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Mikkelsen AJ, Hobson KA, Sergiel A, Hertel AG, Selva N, Zedrosser A. Testing foraging optimization models in brown bears: Time for a paradigm shift in nutritional ecology? Ecology 2024; 105:e4228. [PMID: 38071743 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/31/2023]
Abstract
How organisms obtain energy to survive and reproduce is fundamental to ecology, yet researchers use theoretical concepts represented by simplified models to estimate diet and predict community interactions. Such simplistic models can sometimes limit our understanding of ecological principles. We used a polyphagous species with a wide distribution, the brown bear (Ursus arctos), to illustrate how disparate theoretical frameworks in ecology can affect conclusions regarding ecological communities. We used stable isotope measurements (δ13 C, δ15 N) from hairs of individually monitored bears in Sweden and Bayesian mixing models to estimate dietary proportions of ants, moose, and three berry species to compare with other brown bear populations. We also developed three hypotheses based on predominant foraging literature, and then compared predicted diets to field estimates. Our three models assumed (1) bears forage to optimize caloric efficiency (optimum foraging model), predicting bears predominately eat berries (~70% of diet) and opportunistically feed on moose (Alces alces) and ants (Formica spp. and Camponotus spp; ~15% each); (2) bears maximize meat intake (maximizing fitness model), predicting a diet of 35%-50% moose, followed by ants (~30%), and berries (~15%); (3) bears forage to optimize macronutrient balance (macronutrient model), predicting a diet of ~22% (dry weight) or 17% metabolizable energy from proteins, with the rest made up of carbohydrates and lipids (~49% and 29% dry matter or 53% and 30% metabolizable energy, respectively). Bears primarily consumed bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus; 50%-55%), followed by lingonberries (V. vitis-idaea; 22%-30%), crowberries (Empetrum nigrum; 8%-15%), ants (5%-8%), and moose (3%-4%). Dry matter dietary protein was lower than predicted by the maximizing fitness model and the macronutrient balancing model, but protein made up a larger proportion of the metabolizable energy than predicted. While diets most closely resembled predictions from optimal foraging theory, none of the foraging hypotheses fully described the relationship between foraging and ecological niches in brown bears. Acknowledging and broadening models based on foraging theories is more likely to foster novel discoveries and insights into the role of polyphagous species in ecosystems and we encourage this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashlee J Mikkelsen
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø, Norway
| | - Keith A Hobson
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Agnieszka Sergiel
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Anne G Hertel
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø, Norway
- Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Planegg, Germany
| | - Nuria Selva
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø, Norway
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Natural Recourses and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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Sipari S, Kiljunen M, Nylund M, Kallio ER. Identifying breeding hosts of Ixodes ricinus ticks using stable isotope analysis of their larvae - Proof of concept. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102252. [PMID: 37741086 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102252] [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: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are important vectors of zoonotic pathogens. Ticks are parasites that are dependent on their hosts for blood meal to develop and reproduce. The abundance of ticks is dependent on the availability of suitable breeding hosts, often medium- and large-sized mammals. So far there has been a shortage of direct methods identifying the breeding hosts for the female ticks. In this study, we introduce a stable isotope analysis (SIA) method that enables us to identify the trophic group of the breeding host, i.e. the host on which the tick mother fed, by sampling larval ticks from the field. We established a reference database on the stable isotope (SI) values (δ13C and δ15N) of the blood of potential tick host species, and of larvae from Ixodes ricinus females, which have fed on known hosts. By comparing the SI values from field collected larval ticks to our reference data, we can determine their most likely host species group. Our results show that the isotopic signatures of I. ricinus tick larvae reflect the diet of the breeding host of the mother tick. SIA proved reliable in categorizing the breeding hosts of I. ricinus into two distinguishable trophic groups; herbivores and carni-omnivores. To our knowledge, this is the first time that stable isotope analyses have been applied to detect transovarial (i.e. over-generational) traces of a blood meal in ticks. The method provides an efficient, novel tool for directly identifying tick breeding hosts by sampling field collected larvae. Ixodes ricinus is the most important vector of TBPs (tick-borne pathogens) in Europe, and to predict and mitigate against the future risks that TBPs pose, it is crucial to have detailed knowledge on the hosts that support tick reproduction in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saana Sipari
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Republic of Finland.
| | - Mikko Kiljunen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Republic of Finland
| | - Minna Nylund
- Animal Health and Diagnostic Unit, Finnish Food Safety Authority, Republic of Finland
| | - Eva R Kallio
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Republic of Finland
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Brown L, Zedrosser A, Arnemo JM, Fuchs B, Kindberg J, Pelletier F. Landscape of fear or landscape of food? Moose hunting triggers an antipredator response in brown bears. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2840. [PMID: 36912774 PMCID: PMC10909462 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Hunters can affect the behavior of wildlife by inducing a landscape of fear, selecting individuals with specific traits, or altering resource availability across the landscape. Most research investigating the influence of hunting on wildlife resource selection has focused on target species and less attention has been devoted to nontarget species, such as scavengers that can be both attracted or repelled by hunting activities. We used resource selection functions to identify areas where hunters were most likely to kill moose (Alces alces) in south-central Sweden during the fall. Then, we used step-selection functions to determine whether female brown bears (Ursus arctos) selected or avoided these areas and specific resources during the moose hunting season. We found that, during both day and nighttime, female brown bears avoided areas where hunters were more likely to kill moose. We found evidence that resource selection by brown bears varied substantially during the fall and that some behavioral changes were consistent with disturbance associated with moose hunters. Brown bears were more likely to select concealed locations in young (i.e., regenerating) and coniferous forests and areas further away from roads during the moose hunting season. Our results suggest that brown bears react to both spatial and temporal variations in apparent risk during the fall: moose hunters create a landscape of fear and trigger an antipredator response in a large carnivore even if bears are not specifically targeted during the moose hunting season. Such antipredator responses might lead to indirect habitat loss and lower foraging efficiency and the resulting consequences should be considered when planning hunting seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovick Brown
- Département de biologieUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeCanada
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental HealthUniversity of South‐Eastern NorwayBø in TelemarkNorway
- Institute for Wildlife Biology and Game ManagementUniversity for Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Jon M. Arnemo
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Boris Fuchs
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchTrondheimNorway
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologieUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeCanada
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Brown L, Fuchs B, Arnemo JM, Kindberg J, Rodushkin I, Zedrosser A, Pelletier F. Lead exposure in brown bears is linked to environmental levels and the distribution of moose kills. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 873:162099. [PMID: 36764533 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Lead (Pb) is heterogeneously distributed in the environment and multiple sources like Pb ammunition and fossil fuel combustion can increase the risk of exposure in wildlife. Brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Sweden have higher blood Pb levels compared to bears from other populations, but the sources and routes of exposure are unknown. The objective of this study was to quantify the contribution of two potential sources of Pb exposure in female brown bears (n = 34 individuals; n = 61 samples). We used multiple linear regressions to determine the contribution of both environmental Pb levels estimated from plant roots and moose (Alces alces) kills to blood Pb concentrations in female brown bears. We found positive relationships between blood Pb concentrations in bears and both the distribution of moose kills by hunters and environmental Pb levels around capture locations. Our results suggest that the consumption of slaughter remains discarded by moose hunters is a likely significant pathway of Pb exposure and this exposure is additive to environmental Pb exposure in female brown bears in Sweden. We suggest that spatially explicit models, incorporating habitat selection analyses of harvest data, may prove useful in predicting Pb exposure in scavengers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovick Brown
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada.
| | - Boris Fuchs
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Koppang, Norway
| | - Jon M Arnemo
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Koppang, Norway; Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ilia Rodushkin
- Division of Geosciences, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden; ALS Scandinavia AB, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø, Telemark, Norway; Institute for Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University for Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
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Fuchs B, Joly K, Hilderbrand GV, Evans AL, Rodushkin I, Mangipane LS, Mangipane BA, Gustine DD, Zedrosser A, Brown L, Arnemo JM. Toxic elements in arctic and sub-arctic brown bears: Blood concentrations of As, Cd, Hg and Pb in relation to diet, age, and human footprint. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 229:115952. [PMID: 37116674 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Contamination with arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) is a global concern impairing resilience of organisms and ecosystems. Proximity to emission sources increases exposure risk but remoteness does not alleviate it. These toxic elements are transported in atmospheric and oceanic pathways and accumulate in organisms. Mercury accumulates in higher trophic levels. Brown bears (Ursus arctos), which often live in remote areas, are long-lived omnivores, feeding on salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) and berries (Vaccinium spp.), resources also consumed by humans. We measured blood concentrations of As, Cd, Hg and Pb in bears (n = 72) four years and older in Scandinavia and three national parks in Alaska, USA (Lake Clark, Katmai and Gates of the Arctic) using high-resolution, inductively-coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry. Age and sex of the bears, as well as the typical population level diet was associated with blood element concentrations using generalized linear regression models. Alaskan bears consuming salmon had higher Hg blood concentrations compared to Scandinavian bears feeding on berries, ants (Formica spp.) and moose (Alces). Cadmium and Pb blood concentrations were higher in Scandinavian bears than in Alaskan bears. Bears using marine food sources, in addition to salmon in Katmai, had higher As blood concentrations than bears in Scandinavia. Blood concentrations of Cd and Pb, as well as for As in female bears increased with age. Arsenic in males and Hg concentrations decreased with age. We detected elevated levels of toxic elements in bears from landscapes that are among the most pristine on the planet. Sources are unknown but anthropogenic emissions are most likely involved. All study areas face upcoming change: Increasing tourism and mining in Alaska and more intensive forestry in Scandinavia, combined with global climate change in both regions. Baseline contaminant concentrations as presented here are important knowledge in our changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Fuchs
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2480, Koppang, Norway.
| | - Kyle Joly
- National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, 99709, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA.
| | - Grant V Hilderbrand
- National Park Service, Alaska Regional Office, 99501, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | - Alina L Evans
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2480, Koppang, Norway
| | - Ilia Rodushkin
- Division of Geosciences, Luleå University of Technology, 97187, Luleå, Sweden; ALS Scandinavia AB, 97187, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Lindsey S Mangipane
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management, 99503, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | - Buck A Mangipane
- Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, National Park Service, 99501, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | - David D Gustine
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management, 99503, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Science and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, 3800, Bø in Telemark, Norway; Institute for Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1180, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ludovick Brown
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, J1K 2R1, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Jon M Arnemo
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2480, Koppang, Norway; Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
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Lemière L, Thiel A, Fuchs B, Gilot-Fromont E, Hertel AG, Friebe A, Kindberg J, Støen OG, Arnemo JM, Evans AL. Extrinsic and intrinsic factors drive the timing of gestation and reproductive success of Scandinavian brown bears. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1045331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
IntroductionClimate change is altering the reproductive phenology of many organisms, but the factors that influence the timing of gestation in ursids are still poorly understood. Higher temperatures in spring are already causing an earlier den exit in some brown bear populations, and a temporal mismatch between hibernation and reproduction could have dramatic consequences for reproductive success. Therefore, understanding the factors that control the timing of these events is important to forecast the consequences of climate change on population growth rates.MethodsIn this study, we used abdominal temperature loggers and GPS collars with acceleration sensors on 23 free-ranging pregnant female brown bears living in two areas in Sweden (61°N and 67°N latitude) to pinpoint hibernation and reproductive events. We investigated how intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence the termination of embryonic diapause and parturition, as well as their impact on reproductive success.ResultsThe termination of embryonic diapause was later in the northern area compared to the southern area and occurred earlier when ambient temperature at den entry was higher in both areas. In the southern area, young adults (i.e., females = 7 years old) had a delayed parturition when bilberry abundance was low the year of mating. Additionally, young adults had a lower reproductive success than adults and their probability to reproduce successfully was dependent on bilberry abundance, whereas adult females were not affected by this parameter.DiscussionAs den exit occurs later in the northern study area, we suggest that a later parturition might ensure that females lactate their cubs in the den for a reasonable amount of time while fasting. Similarly, a later parturition combined with an earlier emergence could allow young adults to spend less time in the den lactating if they could not reach an optimal body condition prior to hibernation. But as a result, their cubs are younger and more vulnerable when they leave the den leading to lower survival rates. Our results suggest that a decreased berry abundance in the fall could impact the reproductive and hibernation phenology of Scandinavian brown bear females and lead to a lower cub survival with potential consequences on the population dynamics.
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Dong J, Anderson LJ. Predicted impacts of global change on bottom-up trophic interactions in the plant-ungulate-wolf food chain in boreal forests. FOOD WEBS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2022.e00253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Bloom TDS, O'Leary DS, Riginos C. Flowering time advances since the 1970s in a sagebrush steppe community: Implications for management and restoration. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2583. [PMID: 35333428 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is widely known to affect plant phenology, but little is known about how these impacts manifest in the widespread sagebrush ecosystem of the Western United States, which supports a number of wildlife species of concern. Shifts in plant phenology can trigger consequences for the plants themselves as well as the communities of consumers that depend upon them. We assembled historical observations of first-flowering dates for 51 species collected in the 1970s and 1980s in a montane sagebrush community in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and compared these to contemporary phenological observations targeting the same species and locations (2016-2019). We also assembled regional climate data (average spring temperature, day of spring snowmelt, and growing degree days) and tested the relationship between first-flowering time and these variables for each species. We observed the largest change in phenology in early-spring flowers, which, as a group, bloomed on average 17 days earlier, and as much as 36 days earlier, in the contemporary data set. Mid-summer flowers bloomed on average 10 days earlier, nonnative species 15 days earlier, and berry-producing shrubs 5 days earlier, while late summer flowering plants did not shift. The greatest correlates of early-spring and mid-summer flowering were average spring temperature and day of snowmelt, which was 21 days earlier, on average, in 2016-2019 relative to the 1973-1978 observations. The shifts in flowering phenology that we observed could indicate developing asynchronies or novel synchronies of these plant resources and wildlife species of conservation concern, including Greater Sage-grouse, whose nesting success is tied to availability of spring forbs; grizzly bears, which rely heavily on berries for their fall diet; and pollinators. This underscores the importance of maintaining a diverse portfolio of native plants in terms of species composition, genetics, phenological responsiveness to climatic cues, and ecological importance to key wildlife and pollinator species. Redundancy within ecological niches may also be important considering that species roles in the community may shift as climate change affects them differently. These considerations are particularly relevant to restoration and habitat-enhancement projects in sagebrush communities across western North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor D S Bloom
- The Nature Conservancy, Lander, Wyoming, USA
- Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative, Jackson, Wyoming, USA
| | - Donal S O'Leary
- Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative, Jackson, Wyoming, USA
- Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Corinna Riginos
- The Nature Conservancy, Lander, Wyoming, USA
- Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative, Jackson, Wyoming, USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
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Tedore C, Tedore K, Westcott D, Suttner C, Nilsson DE. The role of detectability in the evolution of avian-dispersed fruit color. Vision Res 2022; 196:108046. [DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2022.108046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Chakraborty A, Mori B, Rehermann G, Garcia AH, Lemmen‐Lechelt J, Hagman A, Khalil S, Håkansson S, Witzgall P, Becher PG. Yeast and fruit fly mutual niche construction and antagonism against mould. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amrita Chakraborty
- Department of Plant Protection Biology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Box 102 23053 Alnarp Sweden
- EVA 4.0 Unit, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Kamýcka 129 16500 Prague Czech Republic
| | - Boyd Mori
- Department of Plant Protection Biology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Box 102 23053 Alnarp Sweden
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science University of Alberta Agriculture/Forestry Centre 4‐10 Edmonton Alberta Canada T6G 2P5
| | - Guillermo Rehermann
- Department of Plant Protection Biology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Box 102 23053 Alnarp Sweden
| | - Armando Hernández Garcia
- Department of Molecular Sciences Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Box 7015 75007 Uppsala Sweden
- Division of Biotechnology Department of Chemistry Faculty of Engineering Lund University Box 124 221 00 Lund Sweden
| | - Joelle Lemmen‐Lechelt
- Department of Plant Protection Biology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Box 102 23053 Alnarp Sweden
| | - Arne Hagman
- Division of Biotechnology Department of Chemistry Faculty of Engineering Lund University Box 124 221 00 Lund Sweden
| | - Sammar Khalil
- Department of Biosystems and Technology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Box 102 23053 Alnarp Sweden
| | - Sebastian Håkansson
- Department of Molecular Sciences Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Box 7015 75007 Uppsala Sweden
- Division of Applied Microbiology Department of Chemistry Faculty of Engineering Lund University Lund Sweden
| | - Peter Witzgall
- Department of Plant Protection Biology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Box 102 23053 Alnarp Sweden
| | - Paul G Becher
- Department of Plant Protection Biology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Box 102 23053 Alnarp Sweden
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Abstract
Habitat modeling is one of the most common practices in ecology today, aimed at understanding complex associations between species and an array of environmental, bioclimatic, and anthropogenic factors. This review of studies of seven species of terrestrial bears (Ursidae) occupying four continents examines how habitat models have been employed, and the functionality of their predictions for management and conservation. Bear occurrence data have been obtained at the population level, as presence points (e.g., sign surveys or camera trapping), or as locations of individual radio-collared animals. Radio-collars provide greater insights into how bears interact with their environment and variability within populations; they are more commonly used in North America and Europe than in South America and Asia. Salient problematic issues apparent from this review included: biases in presence data; predictor variables being poor surrogates of actual behavioral drivers; predictor variables applied at a biologically inappropriate scale; and over-use of data repositories that tend to detach investigators from the species. In several cases, multiple models in the same area yielded different predictions; new presence data occurred outside the range of predicted suitable habitat; and future range projections, based on where bears presently exist, underestimated their adaptability. Findings here are likely relevant to other taxa.
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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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Predictive and motivational factors influencing anticipatory contrast: A comparison of contextual and gustatory predictors in food restricted and free-fed rats. Physiol Behav 2021; 242:113603. [PMID: 34562439 PMCID: PMC8593211 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Using an anticipatory negative contrast (ANC) paradigm, food restricted animals can act selectively in their eating behavior. Contextual and gustatory predictors in a within-subject design are sufficient for anticipatory negative contrast development. Changes in reward palatability may underlie contextually-driven anticipatory negative contrast. An increase in premature port entries to the unavailable sipper – a second measure of ANC – in all groups reveals a direct influence of response competition on ANC development.
In anticipation of palatable food, rats can learn to restrict consumption of a less rewarding food type resulting in an increased consumption of the preferred food when it is made available. This construct is known as anticipatory negative contrast (ANC) and can help elucidate the processes that underlie binge-like behavior as well as self-control in rodent motivation models. In the current investigation we aimed to shed light on the ability of distinct predictors of a preferred food choice to generate contrast effects and the motivational processes that underlie this behavior. Using a novel set of rewarding solutions, we directly compared contextual and gustatory ANC predictors in both food restricted and free-fed Sprague-Dawley rats. Our results indicate that, despite being food restricted, rats are selective in their eating behavior and show strong contextually-driven ANC similar to free-fed animals. These differences mirrored changes in palatability for the less preferred solution across the different sessions as measured by lick microstructure analysis. In contrast to previous research, predictive cues in both food restricted and free-fed rats were sufficient for ANC to develop although flavor-driven ANC did not relate to a corresponding change in lick patterning. These differences in the lick microstructure between context- and flavor-driven ANC indicate that the motivational processes underlying ANC generated by the two predictor types are distinct. Moreover, an increase in premature port entries to the unavailable sipper – a second measure of ANC – in all groups reveals a direct influence of response competition on ANC development.
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15
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Lamamy C, Delgado MM, Kojola I, Heikkinen S, Penteriani V. Does moonlight affect movement patterns of a non‐obligate carnivore? Brown bears do not mind that the moon exists. J Zool (1987) 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12938] [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)
- C. Lamamy
- Forest is life, TERRA Research Unit Gembloux Agro‐Bio Tech Université de Liège Gembloux Belgium
| | - M. M. Delgado
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IMIB, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)‐University of Oviedo‐Principality of Asturias), Campus Mieres Mieres Spain
| | - I. Kojola
- LUKE, Natural Resources Institute Rovaniemi Finland
| | - S. Heikkinen
- LUKE, Natural Resources Institute Rovaniemi Finland
| | - V. Penteriani
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IMIB, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)‐University of Oviedo‐Principality of Asturias), Campus Mieres Mieres Spain
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16
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Fuchs B, Thiel A, Zedrosser A, Brown L, Hydeskov HB, Rodushkin I, Evans AL, Boesen AH, Græsli AR, Kindberg J, Arnemo JM. High concentrations of lead (Pb) in blood and milk of free-ranging brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Scandinavia. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 287:117595. [PMID: 34426381 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to lead (Pb) is a global health problem for both humans and wildlife. Despite a dramatic decline in human Pb exposure following restrictions of leaded gasoline and industry and thereby an overall reduction of Pb entering the environment, Pb exposure continues to be a problem for wildlife species. Literature on scavenging terrestrial mammals, including interactions between Pb exposure and life history, is however limited. We quantified Pb concentration in 153 blood samples from 110 free-ranging Scandinavian brown bears (Ursus arctos), 1-25 years old, using inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry. We used generalized linear models to test effects of age, body mass, reproduction status and spatial distribution on the blood Pb concentrations of 56 female bears. We sampled 28 females together with 56 dependent cubs and paired their blood Pb concentrations. From 20 lactating females, we measured the Pb concentration in milk. The mean blood Pb concentration was 96.6 μg/L (range: 38.7-220.5 μg/L). Both the mean and range are well above established threshold concentrations for developmental neurotoxicity (12 μg/L), increased systolic blood pressure (36 μg/L) and prevalence of kidney disease in humans (15 μg/L). Lactating females had higher Pb blood concentrations compared to younger, non-lactating females. Blood Pb concentrations of dependent cubs were correlated with their mother's blood Pb concentration, which in turn was correlated with the Pb concentration in the milk. Life-long Pb exposure in Scandinavian brown bears may have adverse effects both on individual and population levels. The high blood Pb concentrations found in brown bears contrast the general reduction in environmental Pb contamination over the past decades in Scandinavia and more research is needed to identify the sources and pathways of Pb exposure in the brown bears.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Fuchs
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2418, Elverum, Norway.
| | - Alexandra Thiel
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2418, Elverum, Norway
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Science and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, 3800, Bø in Telemark, Norway; Institute for Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1180, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ludovick Brown
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, J1K 2R1, Québec, Canada
| | - Helle B Hydeskov
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Southwell, NG25 0QF, United Kingdom
| | - Ilia Rodushkin
- Division of Geosciences, Luleå University of Technology, 97187, Luleå, Sweden; ALS Scandinavia AB, 97187, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Alina L Evans
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2418, Elverum, Norway
| | - Amanda H Boesen
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2418, Elverum, Norway
| | - Anne Randi Græsli
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2418, Elverum, Norway
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), 7485, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jon M Arnemo
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2418, Elverum, Norway; Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
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17
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Chávez AM, Díaz C, Amanzo JM. Seasonality of Andean Bear Scat Contents in Amazonas, Northeastern Peru. URSUS 2021. [DOI: 10.2192/ursus-d-20-00011.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M. Chávez
- Laboratorio de Estudios en Biodiversidad, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, 15102, Peru
| | - Camilo Díaz
- Laboratorio de Botánica Aplicada, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, 15102, Peru
| | - Jessica M. Amanzo
- Laboratorio de Estudios en Biodiversidad, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, 15102, Peru
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18
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Giroud S, Chery I, Arrivé M, Prost M, Zumsteg J, Heintz D, Evans AL, Gauquelin-Koch G, Arnemo JM, Swenson JE, Lefai E, Bertile F, Simon C, Blanc S. Hibernating brown bears are protected against atherogenic dyslipidemia. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18723. [PMID: 34548543 PMCID: PMC8455566 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98085-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate mechanisms by which hibernators avoid atherogenic hyperlipidemia during hibernation, we assessed lipoprotein and cholesterol metabolisms of free-ranging Scandinavian brown bears (Ursus arctos). In winter- and summer-captured bears, we measured lipoprotein sizes and sub-classes, triglyceride-related plasma-enzyme activities, and muscle lipid composition along with plasma-levels of antioxidant capacities and inflammatory markers. Although hibernating bears increased nearly all lipid levels, a 36%-higher cholesteryl-ester transfer-protein activity allowed to stabilize lipid composition of high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Levels of inflammatory metabolites, i.e., 7-ketocholesterol and 11ß-prostaglandin F2α, declined in winter and correlated inversely with cardioprotective HDL2b-proportions and HDL-sizes that increased during hibernation. Lower muscle-cholesterol concentrations and lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase activity in winter suggest that hibernating bears tightly controlled peripheral-cholesterol synthesis and/or release. Finally, greater plasma-antioxidant capacities prevented excessive lipid-specific oxidative damages in plasma and muscles of hibernating bears. Hence, the brown bear manages large lipid fluxes during hibernation, without developing adverse atherogenic effects that occur in humans and non-hibernators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Giroud
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Isabelle Chery
- University of Strasbourg, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, 67081, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, UMR7178, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC), 23 rue du Loess, 67087, Strasbourg, France
| | - Mathilde Arrivé
- University of Strasbourg, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, 67081, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, UMR7178, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC), 23 rue du Loess, 67087, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Julie Zumsteg
- Plant Imaging & Mass Spectrometry (PIMS), Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, CNRS, University of Strasbourg, 12 rue du Général Zimmer, 67084, Strasbourg, France
| | - Dimitri Heintz
- Plant Imaging & Mass Spectrometry (PIMS), Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, CNRS, University of Strasbourg, 12 rue du Général Zimmer, 67084, Strasbourg, France
| | - Alina L Evans
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, 2480, Koppang, Norway
| | | | - Jon M Arnemo
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, 2480, Koppang, Norway.,Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jon E Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Etienne Lefai
- University of Auvergne, INRAE, UNH UMR1019, 63122, Saint-Genès Champanelle, France
| | - Fabrice Bertile
- University of Strasbourg, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, 67081, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, UMR7178, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC), 23 rue du Loess, 67087, Strasbourg, France
| | - Chantal Simon
- CARMEN, INSERM U1060/University of Lyon / INRA U1235, Oullins, France
| | - Stéphane Blanc
- University of Strasbourg, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, 67081, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, UMR7178, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC), 23 rue du Loess, 67087, Strasbourg, France
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19
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Careddu G, Ciucci P, Mondovì S, Calizza E, Rossi L, Costantini ML. Gaining insight into the assimilated diet of small bear populations by stable isotope analysis. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14118. [PMID: 34238974 PMCID: PMC8266819 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93507-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Apennine brown bears (Ursus arctos marsicanus) survive in an isolated and critically endangered population, and their food habits have been studied using traditional scat analysis. To complement current dietary knowledge, we applied Stable Isotope Analysis (SIA) to non-invasively collected bear hairs that had been individually recognized through multilocus genotyping. We analysed carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotopes of hair sections and bear key foods in a Bayesian mixing models framework to reconstruct the assimilated diet on a seasonal basis and to assess gender and management status effects. In total, we analysed 34 different seasonal bear key foods and 35 hair samples belonging to 27 different bears (16 females and 11 males) collected during a population survey in 2014. Most bears showed wide δ15N and δ13C ranges and individual differences in seasonal isotopic patterns. Vegetable matter (herbs, fleshy fruits and hard mast) represented the major component of the assimilated diet across the dietary seasons, whereas vegetable crops were rarely and C4 plants (i.e., corn) never consumed. We confirmed an overall low consumption of large mammals by Apennine bears consistently between sexes, with highest values in spring followed by early summer but null in the other seasons. We also confirmed that consumption of fleshy fruits peaked in late summer, when wild predominated over cultivated fleshy fruits, even though the latter tended to be consumed in higher proportion in autumn. Male bears had higher δ 15N values than females in spring and autumn. Our findings also hint at additional differences in the assimilated diet between sexes, with females likely consuming more herbs during spring, ants during early summer, and hard mast during fall compared to males. In addition, although effect sizes were small and credibility intervals overlapped considerably, management bears on average were 0.9‰ lower in δ 13C and 2.9‰ higher in δ 15N compared to non-management bears, with differences in isotopic values between the two bear categories peaking in autumn. While non-management bears consumed more herbs, wild fleshy fruits, and hard mast, management bears tended to consume higher proportions of cultivated fruits, ants, and large mammals, possibly including livestock. Although multi-year sampling and larger sample sizes are needed to support our findings, our application confirms that SIA can effectively integrate previous knowledge and be efficiently conducted using samples non-invasively collected during population surveys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Careddu
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Stella Mondovì
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Edoardo Calizza
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Loreto Rossi
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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20
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Shirane Y, Jimbo M, Yamanaka M, Nakanishi M, Mori F, Ishinazaka T, Sashika M, Tsubota T, Shimozuru M. Dining from the coast to the summit: Salmon and pine nuts determine the summer body condition of female brown bears on the Shiretoko Peninsula. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:5204-5219. [PMID: 34026001 PMCID: PMC8131783 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Body condition in mammals fluctuates depending on energy intake and expenditure. For brown bears (Ursus arctos), high-protein foods facilitate efficient mass gain, while lipids and carbohydrates play important roles in adjusting dietary protein content to optimal levels to maximize energy intake. On the Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan, brown bears have seasonal access to high-lipid pine nuts and high-protein salmon. To assess seasonal and annual fluctuation in the body condition of adult female brown bears in relation to diet and reproductive status, we conducted a longitudinal study in a special wildlife protection area on the Shiretoko Peninsula during 2012-2018. First, analyses of 2,079 bear scats revealed that pine nuts accounted for 39.8% of energy intake in August and salmon accounted for 46.1% in September and that their consumption by bears varied annually. Second, we calculated the ratio of torso height to torso length as an index of body condition from 1,226 photographs of 12 adult females. Results indicated that body condition continued to decline until late August and started to increase in September when salmon consumption increased. In addition, body condition began to recover earlier in years when consumption of both pine nuts and salmon was high. Furthermore, females with offspring had poorer body condition than solitary females, in particular in late August in years with low salmon consumption. Our findings suggest that coastal and subalpine foods, which are unique to the Shiretoko Peninsula, determine the summer body condition of female brown bears, as well as their survival and reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Shirane
- Graduate School of Veterinary MedicineHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
| | - Mina Jimbo
- Graduate School of Veterinary MedicineHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
| | | | | | - Fumihiko Mori
- Graduate School of Veterinary MedicineHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
| | | | - Mariko Sashika
- Graduate School of Veterinary MedicineHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
| | - Toshio Tsubota
- Graduate School of Veterinary MedicineHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
| | - Michito Shimozuru
- Graduate School of Veterinary MedicineHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
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21
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Bertile F, Habold C, Le Maho Y, Giroud S. Body Protein Sparing in Hibernators: A Source for Biomedical Innovation. Front Physiol 2021; 12:634953. [PMID: 33679446 PMCID: PMC7930392 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.634953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteins are not only the major structural components of living cells but also ensure essential physiological functions within the organism. Any change in protein abundance and/or structure is at risk for the proper body functioning and/or survival of organisms. Death following starvation is attributed to a loss of about half of total body proteins, and body protein loss induced by muscle disuse is responsible for major metabolic disorders in immobilized patients, and sedentary or elderly people. Basic knowledge of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that control proteostasis is continuously growing. Yet, finding and developing efficient treatments to limit body/muscle protein loss in humans remain a medical challenge, physical exercise and nutritional programs managing to only partially compensate for it. This is notably a major challenge for the treatment of obesity, where therapies should promote fat loss while preserving body proteins. In this context, hibernating species preserve their lean body mass, including muscles, despite total physical inactivity and low energy consumption during torpor, a state of drastic reduction in metabolic rate associated with a more or less pronounced hypothermia. The present review introduces metabolic, physiological, and behavioral adaptations, e.g., energetics, body temperature, and nutrition, of the torpor or hibernation phenotype from small to large mammals. Hibernating strategies could be linked to allometry aspects, the need for periodic rewarming from torpor, and/or the ability of animals to fast for more or less time, thus determining the capacity of individuals to save proteins. Both fat- and food-storing hibernators rely mostly on their body fat reserves during the torpid state, while minimizing body protein utilization. A number of them may also replenish lost proteins during arousals by consuming food. The review takes stock of the physiological, molecular, and cellular mechanisms that promote body protein and muscle sparing during the inactive state of hibernation. Finally, the review outlines how the detailed understanding of these mechanisms at play in various hibernators is expected to provide innovative solutions to fight human muscle atrophy, to better help the management of obese patients, or to improve the ex vivo preservation of organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice Bertile
- University of Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse Bio-Organique, Strasbourg, France
| | - Caroline Habold
- University of Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, Ecology, Physiology & Ethology Department, Strasbourg, France
| | - Yvon Le Maho
- University of Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, Ecology, Physiology & Ethology Department, Strasbourg, France.,Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, Monaco
| | - Sylvain Giroud
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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22
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De Cuyper A, Clauss M, Lens L, Strubbe D, Zedrosser A, Steyaert S, Saravia AM, Janssens GPJ. Grading fecal consistency in an omnivorous carnivore, the brown bear: Abandoning the concept of uniform feces. Zoo Biol 2021; 40:182-191. [PMID: 33576553 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21593] [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: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Grading the fecal consistency of carnivores is a frequently used tool for monitoring gut health and overall digestion. Several fecal consistency grading systems are available for mainly felids and canids. No such system exists for the brown bear (Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758). We aim at extending current fecal consistency grading systems with a scoring system for brown bears. The system was set up during a diet study with nine individuals fed a variety of diets including beef meat, rabbit, fruit, and grass-fruit-pellet mix in an incomplete crossover design. One additional individual was included opportunistically and was fed the typical zoo diet (vegetable-fruit-meat-pellet diet). All feces from the collection period were photographed, graded by "handling the feces" and visually inspected for dietary components. Based on a total of 446 feces, a six-point scale for uniform fecal consistencies was established. In 11% of all feces, two distinct consistencies could be distinguished, a feature that appears in other carnivore species as well. Hence, an additional grading system for dual consistencies was developed. The fecal consistency of brown bears is heavily dependent on the diet items processed before defecation with the general observation that the more vegetation or whole prey, the firmer the feces, and at certain proportions of the latter, the higher the chance for dual fecal consistencies to occur. The results indicate that in bears, diet may have a strong effect on fecal consistency, hampering animal health assessments without prior knowledge of the diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelies De Cuyper
- Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luc Lens
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Diederik Strubbe
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø, Norway.,Institute for Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University for Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sam Steyaert
- Ecology Unit, Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, Steinkjer, Norway
| | - Arturo Muñoz Saravia
- Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Geert P J Janssens
- Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
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23
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Ebert T, Painer J, Bergman P, Qureshi AR, Giroud S, Stalder G, Kublickiene K, Göritz F, Vetter S, Bieber C, Fröbert O, Arnemo JM, Zedrosser A, Redtenbacher I, Shiels PG, Johnson RJ, Stenvinkel P. Insights in the regulation of trimetylamine N-oxide production using a comparative biomimetic approach suggest a metabolic switch in hibernating bears. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20323. [PMID: 33230252 PMCID: PMC7684304 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76346-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental studies suggest involvement of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) in the aetiology of cardiometabolic diseases and chronic kidney disease (CKD), in part via metabolism of ingested food. Using a comparative biomimetic approach, we have investigated circulating levels of the gut metabolites betaine, choline, and TMAO in human CKD, across animal species as well as during hibernation in two animal species. Betaine, choline, and TMAO levels were associated with renal function in humans and differed significantly across animal species. Free-ranging brown bears showed a distinct regulation pattern with an increase in betaine (422%) and choline (18%) levels during hibernation, but exhibited undetectable levels of TMAO. Free-ranging brown bears had higher betaine, lower choline, and undetectable TMAO levels compared to captive brown bears. Endogenously produced betaine may protect bears and garden dormice during the vulnerable hibernating period. Carnivorous eating habits are linked to TMAO levels in the animal kingdom. Captivity may alter the microbiota and cause a subsequent increase of TMAO production. Since free-ranging bears seems to turn on a metabolic switch that shunts choline to generate betaine instead of TMAO, characterisation and understanding of such an adaptive switch could hold clues for novel treatment options in burden of lifestyle diseases, such as CKD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Ebert
- Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johanna Painer
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Veterinary University Vienna, Savoyenstreet 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Bergman
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Abdul Rashid Qureshi
- Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sylvain Giroud
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Veterinary University Vienna, Savoyenstreet 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gabrielle Stalder
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Veterinary University Vienna, Savoyenstreet 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Karolina Kublickiene
- Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Frank Göritz
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Ecology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Vetter
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Veterinary University Vienna, Savoyenstreet 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Claudia Bieber
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Veterinary University Vienna, Savoyenstreet 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ole Fröbert
- Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Jon M Arnemo
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, Koppang, Norway.,Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø i Telemark, Norway.,Institute for Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University for Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Paul G Shiels
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Richard J Johnson
- Division of Renal Diseases, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Peter Stenvinkel
- Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. .,Department of Renal Medicine M99, Karolinska University Hospital, 141 86, Stockholm, Sweden.
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24
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Van de Walle J, Zedrosser A, Swenson JE, Pelletier F. Disentangling direct and indirect determinants of the duration of maternal care in brown bears: Environmental context matters. J Anim Ecol 2020; 90:376-386. [PMID: 33064848 PMCID: PMC7894530 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The duration of maternal care, an important life‐history trait affecting population dynamics, varies greatly within species. Yet, our understanding of its predictors is limited, mostly correlative and subject to misinterpretations, due to difficulties to disentangle the role of maternal‐ and offspring‐related characteristics. We conducted path analysis on a dataset including 217 brown bear litters captured over a 29‐year period in two populations in Sweden (‘North’ and ‘South’) facing contrasting environmental conditions to identify and quantify the causes of variation in the duration of maternal care (1.5 or 2.5 years). We showed that the causal determinants of the duration of maternal care were context‐dependent. Contrary to their expected central role in the determination of the duration of maternal care, yearling mass and its direct determinants (i.e. litter size and maternal mass) were only important in the North population, where environmental conditions are harsher and the cost of extended maternal care presumably higher. In the South, the duration of maternal care was not caused by yearling mass nor any maternal or litter characteristics. Extension of maternal care may thus result from factors independent from maternal and offspring condition in the South, such as an artificial hunting‐induced selection for longer maternal care through the legal protection of family groups. Our results provide an important contribution to our very limited knowledge of the direct and indirect determinants of the duration of maternal care and highlight the importance of accounting for the environmental context when assessing maternal reproductive tactics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanie Van de Walle
- Département de biologie & Centre for Northern Studies, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø, Norway.,Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jon E Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologie & Centre for Northern Studies, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
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25
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Rather TA, Tajdar S, Kumar S, Khan JA. Seasonal variation in the diet of sloth bears in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh, India. URSUS 2020. [DOI: 10.2192/ursus-d-19-00013.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tahir Ali Rather
- Department of Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, 202002
| | - Shaizah Tajdar
- Department of Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, 202002
| | - Sharad Kumar
- The Corbett Foundation, 81-88, Atlanta Building, Nariman Point, Mumbai, India, 400021
| | - Jamal Ahmed Khan
- Department of Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, 202002
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26
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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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27
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Cáceres-Martínez CH, Sánchez Montano LR, Acevedo AA, González-Maya JF. Diet of Andean bears in Tamá National Natural Park, Colombia. URSUS 2020. [DOI: 10.2192/ursus-d-18-00006.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos H. Cáceres-Martínez
- Grupo de Investigación en Ecología y Conservación de Fauna Silvestre, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, Colombia. C.P. 050012
| | - Luis R. Sánchez Montano
- Grupo de Investigación en Recursos Naturales (SIRENA), & Herbario Regional Catatumbo Sarare, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad de Pamplona, Km 1, Vía a Bucaramanga, Barrio El Buque, Pamplona, Colombia. C.P. 543050
| | - Aldemar A. Acevedo
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas - Mención Ecología, Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Av. Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 340, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile. C.P. 8331150
| | - José F. González-Maya
- Proyecto de Conservación de Aguas y Tierras, ProCAT Colombia/Internacional, Carrera 11 # 96-43, Of. 303, Bogotá, Colombia. C.P. 110221
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28
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Parkinson LV, Mulder CPH. Patterns of pollen and resource limitation of fruit production in Vaccinium uliginosum and V. vitis-idaea in Interior Alaska. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0224056. [PMID: 32813718 PMCID: PMC7446802 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many recent studies assessing fruit productivity of plants in the boreal forest focus on interannual variability across a forested region, rather than on environmental variability within the forest. Frequency and severity of wildfires in the boreal forest affect soil moisture, canopy, and community structure at the landscape level, all of which may influence overall fruit production at a site directly or indirectly. We evaluated how fruit production in two boreal shrubs, Vaccinium uliginosum (blueberry) and V. vitis-idaea (lingonberry), was explained by factors associated with resource availability (such as canopy cover and soil conditions) and pollen limitation (such as floral resources for pollinators and pollen deposition) across boreal forest sites of Interior Alaska in 2017. We classified our study sites into upland and lowland sites, which differed in elevation, soil moisture, and active layer. We found that resource and pollen limitation differed between the two species and between uplands and lowlands. Lingonberry was more pollen limited than blueberry, and plants in lowland sites were more pollen limited relative to other sites while plants in upland sites were relatively more resource limited. Additionally, canopy cover had a significant negative effect in upland sites on a ramet’s investment in reproductive tissues and leaves versus structural growth, but little effect in lowland sites. These results point to importance of including pollinator service as well as resource availability in predictions for changes in berry abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey Viann Parkinson
- Institute of Arctic Biology and Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Christa P. H. Mulder
- Institute of Arctic Biology and Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America
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29
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Shiratsuru S, Friebe A, Swenson JE, Zedrosser A. Room without a view-Den excavation in relation to body size in brown bears. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:8044-8054. [PMID: 32788960 PMCID: PMC7417226 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Hibernation is an adaptive strategy to survive harsh winter conditions and food shortage. The use of well-insulated winter dens helps animals minimize energy loss during hibernation. Brown bears (Ursus arctos) commonly use excavated dens for hibernation. Physical attributes of excavated dens are expected to impact the bear's heat retention and energy conservation. The objective of this study was to examine the determinants of cavity size of excavated dens and the impact of physical attributes of excavated dens on energy conservation in hibernating bears, hypothesizing that bears excavate dens in a way to minimize heat loss and optimize energy conservation during hibernation. We predicted that den cavity size would be determined by the bear's body size and that older bears would excavate better-fitting cavities to minimize heat loss, due to their previous experience. We further predicted that physical attributes of excavated dens would affect the bears' posthibernation body condition. Our results revealed that bears excavated a den cavity in relation to their body size, regardless of sex, and that older bears tended to excavate better-fitting den cavities compared to young bears, as we expected. Older bears excavated better-fitting den cavities, suggesting a potentially experience-based shift with age in den-excavation behavior and an optimum cavity size relative to a bear's body size. Our key finding is that insulation of excavated dens provided by wall/rood thickness and bedding materials had a significant positive effect on bears' posthibernation body condition. We believe that our study provides new insight into how not only the quality of denning habitat, but also the quality of dens may affect hibernating animals, by presenting a potential adaptive aspect of den preparation (age effect on efficiency in den excavation) and effect of den attributes on the posthibernation body condition of brown bears.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrea Friebe
- Scandinavian Brown Bear Research ProjectOrsaSweden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchTrondheimNorway
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental HealthUniversity of South‐Eastern NorwayTelemarkNorway
- Department of Integrative BiologyInstitute of Wildlife Biology and Game ManagementUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
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30
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Terraube J, Van Doninck J, Helle P, Cabeza M. Assessing the effectiveness of a national protected area network for carnivore conservation. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2957. [PMID: 32528022 PMCID: PMC7289803 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16792-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Protected areas (PAs) are essential to prevent further biodiversity loss yet their effectiveness varies largely with governance and external threats. Although methodological advances have permitted assessments of PA effectiveness in mitigating deforestation, we still lack similar studies for the impact of PAs on wildlife populations. Here we use an innovative combination of matching methods and hurdle-mixed models with a large-scale and long-term dataset for Finland’s large carnivore species. We show that the national PA network does not support higher densities than non-protected habitat for 3 of the 4 species investigated. For some species, PA effects interact with region or time, i.e., wolverine densities decreased inside PAs over the study period and lynx densities increased inside eastern PAs. We support the application of matching methods in combination of additional analytical frameworks for deeper understanding of conservation impacts on wildlife populations. These methodological advances are crucial for preparing ambitious PA targets post-2020. Assessing the effectiveness of protected areas for wildlife conservation is challenging. Here, Terraube et al. combine statistical matching and hurdle mixed-effects models to show that PAs have limited impact on population densities of large carnivores across Finland.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Terraube
- Global Change and Conservation Lab, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program. Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1), FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - J Van Doninck
- Amazon Research Team, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20500, Turku, Finland
| | - P Helle
- Natural Resources Research Institute, Paavo Havaksen tie 3, FI-90570, Oulu, Finland
| | - M Cabeza
- Global Change and Conservation Lab, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program. Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1), FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
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31
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Samuel L, Arnesen C, Zedrosser A, Rosell F. Fears from the past? The innate ability of dogs to detect predator scents. Anim Cogn 2020; 23:721-729. [PMID: 32270350 PMCID: PMC7320930 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-020-01379-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Throughout the animal kingdom, antipredator mechanisms are an evolutionary driving force to enable the survival of species classified as prey. Information regarding a predator's location can be determined through chemosensory cues from urine, faeces, visual and/or acoustic signals and anal gland secretions; and in several lab and field-based studies it has been seen that these cues mediate behavioural changes within prey species. These behaviours are often linked to fear and avoidance, which will in turn increase the prey's survival rate. In many studies dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) have been used as a predator species, however, no research has addressed a dog's innate ability to detect predator scents, hence the rationale behind this study. We assessed the innate ability of the untrained domestic dog to detect faecal scents of wild Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) and European lynx (Lynx lynx). The study monitored 82 domestic dogs across the UK and Norway. The dogs were exposed to the two predator faecal scents from Eurasian brown bear and European lynx, a herbivore faecal scent of Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) and water control. Measurements were taken upon the time spent within a 40 cm radius of each scent and changes in the dog's heart rate when within this 40 cm radius. We found dogs spent a decreased length of time around the predator scents and had an increased heart rate in relation to their basal heart rate. We conclude that dogs can innately sense predator scents of brown bear and lynx and elicit fear towards these odours, as shown through behavioural and physiological changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Samuel
- Department of Natural Resources, University of Derby, Kedleston Road, Derby, DE22 1GB, Derbyshire, UK
| | - Charlotte Arnesen
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø, Telemark, Norway
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø, Telemark, Norway.,Department for Integrative Biology, Institute for Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University for Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Gregor Mendel Str. 33, 1180, Vienna, Austria
| | - Frank Rosell
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø, Telemark, Norway.
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32
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Van de Walle J, Zedrosser A, Swenson JE, Pelletier F. Trade-off between offspring mass and number: the lightest offspring bear the costs. Biol Lett 2020. [PMCID: PMC7058944 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Life-history theory predicts a trade-off between offspring size and number. However, the role of intra-litter phenotypic variation in shaping this trade-off is often disregarded. We compared the strength of the relationship between litter size and mass from the perspective of the lightest and the heaviest yearling offspring in 110 brown bear litters in Sweden. We showed that the mass of the lightest yearlings decreased with increasing litter size, but that the mass of the heaviest yearling remained stable, regardless of litter size. Consistent with a conservative reproductive strategy, our results suggest that mothers maintained a stable investment in a fraction of the litter, while transferring the costs of larger litter size to the remaining offspring. Ignoring intra-litter phenotypic variation may obscure our ability to detect a trade-off between offspring size and number.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanie Van de Walle
- Département de biologie and Centre for Northern Studies, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada J1K 2R1
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, 3800 Bø i Telemark, Norway
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologie and Centre for Northern Studies, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada J1K 2R1
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Abstract
Tularaemia is a zoonotic disease, in Europe caused by Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica. Many lagomorphs and a variety of small rodents are wildlife species prone to develop clinical disease, while predators and scavengers are relatively resistant and may serve as sentinels. Blood samples from 656 Swedish wild predators and scavengers were serologically investigated using slide agglutination and microagglutination. In the slide agglutination test, 34 seropositive animals were detected, and they were found among all species investigated: brown bear (Ursus arctos), Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), wild boar (Sus scrofa), wolf (Canis lupus) and wolverine (Gulo gulo). Due to haemolysis the microagglutination test was more difficult to read at low titres, and only 12 animals were classified as seropositive. F. tularensis subsp. holarctica was detected by a polymerase chain reaction in lymphatic tissues of the head in one brown bear, one red fox and one wolf. The significance of this finding regarding possible latency of infection is not clear. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that all predator and scavenger species included in this study may serve as sentinels for tularaemia in Sweden. Their role as reservoirs is unclear.
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34
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Steyaert SMJG, Hertel AG, Swenson JE. Endozoochory by brown bears stimulates germination in bilberry. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sam M. J. G. Steyaert
- S. M. J. G. Steyaert (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6564-6361) ✉ A. G. Hertel and J. E. Swenson, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian Univ. of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Ås, Norway. SMJGS also
| | - Anne G. Hertel
- S. M. J. G. Steyaert (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6564-6361) ✉ A. G. Hertel and J. E. Swenson, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian Univ. of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Ås, Norway. SMJGS also
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- S. M. J. G. Steyaert (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6564-6361) ✉ A. G. Hertel and J. E. Swenson, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian Univ. of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Ås, Norway. SMJGS also
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35
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Boesen AH, Thiel A, Fuchs B, Evans AL, Bertelsen MF, Rodushkin I, Arnemo JM. Assessment of the LeadCare® Plus for Use on Scandinavian Brown Bears (Ursus arctos). Front Vet Sci 2019; 6:285. [PMID: 31552279 PMCID: PMC6736588 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Lead (Pb) exposure is associated with adverse health effects in both humans and wildlife. Blood lead levels (BLL) of sentinel wildlife species can be used to monitor environmental lead exposure and ecosystem health. BLL analyzers, such as the LeadCare®, are validated for use in humans, assessed for use in some avian species and cattle, and are increasingly being used on wildlife to monitor lead exposure. The LeadCare® analyzers use a technique called anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). Species-specific conversion equations have been proposed to approximate the levels found with gold standard measuring methods such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) because the ASV method has been shown to underestimate BLL in some species. In this study we assessed the LeadCare® Plus (LCP) for use on Scandinavian brown bears (Ursus arctos). LCP measurements were correlated with ICP-MS with a Bland-Altman analyzed bias of 16.3-22.5%, showing a consistent overestimation of BLL analyzed with LCP. Based on this analysis we provide conversion equations for calculating ICP-MS BLL based on the LCP results in Scandinavian brown bears. Our study shows that the LeadCare® Plus can be used for monitoring of lead exposure by approximating gold standard levels using conversion equations. This enables comparison with other gold standard measured BLL within the observed range of this study (38.20-174.00 μg/L). Our study also found that Scandinavian brown bears are highly exposed to environmental lead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda H Boesen
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Koppang, Norway
| | - Alexandra Thiel
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Koppang, Norway
| | - Boris Fuchs
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Koppang, Norway
| | - Alina L Evans
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Koppang, Norway
| | - Mads F Bertelsen
- Center for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Ilia Rodushkin
- ALS Scandinavia AB, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Jon M Arnemo
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Koppang, Norway.,Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
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36
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Chazarin B, Ziemianin A, Evans AL, Meugnier E, Loizon E, Chery I, Arnemo JM, Swenson JE, Gauquelin-Koch G, Simon C, Blanc S, Lefai E, Bertile F. Limited Oxidative Stress Favors Resistance to Skeletal Muscle Atrophy in Hibernating Brown Bears ( Ursus Arctos). Antioxidants (Basel) 2019; 8:antiox8090334. [PMID: 31443506 PMCID: PMC6770786 DOI: 10.3390/antiox8090334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxidative stress, which is believed to promote muscle atrophy, has been reported to occur in a few hibernators. However, hibernating bears exhibit efficient energy savings and muscle protein sparing, despite long-term physical inactivity and fasting. We hypothesized that the regulation of the oxidant/antioxidant balance and oxidative stress could favor skeletal muscle maintenance in hibernating brown bears. We showed that increased expressions of cold-inducible proteins CIRBP and RBM3 could favor muscle mass maintenance and alleviate oxidative stress during hibernation. Downregulation of the subunits of the mitochondrial electron transfer chain complexes I, II, and III, and antioxidant enzymes, possibly due to the reduced mitochondrial content, indicated a possible reduction of the production of reactive oxygen species in the hibernating muscle. Concomitantly, the upregulation of cytosolic antioxidant systems, under the control of the transcription factor NRF2, and the maintenance of the GSH/GSSG ratio suggested that bear skeletal muscle is not under a significant oxidative insult during hibernation. Accordingly, lower levels of oxidative damage were recorded in hibernating bear skeletal muscles. These results identify mechanisms by which limited oxidative stress may underlie the resistance to skeletal muscle atrophy in hibernating brown bears. They may constitute therapeutic targets for the treatment of human muscle atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blandine Chazarin
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-670000 Strasbourg, France
- Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, CNES, F-75001 Paris, France
| | - Anna Ziemianin
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-670000 Strasbourg, France
- Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, CNES, F-75001 Paris, France
| | - Alina L Evans
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, NO-2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Emmanuelle Meugnier
- CarMen Laboratory, INSERM 1060, INRA 1397, University of Lyon, F-69600 Oullins, France
| | - Emmanuelle Loizon
- CarMen Laboratory, INSERM 1060, INRA 1397, University of Lyon, F-69600 Oullins, France
| | - Isabelle Chery
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-670000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Jon M Arnemo
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, NO-2480 Koppang, Norway
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - 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
| | | | - Chantal Simon
- CarMen Laboratory, INSERM 1060, INRA 1397, University of Lyon, F-69600 Oullins, France
| | - Stéphane Blanc
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-670000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Etienne Lefai
- CarMen Laboratory, INSERM 1060, INRA 1397, University of Lyon, F-69600 Oullins, France
- Université d'Auvergne, INRA, UNH UMR1019, F-63122 Saint-Genès Champanelle, France
| | - Fabrice Bertile
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-670000 Strasbourg, France.
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37
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Twining JP, Montgomery I, Fitzpatrick V, Marks N, Scantlebury DM, Tosh DG. Seasonal, geographical, and habitat effects on the diet of a recovering predator population: the European pine marten (Martes martes) in Ireland. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-019-1289-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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38
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Chazarin B, Storey KB, Ziemianin A, Chanon S, Plumel M, Chery I, Durand C, Evans AL, Arnemo JM, Zedrosser A, Swenson JE, Gauquelin-Koch G, Simon C, Blanc S, Lefai E, Bertile F. Metabolic reprogramming involving glycolysis in the hibernating brown bear skeletal muscle. Front Zool 2019; 16:12. [PMID: 31080489 PMCID: PMC6503430 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-019-0312-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In mammals, the hibernating state is characterized by biochemical adjustments, which include metabolic rate depression and a shift in the primary fuel oxidized from carbohydrates to lipids. A number of studies of hibernating species report an upregulation of the levels and/or activity of lipid oxidizing enzymes in muscles during torpor, with a concomitant downregulation for glycolytic enzymes. However, other studies provide contrasting data about the regulation of fuel utilization in skeletal muscles during hibernation. Bears hibernate with only moderate hypothermia but with a drop in metabolic rate down to ~ 25% of basal metabolism. To gain insights into how fuel metabolism is regulated in hibernating bear skeletal muscles, we examined the vastus lateralis proteome and other changes elicited in brown bears during hibernation. Results We show that bear muscle metabolic reorganization is in line with a suppression of ATP turnover. Regulation of muscle enzyme expression and activity, as well as of circulating metabolite profiles, highlighted a preference for lipid substrates during hibernation, although the data suggested that muscular lipid oxidation levels decreased due to metabolic rate depression. Our data also supported maintenance of muscle glycolysis that could be fuelled from liver gluconeogenesis and mobilization of muscle glycogen stores. During hibernation, our data also suggest that carbohydrate metabolism in bear muscle, as well as protein sparing, could be controlled, in part, by actions of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids like docosahexaenoic acid. Conclusions Our work shows that molecular mechanisms in hibernating bear skeletal muscle, which appear consistent with a hypometabolic state, likely contribute to energy and protein savings. Maintenance of glycolysis could help to sustain muscle functionality for situations such as an unexpected exit from hibernation that would require a rapid increase in ATP production for muscle contraction. The molecular data we report here for skeletal muscles of bears hibernating at near normal body temperature represent a signature of muscle preservation despite atrophying conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blandine Chazarin
- 1Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.,10Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, CNES, F-75001 Paris, France
| | - Kenneth B Storey
- 2Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6 Canada
| | - Anna Ziemianin
- 1Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.,10Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, CNES, F-75001 Paris, France
| | - Stéphanie Chanon
- 3CarMen Laboratory, INSERM 1060, INRA 1397, University of Lyon, F-69600 Oullins, France
| | - Marine Plumel
- 1Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Isabelle Chery
- 1Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Christine Durand
- 3CarMen Laboratory, INSERM 1060, INRA 1397, University of Lyon, F-69600 Oullins, France
| | - Alina L Evans
- 4Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, NO-2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Jon M Arnemo
- 4Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, NO-2480 Koppang, Norway.,5Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- 6Department of Environmental and Health Studies, University College of Southeast Norway, N-3800 Bø, Telemark Norway.,7Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, A-1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jon E Swenson
- 8Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Ås, Norway.,9Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Chantal Simon
- 3CarMen Laboratory, INSERM 1060, INRA 1397, University of Lyon, F-69600 Oullins, France
| | - Stephane Blanc
- 1Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Etienne Lefai
- 3CarMen Laboratory, INSERM 1060, INRA 1397, University of Lyon, F-69600 Oullins, France.,Université d'Auvergne, INRA, UNH UMR1019, F-63122 Saint-Genès Champanelle, France
| | - Fabrice Bertile
- 1Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
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Giroud S, Chery I, Bertile F, Bertrand-Michel J, Tascher G, Gauquelin-Koch G, Arnemo JM, Swenson JE, Singh NJ, Lefai E, Evans AL, Simon C, Blanc S. Lipidomics Reveals Seasonal Shifts in a Large-Bodied Hibernator, the Brown Bear. Front Physiol 2019; 10:389. [PMID: 31031634 PMCID: PMC6474398 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Prior to winter, heterotherms retain polyunsaturated fatty acids (“PUFA”), resulting in enhanced energy savings during hibernation, through deeper and longer torpor bouts. Hibernating bears exhibit a less dramatic reduction (2–5°C) in body temperature, but lower their metabolism to a degree close to that of small hibernators. We determined the lipid composition, via lipidomics, in skeletal muscle and white adipose tissues (“WAT”), to assess lipid retention, and in blood plasma, to reflect lipid trafficking, of winter hibernating and summer active wild Scandinavian brown bears (Ursus arctos). We found that the proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids in muscle of bears was significantly higher during winter. During hibernation, omega-3 PUFAs were retained in WAT and short-length fatty acids were released into the plasma. The analysis of individual lipid moieties indicated significant changes of specific fatty acids, which are in line with the observed seasonal shift in the major lipid categories and can be involved in specific regulations of metabolisms. These results strongly suggest that the shift in lipid composition is well conserved among hibernators, independent of body mass and of the animals’ body temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Giroud
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Isabelle Chery
- IPHC, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,UMR7178, CNRS, Strasbourg, France
| | - Fabrice Bertile
- IPHC, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,UMR7178, CNRS, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Georg Tascher
- IPHC, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,UMR7178, CNRS, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Jon M Arnemo
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Koppang, Norway.,Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jon E Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.,Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Navinder J Singh
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Etienne Lefai
- CARMEN, INSERM U1060, University of Lyon, INRA U1235, Oullins, France
| | - Alina L Evans
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Koppang, Norway
| | - Chantal Simon
- CARMEN, INSERM U1060, University of Lyon, INRA U1235, Oullins, France
| | - Stéphane Blanc
- IPHC, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,UMR7178, CNRS, Strasbourg, France
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40
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Ogurtsov SS. The Diet of the Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) in the Central Forest Nature Reserve (West-European Russia), Based on Scat Analysis Data. BIOL BULL+ 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359018090145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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41
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Lodberg-Holm H, Gelink H, Hertel A, Swenson J, Domevscik M, Steyaert S. A human-induced landscape of fear influences foraging behavior of brown bears. Basic Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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42
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Fuchs B, Yamazaki K, Evans AL, Tsubota T, Koike S, Naganuma T, Arnemo JM. Heart rate during hyperphagia differs between two bear species. Biol Lett 2019; 15:20180681. [PMID: 30958219 PMCID: PMC6371904 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperphagia is a critical part of the yearly cycle of bears when they gain fat reserves before entering hibernation. We used heart rate as a proxy to compare the metabolic rate between the Asian black bear ( Ursus thibetanus) in Japan and the Eurasian brown bear ( Ursus arctos) in Sweden from summer into hibernation. In the hyperphagic period, black bears feed on fat- and carbohydrate-rich hard masts whereas brown bears feed on sugar-rich berries. Availability of hard masts has quantitative and spatial annual fluctuations, which might require increased activity and result in intraspecific stress. Using generalized additive mixed models we analysed the differences in heart rate between the two species. Black bears had decreased heart rates during summer but had doubled heart rate values throughout the hyperphagic period compared to brown bears. This letter illustrates the different physiological consequences of seasonal differences in food availability in two species of the same genus dealing with the same phenological challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Fuchs
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2418 Elverum, Norway
| | - Koji Yamazaki
- Department of Forest Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Alina L. Evans
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2418 Elverum, Norway
| | - Toshio Tsubota
- Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita18, Nishi9, Kita-Ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Koike
- Institute of Global Innovation Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai, Fuchu-city, Tokyo, Japan
- United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai, Fuchu-city, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoko Naganuma
- United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai, Fuchu-city, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jon M. Arnemo
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2418 Elverum, Norway
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
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43
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Hertel AG, Leclerc M, Warren D, Pelletier F, Zedrosser A, Mueller T. Don't poke the bear: using tracking data to quantify behavioural syndromes in elusive wildlife. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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44
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Hertel AG, Zedrosser A, Kindberg J, Langvall O, Swenson JE. Fluctuating mast production does not drive Scandinavian brown bear behavior. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anne G. Hertel
- Norwegian University of Life SciencesFaculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNO‐1430 ÅsNorway
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- University of Southeast NorwayDepartment of Natural Sciences and Environmental HealthNO‐3800 BøNorway
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchNO‐7485 Trondheim and Department of Fish, Wildlife and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Ola Langvall
- Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesSE‐75007 UppsalaSweden
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- Norwegian University of Life SciencesFaculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNO‐1430 ÅsNorway
- Norway and Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchNO‐7485 TrondheimNorway
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45
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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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46
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Eriksen A, Wabakken P, Maartmann E, Zimmermann B. Den site selection by male brown bears at the population's expansion front. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0202653. [PMID: 30161161 PMCID: PMC6116945 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Brown bears (Ursus arctos) spend about half of the year in winter dens. In order to preserve energy, bears may select denning locations that minimize temperature loss and human disturbance. In expanding animal populations, demographic structure and individual behavior at the expansion front can differ from core areas. We conducted a non-invasive study of male brown bear den sites at the male-biased, low-density western expansion front of the Scandinavian brown bear population, comparing den locations to the available habitat. Compared to the higher-density population core in which intraspecific avoidance may affect den site selection of subordinate bears, we expected resource competition in the periphery to be low, and all bears to be able to select optimal den sites. In addition, bears in the periphery had access to free-ranging domestic sheep during summer. We found that males in the periphery denned on high-elevation slopes, probably providing good drainage, longer periods of consistent, insulating snow cover and fewer melting-freezing events. Forests were the principal denning habitat and no dens were found in alpine areas. The Scandinavian brown bears have a history of intense harvest, including culling at the den. This may have exerted a selection pressure to avoid denning in open alpine habitat which compared to forests provide little cover. The bears denned away from main roads and in steep, rugged terrain, probably limiting human access. The odds for finding a bear den decreased with increasing distance to the population core where females could be found. Previous studies have documented directed movement of male brown bears from the male-biased population periphery toward the core areas during the mating season. In this way, denning males may be trading off between low resource competition and access to sheep in the low-density periphery, and mating opportunities in the higher-density population core.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ane Eriksen
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, Norway
| | - Petter Wabakken
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, Norway
| | - Erling Maartmann
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, Norway
| | - Barbara Zimmermann
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, Norway
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47
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Ismaili B, Diouri M, Ouijja A. Getting the dietary knowledge to restore a missing species: seasonal diet of Atlas deer Cervus elaphus barbarus in Tazekka National Park, Morocco. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brahim Ismaili
- B. Ismaili , No. 140, Ex-Pépinière des eaux et forêts, BP 35000, Taza, Morroco
| | - Mohammed Diouri
- M. Doiuri (http://orcid.org/00000003-1242-5746), BVRV Research Team, Biology Dept, Moulay Ismail Uni
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48
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Hunting regulation favors slow life histories in a large carnivore. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1100. [PMID: 29588441 PMCID: PMC5871616 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03506-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
As an important extrinsic source of mortality, harvest should select for fast reproduction and accelerated life histories. However, if vulnerability to harvest depends upon female reproductive status, patterns of selectivity could diverge and favor alternative reproductive behaviors. Here, using more than 20 years of detailed data on survival and reproduction in a hunted large carnivore population, we show that protecting females with dependent young, a widespread hunting regulation, provides a survival benefit to females providing longer maternal care. This survival gain compensates for the females’ reduced reproductive output, especially at high hunting pressure, where the fitness benefit of prolonged periods of maternal care outweighs that of shorter maternal care. Our study shows that hunting regulation can indirectly promote slower life histories by modulating the fitness benefit of maternal care tactics. We provide empirical evidence that harvest regulation can induce artificial selection on female life history traits and affect demographic processes. Hunting and harvesting are generally expected to select for faster life histories in the exploited species. Here, the authors analyse data from a hunted population of brown bears in Sweden and show that regulations protecting females with dependent young lead hunting to favor prolonged maternal care.
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49
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Coogan SCP, Raubenheimer D, Stenhouse GB, Coops NC, Nielsen SE. Functional macronutritional generalism in a large omnivore, the brown bear. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:2365-2376. [PMID: 29468050 PMCID: PMC5817158 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We combine a recently developed framework for describing dietary generalism with compositional data analysis to examine patterns of omnivory in a large widely distributed mammal. Using the brown bear (Ursus arctos) as a model species, we collected and analyzed data from the literature to estimate the proportions of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, and lipid) in the diets of bear populations. Across their range, bears consumed a diversity of foods that resulted in annual population diets that varied in macronutrient proportions, suggesting a wide fundamental macronutrient niche. The variance matrix of pairwise macronutrient log-ratios indicated that the most variable macronutrient among diets was carbohydrate, while protein and lipid were more proportional or codependent (i.e., relatively more constant log-ratios). Populations that consumed anthropogenic foods, such agricultural crops and supplementary feed (e.g., corn), had a higher geometric mean proportion of carbohydrate, and lower proportion of protein, in annual diets. Seasonally, mean diets were lower in protein and higher in carbohydrate, during autumn compared to spring. Populations with anthropogenic subsidies, however, had higher mean proportions of carbohydrate and lower protein, across seasons compared to populations with natural diets. Proportions of macronutrients similar to those selected in experiments by captive brown bears, and which optimized primarily fat mass gain, were observed among hyperphagic prehibernation autumn diets. However, the majority of these were from populations consuming anthropogenic foods, while diets of natural populations were more variable and typically higher in protein. Some anthropogenic diets were close to the proportions selected by captive bears during summer. Our results suggest that omnivory in brown bears is a functional adaptation enabling them to occupy a diverse range of habitats and tolerate variation in the nutritional composition and availability of food resources. Furthermore, we show that populations consuming human-sourced foods have different dietary macronutrient proportions relative to populations with natural diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean C. P. Coogan
- Department of Renewable ResourcesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonABCanada
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, and the Charles Perkins CentreUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | | | - Nicholas C. Coops
- Department of Forest Resource ManagementUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
| | - Scott E. Nielsen
- Department of Renewable ResourcesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonABCanada
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50
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Tosoni
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Charles Darwin”, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Roma, Italy
- Ente Parco Nazionale D’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise, Pescasseroli, Italy
| | - M. Mei
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Charles Darwin”, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Roma, Italy
| | - P. Ciucci
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Charles Darwin”, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Roma, Italy
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