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Wilson RR, Martin MS, Regehr EV, Rode KD. Intrapopulation differences in polar bear movement and step selection patterns. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:25. [PMID: 35606849 PMCID: PMC9128121 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00326-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The spatial ecology of individuals often varies within a population or species. Identifying how individuals in different classes interact with their environment can lead to a better understanding of population responses to human activities and environmental change and improve population estimates. Most inferences about polar bear (Ursus maritimus) spatial ecology are based on data from adult females due to morphological constraints on applying satellite radio collars to other classes of bears. Recent studies, however, have provided limited movement data for adult males and sub-adults of both sexes using ear-mounted and glue-on tags. We evaluated class-specific movements and step selection patterns for polar bears in the Chukchi Sea subpopulation during spring. METHODS We developed hierarchical Bayesian models to evaluate polar bear movement (i.e., step length and directional persistence) and step selection at the scale of 4-day step lengths. We assessed differences in movement and step selection parameters among the three classes of polar bears (i.e., adult males, sub-adults, and adult females without cubs-of-the-year). RESULTS Adult males had larger step lengths and less directed movements than adult females. Sub-adult movement parameters did not differ from the other classes but point estimates were most similar to adult females. We did not detect differences among polar bear classes in step selection parameters and parameter estimates were consistent with previous studies. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support the use of estimated step selection patterns from adult females as a proxy for other classes of polar bears during spring. Conversely, movement analyses indicated that using data from adult females as a proxy for the movements of adult males is likely inappropriate. We recommend that researchers consider whether it is valid to extend inference derived from adult female movements to other classes, based on the questions being asked and the spatial and temporal scope of the data. Because our data were specific to spring, these findings highlight the need to evaluate differences in movement and step selection during other periods of the year, for which data from ear-mounted and glue-on tags are currently lacking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan R Wilson
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management, Anchorage, AK, USA.
| | - Michelle St Martin
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management, Anchorage, AK, USA
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland, OR, 97266, USA
| | - Eric V Regehr
- Polar Science Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Karyn D Rode
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK, USA
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Northrup JM, Vander Wal E, Bonar M, Fieberg J, Laforge MP, Leclerc M, Prokopenko CM, Gerber BD. Conceptual and methodological advances in habitat-selection modeling: guidelines for ecology and evolution. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e02470. [PMID: 34626518 PMCID: PMC9285351 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Habitat selection is a fundamental animal behavior that shapes a wide range of ecological processes, including animal movement, nutrient transfer, trophic dynamics and population distribution. Although habitat selection has been a focus of ecological studies for decades, technological, conceptual and methodological advances over the last 20 yr have led to a surge in studies addressing this process. Despite the substantial literature focused on quantifying the habitat-selection patterns of animals, there is a marked lack of guidance on best analytical practices. The conceptual foundations of the most commonly applied modeling frameworks can be confusing even to those well versed in their application. Furthermore, there has yet to be a synthesis of the advances made over the last 20 yr. Therefore, there is a need for both synthesis of the current state of knowledge on habitat selection, and guidance for those seeking to study this process. Here, we provide an approachable overview and synthesis of the literature on habitat-selection analyses (HSAs) conducted using selection functions, which are by far the most applied modeling framework for understanding the habitat-selection process. This review is purposefully non-technical and focused on understanding without heavy mathematical and statistical notation, which can confuse many practitioners. We offer an overview and history of HSAs, describing the tortuous conceptual path to our current understanding. Through this overview, we also aim to address the areas of greatest confusion in the literature. We synthesize the literature outlining the most exciting conceptual advances in the field of habitat-selection modeling, discussing the substantial ecological and evolutionary inference that can be made using contemporary techniques. We aim for this paper to provide clarity for those navigating the complex literature on HSAs while acting as a reference and best practices guide for practitioners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Northrup
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario, K9L 1Z8, Canada
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, K9L 1Z8, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Maegwin Bonar
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, K9L 1Z8, Canada
| | - John Fieberg
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Michel P Laforge
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Martin Leclerc
- Département de Biologie, Caribou Ungava and Centre d'études nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Christina M Prokopenko
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Brian D Gerber
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
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Avgar T, Betini GS, Fryxell JM. Habitat selection patterns are density dependent under the ideal free distribution. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2777-2787. [PMID: 32961607 PMCID: PMC7756284 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Despite being widely used, habitat selection models are rarely reliable and informative when applied across different ecosystems or over time. One possible explanation is that habitat selection is context-dependent due to variation in consumer density and/or resource availability. The goal of this paper is to provide a general theoretical perspective on the contributory mechanisms of consumer and resource density-dependent habitat selection, as well as on our capacity to account for their effects. Towards this goal we revisit the ideal free distribution (IFD), where consumers are assumed to be omniscient, equally competitive and freely moving, and are hence expected to instantaneously distribute themselves across a heterogeneous landscape such that fitness is equalised across the population. Although these assumptions are clearly unrealistic to some degree, the simplicity of the structure in IFD provides a useful theoretical vantage point to help clarify our understanding of more complex spatial processes. Of equal importance, IFD assumptions are compatible with the assumptions underlying common habitat selection models. Here we show how a fitness-maximising space use model, based on IFD, gives rise to resource and consumer density-dependent shifts in consumer distribution, providing a mechanistic explanation for the context-dependent outcomes often reported in habitat selection analysis. Our model suggests that adaptive shifts in consumer distribution patterns would be expected to lead to nonlinear and often non-monotonic patterns of habitat selection. These results indicate that even under the simplest of assumptions about adaptive organismal behaviour, habitat selection strength should critically depend on system-wide characteristics. Clarifying the impact of adaptive behavioural responses may be pivotal in making meaningful ecological inferences about observed patterns of habitat selection and allow reliable transferability of habitat selection predictions across time and space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Avgar
- Department of Wildland ResourcesUtah State UniversityLoganUTUSA
| | | | - John M. Fryxell
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of GuelphGuelphCanada
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Chance DP, McCollum JR, Street GM, Strickland BK, Lashley MA. Vegetation characteristics influence fine-scale intensity of habitat use by wild turkey and white-tailed deer in a loblolly pine plantation. Basic Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2019.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Irwin LL, Rock DF, Rock SC, Heyerly AK, Clark LA. Barred Owl Effects on Spotted Owl Resource Selection: A Meta‐Analysis. J Wildl Manage 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Larry L. Irwin
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement 5756 Ellison Lane Florence MT 59833 USA
| | - Dennis F. Rock
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement 43613 NE 309th Avenue, Amboy, WA 98601 USA
| | - Suzanne C. Rock
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement 43613 NE 309th Avenue, Amboy, WA 98601 USA
| | - Amanda K. Heyerly
- National Council for Air & Stream Improvement 2737 E Street North Bend OR 97459 USA
| | - Laurie A. Clark
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement 8769 Highway 42, Tenmile, OR 97841 USA
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Historical, current, and potential population size estimates of invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) in the United States. Biol Invasions 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-019-01983-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Street GM, Erovenko IV, Rowell JT. Dynamical facilitation of the ideal free distribution in nonideal populations. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:2471-2481. [PMID: 29531668 PMCID: PMC5838054 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The ideal free distribution (IFD) requires that individuals can accurately perceive density-dependent habitat quality, while failure to discern quality differences below a given perception threshold results in distributions approaching spatial uniformity. Here, we investigate the role of population growth in restoring a nonideal population to the IFD. We place a simple model of discrete patch choice under limits to the resolution by which patch quality is perceived and include population growth driven by that underlying quality. Our model follows the population's distribution through both breeding and dispersal seasons when perception limits differ in their likely influence. We demonstrate that populations of perception limited movers can approximate an IFD provided sufficient population growth; however, the emergent IFD would be temporally inconstant and correspond to reproductive events. The time to emergence of the IFD during breeding is shorter under exponential growth than under logistic growth. The IFD during early colonization of a community persists longer when more patches are available to individuals. As the population matures and dispersal becomes increasingly random, there is an oscillation in the observance of IFD, with peaks most closely approximating the IFD occurring immediately after reproductive events, and higher reproductive rates producing distributions closer to the IFD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garrett M. Street
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMSUSA
| | - Igor V. Erovenko
- Department of Mathematics and StatisticsUniversity of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboroNCUSA
| | - Jonathan T. Rowell
- Department of Mathematics and StatisticsUniversity of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboroNCUSA
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Serrouya R, Kellner A, Pavan G, Lewis DW, DeMars CA, McLellan BN. Time vs. distance: Alternate metrics of animal resource selection provide opposing inference. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Robert Serrouya
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alberta; Edmonton Alberta T6G 2E9 Canada
- Columbia Mountains Caribou Project; RPO #3 P.O. Box 9158 Revelstoke British Columbia V0E 3K0 Canada
| | - Amanda Kellner
- Columbia Mountains Caribou Project; RPO #3 P.O. Box 9158 Revelstoke British Columbia V0E 3K0 Canada
| | - Gary Pavan
- Columbia Mountains Caribou Project; RPO #3 P.O. Box 9158 Revelstoke British Columbia V0E 3K0 Canada
| | - Doug W. Lewis
- Columbia Mountains Caribou Project; RPO #3 P.O. Box 9158 Revelstoke British Columbia V0E 3K0 Canada
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations; P.O. Box 1732 D'Arcy British Columbia V0N 1L0 Canada
| | - Craig A. DeMars
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alberta; Edmonton Alberta T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Bruce N. McLellan
- Columbia Mountains Caribou Project; RPO #3 P.O. Box 9158 Revelstoke British Columbia V0E 3K0 Canada
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations; P.O. Box 1732 D'Arcy British Columbia V0N 1L0 Canada
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