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Riley KJ, Warren K, Armstrong N, Yeap L, Dawson R, Mawson PR, Saunders DA, Cooper CE, Shephard JM. Accelerometry reveals limits to use of an energy-saving anthropogenic food source by a threatened species: A case of Carnaby's cockatoos ( Zanda latirostris) and canola. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10598. [PMID: 37818246 PMCID: PMC10560869 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of anthropogenic resources is becoming increasingly common as species adapt to human-induced environmental changes, but their use can expose species to new risks. Understanding how animals exploit these resources is important for guiding conservation management, particularly where species are threatened. The introduction of canola cropping to breeding areas of endangered Carnaby's cockatoo (Zanda latirostris) has been attributed to an increase in the birds' reproductive success; however, the seed may be protein-limiting for nestling growth and its use by cockatoos has been implicated in the emergence of a new disease. We used high-resolution accelerometer-capable GPS tags to track eight birds. Accelerometer data were used to calculate overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA), a proxy for energy expenditure, and to identify and quantify canola and native vegetation foraging behaviours. We used linear mixed models to determine which factors affected patterns of resource use and to determine whether, and to what extent, canola use was associated with reduced energetic and movement costs. We then compared the energetic content of canola seed and native food sources to inform patterns of behaviour and habitat use revealed by our tracking data. Use of canola was associated with reduced movement costs and energy expenditure. However, there was an apparent reluctance to increase foraging on canola above a threshold of time, even when conditions reduced time available to utilise native food sources. While anthropogenic resources may appear to improve population trends in some cases, careful investigations of patterns of resource use are necessary to guide appropriate conservation management efforts. For Carnaby's cockatoos, conservation efforts should focus on retention, protection and expansion of native food sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen J. Riley
- Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Harry Butler InstituteMurdoch UniversityMurdochWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Kristin Warren
- Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Harry Butler InstituteMurdoch UniversityMurdochWestern AustraliaAustralia
- Conservation Medicine Program, School of Veterinary MedicineMurdoch UniversityMurdochWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Nicola Armstrong
- Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems, Harry Butler InstituteMurdoch UniversityMurdochWestern AustraliaAustralia
- Department of Mathematics and StatisticsCurtin UniversityBentleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Lian Yeap
- Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Harry Butler InstituteMurdoch UniversityMurdochWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Rick Dawson
- Independent ResearcherWaikikiWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Peter R. Mawson
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and AttractionsSouth PerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Denis A. Saunders
- Independent ResearcherWeetangeraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Christine E. Cooper
- School of Molecular and Life SciencesCurtin UniversityBentleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
- Department of Biological SciencesMacquarie UniversityMaquarie ParkNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Jill M. Shephard
- Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Harry Butler InstituteMurdoch UniversityMurdochWestern AustraliaAustralia
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Barberis L, Simian C, Marin RH, Kembro JM. The relevance of a right scale for sampling when studying high-resolution behavioral dynamics. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13291. [PMID: 37587164 PMCID: PMC10432462 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39295-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Many species used in behavioral studies are small vertebrates with high metabolic rates and potentially enhanced temporal resolution of perception. Nevertheless, the selection of an appropriate scales to evaluate behavioral dynamics has received little attention. Herein, we studied the temporal organization of behaviors at fine-grain (i.e. sampling interval ≤1s) to gain insight into dynamics and to rethink how behavioral events are defined. We statistically explored high-resolution Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) datasets encompassing 17 defined behaviors. We show that for the majority of these behaviors, events last predominately <300ms and can be shorter than 70ms. Insufficient sampling resolution, even in the order of 1s, of behaviors that involve spatial displacement (e.g. walking) yields distorted probability distributions of event durations and overestimation of event durations. Contrarily, behaviors without spatial displacement (e.g. vigilance) maintain non-Gaussian, power-law-type distributions indicative of long-term memory, independently of the sampling resolution evaluated. Since data probability distributions reflect underlying biological processes, our results highlight the importance of quantification of behavioral dynamics based on the temporal scale pertinent to the species, and data distribution. We propose a hierarchical model that links diverse types of behavioral definitions and distributions, and paves the way towards a statistical framework for defining behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Barberis
- Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía Física y Computación, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola (IFEG), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - C Simian
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos (ICTA) and Cátedra de Química Biológica, Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - R H Marin
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIByT), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos (ICTA) and Cátedra de Química Biológica, Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - J M Kembro
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIByT), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos (ICTA) and Cátedra de Química Biológica, Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
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Cerecedo-Iglesias C, Bartumeus F, Cortés-Avizanda A, Pretus JL, Hernández-Matías A, Real J. Resource predictability modulates spatial-use networks in an endangered scavenger species. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:22. [PMID: 37081522 PMCID: PMC10120099 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00383-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Changes in human-induced resource availability can alter the behaviour of free-living species and affect their foraging strategies. The future European Landfill Waste Directive and Circular Economy Action Plan will reduce the number of predictable anthropogenic food subsidies (PAFS), above all, by closing landfills to preclude negative effects on human health. Obligate avian scavengers, the most threatened group of birds worldwide, are the most likely group of species that will be forced to change their behaviour and use of space in response to landfill site closures. Here, we examine the possible consequences of these management decisions on the foraging patterns of Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) in an expanding population in the Iberian Peninsula. METHODS We tracked 16 individuals in 2018-2021, including breeders and non-breeders, and, using a combination of spatial-use and spatial-network modelling, assessed landscape connectivity between key resources based on movement patterns. We then carried out simulations of future scenarios based on the loss of PAFS to predict likely changes in the movement patterns of both non-breeders and breeders. RESULTS Our results show that foraging strategies in non-breeders and breeders differ significantly: non-breeders performed more dispersal movements than breeding birds across a spatial-use network. Non-breeding and breeding networks were found to be vulnerable to the removal of central foraging areas containing landfill sites, a highly predictable resource, while perturbation analysis showed dissimilar foraging responses to the gradual reduction of other predictable resources. Under a context of the non-availability of landfills for breeders and non-breeders, vultures will increase their use of extensive livestock as a trophic resource. CONCLUSIONS Future environmental policies should thus extend the areas used by scavengers in which livestock carcasses are allowed to remain in the wild, a strategy that will also mitigate the lack of food caused by any reduction in available waste if landfills close. In general, our results emphasize the capabilities of a spatial network approaches to address questions on movement ecology. They can be used to infer the behavioural response of animal species and, also demonstrate the importance of applying such approaches to endangered species conservation within a context of changing humanized scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catuxa Cerecedo-Iglesias
- Equip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia and Institut de la Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO), Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Frederic Bartumeus
- Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB), CSIC, Accés a la Cala Sant Francesc, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Spain
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals, CREAF, Campus Bellaterra, 17300 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, ICREA, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ainara Cortés-Avizanda
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Avda. Reina Mercedes 6, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Joan Ll. Pretus
- Equip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia and Institut de la Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO), Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Antonio Hernández-Matías
- Equip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia and Institut de la Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO), Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Joan Real
- Equip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia and Institut de la Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO), Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
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Vez-Garzón M, Giménez J, Sánchez-Márquez A, Montalvo T, Navarro J. Changes in the feeding ecology of an opportunistic predator inhabiting urban environments in response to COVID-19 lockdown. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:221639. [PMID: 37063991 PMCID: PMC10090867 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Urban-dwelling species present feeding and behavioural innovation that enable them to adjust to anthropogenic food subsidies available in cities. In 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 virus outbreak resulted in unprecedented reduction in the human activity worldwide associated with the human lockdown. This situation opened an excellent opportunity to investigate the capability of urban wildlife to cope with this anthropopause event. Here, we investigated the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on the feeding strategies of the urban yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) population inhabiting the highly dense city of Barcelona (NE Spain). We compared the diet of chicks (through stomach content and stable isotope analyses) sampled randomly around the city of Barcelona before (2018 and 2019), during (2020) and after (2021) the COVID-19 lockdown. The results revealed that the anthropopause associated with the lockdown had an effect on the diet of this urban-dwelling predator. The diversity of prey consumed during the lockdown was lower, and consumption of urban birds (pigeons and parakeets) and marine prey (fishery discards and natural prey) decreased during the year of lockdown. Although it was not analysed, these diet changes probably were associated with variations in the availability of these resources due to the decrease in human activity during the lockdown. These results demonstrate the trophic flexibility of urban-dwelling species to cope with the changes in the availability of human-related anthropogenic resources in urban marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Vez-Garzón
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Giménez
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antoni Sánchez-Márquez
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tomás Montalvo
- Servei de Vigilància i Control de Plagues Urbanes, Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona, Pl. Lesseps, 1, 08023 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Navarro
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
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5
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Galimany E, Navarro J, Martino I, Aymí R, Cermeño P, Montalvo T. Gulls as potential sentinels for urban litter: combining nest and GPS-tracking information. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:521. [PMID: 36988754 PMCID: PMC10060334 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11133-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The production of urban waste has increased in the past decades leading to its mishandling. The effects on public health, economy, and wildlife that waste mismanagement can have are forcing governments to increase their efforts in detecting and mitigating the presence of waste. Identifying and monitoring sentinel species to assess the presence of urban litter could be a cost-effective option. Thus, analyzing the nest composition of yellow-legged gulls from an urban population inhabiting a very high populated city (Barcelona, Spain), and combining this information with accurate GPS tracking data, provides a potential tool to monitor the presence of marine and terrestrial litter over time. The results revealed the highest presence of debris in the nests of a seabird ever recorded. All the nests examined contained anthropogenic waste, with plastic items present in all of them. Crossing the nest composition with GPS tracking movements confirmed that the waste to build the nests was collected in the urban area and not in other environments surrounding the city. Then, the nest waste composition may be a good indicator of waste mismanagement and advise the municipalities to improve waste management and recycling strategies for the different types of litter. Using gulls breeding in cities as sentinel species and, in particular, the study of their nest composition, may provide essential data to decision-making stakeholders to adopt a One Health approach and help improve not only the environment's health but also the health of those who live in it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve Galimany
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Joan Navarro
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ilaria Martino
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raül Aymí
- Institut Català d'Ornitologia, Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Pl. Leonardo da Vinci, 4-5, a, 08019, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pablo Cermeño
- Research and Conservation Department, Barcelona Zoo Foundation, Parc de La Ciutadella, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tomas Montalvo
- Servei de Vigilància I Control de Plagues Urbanes, Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona, Pl. Lesseps, 1, 08023, Barcelona, Spain
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6
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Leaving more than footprints: Anthropogenic nutrient subsidies to a protected area. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
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7
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Xu H, Zhao X, Jia R, Chen L, Yang Z, Zhang G. Behavioral plasticity mediates adaptation to changes in food provisioning following the COVID-19 lockdown in black-headed gulls (Larus ridibundus). Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1013244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The 2020 COVID-19 lockdown provides an opportunity to assess how the anthropause affected the behavior of birds. Black-headed gulls (Larus ridibundus) wintering at Dianchi Lake (Yunnan Province, southwestern China) prefer to forage on easily accessible human-provided food at various sites along the lake. Following the closure of the lake because of the pandemic, synthetic food was provided at a single location. We expected that the home range size and distribution of gulls would change in response to these changes in food provisioning. A total of 91 gulls were tagged with satellite transmitters in November 2018 and March 2019, and their movements were tracked during the winter months. We analyzed their home range size and spatial distribution in four periods, SCP2019, SOP2019, SCP2020, and SOP2020 (Scenic Opening/Closing Period in 2019/2020), and the difference between SOP2019 and SCP2019 was used as the control group. The eutrophication level in the wintering periods “Nov. 2018–Apr. 2019” and “Oct. 2019–Apr. 2020” was determined using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and the coverage ratio of algal blooms and NDVI were used as indicators of the amount of naturally available food. The home range sizes of gulls were reduced in SCP2020 compared with SOP2019, SCP2019, and SOP2020. The gulls were most abundant in the 600–900 m buffer zone and least abundant in the 0–300 m buffer zone in SCP2019; they were most abundant in the 0–300 m buffer zone and least abundant in the 900–2000 m buffer zone in SCP2020. These patterns were consistent with variation in the NDVI and the coverage ratio of algal blooms among buffer zones. Changes in wintering behaviors in SCP2020 relative to other periods suggested that gulls modified their behavior following anthropause-related changes in the distribution and provisioning of food. Our findings provide insights into the role of behavioral plasticity in mediating adaptation to changes in human activities in birds.
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8
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Du Y, Zhong Y, Chen F, Huang Q, Hu Q. Matching method based on similarity of working trajectories. INT J INTELL SYST 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/int.23067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuxiao Du
- School of Automation Guangdong University of Technology Guangzhou China
| | - Yueqiang Zhong
- School of Automation Guangdong University of Technology Guangzhou China
| | - Feng Chen
- School of Automation Guangdong University of Technology Guangzhou China
| | - Qihua Huang
- School of Automation Guangdong University of Technology Guangzhou China
| | - Qi Hu
- School of Automation Guangdong University of Technology Guangzhou China
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Ando K, Yoshikawa T, Kozakai C, Yamazaki K, Naganuma T, Inagaki A, Koike S. Composite Brownian walks best explain the movement patterns of Asian black bears, irrespective of sex, seasonality, and food availability. Ecol Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kyohei Ando
- Graduate School of Agriculture Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Tokyo Japan
| | - Tetsuro Yoshikawa
- Biodiversity Division National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba Japan
| | - Chinatsu Kozakai
- Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science National Agriculture and Food Research Organization Tsukuba Japan
| | - Koji Yamazaki
- Faculty of Regional Environment Science Tokyo University of Agriculture Tokyo Japan
| | - Tomoko Naganuma
- Graduate School of Agriculture Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Tokyo Japan
| | - Akino Inagaki
- Graduate School of Agriculture Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Tokyo Japan
| | - Shinsuke Koike
- Graduate School of Agriculture Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Tokyo Japan
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Bottlenose Dolphins and Seabirds Distribution Analysis for the Identification of a Marine Biodiversity Hotspot in Agrigento Waters. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse10030345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to evaluate the presence of biodiversity hotspots in Agrigento waters (Mediterranean Sea) to define the conservation area for bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and seabirds (Calonectris diomedea, Puffinus yelkouan, and Hydrobates pelagicus), according to European directives. With this purpose, the maximum entropy algorithm (MaxEnt) was applied to the sighting points of the focal species. They co-occur in the study area and have been documented to forage behind trawlers. In this study, a fishing rate was designed and used as an explanatory variable of the species distribution, together with physiographic variables. Data were collected during 68 surveys in the waters off Agrigento province. MaxEnt models showed a strong predictive power, with distance from the coast being the greatest predicting variable, followed by slope, depth, and fishing rate. For all the species considered, the probability of presence increased as the fishing rate grew. Cartographic analysis revealed one area shared by the species, which occupies 529 km2, from the shoreline to 100 m depth. This study increases knowledge on the distribution and habitat preferences of the target species in the Sicilian waters. Evaluating the influence of fisheries is a promising method that needs further testing to apply effective management measures.
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Lopes CS, Antunes RCC, Paiva VH, Gonçalves AMM, Correia JJ, Ramos JA. Fatty acids composition in yellow-legged (Larus michahellis) and lesser black-backed (Larus fuscus) gulls from natural and urban habitats in relation to the ingestion of anthropogenic materials. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 809:151093. [PMID: 34699816 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Urban habitats offer spatially and temporally predictable anthropogenic food sources for opportunistic species, such as several species of gulls that are known to exploit urban areas and take advantage of accessible and diverse food sources, reducing foraging time and energy expenditure. However, human-derived food may have a poorer nutritional quality than the typical natural food resources and foraging in urban habitats may increase birds' susceptibility of ingesting anthropogenic debris materials, with unknown physiological consequences for urban dwellers. Here we compare the fatty acids (FA) composition of two opportunistic gull species (the yellow-legged gull, Larus michahellis, and the lesser black-backed gull, Larus fuscus) from areas with different levels of urbanization, to assess differences in birds' diet quality among foraging habitats, and we investigate the effects of ingesting anthropogenic materials, a toxicological stressor, on gulls' FA composition. Using GC-MS, 23 FAs were identified in the adipose tissue of both gull species. Significant differences in gulls' FA composition were detected among the three urbanization levels, mainly due to physiologically important highly unsaturated FAs that had lower percentages in gulls from the most urbanized habitats, consistent with a diet based on anthropogenic food resources. The deficiency in omega (ω)-3 FAs and the higher ω-6:ω-3 FAs ratio in gulls from the most urbanized location may indicate a diet-induced susceptibility to inflammation. No significant differences in overall FA composition were detected between gull species. While we were unable to detect any effect of ingested anthropogenic materials on gulls' FA composition, these data constitute a valuable contribution to the limited FA literature in gulls. We encourage studies to explore the long-term physiological effects of the lower nutritional quality diet for urban dwellers, and to detect the sub-lethal impacts of the ingestion of anthropogenic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina S Lopes
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Raquel C C Antunes
- CIISA - Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal; University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Vitor H Paiva
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana M M Gonçalves
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal; Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Jorge J Correia
- CIISA - Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Jaime A Ramos
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
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12
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Flesia AG, Nieto PS, Aon MA, Kembro JM. Computational Approaches and Tools as Applied to the Study of Rhythms and Chaos in Biology. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2399:277-341. [PMID: 35604562 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1831-8_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The temporal dynamics in biological systems displays a wide range of behaviors, from periodic oscillations, as in rhythms, bursts, long-range (fractal) correlations, chaotic dynamics up to brown and white noise. Herein, we propose a comprehensive analytical strategy for identifying, representing, and analyzing biological time series, focusing on two strongly linked dynamics: periodic (oscillatory) rhythms and chaos. Understanding the underlying temporal dynamics of a system is of fundamental importance; however, it presents methodological challenges due to intrinsic characteristics, among them the presence of noise or trends, and distinct dynamics at different time scales given by molecular, dcellular, organ, and organism levels of organization. For example, in locomotion circadian and ultradian rhythms coexist with fractal dynamics at faster time scales. We propose and describe the use of a combined approach employing different analytical methodologies to synergize their strengths and mitigate their weaknesses. Specifically, we describe advantages and caveats to consider for applying probability distribution, autocorrelation analysis, phase space reconstruction, Lyapunov exponent estimation as well as different analyses such as harmonic, namely, power spectrum; continuous wavelet transforms; synchrosqueezing transform; and wavelet coherence. Computational harmonic analysis is proposed as an analytical framework for using different types of wavelet analyses. We show that when the correct wavelet analysis is applied, the complexity in the statistical properties, including temporal scales, present in time series of signals, can be unveiled and modeled. Our chapter showcase two specific examples where an in-depth analysis of rhythms and chaos is performed: (1) locomotor and food intake rhythms over a 42-day period of mice subjected to different feeding regimes; and (2) chaotic calcium dynamics in a computational model of mitochondrial function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Georgina Flesia
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía y Física, Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios de Matemática (CIEM, CONICET), Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Paula Sofia Nieto
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía y Física, Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola (IFEG, CONICET-UNC), Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Miguel A Aon
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Science, and Experimental Gerontology Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jackelyn Melissa Kembro
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos (ICTA) and Catedra de Química Biológica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIByT, CONICET-UNC), Vélez Sarsfield 1611, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina.
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Pasti AT, Bovcon ND, Ruibal-Núñez J, Navoa X, Jacobi KJ, Galván DE. The diet of Mustelus schmitti in areas with and without commercial bottom trawling (Central Patagonia, Southwestern Atlantic): Is it evidence of trophic interaction with the Patagonian shrimp fishery? FOOD WEBS 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2021.e00214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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14
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Pagès JF, Bartumeus F, Romero J, Alcoverro T. The scent of fear makes sea urchins go ballistic. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:50. [PMID: 34627405 PMCID: PMC8502380 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00287-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Classic ecological formulations of predator-prey interactions often assume that predators and prey interact randomly in an information-limited environment. In the field, however, most prey can accurately assess predation risk by sensing predator chemical cues, which typically trigger some form of escape response to reduce the probability of capture. Here, we explore under laboratory-controlled conditions the long-term (minutes to hours) escaping response of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, a key species in Mediterranean subtidal macrophyte communities. METHODS Behavioural experiments involved exposing a random sample of P. lividus to either one of two treatments: (i) control water (filtered seawater) or (ii) predator-conditioned water (with cues from the main P. lividus benthic predator-the gastropod Hexaplex trunculus). We analysed individual sea urchin trajectories, computed their heading angles, speed, path straightness, diffusive properties, and directional entropy (as a measure of path unpredictability). To account for the full picture of escaping strategies, we followed not only the first instants post-predator exposure, but also the entire escape trajectory. We then used linear models to compare the observed results from control and predators treatments. RESULTS The trajectories from sea urchins subjected to predator cues were, on average, straighter and faster than those coming from controls, which translated into differences in the diffusive properties and unpredictability of their movement patterns. Sea urchins in control trials showed complex diffusive properties in an information-limited environment, with highly variable trajectories, ranging from Brownian motion to superdiffusion, and even marginal ballistic motion. In predator cue treatments, variability reduced, and trajectories became more homogeneous and predictable at the edge of ballistic motion. CONCLUSIONS Despite their old evolutionary origin, lack of cephalization, and homogenous external appearance, the trajectories that sea urchins displayed in information-limited environments were complex and ranged widely between individuals. Such variable behavioural repertoire appeared to be intrinsic to the species and emerged when the animals were left unconstrained. Our results highlight that fear from predators can be an important driver of sea urchin movement patterns. All in all, the observation of anomalous diffusion, highly variable trajectories and the behavioural shift induced by predator cues, further highlight that the functional forms currently used in classical predator-prey models are far from realistic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi F Pagès
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, Spain.
| | - Frederic Bartumeus
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Javier Romero
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Teresa Alcoverro
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, Spain
- Nature Conservation Foundation, Amritha, 1311, 12th Cross, Vijayanagar 1st Stage, Mysore, 570017, India
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15
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Joly K, Gurarie E, Hansen DA, Cameron MD. Seasonal patterns of spatial fidelity and temporal consistency in the distribution and movements of a migratory ungulate. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:8183-8200. [PMID: 34188879 PMCID: PMC8216956 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
How animals use their range can have physiological, ecological, and demographic repercussions, as well as impact management decisions, species conservation, and human society. Fidelity, the predictable return to certain places, can improve fitness if it is associated with high-quality habitat or helps enable individuals to locate heterogenous patches of higher-quality habitat within a lower-quality habitat matrix. Our goal was to quantify patterns of fidelity at different spatial scales to better understand the relative plasticity of habitat use of a vital subsistence species that undergoes long-distance migrations. We analyzed a decade (2010-2019) of GPS data from 240 adult, female Western Arctic Herd (WAH) caribou (Rangifer tarandus) from northwest Alaska, U.S.A. We assessed fidelity at 2 spatial scales: to site-specific locations within seasonal ranges and to regions within the herd's entire range by using 2 different null datasets. We assessed both area and consistency of use during 6 different seasons of the year. We also assessed the temporal consistency of migration and calving events. At the scale of the overall range, we found that caribou fidelity was greatest during the calving and insect relief (early summer) seasons, where the herd tended to maximally aggregate in the smallest area, and lowest in winter when the seasonal range is largest. However, even in seasons with lower fidelity, we found that caribou still showed fidelity to certain regions within the herd's range. Within those seasonal ranges, however, there was little individual site-specific fidelity from year to year, with the exception of summer periods. Temporally, we found that over 90% of caribou gave birth within 7 days of the day they gave birth the previous year. This revealed fairly high temporal consistency, especially given the spatial and temporal variability of spring migration. Fall migration exhibited greater temporal variability than spring migration. Our results support the hypothesis that higher fidelity to seasonal ranges is related to greater environmental and resource predictability. Interestingly, this fidelity was stronger at larger scales and at the population level. Almost the entire herd would seek out these areas with predictable resources, and then, individuals would vary their use, likely in response to annually varying conditions. During seasons with lower presumed spatial and/or temporal predictability of resources, population-level fidelity was lower but individual fidelity was higher. The herd would be more spread out during the seasons of low-resource predictability, leading to lower fidelity at the scale of their entire range, but individuals could be closer to locations they used the previous year, leading to greater individual fidelity, perhaps resulting from memory of a successful outcome the previous year. Our results also suggest that fidelity in 1 season is related to fidelity in the subsequent season. We hypothesize that some differences in patterns of range fidelity may be driven by seasonal differences in group size, degree of sociality, and/or density-dependent factors. Climate change may affect resource predictability and, thus, the spatial fidelity and temporal consistency of use of animals to certain seasonal ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Joly
- Gates of the Arctic National Park and PreserveArctic Inventory and Monitoring NetworkNational Park ServiceFairbanksAKUSA
| | - Eliezer Gurarie
- Department of BiologyUniversity of MarylandCollege ParkMDUSA
| | - D. Alexander Hansen
- Division of Wildlife ConservationAlaska Department of Fish and GameKotzebueAKUSA
| | - Matthew D. Cameron
- Gates of the Arctic National Park and PreserveArctic Inventory and Monitoring NetworkNational Park ServiceFairbanksAKUSA
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16
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Lopes CS, Paiva VH, Vaz PT, Pais de Faria J, Calado JG, Pereira JM, Ramos JA. Ingestion of anthropogenic materials by yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) in natural, urban, and landfill sites along Portugal in relation to diet composition. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:19046-19063. [PMID: 33394440 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-12161-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Pollution is a global concern, increasing rapidly throughout marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and affecting many species. Urbanization enhances waste production, leading to the opening of landfills that constitute a spatially and temporally predictable food source for opportunistic species. Several species of gulls are known to exploit and breed in urban areas, taking advantage of accessible and diverse food resources. The exploitation of anthropogenic food subsidies at sea (e.g. fishery discards), urban sites, and landfills leads to debris ingestion by gulls with potential negative effects. Here we characterize anthropogenic debris ingested by yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) along Portugal, by analysing the content of pellets collected in (1) natural and urban breeding locations, and in (2) urban and landfill resting sites, to assess seasonal patterns in the ingestion of anthropogenic debris. We also relate diet with the presence of anthropogenic debris. Debris materials were found in 28.8% of pellets from breeding locations (natural and urban) and in 89.7% of pellets from resting sites (urban and landfill). Gulls from the most urbanized breeding location exhibited higher levels of ingested materials during the entire breeding cycle, however, gulls from a natural breeding site also ingested high levels of debris during the pre-breeding season. At resting sites, small seasonal differences were detected in the number and mass of debris items ingested, which were both higher during spring and summer. Gulls that typically fed on pelagic fish had significantly less sheet and fragment plastics in their pellets. The presence of certain debris categories in gull pellets was positively related to the presence of some prey items, suggesting that gulls may accidentally ingest debris while foraging at multiple habitats. The quantity of anthropogenic materials ingested by gulls from urban locations and landfills indicates a need for improved waste management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina S Lopes
- University of Coimbra, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra, 3004-517, Portugal.
| | - Vitor H Paiva
- University of Coimbra, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra, 3004-517, Portugal
| | - Patrícia T Vaz
- University of Coimbra, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra, 3004-517, Portugal
| | - Joana Pais de Faria
- University of Coimbra, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra, 3004-517, Portugal
| | - Joana G Calado
- University of Coimbra, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra, 3004-517, Portugal
- Molecular and Environmental Biology Centre (CBMA), Universidade do Minho Campus de Gualtar, Braga, 4710-057, Portugal
- Animal Ecology Group, Universidade de Vigo, Lab 97, Torre CACTI, Campus As Lagoas, Vigo, Spain
| | - Jorge M Pereira
- University of Coimbra, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra, 3004-517, Portugal
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Jaime A Ramos
- University of Coimbra, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra, 3004-517, Portugal
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Reyes-González JM, De Felipe F, Morera-Pujol V, Soriano-Redondo A, Navarro-Herrero L, Zango L, García-Barcelona S, Ramos R, González-Solís J. Sexual segregation in the foraging behaviour of a slightly dimorphic seabird: Influence of the environment and fishery activity. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1109-1121. [PMID: 33550590 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Sexual segregation in foraging strategies has been little studied in marine species with slight sexual size dimorphism (SSD), particularly regarding the role of environmental conditions and fishery activities. Sexual differences in fishery attendance are of particular concern because uneven mortality associated with bycatch may exacerbate impacts in wildlife populations. Using a seabird species with slight SSD, the Scopoli's shearwater Calonectris diomedea, we assessed sexual differences in foraging strategies and evaluated whether annual environmental conditions and fishery activity shaped such differences. We used a 4-year dataset combining bird GPS tracking, stable isotope analysis, the North Atlantic Oscillation index (NAO, as main proxy of the annual environmental conditions), and fishing vessel positioning data (Vessel Monitoring System, VMS) from the North Western Mediterranean, a region under intense fishery pressure. From 2012 to 2015, we tracked 635 foraging trips from 78 individuals. Females showed a greater foraging effort, a lower fishery attendance, a lower trophic level, and a narrower isotopic niche width than males. Moreover, in years with unfavourable environmental conditions, both sexes showed a lower fishery attendance and increased foraging effort compared to the year with most favourable conditions. Our results revealed that environmental conditions influence space use, feeding resources and fishery attendance differently in males and females, overall suggesting competitive exclusion of females by males from main foraging areas and feeding resources, particularly in unfavourable environmental conditions. We highlight the importance of evaluating sexual segregation under disparate environmental conditions, particularly in species with slight SSD, since segregation may pass otherwise unnoticed if only years with similar environmental conditions are considered. The higher fishery attendance of males likely explains the male-biased bycatch ratio for this species. Thus, inter-sexual differences in foraging strategies can lead to an unbalanced exposure to relevant threats and have implications for the conservation of long-lived species.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Manuel Reyes-González
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals (BEECA), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fernanda De Felipe
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals (BEECA), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Virginia Morera-Pujol
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals (BEECA), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrea Soriano-Redondo
- CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal.,CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Leia Navarro-Herrero
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals (BEECA), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Zango
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals (BEECA), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Raül Ramos
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals (BEECA), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jacob González-Solís
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals (BEECA), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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18
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Spelt A, Soutar O, Williamson C, Memmott J, Shamoun-Baranes J, Rock P, Windsor S. Urban gulls adapt foraging schedule to human-activity patterns. THE IBIS 2021; 163:274-282. [PMID: 33343022 PMCID: PMC7116490 DOI: 10.1111/ibi.12892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Numerous animals are able to adapt to temporal patterns in natural food availability, but whether species living in relatively novel environments such as cities can adapt to anthropogenic activity cycles is less well understood. We aimed to assess the extent to which urban gulls have adapted their foraging schedule to anthropogenic food source fluctuations related to human activity by combining field observations at three distinct urban feeding grounds (park, school and waste centre) with global positioning system (GPS) tracking data of gulls visiting similar types of feeding grounds throughout the same city. We found that the birds' foraging patterns closely matched the timing of school breaks and the opening and closing times of the waste centre, but gull activity in the park appeared to correspond to the availability of natural food sources. Overall, this suggests that gulls may have the behavioural flexibility to adapt their foraging behaviour to human time schedules when beneficial and that this trait could potentially enable them to thrive in cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anouk Spelt
- Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TR, UK
| | - Oliver Soutar
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Cara Williamson
- Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TR, UK
| | - Jane Memmott
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Judy Shamoun-Baranes
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1098XH, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Rock
- Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TR, UK
| | - Shane Windsor
- Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TR, UK
- Corresponding author.
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19
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Fehlmann G, O'riain MJ, FÜrtbauer I, King AJ. Behavioral Causes, Ecological Consequences, and Management Challenges Associated with Wildlife Foraging in Human-Modified Landscapes. Bioscience 2021; 71:40-54. [PMID: 33442328 PMCID: PMC7791362 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have altered up to half of the world's land surface. Wildlife living within or close to these human-modified landscapes are presented with opportunities and risks associated with feeding on human-derived foods (e.g., agricultural crops and food waste). Understanding whether and how wildlife adapts to these landscapes is a major challenge, with thousands of studies published on the topic over the past 10 years. In the present article, we build on established theoretical frameworks to understand the behavioral causes of crop and urban foraging by wildlife. We then develop and extend this framework to describe the multifaceted ecological consequences of crop and urban foraging for the individuals and populations in which they arise, with emphasis on social species for which interactions with people are, on balance, negative (commonly referred to as raiding species). Finally, we discuss the management challenges faced by urban and rural land managers, businesses, and government organizations in mitigating human-wildlife conflicts and propose ways to improve the lives of both wildlife and humans living in human-modified landscapes and to promote coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - M Justin O'riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife, Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ines FÜrtbauer
- Behavioural Ecology and Endocrinology Laboratory and Andrew King is an associate professor and head of the SHOAL group in the Department of Biosciences at Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J King
- Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, Bodensee, Germany
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20
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Zango L, Navarro-Herrero L, García-Vendrell M, Safi K, González-Solís J. Niche partitioning and individual specialization among age, breeding status and sex classes in a long-lived seabird. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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21
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Gupta S, Marchetto PM, Bee MA. Customizable Recorder of Animal Kinesis (CRoAK): A multi-axis instrumented enclosure for measuring animal movements. HARDWAREX 2020; 8:e00116. [PMID: 35498259 PMCID: PMC9041217 DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2020.e00116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Accurately quantifying animal activity and movements is of fundamental importance in a broad range of disciplines, from biomedical research to behavioral ecology. In many instances, it is desirable to measure natural movements in controlled sensory environments in which the animals are not physically or chemically restrained, but their movements are nevertheless constrained to occur within a fixed volume. Here, we describe a novel device to quantify the movements of small animals in response to sensory stimulation. The device consists of an Arduino controlled inertial measurement unit that senses angular velocity (along three axes) of a suspended mesh enclosure that temporarily houses the animal subject. We validated the device by measuring the phonotaxis behavior of gravid female frogs in response to acoustic broadcasts of male mating calls. The system, as designed, proved effective at measuring natural movements made in response to acoustic stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saumya Gupta
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN 55108, United States
- Corresponding author.
| | - Peter M. Marchetto
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN 55108, United States
- Sensing, LLC, Roseville, MN 55113, United States
| | - Mark A. Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN 55108, United States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
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22
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Louzao M, Ruiz J, Oyarzabal I, Basterretxea M, Pedrajas A, Mugerza A, Krug I, Cotano U, Mugerza E, Zarauz L, Santurtún M. Including ecosystem descriptors in current fishery data collection programmes to advance towards a holistic monitoring: Seabird abundance attending demersal trawlers. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 160:105043. [PMID: 32745737 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
To develop an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management a holistic perspective is necessary that goes beyond target species management to preserve ecosystem functioning and, therefore, secure future food availability. To achieve these objectives, current fishery data collection programmes should widen their objectives to include the collection of ecosystem descriptors to effectively take advantage of funding and human resources in relation to fisheries monitoring already in place. From an ecological perspective, fishing discards are food subsidies unnaturally available that can profoundly impact the life history traits and population dynamics of seabirds, as well as community structure. In 2015, we took advantage of the Data Collection Framework (DCF) programme, monitoring the Basque trawling fleet, to monitor seabird abundance associated with trawlers as an additional task to be performed by the observers. The main objectives were (1) to develop a standard protocol from an interdisciplinary expert committee, (2) to obtain baseline information of seabird association with trawlers to be able to track changes and (3) to understand seabird abundance in relation to discard facilitation processes based on environmental and fishing parameters. Based on the developed standard protocol, more than 21 species of seabirds were recorded in 241 fishing hauls in the Bay of Biscay (ICES areas 8abd). This biogeographic area is an important migratory flyway and wintering area, where maximum number of seabirds attending trawlers were recorded between December and April (2015-2019). Based on Generalised Linear Models, seabird abundance was higher in multiple situations: harsher environmental conditions, less available discards, shallower areas, increased period of discard availability, higher number of trawlers simultaneously operating in the same fishing ground, in addition to the months of February and April. The core discarding ground was located in the outer French shelf between the latitudinal range of 44.5°N and 46°N, especially for otter trawl fishing. Our approach puts into value the seabird counts that the observers of the DCF can perform systematically, collecting relevant information on the effect of trawling on other biodiversity components such as seabirds. This information will be critical to respond to the application of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy regarding the effect of the Landing Obligation that seeks fishing sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maite Louzao
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain.
| | - Jon Ruiz
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Iñaki Oyarzabal
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Mikel Basterretxea
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Arkaitz Pedrajas
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Arnaitz Mugerza
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Iñigo Krug
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Unai Cotano
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Estanis Mugerza
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Lucía Zarauz
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Marina Santurtún
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
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Parra-Torres Y, Ramírez F, Afán I, Aguzzi J, Bouten W, Forero MG, Navarro J. Behavioral rhythms of an opportunistic predator living in anthropogenic landscapes. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2020; 8:17. [PMID: 32341783 PMCID: PMC7183138 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-020-00205-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human activities have profoundly altered the spatio-temporal availability of food resources. Yet, there is a clear lack of knowledge on how opportunistic species adapt to these new circumstances by scheduling their daily rhythms and adjust their foraging decisions to predicable patterns of anthropic food subsidies. Here, we used nearly continuous GPS tracking data to investigate the adaptability of daily foraging activity in an opportunistic predator, the yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis), in response to human schedules. METHODS By using waveform analysis, we compared timing and magnitude of peaks in daily activity of different GPS-tracked individuals in eleven different habitat types, in relation to type of day (i.e., weekday vs. weekend). RESULTS Daily activity rhythms varied greatly depending on whether it was a weekday or weekend, thus suggesting that gulls' activity peaks matched the routines of human activity in each habitat type. We observed for the first time two types of activity as modelled by waveforms analysis: marine habitats showed unimodal patterns with prolonged activity and terrestrial habitats showed bimodal patterns with two shorter and variable activity peaks. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that gulls are able to fine-tune their daily activity rhythms to habitat-specific human schedules, since these likely provide feeding opportunities. Behavioral plasticity may thus be an important driver of expansive population dynamics. Information on predictable relationships between daily activity patterns of gulls and human activities is therefore relevant to their population management.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Isabel Afán
- Estación Biológica de Doñana – CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Jacopo Aguzzi
- Institut de Ciències del Mar – CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Willem Bouten
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Joan Navarro
- Institut de Ciències del Mar – CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
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Herring G, Eagles‐Smith CA, Buck JA, Shiel AE, Vennum CR, Emery C, Johnson B, Leal D, Heath JA, Dudek BM, Preston CR, Woodbridge B. The lead (Pb) lining of agriculture‐related subsidies: enhanced Golden Eagle growth rates tempered by Pb exposure. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Garth Herring
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Collin A. Eagles‐Smith
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Jeremy A. Buck
- Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Portland Oregon 97266 USA
| | - Alyssa E. Shiel
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | | | - Colleen Emery
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Branden Johnson
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - David Leal
- Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Portland Oregon 97266 USA
| | | | | | - Charles R. Preston
- Draper Natural History Museum, Buffalo Bill Center of the West Cody Wyoming 82414 USA
| | - Brian Woodbridge
- Division of Migratory Bird Management U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Corvallis Oregon 97330 USA
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Sotillo A, Baert JM, Müller W, Stienen EWM, Soares AMVM, Lens L. Time and energy costs of different foraging choices in an avian generalist species. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2019; 7:41. [PMID: 31908778 PMCID: PMC6937837 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-019-0188-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animals can obtain a higher foraging yield by optimizing energy expenditure or minimizing time costs. In this study, we assessed how individual variation in the relative use of marine and terrestrial foraging habitats relates to differences in the energy and time investments of an avian generalistic feeder (the Lesser Black-backed Gull, Larus fuscus), and how this changes during the course of the chick-rearing period. METHODS We analyzed 5 years of GPS tracking data collected at the colony of Zeebrugge (Belgium). Cost proxies for energy expenditure (overall dynamic body acceleration) and time costs (trip durations and time spent away from the colony), together with trip frequency, were analyzed against the relative use of the marine and terrestrial habitats. RESULTS The marine habitat was most often used by males and outside weekends, when fisheries are active. Marine trips implied higher energetic costs and lower time investments. As chicks became older, terrestrial trips became more prevalent, and trip frequency reached a peak towards 20 days after hatching of the first egg. Over a full chick rearing period, energy costs varied widely between individuals, but no trends were found across the marine foraging gradient. Conversely, a higher use of marine foraging implied lower overall amounts of time spent away from the colony. CONCLUSIONS Foraging habitat choice was related to overall time costs incurred by gulls, but not to energy costs. The effect of chick age on foraging habitat choice and effort may be driven by energy expenditure constraints on the amount of marine foraging that can be performed. If time is less constraining to them, Lesser Black-backed Gulls may meet the increasing chick demand for food by switching from high to low energy demanding foraging strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Sotillo
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Jan M. Baert
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biology – Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp Belgium
| | - Wendt Müller
- Department of Biology – Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp Belgium
| | - Eric W. M. Stienen
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Herman Teirlinckgebouw, Havenlaan 88, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Amadeu M. V. M. Soares
- Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Luc Lens
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Endemic shearwaters are increasing in the Mediterranean in relation to factors that are closely related to human activities. Glob Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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LaScala-Gruenewald DE, Mehta RS, Liu Y, Denny MW. Sensory perception plays a larger role in foraging efficiency than heavy-tailed movement strategies. Ecol Modell 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2019.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Mizumoto N, Dobata S. Adaptive switch to sexually dimorphic movements by partner-seeking termites. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaau6108. [PMID: 31223644 PMCID: PMC6584256 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aau6108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
How should females and males move to search for partners whose exact location is unknown? Theory predicts that the answer depends on what they know about where targets can be found, raising the question of how actual animals update their mate search patterns to increase encounter probability when conditions change. Here, we show that termites adaptively alternate between sexually monomorphic and dimorphic movements during mate search. When the location of potential mates was completely unpredictable, both sexes moved in straight lines to explore widely. In contrast, when the stray partner was at least nearby, males moved while females paused. Data-based simulations confirmed that these movements increase the rate of successful encounters. The context-dependent switch of search modes is a key to enhance random encounters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuaki Mizumoto
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, ISTB1, 423, East Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Shigeto Dobata
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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Cianchetti-Benedetti M, Dell'Omo G, Russo T, Catoni C, Quillfeldt P. Interactions between commercial fishing vessels and a pelagic seabird in the southern Mediterranean Sea. BMC Ecol 2018; 18:54. [PMID: 30514281 PMCID: PMC6280427 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-018-0212-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fishing activities can influence foraging behaviour of many seabird species worldwide. Seabirds are attracted by fishing vessels which can facilitate access to demersal fish as a novel food resource that otherwise would be unavailable. On the other hand, intense fishing activities cause depletion of fish stocks with a reduction of natural prey available for seabirds. Moreover, fisheries discards can have lower nutritional value than natural prey. However, the importance of fisheries discard for seabirds and the possible implications on their foraging ecology is still poorly understood. In this study, we analysed the interactions of Scopoli's shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea) during their foraging trips with fishing vessels. We combined the GPS and accelerometer data of shearwaters with the GPS data gathered during the same period from fishing vessels. Accelerometers allowed us to identify the main behaviours of birds. RESULTS The presence of fishing vessels significantly affected the individual behaviour of Scopoli's shearwaters. Birds increased the time spent sitting on the water within 1.28 ± 0.13 km of fishing vessels likely feeding or waiting for discards. Approaches towards vessels within the interaction distance were therefore classified as an interaction and were recorded in about 40% of individuals. Birds interacting with fisheries had longer flight time during their foraging trips and covered longer distances to reach more distant foraging areas compared with individuals not approaching vessels. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggested that fisheries discard consumption might not be a profitable source of food for Scopoli's shearwaters. Despite the high density of fishing vessels in the home range of Scopoli's shearwater, most individuals did not interact with them. Accordingly, scavenging individuals showed a lower foraging efficiency than their conspecifics. Intraspecific competition for foraging areas might play an important role for the foraging decision of birds to consume fisheries discards.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Cianchetti-Benedetti
- Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, 35392, Giessen, Germany. .,Ornis italica, Piazza Crati, 15, 00199, Rome, Italy.
| | - G Dell'Omo
- Ornis italica, Piazza Crati, 15, 00199, Rome, Italy
| | - T Russo
- Laboratory of Experimental Ecology and Aquaculture, Dept. of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, via Cracovia snc, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - C Catoni
- Ornis italica, Piazza Crati, 15, 00199, Rome, Italy
| | - P Quillfeldt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, 35392, Giessen, Germany
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van Overveld T, García-Alfonso M, Dingemanse NJ, Bouten W, Gangoso L, de la Riva M, Serrano D, Donázar JA. Food predictability and social status drive individual resource specializations in a territorial vulture. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15155. [PMID: 30310140 PMCID: PMC6181911 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33564-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite increasing work detailing the presence of foraging specializations across a range of taxa, limited attention so far has been given to the role of spatiotemporal variation in food predictability in shaping individual resource selection. Here, we studied the exploitation of human-provided carrion resources differing in predictability by Canarian Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus majorensis). We focussed specifically on the role of individual characteristics and spatial constraints in shaping patterns of resource use. Using high-resolution GPS data obtained from 45 vultures tracked for 1 year, we show that individual vultures were repeatable in both their monthly use of predictable and semi-predicable resources (feeding station vs. farms) and monthly levels of mobility (home range size and flight activity). However, individual foraging activities were simultaneously characterized by a high degree of (temporal) plasticity in the use of the feeding station in specific months. Individual rank within dominance hierarchy revealed sex-dependent effects of social status on resource preference in breeding adults, illustrating the potential complex social mechanisms underpinning status-dependent resource use patterns. Our results show that predictable food at feeding stations may lead to broad-scale patterns of resource partitioning and affect both the foraging and social dynamics within local vulture populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thijs van Overveld
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Marina García-Alfonso
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Niels J Dingemanse
- Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Großhaderner Strasse 2, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Willem Bouten
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, IBED, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94248, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Gangoso
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain.,Theoretical and Computational Ecology, IBED, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94248, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Manuel de la Riva
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - David Serrano
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - José A Donázar
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain
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Escoruela J, Garreta E, Ramos R, González-Solís J, Lacorte S. Occurrence of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances in Calonectris shearwaters breeding along the Mediterranean and Atlantic colonies. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 131:335-340. [PMID: 29886955 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.04.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2017] [Revised: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The objective of the present study was to assess the presence of 17 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in blood of two closely related top predators, the Scopoli's (Calonectris diomedea) and Cory's (C. borealis) shearwaters that breed allopatrically in Mediterranean and Atlantic basins. Among PFAS, perfluorooctanesulfononic acid (PFOS) and long chain perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCA) were detected in all samples, highlighting somehow the ubiquity of such pollutants. Scopoli's shearwaters from the Mediterranean showed significant higher levels in all PFAS when compared with those levels determined in the colony of Cory's shearwater from the Atlantic Ocean. Moreover, significant differences also arose within the Mediterranean colonies, with the colony of the Central Mediterranean (Zembra Island in Tunisia) having the lowest levels of all PFAS. Thus, our study suggests a marked geographical pattern regarding the presence of such contaminants, and emphasizes the necessity to study PFAS accumulation in birds inhabiting temperate regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Escoruela
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, 08034 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Elba Garreta
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, 08034 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Raül Ramos
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) and Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jacob González-Solís
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) and Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Lacorte
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, 08034 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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Pirotta E, Edwards EWJ, New L, Thompson PM. Central place foragers and moving stimuli: A hidden-state model to discriminate the processes affecting movement. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1116-1125. [PMID: 29577275 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Human activities can influence the movement of organisms, either repelling or attracting individuals depending on whether they interfere with natural behavioural patterns or enhance access to food. To discern the processes affecting such interactions, an appropriate analytical approach must reflect the motivations driving behavioural decisions at multiple scales. In this study, we developed a modelling framework for the analysis of foraging trips by central place foragers. By recognising the distinction between movement phases at a larger scale and movement steps at a finer scale, our model can identify periods when animals are actively following moving attractors in their landscape. We applied the framework to GPS tracking data of northern fulmars Fulmarus glacialis, paired with contemporaneous fishing boat locations, to quantify the putative scavenging activity of these seabirds on discarded fish and offal. We estimated the rate and scale of interaction between individual birds and fishing boats and the interplay with other aspects of a foraging trip. The model classified periods when birds were heading out to sea, returning towards the colony or following the closest boat. The probability of switching towards a boat declined with distance and varied depending on the phase of the trip. The maximum distance at which a bird switched towards the closest boat was estimated around 35 km, suggesting the use of olfactory information to locate food. Individuals spent a quarter of a foraging trip, on average, following fishing boats, with marked heterogeneity among trips and individuals. Our approach can be used to characterise interactions between central place foragers and different anthropogenic or natural stimuli. The model identifies the processes influencing central place foraging at multiple scales, which can improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying movement behaviour and characterise individual variation in interactions with a range of human activities that may attract or repel these species. Therefore, it can be adapted to explore the movement of other species that are subject to multiple dynamic drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Pirotta
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, USA
| | - Ewan W J Edwards
- Lighthouse Field Station, University of Aberdeen, Cromarty, UK.,Marine Scotland Science, The Scottish Government, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Leslie New
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, USA
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Lighthouse Field Station, University of Aberdeen, Cromarty, UK
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Komura T, Ando H, Horikoshi K, Suzuki H, Isagi Y. DNA barcoding reveals seasonal shifts in diet and consumption of deep-sea fishes in wedge-tailed shearwaters. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195385. [PMID: 29630670 PMCID: PMC5891018 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The foraging ecology of pelagic seabirds is difficult to characterize because of their large foraging areas. In the face of this difficulty, DNA metabarcoding may be a useful approach to analyze diet compositions and foraging behaviors. Using this approach, we investigated the diet composition and its seasonal variation of a common seabird species on the Ogasawara Islands, Japan: the wedge-tailed shearwater Ardenna pacifica. We collected fecal samples during the prebreeding (N = 73) and rearing (N = 96) periods. The diet composition of wedge-tailed shearwater was analyzed by Ion Torrent sequencing using two universal polymerase chain reaction primers for the 12S and 16S mitochondrial DNA regions that targeted vertebrates and mollusks, respectively. The results of a BLAST search of obtained sequences detected 31 and 1 vertebrate and mollusk taxa, respectively. The results of the diet composition analysis showed that wedge-tailed shearwaters frequently consumed deep-sea fishes throughout the sampling season, indicating the importance of these fishes as a stable food resource. However, there was a marked seasonal shift in diet, which may reflect seasonal changes in food resource availability and wedge-tailed shearwater foraging behavior. The collected data regarding the shearwater diet may be useful for in situ conservation efforts. Future research that combines DNA metabarcoding with other tools, such as data logging, may provide further insight into the foraging ecology of pelagic seabirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taketo Komura
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Haruko Ando
- Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Studies, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Kazuo Horikoshi
- Institute of Boninology, Nishi-machi, Chichijima, Ogasawara, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hajime Suzuki
- Institute of Boninology, Nishi-machi, Chichijima, Ogasawara, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuji Isagi
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
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Quaggiotto MM, Barton PS, Morris CD, Moss SE, Pomeroy PP, McCafferty DJ, Bailey DM. Seal carrion is a predictable resource for coastal ecosystems. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2018.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Nagaya N, Mizumoto N, Abe MS, Dobata S, Sato R, Fujisawa R. Anomalous diffusion on the servosphere: A potential tool for detecting inherent organismal movement patterns. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177480. [PMID: 28570562 PMCID: PMC5453419 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tracking animal movements such as walking is an essential task for understanding how and why animals move in an environment and respond to external stimuli. Different methods that implemented image analysis and a data logger such as GPS have been used in laboratory experiments and in field studies, respectively. Recently, animal movement patterns without stimuli have attracted an increasing attention in search for common innate characteristics underlying all of their movements. However, it is difficult to track the movements in a vast and homogeneous environment without stimuli because of space constraints in laboratories or environmental heterogeneity in the field, hindering our understanding of inherent movement patterns. Here, we applied an omnidirectional treadmill mechanism, or a servosphere, as a tool for tracking two-dimensional movements of small animals that can provide both a homogenous environment and a virtual infinite space for walking. To validate the use of our tracking system for assessment of the free-walking behavior, we compared walking patterns of individual pillbugs (Armadillidium vulgare) on the servosphere with that in two types of experimental flat arenas. Our results revealed that the walking patterns on the servosphere showed similar diffusive characteristics to those observed in the large arena simulating an open space, and we demonstrated that our mechanism provides more robust measurements of diffusive properties compared to a small arena with enclosure. Moreover, we showed that anomalous diffusion properties, including Lévy walk, can be detected from the free-walking behavior on our tracking system. Thus, our novel tracking system is useful to measure inherent movement patterns, which will contribute to the studies of movement ecology, ethology, and behavioral sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naohisa Nagaya
- Department of Intelligent Systems, Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering, Kyoto Sangyo University, Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto-City, Japan
- * E-mail: (NN); (RF)
| | - Nobuaki Mizumoto
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masato S. Abe
- National Institute of Informatics, 2-1-2 Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- ERATO Kawarabayashi Large Graph Project, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Hitotsubashi 2-1-2, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shigeto Dobata
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ryota Sato
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hachinohe Institute of Technology, Ohbiraki, Myo, Hachinohe, Aomori, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Fujisawa
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hachinohe Institute of Technology, Ohbiraki, Myo, Hachinohe, Aomori, Japan
- * E-mail: (NN); (RF)
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Birnie-Gauvin K, Peiman KS, Raubenheimer D, Cooke SJ. Nutritional physiology and ecology of wildlife in a changing world. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 5:cox030. [PMID: 28740638 PMCID: PMC5516125 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cox030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2016] [Revised: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Over the last century, humans have modified landscapes, generated pollution and provided opportunities for exotic species to invade areas where they did not evolve. In addition, humans now interact with animals in a growing number of ways (e.g. ecotourism). As a result, the quality (i.e. nutrient composition) and quantity (i.e. food abundance) of dietary items consumed by wildlife have, in many cases, changed. We present representative examples of the extent to which vertebrate foraging behaviour, food availability (quantity and quality) and digestive physiology have been modified due to human-induced environmental changes and human activities. We find that these effects can be quite extensive, especially as a result of pollution and human-provisioned food sources (despite good intentions). We also discuss the role of nutrition in conservation practices, from the perspective of both in situ and ex situ conservation. Though we find that the changes in the nutritional ecology and physiology of wildlife due to human alterations are typically negative and largely involve impacts on foraging behaviour and food availability, the extent to which these will affect the fitness of organisms and result in evolutionary changes is not clearly understood, and requires further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Birnie-Gauvin
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Canada ON K1S 5B6
- DTU AQUA, National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Section for Freshwater Fisheries Ecology, Technical University of Denmark, Vejlsøvej 39, 8600 Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Kathryn S. Peiman
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Canada ON K1S 5B6
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Regimental Drive, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Steven J. Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Canada ON K1S 5B6
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Relative abundance and distribution of fisheries influence risk of seabird bycatch. Sci Rep 2016; 6:37373. [PMID: 27876852 PMCID: PMC5120356 DOI: 10.1038/srep37373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Fisheries provide an abundant and predictable food source for many pelagic seabirds through discards, but also pose a major threat to them through bycatch, threatening their populations worldwide. The reform of the European Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which intends to ban discards through the landing obligation of all catches, may force seabirds to seek alternative food sources, such as baited hooks from longlines, increasing bycatch rates. To test this hypothesis we performed a combined analysis of seabird-fishery interactions using as a model Scopoli’s shearwaters Calonectris diomedea in the Mediterranean. Tracking data showed that the probability of shearwaters attending longliners increased exponentially with a decreasing density of trawlers. On-board observations and mortality events corroborated this result: the probability of birds attending longliners increased 4% per each trawler leaving the longliner proximity and bird mortality increased tenfold when trawlers were not operating. Therefore, the implementation of the landing obligation in EU waters will likely cause a substantial increase in bycatch rates in longliners, at least in the short-term, due to birds switching from trawlers to longliners. Thus the implementation of the landing obligation must be carefully monitored and counterbalanced with an urgent implementation of bycatch mitigation measures in the longline fleet.
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Meier RE, Votier SC, Wynn RB, Guilford T, McMinn Grivé M, Rodríguez A, Newton J, Maurice L, Chouvelon T, Dessier A, Trueman CN. Tracking, feather moult and stable isotopes reveal foraging behaviour of a critically endangered seabird during the non-breeding season. DIVERS DISTRIB 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen C. Votier
- Environment and Sustainability Institute; University of Exeter; Penryn Campus Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE UK
| | - Russell B. Wynn
- National Oceanography Centre; European Way Southampton SO14 3ZH UK
| | - Tim Guilford
- Animal Behaviour Research Group; Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; The Tinbergen Building South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS UK
| | - Miguel McMinn Grivé
- Biogeografia, geodinàmica i sedimentació de la Mediterrània occidental (BIOGEOMED); Universitat de les Illes Balears; Cra. de Valldemossa, km 7.5 07122 Palma, Illes Balears Spain
| | - Ana Rodríguez
- Balearic Shearwater Conservation Association; Puig del Teide 4 - 315 Palmanova 07181, Illes Balears Spain
| | - Jason Newton
- NERC Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Facility; Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre; Scottish Enterprise Technology Park East Kilbride G75 0QF UK
| | - Louise Maurice
- British Geological Survey; Benson Lane Crowmarsh Gifford Oxfordshire OX10 8BB UK
| | - Tiphaine Chouvelon
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs); UMR 7266; CNRS-Université de La Rochelle; 2 rue Olympe de Gouges 17042 La Rochelle Cedex 01 France
- IFREMER Unité Biogéochimie et Écotoxicologie (BE); Laboratoire de Biogéochimie des Contaminants Métalliques (LBCM); Rue de l'Ile d'Yeu 44311 Nantes 03 France
| | - Aurélie Dessier
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs); UMR 7266; CNRS-Université de La Rochelle; 2 rue Olympe de Gouges 17042 La Rochelle Cedex 01 France
| | - Clive N. Trueman
- Ocean and Earth Science; University of Southampton Waterfront Campus; European Way; Southampton SO14 3ZH UK
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Reynolds AM, Cecere JG, Paiva VH, Ramos JA, Focardi S. Pelagic seabird flight patterns are consistent with a reliance on olfactory maps for oceanic navigation. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:rspb.2015.0468. [PMID: 26136443 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Homing studies have provided tantalizing evidence that the remarkable ability of shearwaters (Procellariiformes) to pinpoint their breeding colony after crossing vast expanses of featureless open ocean can be attributed to their assembling cognitive maps of wind-borne odours but crucially, it has not been tested whether olfactory cues are actually used as a system for navigation. Obtaining statistically important samples of wild birds for use in experimental approaches is, however, impossible because of invasive sensory manipulation. Using an innovative non-invasive approach, we provide strong evidence that shearwaters rely on olfactory cues for oceanic navigation. We tested for compliance with olfactory-cued navigation in the flight patterns of 210 shearwaters of three species (Cory's shearwaters, Calonectris borealis, North Atlantic Ocean, Scopoli's shearwaters, C. diomedea Mediterranean Sea, and Cape Verde shearwaters, C. edwardsii, Central Atlantic Ocean) tagged with high-resolution GPS loggers during both incubation and chick rearing.We found that most (69%) birds displayed exponentially truncated scale-free(Lévy-flight like) displacements, which we show are consistent with olfactory-cued navigation in the presence of atmospheric turbulence. Our analysis provides the strongest evidence yet for cognitive odour map navigation in wild birds. Thus, we may reconcile two highly disputed questions in movement ecology, by mechanistically connecting Lévy displacements and olfactory navigation. Our approach can be applied to any species which can be tracked at sufficient spatial resolution, using a GPS logger.
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Kölzsch A, Alzate A, Bartumeus F, de Jager M, Weerman EJ, Hengeveld GM, Naguib M, Nolet BA, van de Koppel J. Experimental evidence for inherent Lévy search behaviour in foraging animals. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20150424. [PMID: 25904671 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, Lévy walks have been put forward as a new paradigm for animal search and many cases have been made for its presence in nature. However, it remains debated whether Lévy walks are an inherent behavioural strategy or emerge from the animal reacting to its habitat. Here, we demonstrate signatures of Lévy behaviour in the search movement of mud snails (Hydrobia ulvae) based on a novel, direct assessment of movement properties in an experimental set-up using different food distributions. Our experimental data uncovered clusters of small movement steps alternating with long moves independent of food encounter and landscape complexity. Moreover, size distributions of these clusters followed truncated power laws. These two findings are characteristic signatures of mechanisms underlying inherent Lévy-like movement. Thus, our study provides clear experimental evidence that such multi-scale movement is an inherent behaviour rather than resulting from the animal interacting with its environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Kölzsch
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands Project Group Movement Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Adriana Alzate
- Department of Spatial Ecology, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Yerseke, The Netherlands Community and Conservation Ecology, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frederic Bartumeus
- ICREA-Movement Ecology Laboratory, Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, Spain CREAF, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Monique de Jager
- Department of Spatial Ecology, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Yerseke, The Netherlands Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ellen J Weerman
- Department of Spatial Ecology, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Yerseke, The Netherlands HAS Hogeschool, University of Applied Sciences, 's Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
| | - Geerten M Hengeveld
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands Project Group Movement Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands Alterra and Forest and Nature Conservation Policy Group, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marc Naguib
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands Project Group Movement Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands Behavioural Ecology Group, Animal Sciences Department, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bart A Nolet
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands Project Group Movement Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Johan van de Koppel
- Project Group Movement Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands Department of Spatial Ecology, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Yerseke, The Netherlands
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Fondo EN, Chaloupka M, Heymans JJ, Skilleter GA. Banning Fisheries Discards Abruptly Has a Negative Impact on the Population Dynamics of Charismatic Marine Megafauna. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0144543. [PMID: 26657412 PMCID: PMC4676608 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Food subsidies have the potential to modify ecosystems and affect the provision of goods and services. Predictable Anthropogenic Food Subsidies (PAFS) modify ecosystems by altering ecological processes and food webs. The global concern over the effects of PAFS in ecosystems has led to development of environmental policies aimed at curbing the production or ultimately banning of PAFS. However, the effects of reducing or banning PAFS are not known. We explore the consequences of PAFS removal in a marine ecosystem under two scenarios: 1) gradual reduction, or 2) an abrupt ban, using a mass balance model to test these hypotheses–The reduction or loss of PAFS will: i) modify trophic levels and food webs through effects on foraging by opportunistic species, ii) increase the resilience of opportunistic species to food shortages, and iii) modify predator–prey interactions through shifts in prey consumption. We found that PAFS lower the trophic levels of opportunistic scavengers and increase their food pathways. Scavengers are able to switch prey when PAFS are reduced gradually but they decline when PAFS are abruptly banned. PAFS reduction to a certain minimal level causes a drop in the ecosystem’s stability. We recommend gradual reduction of PAFS to a minimal level that would maintain the ecosystem’s stability and allow species exploiting PAFS to habituate to the food subsidy reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther N. Fondo
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Mombasa, Kenya
- * E-mail: (ENF); (GAS)
| | - Milani Chaloupka
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Johanna J. Heymans
- The Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Greg A. Skilleter
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail: (ENF); (GAS)
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42
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Payo-Payo A, Oro D, Igual JM, Jover L, Sanpera C, Tavecchia G. Population control of an overabundant species achieved through consecutive anthropogenic perturbations. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2015; 25:2228-2239. [PMID: 26910951 DOI: 10.1890/14-2090.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The control of overabundant vertebrates is often problematic. Much work has focused on population-level responses and overabundance due to anthropogenic subsidies. However, far less work has been directed at investigating responses following the removal of subsidies. We investigate the consequences of two consecutive perturbations, the closure of a landfill and an inadvertent poisoning event, on the trophic ecology (δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S), survival, and population size of an overabundant generalist seabird species, the Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis). We expected that the landfill closure would cause a strong dietary shift and the inadvertent poisoning a decrease in gull population size. As a long-lived species, we also anticipated adult survival to be buffered against the decrease in food availability but not against the inadvertent poisoning event. Stable isotope analysis confirmed the dietary shift towards marine resources after the disappearance of the landfill. Although the survival model was inconclusive, it did suggest that the perturbations had a negative effect on survival, which was followed by a recovery back to average values. Food limitation likely triggered dispersal to other populations, while poisoning may have increased mortality; these two processes were likely responsible for the large fall in population size that occurred after the two consecutive perturbations. Life-history theory suggests that perturbations may encourage species to halt existing breeding investment in order to ensure future survival. However, under strong perturbation pulses the resilience threshold might be surpassed and changes in population density can arise. Consecutive perturbations may effectively manage overabundant species.
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43
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Bodey TW, Jessopp MJ, Votier SC, Gerritsen HD, Cleasby IR, Hamer KC, Patrick SC, Wakefield ED, Bearhop S. Seabird movement reveals the ecological footprint of fishing vessels. Curr Biol 2015; 24:R514-5. [PMID: 24892908 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.04.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Exploitation of the seas is currently unsustainable, with increasing demand for marine resources placing intense pressure on the Earth's largest ecosystem [1]. The scale of anthropogenic effects varies from local to entire ocean basins [1-3]. For example, discards of commercial capture fisheries can have both positive and negative impacts on scavengers at the population and community-level [2-6], although this is driven by individual foraging behaviour [3,7]. Currently, we have little understanding of the scale at which individual animals initiate such behaviours. We use the known interaction between fisheries and a wide-ranging seabird, the Northern gannet Morus bassanus[3], to investigate how fishing vessels affect individual birds' behaviours in near real-time. We document the footprint of fishing vessels' (≥15 m length) influence on foraging decisions (≤11 km), and a potential underlying behavioural mechanism, by revealing how birds respond differently to vessels depending on gear type and activity. Such influences have important implications for fisheries, including the proposed discard ban [8]), and wider marine management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Bodey
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, Penryn Campus, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, UK.
| | - Mark J Jessopp
- Coastal & Marine Research Centre, University College Cork, Irish Naval Base, Haulbowline, Cork, Ireland
| | - Stephen C Votier
- Environmental and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, UK
| | | | - Ian R Cleasby
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, Penryn Campus, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Keith C Hamer
- Institute of Integrative & Comparative Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Samantha C Patrick
- School of Natural & Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, GL50 4HZ, UK
| | - Ewan D Wakefield
- Institute of Integrative & Comparative Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK; Department of Zoology, South Parks Road, University of Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Stuart Bearhop
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, Penryn Campus, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, UK.
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44
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Alarcón PA, Lambertucci SA, Donázar JA, Hiraldo F, Sánchez-Zapata JA, Blanco G, Morales JM. Movement decisions in natural catastrophes: how a flying scavenger deals with a volcanic eruption. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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45
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A new approach to study of seabird-fishery overlap: Connecting chick feeding with parental foraging and overlap with fishing vessels. Glob Ecol Conserv 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2015.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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46
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García-Tarrasón M, Bécares J, Bateman S, Arcos JM, Jover L, Sanpera C. Sex-specific foraging behavior in response to fishing activities in a threatened seabird. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:2348-58. [PMID: 26120425 PMCID: PMC4475368 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Revised: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Some seabird species have learnt to efficiently exploit fishing discards from trawling activities. However, a discard ban has been proposed as necessary in Europe to ensure the sustainability of the seas. It is of crucial importance for the management and conservation purposes to study the potential consequences of a discard ban on the foraging ecology of threatened seabirds. We assessed the influence of fishing activities on the feeding habits of 22 male and 15 female Audouin's gulls (Larus audouinii) from the Ebro Delta (Mediterranean Sea) during the breeding period using GPS loggers together with Stable Isotope Analysis (SIA), which provided new insights into their foraging behavior and trophic ecology, respectively. GPS data revealed different sex-specific foraging patterns between workdays and weekends. Females were highly consistent in that they foraged at sea throughout the week even though discarding stops at weekends. In contrast, males switched from foraging at sea during the week (when discards are produced) to an increased use of rice field habitats at weekends (when fishermen do not work). This sex-specific foraging behavior could be related to specific nutritional requirements associated with previous egg production, an energetically demanding period for females. However, on a broader time scale integrated by the SIA, both sexes showed a high degree of individual specialization in their trophic ecology. The need to obtain detailed information on the dependence and response of seabirds to fishing activities is crucial in conservation sciences. In this regard, sex-specific foraging behavior in relation to fisheries has been overlooked, despite the ecological and conservation implications. For instance, this situation may lead to sex differentiation in bycatch mortality in longlines when trawlers do not operate. Moreover, any new fisheries policy will need to be implemented gradually to facilitate the adaptation of a specialized species to a discard ban scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel García-Tarrasón
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de BarcelonaAv. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence Manuel García-Tarrasón, Departament de Biologia Animal (Vertebrats), Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain., Tel: +34 93 4021041;, Fax: +34 93 4035740;, E-mail:
| | - Juan Bécares
- Sociedad Española de Ornitología (SEO/BirdLife)C/Murcia 2-8 local 13, 08026, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Santiago Bateman
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de BarcelonaAv. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Sociedad Española de Ornitología (SEO/BirdLife)C/Murcia 2-8 local 13, 08026, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Manuel Arcos
- Sociedad Española de Ornitología (SEO/BirdLife)C/Murcia 2-8 local 13, 08026, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lluís Jover
- Departament de Salut Pública, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de BarcelonaC/Casanova 143 5a planta, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de BarcelonaAv Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carolina Sanpera
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de BarcelonaAv. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de BarcelonaAv Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
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Jacobs GS, Sluckin TJ. Long-range dispersal, stochasticity and the broken accelerating wave of advance. Theor Popul Biol 2014; 100C:39-55. [PMID: 25543095 DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2014.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2013] [Revised: 10/01/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Rare long distance dispersal events are thought to have a disproportionate impact on the spread of invasive species. Modelling using integrodifference equations suggests that, when long distance contacts are represented by a fat-tailed dispersal kernel, an accelerating wave of advance can ensue. Invasions spreading in this manner could have particularly dramatic effects. Recently, various authors have suggested that demographic stochasticity disrupts wave acceleration. Integrodifference models have been widely used in movement ecology, and as such a clearer understanding of stochastic effects is needed. Here, we present a stochastic non-linear one-dimensional lattice model in which demographic stochasticity and the dispersal regime can be systematically varied. Extensive simulations show that stochasticity has a profound effect on model behaviour, and usually breaks acceleration for fat-tailed kernels. Exceptions are seen for some power law kernels, K(l)∝|l|-β with β<3, for which acceleration persists despite stochasticity. Such kernels lack a second moment and are important in 'accelerating' phenomena such as Lévy flights. Furthermore, for long-range kernels the approach to the continuum limit behaviour as stochasticity is reduced is generally slow. Given that real-world populations are finite, stochastic models may give better predictive power when long-range dispersal is important. Insights from mean-field models such as integrodifference equations should be applied with caution in such circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- G S Jacobs
- Quantitative Anthropology Group, Mathematics, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom.
| | - T J Sluckin
- Quantitative Anthropology Group, Mathematics, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
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Louzao M, Wiegand T, Bartumeus F, Weimerskirch H. Coupling instantaneous energy-budget models and behavioural mode analysis to estimate optimal foraging strategy: an example with wandering albatrosses. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2014; 2:8. [PMID: 25520818 PMCID: PMC4267543 DOI: 10.1186/2051-3933-2-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2013] [Accepted: 02/25/2014] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND How foragers move across the landscape to search for resources and obtain energy is a central issue in ecology. Direct energetic quantification of animal movements allows for testing optimal foraging theory predictions which assumes that animals forage so as to maximise net energy gain. Thanks to biologging advances, we coupled instantaneous energy-budget models and behavioural mode analysis to test optimal foraging theory predictions on wandering albatross Diomedea exulans during the brooding period. Specifically, the instantaneous energy-budget model considered the energetic balance (i.e., the difference between empirical energy gain data and modelled energy expenditure via heart rate values) along the trajectory of a given individual. Four stereotypic instantaneous behavioural modes were identified based on trajectory properties (e.g., speed and turning angle) by applying a new algorithm called Expectation Maximization Binary Clustering. Previous studies on this species have shown that foraging-in-flight is the optimal foraging strategy during the incubation period when albatrosses undertake long-distance movements but no specific foraging strategy has been determined for shorter foraging movements (e.g., brooding period). RESULTS The output of our energy-budget model (measured as net energy gain) highlighted the potential optimality of alternative search strategies (e.g., sit-and-wait) during brooding, when birds may be subjected to specific energetic trade-offs and have to adapt their foraging strategies accordingly. However, not all birds showed this pattern, revealing the importance of considering individual variability in foraging strategies, as well as any switching among strategies, before drawing population-level generalizations. Finally, our study unveils the importance of considering fine scale activities to make realistic estimates of trip energy expenditure for flying birds at sea. CONCLUSIONS The up-scaling of accurately measured fine-scale energy patterns is essential to quantify energy balances, and their fluctuations by season of different activities among individuals or populations. In particular, we offer new insights for the energetic quantification of the effect of changing oceanic winds on the biology of pelagic predators in the southern oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maite Louzao
- />UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
- />Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS – Université de la Rochelle, 79369 Villiers en Bois, France
- />Instituto Español de Oceanografía, CO Xixón, Camín de l‘Arbeyal s/n, Xixón, 33212 Spain
| | - Thorsten Wiegand
- />UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Frederic Bartumeus
- />ICREA-Movement Ecology Laboratory (CEAB-CSIC), Accés Cala St. Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Spain
- />CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193 Spain
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- />Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS – Université de la Rochelle, 79369 Villiers en Bois, France
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49
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Ramírez F, Afán I, Hobson KA, Bertellotti M, Blanco G, Forero MG. Natural and anthropogenic factors affecting the feeding ecology of a top marine predator, the Magellanic penguin. Ecosphere 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/es13-00297.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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50
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Focardi S, Cecere JG. The Lévy flight foraging hypothesis in a pelagic seabird. J Anim Ecol 2013; 83:353-64. [PMID: 24102157 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2013] [Accepted: 09/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Lévy flight foraging represents an innovative paradigm for the analysis of animal random search by including models of heavy-tailed distribution of move length, which complements the correlated random walk paradigm that is founded on Brownian walks. Theory shows that the efficiency of the different foraging tactics is a function of prey abundance and dynamics with Lévy flight being especially efficient in poor prey fields. Lévy flights have been controversial in some quarters, because they previously have been wrongly ascribed to many species through the employment of inappropriate statistical techniques and by misunderstanding movement pattern data. More recent studies using state-of-the-art statistical tools have, however, provided seemingly compelling evidence for Lévy flights. In this study, we employ these maximum-likelihood methods and their Bayesian equivalents by analysing both turning angles and move length distributions. We tested, for compliance with Lévy flight foraging, a set of 77 independent foraging trajectories of Cory's shearwaters Calonectris diomedea diomedea. Birds were tagged with high-resolution GPS loggers in two Mediterranean colonies (Linosa and Tremiti) during both incubation and chick rearing. We found that the behaviour of six birds was fitted by a correlated random walk; the movement of 32 birds was better represented by adaptive correlated random walks by switching from intensive to extensive searches; and the trajectories of 36 birds were fitted by a Lévy flight pattern of movement. The probability of performing Lévy flights was higher for trips during chick provisioning when shearwaters were forced to forage in suboptimal areas. This study supports Lévy flight foraging as an appropriate framework to analyse search tactics in this pelagic bird species and highlights that the adoption of a given search strategy is a function of biological and ecological constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Focardi
- Istituto dei Sistemi Complessi, via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy
| | - Jacopo G Cecere
- ISPRA - Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Cà Fornacetta 9, Ozzano dell'Emilia, 40064, Italy.,Conservation Department, LIPU-BirdLife Italy, via Udine 3/a, Parma, 43100, Italy
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