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Doherty TS, Bohórquez Fandiño DF, Watchorn DJ, Legge SM, Dickman CR. Experimentally testing animal responses to prescribed fire size and severity. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14231. [PMID: 38111980 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Deserts are often highly biodiverse and provide important habitats for many threatened species. Fire is a dominant disturbance in deserts, and prescribed burning is increasingly being used by conservation managers and Indigenous peoples to mitigate the damaging effects of climate change, invasive plants, and land-use change. The size, severity, and patchiness of fires can affect how animals respond to fire. However, there are almost no studies examining such burn characteristics in desert environments, which precludes the use of such information in conservation planning. Using a before-after control-impact approach with 20 sampling sites, we studied the outcomes of 10 prescribed burns of varying size (5-267 ha), severity, and patchiness to identify which variables best predicted changes in small mammal and reptile species richness and abundance. Three of the 13 species showed a clear response to fire. Captures increased for 2 species (1 mammal, 1 reptile) and decreased for 1 species (a reptile) as the proportional area burned around traps increased. Two other mammal species showed weaker positive responses to fire. Total burn size and burn patchiness were not influential predictors for any species. Changes in capture rates occurred only at sites with the largest and most severe burns. No fire-related changes in capture rates were observed where fires were small and very patchy. Our results suggest that there may be thresholds of fire size or fire severity that trigger responses to fire, which has consequences for management programs underpinned by the patch mosaic burning paradigm. The prescribed burns we studied, which are typical in scale and intensity across many desert regions, facilitated the presence of some taxa and are unlikely to have widespread or persistent negative impacts on small mammal or reptile communities in this ecosystem provided that long unburned habitat harboring threatened species is protected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim S Doherty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Daniel F Bohórquez Fandiño
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Darcy J Watchorn
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood campus), Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah M Legge
- Research Institute of Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Northern Territory, Australia
- Fenner School of Society and the Environment, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Chris R Dickman
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
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2
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Drake LE, Cuff JP, Bedmar S, McDonald R, Symondson WOC, Chadwick EA. Otterly delicious: Spatiotemporal variation in the diet of a recovering population of Eurasian otters ( Lutra lutra) revealed through DNA metabarcoding and morphological analysis of prey remains. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10038. [PMID: 37181211 PMCID: PMC10170393 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10038] [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: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Eurasian otters are apex predators of freshwater ecosystems and a recovering species across much of their European range; investigating the dietary variation of this predator over time and space, therefore, provides opportunities to identify changes in freshwater trophic interactions and factors influencing the conservation of otter populations. Here we sampled feces from 300 dead otters across England and Wales between 2007 and 2016, conducting both morphological analyses of prey remains and dietary DNA metabarcoding. Comparison of these methods showed that greater taxonomic resolution and breadth could be achieved using DNA metabarcoding but combining data from both methodologies gave the most comprehensive dietary description. All otter demographics exploited a broad range of taxa and variation likely reflected changes in prey distributions and availability across the landscape. This study provides novel insights into the trophic generalism and adaptability of otters across Britain, which is likely to have aided their recent population recovery, and may increase their resilience to future environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jordan P. Cuff
- School of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
- School of Natural and Environmental SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastleUK
- Rothamsted Insect Survey, Rothamsted ResearchHarpendenUK
| | - Sergio Bedmar
- School of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
- Department of Conservation BiologyDoñana Biological Station (EBD‐CSIC)SevillaSpain
| | - Robbie McDonald
- Environment and Sustainability InstituteUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
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3
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Fleming PA, Stobo-Wilson AM, Crawford HM, Dawson SJ, Dickman CR, Doherty TS, Fleming PJS, Newsome TM, Palmer R, Thompson JA, Woinarski JCZ. Distinctive diets of eutherian predators in Australia. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220792. [PMID: 36312571 PMCID: PMC9554524 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Introduction of the domestic cat and red fox has devastated Australian native fauna. We synthesized Australian diet analyses to identify traits of prey species in cat, fox and dingo diets, which prey were more frequent or distinctive to the diet of each predator, and quantified dietary overlap. Nearly half (45%) of all Australian terrestrial mammal, bird and reptile species occurred in the diets of one or more predators. Cat and dingo diets overlapped least (0.64 ± 0.27, n = 24 location/time points) and cat diet changed little over 55 years of study. Cats were more likely to have eaten birds, reptiles and small mammals than foxes or dingoes. Dingo diet remained constant over 53 years and constituted the largest mammal, bird and reptile prey species, including more macropods/potoroids, wombats, monotremes and bandicoots/bilbies than cats or foxes. Fox diet had greater overlap with both cats (0.79 ± 0.20, n = 37) and dingoes (0.73 ± 0.21, n = 42), fewer distinctive items (plant material, possums/gliders) and significant spatial and temporal heterogeneity over 69 years, suggesting the opportunity for prey switching (especially of mammal prey) to mitigate competition. Our study reinforced concerns about mesopredator impacts upon scarce/threatened species and the need to control foxes and cats for fauna conservation. However, extensive dietary overlap and opportunism, as well as low incidence of mesopredators in dingo diets, precluded resolution of the debate about possible dingo suppression of foxes and cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia A. Fleming
- Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
| | - Alyson M. Stobo-Wilson
- NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Northern Territory 0909, Australia
- CSIRO Land and Water, PMB 44, Winnellie, Northern Territory 0822, Australia
| | - Heather M. Crawford
- Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
| | - Stuart J. Dawson
- Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
- Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, 3 Baron-Hay Court, South Perth, Western Australia 6151, Australia
| | - Chris R. Dickman
- Desert Ecology Research Group, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Tim S. Doherty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Peter J. S. Fleming
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange Agricultural Institute, 1447 Forest Road, Orange, New South Wales 2800, Australia
- Ecosystem Management, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351, Australia
- Institute for Agriculture and the Environment, Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Systems, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia.
| | - Thomas M. Newsome
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Russell Palmer
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Western Australia 6983, Australia
| | - Jim A. Thompson
- Queensland Museum Network, PO Box 3300, South Brisbane BC, Queensland 4101, Australia
| | - John C. Z. Woinarski
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Northern Territory 0909, Australia
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4
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Galvez JR, St John ME, McLean K, Touokong CD, Gonwouo LN, Martin CH. Trophic specialization on unique resources despite limited niche divergence in a celebrated example of sympatric speciation. ECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH 2022; 31:675-692. [PMID: 36211622 PMCID: PMC9542214 DOI: 10.1111/eff.12661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Trophic niche partitioning is observed in many adaptive radiations and is hypothesized to be a central process underlying species divergence. However, patterns of dietary niche partitioning are inconsistent across radiations and there are few studies of niche partitioning in putative examples of sympatric speciation. Here, we conducted the first quantitative study of dietary niche partitioning using stomach contents and stable isotope analyses in one of the most celebrated examples of sympatric speciation: the cichlid radiation from crater lake Barombi Mbo, Cameroon. We found little evidence for trophic niche partitioning among cichlids, including the nine species coexisting in the narrow littoral zone. Stable isotope analyses supported these conclusions of substantial dietary overlap. Our data, however, did reveal that five of eleven species consume rare dietary items, including freshwater sponge, terrestrial ants, and nocturnal foraging on shrimp. Stomach contents of the spongivore (Pungu maclareni) were 20% freshwater sponge, notable considering that only 0.04% of all fishes consume sponges. Overall, we conclude that cichlid species in lake Barombi Mbo overlap considerably in broad dietary niches-in part due to the large proportion of detritus in the stomach contents of all species-but there is evidence for divergence among species in their diet specializations on unique resources. We speculate that these species may utilize these additional specialized resources during periods of low resource abundance in support of Liem's paradox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacquelyn R Galvez
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Michelle E St John
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Keara McLean
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Legrand Nono Gonwouo
- Laboratory of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, P.O. Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Christopher H Martin
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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5
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Thompson ER, Driscoll DA, Venn SE, Geary WL, Ritchie EG. Interspecific variation in the diet of a native apex predator and invasive mesopredator in an alpine ecosystem. AUSTRAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eilysh R. Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology Deakin University Burwood Victoria 3125 Australia
| | - Don A. Driscoll
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology Deakin University Burwood Victoria 3125 Australia
| | - Susanna E. Venn
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology Deakin University Burwood Victoria 3125 Australia
| | - William L. Geary
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology Deakin University Burwood Victoria 3125 Australia
| | - Euan G. Ritchie
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology Deakin University Burwood Victoria 3125 Australia
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6
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Castañeda I, Doherty TS, Fleming PA, Stobo‐Wilson AM, Woinarski JCZ, Newsome TM. Variation in red fox
Vulpes vulpes
diet in five continents. Mamm Rev 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Irene Castañeda
- Ecology and Genetics of Conservation and Restoration, UMR INRA 1202 BIOGECO Université de Bordeaux 33615 Pessac France
| | - Tim S. Doherty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Patricia A. Fleming
- Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Harry Butler Institute Murdoch University Perth WA 6150 Australia
| | - Alyson M. Stobo‐Wilson
- NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub Charles Darwin University Casuarina NT 0909 Australia
| | - John C. Z. Woinarski
- NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub Charles Darwin University Casuarina NT 0909 Australia
| | - Thomas M. Newsome
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
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7
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Predation of wildlife by domestic cats in a Neotropical city: a multi-factor issue. Biol Invasions 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02734-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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8
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Lee JS, Letnic M, Mills CH. Diet and occurrences of the letter-winged kite in a predation refuge. Naturwissenschaften 2021; 108:61. [PMID: 34797399 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-021-01772-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Nomadism is an advantageous life history strategy for specialised predators because it enables the predator to respond rapidly to changes in prey populations. The letter-winged kite (Elanus scriptus) is a nomadic nocturnal bird of prey endemic to arid and semi-arid zones of Australia. Letter-winged kites prey almost exclusively on nocturnal rodents and are often associated with rodent irruptions, but little is known about the ecology of letter-winged kites inside their core range. The Strzelecki Desert contains a known dingo-mediated predation refuge for native rodents. In this manuscript, we compare kite sightings, predator activity, and small mammal populations across survey sites in the Strzelecki Desert where dingoes were common and where dingoes were rare and use publicly available data from the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) to assess trends in the occurrence of kites in the region. Ninety-five percent of ALA observations occurred in areas where dingoes were common. Similarly, all our observations of kites occurred where dingoes were common and during an extended population irruption of Notomys fuscus. Notomys fuscus was the most frequent item in the letter-winged kite diet at our study sites. We suggest that there is significant evidence that these sites in the Strzelecki Desert form part of the core range for the letter-winged kite whose use of this area is facilitated by a predation refuge for rodents mediated by the dingo. We conclude that predation refuges mediated by dingoes could be a factor driving the distributions of letter-winged kites and other predators of rodents, particularly nomadic predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua S Lee
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of BEES, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia. .,Ecology & Evolution Research Centre, School of BEES, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia.
| | - Mike Letnic
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of BEES, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia.,Ecology & Evolution Research Centre, School of BEES, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Charlotte H Mills
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of BEES, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia.,Ecology & Evolution Research Centre, School of BEES, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
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9
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Potential distribution of piscivores across the Atlantic Forest: From bats and marsupials to large-bodied mammals under a trophic-guild viewpoint. ECOL INFORM 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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10
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Pavey CR. A nomadic avian predator displays flexibility in prey choice during episodic outbreaks of rodents in arid Australia. Oecologia 2021; 196:211-222. [PMID: 33934187 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04926-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In environments driven by unpredictable resource pulses, populations of many consumer species experience dramatic fluctuations in abundance and spatial extent. Predator-prey relationships in these acyclic systems are poorly understood in particular with respect to the level of prey specialisation shown by nomadic predators. To understand the dynamics of such a system I examined the response to rodent outbreaks by the letter-winged kite (Elanus scriptus) in the Simpson Desert, Australia; a region that experiences major pulses in primary productivity, driven by unpredictable rainfall events. The kite feeds on small mammals and is the only night-hunting species in the Accipitridae. Letter-winged kites irrupted in the area on only three occasions during 20 years of sampling (1999-2019) and remained for a maximum of 20 months. Each period of kite occupation occurred only during the increase and/or peak phase of rodent population cycles (which occurred three times during the study). During each period kite diet was dominated by small (10-50 g body mass) quadrupedal rodents (Pseudomys australis, P. hermannsburgensis, Mus musculus). Abundance of these species varied across the three outbreaks and kites typically captured them in proportion to availability. The large body mass (134 g) long-haired rat (Rattus villosissimus) was abundant during one outbreak but was infrequently consumed. The bipedal spinifex hopping-mouse (Notomys alexis) was within the kites' favoured prey size range (35 g) but was consistently avoided. The flexibility in prey selection by letter-winged kites appears to be an important adaptation for survival and reproduction by species exploiting acyclic rodent outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris R Pavey
- CSIRO Land and Water, Winnellie, PMB 44, Darwin, NT, 0822, Australia.
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11
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Abstract
The acanthocephalan parasite, Polymorphus minutus, manipulates its intermediate hosts' (gammarids) behaviour, presumably to facilitate its transmission to the definitive hosts. A fundamental question is whether this capability has evolved to target gammarids in general, or specifically sympatric gammarids. We assessed the responses to chemical cues from a non-host predator (the three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus) in infected and non-infected gammarids; two native (Gammarus pulex and Gammarus fossarum), and one invasive (Echinogammarus berilloni) species, all sampled in the Paderborn Plateau (Germany). The level of predator avoidance was assessed by subjecting gammarids to choice experiments with the presence or absence of predator chemical cues. We did not detect any behavioural differences between uninfected and infected G. pulex and E. berilloni, but an elevated degree of predator avoidance in infected G. fossarum. Avoiding non-host predators may ultimately increase the probability of P. minutus' of predation by the definitive host. Our results suggested that P. minutus' ability to alter the host's behaviour may have evolved to specifically target sympatric gammarid host species. Uninfected gammarids did not appear to avoid the non-host predator chemical cues. Overall the results also opened the possibility that parasites may play a critical role in the success or failure of invasive species.
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12
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Michaud M, Veron G, Fabre AC. Phenotypic integration in feliform carnivores: Covariation patterns and disparity in hypercarnivores versus generalists. Evolution 2020; 74:2681-2702. [PMID: 33085081 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The skeleton is a complex arrangement of anatomical structures that covary to various degrees depending on both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Among the Feliformia, many species are characterized by predator lifestyles providing a unique opportunity to investigate the impact of highly specialized hypercarnivorous diet on phenotypic integration and shape diversity. To do so, we compared the shape of the skull, mandible, humerus, and femur of species in relation to their feeding strategies (hypercarnivorous vs. generalist species) and prey preference (predators of small vs. large prey) using three-dimensional geometric morphometric techniques. Our results highlight different degrees of morphological integration in the Feliformia depending on the functional implication of the anatomical structure, with an overall higher covariation of structures in hypercarnivorous species. The skull and the forelimb are not integrated in generalist species, whereas they are integrated in hypercarnivores. These results can potentially be explained by the different feeding strategies of these species. Contrary to our expectations, hypercarnivores display a higher disparity for the skull than generalist species. This is probably due to the fact that a specialization toward high-meat diet could be achieved through various phenotypes. Finally, humeri and femora display shape variations depending on relative prey size preference. Large species feeding on large prey tend to have robust long bones due to higher biomechanical constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margot Michaud
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, 75231 cedex 05, France
| | - Géraldine Veron
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, 75231 cedex 05, France
| | - Anne-Claire Fabre
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
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Medina FM, Melo T, Oliveira P, Nogales M, Geraldes P. Trophic ecology of an introduced top predator (
Felis catus
) on a small African oceanic islet (Santa Luzia, Cabo Verde Islands). Afr J Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Félix Manuel Medina
- Servicio de Medio Ambiente Cabildo Insular de La Palma Santa Cruz de La Palma Canary Islands Spain
- Ecology and Evolution Research Group Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA‐CSIC) La Laguna Tenerife Canary Islands Spain
| | - Tommy Melo
- Associação Biosfera 1 São Vicente Republic of Cabo Verde
| | - Paulo Oliveira
- Instituto de Florestas e Conservação da Natureza Funchal Madeira Portugal
| | - Manuel Nogales
- Ecology and Evolution Research Group Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA‐CSIC) La Laguna Tenerife Canary Islands Spain
| | - Pedro Geraldes
- Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves Lisboa Portugal
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14
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Shik JZ, Dussutour A. Nutritional Dimensions of Invasive Success. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:691-703. [PMID: 32668214 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite mounting calls for predictive ecological approaches rooted in physiological performance currencies, the field of invasive species biology has lagged behind. For instance, successful invaders are often predicted to consume diverse foods, but the nutritional complexity of foods often leaves food-level analyses short of physiological mechanisms. The emerging field of nutritional geometry (NG) provides new theory and empirical tools to predict invasive potential based on fundamental and realized nutritional niches. We review recent advances and synthesize NG predictions about behavioral traits that favor invasive establishment, and evolutionary dynamics that promote invasive spread. We also provide practical advice for applying NG approaches, and discuss the power of nutrition to achieve a more predictive invasion biology that explicitly integrates physiological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Z Shik
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama.
| | - Audrey Dussutour
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Unité Propre de Service (UPS), 31062, Toulouse, France.
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15
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Woolley LA, Murphy BP, Geyle HM, Legge SM, Palmer RA, Dickman CR, Doherty TS, Edwards GP, Riley J, Turpin JM, Woinarski JCZ. Introduced cats eating a continental fauna: invertebrate consumption by feral cats (Felis catus) in Australia. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/wr19197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Abstract ContextRecent global concern over invertebrate declines has drawn attention to the causes and consequences of this loss of biodiversity. Feral cats, Felis catus, pose a major threat to many vertebrate species in Australia, but their effect on invertebrates has not previously been assessed. AimsThe objectives of our study were to (1) assess the frequency of occurrence (FOO) of invertebrates in feral cat diets across Australia and the environmental and geographic factors associated with this variation, (2) estimate the number of invertebrates consumed by feral cats annually and the spatial variation of this consumption, and (3) interpret the conservation implications of these results. MethodsFrom 87 Australian cat-diet studies, we modelled the factors associated with variation in invertebrate FOO in feral cat-diet samples. We used these modelled relationships to predict the number of invertebrates consumed by feral cats in largely natural and highly modified environments. Key resultsIn largely natural environments, the mean invertebrate FOO in feral cat dietary samples was 39% (95% CI: 31–43.5%), with Orthoptera being the most frequently recorded order, at 30.3% (95% CI: 21.2–38.3%). The highest invertebrate FOO occurred in lower-rainfall areas with a lower mean annual temperature, and in areas of greater tree cover. Mean annual invertebrate consumption by feral cats in largely natural environments was estimated to be 769 million individuals (95% CI: 422–1763 million) and in modified environments (with mean FOO of 27.8%) 317 million invertebrates year−1, giving a total estimate of 1086 million invertebrates year−1 consumed by feral cats across the continent. ConclusionsThe number of invertebrates consumed by feral cats in Australia is greater than estimates for vertebrate taxa, although the biomass (and, hence, importance for cat diet) of invertebrates taken would be appreciably less. The impact of predation by cats on invertebrates is difficult to assess because of the lack of invertebrate population and distribution estimates, but cats may pose a threat to some large-bodied narrowly restricted invertebrate species. ImplicationsFurther empirical studies of local and continental invertebrate diversity, distribution and population trends are required to adequately contextualise the conservation threat posed by feral cats to invertebrates across Australia.
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16
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Tatler J, Prowse TAA, Roshier DA, Allen BL, Cassey P. Resource pulses affect prey selection and reduce dietary diversity of dingoes in arid Australia. Mamm Rev 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jack Tatler
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Adelaide Adelaide SA 5005 Australia
| | - Thomas A. A. Prowse
- School of Mathematical SciencesUniversity of Adelaide Adelaide SA 5005 Australia
| | - David A. Roshier
- Australian Wildlife Conservancy PO Box 8070 Subiaco East WA 6008 Australia
- Australia Centre for Ecosystem ScienceUniversity of New South Wales Sydney NSW 2052 Australia
| | - Benjamin L. Allen
- Institute for Life Sciences and the EnvironmentUniversity of Southern Queensland Toowoomba Queensland 4350 Australia
| | - Phillip Cassey
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Adelaide Adelaide SA 5005 Australia
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Matysek M, Zub K, Gwiazda R, Zięba F, Klimecki M, Mateja R, Krzan P. Predation on artificial ground nests in relation to abundance of rodents in two types of forest habitats in the Tatra Mountains (southern Poland). WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2019. [DOI: 10.1071/wr17134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
The breeding success of ground-nesting birds is strongly related to the predation rate. Many predators feed primarily on rodents when the densities of rodents are high and change to alternative prey (eggs or young birds) when the main prey populations decrease.
Aims
During a 3-year study, predation on an artificial nest was related to population dynamics of small mammals in coniferous and deciduous forests in the Tatra Mountains (western Carpathians).
Methods
Small mammals were captured using the live traps. In deciduous forest habitats, we placed 36 traps and, in coniferous forest habitats, we placed 18 traps. In total, 174 artificial nests imitating broods of hazel grouse (Tetrastes bonansia) were located randomly in both types of forest habitat between 2012 and 2014. Predators of the artificial nests were identified by camera-traps at 87 nests.
Key results
Most of the artificial nests were lost to predation by mammals. The most numerous species of rodents in both types of forest habitat were the yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) and the bank vole (Myodes glareolus). A significant decrease in the number of rodents was followed by a considerable increase of predation on artificial nests. There were no significant differences in the rates of predation between the two forest-habitat types.
Conclusions
Our results support the alternative prey hypothesis and suggest that the breeding success of ground-nesting birds in the forests of the Tatra Mountains varies strongly from year to year, depending on the abundance of rodents.
Implications
Increasing of rodents’ density may result in lower predation pressure on eggs of ground-nesting birds. This finding may help modify recommendations for conservationists and forest managers to optimize their effort to save populations of Galliformes.
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Woinarski JCZ, Murphy BP, Palmer R, Legge SM, Dickman CR, Doherty TS, Edwards G, Nankivell A, Read JL, Stokeld D. How many reptiles are killed by cats in Australia? WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/wr17160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context Feral cats (Felis catus) are a threat to biodiversity globally, but their impacts upon continental reptile faunas have been poorly resolved. Aims To estimate the number of reptiles killed annually in Australia by cats and to list Australian reptile species known to be killed by cats. Methods We used (1) data from >80 Australian studies of cat diet (collectively >10 000 samples), and (2) estimates of the feral cat population size, to model and map the number of reptiles killed by feral cats. Key results Feral cats in Australia’s natural environments kill 466 million reptiles yr–1 (95% CI; 271–1006 million). The tally varies substantially among years, depending on changes in the cat population driven by rainfall in inland Australia. The number of reptiles killed by cats is highest in arid regions. On average, feral cats kill 61 reptiles km–2 year–1, and an individual feral cat kills 225 reptiles year–1. The take of reptiles per cat is higher than reported for other continents. Reptiles occur at a higher incidence in cat diet than in the diet of Australia’s other main introduced predator, the European red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Based on a smaller sample size, we estimate 130 million reptiles year–1 are killed by feral cats in highly modified landscapes, and 53 million reptiles year–1 by pet cats, summing to 649 million reptiles year–1 killed by all cats. Predation by cats is reported for 258 Australian reptile species (about one-quarter of described species), including 11 threatened species. Conclusions Cat predation exerts a considerable ongoing toll on Australian reptiles. However, it remains challenging to interpret the impact of this predation in terms of population viability or conservation concern for Australian reptiles, because population size is unknown for most Australian reptile species, mortality rates due to cats will vary across reptile species and because there is likely to be marked variation among reptile species in their capability to sustain any particular predation rate. Implications This study provides a well grounded estimate of the numbers of reptiles killed by cats, but intensive studies of individual reptile species are required to contextualise the conservation consequences of such predation.
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