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Del Frate M, Bongi P, Tanzillo L, Russo C, Benini O, Sieni S, Scandura M, Apollonio M. A Predator on the Doorstep: Kill Site Selection by a Lone Wolf in a Peri-Urban Park in a Mediterranean Area. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:480. [PMID: 36766369 PMCID: PMC9913258 DOI: 10.3390/ani13030480] [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: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to assess which kill site characteristics were selected by a lone wolf living in a protected Mediterranean coastal area near the city of Pisa, Italy, where both wild and domestic ungulates were available as potential prey. Between 2017 and 2019, we monitored the wolf's predatory behaviour through a combination of camera trapping and active search for kill sites and prey carcasses. The main prey found was the fallow deer (n = 82); only two wild boars and no domestic ungulates were found preyed upon. The features and habitat of kill sites were modelled to test for selection by the wolf. The habitat type of kill site was composed of meadows and pastures (89.3%), woods (7.3%), degraded coastal areas (1.9%), roads and rivers (1.1%), and marshes (0.5%). We calculated their distance from landscape features and ran a binomial generalised linear model to test the influence of such landscape variables. The distance of kill sites from landscape elements was significantly different from random control sites, and a positive selection for fences was found. In fact, the wolf pushed fallow deer towards a fence to constrain them and prevent them from escaping. We also analysed the body condition of predated fallow deer as a percentage of fat content in the bone marrow of the hind legs. Our results revealed the selection of the lone wolf for deer in good body condition. This is a possible outcome of the habitat selection shown by fallow deer in the study area, where fenced open pastures are the richest in trophic resources; therefore, our findings suggest a high efficacy for the lone wolf hunting strategy, but also the adoption of a high risk feeding strategy by deer. This study suggests that a lone predator can take advantage of human infrastructures to maximise its predatory effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Del Frate
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Paolo Bongi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Luigi Tanzillo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Claudia Russo
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, 56100 Pisa, Italy
| | - Omar Benini
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, 56100 Pisa, Italy
| | - Sara Sieni
- Department of Agricultural Management, Food and Forestry System, University of Florence, 50100 Florence, Italy
| | - Massimo Scandura
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Marco Apollonio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
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Guimarães NF, Álvares F, Ďurová J, Urban P, Bučko J, Iľko T, Brndiar J, Štofik J, Pataky T, Barančeková M, Kropil R, Smolko P. What drives wolf preference towards wild ungulates? Insights from a multi-prey system in the Slovak Carpathians. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265386. [PMID: 35759447 PMCID: PMC9236239 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The wolf is a generalist-opportunistic predator that displays diverse and remarkably adaptable feeding strategies across its range with local adaptations to certain prey species depending on their availability and vulnerability. The multi-prey system of the Slovak Carpathians supports important portion of the European wolf population; however, it has been markedly understudied. We evaluated winter diet composition and prey selection of Slovak wolves based on 321 scat samples collected between September–April within four different study areas during 2015–2017. The winter diet of wolves in the Slovak Carpathians was characterized by a 98% occurrence of wild large-sized and medium-sized ungulates with red deer occurring in wolf scats most often, consistent with their highest density among other wild ungulates. However, by comparing the consumption with availability of wild prey, we found that wolves in fact selected for wild boar especially in areas with higher altitudinal range, while selected for red deer in areas with low altitudinal range where this prey species was more spatially predictable. Although wolves showed the potential to switch between red deer and wild boar when their density increases, we found that this variation can be rather linked to changing prey vulnerability, which is dependent on particular environmental conditions at local scale such as topography and snow accumulation. The present study provides valuable insights into the winter foraging ecology of Slovak wolves in a multi-prey system of the Carpathians and allows for practical implications in the management of the rapidly increasing populations of wild ungulates across Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno F. Guimarães
- Faculty of Forestry, Department of Applied Zoology and Wildlife Management, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
- Little Fox, The Centre of Natural Sciences, Research and Environmental Education, Staré Hory, Slovakia
- Diana–Carpathian Wildlife Research, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
- * E-mail:
| | - Francisco Álvares
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Jana Ďurová
- Little Fox, The Centre of Natural Sciences, Research and Environmental Education, Staré Hory, Slovakia
- Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Studies, Technical University in Zvolen, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - Peter Urban
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
| | | | - Tomáš Iľko
- Diana–Carpathian Wildlife Research, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
- Muráň Plateau National Park, State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic, Revúca, Slovakia
| | - Jaro Brndiar
- Diana–Carpathian Wildlife Research, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
| | - Jozef Štofik
- Poloniny National Park, State Nature Conservancy of the Slovakia Republic, Stakčín, Slovakia
| | - Tibor Pataky
- Faculty of Forestry, Department of Applied Zoology and Wildlife Management, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - Miroslava Barančeková
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic
- University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Rudolf Kropil
- Faculty of Forestry, Department of Applied Zoology and Wildlife Management, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - Peter Smolko
- Faculty of Forestry, Department of Applied Zoology and Wildlife Management, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
- Diana–Carpathian Wildlife Research, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
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Gortázar C, Fernandez-de-Simon J. One tool in the box: the role of hunters in mitigating the damages associated to abundant wildlife. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-022-01578-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Carnosaurs as Apex Scavengers: Agent-based simulations reveal possible vulture analogues in late Jurassic Dinosaurs. Ecol Modell 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2021.109706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Indirect Effect of African Swine Fever on the Diet Composition of the Gray Wolf Canis lupus-A Case Study in Belarus. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11061758. [PMID: 34204598 PMCID: PMC8231097 DOI: 10.3390/ani11061758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The wild boar population decreased drastically in Eastern Europe after the emergence of a viral disease called African Swine Fever. We studied how the gray wolves’ diet changed in two regions in Belarus during this situation. Wolves mainly hunted wild boar, elk, red deer, roe deer and beaver. The decrease in the wild boar population caused changes in the diet of wolves, but only in Vitebsk region. After the decrease in the wild boar population, wolves in this region hunted wild boar less, but they hunted roe deer and red deer more. The more the wolves consumed wild boar, the less they consumed both deer species (roe deer and red deer). Moreover, the more the wolves consumed elk, the less they consumed beaver. In another region, Grodno, no changes in the wolves’ diet were found. Abstract After the emergence of African swine fever (ASF), the wild boar population numbers fell drastically in Eastern Europe. This situation made it possible to verify the changes in the wolves’ diet that occurred. The material collection was carried out in two regions, Grodno and Vitebsk, in Belarus. In total, 19 species/groups of prey were observed in the gray wolf diet, but the most important were wild boar, elk, red deer, roe deer and beaver. The decrease in the number of wild boar caused changes in the diet of wolves but only in Vitebsk region, where wolves’ diet before the ASF epidemic outbreak consisted mainly of elk and wild boar. After the decrease of wild boar numbers, wolves still mainly hunted elk, but other types of prey included roe deer, red deer and beaver. We found a negative correlation between wild boar and both deer species (roe deer and red deer) in the wolves’ diet. Moreover, the more the wolves consumed elk, the less they consumed beaver. In our opinion, only intensive hunting of wolves by humans can explain the resulting dietary fluctuations between elk and beaver, as well as the fact that wolves did not turn to other food sources.
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Buglione M, Troisi SR, Petrelli S, van Vugt M, Notomista T, Troiano C, Bellomo A, Maselli V, Gregorio R, Fulgione D. The First Report on the Ecology and Distribution of the Wolf Population in Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. BIOL BULL+ 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359021010040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Bassi E, Gazzola A, Bongi P, Scandura M, Apollonio M. Relative impact of human harvest and wolf predation on two ungulate species in Central Italy. Ecol Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Bassi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari Sassari Italy
| | - Andrea Gazzola
- Association for the Conservation of Biological Diversity (ACDB) Focşani Romania
| | - Paolo Bongi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari Sassari Italy
| | - Massimo Scandura
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari Sassari Italy
| | - Marco Apollonio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari Sassari Italy
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Characteristics of Winter Wolf Kill Sites in the Southern Yellowstone Ecosystem. JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 2018. [DOI: 10.3996/032016-jfwm-024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Understanding the spatial use of wolves and how that might relate to prey species may help predict areas with increased likelihood of wolf–prey interactions, areas where wolves may have a higher impact on prey populations, or areas of wolf–livestock conflict. After reintroduction into Yellowstone National Park in 1995, wolves Canis lupus expanded south and recolonized areas in and around Grand Teton National Park in the southern Yellowstone ecosystem in Wyoming, USA. Elk Cervus elaphus in this area are supplementally fed at three feedgrounds artificially increasing elk density. We tracked radio-collared and uncollared wolves annually in winter (December–March) from 2000 to 2008 to investigate kill sites. Our objective was to investigate potential differences in habitat variables (e.g., canopy cover, elevation) between kill sites (n = 295) and available (random; n = 2,360) locations and investigate whether factors influencing winter wolf kill sites differed in a natural setting (i.e., native winter range) vs. an artificial setting (i.e., near or on feedgrounds). Wolf kills occurred at sites with lower elevation, canopy cover, and terrain roughness compared with random locations. Wolf kills were also slightly farther from packed surfaces (i.e., roads or groomed snowmobile trails) and elk feedgrounds, although still in areas of higher intensity of use by elk compared with random locations. Kill sites on native winter range were considerably more rough (odds ratio = 4.47) than those on feedgrounds. Our results suggest wolves hunt where the likelihood of encountering prey is high, although in areas where prey distribution is more sparse (i.e., native winter range), wolves may need to rely on rougher terrain for successful hunts. The relationship between areas of high prey use and increased wolf activity has important implications for both wildlife managers and livestock producers. In the future, managers will continue to face the issue of having high concentrations of ungulates, either wild or domestic, and the obvious attraction this has for wolves.
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Ciucci P, Artoni L, Crispino F, Tosoni E, Boitani L. Inter-pack, seasonal and annual variation in prey consumed by wolves in Pollino National Park, southern Italy. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-018-1166-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Guerisoli MDLM, Luengos Vidal E, Franchini M, Caruso N, Casanave EB, Lucherini M. Characterization of puma-livestock conflicts in rangelands of central Argentina. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170852. [PMID: 29308228 PMCID: PMC5749996 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Livestock predation is one of the major causes of conflicts between humans and pumas (Puma concolor). Using data from interviews with ranchers and kill-site inspections, we characterized puma-livestock conflicts in Villarino and Patagones counties of central Argentinean rangelands. Depredation was considered the major cause of livestock losses, and puma attacks were reported in 46.6% and 35.4% of ranches in Villarino and Patagones, respectively. The majority of ranches underwent losses smaller than 1000 USD. The proportion of livestock lost to predation (0.1-10.4%) and financial losses (5.3-1560.4 USD) per ranch/year varied across ranches, and small sheep ranches in Villarino were affected the most. Depredation was recorded only at night and preferentially in grassland with shrubs and cropland habitats. Although nocturnal enclosures appeared to decrease sheep losses, puma hunting was considered the most effective form of reducing depredation and was implemented by most ranchers. Mortality rates were 3.7 and 1.1-1.56 individuals/year × 100 km2 for sheep and pumas, respectively. Nocturnal fencing, shepherding and spatial separation from predators may efficiently reduce sheep losses. However, the poor association between the intensity of puma persecution and puma-related livestock losses suggests that conflict mitigation in central Argentina is not only about reducing damage but also about increasing tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- María de las Mercedes Guerisoli
- GECM (Grupo de Ecología Comportamental de Mamíferos), Lab. de Fisiología Animal, Depto. Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- INBIOSUR (Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur), CONICET, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur)—DBByF (Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia), San Juan 670, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Estela Luengos Vidal
- GECM (Grupo de Ecología Comportamental de Mamíferos), Lab. de Fisiología Animal, Depto. Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- INBIOSUR (Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur), CONICET, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur)—DBByF (Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia), San Juan 670, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | | | - Nicolás Caruso
- GECM (Grupo de Ecología Comportamental de Mamíferos), Lab. de Fisiología Animal, Depto. Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- INBIOSUR (Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur), CONICET, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur)—DBByF (Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia), San Juan 670, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Emma Beatriz Casanave
- GECM (Grupo de Ecología Comportamental de Mamíferos), Lab. de Fisiología Animal, Depto. Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- INBIOSUR (Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur), CONICET, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur)—DBByF (Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia), San Juan 670, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Mauro Lucherini
- GECM (Grupo de Ecología Comportamental de Mamíferos), Lab. de Fisiología Animal, Depto. Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- INBIOSUR (Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur), CONICET, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur)—DBByF (Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia), San Juan 670, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
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Ståhlberg S, Bassi E, Viviani V, Apollonio M. Quantifying prey selection of Northern and Southern European wolves (Canis lupus). Mamm Biol 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2016.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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12
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Baruzzi C, Lovari S, Fattorini N. Catch me if you can: antipredatory behaviour of chamois to the wolf. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2016.1271016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Baruzzi
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Sandro Lovari
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Niccolò Fattorini
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
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Bassi E, Willis SG, Passilongo D, Mattioli L, Apollonio M. Predicting the Spatial Distribution of Wolf (Canis lupus) Breeding Areas in a Mountainous Region of Central Italy. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124698. [PMID: 26035174 PMCID: PMC4452728 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolves (Canis lupus) in Italy represent a relict west European population. They are classified as vulnerable by IUCN, though have increased in number and expanded their range in recent decades. Here we use 17 years of monitoring data (from 1993 to 2010) collected in a mountainous region of central Italy (Arezzo, Tuscany) in an ecological niche-based model (MaxEnt) to characterize breeding sites (i.e. the areas where pups were raised) within home ranges, as detected from play-back responses. From a suite of variables related to topography, habitat and human disturbance we found that elevation and distance to protected areas were most important in explaining the locality of wolf responses. Rendezvous sites (family play-back response sites) typically occurred between 800 and 1200 m a.s.l., inside protected areas, and were usually located along mountain chains distant from human settlements and roads. In these areas human disturbance is low and the densities of ungulates are typically high. Over recent years, rendezvous sites have occurred closer to urban areas as the wolf population has continued to expand, despite the consequent human disturbance. This suggests that undisturbed landscapes may be reaching their carrying capacity for wolves. This, in turn, may lead to the potential for increased human-wolf interactions in future. Applying our model, both within and beyond the species' current range, we identify sites both within the current range and also further afield, that the species could occupy in future. Our work underlines the importance of the present protected areas network in facilitating the recolonisation by wolves. Our projections of suitability of sites for future establishment as the population continues to expand could inform planning to minimize future wolf-human conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Bassi
- Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources, University of Sassari, Sardinia, Italy
| | - Stephen G. Willis
- School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Durham, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Daniela Passilongo
- Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources, University of Sassari, Sardinia, Italy
| | - Luca Mattioli
- Provincial Administration of Arezzo, Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy
| | - Marco Apollonio
- Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources, University of Sassari, Sardinia, Italy
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Meriggi A, Dagradi V, Dondina O, Perversi M, Milanesi P, Lombardini M, Raviglione S, Repossi A. Short-term responses of wolf feeding habits to changes of wild and domestic ungulate abundance in Northern Italy. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2014.986768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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16
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Palmegiani I, Gazzola A, Apollonio M. Wolf diet and its impact on the ungulates community in a new recolonized area of Western Alps: Gran Paradiso National Park. FOLIA ZOOLOGICA 2013. [DOI: 10.25225/fozo.v62.i1.a9.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Palmegiani
- Department of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Sassari, Via Muroni 25, 07100 Sassari, Italy
- CIBIO - Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Andrea Gazzola
- Department of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Sassari, Via Muroni 25, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Marco Apollonio
- Department of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Sassari, Via Muroni 25, 07100 Sassari, Italy
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17
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Prey selection by an apex predator: the importance of sampling uncertainty. PLoS One 2012; 7:e47894. [PMID: 23110122 PMCID: PMC3482236 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2012] [Accepted: 09/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of predation on prey populations has long been a focus of ecologists, but a firm understanding of the factors influencing prey selection, a key predictor of that impact, remains elusive. High levels of variability observed in prey selection may reflect true differences in the ecology of different communities but might also reflect a failure to deal adequately with uncertainties in the underlying data. Indeed, our review showed that less than 10% of studies of European wolf predation accounted for sampling uncertainty. Here, we relate annual variability in wolf diet to prey availability and examine temporal patterns in prey selection; in particular, we identify how considering uncertainty alters conclusions regarding prey selection. Over nine years, we collected 1,974 wolf scats and conducted drive censuses of ungulates in Alpe di Catenaia, Italy. We bootstrapped scat and census data within years to construct confidence intervals around estimates of prey use, availability and selection. Wolf diet was dominated by boar (61.5±3.90 [SE] % of biomass eaten) and roe deer (33.7±3.61%). Temporal patterns of prey densities revealed that the proportion of roe deer in wolf diet peaked when boar densities were low, not when roe deer densities were highest. Considering only the two dominant prey types, Manly's standardized selection index using all data across years indicated selection for boar (mean = 0.73±0.023). However, sampling error resulted in wide confidence intervals around estimates of prey selection. Thus, despite considerable variation in yearly estimates, confidence intervals for all years overlapped. Failing to consider such uncertainty could lead erroneously to the assumption of differences in prey selection among years. This study highlights the importance of considering temporal variation in relative prey availability and accounting for sampling uncertainty when interpreting the results of dietary studies.
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Bassi E, Donaggio E, Marcon A, Scandura M, Apollonio M. Trophic niche overlap and wild ungulate consumption by red fox and wolf in a mountain area in Italy. Mamm Biol 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2011.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Heurich M, Möst L, Schauberger G, Reulen H, Sustr P, Hothorn T. Survival and causes of death of European Roe Deer before and after Eurasian Lynx reintroduction in the Bavarian Forest National Park. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-011-0606-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Milanesi P, Meriggi A, Merli E. Selection of wild ungulates by wolvesCanis lupus(L. 1758) in an area of the Northern Apennines (North Italy). ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2011.592220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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21
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Munn AJ, Cooper CE, Russell B, Dawson TJ, McLeod SR, Maloney SK. Energy and water use by invasive goats (Capra hircus) in an Australian rangeland, and a caution against using broad-scale allometry to predict species-specific requirements. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2011; 161:216-29. [PMID: 22079103 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2011.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2011] [Revised: 10/28/2011] [Accepted: 10/29/2011] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Feral goats (Capra hircus) are ubiquitous across much of Australia's arid and semi-arid rangelands, where they compete with domestic stock, contribute to grazing pressure on fragile ecosystems, and have been implicated in the decline of several native marsupial herbivores. Understanding the success of feral goats in Australia may provide insights into management strategies for this and other invasive herbivores. It has been suggested that frugal use of energy and water contributes to the success of feral goats in Australia, but data on the energy and water use of free-ranging animals are lacking. We measured the field metabolic rate and water turnover rate of pregnant and non-pregnant feral goats in an Australian rangeland during late summer (dry season). Field metabolic rate of pregnant goats (601 ± 37 kJ kg(-0.73)d(-1)) was 1.3 times that of non-pregnant goats (456 ± 24 kJ kg(-0.73)d(-1)). The water turnover rate of pregnant goats (228 ± 18 mL kg(-0.79)d(-1)) was also 1.3 times that of non-pregnant goats (173 ± 18 kg(-0.79)d(-1)), but the difference was not significant (P=0.07). There was no significant difference in estimated dry matter digestibility between pregnant and non-pregnant goats (mean ca. 58%), blood or urine osmolality, or urine electrolyte concentrations, indicating they were probably eating similar diets and were able to maintain osmohomeostasis. Overall, the metabolic and hygric physiology of non-pregnant goats conformed statistically to the predictions for non-marine, non-reproductive placental mammals according to both conventional and phylogenetically independent analyses. That was despite the field metabolic rate and estimated dry matter intake of non-pregnant goats being only 60% of the predicted level. We suggest that general allometric analyses predict the range of adaptive possibilities for mammals, but that specific adaptations, as present in goats, result in ecologically significant departures from the average allometric curve. In the case of goats in the arid Australian rangelands, predictions from the allometric regression would overestimate their grazing pressure by about 40% with implications for the predicted impact on their local ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Munn
- Institute of Conservation Biology and Environmental Management, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, Australia.
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Meriggi A, Brangi A, Schenone L, Signorelli D, Milanesi P. Changes of wolf (Canis lupus) diet in Italy in relation to the increase of wild ungulate abundance. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2011. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2011.577814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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