1
|
Zini V, Wäber K, Dolman PM. Relative influence of inter- and intraspecific competition in an ungulate assemblage modified by introduced species. J Mammal 2023; 104:879-891. [PMID: 38328638 PMCID: PMC10847828 DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyad030] [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: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Interspecific competition from introduced and naturally colonizing species has potential to affect resident populations, but demographic consequences for vertebrates have rarely been tested. We tested hypotheses of interspecific and intraspecific competition for density, body mass, and fertility of adult female Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) across a heterogeneous forest landscape occupied by two introduced deer species: Mediterranean Fallow Deer (Dama dama); and subtropical Reeve's Muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi). Species-specific deer densities in buffers around culling locations of 492 adult female Roe Deer, sampled over seven years, were extracted from spatially explicit models calibrated through annual nocturnal distance sampling. Roe Deer fertility and body mass were related to species-specific deer densities and extent of arable lands using piecewise structural equation models. Reeve's Muntjac density was lower at higher Fallow Deer densities, suggesting interspecific avoidance via interference competition, but greater when buffers included more arable land. Roe Deer body mass was marginally greater when buffers included more arable land and was independent of deer densities. However, Roe Deer fertility was unrelated to female body mass, suggesting that fertility benefits exceeded an asymptotic threshold of body condition in this low-density population. However, Roe Deer fertility was slightly greater rather than reduced in areas with greater local Roe Deer density, suggesting negligible intraspecific competition. In contrast, Roe Deer was less fertile in areas with greater Reeve's Muntjac densities; thus, interspecific exceeded intraspecific competition in this assemblage. In contrast, we found no support for any effects of Fallow Deer density on Roe Deer density, body mass, or fertility. Complex networks of interspecific competition operating in this deer assemblage include: interspecific interference from Fallow Deer exceeded habitat effects for Reeve's Muntjac; and interspecific competition from introduced, smaller sedentary Reeve's Muntjac reduced fertility, unlike intraspecific, or potential competition with larger, more mobile, Fallow Deer for native Roe Deer. Mechanisms driving Roe Deer fertility may include interspecific behavioral interference or stress-resource depletion is considered less likely because Roe Deer fertility was independent of body mass. Findings emphasize the importance of ensuring appropriate management strategies for controlling invasive species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Zini
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
- Natural Capital Solutions, 1 Lucas Bridge Business Park, 1 Old Greens Norton Road, Towcester, Northamptonshire NN12 8AX, United Kingdom
| | - Kristin Wäber
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
- National Trust, Westley Bottom, Westley, Bury Saint Edmunds IP33 3WD, United Kingdom
| | - Paul M Dolman
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wightman NE, Howe E, Satura A, Northrup JM. Factors affecting age at primiparity in black bears. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noah E. Wightman
- Biology Department Trent University 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough Ontario K9L 1Z8 Canada
| | - Eric Howe
- Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines Natural Resources and Forestry 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough Ontario K9L 1Z8 Canada
| | - Abbygail Satura
- Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines Natural Resources and Forestry 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough Ontario K9L 1Z8 Canada
| | - Joseph M. Northrup
- Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines Natural Resources and Forestry 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough Ontario K9L 1Z8 Canada
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program Trent University 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough Ontario K9L 1Z8 Canada
- IUCN Bear Specialist Group‐member North American Bears Expert Team
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Abstract
A recent study published in The Lancet predicts a remarkable drop in population numbers following a peak that will be reached by 2064. A unique feature of the upcoming population drop is that it will be almost exclusively caused by decreased reproduction, rather than factors that increase rates of mortality. The reasons for decreased reproduction are also unique, as, unlike previous centuries, limited reproduction today is hardly due to a shortage in resources. In other words, the predicted population drop is almost exclusively due to changes in reproductive behavior and reproductive physiology. Today, global changes in reproductive behavior are mostly explained by social sciences in a framework of demographic transition hypotheses, while changes in reproductive physiology are usually attributed to effects of endocrine-disrupting pollutants. This review outlines a complementary/alternative hypothesis, which connects reproductive trends with population densities. Numerous wildlife and experimental studies of a broad range of animal species have demonstrated that reproductive behavior and reproductive physiology are negatively controlled via endocrine and neural signaling in response to increasing population densities. The causal chain of this control system, although not fully understood, includes suppression of every level of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal cascade by hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, activated in response to increasing stress of social interactions. This paper discusses evidence in support of a hypothesis that current trends in reproductive physiology and behavior may be partly explained by increasing population densities. Better understanding of the causal chain involved in reproduction suppression by population density-related factors may help in developing interventions to treat infertility and other reproductive conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Suvorov
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Blanchong JA, Anderson CA, Clark NJ, Klaver RW, Plummer PJ, Cox M, McAdoo C, Wolff PL. Respiratory disease, behavior, and survival of mountain goat kids. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julie A. Blanchong
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management; Iowa State University; Ames IA 50011 USA
| | - Christopher A. Anderson
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management; Iowa State University; Ames IA 50011 USA
| | | | - Robert W. Klaver
- U.S. Geological Survey; Iowa Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit; Iowa State University; Ames IA 50011 USA
| | - Paul J. Plummer
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine and Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine; Iowa State University; Ames IA 50011 USA
| | - Mike Cox
- Nevada Department of Wildlife; Reno NV 89511 USA
| | - Caleb McAdoo
- Nevada Department of Wildlife; Elko NV 89801 USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
White KS, Gregovich DP, Levi T. Projecting the future of an alpine ungulate under climate change scenarios. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:1136-1149. [PMID: 28973826 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Climate change represents a primary threat to species persistence and biodiversity at a global scale. Cold adapted alpine species are especially sensitive to climate change and can offer key "early warning signs" about deleterious effects of predicted change. Among mountain ungulates, survival, a key determinant of demographic performance, may be influenced by future climate in complex, and possibly opposing ways. Demographic data collected from 447 mountain goats in 10 coastal Alaska, USA, populations over a 37-year time span indicated that survival is highest during low snowfall winters and cool summers. However, general circulation models (GCMs) predict future increase in summer temperature and decline in winter snowfall. To disentangle how these opposing climate-driven effects influence mountain goat populations, we developed an age-structured population model to project mountain goat population trajectories for 10 different GCM/emissions scenarios relevant for coastal Alaska. Projected increases in summer temperature had stronger negative effects on population trajectories than the positive demographic effects of reduced winter snowfall. In 5 of the 10 GCM/representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios, the net effect of projected climate change was extinction over a 70-year time window (2015-2085); smaller initial populations were more likely to go extinct faster than larger populations. Using a resource selection modeling approach, we determined that distributional shifts to higher elevation (i.e., "thermoneutral") summer range was unlikely to be a viable behavioral adaptation strategy; due to the conical shape of mountains, summer range was expected to decline by 17%-86% for 7 of the 10 GCM/RCP scenarios. Projected declines of mountain goat populations are driven by climate-linked bottom-up mechanisms and may have wide ranging implications for alpine ecosystems. These analyses elucidate how projected climate change can negatively alter population dynamics of a sentinel alpine species and provide insight into how demographic modeling can be used to assess risk to species persistence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin S White
- Division of Wildlife Conservation, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Juneau, AK, USA
| | - David P Gregovich
- Division of Wildlife Conservation, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Juneau, AK, USA
| | - Taal Levi
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lowrey B, Garrott RA, Miyasaki HM, Fralick G, Dewey SR. Seasonal resource selection by introduced mountain goats in the southwest Greater Yellowstone Area. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- B. Lowrey
- Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana 59717 USA
| | - R. A. Garrott
- Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana 59717 USA
| | - H. M. Miyasaki
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game Idaho Falls Idaho 83401 USA
| | - G. Fralick
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department Thayne Wyoming 83127 USA
| | - S. R. Dewey
- Grand Teton National Park Moose Wyoming 83012 USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Prugh LR, Arthur SM. Optimal predator management for mountain sheep conservation depends on the strength of mesopredator release. OIKOS 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.02017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura R. Prugh
- Inst. of Arctic Biology, Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks; Fairbanks AK 99775 USA
| | - Stephen M. Arthur
- Dept of Wildlife Conservation; Alaska Dept of Fish and Game; 1300 College Rd Fairbanks AK 99701 USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Richard JH, Wilmshurst J, Côté SD. The effect of snow on space use of an alpine ungulate: recently fallen snow tells more than cumulative snow depth. CAN J ZOOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2014-0118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Snow is one of the most limiting environmental factors for large wildlife of temperate and arctic zones during winter. Snow depth may limit space use, increase energy expenditure related to movement, limit resource availability, and ultimately affect individual survival. Most of the studies on the effect of snow on animal space use have used cumulative snow depth. The amount of recently fallen snow, however, could be more relevant for wildlife, especially in alpine and northern environments, where wind shifts and hardens the snow cover constantly. From 2011 to 2013, we studied space use of mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus (Blainville, 1816)) within Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. During winter, daily and weekly movements decreased with the amount of recently fallen snow, but not with cumulative snow depth. These results indicate that recently fallen snow should be included in wildlife space-use studies during winter. Limited movement and range size of mountain goats also highlight the energy-saving tactic used in winter by this species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julien H. Richard
- Département de biologie et Centre d’études nordiques, Université Laval, 1045 avenue de la médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | | | - Steeve D. Côté
- Département de biologie et Centre d’études nordiques, Université Laval, 1045 avenue de la médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
UENO MAYUMI, KAJI KOICHI, SAITOH TAKASHI. Culling Versus Density Effects in Management of a Deer Population. J Wildl Manage 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1937-2817.2010.tb01274.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
10
|
|
11
|
Stewart KM, Bowyer RT, Dick BL, Johnson BK, Kie JG. Density-dependent effects on physical condition and reproduction in North American elk: an experimental test. Oecologia 2004; 143:85-93. [PMID: 15586292 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-004-1785-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2004] [Accepted: 11/11/2004] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Density dependence plays a key role in life-history characteristics and population ecology of large, herbivorous mammals. We designed a manipulative experiment to test hypotheses relating effects of density-dependent mechanisms on physical condition and fecundity of North American elk (Cervus elaphus) by creating populations at low and high density. We hypothesized that if density-dependent effects were manifested principally through intraspecific competition, body condition and fecundity of females would be lower in an area of high population density than in a low-density area. Thus, we collected data on physical condition and rates of pregnancy in each experimental population. Our manipulative experiment indicated that density-dependent feedbacks affected physical condition and reproduction of adult female elk. Age-specific pregnancy rates were lower in the high-density area, although there were no differences in pregnancy of yearlings or in age at peak reproduction between areas. Age-specific rates of pregnancy began to diverge at 2 years of age between the two populations and peaked at 6 years old. Pregnancy rates were most affected by body condition and mass, although successful reproduction the previous year also reduced pregnancy rates during the current year. Our results indicated that while holding effects of winter constant, density-dependent mechanisms had a much greater effect on physical condition and fecundity than density-independent factors (e.g., precipitation and temperature). Moreover, our results demonstrated effects of differing nutrition resulting from population density during summer on body condition and reproduction. Thus, summer is a critical period for accumulation of body stores to buffer animals against winter; more emphasis should be placed on the role of spring and summer nutrition on population regulation in large, northern herbivores.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelley M Stewart
- Institute of Arctic Biology, and Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, USA.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Voyer AG, Smith KG, Festa-Bianchet M. Dynamics of hunted and unhunted mountain goat Oreamnos americanus populations. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2003. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.2003.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Gonzalez Voyer
- Alejandro Gonzalez Voyer* & Marco Festa-Bianchet, Groupe de Recherche en ecologie, nutrition et énergétique, Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, PQJ1K 2R1, Canada - e-mail addresses: (Alejandro Gonzalez Voyer); (Marco Festa-Bianchet)
| | - Kirby G. Smith
- Kirby G. Smith, Fish and Wildlife Division, 111-54 Street, Edson, AB T7E1T2, Canada -
| | - Marco Festa-Bianchet
- Alejandro Gonzalez Voyer* & Marco Festa-Bianchet, Groupe de Recherche en ecologie, nutrition et énergétique, Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, PQJ1K 2R1, Canada - e-mail addresses: (Alejandro Gonzalez Voyer); (Marco Festa-Bianchet)
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Côté SD, Festa-Bianchet M. Reproductive success in female mountain goats: the influence of age and social rank. Anim Behav 2001. [DOI: 10.1006/anbe.2001.1719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|