.e. the number of days between consecutive ungulate kills) as a proxy of kill rate. Although brown bears can monopolize wolf kills, we found no support in either study system for the common assumption that they cause wolves to kill more often. On the contrary, our results showed the opposite effect. In Scandinavia, wolf packs sympatric with brown bears killed less often than allopatric packs during both spring (after bear den emergence) and summer. Similarly, the presence of bears at wolf-killed ungulates was associated with wolves killing less often during summer in Yellowstone. The consistency in results between the two systems suggests that brown bear presence actually reduces wolf kill rate. Our results suggest that the influence of predation on lower trophic levels may depend on the composition of predator communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimee Tallian
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5230 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 730 91 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Andrés Ordiz
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 730 91 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Postbox 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Matthew C Metz
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, Box 168, Mammoth Hot Springs, WY 82190, USA
| | - Cyril Milleret
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, 2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Camilla Wikenros
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 730 91 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Douglas W Smith
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, Box 168, Mammoth Hot Springs, WY 82190, USA
| | - Daniel R Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, Box 168, Mammoth Hot Springs, WY 82190, USA
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83 Umeå, Sweden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Daniel R MacNulty
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5230 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Petter Wabakken
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, 2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Jon E Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Postbox 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Håkan Sand
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 730 91 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
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22
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Sand H, Eklund A, Zimmermann B, Wikenros C, Wabakken P. Prey Selection of Scandinavian Wolves: Single Large or Several Small? PLoS One 2016; 11:e0168062. [PMID: 28030549 PMCID: PMC5193335 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on large predator-prey interactions are often limited to the predators’ primary prey, with the potential for prey switching in systems with multiple ungulate species rarely investigated. We evaluated wolf (Canis lupus) prey selection at two different spatial scales, i.e., inter- and intra-territorial, using data from 409 ungulate wolf-kills in an expanding wolf population in Scandinavia. This expansion includes a change from a one-prey into a two-prey system with variable densities of one large-sized ungulate; moose (Alces alces) and one small-sized ungulate; roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). Among wolf territories, the proportion of roe deer in wolf kills was related to both pack size and roe deer density, but not to moose density. Pairs of wolves killed a higher proportion of roe deer than did packs, and wolves switched to kill more roe deer as their density increased above a 1:1 ratio in relation to the availability of the two species. At the intra-territorial level, wolves again responded to changes in roe deer density in their prey selection whereas we found no effect of snow depth, time during winter, or other predator-related factors on the wolves’ choice to kill moose or roe deer. Moose population density was only weakly related to intra-territorial prey selection. Our results show that the functional response of wolves on moose, the species hitherto considered as the main prey, was strongly dependent on the density of a smaller, alternative, ungulate prey. The impact of wolf predation on the prey species community is therefore likely to change with the composition of the multi-prey species community along with the geographical expansion of the wolf population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Håkan Sand
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Ann Eklund
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Barbara Zimmermann
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, Koppang, Norway
| | - Camilla Wikenros
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Petter Wabakken
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, Koppang, Norway
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23
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Milleret C, Wabakken P, Liberg O, Åkesson M, Flagstad Ø, Andreassen HP, Sand H. Let's stay together? Intrinsic and extrinsic factors involved in pair bond dissolution in a recolonizing wolf population. J Anim Ecol 2016; 86:43-54. [PMID: 27559712 PMCID: PMC5215671 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
For socially monogamous species, breeder bond dissolution has important consequences for population dynamics, but the extent to which extrinsic or intrinsic population factors causes pair dissolution remain poorly understood, especially among carnivores. Using an extensive life‐history data set, a survival analysis and competing risks framework, we examined the fate of 153 different wolf (Canis lupus) pairs in the recolonizing Scandinavian wolf population, during 14 winters of snow tracking and DNA monitoring. Wolf pair dissolution was generally linked to a mortality event and was strongly affected by extrinsic (i.e. anthropogenic) causes. No divorce was observed, and among the pair dissolution where causes have been identified, death of one or both wolves was always involved. Median time from pair formation to pair dissolution was three consecutive winters (i.e. approximately 2 years). Pair dissolution was mostly human‐related, primarily caused by legal control actions (36·7%), verified poaching (9·2%) and traffic‐related causes (2·1%). Intrinsic factors, such as disease and age, accounted for only 7·7% of pair dissolutions. The remaining 44·3% of dissolution events were from unknown causes, but we argue that a large portion could be explained by an additional source of human‐caused mortality, cryptic poaching. Extrinsic population factors, such as variables describing the geographical location of the pair, had a stronger effect on risk of pair dissolution compared to anthropogenic landscape characteristics. Population intrinsic factors, such as the inbreeding coefficient of the male pair member, had a negative effect on pair bond duration. The mechanism behind this result remains unknown, but might be explained by lower survival of inbred males or more complex inbreeding effects mediated by behaviour. Our study provides quantitative estimates of breeder bond duration in a social carnivore and highlights the effect of extrinsic (i.e. anthropogenic) and intrinsic factors (i.e. inbreeding) involved in wolf pair bond duration. Unlike the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that are commonly reported on individual survival or population growth, here we provide quantitative estimates of their potential effect on the social unit of the population, the wolf pair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyril Milleret
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, N-2480, Koppang, Norway
| | - Petter Wabakken
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, N-2480, Koppang, Norway
| | - Olof Liberg
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-730 91, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Mikael Åkesson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-730 91, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Øystein Flagstad
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Tungasletta 2, 7485, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Harry Peter Andreassen
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, N-2480, Koppang, Norway
| | - Håkan Sand
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-730 91, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
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