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Mumme S, Middleton AD, Ciucci P, De Groeve J, Corradini A, Aikens EO, Ossi F, Atwood P, Balkenhol N, Cole EK, Debeffe L, Dewey SR, Fischer C, Gude J, Heurich M, Hurley MA, Jarnemo A, Kauffman MJ, Licoppe A, van Loon E, McWhirter D, Mong TW, Pedrotti L, Morellet N, Mysterud A, Peters W, Proffitt K, Saïd S, Signer J, Sunde P, Starý M, Cagnacci F. Wherever I may roam-Human activity alters movements of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and elk (Cervus canadensis) across two continents. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:5788-5801. [PMID: 37306048 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Human activity and associated landscape modifications alter the movements of animals with consequences for populations and ecosystems worldwide. Species performing long-distance movements are thought to be particularly sensitive to human impact. Despite the increasing anthropogenic pressure, it remains challenging to understand and predict animals' responses to human activity. Here we address this knowledge gap using 1206 Global Positioning System movement trajectories of 815 individuals from 14 red deer (Cervus elaphus) and 14 elk (Cervus canadensis) populations spanning wide environmental gradients, namely the latitudinal range from the Alps to Scandinavia in Europe, and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in North America. We measured individual-level movements relative to the environmental context, or movement expression, using the standardized metric Intensity of Use, reflecting both the directionality and extent of movements. We expected movement expression to be affected by resource (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI) predictability and topography, but those factors to be superseded by human impact. Red deer and elk movement expression varied along a continuum, from highly segmented trajectories over relatively small areas (high intensity of use), to directed transitions through restricted corridors (low intensity of use). Human activity (Human Footprint Index, HFI) was the strongest driver of movement expression, with a steep increase in Intensity of Use as HFI increased, but only until a threshold was reached. After exceeding this level of impact, the Intensity of Use remained unchanged. These results indicate the overall sensitivity of Cervus movement expression to human activity and suggest a limitation of plastic responses under high human pressure, despite the species also occurring in human-dominated landscapes. Our work represents the first comparison of metric-based movement expression across widely distributed populations of a deer genus, contributing to the understanding and prediction of animals' responses to human activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Mumme
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- Animal Ecology Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Arthur D Middleton
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Johannes De Groeve
- Animal Ecology Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Andrea Corradini
- Animal Ecology Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering (DICAM), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- Stelvio National Park-Ersaf Lombardia, Bormio, Italy
| | - Ellen O Aikens
- School of Computing, University of Wyoming, Wyoming, Laramie, USA
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Wyoming, Laramie, USA
| | - Federico Ossi
- Animal Ecology Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Paul Atwood
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho, Coeur d'Alene, USA
| | - Niko Balkenhol
- Wildlife Sciences, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Eric K Cole
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Elk Refuge, Wyoming, Jackson, USA
| | - Lucie Debeffe
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, Castanet Tolosan, France
- LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, Auzeville Tolosane, France
| | - Sarah R Dewey
- National Park Service, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, Moose, USA
| | - Claude Fischer
- Department of Nature Management, University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland, Jussy, Switzerland
| | - Justin Gude
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Montana, Helena, USA
| | - Marco Heurich
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring, Bavarian Forest National Park, Grafenau, Germany
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Inland Norway University of Applied Science Institute for Forest and Wildlife Management, Koppang, Norway
| | - Mark A Hurley
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho, Boise, USA
| | - Anders Jarnemo
- School of Business, Innovation and Sustainability, Halmstad University, Halmstad, Sweden
| | - Matthew J Kauffman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Wyoming, Laramie, USA
| | - Alain Licoppe
- Natural and Agricultural Environmental Studies Department, Service Public de Wallonie, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Emiel van Loon
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Tony W Mong
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Wyoming, Cody, USA
| | - Luca Pedrotti
- Stelvio National Park-Ersaf Lombardia, Bormio, Italy
| | - Nicolas Morellet
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, Castanet Tolosan, France
- LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, Auzeville Tolosane, France
| | - Atle Mysterud
- Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Wibke Peters
- Department for Conservation, Biodiversity and Wildlife Management, Bavarian State Institute of Forestry, Freising, Germany
| | - Kelly Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Montana, Bozeman, USA
| | - Sonia Saïd
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, DRAS, "Montfort", Birieux, France
| | - Johannes Signer
- Wildlife Sciences, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Peter Sunde
- Department of Ecoscience-Wildlife Ecology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Animal Ecology Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
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Bista D, Baxter GS, Hudson NJ, Lama ST, Weerman J, Murray PJ. Space use, interaction and recursion in a solitary specialized herbivore: a red panda case study. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2022. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Better understanding of ecology is crucial for the success of endangered species conservation programmes. Little information is available on space use, conspecific interactions and recursions by one such species, the red panda Ailurus fulgens. To address this deficiency, we used GPS telemetry to examine their home range, core area, home-range overlap, dynamic interactions and recursive movement, and investigated the effect of sex, age and body mass on these behaviours across seasons. The median annual home range size was 1.41 km2, with nearly a quarter of this range being used as the core area. Sex and reproductive status were the key determinants of space use patterns on a seasonal scale, while body mass and age remained significant correlates for the core area. The home range of males was nearly double that of females, likely because of the polygynous mating system in red pandas. Females avoided overlapping home ranges, while males overlapped home range with up to 4 females, and neighbouring males overlapped nearly half of their ranges. We found rare interactions between males and females outside the mating season. Red pandas showed site fidelity within their territory, with seasonal variation across sex classes. We also observed high individual variation in patterns of both space use and recursive movement. Taken together, these results suggest that differences in biological requirements across seasons determine red panda space use patterns, conspecific interactions and recursion. However, forage availability and quality, climatic factors, disturbances and habitat fragmentation are also likely to influence these behaviours, and these factors need to be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Bista
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences (Wildlife Science Unit), The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia
| | - GS Baxter
- School of Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, West St, Darling Heights, QLD 4350, Australia
| | - NJ Hudson
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences (Wildlife Science Unit), The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia
| | - ST Lama
- Red Panda Network, Baluwatar, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
| | - J Weerman
- Royal Rotterdam Zoological & Botanical Gardens, Postbus 532, 3000 AM Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - PJ Murray
- School of Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, West St, Darling Heights, QLD 4350, Australia
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Kaczensky P, Salemgareyev A, Linnell JDC, Zuther S, Walzer C, Huber N, Petit T. Post-release Movement Behaviour and Survival of Kulan Reintroduced to the Steppes and Deserts of Central Kazakhstan. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2021.703358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Asiatic wild ass, or kulan (Equus hemionus kulan) were once a key species of the Eurasian steppes and deserts. In Kazakhstan they went extinct by the 1930s. Early reintroductions have reestablished the species in two protected areas, but the species has reclaimed <1% of their former range and remained absent from central Kazakhstan. To initiate restoration in this vast region, we captured and transported a first group of nine wild kulan to a large pre-release enclosure in the Torgai region in 2017, and two more in 2019. We used direct observations and post-release movement data of four kulan equipped with GPS-Iridium collars to document their adaptation process in a vast novel habitat without conspecifics. For comparison with movements in the source populations, we additionally equipped two kulan in Altyn Emel National Park and six in Barsa Kelmes State Nature Reserve. The nine transported kulan formed a cohesive group with very high movement correlation in the enclosure. After release, the group initially stayed tightly together but started to break up by mid-May and all kulan travelled independently by mid-August. With 48,680–136,953 km2, the 95% Autocorrelated Kernel Density Estimation ranges of the reintroduced kulan were huge and about 10–100 times larger than those in the source populations. The reintroduced mares never reconnected, there was no evidence of successful reproduction, and two of the four collared mares were killed by poachers and one died of natural causes. At least one stallion survived in the wild, but the fate of the other uncollared animals remains unclear. We speculate that the fission-fusion dynamics and low movement correlation of kulan societies and the need for migratory movements harbours the risk that animals released into a novel environment loose contact with each other. This risk is likely enhanced in steppe habitats where movement constraining factors are absent. Further kulan reintroductions to the steppes and deserts of central Kazakhstan should aim to release larger groups and build up the free-ranging population quickly to reach a critical mass, increasing the chance of kulan encountering conspecifics to successfully breed and increase their chances of survival.
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Smetzer JR, Paxton KL, Paxton EH. Individual and seasonal variation in the movement behavior of two tropical nectarivorous birds. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:36. [PMID: 34233764 PMCID: PMC8264974 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00275-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Movement of animals directly affects individual fitness, yet fine spatial and temporal resolution movement behavior has been studied in relatively few small species, particularly in the tropics. Nectarivorous Hawaiian honeycreepers are believed to be highly mobile throughout the year, but their fine-scale movement patterns remain unknown. The movement behavior of these crucial pollinators has important implications for forest ecology, and for mortality from avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum), an introduced disease that does not occur in high-elevation forests where Hawaiian honeycreepers primarily breed. METHODS We used an automated radio telemetry network to track the movement of two Hawaiian honeycreeper species, the 'apapane (Himatione sanguinea) and 'i'iwi (Drepanis coccinea). We collected high temporal and spatial resolution data across the annual cycle. We identified movement strategies using a multivariate analysis of movement metrics and assessed seasonal changes in movement behavior. RESULTS Both species exhibited multiple movement strategies including sedentary, central place foraging, commuting, and nomadism , and these movement strategies occurred simultaneously across the population. We observed a high degree of intraspecific variability at the individual and population level. The timing of the movement strategies corresponded well with regional bloom patterns of 'ōhi'a (Metrosideros polymorpha) the primary nectar source for the focal species. Birds made long-distance flights, including multi-day forays outside the tracking array, but exhibited a high degree of fidelity to a core use area, even in the non-breeding period. Both species visited elevations where avian malaria can occur but exhibited little seasonal change in elevation (< 150 m) and regularly returned to high-elevation roosts at night. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the power of automated telemetry to study complex and fine-scale movement behaviors in rugged tropical environments. Our work reveals a system in which birds can track shifting resources using a diverse set of movement behaviors and can facultatively respond to environmental change. Importantly, fidelity to high-elevation roosting sites minimizes nocturnal exposure to avian malaria for far-ranging individuals and is thus a beneficial behavior that may be under high selection pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R Smetzer
- Hawai'i Cooperative Studies Unit, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, PO Box 44, Hawai'i National Park, HI, 96718, USA.
| | - Kristina L Paxton
- Hawai'i Cooperative Studies Unit, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, PO Box 44, Hawai'i National Park, HI, 96718, USA
| | - Eben H Paxton
- U.S. Geological Survey Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, PO Box 44, Hawai'i National Park, HI, 96718, USA
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Stratmann TSM, Dejid N, Calabrese JM, Fagan WF, Fleming CH, Olson KA, Mueller T. Resource selection of a nomadic ungulate in a dynamic landscape. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0246809. [PMID: 33577613 PMCID: PMC7880454 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Nomadic movements are often a consequence of unpredictable resource dynamics. However, how nomadic ungulates select dynamic resources is still understudied. Here we examined resource selection of nomadic Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa) in the Eastern Steppe of Mongolia. We used daily GPS locations of 33 gazelles tracked up to 3.5 years. We examined selection for forage during the growing season using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). In winter we examined selection for snow cover which mediates access to forage and drinking water. We studied selection at the population level using resource selection functions (RSFs) as well as on the individual level using step-selection functions (SSFs) at varying spatio-temporal scales from 1 to 10 days. Results from the population and the individual level analyses differed. At the population level we found selection for higher than average NDVI during the growing season. This may indicate selection for areas with more forage cover within the arid steppe landscape. In winter, gazelles selected for intermediate snow cover, which may indicate preference for areas which offer some snow for hydration but not so much as to hinder movement. At the individual level, in both seasons and across scales, we were not able to detect selection in the majority of individuals, but selection was similar to that seen in the RSFs for those individuals showing selection. Difficulty in finding selection with SSFs may indicate that Mongolian gazelles are using a random search strategy to find forage in a landscape with large, homogeneous areas of vegetation. The combination of random searches and landscape characteristics could therefore obscure results at the fine scale of SSFs. The significant results on the broader scale used for the population level RSF highlight that, although individuals show uncoordinated movement trajectories, they ultimately select for similar vegetation and snow cover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa S. M. Stratmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Nandintsetseg Dejid
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | - William F. Fagan
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Christen H. Fleming
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Kirk A. Olson
- Mongolia Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Thomas Mueller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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