1
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Moreira RA, González MP, Dias MA, Ogura AP, Mena F, Montagner CC, Espíndola ELG, Blasco J, Parra G, Araújo CVM. Ecological consequences when organisms avoid a contaminated environment: A study evaluating the toxicity of fipronil. Sci Total Environ 2024; 926:171480. [PMID: 38492607 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171480] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
The ability of aquatic organisms to sense the surrounding environment chemically and interpret these signals correctly is crucial to their survival and ecological niche. This study applied the Heterogenous Multi-Habitat Assay System - HeMHAS to evaluate the avoidance potential of Daphnia magna to detect fipronil-contaminated habitats in a connected landscape after a short (48 h), previous, forced exposure to an environmentally relevant concentration of the same insecticide. The swimming of daphnids was also analyzed by recording the total distance covered. D. magna preferred areas with less contamination, although the effect of fipronil on their swimming ability (a decrease) was observed for all the concentrations tested. The application of non-forced multi-compartment exposure methodologies is a recent trend and is ecologically relevant as it is based on how contamination can really produce changes in an organism's habitat selection. Finally, we consider the importance of more non-forced exposure approaches where Stress Ecology can be aggregated to improve systemic understanding of the risk that contaminants pose to aquatic ecosystems from a broader landscape perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel A Moreira
- NEEA/SHS and PPG-SEA, São Carlos Engineering School, University of São Paulo, Av. Trabalhador São Carlense, 400, 13.560-970 São Carlos, Brazil; Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Avenida Itália, Km 8, Rio Grande 96203-900, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
| | - María Pilar González
- Department of Ecology and Coastal Management, Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (ICMAN - CSIC), Campus Universitario Río San Pedro, 11519 Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Mariana A Dias
- Analytical Chemistry Department, Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Allan P Ogura
- NEEA/SHS and PPG-SEA, São Carlos Engineering School, University of São Paulo, Av. Trabalhador São Carlense, 400, 13.560-970 São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Freylan Mena
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional (UNA), Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Cassiana C Montagner
- Analytical Chemistry Department, Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Evaldo L G Espíndola
- NEEA/SHS and PPG-SEA, São Carlos Engineering School, University of São Paulo, Av. Trabalhador São Carlense, 400, 13.560-970 São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Julián Blasco
- Department of Ecology and Coastal Management, Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (ICMAN - CSIC), Campus Universitario Río San Pedro, 11519 Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Gema Parra
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Jaén, Campus de Las Lagunillas S/n, E-23071 Jaén, Spain
| | - Cristiano V M Araújo
- Department of Ecology and Coastal Management, Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (ICMAN - CSIC), Campus Universitario Río San Pedro, 11519 Puerto Real, Spain
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Pyott ML, Norris DR, Mitchell GW, Custode L, Gow EA. Home range size and habitat selection of owned outdoor domestic cats ( Felis catus) in urban southwestern Ontario. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17159. [PMID: 38562997 PMCID: PMC10984174 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17159] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Domestic cats (Felis catus) play a dual role in society as both companion animals and predators. When provided with unsupervised outdoor access, cats can negatively impact native wildlife and create public health and animal welfare challenges. The effective implementation of management strategies, such as buffer zones or curfews, requires an understanding of home range size, the factors that influence their movement, and the types of habitats they use. Here, we used a community/citizen scientist approach to collect movement and habitat use data using GPS collars on owned outdoor cats in the Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge-Guelph region, southwestern Ontario, Canada. Mean (± SD) 100% minimum convex polygon home range size was 8 ± 8 ha (range: 0.34-38 ha) and was positively associated with road density but not with intrinsic factors such as boldness, sex, or age. With regards to habitat selection, cats used greenspaces, roads, and agricultural land less often than predicted but strongly selected for impervious surfaces (urban areas other than greenspaces or roads). Our results suggest that wildlife near buildings and residential areas are likely at the greatest risk of cat predation and that a buffer size of 840 m would be needed to restrict cats from entering areas of conservation concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlee L. Pyott
- Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - D. Ryan Norris
- Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Greg W. Mitchell
- Department of Integrative Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Leonardo Custode
- Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elizabeth A. Gow
- Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
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Pohle J, Signer J, Eccard JA, Dammhahn M, Schlägel UE. How to account for behavioral states in step-selection analysis: a model comparison. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16509. [PMID: 38426131 PMCID: PMC10903358 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16509] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Step-selection models are widely used to study animals' fine-scale habitat selection based on movement data. Resource preferences and movement patterns, however, often depend on the animal's unobserved behavioral states, such as resting or foraging. As this is ignored in standard (integrated) step-selection analyses (SSA, iSSA), different approaches have emerged to account for such states in the analysis. The performance of these approaches and the consequences of ignoring the states in step-selection analysis, however, have rarely been quantified. We evaluate the recent idea of combining iSSAs with hidden Markov models (HMMs), which allows for a joint estimation of the unobserved behavioral states and the associated state-dependent habitat selection. Besides theoretical considerations, we use an extensive simulation study and a case study on fine-scale interactions of simultaneously tracked bank voles (Myodes glareolus) to compare this HMM-iSSA empirically to both the standard and a widely used classification-based iSSA (i.e., a two-step approach based on a separate prior state classification). Moreover, to facilitate its use, we implemented the basic HMM-iSSA approach in the R package HMMiSSA available on GitHub.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Pohle
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Johannes Signer
- Wildlife Sciences, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jana A. Eccard
- Animal Ecology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Melanie Dammhahn
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Ulrike E. Schlägel
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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Křivan V, Cressman R. The Ideal Free Distribution with travel costs. J Theor Biol 2024; 579:111717. [PMID: 38122926 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2023.111717] [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: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
This article studies the effect of travel costs on population distribution in a patchy environment. The Ideal Free Distribution with travel costs is defined in the article as the distribution under which it is not profitable for individuals to move, i.e., the movement between patches ceases. It is shown that depending on the travel costs between patches, the Ideal Free Distribution may be unique, there may be infinitely many possible IFDs, or no Ideal Free Distribution exists. In the latter case, animal distribution can converge to an equilibrium of distributional dynamics at which individuals do disperse, but the net movement between patches ceases. Such distributional equilibrium corresponds to balanced dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vlastimil Křivan
- Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Ross Cressman
- Department of Mathematics, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
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Thiemer K, Lennox RJ, Torske A, Schneider SC, Haugen TO. A shift in habitat use patterns of brown trout (Salmo trutta): A behavioural response to macrophyte removal. J Environ Manage 2024; 352:120047. [PMID: 38190781 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120047] [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: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Mass development of macrophytes is an increasing problem worldwide and they are frequently removed where they are in conflict with local waterway users. Yet, macrophytes can provide important refuge and nursery habitats for fish. Little is known about the consequences of macrophyte removal for fish behavioural space use and habitat selection. We hypothesised that macrophyte removal would affect brown trout (Salmo trutta) movement during the partial removal of the aquatic plant Juncus bulbosus (L.) in an oligotrophic impounded Norwegian river.We tagged 94 brown trout and tracked them using passive acoustic telemetry for 10 months and mapped the cover of J. bulbosus. Trout behavioural patterns were quantified as space use (utilisation areas 50% and 95%) which was linked to habitat use and selection for J. bulbosus. Removal of J. bulbosus influenced space use of brown trout by reducing the core utilisation area by 22%. Habitat use and selection were likewise influenced by removal with increased use and selection of areas with low J. bulbosus cover (<25%) with corresponding reduction in high J. bulbosus cover (>25-75%). Finally, diurnal differences in space use and habitat use were found, with 19% larger utilisation areas at night and higher use of areas with low J. bulbosus during daytime. Yet, all effect sizes were relatively small compared to the size of the study area. This research provides a detailed case study on the effects of macrophyte removal on fish behavioural patterns in a section of a large Norwegian river with macrophyte mass development. We found no large effects of removal on trout behaviour but noted an increased use of areas with low macrophyte cover. This research is relevant for water managers and policy makers of freshwater conservation and provides a template for using acoustic telemetry to study the effects of macrophyte removal on fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirstine Thiemer
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Økernveien 94, 0579, Oslo, Norway; Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1430, Ås, Norway.
| | | | - Astrid Torske
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1430, Ås, Norway
| | - Susanne C Schneider
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Økernveien 94, 0579, Oslo, Norway; Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1430, Ås, Norway
| | - Thrond O Haugen
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1430, Ås, Norway
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Eisaguirre JM, Williams PJ, Hooten MB. Rayleigh step-selection functions and connections to continuous-time mechanistic movement models. Mov Ecol 2024; 12:14. [PMID: 38331810 PMCID: PMC10854073 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00442-w] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The process known as ecological diffusion emerges from a first principles view of animal movement, but ecological diffusion and other partial differential equation models can be difficult to fit to data. Step-selection functions (SSFs), on the other hand, have emerged as powerful practical tools for ecologists studying the movement and habitat selection of animals. METHODS SSFs typically involve comparing resources between a set of used and available points at each step in a sequence of observed positions. We use change of variables to show that ecological diffusion implies certain distributions for available steps that are more flexible than others commonly used. We then demonstrate advantages of these distributions with SSF models fit to data collected for a mountain lion in Colorado, USA. RESULTS We show that connections between ecological diffusion and SSFs imply a Rayleigh step-length distribution and uniform turning angle distribution, which can accommodate data collected at irregular time intervals. The results of fitting an SSF model with these distributions compared to a set of commonly used distributions revealed how precision and inference can vary between the two approaches. CONCLUSIONS Our new continuous-time step-length distribution can be integrated into various forms of SSFs, making them applicable to data sets with irregular time intervals between successive animal locations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Perry J Williams
- Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Mevin B Hooten
- Department of Statistics and Data Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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Tarugara A, Clegg BW, Clegg SB. Factors influencing space-use and kill distribution of sympatric lion prides in a semi-arid savanna landscape. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16749. [PMID: 38282863 PMCID: PMC10821722 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16749] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding lions' (Panthera leo) space-use is important for the management of multi-species wildlife systems because lions can have profound impacts on ecosystem-wide ecological processes. Semi-arid savanna landscapes are typically heterogeneous with species space-use driven by the availability and distribution of resources. Previous studies have demonstrated that lions select areas close to water as encounter rates with prey are higher and hunting success is greater in these regions. Where multiple lion prides exist, landscape partitioning is expected to follow a despotic distribution in which competitively superior prides occupy high-quality areas while subordinates select poorer habitats. In this study, Global Positioning System collar data and logistic regression were used to investigate space-use and hunting success among 50% of lion prides at Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Zimbabwe. Our findings show that lion space-use was driven by surface water availability and that home range selection was socially hierarchical with the dominant pride occupying habitat in which water was most abundant. In addition, we found that the effect of shrub cover, clay content and soil depth on kill probability was area specific and not influenced by hierarchical dominance. Where multiple lion prides are studied, we recommend treating prides as individual units because pooling data may obscure site and pride specific response patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan Tarugara
- Research Department, Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Chiredzi, Masvingo, Zimbabwe
| | - Bruce W. Clegg
- Research Department, Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Chiredzi, Masvingo, Zimbabwe
| | - Sarah B. Clegg
- Research Department, Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Chiredzi, Masvingo, Zimbabwe
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Bakner NW, Ulrey EE, Collier BA, Chamberlain MJ. Prospecting during egg laying informs incubation recess movements of eastern wild turkeys. Mov Ecol 2024; 12:4. [PMID: 38229127 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00451-3] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Central place foragers must acquire resources and return to a central location after foraging bouts. During the egg laying (hereafter laying) period, females are constrained to a nest location, thus they must familiarize themselves with resources available within their incubation ranges after nest site selection. Use of prospecting behaviors by individuals to obtain knowledge and identify profitable (e.g., resource rich) locations on the landscape can impact demographic outcomes. As such, prospecting has been used to evaluate nest site quality both before and during the reproductive period for a variety of species. METHODS Using GPS data collected from female eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) across the southeastern United States, we evaluated if prospecting behaviors were occurring during laying and what landcover factors influenced prospecting. Specifically, we quantified areas prospected during the laying period using a cluster analysis and the return frequency (e.g., recess movements) to clustered laying patches (150-m diameter buffer around a clustered laying period location) during the incubation period. RESULTS The average proportion of recess movements to prospected locations was 56.9%. Nest fate was positively influenced (μ of posterior distribution with 95% credible 0.19, 0.06-0.37, probability of direction = 99.8%) by the number of patches (90-m diameter buffer around a clustered laying period location) a female visited during incubation recesses. Females selected for areas closer to the nest site, secondary roads, hardwood forest, mixed pine-hardwood forest, water, and shrub/scrub, whereas they avoided pine forest and open-treeless areas. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that having a diverse suite of clustered laying patches to support incubation recesses is impactful to nest fate. As such, local conditions within prospected locations during incubation may be key to successful reproductive output by wild turkeys. We suggest that prospecting could be important to other phenological periods. Furthermore, future research should evaluate how prospecting for brood-rearing locations may occur before or during the incubation period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas W Bakner
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
| | - Erin E Ulrey
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Bret A Collier
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Michael J Chamberlain
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
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Cowan MA, Dunlop JA, Gibson LA, Moore HA, Setterfield SA, Nimmo DG. Movement ecology of an endangered mesopredator in a mining landscape. Mov Ecol 2024; 12:5. [PMID: 38233871 PMCID: PMC10795371 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00439-5] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Efficient movement and energy expenditure are vital for animal survival. Human disturbance can alter animal movement due to changes in resource availability and threats. Some animals can exploit anthropogenic disturbances for more efficient movement, while others face restricted or inefficient movement due to fragmentation of high-resource habitats, and risks associated with disturbed habitats. Mining, a major anthropogenic disturbance, removes natural habitats, introduces new landscape features, and alters resource distribution in the landscape. This study investigates the effect of mining on the movement of an endangered mesopredator, the northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus). Using GPS collars and accelerometers, we investigate their habitat selection and energy expenditure in an active mining landscape, to determine the effects of this disturbance on northern quolls. METHODS We fit northern quolls with GPS collars and accelerometers during breeding and non-breeding season at an active mine site in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. We investigated broad-scale movement by calculating the movement ranges of quolls using utilisation distributions at the 95% isopleth, and compared habitat types and environmental characteristics within observed movement ranges to the available landscape. We investigated fine-scale movement by quolls with integrated step selection functions, assessing the relative selection strength for each habitat covariate. Finally, we used piecewise structural equation modelling to analyse the influence of each habitat covariate on northern quoll energy expenditure. RESULTS At the broad scale, northern quolls predominantly used rugged, rocky habitats, and used mining habitats in proportion to their availability. However, at the fine scale, habitat use varied between breeding and non-breeding seasons. During the breeding season, quolls notably avoided mining habitats, whereas in the non-breeding season, they frequented mining habitats equally to rocky and riparian habitats, albeit at a higher energetic cost. CONCLUSION Mining impacts northern quolls by fragmenting favoured rocky habitats, increasing energy expenditure, and potentially impacting breeding dispersal. While mining habitats might offer limited resource opportunities in the non-breeding season, conservation efforts during active mining, including the creation of movement corridors and progressive habitat restoration would likely be useful. However, prioritising the preservation of natural rocky and riparian habitats in mining landscapes is vital for northern quoll conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Cowan
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, 386 Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona, NSW, 2640, Australia.
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - J A Dunlop
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, 386 Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona, NSW, 2640, Australia
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - L A Gibson
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, WA, 6151, Australia
| | - H A Moore
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, WA, 6151, Australia
| | - S A Setterfield
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - D G Nimmo
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, 386 Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona, NSW, 2640, Australia
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Natsukawa H, Yuasa H, Sutton LJ, Amano H, Haga M, Itaya H, Kawashima H, Komuro S, Konno T, Mori K, Onagi M, Ichinose T, Sergio F. Utilizing a top predator to prioritize site protection for biodiversity conservation. J Environ Manage 2023; 347:119110. [PMID: 37783076 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119110] [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: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing global change makes it ever more urgent to find creative solutions for biodiversity preservation, but prioritizing sites for protection can be challenging. One shortcut lies in mapping the habitat requirements of well-established biodiversity indicators, such as top predators, to identify high-biodiversity sites. Here, we planned site protection for biodiversity conservation by developing a multi-scale species distribution model (SDM) for the raptorial Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis; goshawk) breeding in an extensive megacity region of Japan. Specifically, we: (1) examined the determinants of top predator occurrence and thus of high-biodiversity value in this megacity setting, (2) identified the biodiversity hotspots, (3) validated whether they actually held higher biodiversity through an independent dataset, and (4) evaluated their current protection by environmental laws. The SDM revealed that goshawks preferred secluded sites far from roads, with abundant forest within a 100 m radius and extensive forest ecotones suitable for hunting within a 900 m radius. This multi-scale landscape configuration was independently confirmed to hold higher biodiversity, yet covered only 3.2% of the study area, with only 44.0% of these sites legally protected. Thus, a rapid biodiversity assessment mediated by a top predator quickly highlighted: (1) the poor development of biodiversity-friendly urban planning in this megacity complex, an aspect overlooked for decades of rapid urban sprawl, and (2) the extreme urgency of extending legal protection to the sites missed by the current protected area network. Exigent biodiversity indicators, such as top predators, could be employed in the early or late stages of anthropogenic impacts in order to proactively incorporate biodiversity protection into planning or flag key biodiversity relics. Our results confirm and validate the applied reliability of top predatory species as biodiversity conservation tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruki Natsukawa
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, Seville, Spain.
| | - Hiroki Yuasa
- Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | | | | | - Masaru Haga
- Japan Accipiter Working Group, Ishikawa, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Takeo Konno
- Japan Accipiter Working Group, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Kaname Mori
- Japan Accipiter Working Group, Ishikawa, Japan
| | | | - Tomohiro Ichinose
- Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Fabrizio Sergio
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, Seville, Spain
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11
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Knozowski P, Nowakowski JJ, Stawicka AM, Górski A, Dulisz B. Effect of nature protection and management of grassland on biodiversity - Case from big flooded river valley (NE Poland). Sci Total Environ 2023; 898:165280. [PMID: 37419354 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165280] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Agriculturally used meadows are habitats whose biodiversity depends on anthropogenic disturbances such as fertilization or mowing. Intensified agricultural practices (too frequent mowing, use of mineral fertilizers and insecticides) lead to declines in the abundance and species diversity of the biota inhabiting them. The intensification of agricultural production in north-eastern Poland relates primarily to the increase in cattle numbers and the intensification of grassland management, but many areas were included in Natura 2000 network. Our study was aimed at indicating the impact of diverse use of meadows on the species richness and diversity of invertebrates, amphibians, and birds in the grasslands of Narew river valley, Special Bird Protection Area, where the intensification of grassland use was noted in the last decades, and part of the meadows was included in the agri-environmental program. The agri-environmental program is a very good tool for the protection of grassland biotic diversity. The highest taxonomic richness and diversity of the studied animal groups were found in meadows included in these programs with extensive use, while the lowest was in the over- and intensively used meadows fertilized with mineral fertilizers and liquid manure. Only the meadows in the agri-environment program were inhabited by the fire-bellied toad and the tree frog - amphibians from Annex IV of the Habitats Directive. The number of breeding bird species globally threatened (IUCN Red List), listed in Annex I of the EU Birds Directive, and with negative population trend in Europe (SPEC1-3) was highest in meadows included in EU conservation programs. The main factors reducing biotic diversity in the grassland of flooded river valley were the high number of grassland mowing per season, intensive fertilization, especially with liquid manure, the great distance of meadows to the river, low soil humidity, and low share of shrubs and trees in the meadows border zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Knozowski
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Jacek J Nowakowski
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Anna Maria Stawicka
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Andrzej Górski
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Beata Dulisz
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland.
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Tosa MI, Biel MJ, Graves TA. Bighorn sheep associations: understanding tradeoffs of sociality and implications for disease transmission. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15625. [PMID: 37576510 PMCID: PMC10416771 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15625] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Sociality directly influences mating success, survival rates, and disease, but ultimately likely evolved for its fitness benefits in a challenging environment. The tradeoffs between the costs and benefits of sociality can operate at multiple scales, resulting in different interpretations of animal behavior. We investigated the influence of intrinsic (e.g., relatedness, age) and extrinsic factors (e.g., land cover type, season) on direct contact (simultaneous GPS locations ≤ 25 m) rates of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) at multiple scales near the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. During 2002-2012, male and female bighorn were equipped with GPS collars. Indirect contact (GPS locations ≤ 25 m regardless of time) networks identified two major breaks whereas direct contact networks identified an additional barrier in the population, all of which corresponded with prior disease exposure metrics. More direct contacts occurred between same-sex dyads than female-male dyads and between bighorn groups with overlapping summer home ranges. Direct contacts occurred most often during the winter-spring season when bighorn traveled at low speeds and when an adequate number of bighorn were collared in the area. Direct contact probabilities for all dyad types were inversely related to habitat quality, and differences in contact probability were driven by variables related to survival such as terrain ruggedness, distance to escape terrain, and canopy cover. We provide evidence that probabilities of association are higher when there is greater predation risk and that contact analysis provides valuable information for understanding fitness tradeoffs of sociality and disease transmission potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie I. Tosa
- Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, West Glacier, MT, United States of America
| | - Mark J. Biel
- Glacier National Park, National Park Service, West Glacier, MT, United States of America
| | - Tabitha A. Graves
- Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, West Glacier, MT, United States of America
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Gubert L, Mathews F, McDonald R, Wilson RJ, Foppen RPB, Lemmers P, La Haye M, Bennie J. Using high-resolution LiDAR-derived canopy structure and topography to characterise hibernaculum locations of the hazel dormouse. Oecologia 2023; 202:641-653. [PMID: 37543993 PMCID: PMC10474991 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05429-3] [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: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
The hazel dormouse is predominantly an arboreal species that moves down to the ground to hibernate in the autumn in temperate parts of its distributional ranges at locations not yet well understood. The main objective of this study is to test whether environmental characteristics surrounding hazel dormouse hibernacula can be identified using high-resolution remote sensing and data collected in situ. To achieve this, remotely sensed variables, including canopy height and cover, topographic slope, sky view, solar radiation and cold air drainage, were modelled around 83 dormouse hibernacula in England (n = 62) and the Netherlands (n = 21), and environmental characteristics that may be favoured by pre-hibernating dormice were identified. Data on leaf litter depth, temperature, canopy cover and distance to the nearest tree were collected in situ and analysed at hibernaculum locations in England. The findings indicated that remotely sensed data were effective in identifying attributes surrounding the locations of dormouse hibernacula and when compared to in situ information, provided more conclusive results. This study suggests that remotely sensed topographic slope, canopy height and sky view have an influence on hazel dormice choosing suitable locations to hibernate; whilst in situ data suggested that average daily mean temperature at the hibernaculum may also have an effect. Remote sensing proved capable of identifying localised environmental characteristics in the wider landscape that may be important for hibernating dormice. This study proposes that this method can provide a novel progression from habitat modelling to conservation management for the hazel dormouse, as well as other species using habitats where topography and vegetation structure influence fine-resolution favourability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Gubert
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK.
| | - Fiona Mathews
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Robbie McDonald
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Robert J Wilson
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), 28770, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ruud P B Foppen
- Department of Animal Ecology and Physiology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9100, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Pim Lemmers
- Department of Animal Ecology and Physiology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9100, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Natuurbalans-Limes Divergens, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Maurice La Haye
- The Dutch Mammal Society, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jonathan Bennie
- Centre for Geography and Environmental Science, University of Exeter, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
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Bjørnås KL, Railsback S, Piccolo J. Modifying and parameterizing the individual-based model inSTREAM for Atlantic salmon and brown trout in the regulated Gullspång River, Sweden. MethodsX 2023; 10:102243. [PMID: 37424766 PMCID: PMC10326503 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2023.102243] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
We modified, parameterized, and applied the individual-based model inSTREAM version 6.1 for lake-migrating populations of landlocked Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and brown trout (S. trutta) in a residual flow stretch of the hydropower-regulated Gullspång River, Sweden. This model description is structured according to the TRACE model description framework. Our aim was to model responses in salmonid recruitment to alternative scenarios of flow release and other environmental alterations. The main response variable was the number of large out-migrating juvenile fish per year, with the assumption that individuals are more inclined to out-migrate the larger they get, and that migration is an obligatory strategy. Population and species-specific parameters were set based on local electrofishing surveys, redd surveys, physical habitat surveys, broodstock data as well as scientific literature.•Simulations were set to run over 10 years, with sub-daily time steps, in this spatially and temporally explicit model.•Model calibration and validation of fish growth was done using data on juvenile fish from electrofishing.•The results were found to be sensitive to parameter values for aggregated fish, i.e., "superindividuals" and for the high temperature limit to spawning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine Lund Bjørnås
- Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, River Ecology and Management Research Group (RivEM), Karlstad University, Sweden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Steven Railsback
- Department of Mathematics, Cal Poly Humboldt and Lang, Railsback and Associates, California, USA
| | - John Piccolo
- Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, River Ecology and Management Research Group (RivEM), Karlstad University, Sweden
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Klappstein NJ, Thomas L, Michelot T. Flexible hidden Markov models for behaviour-dependent habitat selection. Mov Ecol 2023; 11:30. [PMID: 37270509 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00392-3] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is strong incentive to model behaviour-dependent habitat selection, as this can help delineate critical habitats for important life processes and reduce bias in model parameters. For this purpose, a two-stage modelling approach is often taken: (i) classify behaviours with a hidden Markov model (HMM), and (ii) fit a step selection function (SSF) to each subset of data. However, this approach does not properly account for the uncertainty in behavioural classification, nor does it allow states to depend on habitat selection. An alternative approach is to estimate both state switching and habitat selection in a single, integrated model called an HMM-SSF. METHODS We build on this recent methodological work to make the HMM-SSF approach more efficient and general. We focus on writing the model as an HMM where the observation process is defined by an SSF, such that well-known inferential methods for HMMs can be used directly for parameter estimation and state classification. We extend the model to include covariates on the HMM transition probabilities, allowing for inferences into the temporal and individual-specific drivers of state switching. We demonstrate the method through an illustrative example of plains zebra (Equus quagga), including state estimation, and simulations to estimate a utilisation distribution. RESULTS In the zebra analysis, we identified two behavioural states, with clearly distinct patterns of movement and habitat selection ("encamped" and "exploratory"). In particular, although the zebra tended to prefer areas higher in grassland across both behavioural states, this selection was much stronger in the fast, directed exploratory state. We also found a clear diel cycle in behaviour, which indicated that zebras were more likely to be exploring in the morning and encamped in the evening. CONCLUSIONS This method can be used to analyse behaviour-specific habitat selection in a wide range of species and systems. A large suite of statistical extensions and tools developed for HMMs and SSFs can be applied directly to this integrated model, making it a very versatile framework to jointly learn about animal behaviour, habitat selection, and space use.
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Affiliation(s)
- N J Klappstein
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK.
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.
| | - L Thomas
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - T Michelot
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
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Azizoglu E, Kara R, Celik E. A statistical approach on distribution and seasonal habitat use of waterfowl and shorebirds in Çıldır Lake (Ardahan, Türkiye). Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023:10.1007/s11356-023-27855-9. [PMID: 37256398 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27855-9] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Wetlands are crucial habitats for both migrant and resident bird assemblages. The distribution and habitat preferences of birds in aquatic ecosystems are significantly influenced by environmental and ecological factors that critically impact the relevant habitats. In order to reveal the distribution and habitat preferences of the birds, many statistical models and methodologies are employed in ecology and conservation biology. Herein, we investigated the effects of year, season, habitat, and species variables on the distribution and population dynamics of waterfowls and shorebirds associated with the wetland. In this regard, field surveys were carried out in and around Çıldır Lake (Ardahan, Türkiye) between April 2017 and September 2018 to examine the distribution of waterfowls and shorebirds and variations in population sizes. As an experimental design, a stratified random sampling design was used to assess bird fauna in the four dominant habitat types (open water surface, reeds, grasslands, and agricultural areas) in the study area. Accordingly, a total of 51 waterfowl and shorebird species were identified during the study period. Of the identified families, Anatidae (n = 18), Scolopacidae (n = 8), and Ardeidae (n = 8) were the most common families. Considering bird species, common coot Fulica atra and mallard Anas platyrhynchos were the most abundant species. The dependent variable (bird populations) was compared with the independent variables (year, season, habitat, and species). The population in 2018 decreased by 13% in comparison to the population in 2017 (p < 0.05). Once the reed area was considered as the reference, the population density in the water surface habitat increased by 65% (p < 0.001). In relation to seasonal reference, a 65% increase in population growth in spring was recorded in comparison to the growth in fall (p < 0.001). On the other hand, no statistical differences were noted in population growth in winter and summer ((p > 0.05). With respect to the reference species (Anas crecca), critical differences in species fluctuation were observed among species (p < 0.001). Consequently, the findings of the present study suggest that seasonal factor might be of the substantial factors linked to the habitat composition. However, more descriptive and predictive analytical methods are needed beyond classical regression approaches in habitat use and selection studies at bird ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erkan Azizoglu
- Department of Plant and Animal Production, Çölemerik Vocational School, Hakkari University, 30100, Hakkari, Turkey
| | - Rıdvan Kara
- Department of Plant and Animal Production, Çölemerik Vocational School, Hakkari University, 30100, Hakkari, Turkey
| | - Emrah Celik
- Hunting and Wildlife Program, Department of Forestry, Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Igdir University, 76000, Igdir, Turkey.
- Ornithology Research and Application Centre (ORNITHOCEN), Igdir University, 76000, Igdir, Turkey.
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Mazuryn M, Thygesen UH. Mean Field Games for Diel Vertical Migration with Diffusion. Bull Math Biol 2023; 85:49. [PMID: 37106263 PMCID: PMC10140133 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-023-01154-3] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
We present a theoretical framework, based on differential mean field games, for expressing diel vertical migration in the ocean as a game with a continuum of players. In such a game, each agent partially controls its own state by adjusting its vertical velocity but the vertical position in a water column is also subject to random fluctuations. A representative player has to make decisions based on aggregated information about the states of the other players. For this vertical differential game, we derive a mean field system of partial differential equations for finding a Nash equilibrium for the whole population. It turns out that finding Nash equilibria in the game is equivalent to solving a PDE-constrained optimization problem. We detail this equivalence when the expected fitness of the representative player can be approximated with a constant and solve both formulations numerically. We illustrate the results on simple numerical examples and construct several test cases to compare the two analytical approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maksim Mazuryn
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Asmussens Allé, 303B, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Uffe Høgsbro Thygesen
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Asmussens Allé, 303B, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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Gao X, Liang Y, Zhu Y, Zhang K, Ding L, Zhang P, Zhu J. Habitat selection of wintering cranes in typical wetlands in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River over the past 20 years, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:58466-58479. [PMID: 36988809 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-26504-5] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The wetlands in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are the main overwintering and perching places for cranes. To examine the habitat selection mechanism of cranes in this area, two natural wetland reserves, Shengjin Lake and Poyang Lake, which are the main habitats of typical cranes, were selected as the study area. Using 20 years of Landsat satellite image data (between 1999 and 2019), the vegetation cover index was calculated from a pixel dichotomy model, and the landscape pattern index was obtained through Fragstats. The entropy method was adopted to determine the weight of the landscape index, and then, the habitat suitability index was calculated. Combined with the number of typical crane populations in the reserve, the selection mechanism of overwintering habitat of cranes was revealed. On the change of land-use type, the crane habitat of Shengjin Lake transferred more to non-crane habitat, and other land types increased, resulting in the decrease of crane habitat area. However, the change of crane habitat in Poyang Lake Reserve was small, so it can accommodate more cranes to overwintering here. In terms of vegetation coverage, most of the vegetation cover areas of Shengjin Lake were woodland near or far from the lake, but the woodland was not the habitat of cranes. Most of the vegetation-covered areas of Poyang Lake are grassland near the lake, which provide rest and foraging places for cranes. In the landscape pattern, the number of landscape patches in Shengjin Lake was large, the degree of landscape fragmentation was higher than that in Poyang Lake, the landscape complexity was higher, and the landscape diversity was simpler. This is not conducive to the maintenance of crane habitat, but also reduces the attractiveness of overwintering cranes, while the landscape suitability of crane habitat in Poyang Lake was higher than that in Shengjin Lake, and cranes were more likely to choose Poyang Lake as their overwintering habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Gao
- School of Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China.
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Sensors, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China.
- Key Laboratory of JiangHuai Arable Land Resources Protection and Eco-restoration, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hefei, 230088, Anhui, China.
| | - Yiyin Liang
- School of Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Sensors, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Yutian Zhu
- School of Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Sensors, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Ke Zhang
- School of Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Sensors, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Li Ding
- School of Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Sensors, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- School of Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Sensors, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Jianqiao Zhu
- School of Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Sensors, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
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Florko KRN, Shuert CR, Cheung WWL, Ferguson SH, Jonsen ID, Rosen DAS, Sumaila UR, Tai TC, Yurkowski DJ, Auger-Méthé M. Linking movement and dive data to prey distribution models: new insights in foraging behaviour and potential pitfalls of movement analyses. Mov Ecol 2023; 11:17. [PMID: 36959671 PMCID: PMC10037791 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00377-2] [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] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal movement data are regularly used to infer foraging behaviour and relationships to environmental characteristics, often to help identify critical habitat. To characterize foraging, movement models make a set of assumptions rooted in theory, for example, time spent foraging in an area increases with higher prey density. METHODS We assessed the validity of these assumptions by associating horizontal movement and diving of satellite-telemetered ringed seals (Pusa hispida)-an opportunistic predator-in Hudson Bay, Canada, to modelled prey data and environmental proxies. RESULTS Modelled prey biomass data performed better than their environmental proxies (e.g., sea surface temperature) for explaining seal movement; however movement was not related to foraging effort. Counter to theory, seals appeared to forage more in areas with relatively lower prey diversity and biomass, potentially due to reduced foraging efficiency in those areas. CONCLUSIONS Our study highlights the need to validate movement analyses with prey data to effectively estimate the relationship between prey availability and foraging behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie R N Florko
- Aquatic Ecosystem Research Laboratory, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| | - Courtney R Shuert
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Freshwater Institute, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - William W L Cheung
- Aquatic Ecosystem Research Laboratory, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Steven H Ferguson
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Freshwater Institute, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Ian D Jonsen
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - David A S Rosen
- Aquatic Ecosystem Research Laboratory, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - U Rashid Sumaila
- Aquatic Ecosystem Research Laboratory, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Travis C Tai
- Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - David J Yurkowski
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Freshwater Institute, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Marie Auger-Méthé
- Aquatic Ecosystem Research Laboratory, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Statistics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Bühler R, Schalcher K, Séchaud R, Michler S, Apolloni N, Roulin A, Almasi B. Influence of prey availability on habitat selection during the non-breeding period in a resident bird of prey. Mov Ecol 2023; 11:14. [PMID: 36882847 PMCID: PMC9990330 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00376-3] [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: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND For resident birds of prey in the temperate zone, the cold non-breeding period can have strong impacts on survival and reproduction with implications for population dynamics. Therefore, the non-breeding period should receive the same attention as other parts of the annual life cycle. Birds of prey in intensively managed agricultural areas are repeatedly confronted with unpredictable, rapid changes in their habitat due to agricultural practices such as mowing, harvesting, and ploughing. Such a dynamic landscape likely affects prey distribution and availability and may even result in changes in habitat selection of the predator throughout the annual cycle. METHODS In the present study, we (1) quantified barn owl prey availability in different habitats across the annual cycle, (2) quantified the size and location of barn owl breeding and non-breeding home ranges using GPS-data, (3) assessed habitat selection in relation to prey availability during the non-breeding period, and (4) discussed differences in habitat selection during the non-breeding period to habitat selection during the breeding period. RESULTS The patchier prey distribution during the non-breeding period compared to the breeding period led to habitat selection towards grassland during the non-breeding period. The size of barn owl home ranges during breeding and non-breeding were similar, but there was a small shift in home range location which was more pronounced in females than males. The changes in prey availability led to a mainly grassland-oriented habitat selection during the non-breeding period. Further, our results showed the importance of biodiversity promotion areas and undisturbed field margins within the intensively managed agricultural landscape. CONCLUSIONS We showed that different prey availability in habitat categories can lead to changes in habitat preference between the breeding and the non-breeding period. Given these results we show how important it is to maintain and enhance structural diversity in intensive agricultural landscapes, to effectively protect birds of prey specialised on small mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Bühler
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland.
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Building Biophore, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Kim Schalcher
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Building Biophore, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Robin Séchaud
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Building Biophore, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie Michler
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Nadine Apolloni
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Building Biophore, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bettina Almasi
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland
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21
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Iverson AR, Humple DL, Cormier RL, Hull J. Land cover and NDVI are important predictors in habitat selection along migration for the Golden-crowned Sparrow, a temperate-zone migrating songbird. Mov Ecol 2023; 11:2. [PMID: 36639697 PMCID: PMC9837890 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00353-2] [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] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Migrating passerines in North America have shown sharp declines. Understanding habitat selection and threats along migration paths are critical research needs, but details about migrations have been limited due to the difficulty of tracking small birds. Recent technological advances of tiny GPS-tags provide new opportunities to delineate fine-scale movements in small passerines during a life stage that has previously been inherently difficult to study. METHODS We investigated habitat selection along migration routes for a temperate-zone migratory passerine, the Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla), given GPS tags on California wintering grounds. We used a resource selection function combined with conditional logistic regression to compare matched sets of known stopover locations and available but unused locations to determine how land cover class, vegetation greenness and climate variables influence habitat selection during migration. We also provide general migration descriptions for this understudied species including migration distance, duration, and elevation, and repeated use of stopover areas. RESULTS We acquired 22 tracks across 19 individuals, with a total of 541 valid spring and fall migration locations. Birds traveled to breeding grounds in Alaska and British Columbia along coastal routes, selecting for shrubland and higher vegetation greenness in both migration seasons as well as grasslands during fall migration. However, model interactions showed they selected sites with lower levels of greenness when in forest (both seasons) and shrubland (fall only), which may reflect their preference for more open habitats or represent a trade-off in selection between habitat type and productivity. Birds also selected for locations with higher daily maximum temperature during spring migration. Routes during spring migration were lower in elevation on average, shorter in duration, and had fewer long stopovers than in fall migration. For two birds, we found repeated use of the same stopover areas in spring and fall migration. CONCLUSIONS Using miniaturized GPS, this study provides new insight into habitat selection along migration routes for a common temperate-zone migrating songbird, contributing to a better understanding of full annual cycle models, and informing conservation efforts. Golden-crowned Sparrows selected for specific habitats along migration routes, and we found previously unknown behaviors such as repeated use of the same stopover areas by individuals across different migratory seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Autumn R Iverson
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
| | - Diana L Humple
- Point Blue Conservation Science, 3820 Cypress Drive #11, Petaluma, CA, 94954, USA
| | - Renée L Cormier
- Point Blue Conservation Science, 3820 Cypress Drive #11, Petaluma, CA, 94954, USA
| | - Josh Hull
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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22
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Dale S, Sonerud GA. Hawk owl irruptions: spatial and temporal variation in rodent abundance drive push and pull dynamics. Oecologia 2023; 201:31-43. [PMID: 36401634 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05283-9] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Bird irruptions are thought to be triggered by low food availability in breeding areas, thereby causing emigration (push factor). However, few studies have tested whether emigrating individuals are drawn towards areas of high food availability (pull factor). The Northern hawk owl (Surnia ulula), a rodent specialist, occurs irruptively to southern parts of Fennoscandia. We analysed whether irruption size during 1980-2020 in southeastern Norway was related to rodent abundance at four sites 450-990 km to the north-northeast (potential source areas) and at two sites in southeastern Norway to test push and pull dynamics of irruptions. Irruptions occurred when rodent abundance in potential source areas were low, supporting the push hypothesis. High rodent abundance in potential source areas 1-2 years before irruptions suggested that irruptions were preceded by high reproduction. Upon arrival to southeastern Norway, hawk owls did not encounter high rodent abundance in their main habitat (boreal forest). However, hawk owls stayed in boreal forest in hills in years with higher microtine rodent abundance, but occurred in farmland areas in the lowlands when microtine rodents were less abundant. Use of lowlands coincided with higher than median numbers of wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) for 87% of the hawk owls settling in the lowlands, thus suggesting support for the pull hypothesis. In conclusion, hawk owl irruptions to southern Fennoscandia were triggered by low food availability in northern areas (push factor), and appeared to be drawn by high food availability in southeastern Norway to some degree (pull factor).
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Affiliation(s)
- Svein Dale
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432, Ås, Norway.
| | - Geir A Sonerud
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432, Ås, Norway
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Pinti J, Shatley M, Carlisle A, Block BA, Oliver MJ. Using pseudo-absence models to test for environmental selection in marine movement ecology: the importance of sample size and selection strength. Mov Ecol 2022; 10:60. [PMID: 36581885 PMCID: PMC9798696 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00362-1] [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: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the selection of environmental conditions by animals requires knowledge of where they are, but also of where they could have been. Presence data can be accurately estimated by direct sampling, sightings, or through electronic tag deployments. However, absence data are harder to determine because absences are challenging to measure in an uncontrolled setting. To address this problem, ecologists have developed different methods for generating pseudo-absence data relying on theoretical movement models. These null models represent the movement of environmentally naive individuals, creating a set of locations that animals could have been if they were not exhibiting environmental selection. METHODS Here, we use four different kinds of null animal movement models-Brownian motion, Lévy walks, Correlated random walks, and Joint correlated random walks to test the ability and power of each of these null movement models to serve as appropriate animal absence models. We use Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests to detect environmental selection using two data sets, one of simulated animal tracks biased towards warmer sea surface temperatures, and one of 57 observed blue shark tracks of unknown sea surface temperature selection. RESULTS The four different types of movement models showed minimal difference in the ability to serve as appropriate null models for environmental selection studies. Selection strength and sample size were more important in detecting true environmental selection. We show that this method can suffer from high false positive rates, especially in the case where animals are not selecting for specific environments. We provide estimates of test accuracy at different sample sizes and selection strengths to avoid false positives when using this method. CONCLUSION We show how movement models can be used to generate pseudo-absences and test for habitat selection in marine organisms. While this approach efficiently detects environmental selection in marine organisms, it cannot detect the underlying mechanisms driving this selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Pinti
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE, 19958, USA.
| | - Matthew Shatley
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE, 19958, USA
| | - Aaron Carlisle
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE, 19958, USA
| | - Barbara A Block
- Hopkins Marine Station, Biology Department, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, USA
| | - Matthew J Oliver
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE, 19958, USA
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Abril-Colón I, Alonso JC, Palacín C, Ucero A, Álvarez-Martínez JM. Factors modulating home range and resource use: a case study with Canarian houbara bustards. Mov Ecol 2022; 10:49. [PMID: 36376936 PMCID: PMC9664789 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00346-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The home range of an animal is determined by its ecological requirements, and these may vary depending on many intrinsic and extrinsic factors, which are ultimately driven by food resources. Investigating the effects of these factors, and specifically how individuals use food resources within their home ranges is essential to understand the ecology and dynamics of animal populations, and to establish conservation measures in the case of endangered species. Here, we investigate these questions in the Canarian houbara bustard, an endangered subspecies of African houbara endemic to the Canary Islands. METHODS We analysed GPS locations of 43 houbaras in 2018-2021, using solar GSM/GPRS loggers provided with accelerometers. We assessed (1) the variation in their home range and core area with kernel density estimators in relation to several intrinsic and extrinsic factors and (2) their foraging habitat selection. RESULTS Home ranges were smallest during the breeding season (November-April), when rains triggered a rapid growth of herbaceous vegetation. Displaying males and nesting females had smaller home ranges than individuals not involved in reproduction. Both sexes used almost exclusively non-cultivated land, selecting low density Launaea arborescens shrublands, pastures and green fallows as foraging habitats. Heavier males used smaller home ranges because they spent more time displaying at a fixed display site, while heavier females moved over larger areas during the mating period, probably visiting more candidate mates. During the non-breeding season (May-October), both sexes showed larger home ranges, shifting to high density shrubland, but also partly to cultivated land. They selected sweet potato fields, green fallows, alfalfas, orchards and irrigated fields, which offered highly valuable food resources during the driest months of the year. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows how Canarian houbara, originally a desert-dwelling species that uses mostly shrublands and pastures, has developed the necessary adaptations to benefit from resources provided by current low intensity farming practices in the study area. Maintaining appropriate habitat conditions in the eastern Canary islands should constitute a key conservation measure to prevent the extinction of this endangered houbara subspecies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inmaculada Abril-Colón
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Juan Carlos Alonso
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Palacín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Ucero
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - José Manuel Álvarez-Martínez
- IHCantabria - Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de La Universidad de Cantabria, PCTCAN, C/Isabel Torres, 15, 39011, Santander, Spain
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Weiss F, Michler FU, Gillich B, Tillmann J, Ciuti S, Heurich M, Rieger S. Displacement Effects of Conservation Grazing on Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) Spatial Behaviour. Environ Manage 2022; 70:763-779. [PMID: 35994055 PMCID: PMC9519651 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-022-01697-6] [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] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Conservation grazing uses semi-feral or domesticated herbivores to limit encroachment in open areas and to promote biodiversity. However, we are still unaware of its effects on wild herbivores. This study investigates the influence of herded sheep and goats on red deer (Cervus elaphus) spatial behavior by testing three a-priori hypotheses: (i) red deer are expected to avoid areas used by livestock, as well as adjacent areas, when livestock are present, albeit (ii) red deer increase the use of these areas when sheep and goats are temporarily absent and (iii) there is a time-lagged disruption in red deer spatial behavior when conservation grazing practice ends. Using GPS-telemetry data on red deer from a German heathland area, we modelled their use of areas grazed by sheep and goats, using mixed-effect logistic regression. Additionally, we developed seasonal resource selection functions (use-availability design) to depict habitat selection by red deer before, during, and after conservation grazing. Red deer used areas less during conservation grazing throughout all times of the day and there was no compensatory use during nighttime. This effect mostly persisted within 21 days after conservation grazing. Effects on habitat selection of red deer were detectable up to 3000 meters away from the conservation grazing sites, with no signs of either habituation or adaption. For the first time, we demonstrate that conservation grazing can affect the spatio-temporal behavior of wild herbivores. Our findings are relevant for optimizing landscape and wildlife management when conservation grazing is used in areas where wild herbivores are present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Weiss
- Biosphere Reserves Institute, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Eberswalde, Germany.
- Department Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg, Breisgau, Germany.
- Department of Wildlife Biology, Wildlife Management and Hunting Practice, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Eberswalde, Germany.
| | - Frank Uwe Michler
- Department of Wildlife Biology, Wildlife Management and Hunting Practice, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Eberswalde, Germany
| | - Benjamin Gillich
- Department of Wildlife Biology, Wildlife Management and Hunting Practice, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Eberswalde, Germany
- Institute of Zoology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Simone Ciuti
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Marco Heurich
- Department Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg, Breisgau, Germany
- Department of Conservation and Research, Bavarian Forest National Park, Bavaria, Germany
- Institute for Forest and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University for Applied Science, Hamar, Norway
| | - Siegfried Rieger
- Biosphere Reserves Institute, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Eberswalde, Germany
- Department of Wildlife Biology, Wildlife Management and Hunting Practice, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Eberswalde, Germany
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Tost D, Ludwig T, Strauss E, Jung K, Siebert U. Habitat selection of black grouse in an isolated population in northern Germany-the importance of mixing dry and wet habitats. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14161. [PMID: 36275457 PMCID: PMC9583852 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14161] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Wildlife habitats in general must provide foraging, hiding and resting places as well as sites for reproduction. Little is known about habitat selection of black grouse in the lowlands of Central Europe. We investigated habitat selection of seven radio tagged birds in an open heath and grassland area surrounded by dense pine forests in the northern German Lüneburg Heath Nature Reserve. This site carries one of the last remaining populations in the Central European lowlands. Using resource selection functions based on presence/background data, we estimated the probability of black grouse occurrence by availability of, or distance to habitat types as well as vegetation diversity indices. Black grouse preferred undisturbed and heterogeneous habitats far from dense forests with wide sand heaths, natural grasslands and intermixed bogs, diverse vegetation and food sources, low density of (loose) shrub formations and solitary trees. Wetlands were extremely important in a landscape that is dominated by dry heaths and grasslands. About 4% (9 km2) of the nature reserve was a suitable habitat for black grouse, mostly due to lack of open areas due to the amount of dense forest, and because smaller, open heaths are only partly suitable. We suggest that to improve habitat quality and quantity for the grouse, habitat patch size and connectivity must be increased, along with a mosaic of heterogeneous landscape structures in these habitat islands. Our results may be used to inform and improve black grouse habitat management in the region and elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Tost
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Tobias Ludwig
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Egbert Strauss
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Klaus Jung
- Institute for Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
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Cioccarelli S, Terras A, Assandri G, Berlusconi A, Grattini N, Mercogliano A, Pazhera A, Sbrilli A, Cecere JG, Rubolini D, Morganti M. Vegetation height and structure drive foraging habitat selection of the lesser kestrel ( Falco naumanni) in intensive agricultural landscapes. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13979. [PMID: 36221268 PMCID: PMC9548312 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13979] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Habitat selection in animals is a fundamental ecological process with key conservation implications. Assessing habitat selection in endangered species and populations occupying the extreme edges of their distribution range, or living in highly anthropized landscapes, may be of particular interest as it may provide hints to mechanisms promoting potential range expansions. We assessed second- and third-order foraging habitat selection in the northernmost European breeding population of the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni), a migratory falcon of European conservation interest, by integrating results obtained from 411 direct observations with those gathered from nine GPS-tracked individuals. The study population breeds in the intensively cultivated Po Plain (northern Italy). Direct observations and GPS data coincide in showing that foraging lesser kestrels shifted their habitat preferences through the breeding cycle. They positively selected alfalfa and other non-irrigated crops during the early breeding season, while winter cereals were selected during the nestling-rearing phase. Maize was selected during the early breeding season, after sowing, but significantly avoided later. Overall, vegetation height emerged as the main predictor of foraging habitat selection, with birds preferring short vegetation, which is likely to maximise prey accessibility. Such a flexibility in foraging habitat selection according to spatio-temporal variation in the agricultural landscape determined by local crop management practices may have allowed the species to successfully thrive in one of the most intensively cultivated areas of Europe. In the southeastern Po Plain, the broad extent of hay and non-irrigated crops is possibly functioning as a surrogate habitat for the pseudo-steppe environment where most of the European breeding population is settled, fostering the northward expansion of the species in Europe. In intensive agricultural landscapes, the maintenance of alfalfa and winter cereals crops and an overall high crop heterogeneity (deriving from crop rotation) is fundamental to accommodate the ecological requirements of the species in different phases of its breeding cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Cioccarelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, University of Milan, Milan, Italy,Ethology Unit, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Anna Terras
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers Cedex 9, France
| | - Giacomo Assandri
- Area Avifauna Migratrice, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), Ozzano Emilia (BO), Italy
| | - Alessandro Berlusconi
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit—Guido Tosi Research Group— Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, Varese (VA), Italy,Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche—Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque (CNR-IRSA), Brugherio (MB) and Montelibretti (RM), Italy
| | - Nunzio Grattini
- SOM Stazione Ornitologica Modenese “Il Pettazzurro”, Mirandola (MO), Italy
| | | | - Aliona Pazhera
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Sbrilli
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche—Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque (CNR-IRSA), Brugherio (MB) and Montelibretti (RM), Italy
| | - Jacopo G. Cecere
- Area Avifauna Migratrice, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), Ozzano Emilia (BO), Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, University of Milan, Milan, Italy,Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche—Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque (CNR-IRSA), Brugherio (MB) and Montelibretti (RM), Italy
| | - Michelangelo Morganti
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche—Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque (CNR-IRSA), Brugherio (MB) and Montelibretti (RM), Italy
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Lalla KM, Fraser KC, Frei B, Fischer JD, Siegrist J, Ray JD, Cohn-Haft M, Elliott KH. Central-place foraging poses variable constraints year-round in a neotropical migrant. Mov Ecol 2022; 10:39. [PMID: 36127732 PMCID: PMC9487155 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00337-2] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND "Central-place foragers" are constrained in their habitat selection and foraging range by the frequency with which they need to return to a central place. For example, chick-rearing songbirds that must feed their offspring hourly might be expected to have smaller foraging ranges compared to non-breeding songbirds that return nightly to a roost. METHODS We used GPS units to compare the foraging behaviour of an aerial insectivorous bird, the purple martin (Progne subis), during the breeding season in three regions across North America, as well as the non-breeding season in South America. Specifically, we tested foraging range size and habitat selection. RESULTS Foraging range did not vary among regions during breeding (14.0 ± 39.2 km2) and was larger during the nonbreeding period (8840 ± 8150 km2). Purple martins strongly preferred aquatic habitats to other available habitats year-round and in the Amazon commuted from night roosts in low productivity sediment-poor water, where risk of predation was probably low, to daytime foraging sites in productive sediment-rich water sites. CONCLUSIONS We provide the first estimates for foraging range size in purple martins and demonstrate foraging preference for aquatic habitats throughout two stages of the annual cycle. Understanding foraging constraints and habitat of aerial insectivores may help plan conservation actions throughout their annual cycle. Future research should quantify foraging behaviour during the post-breeding period and during migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen M Lalla
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21 111 Lakeshore, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, H9X 3V9, Canada.
| | - Kevin C Fraser
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Barbara Frei
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Montreal, Canada
- McGill Bird Observatory, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Joe Siegrist
- Purple Martin Conservation Association, Erie, PA, USA
| | - James D Ray
- Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC, U.S. Department of Energy-National Nuclear Security Administration Pantex Plant, Amarillo, TX, 79120, USA
- , 8500 Kemper Road, Canyon, TX, USA
| | - Mario Cohn-Haft
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, Brazil
| | - Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21 111 Lakeshore, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, H9X 3V9, Canada
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Zabihi-Seissan S, Prokopenko CM, Vander Wal E. Wolf spatial behavior promotes encounters and kills of abundant prey. Oecologia 2022; 200:11-22. [PMID: 35941269 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05218-4] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Predators use different spatial tactics to track the prey on the landscape. Three hypotheses describe spatial tactics: prey abundance for prey that are aggregated in space; prey habitat for uniformly distributed prey; and prey catchability for prey that are difficult to catch and kill. The gray wolf (Canis lupus) is a generalist predator that likely employs more than one spatial hunting tactic to match their diverse prey with distinct distributions and behavior that are available. We conducted a study on 17 GPS collared wolves in 6 packs in Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba, Canada where wolves prey on moose (Alces alces) and elk (Cervus canadensis). We evaluated wolf selection for prey density, habitat selection and catchability on the landscape through within-territory habitat selection analysis. We reveal support for both the prey habitat and prey catchability hypotheses. For moose, their primary prey, wolves employed a mixed habitat and catchability tactic. Wolves used spaces described by the intersection of moose habitat and moose catchability. Wolves selected for the catchability of elk, their secondary prey, but not elk habitat. Counter to our predictions, wolves avoided areas of moose and elk density, likely highlighting the ongoing space race between predator and prey. We illustrate that of the three hypotheses the primary driver was prey catchability, where the interplay of both prey habitat with catchability culminate in predator spatial behaviour in a multiprey system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, 45 Arctic Avenue, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
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Lorrain-Soligon L, Robin F, Brischoux F. Hydric status influences salinity-dependent water selection in frogs from coastal wetlands. Physiol Behav 2022; 249:113775. [PMID: 35259400 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113775] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The environment is heterogeneous across spatial and temporal scales, and the behavioural responses required to adjust individuals' needs to resource availability across such variable environments should be under selective pressure. Coastal wetlands are characterized by a diversity of habitats ranging from fresh- to salt water; and individuals occurring in such complex habitats need to adjust their habitat use based on their osmotic status. In this study, we experimentally tested whether an amphibian species (Pelophylax sp.) occurring in coastal wetlands was able to discriminate and select between different salinity concentrations (0, 4, 8 and 12 g.l-1) and whether hydric status (hydrated versus dehydrated) influenced salinity-dependent water selection. We found that frogs selected water based on salinity differentially between hydrated and dehydrated individuals, with the later favoring lower salinities likely to improve their osmotic status. Interestingly, we highlighted the ability of frogs to select lower salinity before having access to water, suggesting that frogs can assess water salinity without actual contact. In coastal wetlands where salinity of water bodies can dynamically vary through space and time, such behavioural osmoregulation process is potentially a key factor affecting individual movements, habitat choice and thus species distribution. Our study further highlights the importance of salinity-dependent habitat heterogeneity and especially the presence of freshwater environments as structuring factors for the amphibian community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Lorrain-Soligon
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CEBC UMR 7372 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France.
| | - Frédéric Robin
- LPO France, Fonderies Royales, 17300 Rochefort, France; Réserve naturelle de Moëze-Oléron, LPO, Plaisance, 17 780 Saint-Froult, France
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CEBC UMR 7372 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
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Yong AYP, Lim SSL. Coexistence of Juvenile with Adult Ocypode gaudichaudii at Culebra Beach, Panama: A Temporal-spatial Partitioning Compromise. Zool Stud 2022; 60:e8. [PMID: 35774260 PMCID: PMC9168729 DOI: 10.6620/zs.2022.61-08] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The temporal-spatial resource use patterns of juvenile and adult Ocypode gaudichaudii were studied by comparing the zonation patterns and activity budgets of the two life stages at Culebra Beach, Panama. Burrow distribution of the crabs during the day and at night was studied over six months. Diurnal activity budgets of 46 crabs (22 juveniles and 24 adults) were determined by observing seven predominant behaviors upon emergence from their respective burrows when the burrow zone is uncovered after the tide recedes. The behaviors comprise three foraging-related activities (i.e., deposit-feeding, scavenging, and probing for food), the maintenance of burrow, walking, staying within the burrow, and resting at the burrow entrance. Juvenile crabs occupied a higher intertidal zone than the adults and had a higher emergence rate at night. This temporal-spatial habitat partitioning could possibly reduce intraspecific competition between the two life stages, thereby enabling their coexistence in the habitat as well as increasing the survival rate of the juveniles, potentially raising the carrying capacity of the population at Culebra Beach. All 46 crabs-regardless of life stage-spent the highest mean proportion of time on foraging-related activities. Out of the three feeding-related behaviors, adults spent most time on deposit-feeding while juveniles spent most time probing. Only juveniles scavenged. In both life stages, a similar proportion of time was spent maintaining the burrow and staying within the burrow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adeline Y P Yong
- Ecology Lab, Natural Sciences and Science Education, NIE, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Nanyang Walk, Singapore 637616, Republic of Singapore. E-mail: ; (Lim); (Yong)
| | - Shirley S L Lim
- Ecology Lab, Natural Sciences and Science Education, NIE, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Nanyang Walk, Singapore 637616, Republic of Singapore. E-mail: ; (Lim); (Yong)
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Draper J, Rodgers T, Young JK. Beating the heat: ecology of desert bobcats. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:25. [PMID: 35246040 PMCID: PMC8896297 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-01973-3] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Relative to temperate regions, little is known about bobcats (Lynx rufus) in the Sonoran Desert portion of their range, in part due to the difficulty of sampling an elusive carnivore in harsh desert environments. Here, we quantify habitat selection and evaluate diet of bobcats at Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona, USA, using multiple sampling techniques including GPS telemetry, camera traps, and DNA metabarcoding. Results Home ranges during the hot season were smaller than during the cool season. Camera trapping failed to yield a high enough detection rate to identify habitat occupancy trends but third-order resource selection from GPS-collar data showed a preference for higher elevations and rugged terrain at lower elevations. Diet composition consisted of a diverse range of available small prey items, including a higher frequency of avian prey than previously observed in bobcats. Conclusions Desert bobcats in our study maintained smaller home ranges and primarily consumed smaller prey than their more northern relatives. This study illustrates the benefit of employing multiple, complementary sampling methods to understand the ecology of elusive species. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-022-01973-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Draper
- Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Torrey Rodgers
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Julie K Young
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA. .,U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Wildlife Research Center - Predator Research Facility, Millville, UT, 84326, USA.
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Rueda-Uribe C, Lötberg U, Åkesson S. Foraging on the wing for fish while migrating over changing landscapes: traveling behaviors vary with available aquatic habitat for Caspian terns. Mov Ecol 2022; 10:9. [PMID: 35236399 PMCID: PMC8892754 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00307-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Birds that forage while covering distance during migration should adjust traveling behaviors as the availability of foraging habitat changes. Particularly, the behavior of those species that depend on bodies of water to find food yet manage to migrate over changing landscapes may be limited by the substantial variation in feeding opportunities along the route. METHODS Using GPS tracking data, we studied how traveling behaviors vary with available foraging habitat during the long-distance migration of Caspian terns (Hydroprogne caspia), a bird with a specialized diet based on fish that needs bodies of water to forage. We measured individual variation in five traveling behaviors related to foraging along the route and used linear mixed effects models to test the following variables as predictors of traveling behaviors: proportion of overlap with water bodies, weather conditions, days at previous stopover and days of migration. Also, we tested if during traveling days flight height and speed varied with time of day and if birds were in areas with greater proportion of water bodies compared to what would be expected by chance from the landscape. RESULTS We found variation in migratory traveling behaviors that was mainly related to the proportion of overlap with water bodies and experienced tailwinds. Suggesting a mixed migratory strategy with fly-and-foraging, Caspian terns reduced travel speed, flew fewer hours of the day, had lower flight heights and increased diurnal over nocturnal migratory flight hours as the proportion of overlap with water bodies increased. Birds had lower flight speeds and higher flight heights during the day, were in foraging habitats with greater proportions of water than expected by chance but avoided foraging detours. Instead, route tortuosity was associated with lower wind support and cloudier skies. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show how birds may adjust individual behavior as foraging habitat availability changes during migration and contribute to the growing knowledge on mixed migratory strategies of stopover use and fly-and-forage.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Rueda-Uribe
- Department of Biology, Centre for Animal Movement Research, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
| | - U Lötberg
- BirdLife Sweden, Stenhusa gård, Lilla Brunneby 106, 386 62, Mörbylånga, Sweden
| | - S Åkesson
- Department of Biology, Centre for Animal Movement Research, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
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Xie S, Marzluff JM, Su Y, Wang Y, Meng N, Wu T, Gong C, Lu F, Xian C, Zhang Y, Ouyang Z. The role of urban waterbodies in maintaining bird species diversity within built area of Beijing. Sci Total Environ 2022; 806:150430. [PMID: 34852427 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150430] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of urban waterbodies in avian ecology, which is instructive for both biodiversity conservation and urban planning. Based on bird surveys conducted in 41 urban parks in Beijing during the breeding and wintering seasons of 2018-2019, and using standardized regression analyses, we identified the specific effects of waterbody attributes on the full avian community and forest bird guilds. We assessed this at multiple spatial scales, first within the focal parks, and then within buffer zones with radius of 200 m and 1000 m. We found that waterbodies can serve as avian diversity "hotspots" in the urban landscape. More specifically, they support avian diversity in the following ways: (1) Parks with waterbodies maintain a higher number of bird species than parks without waterbodies during the breeding season and attract resident forest birds during the wintering season. (2) When not frozen, waterbodies inside and outside parks contribute equally to resident forest bird species richness, while more individuals were attracted by waterbodies within neighborhoods. (3) In parks without waterbodies, the number of forest bird species significantly increases with the number of waterbody patches within neighborhoods, while the corresponding relationship for parks with waterbodies is insignificant. These findings suggest a preference for habitats nearby waterbodies among forest birds residing highly urbanized areas. This study provides new insights into avian ecology in urban landscapes and scientific support for the idea that creating and maintaining urban waterbodies can conserve biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilin Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - John M Marzluff
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Yuebo Su
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yaqing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Nan Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Tong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Cheng Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Fei Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Beijing Urban Ecosystem Research Station, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Chaofan Xian
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhiyun Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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Laguna E, Barasona JA, Vicente J, Keuling O, Acevedo P. Differences in wild boar spatial behaviour among land uses and management scenarios in Mediterranean ecosystems. Sci Total Environ 2021; 796:148966. [PMID: 34273834 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148966] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The ubiquitous wild boar is causing diverse and growing conflicts of socio-ecological and economic relevance worldwide. For that reason, knowledge of its spatial ecology is crucial to designing effective management programmes. But this knowledge is scarce in Mediterranean areas with mixed land uses. We describe the spatial ecology and habitat selection of 41 adult wild boar monitored using GPS collars and analyse the effects of sex and the period (food shortage period, hunting season and food abundance period) under different land uses (protected areas, mixed farms and fenced hunting estates). The spatial ecology of wild boar was characterised by marked temporality, mediated by sex and the land uses in the area. The activity (ACT), daily range (DR) and home range (HR) were higher for males than females, and in mixed farms versus fenced hunting estates, while the lowest values were obtained in protected areas. These effects were more marked for ACT and DR (movement) than HR. The selection of scrublands and avoidance of woodlands was observed where drive hunt events occur (mixed farms and fenced estates), but not in the protected areas. The differences in the requirements, reproductive behaviour and, interestingly, response to disturbance according to sex may explain this dissimilar behaviour. Disturbance originated higher movement rates and the selection of sheltering land cover as a refuge during the hunting season. This information is useful for designing species monitoring and management programmes; including both preventive and reactive actions in response to events such as outbreaks of African swine fever and agricultural damage produced by wild boar in Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Laguna
- Grupo Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio), Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), UCLM-CSIC-JCCM, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - José A Barasona
- VISAVET, Health Surveillance Centre, Department of Animal Health, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Joaquín Vicente
- Grupo Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio), Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), UCLM-CSIC-JCCM, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain.
| | - Oliver Keuling
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
| | - Pelayo Acevedo
- Grupo Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio), Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), UCLM-CSIC-JCCM, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
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Wang QY, Zheng KD, Han XS, He F, Zhao X, Fan PF, Zhang L. Site-specific and seasonal variation in habitat use of Eurasian otters ( Lutralutra) in western China: implications for conservation. Zool Res 2021; 42:825-833. [PMID: 34755501 PMCID: PMC8645887 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2021.238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
As a top predator, the Eurasian otter ( Lutralutra) is an indicator of healthy freshwater ecosystems and a flagship species for conservation. Once widespread in China, the species is now distributed mainly in the upper reaches of the great rivers of western China. However, a lack of knowledge on local otter populations continues to hinder their conservation in China. Here, we conducted a detailed study on habitat use of Eurasian otters in Yushu City and Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve in western China using transect surveys. At both study sites, otters preferred to defecate on large rocks close to or protruding from the river and about 50 cm above the waterline. In Yushu, no spraints were found along the 5 km river bank section in the downtown area, with otters preferring sprainting sites with natural banks, riparian zones, and lower human population density. However, this pattern was not obvious at Tangjiahe, where river transformation and human disturbance are minor. Otter river use intensity was negatively correlated with elevation and human population density in Yushu in both seasons. In Tangjiahe, otter river use intensity was positively correlated with prey mass and flow rate and negatively correlated with human population in spring, but positively correlated with human population and negatively correlated with flow rate in autumn. These results reflect the flexible habitat use strategies of otters at different sites, underlining the necessity to study otters living in different regions and habitat types. We provide suggestions for river modification and call for more site-specific studies to promote otter conservation in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao-Yun Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
| | - Kai-Dan Zheng
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
| | - Xue-Song Han
- Shan Shui Conservation Center, Beijing 100871, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Fang He
- Tangjiahe National Natural Reserve, Guangyuan, Sichuan 628109, China
| | - Xiang Zhao
- Shan Shui Conservation Center, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Peng-Fei Fan
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China. E-mail:
| | - Lu Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China. E-mail:
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Passoni G, Coulson T, Ranc N, Corradini A, Hewison AJM, Ciuti S, Gehr B, Heurich M, Brieger F, Sandfort R, Mysterud A, Balkenhol N, Cagnacci F. Roads constrain movement across behavioural processes in a partially migratory ungulate. Mov Ecol 2021; 9:57. [PMID: 34774097 PMCID: PMC8590235 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00292-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human disturbance alters animal movement globally and infrastructure, such as roads, can act as physical barriers that impact behaviour across multiple spatial scales. In ungulates, roads can particularly hamper key ecological processes such as dispersal and migration, which ensure functional connectivity among populations, and may be particularly important for population performance in highly human-dominated landscapes. The impact of roads on some aspects of ungulate behaviour has already been studied. However, potential differences in response to roads during migration, dispersal and home range movements have never been evaluated. Addressing these issues is particularly important to assess the resistance of European landscapes to the range of wildlife movement processes, and to evaluate how animals adjust to anthropogenic constraints. METHODS We analysed 95 GPS trajectories from 6 populations of European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) across the Alps and central Europe. We investigated how roe deer movements were affected by landscape characteristics, including roads, and we evaluated potential differences in road avoidance among resident, migratory and dispersing animals (hereafter, movement modes). First, using Net Squared Displacement and a spatio-temporal clustering algorithm, we classified individuals as residents, migrants or dispersers. We then identified the start and end dates of the migration and dispersal trajectories, and retained only the GPS locations that fell between those dates (i.e., during transience). Finally, we used the resulting trajectories to perform an integrated step selection analysis. RESULTS We found that roe deer moved through more forested areas during the day and visited less forested areas at night. They also minimised elevation gains and losses along their movement trajectories. Road crossings were strongly avoided at all times of day, but when they occurred, they were more likely to occur during longer steps and in more forested areas. Road avoidance did not vary among movement modes and, during dispersal and migration, it remained high and consistent with that expressed during home range movements. CONCLUSIONS Roads can represent a major constraint to movement across modes and populations, potentially limiting functional connectivity at multiple ecological scales. In particular, they can affect migrating individuals that track seasonal resources, and dispersing animals searching for novel ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gioele Passoni
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Zoology Research and Administration Building, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK.
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre (CRI), Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy.
| | - Tim Coulson
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Zoology Research and Administration Building, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Nathan Ranc
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, 95064, USA
| | - Andrea Corradini
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre (CRI), Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering (DICAM), University of Trento, via Mesiano 77, 38123, Trento, TN, Italy
- Stelvio National Park, Via De Simoni 42, 23032, Bormio, SO, Italy
| | - A J Mark Hewison
- INRAE, CEFS, Université de Toulouse, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France
- LTSER ZA Pyrénées Garonne, 31320, Auzeville Tolosane, France
| | - Simone Ciuti
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, University College Dublin, Belfield, D4, Ireland
| | - Benedikt Gehr
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marco Heurich
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Straße 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
- Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Straße 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Institute for Forest and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Science, 2480, Koppang, Norway
| | - Falko Brieger
- Wildlife Institute, Forest Research Institute Baden-Wuerttemberg, Wonnhaldestraße 4, 79100, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Robin Sandfort
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Gregor-Mendel Straße 33, 1180, Vienna, Austria
| | - Atle Mysterud
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindern, P.O. Box 1066, 0316, Oslo, Norway
| | - Niko Balkenhol
- Wildlife Sciences, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Buesgenweg 3, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre (CRI), Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy
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Salinas-Ramos VB, Ancillotto L, Cistrone L, Nastasi C, Bosso L, Smeraldo S, Sánchez Cordero V, Russo D. Artificial illumination influences niche segregation in bats. Environ Pollut 2021; 284:117187. [PMID: 33906034 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a pervasive form of pollution largely affecting wildlife, from individual behaviour to community structure and dynamics. As nocturnal mammals, bats are often adversely affected by ALAN, yet some "light-opportunistic" species exploit it by hunting insects swarming near lights. Here we used two potentially competing pipistrelle species as models, Kuhl's (Pipistrellus kuhlii) and common (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) pipistrelles, both known to forage in artificially illuminated areas. We set our study in a mountainous area of central Italy, where only recently did the two species become syntopic. We applied spatial modelling and radiotracking to contrast potential vs. actual environmental preferences by the two pipistrelles. Species distribution models and niche analysis showed a large interspecific niche overlap, including a preference for illuminated areas, presenting a potential competition scenario. Pipistrellus pipistrellus association with ALAN, however, was weakened by adding P. kuhlii as a biotic variable to the model. Radiotracking showed that the two species segregated habitats at a small spatial scale and that P. kuhlii used artificially illuminated sites much more frequently than P. pipistrellus, despite both species potentially being streetlamp foragers. We demonstrate that ALAN influences niche segregation between two potentially competing species, confirming its pervasive effects on species and community dynamics, and provide an example of how light pollution and species' habitat preferences may weave a tapestry of complex ecological interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria B Salinas-Ramos
- Wildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Portici, NA, Italy
| | - Leonardo Ancillotto
- Wildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Portici, NA, Italy
| | - Luca Cistrone
- Wildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Portici, NA, Italy
| | - Chiara Nastasi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
| | - Luciano Bosso
- Wildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Portici, NA, Italy
| | - Sonia Smeraldo
- Wildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Portici, NA, Italy
| | - Víctor Sánchez Cordero
- Laboratorio de Sistemas de Información Geográfica, Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad, 04510, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Danilo Russo
- Wildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Portici, NA, Italy.
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Htet NNP, Chaiyarat R, Thongthip N, Anuracpreeda P, Youngpoy N, Chompoopong P. Population and distribution of wild Asian elephants ( Elephas maximus) in Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11896. [PMID: 34395103 PMCID: PMC8325913 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The populations of wild Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) have increased recently after a period of worldwide decline in protected areas. It is important to understand the dynamics and distribution of the remaining populations to ensure their conservation and prevent human-elephant conflicts. Methods We monitored the population distribution of elephants between 2016 and 2019 in the Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand. We set one hundred forty-nine camera trap locations; cameras recorded 38,834 photos over 6,896 trap nights. Elephants were captured in 4,319 photographs. The maximum entropy modeling software MaxEntwas used to identify elephants’ habitat preferences within 49 of the 149 total camera trap locations according to five environmental factors. Results One hundred fourteen elephants were identified. We identified 30 adult males, 43 adult females, 14 sub-adult males, nine sub-adult females, 11 juveniles, and seven calves. The age structure ratio based on adult femaleswas 0.7:1:0.3:0.2:0.3:0.2, and the ratio of reproductive ability between adult females, juveniles, and calves was 1:0.2:0.1. A suitable elephant habitat was determined to be 1,288.9 km2 using Area Under the Curve (AUC). An AUC = 0.061 indicated good performance. Our model classified habitat preferences associated with elevation, forests, salt licks, human activity, and slope. Conclusions According to our probability map this sanctuary can provide a suitable habitat for elephants. Our results indicate that effective management practices can protect wild Asian elephants in the region and reduce conflict between humans and elephants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nyi Nyi Phyo Htet
- Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand
| | - Rattanawat Chaiyarat
- Wildlife and Plant Research Center, Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand
| | - Nikorn Thongthip
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Kampang Saen, Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand
| | - Panat Anuracpreeda
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand
| | - Namphung Youngpoy
- Wildlife and Plant Research Center, Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand
| | - Phonlugsamee Chompoopong
- Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Khon San District, Chaiyaphum Province, Thailand
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Santangelo JM, Vanschoenwinkel B, Trekels H. Habitat isolation and the cues of three remote predators differentially modulate prey colonization dynamics in pond landscapes. Oecologia 2021; 196:1027-1038. [PMID: 34327568 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04997-6] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests predators may change colonization rates of prey in nearby predator-free patches as an example of context-dependent habitat selection. Such remote predator effects can be positive when colonizers are redirected to nearby patches (habitat compression), or negative when nearby patches are avoided (risk contagion). However, it is unknown to what extent such responses are predator- and prey-specific and change with increasing distance from predator patches. We evaluated how cues of fish, backswimmers and dragonfly larvae affect habitat selection in replicated pond landscapes with predator-free patches located at increasing distances from a predator patch. We found evidence for risk contagion and compression, but spatial colonization patterns were both predator- and prey-specific. The mosquito Culex pipiens and water beetle Hydraena testacea avoided patches next to patches with dragonfly larvae (i.e. risk contagion). Predator-free patches next to patches with backswimmers were avoided only by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes preferentially colonized patches at some distance from a fish or backswimmer patch (i.e. habitat compression). Colonization patterns of beetles also suggested habitat compression, although reward contagion could not be fully excluded as an alternative explanation. Water beetles preferred the most isolated patches regardless of whether predators were present in the landscape, showing that patch position in a landscape alone affects colonization. We conclude that habitat selection can be a complex product of patch isolation and the combined effects of different local and remote cues complicate current attempts to predict the distribution of mobile organisms in landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayme M Santangelo
- Departamento de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Rodovia BR 465, Km 07, CEP, Seropédica, RJ, 23890-000, Brasil.
| | - Bram Vanschoenwinkel
- Community Ecology Lab, Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium.,Centre for Environmental Management (IB 67), University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Hendrik Trekels
- Community Ecology Lab, Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium
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Zhang T, Wang NF, Yu LY. Geographic Distance and Habitat Type Influence Fungal Communities in the Arctic and Antarctic Sites. Microb Ecol 2021; 82:224-232. [PMID: 34081147 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01742-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The Antarctic and Arctic regions are collectively referred to as the "Two Poles" of the earth and have extremely harsh climate conditions and fragile ecosystems. Until now, the biogeography of the fungal communities in the bipolar regions is not well known. In this study, we focused on the fungal communities in 110 samples collected from four habitat types (i.e., soil, vascular plant, freshwater, moss) in the Antarctic and Arctic sites using high-throughput sequencing. The data showed that the diversity and composition of fungal communities were both geographically patterned and habitat-patterned. ANOSIM tests revealed statistically significant differences among fungal communities in the eight sample types (R = 0.5035, p < 0.001) and those in the bipolar regions (R = 0.32859, p < 0.001). Only 396 OTUs (14.8%) were shared between the bipolar sites. Fungal communities in the four habitat types clustered together in the Arctic site but were separate from those of the Antarctic site, indicating that geographic distance was a more important determinant of fungal communities in the bipolar sites. These findings offer insights into the present-day biogeography of fungal communities in the bipolar sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Zhang
- China Pharmaceutical Culture Collection, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Neng-Fei Wang
- Key Lab of Marine Bioactive Substances, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, People's Republic of China
| | - Li-Yan Yu
- China Pharmaceutical Culture Collection, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
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Phillips JA, Fayet AL, Guilford T, Manco F, Warwick-Evans V, Trathan P. Foraging conditions for breeding penguins improve with distance from colony and progression of the breeding season at the South Orkney Islands. Mov Ecol 2021; 9:22. [PMID: 33947478 PMCID: PMC8094539 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00261-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND According to central place foraging theory, animals will only increase the distance of their foraging trips if more distant prey patches offer better foraging opportunities. Thus, theory predicts that breeding seabirds in large colonies could create a zone of food depletion around the colony, known as "Ashmole's halo". However, seabirds' decisions to forage at a particular distance are likely also complicated by their breeding stage. After chicks hatch, parents must return frequently to feed their offspring, so may be less likely to visit distant foraging patches, even if their quality is higher. However, the interaction between prey availability, intra-specific competition, and breeding stage on the foraging decisions of seabirds is not well understood. The aim of this study was to address this question in chinstrap penguins Pygoscelis antarcticus breeding at a large colony. In particular, we aimed to investigate how breeding stage affects foraging strategy; whether birds foraging far from the colony visit higher quality patches than available locally; and whether there is evidence for intraspecific competition, indicated by prey depletions near the colony increasing over time, and longer foraging trips. METHODS We used GPS and temperature-depth recorders to track the foraging movements of 221 chinstrap penguins from 4 sites at the South Orkney Islands during incubation and brood. We identified foraging dives and calculated the index of patch quality based on time allocation during the dive to assess the quality of the foraging patch. RESULTS We found that chinstrap penguin foraging distance varied between stages, and that trips became shorter as incubation progressed. Although patch quality was lower near the colony than at more distant foraging patches, patch quality near the colony improved over the breeding season. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest chinstrap penguin foraging strategies are influenced by both breeding stage and prey distribution, and the low patch quality near the colony may be due to a combination of depletion by intraspecific competition but compensated by natural variation in prey. Reduced trip durations towards the end of the incubation period may be due to an increase in food availability, as seabirds time their reproduction so that the period of maximum energy demand in late chick-rearing coincides with maximum resource availability in the environment. This may also explain why patch quality around the colony improved over the breeding season. Overall, our study sheds light on drivers of foraging decisions in colonial seabirds, an important question in foraging ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Ann Phillips
- Department of Zoology, Oxford University, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK.
| | - Annette L Fayet
- Department of Zoology, Oxford University, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Tim Guilford
- Department of Zoology, Oxford University, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Fabrizio Manco
- Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge Campus, East Rd, Cambridge, CB1 1PT, UK
| | | | - Phil Trathan
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Rd, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK.
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Mercker M, Schwemmer P, Peschko V, Enners L, Garthe S. Analysis of local habitat selection and large-scale attraction/avoidance based on animal tracking data: is there a single best method? Mov Ecol 2021; 9:20. [PMID: 33892815 PMCID: PMC8063450 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00260-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND New wildlife telemetry and tracking technologies have become available in the last decade, leading to a large increase in the volume and resolution of animal tracking data. These technical developments have been accompanied by various statistical tools aimed at analysing the data obtained by these methods. METHODS We used simulated habitat and tracking data to compare some of the different statistical methods frequently used to infer local resource selection and large-scale attraction/avoidance from tracking data. Notably, we compared spatial logistic regression models (SLRMs), spatio-temporal point process models (ST-PPMs), step selection models (SSMs), and integrated step selection models (iSSMs) and their interplay with habitat and animal movement properties in terms of statistical hypothesis testing. RESULTS We demonstrated that only iSSMs and ST-PPMs showed nominal type I error rates in all studied cases, whereas SSMs may slightly and SLRMs may frequently and strongly exceed these levels. iSSMs appeared to have on average a more robust and higher statistical power than ST-PPMs. CONCLUSIONS Based on our results, we recommend the use of iSSMs to infer habitat selection or large-scale attraction/avoidance from animal tracking data. Further advantages over other approaches include short computation times, predictive capacity, and the possibility of deriving mechanistic movement models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Mercker
- Bionum GmbH - Consultants in Biostatistics, Hamburg, Finkenwerder Norderdeich 15 A, Hamburg, Germany
- Research and Technology Centre (FTZ) Kiel University, Hafentörn 1, Büsum, 25761 Germany
| | - Philipp Schwemmer
- Institute of Applied Mathematics (IAM) Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 205, Heidelberg, 69120 Germany
| | - Verena Peschko
- Institute of Applied Mathematics (IAM) Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 205, Heidelberg, 69120 Germany
| | - Leonie Enners
- Institute of Applied Mathematics (IAM) Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 205, Heidelberg, 69120 Germany
| | - Stefan Garthe
- Institute of Applied Mathematics (IAM) Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 205, Heidelberg, 69120 Germany
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Valerie O, Daniels MD. Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) summer thermal habitat use in streams with sympatric populations. J Therm Biol 2021; 98:102931. [PMID: 34016353 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.102931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
This study addresses the need to examine the thermally mediated interactions of fish with their natural environment by investigating the shift in thermal habitat occupation for sympatric Brook and Brown Trout populations. We observed upstream Brook Trout and Brown Trout population shifts during the summer, with thermal habitats showing an increased number of Brown Trout, while some sites also displayed a decrease in the number of Brook Trout. Overall, there was an increased incidence of overlapping habitat occupation at the end of the summer. Brown Trout occupied optimal resting and feeding thermal habitat locations, which can potentially affect growth rates and Brook Trout's survival. Population shifts did not occur at elevated water temperatures as expected but seem driven by temperatures that are optimal for growth. Observed population shifts can lead to increased interactions between the two species throughout the summer. The results provide a better understanding of how future, longer-term, thermal habitat modifications may modify species interactions, which are critical for salmonid conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ouellet Valerie
- Stroud Water Resource Center, 970 Spencer Rd, Avondale, PA, USA, 19311.
| | - Melinda D Daniels
- Stroud Water Resource Center, 970 Spencer Rd, Avondale, PA, USA, 19311
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45
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Gil-Sánchez JM, Mañá-Varela B, Herrera-Sánchez FJ, Urios V. Spatio-temporal ecology of a carnivore community in middle atlas, NW of Morocco. ZOOLOGY 2021; 146:125904. [PMID: 33691263 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2021.125904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 08/09/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In species that live in sympatry, some dimensions of their ecological niche can overlap, but coexistence is possible thanks to segregation strategies, being the differential use of space and time one of the most frequent. Through a pioneer study in North-West Africa based on a camera-trapping survey, we studied ecology features of a carnivores' community in the Middle Atlas Mountains, Morocco. We focused on how species shared (or not) the territory and their activity patterns. Camera trapping detected five carnivorous species: African golden wolf (Canis lupaster), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris), genet (Genetta genetta) and African wildcat (Felis lybica lybica). Generalized Linear Models confirmed different habitat selection patterns between these species. The presence of a small protected area or prey availability apparently were not determinant factors in the abundance of these species. Spatial segregation patterns were observed between the red fox with the domestic dog and between the red fox with the genet. Kernel density estimates showed strong temporal segregation of red fox and African golden wolf with regard to domestic dog, and suggested avoidance mechanisms for the triad red fox, genet and African golden wolf. Despite the influence of interspecific competition in the assembly of the community, human pressure was apparently the most relevant factor related with the spatio-temporal segregation in this territory.
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Affiliation(s)
- José María Gil-Sánchez
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, Avda. de Fuente Nueva, s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Brais Mañá-Varela
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, Avda. de Fuente Nueva, s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain.
| | - F Javier Herrera-Sánchez
- Harmusch, Association for the Study and Conservation of Wildlife. C/ San Antón 15, 1º. E 13580 Almodóvar del Campo, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Vicente Urios
- Grupo de Investigación Zoología de Vertebrados, Universidad de Alicante, Campus San Vicente del Raspeig, Edificio Ciencias III, Alicante 03080, Spain
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Glass TW, Breed GA, Liston GE, Reinking AK, Robards MD, Kielland K. Spatiotemporally variable snow properties drive habitat use of an Arctic mesopredator. Oecologia 2021; 195:887-899. [PMID: 33683443 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04890-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is rapidly altering the composition and availability of snow, with implications for snow-affected ecological processes, including reproduction, predation, habitat selection, and migration. How snowpack changes influence these ecological processes is mediated by physical snowpack properties, such as depth, density, hardness, and strength, each of which is in turn affected by climate change. Despite this, it remains difficult to obtain meaningful snow information relevant to the ecological processes of interest, precluding a mechanistic understanding of these effects. This problem is acute for species that rely on particular attributes of the subnivean space, for example depth, thermal resistance, and structural stability, for key life-history processes like reproduction, thermoregulation, and predation avoidance. We used a spatially explicit snow evolution model to investigate how habitat selection of a species that uses the subnivean space, the wolverine, is related to snow depth, snow density, and snow melt on Arctic tundra. We modeled these snow properties at a 10 m spatial and a daily temporal resolution for 3 years, and used integrated step selection analyses of GPS collar data from 21 wolverines to determine how these snow properties influenced habitat selection and movement. We found that wolverines selected deeper, denser snow, but only when it was not undergoing melt, bolstering the evidence that these snow properties are important to species that use the Arctic snowpack for subnivean resting sites and dens. We discuss the implications of these findings in the context of climate change impacts on subnivean species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Glass
- Wildlife Conservation Society, PO Box 751110, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA. .,Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 756100, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA.
| | - Greg A Breed
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 756100, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA.,Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
| | - Glen E Liston
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, 1375 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Adele K Reinking
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, 1375 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Martin D Robards
- Wildlife Conservation Society, PO Box 751110, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
| | - Knut Kielland
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 756100, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA.,Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
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Calderón JM, Erazo D, Kieran TJ, Gottdenker NL, León C, Cordovez J, Guhl F, Glenn TC, González C. How microclimatic variables and blood meal sources influence Rhodnius prolixus abundance and Trypanosoma cruzi infection in Attalea butyracea and Elaeis guineensis palms? Acta Trop 2020; 212:105674. [PMID: 32827453 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease is a zoonosis that affects several million people and is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is mainly transmitted through the feces of triatomine bugs. Within triatomines, several Rhodnius species have been found inhabiting palms, and certain factors such as palm species and location have been related to the abundance and T. cruzi infection of those insects in palms. In this study, the main goal was to determine if R. prolixus abundances and infection rates in Attalea butyracea and Elaeis guineensis palms are related to ecological factors such as palm species, crown microclimate, and available blood meal sources. Triatomine sampling was performed in two municipalities of Casanare, Colombia, specifically in the intersection of riparian forests and oil palm plantations. For R. prolixus abundance per palm, the predictors showing more relationship were palm species and blood meal species identified in the palm, and for T. cruzi infection per triatomine, they were palm species and nymphal stage. Palm microclimate was very similar in both palm species and did not show a relationship with triatomine abundance. Comparing palm species, A. butyracea showed more blood meal species, including more refractory host species, than E. guineensis, but lower T. cruzi infection rate and parasitaemia. Interestingly, non-arboreal blood meal species were frequently found in the analyzed nymphs, indicating that the blood source for R. prolixus in palms corresponded to all the fauna located in the surrounded landscape and not only in the palm. These results could expose a new ecological scenario to interpret the T. cruzi transmission in sylvatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan M Calderón
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical (CIMPAT), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá D.C. 111711, Colombia.
| | - Diana Erazo
- Grupo de Investigación en Biología Matemática y Computacional (BIOMAC), Departamento de Ingeniería Biomédica, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá D.C. 111711, Colombia
| | - Troy J Kieran
- Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
| | - Nicole L Gottdenker
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
| | - Cielo León
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical (CIMPAT), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá D.C. 111711, Colombia
| | - Juan Cordovez
- Grupo de Investigación en Biología Matemática y Computacional (BIOMAC), Departamento de Ingeniería Biomédica, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá D.C. 111711, Colombia
| | - Felipe Guhl
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical (CIMPAT), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá D.C. 111711, Colombia
| | - Travis C Glenn
- Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
| | - Camila González
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical (CIMPAT), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá D.C. 111711, Colombia
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Silva DCVR, Queiroz LG, Marassi RJ, Araújo CVM, Bazzan T, Cardoso-Silva S, Silva GC, Müller M, Silva FT, Montagner CC, Paiva TCB, Pompêo MLM. Predicting zebrafish spatial avoidance triggered by discharges of dairy wastewater: An experimental approach based on self-purification in a model river. Environ Pollut 2020; 266:115325. [PMID: 32814178 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater discharges from dairy industries can cause a range of harmful effects in aquatic ecosystems, including a decline in biodiversity due to species evasion. Therefore, it is important to know the purification potential of rivers for the removal of pollutants released in dairy wastewater (DWW). The hypothesis adopted in this work was that the release of DWW into stretches of the Ribeirão dos Pombos River (São Paulo State, Brazil) might trigger an avoidance response, resulting in fish migrating to other regions, with the response being greater when the self-cleaning potential of the river is smaller. Therefore, the goals of the present study were to: (i) investigate how land use and seasonality of the rainfall regime influence the quality of the water in different areas of the river (P1: river source; P2: urban region; P3: rural region); (ii) assess the potential of the river to purify DWW; and (iii) evaluate the potential toxicity and repellency of DWW to the freshwater fish Danio rerio, using acute toxicity (mortality) and non-forced avoidance tests, respectively. P1 was shown to be the most preserved area. The chemical composition of the river varied seasonally, with higher concentrations of Cl- and SO42- at P3 during the rainy period. The river purification potential for DWW was higher at P2, due to greater microbiological activity (associated with higher BOD). The DWW was more acutely toxic in water from P2. The avoidance response was strongly determined by the concentration of DWW, especially for water from P2. The high capacity for self-cleaning at P2 did not seem sufficient to maintain the stability of the ecosystem. Finally, the non-forced exposure system proved to be a suitable approach that can assist in predicting how contaminants may affect the spatial distributions of organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C V R Silva
- Federal University of Southern and Southeastern Pará, Institute of Xingu Studies, São Félix Do Xingu, Pará, Brazil.
| | - Lucas G Queiroz
- Department of Biotechnology, Engineering School of Lorena, University of São Paulo, Lorena, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo J Marassi
- Department of Biotechnology, Engineering School of Lorena, University of São Paulo, Lorena, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cristiano V M Araújo
- Department of Ecology and Coastal Management, Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (CSIC), Campus Río S. Pedro, 11510, Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain
| | - Thiago Bazzan
- National Institute for Space Research, São José Dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sheila Cardoso-Silva
- Program in Ecology and Natural Resource Management, UFAC, Rio Branco, AC, Brazil; Institute of Oceanography, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gilmar C Silva
- Postgraduate Program in Environmental Technology, Federal Fluminense University, Volta Redonda, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - M Müller
- Technological Institute of Aeronautics, São José Dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Flávio T Silva
- Department of Biotechnology, Engineering School of Lorena, University of São Paulo, Lorena, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cassiana C Montagner
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Campinas State University, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Teresa C B Paiva
- Department of Biotechnology, Engineering School of Lorena, University of São Paulo, Lorena, São Paulo, Brazil
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Jennewein JS, Hebblewhite M, Mahoney P, Gilbert S, Meddens AJH, Boelman NT, Joly K, Jones K, Kellie KA, Brainerd S, Vierling LA, Eitel JUH. Behavioral modifications by a large-northern herbivore to mitigate warming conditions. Mov Ecol 2020; 8:39. [PMID: 33072330 PMCID: PMC7559473 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-020-00223-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Temperatures in arctic-boreal regions are increasing rapidly and pose significant challenges to moose (Alces alces), a heat-sensitive large-bodied mammal. Moose act as ecosystem engineers, by regulating forest carbon and structure, below ground nitrogen cycling processes, and predator-prey dynamics. Previous studies showed that during hotter periods, moose displayed stronger selection for wetland habitats, taller and denser forest canopies, and minimized exposure to solar radiation. However, previous studies regarding moose behavioral thermoregulation occurred in Europe or southern moose range in North America. Understanding whether ambient temperature elicits a behavioral response in high-northern latitude moose populations in North America may be increasingly important as these arctic-boreal systems have been warming at a rate two to three times the global mean. METHODS We assessed how Alaska moose habitat selection changed as a function of ambient temperature using a step-selection function approach to identify habitat features important for behavioral thermoregulation in summer (June-August). We used Global Positioning System telemetry locations from four populations of Alaska moose (n = 169) from 2008 to 2016. We assessed model fit using the quasi-likelihood under independence criterion and conduction a leave-one-out cross validation. RESULTS Both male and female moose in all populations increasingly, and nonlinearly, selected for denser canopy cover as ambient temperature increased during summer, where initial increases in the conditional probability of selection were initially sharper then leveled out as canopy density increased above ~ 50%. However, the magnitude of selection response varied by population and sex. In two of the three populations containing both sexes, females demonstrated a stronger selection response for denser canopy at higher temperatures than males. We also observed a stronger selection response in the most southerly and northerly populations compared to populations in the west and central Alaska. CONCLUSIONS The impacts of climate change in arctic-boreal regions increase landscape heterogeneity through processes such as increased wildfire intensity and annual area burned, which may significantly alter the thermal environment available to an animal. Understanding habitat selection related to behavioral thermoregulation is a first step toward identifying areas capable of providing thermal relief for moose and other species impacted by climate change in arctic-boreal regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti S. Jennewein
- Department of Natural Resources and Society, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Science, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT USA
| | - Peter Mahoney
- College of the Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Sophie Gilbert
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID USA
| | | | - Natalie T. Boelman
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY USA
| | - Kyle Joly
- National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Fairbanks, AK USA
| | - Kimberly Jones
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 1800 Glenn Hwy #2, Palmer, AK USA
| | - Kalin A. Kellie
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, 1300 College Rd, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
| | - Scott Brainerd
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, Norway
| | - Lee A. Vierling
- Department of Natural Resources and Society, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID USA
| | - Jan U. H. Eitel
- Department of Natural Resources and Society, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID USA
- McCall Outdoor Science School, University of Idaho, McCall, ID USA
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50
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Wang G, Wang C, Guo Z, Dai L, Wu Y, Liu H, Li Y, Chen H, Zhang Y, Zhao Y, Cheng H, Ma T, Xue F. A multiscale approach to identifying spatiotemporal pattern of habitat selection for red-crowned cranes. Sci Total Environ 2020; 739:139980. [PMID: 32544690 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139980] [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: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Effective conservation measures largely depend on knowledge of habitat selection of target species. Little is known about the scale characteristics and temporal rhythm of habitat selection of the endangered red-crowned crane, limiting the habitat conservation. Here, two red-crowned cranes were tracked with Global position system (GPS) for two years in Yancheng National Nature Reserve (YNNR). A multiscale approach was developed to identify the spatiotemporal pattern of habitat selection of red-crowned cranes. The results revealed that Red-crowned cranes preferred to select Scirpus mariqueter, ponds, Suaeda salsa, and Phragmites australis, and avoid Spartina alterniflora. In each season, habitat selection ratio for Scirpus mariqueter and ponds was the highest during the day and night, respectively. Further multiscale analysis showed that the percent coverage of Scirpus mariqueter at the 200-m to 500-m scale was the most important predictor for all habitat selection modeling, emphasizing the importance of restoring a large area of Scirpus mariqueter habitat for red-crowned crane population restoration. Additionally, other variables affect habitat selection at different scales, and their contributions vary with seasonal and circadian rhythm. Furthermore, habitat suitability was mapped to provide a direct basis for habitat management. The suitable area of daytime and nighttime habitat accounted for 5.4%-19.0% and 4.6%-10.2% of the study area, respectively, implying the urgency of restoration. The study highlighted the scale and temporal rhythms of habitat selection for various endangered species that depend on small habitats. The proposed multiscale approach applies to the restoration and management of habitats of various endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Wang
- School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; School of Urban and Plan, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng 224002, China; Key Laboratory of Virtual Geographic Environment (Nanjing Normal University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210023, China; Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; Key Laboratory of Virtual Geographic Environment (Nanjing Normal University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210023, China; Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Ziru Guo
- School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; Key Laboratory of Virtual Geographic Environment (Nanjing Normal University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210023, China; Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Lingjun Dai
- School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; Key Laboratory of Virtual Geographic Environment (Nanjing Normal University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210023, China; Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yuqin Wu
- School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; Key Laboratory of Virtual Geographic Environment (Nanjing Normal University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210023, China; Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Hongyu Liu
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Yufeng Li
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Hao Chen
- Yancheng National Rare Birds Nature Reserve, Yancheng 224002, China
| | - Yanan Zhang
- Yancheng National Rare Birds Nature Reserve, Yancheng 224002, China
| | - Yongxiang Zhao
- Yancheng National Rare Birds Nature Reserve, Yancheng 224002, China
| | - Hai Cheng
- Yancheng National Rare Birds Nature Reserve, Yancheng 224002, China
| | - Tianwu Ma
- School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; Key Laboratory of Virtual Geographic Environment (Nanjing Normal University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210023, China; Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Fei Xue
- School of Marine and Biological Engineering, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng 224002, China
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