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Alting BF, Pitcher BJ, Rees MW, Ferrer‐Paris JR, Jordan NR. Population density and ranging behaviour of a generalist carnivore varies with human population. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11404. [PMID: 38779530 PMCID: PMC11109528 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Canid species are highly adaptable, including to urban and peri-urban areas, where they can come into close contact with people. Understanding the mechanisms of wild canid population persistence in these areas is key to managing any negative impacts. The resource dispersion hypothesis predicts that animal density increases and home range size decreases as resource concentration increases, and may help to explain how canids are distributed in environments with an urban-natural gradient. In Australia, dingoes have adapted to human presence, sometimes living in close proximity to towns. Using a targeted camera trap survey and spatial capture-recapture models, we estimated spatial variation in the population density and detection rates of dingoes on Worimi Country in the Great Lakes region of the NSW coast. We tested whether dingo home range and population densities varied across a gradient of human population density, in a mixed-use landscape including, urban, peri-urban, and National Park environs. We found human population density to be a strong driver of dingo density (ranging from 0.025 to 0.433 dingoes/km2 across the natural-urban gradient), and to have a negative effect on dingo home range size. The spatial scale parameter changed depending on survey period, being smaller in the peak tourism period, when human population increases in the area, than in adjacent survey periods, potentially indicating reduced home range size when additional resources are available. Our study highlights the potential value of managing anthropogenic resource availability to manage carnivore densities and potential risk of human-carnivore interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan F. Alting
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South Wales (UNSW)SydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Benjamin J. Pitcher
- Taronga Institute of Science and Learning, Taronga Conservation SocietyDubbo and SydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Natural SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Matthew W. Rees
- Health and Biosecurity DepartmentCommonwealth Science and Industrial Research OrganisationBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - José R. Ferrer‐Paris
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South Wales (UNSW)SydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Neil R. Jordan
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South Wales (UNSW)SydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Taronga Institute of Science and Learning, Taronga Conservation SocietyDubbo and SydneyNew South WalesAustralia
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2
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English HM, Börger L, Kane A, Ciuti S. Advances in biologging can identify nuanced energetic costs and gains in predators. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:7. [PMID: 38254232 PMCID: PMC10802026 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00448-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Foraging is a key driver of animal movement patterns, with specific challenges for predators which must search for mobile prey. These patterns are increasingly impacted by global changes, principally in land use and climate. Understanding the degree of flexibility in predator foraging and social strategies is pertinent to wildlife conservation under global change, including potential top-down effects on wider ecosystems. Here we propose key future research directions to better understand foraging strategies and social flexibility in predators. In particular, rapid continued advances in biologging technology are helping to record and understand dynamic behavioural and movement responses of animals to environmental changes, and their energetic consequences. Data collection can be optimised by calibrating behavioural interpretation methods in captive settings and strategic tagging decisions within and between social groups. Importantly, many species' social systems are increasingly being found to be more flexible than originally described in the literature, which may be more readily detectable through biologging approaches than behavioural observation. Integrating the effects of the physical landscape and biotic interactions will be key to explaining and predicting animal movements and energetic balance in a changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly M English
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Adam Kane
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Simone Ciuti
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
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3
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Schüttler E, Saavedra-Aracena L, Jiménez JE. Spatial and temporal plasticity in free-ranging dogs in sub-Antarctic Chile. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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4
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Implications of Non-ideal Occupancy for the Measurement of Territory Quality. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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5
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Erlandsson R, Hasselgren M, Norén K, Macdonald D, Angerbjörn A. Resources and predation: drivers of sociality in a cyclic mesopredator. Oecologia 2022; 198:381-392. [PMID: 35112174 PMCID: PMC8858920 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05107-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In socially flexible species, the tendency to live in groups is expected to vary through a trade-off between costs and benefits, determined by ecological conditions. The Resource Dispersion Hypothesis predicts that group size changes in response to patterns in resource availability. An additional dimension is described in Hersteinsson’s model positing that sociality is further affected by a cost–benefit trade-off related to predation pressure. In the arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), group-living follows a regional trade-off in resources’ availability and intra-guild predation pressure. However, the effect of local fluctuations is poorly known, but offers an unusual opportunity to test predictions that differ between the two hypotheses in systems where prey availability is linked to intra-guild predation. Based on 17-year monitoring of arctic fox and cyclic rodent prey populations, we addressed the Resource Dispersion Hypothesis and discuss the results in relation to the impact of predation in Hersteinsson’s model. Group-living increased with prey density, from 7.7% (low density) to 28% (high density). However, it remained high (44%) despite a rodent crash and this could be explained by increased benefits from cooperative defence against prey switching by top predators. We conclude that both resource abundance and predation pressure are factors underpinning the formation of social groups in fluctuating ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasmus Erlandsson
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Arctic Ecology-Tromsø, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Malin Hasselgren
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karin Norén
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - David Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, OX13 5QL UK
| | - Anders Angerbjörn
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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6
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Pletenev A, Kruchenkova E, Mikhnevich Y, Rozhnov V, Goltsman M. The overabundance of resources leads to small but exclusive home ranges in Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) on Bering Island. Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-021-02888-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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7
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Natoli E, Bonanni R, Cafazzo S, Mills DS, Pontier D, Pilot M. Genetic inference of the mating system of free-ranging domestic dogs. Behav Ecol 2021; 32:646-656. [PMID: 34539241 PMCID: PMC8444980 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Domestication has greatly changed the social and reproductive behavior of dogs relative to that of wild members of the genus Canis, which typically exhibit social monogamy and extended parental care. Unlike a typical gray wolf pack that consists of a single breeding pair and their offspring from multiple seasons, a group of free-ranging dogs (FRDs) can include multiple breeding individuals of both sexes. To understand the consequences of this shift in reproductive behavior, we reconstructed the genetic pedigree of an FRD population and assessed the kinship patterns in social groups, based on genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism genotypes. Consistent with behavioral observations, the mating system of the study population was characterized by polygynandry. Instead of the discreet family units observed in wolves, FRDs were linked by a network of kinship relationships that spread across packs. However, we also observed reproduction of the same male-female pairs in multiple seasons, retention of adult offspring in natal packs, and dispersal between neighboring packs-patterns in common with wolves. Although monogamy is the predominant mating system in wolves, polygyny and polyandry are occasionally observed in response to increased food availability. Thus, polygynandry of domestic dogs was likely influenced by the shift in ecological niche from an apex predator to a human commensal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Natoli
- Canile Sovrazonale, ASL Roma 3 (Local Health Unit Rome 3), Via della Magliana 856H, 00148 Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Daniel S Mills
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Dominique Pontier
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Małgorzata Pilot
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Nadwiślańska 108, 80-680 Gdańsk, Poland
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Sells SN, Mitchell MS, Podruzny KM, Gude JA, Keever AC, Boyd DK, Smucker TD, Nelson AA, Parks TW, Lance NJ, Ross MS, Inman RM. Evidence of economical territory selection in a cooperative carnivore. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210108. [PMID: 33653139 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
As an outcome of natural selection, animals are probably adapted to select territories economically by maximizing benefits and minimizing costs of territory ownership. Theory and empirical precedent indicate that a primary benefit of many territories is exclusive access to food resources, and primary costs of defending and using space are associated with competition, travel and mortality risk. A recently developed mechanistic model for economical territory selection provided numerous empirically testable predictions. We tested these predictions using location data from grey wolves (Canis lupus) in Montana, USA. As predicted, territories were smaller in areas with greater densities of prey, competitors and low-use roads, and for groups of greater size. Territory size increased before decreasing curvilinearly with greater terrain ruggedness and harvest mortalities. Our study provides evidence for the economical selection of territories as a causal mechanism underlying ecological patterns observed in a cooperative carnivore. Results demonstrate how a wide range of environmental and social conditions will influence economical behaviour and resulting space use. We expect similar responses would be observed in numerous territorial species. A mechanistic approach enables understanding how and why animals select particular territories. This knowledge can be used to enhance conservation efforts and more successfully predict effects of conservation actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah N Sells
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, 205 Natural Sciences Building, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Michael S Mitchell
- US Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, 205 Natural Sciences Building, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Kevin M Podruzny
- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 1420 E. 6th Street, Helena, MT 59620, USA
| | - Justin A Gude
- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 1420 E. 6th Street, Helena, MT 59620, USA
| | - Allison C Keever
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, 205 Natural Sciences Building, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Diane K Boyd
- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 490 North Meridian Road, Kalispell, MT 59901, USA
| | - Ty D Smucker
- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 4600 Giant Springs Road, Great Falls, MT 59405, USA
| | | | - Tyler W Parks
- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 3201 Spurgin Road, Missoula, MT 59804, USA
| | - Nathan J Lance
- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 1400 South 19th, Bozeman, MT 59718, USA
| | - Michael S Ross
- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 1400 South 19th, Bozeman, MT 59718, USA
| | - Robert M Inman
- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 1420 E. 6th Street, Helena, MT 59620, USA
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Isbell LA, Bidner LR, Loftus JC, Kimuyu DM, Young TP. Absentee owners and overlapping home ranges in a territorial species. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02945-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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10
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Brandell EE, Fountain-Jones NM, Gilbertson ML, Cross PC, Hudson PJ, Smith DW, Stahler DR, Packer C, Craft ME. Group density, disease, and season shape territory size and overlap of social carnivores. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:87-101. [PMID: 32654133 PMCID: PMC9844152 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The spatial organization of a population can influence the spread of information, behaviour and pathogens. Group territory size and territory overlap and components of spatial organization, provide key information as these metrics may be indicators of habitat quality, resource dispersion, contact rates and environmental risk (e.g. indirectly transmitted pathogens). Furthermore, sociality and behaviour can also shape space use, and subsequently, how space use and habitat quality together impact demography. Our study aims to identify factors shaping the spatial organization of wildlife populations and assess the impact of epizootics on space use. We further aim to explore the mechanisms by which disease perturbations could cause changes in spatial organization. Here we assessed the seasonal spatial organization of Serengeti lions and Yellowstone wolves at the group level. We use network analysis to describe spatial organization and connectivity of social groups. We then examine the factors predicting mean territory size and mean territory overlap for each population using generalized additive models. We demonstrate that lions and wolves were similar in that group-level factors, such as number of groups and shaped spatial organization more than population-level factors, such as population density. Factors shaping territory size were slightly different than factors shaping territory overlap; for example, wolf pack size was an important predictor of territory overlap, but not territory size. Lion spatial networks were more highly connected, while wolf spatial networks varied seasonally. We found that resource dispersion may be more important for driving territory size and overlap for wolves than for lions. Additionally, canine distemper epizootics may have altered lion spatial organization, highlighting the importance of including infectious disease epizootics in studies of behavioural and movement ecology. We provide insight about when we might expect to observe the impacts of resource dispersion, disease perturbations, and other ecological factors on spatial organization. Our work highlights the importance of monitoring and managing social carnivore populations at the group level. Future research should elucidate the complex relationships between demographics, social and spatial structure, abiotic and biotic conditions and pathogen infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen E. Brandell
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics & Department of Biology, Huck Institute for Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA 16802
| | | | - Marie L.J. Gilbertson
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108
| | - Paul C. Cross
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, Montana, USA 59715
| | - Peter J. Hudson
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics & Department of Biology, Huck Institute for Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA 16802
| | - Douglas W. Smith
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Wolf Project, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA
| | - Daniel R. Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Wolf Project, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA
| | - Craig Packer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108
| | - Meggan E. Craft
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108
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12
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Spatial partitioning by a subordinate carnivore is mediated by conspecific overlap. Oecologia 2019; 191:531-540. [PMID: 31535256 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04512-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
There are several hypotheses that could explain territory size in mammals, including the resource dispersion hypothesis (RDH), the intruder pressure hypothesis (IPH), and the intraguild predation hypothesis (IGPH). In this study, we tested predictions of these three hypotheses regarding territories of 19 packs of endangered African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) over 2 years in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. If territory size was supported by the RDH, then we would observe (1) wild dog territories would be larger when resource patches were more dispersed, (2) pack sizes would be larger when resource patches were rich, and (3) pack size would not affect territory size. If supported by the IPH, then we would observe (4) larger territories would experience less intrusions, and (5) there would be an increase in territory overlap in areas of low resource dispersion. Finally, if supported by the IGPH, we would observe (6) territories would be larger in areas of higher lion (Panthera leo) density, as evidence of a spatial avoidance strategy. We found that the IGPH was fully supported (6), the IPH half supported (5), and the RDH partially supported (1 and 3), where we found spatial partitioning of wild dogs with lions, potentially mediated by resources and territory overlap with conspecifics. Ultimately, our results show that subordinate carnivores must balance a trade-off between dominant interspecific competitors and conspecifics to successfully coexist in areas with dominant carnivores.
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Kanda CZ, Oliveira‐Santos LGR, Morato RG, de Paula RC, Rampim LE, Sartorello L, Haberfeld M, Galetti M, Cezar Ribeiro M. Spatiotemporal dynamics of conspecific movement explain a solitary carnivore's space use. J Zool (1987) 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. Z. Kanda
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia e Biodiversidade Department of Ecology Universidade Estadual Paulista Rio Claro Brazil
| | | | - R. G. Morato
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade Atibaia Brazil
| | - R. C. de Paula
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade Atibaia Brazil
| | | | | | | | - M. Galetti
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia e Biodiversidade Department of Ecology Universidade Estadual Paulista Rio Claro Brazil
| | - M. Cezar Ribeiro
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia e Biodiversidade Department of Ecology Universidade Estadual Paulista Rio Claro Brazil
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14
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Roffler GH, Gregovich DP. Wolf space use during denning season on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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15
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Ke DH, Deng YH, Guo WB, Huang ZH. A quadratic correlation between long-term mean group size and group density in a cooperatively breeding passerine. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:8719-8729. [PMID: 29152172 PMCID: PMC5677499 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 07/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Both mean group size (MGS) and mean group density (MGD) are critical indices to characterize a population of cooperatively breeding birds. When a population reaches its carrying capacity, both long‐term MGS and long‐term MGD will remain relatively stable. However, there has been little study of how these two variables relate. The Masked laughingthrush Garrulax perspicillatus is a cooperatively breeding bird living in fragmented habitats. During 2010 and 2012‐2016, we used song playback to observe and confirm the group sizes and territory ranges of the birds and the data of bird presence to determine habitat suitability. By grouping the nearest territories according to their geographical coordinates, we divided the whole study area into 12 subareas and the whole population into 12 subpopulations. Then, we calculated both MGS and MGD for different time durations for each subpopulation. Finally, using MGD as independent variable and MGS as the dependent variable, we explored the correlations between MGS and MGD by fitting quadratic functions and modeling quadratic regression. Both MGS and MGD were averaged for different time durations and were cross‐related. Our results show that the MGS for more than 2 years significantly correlated with MGD for more than 3 years in a reverse parabolic shape, differing from that of short‐term effects. Our findings suggest that long‐term MGD is a better predictor of long‐term habitat quality and that long‐term MGS is determined by long‐term habitat quality in Masked Laughingthrushes. Based on above findings, we can infer that: (1) Long‐term habitat quality determines the long‐term MGS, but it sets no prerequisite for the status and source of group members; (2) Long‐term MGS in certain populations is adapted to the corresponding level of long‐term habitat quality, it facilitates us to predict the helper effects on current or future survival or reproduction in different situations. These findings and inferences are both helpful for us to understand the evolution of cooperative breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dian-Hua Ke
- School of Life Sciences Jinggangshan University Ji'An China
| | - Yan-Hui Deng
- Library of Jinggangshan University Jinggangshan University Ji'An China
| | - Wei-Bin Guo
- School of Life Sciences Jinggangshan University Ji'An China
| | - Zu-Hao Huang
- School of Life Sciences Jinggangshan University Ji'An China
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Marshall-Pescini S, Cafazzo S, Virányi Z, Range F. Integrating social ecology in explanations of wolf–dog behavioral differences. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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17
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Morin DJ, Kelly MJ. The dynamic nature of territoriality, transience and biding in an exploited coyote population. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dana J. Morin
- D. J. Morin and M. J. Kelly, Dept of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, 106 Cheatham Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Marcella J. Kelly
- D. J. Morin and M. J. Kelly, Dept of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, 106 Cheatham Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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18
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Leuchtenberger C, Magnusson WE, Mourão G. Territoriality of giant otter groups in an area with seasonal flooding. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126073. [PMID: 25955248 PMCID: PMC4425482 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2015] [Accepted: 03/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Territoriality carries costs and benefits, which are commonly affected by the spatial and temporal abundance and predictability of food, and by intruder pressure. Giant otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) live in groups that defend territories along river channels during the dry season using chemical signals, loud vocalizations and agonistic encounters. However, little is known about the territoriality of giant otters during the rainy season, when groups leave their dry season territories and follow fish dispersing into flooded areas. The objective of this study was to analyze long-term territoriality of giant otter groups in a seasonal environment. The linear extensions of the territories of 10 giant otter groups were determined based on locations of active dens, latrines and scent marks in each season. Some groups overlapped the limits of neighboring territories. The total territory extent of giant otters was correlated with group size in both seasons. The extent of exclusive territories of giant otter groups was negatively related to the number of adults present in adjacent groups. Territory fidelity ranged from 0 to 100% between seasons. Some groups maintained their territory for long periods, which demanded constant effort in marking and re-establishing their territories during the wet season. These results indicate that the defense capacity of groups had an important role in the maintenance of giant otter territories across seasons, which may also affect the reproductive success of alpha pairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Leuchtenberger
- Graduate Program in Ecology, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia—INPA, Manaus, Brasil
- Laboratório de Vida Selvagem, Embrapa Pantanal, Corumbá, Brasil
| | - William E. Magnusson
- Graduate Program in Ecology, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia—INPA, Manaus, Brasil
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Mosser AA, Kosmala M, Packer C. Landscape heterogeneity and behavioral traits drive the evolution of lion group territoriality. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Kittle AM, Anderson M, Avgar T, Baker JA, Brown GS, Hagens J, Iwachewski E, Moffatt S, Mosser A, Patterson BR, Reid DEB, Rodgers AR, Shuter J, Street GM, Thompson ID, Vander Vennen LM, Fryxell JM. Wolves adapt territory size, not pack size to local habitat quality. J Anim Ecol 2015; 84:1177-86. [PMID: 25757794 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
1. Although local variation in territorial predator density is often correlated with habitat quality, the causal mechanism underlying this frequently observed association is poorly understood and could stem from facultative adjustment in either group size or territory size. 2. To test between these alternative hypotheses, we used a novel statistical framework to construct a winter population-level utilization distribution for wolves (Canis lupus) in northern Ontario, which we then linked to a suite of environmental variables to determine factors influencing wolf space use. Next, we compared habitat quality metrics emerging from this analysis as well as an independent measure of prey abundance, with pack size and territory size to investigate which hypothesis was most supported by the data. 3. We show that wolf space use patterns were concentrated near deciduous, mixed deciduous/coniferous and disturbed forest stands favoured by moose (Alces alces), the predominant prey species in the diet of wolves in northern Ontario, and in proximity to linear corridors, including shorelines and road networks remaining from commercial forestry activities. 4. We then demonstrate that landscape metrics of wolf habitat quality - projected wolf use, probability of moose occupancy and proportion of preferred land cover classes - were inversely related to territory size but unrelated to pack size. 5. These results suggest that wolves in boreal ecosystems alter territory size, but not pack size, in response to local variation in habitat quality. This could be an adaptive strategy to balance trade-offs between territorial defence costs and energetic gains due to resource acquisition. That pack size was not responsive to habitat quality suggests that variation in group size is influenced by other factors such as intraspecific competition between wolf packs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Kittle
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Morgan Anderson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Tal Avgar
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - James A Baker
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Glen S Brown
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 1235 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Jevon Hagens
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Ed Iwachewski
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Scott Moffatt
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Anna Mosser
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Brent R Patterson
- Wildlife Research and Development Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Trent University, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - Douglas E B Reid
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Arthur R Rodgers
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Jen Shuter
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Garrett M Street
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Ian D Thompson
- Canadian Forest Service, 1219 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Lucas M Vander Vennen
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - John M Fryxell
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
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Macdonald DW, Johnson DDP. Patchwork planet: the resource dispersion hypothesis, society, and the ecology of life. J Zool (1987) 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- D. W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit; The Recanati-Kaplan Centre; Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; UK
| | - D. D. P. Johnson
- Department of Politics and International Relations; University of Oxford; UK
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22
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Pasquaretta C, Busia L, Ferrari C, Bogliani G, Reale D, von Hardenberg A. Helpers influence on territory use and maintenance in Alpine marmot groups. BEHAVIOUR 2015. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In social mammals, territory size and shape vary according to the number and strength of neighbour individuals competing for resources. Two main theories have been proposed to explain this variability: the Group Augmentation (GA) and the realized Resource Holding Potential (rRHP) hypotheses. The first states that the outcome of the interactions among groups depends on the total number of individuals in the group while the second states that only the number of animals directly involved in intergroup competition determines this outcome. We collected data on space use of individually tagged Alpine marmots (Marmota marmota), a cooperative breeding species that overlaps part of its territory with neighbouring groups. In accordance with the rRHP hypothesis, we found that groups having higher proportion of helpers, rather than higher total number of individuals, had lower percentage of the territory overlapping with neighbouring groups and a larger area available for individual exclusive use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Pasquaretta
- Institut pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Strasbourg cedex 2, France
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Via A. Ferrata 9, I-27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Laura Busia
- Department of Neuroethology, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Caterina Ferrari
- Département des Sciences Biologiques Université du Québec à Montréal, Case Postale 8888, succursale centre-ville Montréal, QC, Canada H3C 3P8
| | - Giuseppe Bogliani
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Via A. Ferrata 9, I-27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Denis Reale
- Département des Sciences Biologiques Université du Québec à Montréal, Case Postale 8888, succursale centre-ville Montréal, QC, Canada H3C 3P8
| | - Achaz von Hardenberg
- Alpine Wildlife Research Centre, Gran Paradiso National Park Degioz 11, 11010 Valsavarenche (Ao), Italy
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23
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Lattanzio MS, Miles DB. Ecological divergence among colour morphs mediated by changes in spatial network structure associated with disturbance. J Anim Ecol 2014; 83:1490-500. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2013] [Accepted: 05/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S. Lattanzio
- Department of Biological Sciences; Ohio University; 107 Irvine Hall Athens OH 45701 USA
| | - Donald B. Miles
- Department of Biological Sciences; Ohio University; 107 Irvine Hall Athens OH 45701 USA
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Allen BL, Engeman RM, Leung LKP. The short-term effects of a routine poisoning campaign on the movements and detectability of a social top-predator. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 21:2178-2190. [PMID: 24043505 PMCID: PMC3906561 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-013-2118-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2013] [Accepted: 08/29/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Top-predators can be important components of resilient ecosystems, but they are still controlled in many places to mitigate a variety of economic, environmental and/or social impacts. Lethal control is often achieved through the broad-scale application of poisoned baits. Understanding the direct and indirect effects of such lethal control on subsequent movements and behaviour of survivors is an important pre-requisite for interpreting the efficacy and ecological outcomes of top-predator control. In this study, we use GPS tracking collars to investigate the fine-scale and short-term movements of dingoes (Canis lupus dingo and other wild dogs) in response to a routine poison-baiting program as an example of how a common, social top-predator can respond (behaviourally) to moderate levels of population reduction. We found no consistent control-induced differences in home range size or location, daily distance travelled, speed of travel, temporal activity patterns or road/trail usage for the seven surviving dingoes we monitored immediately before and after a typical lethal control event. These data suggest that the spatial behaviour of surviving dingoes was not altered in ways likely to affect their detectability, and if control-induced changes in dingoes' ecological function did occur, these may not be related to altered spatial behaviour or movement patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L Allen
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, 4343, Australia.
- Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, Building 22, University of Canberra, Bruce, Australian Capital Territory, 2617, Australia.
- Robert Wicks Pest Animal Research Centre, Biosecurity Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, 4350, Australia.
| | - Richard M Engeman
- National Wildlife Research Centre, US Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO, 8051-2154, USA
| | - Luke K-P Leung
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, 4343, Australia
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25
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Elmhagen B, Hersteinsson P, Norén K, Unnsteinsdottir ER, Angerbjörn A. From breeding pairs to fox towns: the social organisation of arctic fox populations with stable and fluctuating availability of food. Polar Biol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-013-1416-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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26
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Norén K, Hersteinsson P, Samelius G, Eide N, Fuglei E, Elmhagen B, Dalén L, Meijer T, Angerbjörn A. From monogamy to complexity: social organization of arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) in contrasting ecosystems. CAN J ZOOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1139/z2012-077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Canids display pronounced intraspecific variation in social organization, ranging from single breeding females to large and complex groups. Despite several hypotheses in this matter, little is understood about the ecological factors underlying this flexibility. We have used the arctic fox ( Vulpes lagopus (L., 1758)) to investigate how contrasting ecosystem conditions concerning resources and predation influence group formation. We predicted that complex groups are more common in resource-rich ecosystems with predators, whereas simple groups occur in more marginal ecosystems without predators. Samples from 54 groups were collected from four populations of arctic foxes with contrasting prey resources and predation and these samples were genotyped in 10 microsatellite loci. We found considerable variation between ecosystems and a significant relationship between resources and formation of complex groups. We conclude that sufficient amounts of food is a prerequisite for forming complex groups, but that defense against predation further increases the benefits of living in larger groups. We present a conceptual model suggesting that a trade-off between the cost of resource depletion and the benefits obtained for guarding against predators explain the differences in social organization. The variable ecology of the arctic foxes makes it is a plausible model species for understanding the connection between ecology and social organization also in other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. Norén
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - P. Hersteinsson
- Institute of Biology, University of Iceland, Sturlugata 7, IS-101 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - G. Samelius
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-730 91 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - N.E. Eide
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, N-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - E. Fuglei
- Norwegian Polar Institute, FRAM Centre, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - B. Elmhagen
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - L. Dalén
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - T. Meijer
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - A. Angerbjörn
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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