1
|
Gaya HE, Cooper RJ, Delancey CD, Hepinstall-Cymerman J, Kurimo-Beechuk EA, Lewis WB, Merker SA, Chandler RB. Clinging to the top: natal dispersal tracks climate gradient in a trailing-edge population of a migratory songbird. Mov Ecol 2024; 12:28. [PMID: 38627871 PMCID: PMC11020467 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00470-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Trailing-edge populations at the low-latitude, receding edge of a shifting range face high extinction risk from climate change unless they are able to track optimal environmental conditions through dispersal. METHODS We fit dispersal models to the locations of 3165 individually-marked black-throated blue warblers (Setophaga caerulescens) in the southern Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, USA from 2002 to 2023. Black-throated blue warbler breeding abundance in this population has remained relatively stable at colder and wetter areas at higher elevations but has declined at warmer and drier areas at lower elevations. RESULTS Median dispersal distance of young warblers was 917 m (range 23-3200 m), and dispersal tended to be directed away from warm and dry locations. In contrast, adults exhibited strong site fidelity between breeding seasons and rarely dispersed more than 100 m (range 10-1300 m). Consequently, adult dispersal kernels were much more compact and symmetric than natal dispersal kernels, suggesting adult dispersal is unlikely a driving force of declines in this population. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that directional natal dispersal may mitigate fitness costs for trailing-edge populations by allowing individuals to track changing climate and avoid warming conditions at warm-edge range boundaries.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heather E Gaya
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 E Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
| | - Robert J Cooper
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 E Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Clayton D Delancey
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 E Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Jeffrey Hepinstall-Cymerman
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 E Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Kurimo-Beechuk
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 589 D. W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - William B Lewis
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 E Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Samuel A Merker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, 75 N. Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Richard B Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 E Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hua F, Wang W, Nakagawa S, Liu S, Miao X, Yu L, Du Z, Abrahamczyk S, Arias-Sosa LA, Buda K, Budka M, Carrière SM, Chandler RB, Chiatante G, Chiawo DO, Cresswell W, Echeverri A, Goodale E, Huang G, Hulme MF, Hutto RL, Imboma TS, Jarrett C, Jiang Z, Kati VI, King DI, Kmecl P, Li N, Lövei GL, Macchi L, MacGregor-Fors I, Martin EA, Mira A, Morelli F, Ortega-Álvarez R, Quan RC, Salgueiro PA, Santos SM, Shahabuddin G, Socolar JB, Soh MCK, Sreekar R, Srinivasan U, Wilcove DS, Yamaura Y, Zhou L, Elsen PR. Ecological filtering shapes the impacts of agricultural deforestation on biodiversity. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:251-266. [PMID: 38182682 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02280-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
The biodiversity impacts of agricultural deforestation vary widely across regions. Previous efforts to explain this variation have focused exclusively on the landscape features and management regimes of agricultural systems, neglecting the potentially critical role of ecological filtering in shaping deforestation tolerance of extant species assemblages at large geographical scales via selection for functional traits. Here we provide a large-scale test of this role using a global database of species abundance ratios between matched agricultural and native forest sites that comprises 71 avian assemblages reported in 44 primary studies, and a companion database of 10 functional traits for all 2,647 species involved. Using meta-analytic, phylogenetic and multivariate methods, we show that beyond agricultural features, filtering by the extent of natural environmental variability and the severity of historical anthropogenic deforestation shapes the varying deforestation impacts across species assemblages. For assemblages under greater environmental variability-proxied by drier and more seasonal climates under a greater disturbance regime-and longer deforestation histories, filtering has attenuated the negative impacts of current deforestation by selecting for functional traits linked to stronger deforestation tolerance. Our study provides a previously largely missing piece of knowledge in understanding and managing the biodiversity consequences of deforestation by agricultural deforestation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fangyuan Hua
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
| | - Weiyi Wang
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Shuangqi Liu
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinran Miao
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Le Yu
- Department of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Ministry of Education Ecological Field Station for East Asia Migratory Birds, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua University (Department of Earth System Science)-Xi'an Institute of Surveying and Mapping Joint Research Center for Next-Generation Smart Mapping, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenrong Du
- Department of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Stefan Abrahamczyk
- Department of Botany, State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Luis Alejandro Arias-Sosa
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Organismos (GEO-UPTC), Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Tunja, Colombia
| | - Kinga Buda
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Michał Budka
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Stéphanie M Carrière
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR SENS, IRD, CIRAD, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Richard B Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | | | - David O Chiawo
- Centre for Biodiversity Information Development, Strathmore University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Will Cresswell
- Centre of Biological Diversity, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland
| | - Alejandra Echeverri
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Eben Goodale
- Department of Health and Environmental Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Guohualing Huang
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Mark F Hulme
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
- British Trust for Ornithology, Norfolk, UK
| | - Richard L Hutto
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Titus S Imboma
- Ornithology Section, Zoology Department, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Crinan Jarrett
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Zhigang Jiang
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Vassiliki I Kati
- Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - David I King
- Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Primož Kmecl
- Group for Conservation Biology, DOPPS BirdLife Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Na Li
- Institute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research, Dali University, Dali, China
| | - Gábor L Lövei
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian University of Agriculture and Forestry, Fuzhou, China
- HUN-REN-DE Anthropocene Ecology Research Group, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Leandro Macchi
- Instituto de Ecología Regional (IER), CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Ian MacGregor-Fors
- Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Lahti, Finland
| | - Emily A Martin
- Institute of Animal Ecology and Systematic Zoology, Justus Liebig University of Gießen, Giessen, Germany
| | - António Mira
- MED (Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development), CHANGE (Global Change and Sustainability Institute) and UBC (Conservation Biology Lab), Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Technology, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Federico Morelli
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Bournemouth University, Poole, UK
| | - Rubén Ortega-Álvarez
- Investigadoras e Investigadores por México del Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT), Dirección Regional Occidente, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rui-Chang Quan
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, China
| | - Pedro A Salgueiro
- MED (Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development), CHANGE (Global Change and Sustainability Institute), Institute for Advanced Studies and Research and UBC (Conservation Biology Lab), University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Sara M Santos
- MED (Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development), CHANGE (Global Change and Sustainability Institute), Institute for Advanced Studies and Research and UBC (Conservation Biology Lab), University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | | | | | | | - Rachakonda Sreekar
- Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Umesh Srinivasan
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - David S Wilcove
- School of Public and International Affairs and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Yuichi Yamaura
- Shikoku Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Kochi, Japan
| | - Liping Zhou
- Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Paul R Elsen
- Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Miller CV, Bossu CM, Sarraco JF, Toews DPL, Rushing CS, Roberto-Charron A, Tremblay JA, Chandler RB, DeSaix MG, Fiss CJ, Larkin JL, Haché S, Nebel S, Ruegg KC. Genomics-informed conservation units reveal spatial variation in climate vulnerability in a migratory bird. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17199. [PMID: 38018020 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Identifying genetic conservation units (CUs) in threatened species is critical for the preservation of adaptive capacity and evolutionary potential in the face of climate change. However, delineating CUs in highly mobile species remains a challenge due to high rates of gene flow and genetic signatures of isolation by distance. Even when CUs are delineated in highly mobile species, the CUs often lack key biological information about what populations have the most conservation need to guide management decisions. Here we implement a framework for CU identification in the Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis), a migratory bird species of conservation concern, and then integrate demographic modelling and genomic offset to guide conservation decisions. We find that patterns of whole genome genetic variation in this highly mobile species are primarily driven by putative adaptive variation. Identification of CUs across the breeding range revealed that Canada Warblers fall into two evolutionarily significant units (ESU), and three putative adaptive units (AUs) in the South, East, and Northwest. Quantification of genomic offset, a metric of genetic changes necessary to maintain current gene-environment relationships, revealed significant spatial variation in climate vulnerability, with the Northwestern AU being identified as the most vulnerable to future climate change. Alternatively, quantification of past population trends within each AU revealed the steepest population declines have occurred within the Eastern AU. Overall, we illustrate that genomics-informed CUs provide a strong foundation for identifying current and future regional threats that can be used to inform management strategies for a highly mobile species in a rapidly changing world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin V Miller
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Christen M Bossu
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - James F Sarraco
- The Institute for Bird Populations, Petaluma, California, USA
| | - David P L Toews
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Clark S Rushing
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Junior A Tremblay
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Richard B Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Matthew G DeSaix
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Cameron J Fiss
- Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jeff L Larkin
- Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Samuel Haché
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Climate Change Canada, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
| | | | - Kristen C Ruegg
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Abernathy HN, Crawford DA, Chandler RB, Garrison EP, Conner LM, Miller KV, Cherry MJ. Rain, recreation and risk: Human activity and ecological disturbance create seasonal risk landscapes for the prey of an ambush predator. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:1840-1855. [PMID: 37415521 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Predation risk and prey responses exhibit fluctuations in space and time. Seasonal ecological disturbances can alter landscape structure and permeability to influence predator activity and efficacy, creating predictable patterns of risk for prey (seasonal risk landscapes). This may create corresponding seasonal shifts in antipredator behaviour, mediated by species ecology and trade-offs between risk and resources. Yet, how human recreation interacts with seasonal risk landscapes and antipredator behaviour remains understudied. In South Florida, we investigated the impact of a seasonal ecological disturbance, specifically flooding, which is inversely related to human activity, on interactions between Florida panthers (Puma concolor coryi) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We hypothesized that human activity and ecological disturbances would interact with panther-deer ecology, resulting in the emergence of two distinct seasonal landscapes of predation risk and the corresponding antipredator responses. We conducted camera trap surveys across southwestern Florida to collect detection data on humans, panthers and deer. We analysed the influence of human site use and flooding on deer and panther detection probability, co-occurrence and diel activity during the flooded and dry seasons. Flooding led to decreased panther detections and increased deer detections, resulting in reduced deer-panther co-occurrence during the flooded season. Panthers exhibited increased nocturnality and reduced diel activity overlap with deer in areas with higher human activity. Supporting our hypothesis, panthers' avoidance of human recreation and flooding created distinct risk schedules for deer, driving their antipredator behaviour. Deer utilized flooded areas to spatially offset predation risk during the flooded season while increasing diurnal activity in response to human recreation during the dry season. We highlight the importance of understanding how competing risks and ecological disturbances influence predator and prey behaviour, leading to the generation of seasonal risk landscapes and antipredator responses. We emphasize the role of cyclical ecological disturbances in shaping dynamic predator-prey interactions. Furthermore, we highlight how human recreation may function as a 'temporal human shield,' altering seasonal risk landscapes and antipredator responses to reduce encounter rates between predators and prey.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H N Abernathy
- Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas, USA
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - D A Crawford
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas, USA
- Jones Center at Ichauway, Newton, Georgia, USA
| | - R B Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - E P Garrison
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - L M Conner
- Jones Center at Ichauway, Newton, Georgia, USA
| | - K V Miller
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - M J Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Johnson JT, Chandler RB, Conner LM, Cherry MJ, Killmaster CH, Johannsen KL, Miller KV. Assessing the implications of sexual segregation when surveying white‐tailed deer
Odocoileus virginianus. Wildlife Biology 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wlb3.01077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- James T. Johnson
- D.B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, The Univ. of Georgia Athens GA USA
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- D.B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, The Univ. of Georgia Athens GA USA
| | | | - Michael J. Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Inst., Texas A&M Univ. Kingsville TX USA
| | | | | | - Karl V. Miller
- D.B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, The Univ. of Georgia Athens GA USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lewis WB, Cooper RJ, Chandler RB, Chitwood RW, Cline MH, Hallworth MT, Hatt JL, Hepinstall‐Cymerman J, Kaiser SA, Rodenhouse NL, Sillett TS, Stodola KW, Webster MS, Holmes RT. Climate‐mediated population dynamics of a migratory songbird differ between the trailing edge and range core. ECOL MONOGR 2022; 93:e1559. [PMID: 37035418 PMCID: PMC10078169 DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the demographic drivers of range contractions is important for predicting species' responses to climate change; however, few studies have examined the effects of climate change on survival and recruitment across species' ranges. We show that climate change can drive trailing edge range contractions through the effects on apparent survival, and potentially recruitment, in a migratory songbird. We assessed the demographic drivers of trailing edge range contractions using a long-term demography dataset for the black-throated blue warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) collected across elevational climate gradients at the trailing edge and core of the breeding range. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate the effect of climate change on apparent survival and recruitment and to forecast population viability at study plots through 2040. The trailing edge population at the low-elevation plot became locally extinct by 2017. The local population at the mid-elevation plot at the trailing edge gradually declined and is predicted to become extirpated by 2040. Population declines were associated with warming temperatures at the mid-elevation plot, although results were more equivocal at the low-elevation plot where we had fewer years of data. Population density was stable or increasing at the range core, although warming temperatures are predicted to cause population declines by 2040 at the low-elevation plot. This result suggests that even populations within the geographic core of the range are vulnerable to climate change. The demographic drivers of local population declines varied between study plots, but warming temperatures were frequently associated with declining rates of population growth and apparent survival. Declining apparent survival in our study system is likely to be associated with increased adult emigration away from poor-quality habitats. Our results suggest that demographic responses to warming temperatures are complex and dependent on local conditions and geographic range position, but spatial variation in population declines is consistent with the climate-mediated range shift hypothesis. Local populations of black-throated blue warblers near the warm-edge range boundary at low latitudes and low elevations are likely to be the most vulnerable to climate change, potentially leading to local extirpation and range contractions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William B. Lewis
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens GA USA
| | - Robert J. Cooper
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens GA USA
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens GA USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Sara A. Kaiser
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
| | | | - T. Scott Sillett
- Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, National Zoological Park Washington DC USA
| | - Kirk W. Stodola
- Illinois Natural History Survey University of Illinois Champaign IL USA
| | - Michael S. Webster
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Department of Neurobiology and Behavior Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
McClintock BT, Abrahms B, Chandler RB, Conn PB, Converse SJ, Emmet RL, Gardner B, Hostetter NJ, Johnson DS. An integrated path for spatial capture-recapture and animal movement modeling. Ecology 2022; 103:e3473. [PMID: 34270790 PMCID: PMC9786756 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Ecologists and conservation biologists increasingly rely on spatial capture-recapture (SCR) and movement modeling to study animal populations. Historically, SCR has focused on population-level processes (e.g., vital rates, abundance, density, and distribution), whereas animal movement modeling has focused on the behavior of individuals (e.g., activity budgets, resource selection, migration). Even though animal movement is clearly a driver of population-level patterns and dynamics, technical and conceptual developments to date have not forged a firm link between the two fields. Instead, movement modeling has typically focused on the individual level without providing a coherent scaling from individual- to population-level processes, whereas SCR has typically focused on the population level while greatly simplifying the movement processes that give rise to the observations underlying these models. In our view, the integration of SCR and animal movement modeling has tremendous potential for allowing ecologists to scale up from individuals to populations and advancing the types of inferences that can be made at the intersection of population, movement, and landscape ecology. Properly accounting for complex animal movement processes can also potentially reduce bias in estimators of population-level parameters, thereby improving inferences that are critical for species conservation and management. This introductory article to the Special Feature reviews recent advances in SCR and animal movement modeling, establishes a common notation, highlights potential advantages of linking individual-level (Lagrangian) movements to population-level (Eulerian) processes, and outlines a general conceptual framework for the integration of movement and SCR models. We then identify important avenues for future research, including key challenges and potential pitfalls in the developments and applications that lie ahead.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brett T. McClintock
- Marine Mammal LaboratoryNOAA‐NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science CenterSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Briana Abrahms
- Department of BiologyUniversity of WashingtonLife Sciences Building, Box 351800SeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of Georgia180 E. Green St.AthensGeorgiaUSA
| | - Paul B. Conn
- Marine Mammal LaboratoryNOAA‐NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science CenterSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Sarah J. Converse
- U.S. Geological SurveyWashington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitSchool of Environmental and Forest Sciences & School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesUniversity of WashingtonBox 355020SeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Robert L. Emmet
- Quantitative Ecology and Resource ManagementUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Beth Gardner
- School of Environmental and Forest SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Nathan J. Hostetter
- Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitSchool of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Devin S. Johnson
- Marine Mammal LaboratoryNOAA‐NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science CenterSeattleWashingtonUSA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Chandler RB, Crawford DA, Garrison EP, Miller KV, Cherry MJ. Modeling abundance, distribution, movement and space use with camera and telemetry data. Ecology 2022; 103:e3583. [PMID: 34767254 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Studies of animal abundance and distribution are often conducted independently of research on movement, despite the important links between processes. Movement can cause rapid changes in spatial variation in density, and movement influences detection probability and therefore estimates of abundance from inferential methods such as spatial capture-recapture (SCR). Technological developments including camera traps and GPS telemetry have opened new opportunities for studying animal demography and movement, yet statistical models for these two data types have largely developed along parallel tracks. We present a hierarchical model in which both datasets are conditioned on a movement process for a clearly defined population. We fitted the model to data from 60 camera traps and 23,572 GPS telemetry locations collected on 17 male white-tailed deer in the Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida, USA during July 2015. Telemetry data were collected on a 3-4 h acquisition schedule, and we modeled the movement paths of all individuals in the region with a Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process that included individual-specific random effects. Two of the 17 deer with GPS collars were detected on cameras. An additional 20 male deer without collars were detected on cameras and individually identified based on their unique antler characteristics. Abundance was 126 (95% CI: 88-177) in the 228 km2 region, only slightly higher than estimated using a standard SCR model: 119 (84-168). The standard SCR model, however, was unable to describe individual heterogeneity in movement rates and space use as revealed by the joint model. Joint modeling allowed the telemetry data to inform the movement model and the SCR encounter model, while leveraging information in the camera data to inform abundance, distribution and movement. Unlike most existing methods for population-level inference on movement, the joint SCR-movement model can yield unbiased inferences even if non-uniform sampling is used to deploy transmitters. Potential extensions of the model include the addition of resource selection parameters, and relaxation of the closure assumption when interest lies in survival and recruitment. These developments would contribute to the emerging holistic framework for the study of animal ecology, one that uses modern technology and spatio-temporal statistics to learn about interactions between behavior and demography.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard B Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
| | - Daniel A Crawford
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas, 78363, USA
| | - Elina P Garrison
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Gainesville, Florida, 32601, USA
| | - Karl V Miller
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
| | - Michael J Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas, 78363, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Bled F, Cherry MJ, Garrison EP, Miller KV, Conner LM, Abernathy HN, Ellsworth WH, Margenau LLS, Crawford DA, Engebretsen KN, Kelly BD, Shindle DB, Chandler RB. Balancing carnivore conservation and sustainable hunting of a key prey species: A case study on the Florida panther and white‐tailed deer. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Florent Bled
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources The University of Georgia Athens GA USA
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission St. Petersburg FL USA
| | - Michael J. Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute Texas A&M University‐Kingsville Kingsville TX USA
| | - Elina P. Garrison
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Gainesville FL USA
| | - Karl V. Miller
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources The University of Georgia Athens GA USA
| | | | - Heather N. Abernathy
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute Texas A&M University‐Kingsville Kingsville TX USA
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg VA USA
| | - W. Hunter Ellsworth
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg VA USA
| | - Lydia L. S. Margenau
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources The University of Georgia Athens GA USA
| | - Daniel A. Crawford
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources The University of Georgia Athens GA USA
| | - Kristin N. Engebretsen
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources The University of Georgia Athens GA USA
| | - Brian D. Kelly
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources The University of Georgia Athens GA USA
| | - David B. Shindle
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Florida Ecological Services Field Office Immokalee FL USA
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources The University of Georgia Athens GA USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Margenau LLS, Cherry MJ, Miller KV, Garrison EP, Chandler RB. Monitoring partially marked populations using camera and telemetry data. Ecol Appl 2022; 32:e2553. [PMID: 35112750 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Long-term monitoring is an important component of effective wildlife conservation. However, many methods for estimating density are too costly or difficult to implement over large spatial and temporal extents. Recently developed spatial mark-resight (SMR) models are increasingly being applied as a cost-effective method to estimate density when data include detections of both marked and unmarked individuals. We developed a generalized SMR model that can accommodate long-term camera data and auxiliary telemetry data for improved spatiotemporal inference in monitoring efforts. The model can be applied in two stages, with detection parameters estimated in the first stage using telemetry data and camera detections of instrumented individuals. Density is estimated in the second stage using camera data, with all individuals treated as unmarked. Serial correlation in detection and density parameters is accounted for using time-series models. The two-stage approach reduces computational demands and facilitates the application to large data sets from long-term monitoring initiatives. We applied the model to 3 years (2015-2017) of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) data collected in three study areas of the Big Cypress Basin, Florida, USA. In total, 59 females marked with ear tags and fitted with GPS-telemetry collars were detected along with unmarked females on 180 remote cameras. Most of the temporal variation in density was driven by seasonal fluctuations, but one study area exhibited a slight population decline during the monitoring period. Modern technologies such as camera traps provide novel possibilities for long-term monitoring, but the resulting massive data sets, which are subject to unique sources of observation error, have posed analytical challenges. The two-stage spatial mark-resight framework provides a solution with lower computational demands than joint SMR models, allowing for easier implementation in practice. In addition, after detection parameters have been estimated, the model may be used to estimate density even if no synchronous auxiliary information on marked individuals is available, which is often the case in long-term monitoring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lydia L S Margenau
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Michael J Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas, USA
| | - Karl V Miller
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Elina P Garrison
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Richard B Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Yeiser JM, Morgan JJ, Baxley DL, Chandler RB, Martin JA. Optimizing conservation in species-specific agricultural landscapes. Conserv Biol 2021; 35:1871-1881. [PMID: 34151469 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Recovery of grassland birds in agricultural landscapes is a global imperative. Agricultural landscapes are complex, and the value of resource patches may vary substantially among species. The spatial extent at which landscape features affect populations (i.e., scale of effect) may also differ among species. There is a need for regional-scale conservation planning that considers landscape-scale and species-specific responses of grassland birds to environmental change. We developed a spatially explicit approach to optimizing grassland conservation in the context of species-specific landscapes and prioritization of species recovery and applied it to a conservation program in Kentucky (USA). We used a hierarchical distance-sampling model with an embedded scale of effect predictor to estimate the relationship between landscape structure and abundance of eastern meadowlarks (Sturnella magna), field sparrows (Spizella pusilla), and northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus). We used a novel spatially explicit optimization procedure rooted in multi-attribute utility theory to design alternative conservation strategies (e.g., prioritize only northern bobwhite recovery or assign equal weight to each species' recovery). Eastern meadowlarks and field sparrows were more likely to respond to landscape-scale resource patch adjacencies than landscape-scale patch densities. Northern bobwhite responded to both landscape-scale resource patch adjacencies and densities and responded strongly to increased grassland density. Effects of landscape features on local abundance decreased as distance increased and had negligible influence at 0.8 km for eastern meadowlarks (0.7-1.2 km 95% Bayesian credibility intervals [BCI]), 2.5 km for field sparrows (1.5-5.8 km 95% BCI), and 8.4 km for bobwhite (6.4-26 km 95% BCI). Northern bobwhites were predicted to benefit greatly from future grassland conservation regardless of conservation priorities, but eastern meadowlark and field sparrow were not. Our results suggest similar species can respond differently to broad-scale conservation practices because of species-specific, distance-dependent relationships with landscape structure. Our framework is quantitative, conceptually simple, customizable, and predictive and can be used to optimize conservation in heterogeneous ecosystems while considering landscape-scale processes and explicit prioritization of species recovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John M Yeiser
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - John J Morgan
- Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, 1 Sportsman's Lane, Frankfort, KY, 40601, USA
| | - Danna L Baxley
- The Nature Conservancy, 114 Woodland Ave, Lexington, KY, 40502
| | - Richard B Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - James A Martin
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Howell PE, Wilhite NG, Gardner R, Mohlman JL, Chandler RB, Parnell IB, Martin JA. The Effects of Landscape Characteristics on Northern Bobwhite Density. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paige E. Howell
- Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 East Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Nathan G. Wilhite
- Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 East Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Rachel Gardner
- Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 East Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Jessica L. Mohlman
- Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 East Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 East Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Ira B. Parnell
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division 142 Bob Kirk Road Thomson GA 30824 USA
| | - James A. Martin
- Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 East Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Jiménez J, C. Augustine B, Linden DW, B. Chandler R, Royle JA. Spatial capture-recapture with random thinning for unidentified encounters. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:1187-1198. [PMID: 33598123 PMCID: PMC7863675 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models have increasingly been used as a basis for combining capture-recapture data types with variable levels of individual identity information to estimate population density and other demographic parameters. Recent examples are the unmarked SCR (or spatial count model), where no individual identities are available and spatial mark-resight (SMR) where individual identities are available for only a marked subset of the population. Currently lacking, though, is a model that allows unidentified samples to be combined with identified samples when there are no separate classes of "marked" and "unmarked" individuals and when the two sample types cannot be considered as arising from two independent observation models. This is a common scenario when using noninvasive sampling methods, for example, when analyzing data on identified and unidentified photographs or scats from the same sites.Here we describe a "random thinning" SCR model that utilizes encounters of both known and unknown identity samples using a natural mechanistic dependence between samples arising from a single observation model. Our model was fitted in a Bayesian framework using NIMBLE.We investigate the improvement in parameter estimates by including the unknown identity samples, which was notable (up to 79% more precise) in low-density populations with a low rate of identified encounters. We then applied the random thinning SCR model to a noninvasive genetic sampling study of brown bear (Ursus arctos) density in Oriental Cantabrian Mountains (North Spain).Our model can improve density estimation for noninvasive sampling studies for low-density populations with low rates of individual identification, by making use of available data that might otherwise be discarded.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Jiménez
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC, CSIC‐UCLM‐JCCM)Ronda de Toledo, 12Ciudad Real13071Spain
| | - Ben C. Augustine
- U.S. Geological Survey John Wesley Powell CenterCornell Department of Natural ResourcesIthacaNew York14853USA
| | - Daniel W. Linden
- Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries OfficeNOAA National Marine Fisheries Service55 Great Republic DriveGloucesterMassachusetts01922USA
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of Georgia180 E. Green StreetAthensGeorgia30602USA
| | - J. Andrew Royle
- U.S. Geological SurveyPatuxent Wildlife Research Center12100 Beech Forest RoadLaurelMaryland20708USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
Understanding how climate change impacts trailing‐edge populations requires information about how abiotic and biotic factors limit their distributions. Theory indicates that socially mediated Allee effects can limit species distributions by suppressing growth rates of peripheral populations when social information is scarce. The goal of our research was to determine if socially mediated Allee effects limit the distribution of Canada warbler Cardellina canadensis at the trailing‐edge of the geographic range. Using 4 years of observational data from 71 sites and experimental data at 10 sites, we tested two predictions of the socially mediated range limitation hypothesis: (a) local growth rates should be positively correlated with local density and (b) the addition of social cues immediately outside the trailing‐edge range boundary would result in colonization of formerly unoccupied habitat and increased growth rates. During the third breeding season, social cues were experimentally added at 10 formerly unoccupied sites within and beyond the species’ local range margin to determine if the addition of social information could increase density and effectively expand the species’ range. No experimental sites were colonized after adding social cues and no evidence of Allee effects was found. Rather, temperature, precipitation and negative density dependence strongly influenced population growth rates. Although theoretical models indicate that the presence of socially mediated Allee effects at species range boundaries could increase the rate of climate‐induced range shifts and local extinctions, empirical results from the first test of this hypothesis suggest that Allee effects play a minimal role in limiting species’ distributions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel A Merker
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Richard B Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Affiliation(s)
- Paige E. Howell
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Blake R. Hossack
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Erin Muths
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - Brent H. Sigafus
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
|
17
|
Hooker MJ, Chandler RB, Bond BT, Chamberlain MJ. Assessing Population Viability of Black Bears using Spatial Capture‐Recapture Models. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Hooker
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of Georgia 180 E. Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of Georgia 180 E. Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Bobby T. Bond
- Georgia Department of Natural ResourcesWildlife Resources Division 1014 MLK Boulevard Fort Valley GA 31030 USA
| | - Michael J. Chamberlain
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of Georgia 180 E. Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Howell PE, Hossack BR, Muths E, Sigafus BH, Chenevert-Steffler A, Chandler RB. A statistical forecasting approach to metapopulation viability analysis. Ecol Appl 2020; 30:e02038. [PMID: 31709679 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Conservation of at-risk species is aided by reliable forecasts of the consequences of environmental change and management actions on population viability. Forecasts from conventional population viability analysis (PVA) are made using a two-step procedure in which parameters are estimated, or elicited from expert opinion, and then plugged into a stochastic population model without accounting for parameter uncertainty. Recently developed statistical PVAs differ because forecasts are made conditional on models fitted to empirical data. The statistical forecasting approach allows for uncertainty about parameters, but it has rarely been applied in metapopulation contexts where spatially explicit inference is needed about colonization and extinction dynamics and other forms of stochasticity that influence metapopulation viability. We conducted a statistical metapopulation viability analysis (MPVA) using 11 yr of data on the federally threatened Chiricahua leopard frog (Lithobates chiricahuensis) to forecast responses to landscape heterogeneity, drought, environmental stochasticity, and management. We evaluated several future environmental scenarios and pond restoration options designed to reduce extinction risk. Forecasts over a 50-yr time horizon indicated that metapopulation extinction risk was <4% for all scenarios, but uncertainty was high. Without pond restoration, extinction risk is forecasted to be 3.9% (95% CI 0-37%) by year 2066. Restoring six ponds by increasing their hydroperiod reduced extinction risk to <1% and greatly reduced uncertainty (95% CI 0-2%). Our results suggest that managers can mitigate the impacts of drought and environmental stochasticity on metapopulation viability by maintaining ponds that hold water throughout the year and keeping them free of invasive predators. Our study illustrates the utility of the spatially explicit statistical forecasting approach to MPVA in conservation planning efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paige E Howell
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, 180 East Green Street, Georgia, 30602, USA
| | - Blake R Hossack
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Missoula, Montana, 59801, USA
| | - Erin Muths
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526, USA
| | - Brent H Sigafus
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA
| | - Ann Chenevert-Steffler
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Buenos Aires NWR, P.O. Box 109, Sasabe, Arizona, 85633, USA
| | - Richard B Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, 180 East Green Street, Georgia, 30602, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Abernathy HN, Crawford DA, Garrison EP, Chandler RB, Conner ML, Miller KV, Cherry MJ. Deer movement and resource selection during Hurricane Irma: implications for extreme climatic events and wildlife. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20192230. [PMID: 31771480 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Extreme climatic events (ECEs) are increasing in frequency and intensity and this necessitates understanding their influence on organisms. Animal behaviour may mitigate the effects of ECEs, but field studies are rare because ECEs are infrequent and unpredictable. Hurricane Irma made landfall in southwestern Florida where we were monitoring white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus seminolus) with GPS collars. We report on an opportunistic case study of behavioural responses exhibited by a large mammal during an ECE, mitigation strategies for reducing the severity of the ECE effects, and the demographic effect of the ECE based on known-fate of individual animals. Deer altered resource selection by selecting higher elevation pine and hardwood forests and avoiding marshes. Most deer left their home ranges during Hurricane Irma, and the probability of leaving was inversely related to home range area. Movement rates increased the day of the storm, and no mortality was attributed to Hurricane Irma. We suggest deer mobility and refuge habitat allowed deer to behaviourally mitigate the negative effects of the storm, and ultimately, aid in survival. Our work contributes to the small but growing body of literature linking behavioural responses exhibited during ECEs to survival, which cumulatively will provide insight for predictions of a species resilience to ECEs and improve our understanding of how behavioural traits offset the negative impacts of global climate change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H N Abernathy
- Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 310 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - D A Crawford
- Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 310 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.,Jones Center at Ichauway, 3988 Jones Center Drive, Newton, GA 39870, USA
| | - E P Garrison
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 1105 SW Williston Road, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA
| | - R B Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, 180 E Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - M L Conner
- Jones Center at Ichauway, 3988 Jones Center Drive, Newton, GA 39870, USA
| | - K V Miller
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, 180 E Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - M J Cherry
- Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 310 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Augustine BC, Royle JA, Murphy SM, Chandler RB, Cox JJ, Kelly MJ. Spatial capture–recapture for categorically marked populations with an application to genetic capture–recapture. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ben C. Augustine
- Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future and Department of Natural Resources Cornell University Ithaca New York 14843 USA
| | - J. Andrew Royle
- Patuxent Wildlife Research Center U.S. Geological Survey Laurel Maryland 20708 USA
| | - Sean M. Murphy
- Department of Forestry University of Kentucky Lexington Kentucky 40546 USA
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602 USA
| | - John J. Cox
- Department of Forestry University of Kentucky Lexington Kentucky 40546 USA
| | - Marcella J. Kelly
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Virginia Tech Blacksburg Virginia 24061 USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Crawford DA, Cherry MJ, Kelly BD, Garrison EP, Shindle DB, Conner LM, Chandler RB, Miller KV. Chronology of reproductive investment determines predation risk aversion in a felid-ungulate system. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:3264-3275. [PMID: 30962891 PMCID: PMC6434540 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear of predators can behaviorally mediate prey population dynamics, particularly when predation risk influences reproductive investment. However, the costs of reproductive investment may mitigate predation risk aversion relative to periods when the link between reproductive output and prey behavior is weaker.We posit that intensity of reproductive investment in ungulates may predict their response to predation risk such that the sexes increase risk exposure during biological seasons that are pivotal to reproductive success, such as the fawn-rearing and breeding seasons for females and males, respectively.We examined the activity patterns of sympatric white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), a sexually segregated polygynous ungulate, and Florida panthers (Puma concolor coryi) in the context of the "risky times - risky places hypothesis" and the reproductive strategy hypothesis. We compared detection rates and diel activity overlap of both species using motion-triggered camera traps positioned on (n = 120) and off (n = 60) anthropogenic trails across five reproductive seasons.Florida panthers were nocturnal and primarily observed on-trail providing an experimental framework with risky times and risky places. Contrary to studies in other taxa inversely correlating prey reproductive investment to predation risk, the sexes of deer were more risk prone during sex-specific seasons associated with intense reproductive investment.Our results suggest spatiotemporally variable predation risk influences sex-specific behavioral decision-making in deer such that reproductive success is maximized.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A. Crawford
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
| | - Michael J. Cherry
- College of Natural Resources and EnvironmentVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburgVirginia
| | - Brian D. Kelly
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
| | - Elina P. Garrison
- Fish and Wildlife Research InstituteFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissionGainesvilleFlorida
| | | | | | - Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
| | - Karl V. Miller
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Coughlin EM, Shamblin BM, Tumas HR, Chandler RB, Nairn CJ. The complete mitochondrial genome of the Canada warbler ( Cardellina canadensis). Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2018.1555017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Erin M. Coughlin
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Brian M. Shamblin
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Hayley R. Tumas
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Campbell J. Nairn
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Chandler RB, Engebretsen K, Cherry MJ, Garrison EP, Miller KV. Estimating recruitment from capture–recapture data by modelling spatio‐temporal variation in birth and age‐specific survival rates. Methods Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
| | - Kristin Engebretsen
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
| | - Michael J. Cherry
- Department of Fish and Wildlife ConservationVirginia Tech Blacksburg Virginia USA
| | - Elina P. Garrison
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Tallahassee Florida USA
| | - Karl V. Miller
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Hsiung AC, Boyle WA, Cooper RJ, Chandler RB. Altitudinal migration: ecological drivers, knowledge gaps, and conservation implications. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 93:2049-2070. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- An C. Hsiung
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; 180 E. Green Street, Athens GA 30602 U.S.A
| | - W. Alice Boyle
- Division of Biology; Kansas State University; 116 Ackert Hall Manhattan KS 66506-4901 U.S.A
| | - Robert J. Cooper
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; 180 E. Green Street, Athens GA 30602 U.S.A
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; 180 E. Green Street, Athens GA 30602 U.S.A
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Howell PE, Muths E, Hossack BR, Sigafus BH, Chandler RB. Increasing connectivity between metapopulation ecology and landscape ecology. Ecology 2018; 99:1119-1128. [PMID: 29453767 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Metapopulation ecology and landscape ecology aim to understand how spatial structure influences ecological processes, yet these disciplines address the problem using fundamentally different modeling approaches. Metapopulation models describe how the spatial distribution of patches affects colonization and extinction, but often do not account for the heterogeneity in the landscape between patches. Models in landscape ecology use detailed descriptions of landscape structure, but often without considering colonization and extinction dynamics. We present a novel spatially explicit modeling framework for narrowing the divide between these disciplines to advance understanding of the effects of landscape structure on metapopulation dynamics. Unlike previous efforts, this framework allows for statistical inference on landscape resistance to colonization using empirical data. We demonstrate the approach using 11 yr of data on a threatened amphibian in a desert ecosystem. Occupancy data for Lithobates chiricahuensis (Chiricahua leopard frog) were collected on the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge (BANWR), Arizona, USA from 2007 to 2017 following a reintroduction in 2003. Results indicated that colonization dynamics were influenced by both patch characteristics and landscape structure. Landscape resistance increased with increasing elevation and distance to the nearest streambed. Colonization rate was also influenced by patch quality, with semi-permanent and permanent ponds contributing substantially more to the colonization of neighboring ponds relative to intermittent ponds. Ponds that only hold water intermittently also had the highest extinction rate. Our modeling framework can be widely applied to understand metapopulation dynamics in complex landscapes, particularly in systems in which the environment between habitat patches influences the colonization process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paige E Howell
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
| | - Erin Muths
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526, USA
| | - Blake R Hossack
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, Missoula, Montana, 59801, USA
| | - Brent H Sigafus
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Tucson, Arizona, 85719, USA
| | - Richard B Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Yeiser JM, Morgan JJ, Baxley DL, Chandler RB, Martin JA. Private land conservation has landscape-scale benefits for wildlife in agroecosystems. J Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John M. Yeiser
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; Athens GA USA
| | - John J. Morgan
- Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources; Frankfort KY USA
| | - Danna L. Baxley
- Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources; Frankfort KY USA
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; Athens GA USA
| | - James A. Martin
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; Athens GA USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Laufenberg JS, Clark JD, Chandler RB. Estimating population extinction thresholds with categorical classification trees for Louisiana black bears. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0191435. [PMID: 29360863 PMCID: PMC5779663 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Monitoring vulnerable species is critical for their conservation. Thresholds or tipping points are commonly used to indicate when populations become vulnerable to extinction and to trigger changes in conservation actions. However, quantitative methods to determine such thresholds have not been well explored. The Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) was removed from the list of threatened and endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2016 and our objectives were to determine the most appropriate parameters and thresholds for monitoring and management action. Capture mark recapture (CMR) data from 2006 to 2012 were used to estimate population parameters and variances. We used stochastic population simulations and conditional classification trees to identify demographic rates for monitoring that would be most indicative of heighted extinction risk. We then identified thresholds that would be reliable predictors of population viability. Conditional classification trees indicated that annual apparent survival rates for adult females averaged over 5 years ([Formula: see text]) was the best predictor of population persistence. Specifically, population persistence was estimated to be ≥95% over 100 years when [Formula: see text], suggesting that this statistic can be used as threshold to trigger management intervention. Our evaluation produced monitoring protocols that reliably predicted population persistence and was cost-effective. We conclude that population projections and conditional classification trees can be valuable tools for identifying extinction thresholds used in monitoring programs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jared S. Laufenberg
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Joseph D. Clark
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southern Appalachian Research Branch, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Whittington
- Parks Canada; Banff National Park Resource Conservation; Banff AB Canada
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program; Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences; College of Forestry and Conservation; University of Montana; Missoula MT USA
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; Athens GA USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Howell PE, Hossack BR, Muths E, Sigafus BH, Chandler RB. Survival Estimates for Reintroduced Populations of the Chiricahua Leopard Frog (Lithobates chiricahuensis). COPEIA 2016. [DOI: 10.1643/ce-16-406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
30
|
Affiliation(s)
- Michelina C. Dziadzio
- Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center; 3988 Jones Center Drive Newton GA 39870 USA
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; 180 E Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Lora L. Smith
- Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center; 3988 Jones Center Drive Newton GA 39870 USA
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; 180 E Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Steven B. Castleberry
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; 180 E Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Laufenberg JS, Clark JD, Hooker MJ, Lowe CL, O'Connell-Goode KC, Troxler JC, Davidson MM, Chamberlain MJ, Chandler RB. Demographic rates and population viability of black bears in Louisiana. Wild Mon 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/wmon.1018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jared S. Laufenberg
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries; University of Tennessee, 274 Ellington Plant Sciences Building; Knoxville TN 37996 USA
| | - Joseph D. Clark
- U.S. Geological Survey; Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Southern Appalachian Research Branch, University of Tennessee, 274 Ellington Plant Sciences Building; Knoxville TN 37996 USA
| | - Michael J. Hooker
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries; University of Tennessee, 274 Ellington Plant Sciences Building; Knoxville TN 37996 USA
| | - Carrie L. Lowe
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries; University of Tennessee, 274 Ellington Plant Sciences Building; Knoxville TN 37996 USA
| | - Kaitlin C. O'Connell-Goode
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries; University of Tennessee, 274 Ellington Plant Sciences Building; Knoxville TN 37996 USA
| | - Jesse C. Troxler
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries; University of Tennessee, 274 Ellington Plant Sciences Building; Knoxville TN 37996 USA
| | - Maria M. Davidson
- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries; 646 Cajundome Boulevard, Suite 126; Lafayette LA 70506 USA
| | - Michael J. Chamberlain
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia, 180 E Green Street; Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia, 180 E Green Street; Athens GA 30602 USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Affiliation(s)
- Michelina C. Dziadzio
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; 180 E Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Andrea K. Long
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation; University of Florida; 110 Newins-Ziegler Hall, P.O. Box 110430 Gainesville FL 32611 USA
| | - Lora L. Smith
- Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center; 3988 Jones Center Drive Newton GA 39870 USA
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; 180 E Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Steven B. Castleberry
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; 180 E Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Abstract
Modeling population dynamics while accounting for imperfect detection is essential to monitoring programs. Distance sampling allows estimating population size while accounting for imperfect detection, but existing methods do not allow for estimation of demographic parameters. We develop a model that uses temporal correlation in abundance arising from underlying population dynamics to estimate demographic parameters from repeated distance sampling surveys. Using a simulation study motivated by designing a monitoring program for Island Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma insularis), we investigated the power of this model to detect population trends. We generated temporally autocorrelated abundance and distance sampling data over six surveys, using population rates of change of 0.95 and 0.90. We fit the data generating Markovian model and a mis-specified model with a log-linear time effect on abundance, and derived post hoc trend estimates from a model estimating abundance for each survey separately. We performed these analyses for varying numbers of survey points. Power to detect population changes was consistently greater under the Markov model than under the alternatives, particularly for reduced numbers of survey points. The model can readily be extended to more complex demographic processes than considered in our simulations. This novel framework can be widely adopted for wildlife population monitoring.
Collapse
|
34
|
Chandler RB, Muths E, Sigafus BH, Schwalbe CR, Jarchow CJ, Hossack BR. Spatial occupancy models for predicting metapopulation dynamics and viability following reintroduction. J Appl Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; 180 E. Green St. Athens GA 30619 USA
| | - Erin Muths
- U.S. Geological Survey; Fort Collins Science Center; 2150 Centre Ave, Bldg C Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
| | - Brent H. Sigafus
- U.S. Geological Survey; Sonoran Desert Research Station; 125 Biological Sciences East; University of Arizona; Tucson AZ 85721 USA
| | - Cecil R. Schwalbe
- U.S. Geological Survey; Sonoran Desert Research Station; 125 Biological Sciences East; University of Arizona; Tucson AZ 85721 USA
| | - Christopher J. Jarchow
- School of Natural Resources; University of Arizona; 1110 E. South Campus Dr. Tucson AZ 85721 USA
| | - Blake R. Hossack
- U.S. Geological Survey; Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center; Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute; 790 E. Beckwith Missoula MT 59801 USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
|
36
|
Royle JA, Chandler RB, Sun CC, Fuller AK. Reply to Efford on ‘Integrating resource selection information with spatial capture-recapture’. Methods Ecol Evol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Andrew Royle
- U.S. Geological Survey; Patuxent Wildlife Research Center; Laurel MD 20708 USA
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Catherine C. Sun
- New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Department of Natural Resources; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - Angela K. Fuller
- U.S. Geological Survey; New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Department of Natural Resources; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Affiliation(s)
- Richard B. Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Joseph D. Clark
- USGS Southern Appalachian Research Branch; Knoxville TN 37901 USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Zipkin EF, Sillett TS, Grant EHC, Chandler RB, Royle JA. Inferences about population dynamics from count data using multistate models: a comparison to capture-recapture approaches. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:417-26. [PMID: 24634726 PMCID: PMC3936388 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2013] [Revised: 11/24/2013] [Accepted: 12/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildlife populations consist of individuals that contribute disproportionately to growth and viability. Understanding a population's spatial and temporal dynamics requires estimates of abundance and demographic rates that account for this heterogeneity. Estimating these quantities can be difficult, requiring years of intensive data collection. Often, this is accomplished through the capture and recapture of individual animals, which is generally only feasible at a limited number of locations. In contrast, N-mixture models allow for the estimation of abundance, and spatial variation in abundance, from count data alone. We extend recently developed multistate, open population N-mixture models, which can additionally estimate demographic rates based on an organism's life history characteristics. In our extension, we develop an approach to account for the case where not all individuals can be assigned to a state during sampling. Using only state-specific count data, we show how our model can be used to estimate local population abundance, as well as density-dependent recruitment rates and state-specific survival. We apply our model to a population of black-throated blue warblers (Setophaga caerulescens) that have been surveyed for 25 years on their breeding grounds at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire, USA. The intensive data collection efforts allow us to compare our estimates to estimates derived from capture-recapture data. Our model performed well in estimating population abundance and density-dependent rates of annual recruitment/immigration. Estimates of local carrying capacity and per capita recruitment of yearlings were consistent with those published in other studies. However, our model moderately underestimated annual survival probability of yearling and adult females and severely underestimates survival probabilities for both of these male stages. The most accurate and precise estimates will necessarily require some amount of intensive data collection efforts (such as capture-recapture). Integrated population models that combine data from both intensive and extensive sources are likely to be the most efficient approach for estimating demographic rates at large spatial and temporal scales.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elise F Zipkin
- USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center 12100 Beech Forest Rd., Laurel, Maryland, 20708
| | - T Scott Sillett
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park MRC 5503, Washington, District of Columbia, 20013
| | - Evan H Campbell Grant
- USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Conte Anadromous Fish Laboratory Turners Falls, Massachusetts, 01376
| | - Richard B Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia Athens, Georgia
| | - J Andrew Royle
- USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center 12100 Beech Forest Rd., Laurel, Maryland, 20708
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Zipkin EF, Thorson JT, See K, Lynch HJ, Grant EHC, Kanno Y, Chandler RB, Letcher BH, Royle JA. Modeling structured population dynamics using data from unmarked individuals. Ecology 2014; 95:22-9. [DOI: 10.1890/13-1131.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
40
|
Chandler RB, King DI, Raudales R, Trubey R, Chandler C, Chávez VJA. A small-scale land-sparing approach to conserving biological diversity in tropical agricultural landscapes. Conserv Biol 2013; 27:785-795. [PMID: 23551570 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2012] [Accepted: 11/12/2012] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Two contrasting strategies have been proposed for conserving biological diversity while meeting the increasing demand for agricultural products: land sparing and land sharing production systems. Land sparing involves increasing yield to reduce the amount of land needed for agriculture, whereas land-sharing agricultural practices incorporate elements of native ecosystems into the production system itself. Although the conservation value of these systems has been extensively debated, empirical studies are lacking. We compared bird communities in shade coffee, a widely practiced land-sharing system in which shade trees are maintained within the coffee plantation, with bird communities in a novel, small-scale, land-sparing coffee-production system (integrated open canopy or IOC coffee) in which farmers obtain higher yields under little or no shade while conserving an area of forest equal to the area under cultivation. Species richness and diversity of forest-dependent birds were higher in the IOC coffee farms than in the shade coffee farms, and community composition was more similar between IOC coffee and primary forest than between shade coffee and primary forest. Our study represents the first empirical comparison of well-defined land sparing and land sharing production systems. Because IOC coffee farms can be established by allowing forest to regenerate on degraded land, widespread adoption of this system could lead to substantial increases in forest cover and carbon sequestration without compromising agricultural yield or threatening the livelihoods of traditional small farmers. However, we studied small farms (<5 ha); thus, our results may not generalize to large-scale land-sharing systems. Furthermore, rather than concluding that land sparing is generally superior to land sharing, we suggest that the optimal approach depends on the crop, local climate, and existing land-use patterns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard B Chandler
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, 160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
|
42
|
Sollmann R, Gardner B, Chandler RB, Shindle DB, Onorato DP, Royle JA, O'Connell AF. Using multiple data sources provides density estimates for endangered Florida panther. J Appl Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rahel Sollmann
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources; North Carolina State University; Turner House; Campus Box 7646; Raleigh; NC; 27695-7646; USA
| | - Beth Gardner
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources; North Carolina State University; Turner House; Campus Box 7646; Raleigh; NC; 27695-7646; USA
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center; 12100 Beech Forest Rd.; Laurel; MD; 20708; USA
| | - David B. Shindle
- Conservancy of Southwest Florida; Environmental Science Division; 1450 Merrihue Dr.; Naples; FL; 34102-3449; USA
| | - David P. Onorato
- Fish and Wildlife Research Institute; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; 298 Sabal Palm Rd.; Naples; FL; 34114-2572; USA
| | - Jeffrey Andrew Royle
- USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center; 12100 Beech Forest Rd.; Laurel; MD; 20708; USA
| | - Allan F. O'Connell
- USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center; 10300 Baltimore Ave.; Beltsville; MD; 20708; USA
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Affiliation(s)
- J. Andrew Royle
- U.S. Geological Survey; Patuxent Wildlife Research Center; Laurel MD 20708 USA
| | - Richard B. Chandler
- U.S. Geological Survey; Patuxent Wildlife Research Center; Laurel MD 20708 USA
| | - Catherine C. Sun
- New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Department of Natural Resources; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - Angela K. Fuller
- U.S. Geological Survey; New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Department of Natural Resources; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Royle JA, Chandler RB, Gazenski KD, Graves TA. Spatial capture–recapture models for jointly estimating population density and landscape connectivity. Ecology 2013; 94:287-94. [DOI: 10.1890/12-0413.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
45
|
Sillett TS, Chandler RB, Royle JA, Kery M, Morrison SA. Hierarchical distance-sampling models to estimate population size and habitat-specific abundance of an island endemic. Ecol Appl 2012; 22:1997-2006. [PMID: 23210315 DOI: 10.1890/11-1400.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Population size and habitat-specific abundance estimates are essential for conservation management. A major impediment to obtaining such estimates is that few statistical models are able to simultaneously account for both spatial variation in abundance and heterogeneity in detection probability, and still be amenable to large-scale applications. The hierarchical distance-sampling model of J. A. Royle, D. K. Dawson, and S. Bates provides a practical solution. Here, we extend this model to estimate habitat-specific abundance and rangewide population size of a bird species of management concern, the Island Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma insularis), which occurs solely on Santa Cruz Island, California, USA. We surveyed 307 randomly selected, 300 m diameter, point locations throughout the 250-km2 island during October 2008 and April 2009. Population size was estimated to be 2267 (95% CI 1613-3007) and 1705 (1212-2369) during the fall and spring respectively, considerably lower than a previously published but statistically problematic estimate of 12 500. This large discrepancy emphasizes the importance of proper survey design and analysis for obtaining reliable information for management decisions. Jays were most abundant in low-elevation chaparral habitat; the detection function depended primarily on the percent cover of chaparral and forest within count circles. Vegetation change on the island has been dramatic in recent decades, due to release from herbivory following the eradication of feral sheep (Ovis aries) from the majority of the island in the mid-1980s. We applied best-fit fall and spring models of habitat-specific jay abundance to a vegetation map from 1985, and estimated the population size of A. insularis was 1400-1500 at that time. The 20-30% increase in the jay population suggests that the species has benefited from the recovery of native vegetation since sheep removal. Nevertheless, this jay's tiny range and small population size make it vulnerable to natural disasters and to habitat alteration related to climate change. Our results demonstrate that hierarchical distance-sampling models hold promise for estimating population size and spatial density variation at large scales. Our statistical methods have been incorporated into the R package unmarked to facilitate their use by animal ecologists, and we provide annotated code in the Supplement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T Scott Sillett
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, MRC 5503, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012, USA.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Royle JA, Chandler RB, Yackulic C, Nichols JD. Likelihood analysis of species occurrence probability from presence-only data for modelling species distributions. Methods Ecol Evol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.2041-210x.2011.00182.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 298] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
47
|
Affiliation(s)
- Richard B Chandler
- USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 12100 Beech Forest Rd., Laurel, Maryland 20708-4039, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Chandler RB, King DI. Habitat quality and habitat selection of golden-winged warblers in Costa Rica: an application of hierarchical models for open populations. J Appl Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2011.02001.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|