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Buzan E, Potočnik H, Pokorny B, Potušek S, Iacolina L, Gerič U, Urzi F, Kos I. Molecular analysis of scats revealed diet and prey choice of grey wolves and Eurasian lynx in the contact zone between the Dinaric Mountains and the Alps. Front Zool 2024; 21:9. [PMID: 38500207 PMCID: PMC10949697 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-024-00530-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
A comprehensive understanding of the dietary habits of carnivores is essential to get ecological insights into their role in the ecosystem, potential competition with other carnivorous species, and their effect on prey populations. Genetic analysis of non-invasive samples, such as scats, can supplement behavioural or microscopic diet investigations. The objective of this study was to employ DNA metabarcoding to accurately determine the prey species in grey wolf (Canis lupus) and Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) scat samples collected in the Julian Alps and the Dinaric Mountains, Slovenia. The primary prey of wolves were red deer (Cervus elaphus) (detected in 96% scat samples), European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) (68%), and wild boar (Sus scrofa) (45%). A smaller portion of their diet consisted of mesocarnivores, small mammals, and domestic animals. In contrast, the lynx diet mostly consisted of European roe deer (82%) and red deer (64%). However, small mammals and domestic animals were also present in lynx diet, albeit to a lesser extent. Our findings indicate that the dietary habits of wolves and lynx are influenced by geographical location. Snapshot dietary analyses using metabarcoding are valuable for comprehending the behaviour and ecology of predators, and for devising conservation measures aimed at sustainable management of both their natural habitats and prey populations. However, to gain a more detailed understanding of wolf and lynx dietary habits and ecological impact, it would be essential to conduct long-term genetic monitoring of their diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Buzan
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Glagoljaška 8, 6000, Koper, Slovenia
- Faculty of Environmental Protection, Trg mladosti 7, 3320, Velenje, Slovenia
| | - Hubert Potočnik
- Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Boštjan Pokorny
- Faculty of Environmental Protection, Trg mladosti 7, 3320, Velenje, Slovenia
- Slovenian Forestry Institute, Večna pot 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Sandra Potušek
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Glagoljaška 8, 6000, Koper, Slovenia
| | - Laura Iacolina
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Glagoljaška 8, 6000, Koper, Slovenia
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Frederik Bajers Vej 7H, 9220, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Urška Gerič
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Glagoljaška 8, 6000, Koper, Slovenia
| | - Felicita Urzi
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Glagoljaška 8, 6000, Koper, Slovenia.
| | - Ivan Kos
- Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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2
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Duľa M, Nicol C, Bojda M, Labuda J, Slamka M, Kutal M. The first insight into hunting and feeding behaviour of the Eurasian lynx in the Western Carpathians. MAMMAL RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-022-00662-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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3
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Welch RJ, Schmitt MH, Mendela T, Bernard RT, Parker DM. The Impacts of Reintroducing Cheetahs on the Vigilance Behaviour of Two Naïve Prey Species. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.3957/056.052.0146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J. Welch
- School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Private Bag X11283, Nelspruit, 1200 South Africa
| | - Melissa H. Schmitt
- School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Private Bag X11283, Nelspruit, 1200 South Africa
| | - Thando Mendela
- Wildlife and Reserve Management Research Group, Department of Zoology & Entomology, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa
| | - Ric T.F. Bernard
- School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Private Bag X11283, Nelspruit, 1200 South Africa
| | - Dan M. Parker
- School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Private Bag X11283, Nelspruit, 1200 South Africa
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4
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Arja Helena K, Giulio G, Johan H. Taenia lynciscapreoli in semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus, L.) in Sweden. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2022; 18:148-151. [PMID: 35586792 PMCID: PMC9108717 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We report here Taenia lynciscapreoli metacestode from the lung lobe of a semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus). The specimen was detected within a development project concerning remote post mortem inspection at a reindeer abattoir in Sweden. Post mortem inspection was performed according to a routine on-site official meat inspection protocol. The species identification to T. lynciscapreoli was confirmed based on the DNA extracted from the metacestode, which was analysed by sequencing of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1. Firstly, our finding shows that semi-domesticated reindeer in addition to several other cervids can act as an additional intermediate host for T. lynciscapreoli. Secondly, it further confirms that this parasite is more widely distributed on the Scandinavian peninsula than what has previously been shown. This is in line with a previous molecular finding of adult T. lynciscapreoli from the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in Sweden and demonstrates that new intermediate host can be detected. Whether the present finding can be regarded as accidental or have created opportunities for an expansion throughout the northernmost Scandinavian Peninsula remains to be seen. Semi-domesticated reindeer can act as the intermediate host for T. lynciscapreoli. T. lynciscapreoli is more widely distributed than previously shown. The impact on reindeer welfare remains unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kautto Arja Helena
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Ulls Väg 26, Uppsala and Swedish Food Agency, Department of Control Support, Dag Hammarskjöldsväg 56 A, Uppsala, Sweden
- Corresponding author.
| | - Grandi Giulio
- National Veterinary Institute, Department for Parasitology, Uppsala and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Section for Parasitology, Ulls Väg 26, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Höglund Johan
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Section for Parasitology, Ulls Väg 26, Uppsala, Sweden
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5
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Sunde P, Böcker F, Rauset GR, Kjellander P, Chrenkova M, Skovdal TM, van Beeck Calkoen S, Mayer M, Heurich M. Mammal responses to predator scents across multiple study areas. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Sunde
- Department of Ecoscience—Wildlife Ecology Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
| | - Felix Böcker
- Department of Forest and Society Forest Research Institute Baden‐Württemberg Freiburg Germany
| | - Geir Rune Rauset
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Science Riddarhyttan Sweden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research Trondheim Norway
| | - Petter Kjellander
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Science Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Monika Chrenkova
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | | | - Suzanne van Beeck Calkoen
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring Bavarian Forest National Park Grafenau Germany
- Wildlife Ecology and Management University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Martin Mayer
- Department of Ecoscience—Wildlife Ecology Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
| | - Marco Heurich
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring Bavarian Forest National Park Grafenau Germany
- Wildlife Ecology and Management University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
- Institute for Forest and Wildlife Management Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences Koppang Norway
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6
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Gortázar C, Fernandez-de-Simon J. One tool in the box: the role of hunters in mitigating the damages associated to abundant wildlife. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-022-01578-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Cristescu B, Elbroch LM, Dellinger JA, Binder W, Wilmers CC, Wittmer HU. Kill rates and associated ecological factors for an apex predator. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00240-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AbstractKill rates and functional responses are fundamental to the study of predator ecology and the understanding of predatory-prey dynamics. As the most widely distributed apex predator in the western hemisphere, pumas (Puma concolor) have been well studied, yet a synthesis of their kill rates is currently lacking. We reviewed the literature and compiled data on sex- and age-specific kill rate estimates of pumas on ungulates, and conducted analyses aimed at understanding ecological factors explaining the observed spatial variation. Kill rate studies on pumas, while numerous, were primarily conducted in Temperate Conifer Forests (< 10% of puma range), revealing a dearth of knowledge across much of their range, especially from tropical and subtropical habitats. Across studies, kill rates in ungulates/week were highest for adult females with kitten(s) (1.24 ± 0.41 ungulates/week) but did not vary significantly between adult males (0.84 ± 0.18) and solitary adult females (0.99 ± 0.26). Kill rates in kg/day differed only marginally among reproductive classes. Kill rates of adult pumas increased with ungulate density, particularly for males. Ungulate species richness had a weak negative association with adult male kill rates. Neither scavenger richness, puma density, the proportion of non-ungulate prey in the diet, nor regional human population density had a significant effect on ungulate kill rates, but additional studies and standardization would provide further insights. Our results had a strong temperate-ecosystem bias highlighting the need for further research across the diverse biomes pumas occupy to fully interpret kill rates for the species. Data from more populations would also allow for multivariate analyses providing deeper inference into the ecological and behavioural factors driving kill rates and functional responses of pumas, and apex predators in general.
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Nagl D, Breitenmoser U, Hackländer K, Ryser A, Zimmermann F, Signer S, Haller H, Breitenmoser‐Würsten C, Vogt K. Long‐term changes in habitat selection and prey spectrum in a reintroduced Eurasian lynx (
Lynx lynx)
population in Switzerland. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8614. [PMID: 35228862 PMCID: PMC8861841 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
When wild‐caught Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) from the Slovak Carpathian Mountains were reintroduced to Central Switzerland in the early 1970s and spread through the north‐western Swiss Alps (NWA), they faced a largely unfamiliar landscape with strongly fragmented forests, high elevations, and intense human land use. For more than 30 years, radio‐collared lynx have been monitored during three different project periods (in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2010s). Our study explored, how lynx over generations have learned to adjust to the alpine environment. We predicted that (1) lynx nowadays select more strongly for open habitats, higher elevations, and steep slopes compared to the early stages of recolonization and that (2) consequently, there were significant changes in the Eurasian lynx’ prey spectrum. To test our predictions, we analyzed telemetry data (VHF, GPS) of 13 adult resident lynx in the NWA over 35 years, using Resource Selection Functions. Furthermore, we compared kills recorded from different individuals inhabiting the same region during three project periods. In general, lynx preferred forested areas, but over the years, they avoided open habitat less. Compared to the early stage of the recolonization, lynx in the most recent project period selected for higher elevations and the proportion of chamois in their prey spectrum surmounted that of roe deer. Potential driving factors for the observed changes could be increasing tolerance to human presence, intraspecific competition, or fitness benefits through exploitation of new resources. Long‐term studies like ours provide important insight into how animals can respond to sudden environmental changes, e.g., in the course of translocations into new areas or anthropogenic alterations of their habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Nagl
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna Austria
- KORA Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management Muri bei Bern Switzerland
- Bayerischer Jagdverband e.V Feldkirchen Germany
| | - Urs Breitenmoser
- KORA Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management Muri bei Bern Switzerland
| | - Klaus Hackländer
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna Austria
- Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung Hamburg Germany
| | - Andreas Ryser
- KORA Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management Muri bei Bern Switzerland
| | | | - Sven Signer
- KORA Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management Muri bei Bern Switzerland
| | | | | | - Kristina Vogt
- KORA Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management Muri bei Bern Switzerland
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Andrén H, Aronsson M, López‐Bao JV, Samelius G, Chapron G, Rauset GR, Hemmingmoore H, Persson J. Season rather than habitat affects lynx survival and risk of mortality in the human‐dominated landscape of southern Sweden. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/wlb3.01008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Andrén
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Malin Aronsson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - José V. López‐Bao
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UO/CSIC/PA), Oviedo Univ. Mieres Spain
| | - Gustaf Samelius
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden
- Snow Leopard Trust Seattle WA USA
| | - Guillaume Chapron
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Geir Rune Rauset
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden
- Norwegian Inst. for Nature Research (NINA) Torgarden Trondheim Norway
| | - Heather Hemmingmoore
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Jens Persson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden
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Mysłajek RW, Stachyra P, Figura M, Nowak S. Food habits of the Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx in southeast Poland. JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.25225/jvb.21061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert W. Mysłajek
- Department of Ecology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Warszawa, Poland; e-mail: ,
| | | | - Michał Figura
- Department of Ecology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Warszawa, Poland; e-mail: ,
| | - Sabina Nowak
- Department of Ecology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Warszawa, Poland; e-mail: ,
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Kirkland H, Hare D, Daniels M, Krofel M, Rao S, Chapman T, Blossey B. Successful Deer Management in Scotland Requires Less Conflict Not More. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2021.770303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
What would successful deer management look like in Scotland? To some, flourishing populations of native wild deer represent success. But to others, negative impacts such as damage to woodlands and peatlands, agricultural and forestry losses, deer-vehicle collisions, and facilitating Lyme disease spread represent failure. Conflicting interests and incentives among people involved in deer management mean a common definition of success, and therefore clear management targets, remain elusive. While some environmental groups urgently call for an increase in the number of deer culled (shot) each year, other stakeholders aim to maximize deer numbers. Overcoming this governance failure will require clearly articulated, scientifically valid, and socially acceptable socio-ecological objectives to be co-produced by a broad range of stakeholders. Systematic monitoring of deer impacts will also be needed to evaluate the ability of specific management interventions to achieve defined objectives. Reintroducing Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) has been suggested as a means to reduce deer numbers and their negative ecological and socioeconomic impacts. However, evidence of lynx impacts on deer numbers, deer impacts, and social conflicts over deer suggest lynx reintroduction alone would not effectively reduce negative impacts of deer in Scotland, though it could be part of a broader solution. In the short-term, achieving sustainable numbers of deer in Scotland will require a substantial increase in the number of deer culled and effective changes to the way deer management is incentivized, regulated, implemented, and monitored.
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Hagen R, Ortmann S, Elliger A, Arnold J. Advanced roe deer (
Capreolus capreolus
) parturition date in response to climate change. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Robert Hagen
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Sylvia Ortmann
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Andreas Elliger
- Wildlife Research Unit Agricultural Centre Baden‐Württemberg Aulendorf Germany
| | - Janosch Arnold
- Wildlife Research Unit Agricultural Centre Baden‐Württemberg Aulendorf Germany
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Palmero S, Belotti E, Bufka L, Gahbauer M, Heibl C, Premier J, Weingarth-Dachs K, Heurich M. Demography of a Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) population within a strictly protected area in Central Europe. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19868. [PMID: 34615965 PMCID: PMC8494906 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99337-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Large carnivores promote crucial ecosystem processes but are increasingly threatened by human persecution and habitat destruction. Successful conservation of this guild requires information on long-term population dynamics obtained through demographic surveys. We used camera traps to monitor Eurasian lynx between 2009 and 2018 in a strictly protected area in the Bohemian Forest Ecosystem, located in the core of the distribution of the Bohemian-Bavarian-Austrian lynx population. Thereby, we estimated sex-specific demographic parameters using spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models. Over 48,677 trap nights, we detected 65 unique lynx individuals. Density increased from 0.69 to 1.33 and from 1.09 to 2.35 individuals/100 km2 for open and closed population SCR models, respectively, with corresponding positive population growth rates (mean = 1.06). Estimated yearly sex-specific survival probabilities for the entire monitoring period were high (females 82%, males 90%) and per capita recruitment rate was low (females 12%, males 9%), indicating a low yearly population turnover. We ascertained an average number of recruits of 1.97 and a generation time of 2.64 years when considering resident reproducing females. We confirmed that reproduction in the study area took place successfully every year. Despite the overall increase in local lynx densities, the number of detected family groups remained constant throughout the study period. These results indicated that the strictly protected study area acts as a source for the multi-use landscapes in its surroundings. In this first open population SCR study on lynx, we provide sex-specific demographic parameters that are fundamental information for lynx management in the study area as well as in similar contexts Europe-wide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Palmero
- Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Straße 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Elisa Belotti
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 1176, 16521, Prague 6, Czech Republic
- Department of Research and Nature Protection, Šumava National Park Administration, Sušická 399, 34192, Kašperské Hory, Czech Republic
| | - Luděk Bufka
- Department of Research and Nature Protection, Šumava National Park Administration, Sušická 399, 34192, Kašperské Hory, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Gahbauer
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
| | - Christoph Heibl
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
- Plant Biodiversity Research, Technische Universitӓt München, Emil-Ramann Straße 2, 85354, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
| | - Joe Premier
- Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Straße 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kirsten Weingarth-Dachs
- Plant Biodiversity Research, Technische Universitӓt München, Emil-Ramann Straße 2, 85354, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
| | - Marco Heurich
- Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Straße 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
- Inland Norway University of Applied Science Institute for Forest and Wildlife Management, Campus Evenstad, 2480, Koppang, Norway
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14
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Sand H, Jamieson M, Andrén H, Wikenros C, Cromsigt J, Månsson J. Behavioral effects of wolf presence on moose habitat selection: testing the landscape of fear hypothesis in an anthropogenic landscape. Oecologia 2021; 197:101-116. [PMID: 34420087 PMCID: PMC8445880 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04984-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Landscape of fear refers to the spatial variation in prey perception of predation risk, that under certain conditions, may lead to changes in their behavior. Behavioral responses of prey in relation to large carnivore predation risk have mainly been conducted in areas with low anthropogenic impact. We used long-term data on the distribution of moose in different habitat types in a system characterized by intensive management of all three trophic levels (silviculture, harvest of wolves and moose) to study effects on moose habitat selection resulting from the return of an apex predator, the wolf. We assumed that coursing predators such as wolves will cause an increased risk for moose in some habitat types and tested the hypotheses that moose will avoid open or young forest habitats following wolf establishment. After wolf recolonization, moose reduced their use of one type of open habitat (bog) but there was neither change in the use of the other open habitat type (clear-cut), nor in their use of young forest. Wolf establishment did not influence the use of habitat close to dense habitat when being in open habitats. Thus, the effect of wolves varied among habitat types and there was no unidirectional support for a behavioral effect of wolves' establishment on moose habitat use. Human-driven habitat heterogeneity, concentration of moose forage to certain habitat types, and the effects of a multiple predator guild on moose may all contribute to the results found. We conclude that the landscape of fear is likely to have weak ecological effects on moose in this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Håkan Sand
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 739 93, Riddarhyttan, Sweden.
| | - Mark Jamieson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 739 93, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Henrik Andrén
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 739 93, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Camilla Wikenros
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 739 93, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Joris Cromsigt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83, Skogsmarksgränd, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Johan Månsson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 739 93, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
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15
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The return of large carnivores: Using hunter observation data to understand the role of predators on ungulate populations. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
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16
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Borkowski J, Banul R, Jurkiewicz‐Azab J, Hołdyński C, Święczkowska J, Nasiadko M, Załuski D. There is only one winner: The negative impact of red deer density on roe deer numbers and distribution in the Słowiński National Park and its vicinity. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:6889-6899. [PMID: 34141263 PMCID: PMC8207339 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Red and roe deer are the most numerous cervids in Europe, and they occur in sympatry in most regions. Roe deer were considered to be an inferior competitor in studies in which they co-occurred with fallow deer or muntjac. Despite the remarkable overlap of their ranges, there are few studies on the competition between the red and roe deer. Since interspecific interactions among ungulates are often related to their mutual densities, the current study focused on the effects of high red deer density on the roe deer numbers and spatial distribution in the unhunted Słowiński National Park (SNP) in northern Poland and forest districts open to hunting bordering the park. Using fecal pellet group counts, it was found that in the forest districts (where red deer densities were 2-3 times lower than in the SNP), roe deer densities were significantly higher than in the park. The red-to-roe deer density ratio was 10.8 and 2.7, in the SNP and the surrounding forest districts, respectively. Moreover, in the SNP, the roe deer distribution was negatively affected by the red deer habitat use, while in the hunting areas, such an effect was not recorded. The negative influence of the red deer on the roe deer population in the park was most probably due to the red deer impact on food availability. The biomass of the plant groups forming the staple food of the roe deer (Rubus spp., forbs, dwarf shrubs) was significantly higher in the fenced plots than in the unfenced ones. Lack of hunting in the protected areas may benefit only some species in ungulate assemblages which, in turn, may contradict one of their objectives-to maintain viable and ecologically functional populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Borkowski
- Department of Forestry and Forest EcologyUniversity of Warmia and MazuryOlsztynPoland
| | | | | | - Czesław Hołdyński
- Department of Botany and Nature ConservationUniversity of Warmia and MazuryOlsztynPoland
| | - Justyna Święczkowska
- Department of Botany and Nature ConservationUniversity of Warmia and MazuryOlsztynPoland
| | | | - Dariusz Załuski
- Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Bioresource EngineeringUniversity of Warmia and MazuryOlsztynPoland
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Linnell JD, Mattisson J, Odden J. Extreme home range sizes among Eurasian lynx at the northern edge of their biogeographic range. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:5001-5009. [PMID: 34025986 PMCID: PMC8131800 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) have a wide distribution across Eurasia. The northern edge of this distribution is in Norway, where they reach up to 72 degrees north. We conducted a study of lynx space use in this region from 2007 to 2013 using GPS telemetry. The home range sizes averaged 2,606 (± 438 SE) km2 for males (n = 9 ranges) and 1,456 (± 179 SE) km2 for females (n = 24 ranges). These are the largest home ranges reported for any large felid, and indeed are only matched by polar bears, arctic living wolves, and grizzly bears among all the Carnivora. The habitat occupied was almost entirely treeless alpine tundra, with home ranges only containing from 20% to 25% of forest. These data have clear implications for the spatial planning of lynx management in the far north as the current management zones are located in unsuitable habitats and are not large enough to encompass individual lynx movements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John Odden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchOsloNorway
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18
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Riquelme C, Estay SA, Contreras R, Corti P. Extinction risk assessment of a Patagonian ungulate using population dynamics models under climate change scenarios. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2020; 64:1847-1855. [PMID: 32734426 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-020-01971-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Climate change affects population cycles of several species, threatening biodiversity. However, there are few long-term studies on species with conservation issues and restricted distributions. Huemul is a deer endemic to the southern Andes in South America and it is considered endangered mostly due to a 50% reduction of its distribution over the last 500 years. To assess environmental variables potentially affecting huemul population viability and the impact of climate change, we developed population dynamics models. We used a 14-year survey data from Bernardo O'Higgins National Park, coastal Chilean Patagonia. We used Ricker models considering winter and spring temperatures and precipitation as variables influencing huemul population dynamics. We used the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) to select models with the greatest predictive power. The two best models (ΔBIC < 2) included winter temperature and density-dependence population growth drivers. The best model considered a lateral effect, where winter temperature influences carrying capacity and the second best a vertical effect with winter temperature influencing Rmax and carrying capacity. Population viability was evaluated using those models, projecting them over a 100-year period: (a) under current conditions and (b) under conditions estimated by Global Climate Models for 2050 and 2070. The extinction risk and quasi-extinction were estimated for this population considering two critical huemul abundance levels (15 and 30 individuals) for persistence. The population is currently in a quasi-extinction process, with extinction probabilities increasing with climate change. These results are crucial for conservation of species like huemul that have low densities and are threatened by climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Riquelme
- Programa de Magíster en Ecología Aplicada, Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Laboratorio de Manejo y Conservación de Vida Silvestre, Instituto de Ciencia Animal y Programa de Investigación Aplicada en Fauna Silvestre, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sergio A Estay
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Rafael Contreras
- Oficina Provincial Última Esperanza, CONAF-Región de Magallanes, Puerto Natales, Chile
| | - Paulo Corti
- Laboratorio de Manejo y Conservación de Vida Silvestre, Instituto de Ciencia Animal y Programa de Investigación Aplicada en Fauna Silvestre, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.
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19
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Proffitt KM, Garrott R, Gude JA, Hebblewhite M, Jimenez B, Paterson JT, Rotella J. Integrated Carnivore‐Ungulate Management: A Case Study in West‐Central Montana. WILDLIFE MONOGRAPHS 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/wmon.1056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks 1400 South 19th Street Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Robert Garrott
- Department of Ecology, Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program Montana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Justin A. Gude
- Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks 1420 E 6th Ave Helena MT 59620 USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation University of Montana Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Benjamin Jimenez
- Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks 3201 Spurgin Road Missoula MT 59804 USA
| | - J. Terrill Paterson
- Department of Ecology Montana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Jay Rotella
- Department of Ecology Montana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman MT 59718 USA
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20
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Strength of correlation between wildlife collision data and hunting bags varies among ungulate species and with management scale. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-020-01421-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
AbstractMost European ungulate species are increasing in numbers and expanding their range. For the management and monitoring of these species, 64% of European countries rely on indirect proxies of abundance (e.g., hunting bag statistics). With increasing ungulate numbers, data on ungulate-vehicle collisions (UVC) may provide an important and inexpensive, complementary data source. Currently, it is unclear how bag statistics compare with UVC. A direct comparison of these two indices is important because both are used in ungulate management. We evaluated the relationship between UVC and ungulate hunting bags across bioclimatic, regional, and local scales, using five time lags (t−3 to t+1) for the five most common wild ungulate species in Sweden. For all species, hunting bags and UVC correlated positively, but correlation strength and time lags varied across scales and among species. The two indices correlated most strongly at the local management scale. Correlation between both indices was strong for the smaller deer species and wild boar, in particular, but much weaker for moose where we found the best fit using a 2-year time lag. For the other species, indices from the same year correlated best. We argue that the reason for moose data behaving differently is that, in Sweden, moose are formally managed using a 3-year time plan, while the other species are not. Accordingly, moose hunting bags are influenced more strongly by density-independent processes than bags of the other species. Consequently, the mismatch between the two indices may generate conflicting conclusions for management depending on the method applied.
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21
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22
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Aronsson M, Åkesson M, Low M, Persson J, Andrén H. Resource dispersion and relatedness interact to explain space use in a solitary predator. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Malin Aronsson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences SE‐73091 Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Mikael Åkesson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences SE‐73091 Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Matthew Low
- Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
| | - Jens Persson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences SE‐73091 Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Henrik Andrén
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences SE‐73091 Riddarhyttan Sweden
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23
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Gehr B, Bonnot NC, Heurich M, Cagnacci F, Ciuti S, Hewison AJM, Gaillard J, Ranc N, Premier J, Vogt K, Hofer E, Ryser A, Vimercati E, Keller L. Stay home, stay safe—Site familiarity reduces predation risk in a large herbivore in two contrasting study sites. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1329-1339. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt Gehr
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive UMR 5175 CNRS ‐ Université de Montpellier ‐ Université Paul‐Valéry Montpellier ‐ EPHE Montpellier Cedex 5 France
| | | | - Marco Heurich
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring Bavarian Forest National Park Grafenau Germany
- Wildlife Ecology and Wildlife Management Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre Fondazione Edmund Mach Trentino Italy
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Harvard University Cambridge MA USA
| | - Simone Ciuti
- School of Biology and Environmental Science University College Dublin Science Centre ‐ West Dublin Ireland
| | | | - Jean‐Michel Gaillard
- Unité Mixte de Recherche CNRS‐Université Lyon 1 N85558 ‘Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive’ Villeurbanne Cedex France
| | - Nathan Ranc
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre Fondazione Edmund Mach Trentino Italy
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Harvard University Cambridge MA USA
| | - Joe Premier
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring Bavarian Forest National Park Grafenau Germany
- Wildlife Ecology and Wildlife Management Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Kristina Vogt
- KORACarnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management Muri Switzerland
| | - Elizabeth Hofer
- KORACarnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management Muri Switzerland
| | - Andreas Ryser
- KORACarnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management Muri Switzerland
| | - Eric Vimercati
- KORACarnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management Muri Switzerland
| | - Lukas Keller
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
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Randon M, Bonenfant C, Michallet J, Chevrier T, Toïgo C, Gaillard J, Valeix M. Population responses of roe deer to the recolonization of the French Vercors by wolves. POPUL ECOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/1438-390x.12043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Malory Randon
- Fédération Départementale des Chasseurs de la Drôme Crest France
| | - Christophe Bonenfant
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive CNRS, Université de Lyon Villeurbanne France
| | - Jacques Michallet
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage (ONCFS) Gières France
| | - Thierry Chevrier
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage (ONCFS) Gières France
| | - Carole Toïgo
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage (ONCFS) Gières France
| | - Jean‐Michel Gaillard
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive CNRS, Université de Lyon Villeurbanne France
| | - Marion Valeix
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive CNRS, Université de Lyon Villeurbanne France
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25
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Bonnot NC, Couriot O, Berger A, Cagnacci F, Ciuti S, De Groeve JE, Gehr B, Heurich M, Kjellander P, Kröschel M, Morellet N, Sönnichsen L, Hewison AJM. Fear of the dark? Contrasting impacts of humans versus lynx on diel activity of roe deer across Europe. J Anim Ecol 2019; 89:132-145. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nadège C. Bonnot
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden
- UR EFNO Irstea Nogent‐sur‐Vernisson France
| | | | - Anne Berger
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology Research and Innovation Centre San Michele all’Adige Italy
| | - Simone Ciuti
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour School of Biology and Environmental Science University College Dublin Dublin Ireland
| | - Johannes E. De Groeve
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology Research and Innovation Centre San Michele all’Adige Italy
- Department of Geography Ghent University Gent Belgium
| | - Benedikt Gehr
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Marco Heurich
- Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring Bavarian Forest National Park Grafenau Germany
| | - Petter Kjellander
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Max Kröschel
- Division of Wildlife Ecology Forest Research Institute of Baden‐Württemberg Freiburg Germany
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Wildlife Management University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | | | - Leif Sönnichsen
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences Białowieża Poland
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26
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Eurasian lynx fitness shows little variation across Scandinavian human-dominated landscapes. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8903. [PMID: 31222101 PMCID: PMC6586631 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45569-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite extensive research on the ecology and behavioural adaptations of large carnivores in human-dominated landscapes, information about the fitness consequences of sharing landscapes is still limited. We assessed the variation in three consecutive components of female fitness: the probability of reproduction, litter size and juvenile survival in relation to environmental and human factors in a solitary carnivore, the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), occurring in human-dominated landscapes in Scandinavia. We used demographic data from 57 radio-collared adult females between 1995-2011 (126 radio-years). Overall, the yearly probability of female reproduction was 0.80, mean litter size was 2.34 (range 1-4) and the probability to find a female that reproduced in the spring being accompanied by at least one offspring during the subsequent winter was 0.70. We did not find evidence that food availability was a key factor influencing female fitness. Female lynx may adapt to food availability when establishing their home ranges by adopting an obstinate strategy, ensuring a minimum amount of prey necessary for survival and reproduction even during periods of prey scarcity. In human-dominated landscapes, where sufficient prey are available for lynx, mortality risk may have a larger influence on lynx population dynamics compared to food availability. Our results suggest that lynx population dynamics in human-dominated landscapes may be mainly driven by human impacts on survival.
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27
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Terraube J. Can Protected Areas Mitigate Lyme Disease Risk in Fennoscandia? ECOHEALTH 2019; 16:184-190. [PMID: 30963329 PMCID: PMC6682849 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-019-01408-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
This Forum article synthesizes the current evidence on the links between predator-prey interactions, protected areas and spatial variations in Lyme disease risk in Fennoscandia. I suggest key research directions to better understand the role of protected areas in promoting the persistence of diverse predator guilds. Conserving predators could help reducing host populations and Lyme disease risk in northern Europe. There is an urgent need to find possible win-win solutions for biodiversity conservation and human health in ecosystems facing rapid global environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Terraube
- Global Change and Conservation Lab, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, Viikinkaari 1, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
- HELSUS, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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28
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Vogt K, Vimercati E, Ryser A, Hofer E, Signer S, Signer C, Breitenmoser U. Suitability of GPS telemetry for studying the predation of Eurasian lynx on small- and medium-sized prey animals in the Northwestern Swiss Alps. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-018-1225-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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29
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Bonnot NC, Bergvall UA, Jarnemo A, Kjellander P. Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? Variation in the stress response among personalities and populations in a large wild herbivore. Oecologia 2018; 188:85-95. [PMID: 29804203 PMCID: PMC6096777 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4174-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 10/29/2022]
Abstract
Faced with rapid environmental changes, individuals may express different magnitude and plasticity in their response to a given stressor. However, little is known about the causes of variation in phenotypic plasticity of the stress response in wild populations. In the present study, we repeatedly captured individual roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) from two wild populations in Sweden exposed to differing levels of predation pressure and measured plasma concentrations of stress-induced cortisol and behavioral docility. While controlling for the marked effects of habituation, we found clear between-population differences in the stress-induced cortisol response. Roe deer living in the area that was recently recolonized by lynx (Lynx lynx) and wolves (Canis lupus) expressed cortisol levels that were around 30% higher than roe deer in the human-dominated landscape free of large carnivores. In addition, for the first time to our knowledge, we investigated the stress-induced cortisol response in free-ranging newborn fawns and found no evidence for hypo-responsiveness during early life in this species. Indeed, stress-induced cortisol levels were of similar magnitude and differed between populations to a similar extent in both neonates and adults. Finally, at an individual level, we found that both cortisol and docility levels were strongly repeatable, and weakly negatively inter-correlated, suggesting that individuals differed consistently in how they respond to a stressor, and supporting the existence of a stress-management syndrome in roe deer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadège C Bonnot
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 730 91, Riddarhyttan, Sweden.
| | - Ulrika A Bergvall
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 730 91, Riddarhyttan, Sweden.,Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anders Jarnemo
- School of Business and Engineering, Halmstad University, P. O. Box 823, 301 18, Halmstad, Sweden
| | - Petter Kjellander
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 730 91, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
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30
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Danilov PI, Panchenko DV, Tirronen KF. The European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.) at the northern boundary of its range in Eastern Fennoscandia. RUSS J ECOL+ 2017. [DOI: 10.1134/s1067413617050046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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31
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Wikenros C, Aronsson M, Liberg O, Jarnemo A, Hansson J, Wallgren M, Sand H, Bergström R. Fear or food - abundance of red fox in relation to occurrence of lynx and wolf. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9059. [PMID: 28831079 PMCID: PMC5567382 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08927-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Apex predators may affect mesopredators through intraguild predation and/or supply of carrion from their prey, causing a trade-off between avoidance and attractiveness. We used wildlife triangle snow-tracking data to investigate the abundance of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in relation to lynx (Lynx lynx) and wolf (Canis lupus) occurrence as well as land composition and vole (Microtus spp.) density. Data from the Swedish wolf-monitoring system and VHF/GPS-collared wolves were used to study the effect of wolf pack size and time since wolf territory establishment on fox abundance. Bottom-up processes were more influential than top-down effects as the proportion of arable land was the key indicator of fox abundance at the landscape level. At this spatial scale, there was no effect of wolf abundance on fox abundance, whereas lynx abundance had a positive effect. In contrast, at the wolf territory level there was a negative effect of wolves on fox abundance when including detailed information of pack size and time since territory establishment, whereas there was no effect of lynx abundance. This study shows that different apex predator species may affect mesopredator abundance in different ways and that the results may be dependent on the spatiotemporal scale and resolution of the data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Wikenros
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-730 91, Riddarhyttan, Sweden.
| | - Malin Aronsson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-730 91, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Olof Liberg
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-730 91, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Anders Jarnemo
- School of Business, Engineering, and Science, Halmstad University, P.O. Box 823, SE-301 18, Halmstad, Sweden
| | - Jessica Hansson
- School of Business, Engineering, and Science, Halmstad University, P.O. Box 823, SE-301 18, Halmstad, Sweden
| | - Märtha Wallgren
- Forestry Research Institute of Sweden, Uppsala Science Park, SE-751 83, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Håkan Sand
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-730 91, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Roger Bergström
- Forestry Research Institute of Sweden, Uppsala Science Park, SE-751 83, Uppsala, Sweden.,Gropgränd 2A, SE-753 10, Uppsala, Sweden
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32
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Walton Z, Samelius G, Odden M, Willebrand T. Variation in home range size of red foxes Vulpes vulpes along a gradient of productivity and human landscape alteration. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175291. [PMID: 28384313 PMCID: PMC5383297 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Home range size is a fundamental concept for understanding animal dispersion and ecological needs, and it is one of the most commonly reported ecological attributes of free-ranging mammals. Previous studies indicate that red foxes Vulpes vulpes display great variability in home range size. Yet, there has been little consensus regarding the reasons why home range sizes of red foxes vary so extensively. In this study, we examine possible causes of variation in red fox home range sizes using data from 52 GPS collared red foxes from four study areas representing a gradient of landscape productivity and human landscape alteration in Norway and Sweden. Using 90% Local Convex Hull home range estimates, we examined how red fox home range size varied in relation to latitude, elevation, vegetation zone, proportion of agricultural land and human settlement within a home range, and sex and age. We found considerable variation in red fox home range sizes, ranging between 0.95 km2 to 44 km2 (LoCoH 90%) and 2.4 km2 to 358 km2 (MCP 100%). Elevation, proportion of agricultural land and sex accounted for 50% of the variation in home range size found amongst foxes, with elevation having the strongest effect. Red foxes residing in more productive landscapes (those in more southern vegetation zones), had home ranges approximately four times smaller than the home ranges of foxes in the northern boreal vegetation zone. Our results indicate that home range size was influenced by a productivity gradient at both the landscape (latitude) and the local (elevation) scale. The influence of the proportion of agriculture land on home range size of foxes illustrates how human landscape alteration can affect the space use and distribution of red foxes. Further, the variation in home range size found in this study demonstrates the plasticity of red foxes to respond to changing human landscape alteration as well as changes in landscape productivity, which may be contributing to red fox population increases and northern range expansions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zea Walton
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, Koppang, Norway
- * E-mail:
| | - Gustaf Samelius
- Snow Leopard Trust, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Morten Odden
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, Koppang, Norway
| | - Tomas Willebrand
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, Koppang, Norway
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Festa-Bianchet M, Douhard M, Gaillard JM, Pelletier F. Successes and challenges of long-term field studies of marked ungulates. J Mammal 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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34
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Morrondo MP, Pérez-Creo A, Prieto A, Cabanelas E, Díaz-Cao JM, Arias MS, Díaz Fernández P, Pajares G, Remesar S, López-Sández CM, Fernández G, Díez-Baños P, Panadero R. Prevalence and distribution of infectious and parasitic agents in roe deer from Spain and their possible role as reservoirs. ITALIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/1828051x.2016.1245593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ana Pérez-Creo
- Departamento de Patoloxía Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Santiago of Compostela University, Lugo, Spain
| | - Alberto Prieto
- Departamento de Patoloxía Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Santiago of Compostela University, Lugo, Spain
| | - Eva Cabanelas
- Departamento de Patoloxía Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Santiago of Compostela University, Lugo, Spain
| | - José M. Díaz-Cao
- Departamento de Patoloxía Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Santiago of Compostela University, Lugo, Spain
| | - María Sol Arias
- Departamento de Patoloxía Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Santiago of Compostela University, Lugo, Spain
| | - Pablo Díaz Fernández
- Departamento de Patoloxía Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Santiago of Compostela University, Lugo, Spain
| | - Gerardo Pajares
- Departamento de Patoloxía Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Santiago of Compostela University, Lugo, Spain
| | - Susana Remesar
- Departamento de Patoloxía Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Santiago of Compostela University, Lugo, Spain
| | - Ceferino M. López-Sández
- Departamento de Patoloxía Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Santiago of Compostela University, Lugo, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Fernández
- Departamento de Patoloxía Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Santiago of Compostela University, Lugo, Spain
| | - Pablo Díez-Baños
- Departamento de Patoloxía Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Santiago of Compostela University, Lugo, Spain
| | - Rosario Panadero
- Departamento de Patoloxía Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Santiago of Compostela University, Lugo, Spain
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Proffitt KM, Hebblewhite M, Peters W, Hupp N, Shamhart J. Linking landscape-scale differences in forage to ungulate nutritional ecology. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 26:2156-2174. [PMID: 27755722 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Revised: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how habitat and nutritional condition affect ungulate populations is necessary for informing management, particularly in areas experiencing carnivore recovery and declining ungulate population trends. Variations in forage species availability, plant phenological stage, and the abundance of forage make it challenging to understand landscape-level effects of nutrition on ungulates. We developed an integrated spatial modeling approach to estimate landscape-level elk (Cervus elaphus) nutritional resources in two adjacent study areas that differed in coarse measures of habitat quality and related the consequences of differences in nutritional resources to elk body condition and pregnancy rates. We found no support for differences in dry matter digestibility between plant samples or in phenological stage based on ground sampling plots in the two study areas. Our index of nutritional resources, measured as digestible forage biomass, varied among land cover types and between study areas. We found that altered plant composition following fires was the biggest driver of differences in nutritional resources, suggesting that maintaining a mosaic of fire history and distribution will likely benefit ungulate populations. Study area, lactation status, and year affected fall body fat of adult female elk. Elk in the study area exposed to lower summer range nutritional resources had lower nutritional condition entering winter. These differences in nutritional condition resulted in differences in pregnancy rate, with average pregnancy rates of 89% for elk exposed to higher nutritional resources and 72% for elk exposed to lower nutritional resources. Summer range nutritional resources have the potential to limit elk pregnancy rate and calf production, and these nutritional limitations may predispose elk to be more sensitive to the effects of harvest or predation. Wildlife managers should identify ungulate populations that are nutritionally limited and recognize that these populations may be more impacted by recovering carnivores or harvest than populations inhabiting more productive summer habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M Proffitt
- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 1400 South 19th Street, Bozeman, Montana, 59715, USA.
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem Sciences, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Wibke Peters
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem Sciences, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Nicole Hupp
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem Sciences, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
- Wildlife Biology Program, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Julee Shamhart
- Wildlife Biology Program, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 3201 Spurgin Road, Missoula, Montana, 59804, USA
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36
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McBride R, McBride C, McBride C. Safe and Selective Capture of Bobcats ( Lynx rufus) Using Trained Hounds in the Absence of Snow. SOUTHEAST NAT 2016. [DOI: 10.1656/058.015.0211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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37
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Belotti E, Weder N, Bufka L, Kaldhusdal A, Küchenhoff H, Seibold H, Woelfing B, Heurich M. Patterns of Lynx Predation at the Interface between Protected Areas and Multi-Use Landscapes in Central Europe. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0138139. [PMID: 26379142 PMCID: PMC4574974 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In Central Europe, protected areas are too small to ensure survival of populations of large carnivores. In the surrounding areas, these species are often persecuted due to competition with game hunters. Therefore, understanding how predation intensity varies spatio-temporally across areas with different levels of protection is fundamental. We investigated the predation patterns of Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) on roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) in both protected areas and multi-use landscapes of the Bohemian Forest Ecosystem. Based on 359 roe and red deer killed by 10 GPS-collared lynx, we calculated the species-specific annual kill rates and tested for effects of season and lynx age, sex and reproductive status. Because roe and red deer in the study area concentrate in unprotected lowlands during winter, we modeled spatial distribution of kills separately for summer and winter and calculated-the probability of a deer killed by lynx and-the expected number of kills for areas with different levels of protection. Significantly more roe deer (46.05-74.71/year/individual lynx) were killed than red deer (1.57-9.63/year/individual lynx), more deer were killed in winter than in summer, and lynx family groups had higher annual kill rates than adult male, single adult female and subadult female lynx. In winter the probability of a deer killed and the expected number of kills were higher outside the most protected part of the study area than inside; in summer, this probability did not differ between areas, and the expected number of kills was slightly larger inside than outside the most protected part of the study area. This indicates that the intensity of lynx predation in the unprotected part of the Bohemian Forest Ecosystem increases in winter, thus mitigation of conflicts in these areas should be included as a priority in the lynx conservation strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Belotti
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 1176, 16521 Prague 6, Czech Republic
- Department of Research and Nature Protection, Šumava National Park Administration, Sušická 399, 34192 Kašperské Hory, Czech Republic
| | - Nicole Weder
- Department of Research and Documentation, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481 Grafenau, Germany
| | - Luděk Bufka
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 1176, 16521 Prague 6, Czech Republic
- Department of Research and Nature Protection, Šumava National Park Administration, Sušická 399, 34192 Kašperské Hory, Czech Republic
| | - Arne Kaldhusdal
- Department of Statistics, LMU Munich, Ludwigstraße 33, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - Helmut Küchenhoff
- Department of Statistics, LMU Munich, Ludwigstraße 33, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - Heidi Seibold
- Department of Statistics, LMU Munich, Ludwigstraße 33, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - Benno Woelfing
- Department of Research and Documentation, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481 Grafenau, Germany
| | - Marco Heurich
- Department of Research and Documentation, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481 Grafenau, Germany
- Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Tennenbacher Straße 4, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
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