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Khan TU, Ullah I, Hu Y, Liang J, Ahmad S, Omifolaji JK, Hu H. Assessment of Suitable Habitat of the Demoiselle Crane ( Anthropoides virgo) in the Wake of Climate Change: A Study of Its Wintering Refugees in Pakistan. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1453. [PMID: 38791670 DOI: 10.3390/ani14101453] [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: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The inevitable impacts of climate change have reverberated across ecosystems and caused substantial global biodiversity loss. Climate-induced habitat loss has contributed to range shifts at both species and community levels. Given the importance of identifying suitable habitats for at-risk species, it is imperative to assess potential current and future distributions, and to understand influential environmental factors. Like many species, the Demoiselle crane is not immune to climatic pressures. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces in Pakistan are known wintering grounds for this species. Given that Pakistan is among the top five countries facing devastating effects of climate change, this study sought to conduct species distribution modeling under climate change using data collected during 4 years of field surveys. We developed a Maximum Entropy distribution model to predict the current and projected future distribution of the species across the study area. Future habitat projections for 2050 and 2070 were carried out using two representative concentration pathways (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) under three global circulation models, including HADGEM2-AO, BCC-CSM1-1, and CCSM4. The most influential factors shaping Demoiselle Crane habitat suitability included the temperature seasonality, annual mean temperature, terrain ruggedness index, and human population density, all of which contributed significantly to the suitability (81.3%). The model identified 35% of the study area as moderately suitable (134,068 km2) and highly suitable (27,911 km2) habitat for the species under current climatic conditions. Under changing climate scenarios, our model predicted a major loss of the species' current suitable habitat, with shrinkage and shift towards western-central areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan boarder. The RCP 8.5, which is the extreme climate change scenario, portrays particularly severe consequences, with habitat losses reaching 65% in 2050 and 85% in 2070. This comprehensive study provides useful insights into the Demoiselle Crane habitat's current and future dynamics in Pakistan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tauheed Ullah Khan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Inam Ullah
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan 29220, Pakistan
- College of Wildlife and Protected Areas, Northeast Forestry University, No. 26, Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Yiming Hu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Jianchao Liang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Shahid Ahmad
- School of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
- Center for Eco-Environment Restoration Engineering of Hainan Province, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - James Kehinde Omifolaji
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Huijian Hu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, China
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Bulut S, Aytaş İ. Modeling potential distribution and above-ground biomass of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forests in the Inner Anatolian Region, Türkiye. Environ Monit Assess 2023; 195:1471. [PMID: 37964125 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-12101-z] [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: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) holds a substantial position as a tree species designated for biomass energy within European forests, covering a significant part of Türkiye's forests. We used the machine learning technique, namely, maximum entropy (MaxEnt), to estimate the suitable areas for Scots pine and to investigate its potential future distribution under various climate change scenarios in Inner Anatolian Region, Türkiye. The distribution data of Scots pine was utilized, and a set of 20 variables was chosen from spectral, topographic, and bioclimatic datasets to train the MaxEnt model. A map depicting the potential distribution of Scots pine in the area was generated, and alterations in its spatial distribution under SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 climate change scenarios were predicted. The results showed that the most effective factors for the distribution of Scots pine in the region were normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), Red band of the imagery, and Bio19 variables, and the contribution percentages were 45.6%, 18.5%, and 18.1%, respectively. Current conditions have indicated that 81.11% of the region is not suitable for Scots pine. Highly suitable areas for Scots pine constituted 0.88% of the total area in the east and southeast parts of the region. Considering the SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios, it has been determined that there may be a partial increase in highly suitable areas. The above-ground biomass (AGB) data generated based on potential distribution areas were predicted between 0.04 and 168.76 t ha-1, and the areas with dense biomass over 120 t ha-1 were identified in the west, north, and northeast parts of the region. While actual AGB of Scots pine was 6.92 MT, its potential AGB was estimated 125.93 MT in total area. The difference may well be attributed to the wide potential distribution of Scots pine stands in the area apart from the current forest lands. Nevertheless, this research contributes to the holistic management of forests and provides substantial values for formulating well-suited silvicultural interventions, developing sustainable forest management strategies, and furthering research aimed at estimating biomass reserves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinan Bulut
- Department of Forestry Engineering, Faculty of Forestry, Çankırı Karatekin University, Çankırı, Türkiye.
| | - İbrahim Aytaş
- Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Forestry, Çankırı Karatekin University, Çankırı, Türkiye
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Evcin Ö. Can highway tunnel constructıon change the habitat selection of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus Linnaeus, 1758)? Environ Monit Assess 2023; 195:1410. [PMID: 37922036 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-12003-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/05/2023]
Abstract
One of the main things wildlife does for survival is movement. Wild animals need movement to meet their needs, such as reproduction, breeding, foraging, and dispersal. Although wildlife species use roads for various purposes, they also use them when moving from one habitat to another. In recent years, especially when it comes to habitat fragmentation brought about by urbanization, wild animals frequently use highways. Highways have a wide range of effects on factors such as biodiversity, wildlife, and ecology. Roads can cause habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, and habitat degradation; alter the composition of vegetation; act as barriers to the flow of genes and movement; increase human access to pristine areas; and even increase the risk of extinction for many threatened species. Species belonging to the family Cervidae also include the species most affected by road networks. Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus Linnaeus, 1758) is the smallest of the 3 Cervid species living in Turkey. Roe deer are often injured or die in road accidents, and they are one of the most important species affected by the adverse effects of roads in Turkey. For this reason, it was investigated whether the road tunnel construction affected the distribution of roe deer in the region. In the study, the general distribution of roe deer in the Ilgaz Mountain, and the factors affecting their possible distribution were determined by ecological niche modeling. Data were taken between before (2012-2015) and after the highway tunnel built (2020-2022) in Ilgaz Mountain, which connects the Western Black Sea and Central Anatolia and is located in the middle of Kastamonu and Çankırı provinces. As a result of the modeling, it was found that before the construction of the tunnel, the most influential factor in the distribution of the deer was road density. After the tunnel construction, roads ceased to be the main factor affecting the distribution of the species. This study showed that roe deer are disturbed by the density of vehicles on the road passing through the middle of their habitat. With the decrease in the number of vehicles, they are more willing to cross the road and tend to use the areas close to the road as they are less disturbed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Özkan Evcin
- Dept. of Forest Engineering, Faculty of Forestry, Kastamonu University, 37150, Kuzeykent, Kastamonu, Turkey.
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Gao S, Peng R, Zeng Z, Zhai J, Yang M, Liu X, Sharav T, Chen Z. Risk transboundary transmission areas and driving factors of brucellosis along the borders between China and Mongolia. Travel Med Infect Dis 2023; 56:102648. [PMID: 37813322 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2023.102648] [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: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Brucellosis is a common and neglected zoonotic infectious disease worldwide caused by Brucella. However, transboundary transmissions among countries, particularly those with high incidences, are seldom investigated. In the present study, by taking China and Mongolia as examples, we aim to identify transboundary transmission risk and driving factors of brucellosis along borders. METHODS 167 brucellosis outbreak locations along the border between China and Mongolia were collected. Wildlife distribution and cross-border activities were mapped. Maximum entropy approach modeling was conducted to predict the potential risk of prevalence of brucellosis with meteorological factors, geographical environment, economic development, living habits et al. The accuracy of the models was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), Kappa test, and correctly classified instances (CCI). RESULTS The spatial model performed excellent predictive performance with the predictor variables of soils, pastures, goat density, mean precipitation of the wettest month, temperature seasonality, and population density, which with the contribution and permutation important in 27.2 %, 31.9; 23.3 %, 6.8; 18.0 %, 17.2; 11.2 %, 18.1; 10. 3 %, 15.2; 10.0 %, 10.8. The calculated AUC, SD, Kappa, and CCI are 0.870, 0.001, 0.882, and 0.883, respectively. The distribution map of brucellosis showed high-risk areas along the borders. CONCLUSIONS Our study identified high-risk areas and the driving effect of brucellosis along the borders between China and Mongolia. Moreover, there is the possibility of cross-border wildlife activities in high-risk areas, which increases the risk of cross-border brucellosis transmission. The funding provides clues for cooperative prevention and control of brucellosis by reducing transboundary transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Gao
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510275, PR China
| | - Ruihao Peng
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510275, PR China
| | - Zan Zeng
- Department of Vascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of the Navy Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, PR China
| | - Jingbo Zhai
- Key Laboratory of Zoonose Prevention and Control at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Innovative Institute of Zoonoses, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao, 028000, PR China
| | - Mingwei Yang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510275, PR China
| | - Xinrui Liu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510275, PR China
| | - Tumenjargal Sharav
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Science, Khan-Uul District, Zaisan, 17042, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
| | - Zeliang Chen
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510275, PR China; Key Laboratory of Zoonose Prevention and Control at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Innovative Institute of Zoonoses, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao, 028000, PR China.
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Liu T, Jiang Z, Wang W, Wang G, Song X, Xu A, Li C. Changes in habitat suitability and population size of the endangered Przewalski's gazelle. Glob Ecol Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
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Franchini M, Peric T, Frangini L, Prandi A, Comin A, Rota M, Filacorda S. You're stressing me out! Effect of interspecific competition from red deer on roe deer physiological stress response. J Zool (1987) 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.13058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Franchini
- Department of Agri‐Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences University of Udine Udine Italy
| | - T. Peric
- Department of Agri‐Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences University of Udine Udine Italy
| | - L. Frangini
- Department of Agri‐Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences University of Udine Udine Italy
| | - A. Prandi
- Department of Agri‐Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences University of Udine Udine Italy
| | - A. Comin
- Department of Agri‐Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences University of Udine Udine Italy
| | - M. Rota
- Facultat de Cièncias i Tecnologia Universitat de Vic‐Universitat Central de Catalunya Vic Spain
| | - S. Filacorda
- Department of Agri‐Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences University of Udine Udine Italy
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Hinojo A, Christe P, Moreno I, Hofmeister RJ, Dandliker G, Zimmermann F. Estimating roe deer density using motion‐sensitive cameras in Switzerland. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amael Hinojo
- University of Lausanne, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore Quartier Sorge Lausanne CH‐1015 Switzerland
| | - Philippe Christe
- University of Lausanne, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore Quartier Sorge Lausanne CH‐1015 Switzerland
| | - Inès Moreno
- University of Lausanne, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore Quartier Sorge Lausanne CH‐1015 Switzerland
- Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management, KORA Talgut Zentrum 5, CH‐3063 Ittigen Switzerland
| | - Robin J. Hofmeister
- University of Lausanne, Department of Computational Biology, Genopode Quartier Sorge Lausanne CH‐1015 Switzerland
| | - Gottlieb Dandliker
- Cantonal Office for Agriculture and Nature Republic and canton of Geneva Rue des Battoirs 7 1205 Geneva Switzerland
| | - Fridolin Zimmermann
- University of Lausanne, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore Quartier Sorge Lausanne CH‐1015 Switzerland
- Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management, KORA Talgut Zentrum 5, CH‐3063 Ittigen Switzerland
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Li Y, Peng Y, Li H, Zhu W, Darman Y, Lee DK, Wang T, Sedash G, Pandey P, Borzée A, Lee H, Mo Y. Prediction of range expansion and estimation of dispersal routes of water deer (Hydropotes inermis) in the transboundary region between China, the Russian Far East and the Korean Peninsula. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264660. [PMID: 35421097 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Global changes may direct species expansion away from their current range. When such an expansion occurs, and the species colonizes a new region, it is important to monitor the habitat used by the species and utilize the information to updated management strategies. Water deer (Hydropotes inermis) is listed as Vulnerable species in IUCN Red List and is restricted to east central China and the Korean Peninsula. Since 2017, water deer has expanded its range towards northeast China and the Russian Far East. The objective of our study is to provide support for a better understanding of habitat use and provide suggestions for developing conservation strategy. We collected occurrence data in northeast China and the Russian Far East during 2017–2021. We used MaxEnt to predict habitat suitability for water deer and applied Circuitscape to determine possible dispersal routes for the species. We used seven environmental variables, viz., altitude, slope, aspect, distance to built-up area, distance to water source, distance to cropland and distance to roads for habitat suitability prediction. We chose the MaxEnt model (AICc = 2572.86) suitable for our data with the AUC value result of 0.935±0.014. There is good quality habitat for water deer in the boundary area of the Yalu and Tumen River estuaries between China, North Korea, and the Russian Far East, as well as the east and west regions of the Korean Peninsula. We identified three main suitable habitat patches, two of them located in east (NK2) and west (NK3) North Korea, and one in the newly colonized area downstream of the Tumen River along the border of China, Russia, and North Korea (TM1). Elevation, distance to cropland and water sources, and presence of wetlands were the variables that positively contributed to modelling the suitable habitats. Two possible dispersal routes were determined using the circuit theory, one was across the area from North Korea to the downstream Tumen transboundary region (Route B), and the other was across North Korea to the boundary region in China and along the tiger national park in northern China (Route A). A series of protected areas in North Korea, China, and Russia may support the dispersal of water deer. From the study on water deer dispersal, we can understand the existing ecological network in northeast Asia, which will benefit the whole landscape and biodiversity conservation. However, there are many threats present, and there is need for continued monitoring inside and outside the protected areas. Information sharing with stakeholders and carrying out local communities awareness activities are important. The establishment of a Northeast Asia landscape conservation network would help establish monitoring and conservation planning at a broad scale, and this study provides an example of the need for such a network.
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Tang X, Yuan Y, Wang L, Chen S, Liu X, Zhang J. Identifying prioritized planting areas for medicinal plant Thesium chinense Turcz. under climate change in China. ECOL INFORM 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Yang Z, Bai Y, Alatalo JM, Huang Z, Yang F, Pu X, Wang R, Yang W, Guo X. Spatio-temporal variation in potential habitats for rare and endangered plants and habitat conservation based on the maximum entropy model. Sci Total Environ 2021; 784:147080. [PMID: 33905926 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Rare and endangered plants (REPs) act as key indicators for species habitat priorities, and can thus be critical in global biodiversity protection work. Human activities and climate change pose great threats to REPs, so protection should be a top priority. In this study, we used the maximum entropy model (Maxent) to identify current and future (2050) potential habitats of REPs in the Xishuangbanna tropical area of China. We compared potential habitats with existing protected areas (PAs) in gap analysis, and used a transfer matrix to quantify changes in potential habitats. By comparing the potential distribution obtained with existing land use and land cover, we analyzed the impact of human-dominated land use changes on potential habitats of REPs and identified the main habitat patch types of REPs. The results showed that the current potential habitat area of hotspots is 2989.85 km2, which will be reduced to 247.93 km2 by 2050, accounting for 15.60% and 1.29% of the total research area, respectively. Analysis of land use and land cover showed that rubber plantation was the human-dominated land use posing the greatest threat to potential habitats of REPs, occupying 23.40% and 21.62% of current and future potential habitats, respectively. Monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest was identified as the main habitat patch type for REPs in Xishuangbanna and occupied the highest proportion of potential habitat area. Gap analysis showed that only 35.85% of habitat hotspots are currently included in existing PAs and that this will decrease to 32.26% by 2050. This emphasizes the importance of protecting current and future potential habitats of REPs in a dynamic conservation approach that can adapt to changes in future climate and human activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongbao Yang
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, Yunnan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yang Bai
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, Yunnan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, China.
| | - Juha M Alatalo
- Environmental Science Center, Qatar University, P.O.Box: 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Zhongde Huang
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, Yunnan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fen Yang
- Yuexi Federation of Trade Unions, Yuexi 616650, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaoyan Pu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Ruibo Wang
- Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Wei Yang
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, Yunnan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xueyan Guo
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, Yunnan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Viola P, Adriani S, Rossi CM, Franceschini C, Primi R, Apollonio M, Amici A. Anthropogenic and Environmental Factors Determining Local Favourable Conditions for Wolves during the Cold Season. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11071895. [PMID: 34202132 PMCID: PMC8300267 DOI: 10.3390/ani11071895] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Wolves normally howl in response to unfamiliar vocalisations, to defend their territory and the important resources within it (e.g., pups and prey). During the non-rendezvous period (late autumn and winter), the protectiveness of adults towards pups decreases, as well as reactions to unfamiliar vocal stimuli. In the late fall of 2010, we performed a saturation wolf howling design in the Cicolano area (Central Apennines, Italy), aiming to identify environmental and human-related characteristics of locations where wolves are prone to respond to unfamiliar howling and to assess their eventual ability to provide insights into the distribution of valuable resources (aside from pups) during the cold season. We found that winter response sites (WRS) were characterized by diverging conditions, with respect to all available sites, suggesting that they are non-randomly located but, instead, had been selected by wolves for some reason. We recorded a positive role of thermal refuges and the occurrence of wild boar drive hunts, as well as the negative roles of other forms of human presence and activities, including the occurrence of free-ranging dogs. These results could be of interest both for conservation purposes and for assessing interactions with human activities. Abstract Winter resources are crucial for wildlife, and, at a local scale, some anthropogenic and environmental factors could affect their availability. In the case of wolves, it is known that vocalisations in response to unfamiliar howls are issued to defend their territory and the important resources within it. Then, we studied the characteristics of winter response sites (WRS) during the cold season, aiming to assess their eventual ability to provide insights into the distribution of valuable resources within their territories. Within this scope, we planned a wolf-howling survey following a standardised approach. The study covered an Apennine (Central Italy) area of 500 km2. A hexagonal mesh was imposed on the area, in order to determine the values of different variables at the local scale. A logistic LASSO regression was performed. WRS were positively related to the presence of thermal refuges (odds = 114.485), to patch richness (odds = 1.153), wild boar drive hunting areas (odds = 1.015), and time elapsed since the last hunt (odds = 1.019). Among negative factors, stray dogs reply considerably affects wolves’ responsiveness (odds = 0.207), where odds are the exponentiated coefficients estimated by the logistic lasso regression. These results suggest that WRS are related to anthropogenic and environmental factors favouring the predation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Viola
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Via S. C. de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, VT, Italy; (P.V.); (S.A.); (C.M.R.); (C.F.); (R.P.)
| | - Settimio Adriani
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Via S. C. de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, VT, Italy; (P.V.); (S.A.); (C.M.R.); (C.F.); (R.P.)
| | - Carlo Maria Rossi
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Via S. C. de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, VT, Italy; (P.V.); (S.A.); (C.M.R.); (C.F.); (R.P.)
| | - Cinzia Franceschini
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Via S. C. de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, VT, Italy; (P.V.); (S.A.); (C.M.R.); (C.F.); (R.P.)
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Science, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta S. Donato 1, 40127 Bologna, BO, Italy
| | - Riccardo Primi
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Via S. C. de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, VT, Italy; (P.V.); (S.A.); (C.M.R.); (C.F.); (R.P.)
| | - Marco Apollonio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, SS, Italy;
| | - Andrea Amici
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Via S. C. de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, VT, Italy; (P.V.); (S.A.); (C.M.R.); (C.F.); (R.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-(0)761-357443
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Barela I, Burger LM, Taylor J, Evans KO, Ogawa R, McClintic L, Wang G. Relationships between survival and habitat suitability of semi-aquatic mammals. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:4867-4875. [PMID: 32551067 PMCID: PMC7297760 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial distribution and habitat selection are integral to the study of animal ecology. Habitat selection may optimize the fitness of individuals. Hutchinsonian niche theory posits the fundamental niche of species would support the persistence or growth of populations. Although niche-based species distribution models (SDMs) and habitat suitability models (HSMs) such as maximum entropy (Maxent) have demonstrated fair to excellent predictive power, few studies have linked the prediction of HSMs to demographic rates. We aimed to test the prediction of Hutchinsonian niche theory that habitat suitability (i.e., likelihood of occurrence) would be positively related to survival of American beaver (Castor canadensis), a North American semi-aquatic, herbivorous, habitat generalist. We also tested the prediction of ideal free distribution that animal fitness, or its surrogate, is independent of habitat suitability at the equilibrium. We estimated beaver monthly survival probability using the Barker model and radio telemetry data collected in northern Alabama, United States from January 2011 to April 2012. A habitat suitability map was generated with Maxent for the entire study site using landscape variables derived from the 2011 National Land Cover Database (30-m resolution). We found an inverse relationship between habitat suitability index and beaver survival, contradicting the predictions of niche theory and ideal free distribution. Furthermore, four landscape variables selected by American beaver did not predict survival. The beaver population on our study site has been established for 20 or more years and, subsequently, may be approaching or have reached the carrying capacity. Maxent-predicted increases in habitat use and subsequent intraspecific competition may have reduced beaver survival. Habitat suitability-fitness relationships may be complex and, in part, contingent upon local animal abundance. Future studies of mechanistic SDMs incorporating local abundance and demographic rates are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isidro Barela
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMSUSA
- Siskiyou County Department of AgricultureYrekaCAUSA
| | - Leslie M. Burger
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMSUSA
| | - Jimmy Taylor
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection ServiceOregon Field StationNational Wildlife Research CenterCorvallisORUSA
| | - Kristine O. Evans
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMSUSA
| | - Ryo Ogawa
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMSUSA
| | - Lance McClintic
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMSUSA
- Present address:
United States Department of AgricultureWest Virginia Farm Service AgencyRomneyWVUSA
| | - Guiming Wang
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMSUSA
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Su N, Chang C, Hu Y, Chiang W, Tseng C. Modeling the Spatial Distribution of Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) Using Fishery and Remote Sensing Data: Approach and Resolution. Remote Sensing 2020; 12:947. [DOI: 10.3390/rs12060947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Swordfish, Xiphias gladius (Linnaeus, 1758), is a commercially important species that is widely distributed throughout three oceans. This species inhabits oceanic waters with preferred environmental ranges and migrates vertically to the surface layer for feeding. However, the spatial distribution pattern and habitat preferences of swordfish have been rarely studied in the Pacific Ocean due to the wide geographic range of this species. This study examined the spatial distribution and preferred ranges of environmental variables for swordfish using two approaches, generalized additive models and habitat suitability index methods, with different spatio-temporal data resolution scales. Results indicated that sea surface temperature is the most important factor determining swordfish spatial distribution. Habitat spatial pattern and preferred environmental ranges, estimated using various modeling approaches, were robust relative to the spatio-temporal data resolution scales. The models were validated by examining the consistency between predictions and untrained actual observations, which all predicted a high relative density of swordfish in the tropical waters of the central Pacific Ocean, with no obvious seasonal movement. Results from this study, based on fishery and remote sensing data with wide spatial coverage, could benefit the conservation and management of fisheries for highly migratory species such as swordfish and tuna.
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