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Züst Z, Mukhin A, Taylor PD, Schmaljohann H. Pre-migratory flights in migrant songbirds: the ecological and evolutionary importance of understudied exploratory movements. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:78. [PMID: 38115134 PMCID: PMC10731812 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00440-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Across the animal kingdom, from honeybees to cranes to beavers, exploratory movements to exploit resources, scout prospective territories, or otherwise gain valuable experiences and information that promote fitness have been documented. For example, exploratory movements to investigate potential dispersal targets have been observed in roe deer, Northern cardinals, and tigers alike. However, despite how widespread these movements are, a cohesive definition of exploratory movements has been lacking. We first provide a clear definition of exploratory movements, and use one particular group-migratory songbirds-to catalogue exploratory movements across the annual cycle. The exceptional mobility of migratory songbirds results in exploratory movements not only at a local scale, but also on a regional scale, both in and out of the breeding season. We review the extent to which these movements are made within this group, paying particular attention to how such movements confer fitness benefits, as by securing high-quality territories, prospecting for extra-pair paternity, or even exploiting ephemeral resources. We then zoom in one step further to a particular exploratory movement that has been, to date, almost completely overlooked within this group: that of pre-migratory flights. These flights, which occur during the transitional period between the stationary breeding period and the onset of migration, occur at night and may not be made by all individuals in a population-reasons why these flights have been heretofore critically understudied. We provide the first definition for this behaviour, summarise the current knowledge of this cryptic movement, and hypothesise what evolutionary/ecological advantages conducting it may confer to the individuals that undertake it. As these flights provide experience to the individuals that undertake them, we expect that birds that make pre-migratory flights are better equipped to survive migration (direct fitness benefits) and, due to orientation/navigation abilities, may also reach preferred territories on breeding and wintering grounds faster (indirect fitness benefits). We hope to encourage ecologists to consider such hidden movements in their research concepts and to enhance the framework of movement ecology by this behaviour due to its presumed high biological importance to the annual cycle of birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zephyr Züst
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences (IBU), Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
| | - Andrey Mukhin
- Zoological Institute Russian Academy of Science, Biological Station Rybachy, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia
| | - Philip D Taylor
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada
| | - Heiko Schmaljohann
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences (IBU), Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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2
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Linking management practices with survival to improve outcomes for a red wolf population. J Wildl Manage 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
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3
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Torretta E, Corradini A, Pedrotti L, Bani L, Bisi F, Dondina O. Hide-and-Seek in a Highly Human-Dominated Landscape: Insights into Movement Patterns and Selection of Resting Sites of Rehabilitated Wolves ( Canis lupus) in Northern Italy. Animals (Basel) 2022; 13:ani13010046. [PMID: 36611657 PMCID: PMC9817923 DOI: 10.3390/ani13010046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Assessing the behavioural responses of floating wolves to human presence is crucial for investigating the chance of wolf populations expanding into urbanised landscapes. We studied the movement ecology of three rehabilitated wolves in a highly human-dominated landscape (Po Plain, Italy) to explore wolf's plasticity amid widespread human pressure. To reach this aim, we estimated individual 95% utilisation distributions (UD) after the release and inspected both 95% UDs and net squared displacements to identify individual movement patterns; tested for differences in movement patterns during day and night; and analysed the selection of resting sites during dispersal movement in a highly human-altered environment. Both the 95% UDs and step lengths were smaller for wolves settling in suitable areas than for those settling in more urbanised areas. All wolves exhibited strong temporal segregation with humans during all movement phases, particularly while dispersing across highly urbanised areas. Main roads and proximity to built-up areas were shown to limit wolves' dispersal, whereas small-wooded patches that provide shelter during rest facilitated long-distance movements. This study provides important insights into wolf movement and settling in urban and peri-urban areas, providing critical knowledge to promote human-carnivore coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Torretta
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Andrea Corradini
- Animal Ecology Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Edmund Mach, 1, 38098 San Michele all’Adige, Italy
| | | | - Luciano Bani
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Bisi
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Insubria University, Via J. H. Dunant, 3-I, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Olivia Dondina
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence:
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Chakrabarti S, O’Neil ST, Erb J, Humpal C, Bump JK. Recent Trends in Survival and Mortality of Wolves in Minnesota, United States. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.826358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Survival is a key determinant of population growth and persistence; computation and understanding of this metric is key to successful population management, especially for recovering populations of large carnivores such as wolves. Using a Bayesian frailty analytical approach, we evaluated information from 150 radio-tagged wolves over a 16-year time period to determine temporal trends and age- and sex-specific survival rates of wolves in Minnesota, United States. Based on our analyses, overall annual survival of wolves during the study was 0.67, with no clear evidence for age- or sex-specific differences in the population. Our model demonstrated statistical support for a temporal trend in annual survival; the highest survival was predicted at the beginning of the time series (0.87), with lowest survival (0.55) during 2018. We did not observe evidence that survival was markedly reduced during years when a regulated hunting and trapping season was implemented for wolves (years 2012–2014). However, cause-specific mortality analysis indicated that most mortality was human-caused. While the estimate for increasing human-caused mortality over time was positive, the evidence was not statistically significant. Anthropogenic causes resulted in ∼66% of known mortalities, including legal and illegal killing, and vehicular collisions. Trends in wolf survival in Minnesota may reflect an expanding distribution; wolf range has spread to areas with more human development during the study, presumably leading to increased hazard and reduced survival. Our results provide foundational information for evaluating and guiding future policy decisions pertaining to the Great Lakes wolf population.
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Hill JE, Boone HM, Gantchoff MG, Kautz TM, Kellner KF, Orning EK, Parchizadeh J, Petroelje TR, Wehr NH, Finnegan SP, Fowler NL, Lutto AL, Schooler SL, van den Bosch M, Zubiria Perez A, Belant JL. Quantifying anthropogenic wolf mortality in relation to hunting regulations and landscape attributes across North America. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8875. [PMID: 35600694 PMCID: PMC9121029 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the types and magnitude of human‐caused mortality is essential for maintaining viable large carnivore populations. We used a database of cause‐specific mortality to examine how hunting regulations and landscape configurations influenced human‐caused mortality of North American gray wolves (Canis lupus). Our dataset included 21 studies that monitored the fates of 3564 wolves and reported 1442 mortalities. Human‐caused mortality accounted for 61% of mortality overall, with 23% due to illegal harvest, 16% due to legal harvest, and 12% the result of management removal. The overall proportion of anthropogenic wolf mortality was lowest in areas with an open hunting season compared to areas with a closed hunting season or mixed hunting regulations, suggesting that harvest mortality was neither fully additive nor compensatory. Proportion of mortality from management removal was reduced in areas with an open hunting season, suggesting that legal harvest may reduce human‐wolf conflicts or alternatively that areas with legal harvest have less potential for management removals (e.g., less livestock depredation). Proportion of natural habitat was negatively correlated with the proportion of anthropogenic and illegal harvest mortality. Additionally, the proportion of mortality due to illegal harvest increased with greater natural habitat fragmentation. The observed association between large patches of natural habitat and reductions in several sources of anthropogenic wolf mortality reiterate the importance of habitat preservation to maintain wolf populations. Furthermore, effective management of wolf populations via implementation of harvest may reduce conflict with humans. Effective wolf conservation will depend on holistic strategies that integrate ecological and socioeconomic factors to facilitate their long‐term coexistence with humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob E Hill
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA.,Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia Aiken South Carolina USA
| | - Hailey M Boone
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Mariela G Gantchoff
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Todd M Kautz
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Kenneth F Kellner
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Elizabeth K Orning
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA.,U.S. Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - Jamshid Parchizadeh
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Tyler R Petroelje
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Nathaniel H Wehr
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Shannon P Finnegan
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Nicholas L Fowler
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Ashley L Lutto
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Sarah L Schooler
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Merijn van den Bosch
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Alejandra Zubiria Perez
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Jerrold L Belant
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
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Wolf Dispersal Patterns in the Italian Alps and Implications for Wildlife Diseases Spreading. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12101260. [PMID: 35625106 PMCID: PMC9137635 DOI: 10.3390/ani12101260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Wildlife dispersal directly influences population expansion patterns, and may have indirect effects on the spread of wildlife diseases. For many species, little is known about dispersal, despite its importance to conservation. We documented the natural dispersal processes of an expanding wolf (Canis lupus) population in the Italian Alps to understand the dynamics of the recolonization pattern and identify diseases that might be connected with the process through the use of non-invasive genetic sampling over a 20-year period. By documenting 55 dispersal events, with an average minimum straight dispersal distance of 65.8 km (±67.7 km), from 7.7 km to 517.2 km, we discussed the potential implications for maintaining genetic diversity of the population and for wildlife diseases spreading. Abstract Wildlife dispersal directly influences population expansion patterns, and may have indirect effects on the spread of wildlife diseases. Despite its importance to conservation, little is known about dispersal for several species. Dispersal processes in expanding wolf (Canis lupus) populations in Europe is not well documented. Documenting the natural dispersal pattern of the expanding wolf population in the Alps might help understanding the overall population dynamics and identifying diseases that might be connected with the process. We documented 55 natural dispersal events of the expanding Italian wolf alpine population over a 20-year period through the use of non-invasive genetic sampling. We examined a 16-locus microsatellite DNA dataset of 2857 wolf samples mainly collected in the Western Alps. From this, we identified 915 individuals, recaptured 387 (42.3%) of individuals, documenting 55 dispersal events. On average, the minimum straight dispersal distance was 65.8 km (±67.7 km), from 7.7 km to 517.2 km. We discussed the potential implications for maintaining genetic diversity of the population and for wildlife diseases spreading.
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Borg BL, Schirokauer DW. The Role of Weather and Long-Term Prey Dynamics as Drivers of Wolf Population Dynamics in a Multi-Prey System. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.791161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As climate change accelerates in northern latitudes, there is an increasing need to understand the role of climate in influencing predator-prey systems. We investigated wolf population dynamics and numerical response in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska, United States from 1986 to 2016 under a long-term range of varying climatic conditions and in the context of prey vulnerability, abundance, and population structure using an integrated population modeling approach. We found that wolf natality, or the number of wolves added to packs, increased with higher caribou population size, calf:cow ratio, and hare numbers, responding to a 1-year lag. Apparent survival increased in years with higher calf:cow ratios and cumulative snowfall in the prior winter, indicators of a vulnerable prey base. Thus, indices of prey abundance and vulnerability led to responses in wolf demographics, but we did not find that the wolf population responded numerically. During recent caribou and moose population increases wolf natality increased yet wolf population size declined. The decline in wolf population size is attributed to fewer packs in recent years with a few very large packs as opposed to several packs of comparable size. Our results suggest that territoriality can play a vital role in our study area on regulating population growth. These results provide a baseline comparison of wolf responses to climatic and prey variability in an area with relatively low levels of human disturbance, a rare feature in wolf habitat worldwide.
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Morales-González A, Fernández-Gil A, Quevedo M, Revilla E. Patterns and determinants of dispersal in grey wolves (Canis lupus). Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 97:466-480. [PMID: 34664396 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Dispersal is a key demographic process involving three stages: emigration, transience and settlement; each of which is influenced by individual, social and environmental determinants. An integrated understanding of species dispersal is essential for demographic modelling and conservation planning. Here, we review the dispersal patterns and determinants documented in the scientific literature for the grey wolf (Canis lupus) across its distribution range. We showed a surprisingly high variability within and among study areas on all dispersal parameters - dispersal rate, direction, distance, duration and success. We found that such large variability is due to multiple individual, social and environmental determinants, but also due to previously overlooked methodological research issues. We revealed a potential non-linear relationship between dispersal rate and population density, with dispersal rate higher at both ends of the gradient of population density. We found that human-caused mortality reduces distance, duration and success of dispersal events. Furthermore, dispersers avoid interaction with humans, and highly exposed areas like agricultural lands hamper population connectivity in many cases. We identified numerous methodological research problems that make it difficult to obtain robust estimates of dispersal parameters and robust inferences on dispersal patterns and their determinants. In particular, analyses where confounding factors were not accounted for led to substantial knowledge gaps on all aspects of dispersal in an otherwise much-studied species. Our understanding of wolf biology and management would significantly benefit if wolf dispersal studies reported the results and possible factors affecting wolf dispersal more transparently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Morales-González
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avd. Americo Vespucio 26, Sevilla, 41092, Spain
| | - Alberto Fernández-Gil
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avd. Americo Vespucio 26, Sevilla, 41092, Spain
| | - Mario Quevedo
- Department of Organisms and Systems Biology, and Research Institute of Biodiversity (IMIB, UO-CSIC-PA), Oviedo University, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Eloy Revilla
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avd. Americo Vespucio 26, Sevilla, 41092, Spain
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Gese EM, Terletzky PA. Space use in free-ranging canids: are gonadal hormones required for territory maintenance? CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2021-0085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Fertility control among carnivores has been used to reduce depredations on livestock and wild neonates, population control, modify behavior, inhibit genetic introgression, and reduce human–wildlife conflicts. Although there is considerable knowledge on techniques to sterilize carnivores, there is little information concerning how the absence of gonadal hormones influences behavior, space use, and survival of wild canids. We examined territorial fidelity, home-range size and overlap, and survival of 179 surgically sterilized free-ranging canids (124 coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823), 55 coyote – red wolf (Canis rufus Audubon and Bachman, 1851) hybrids) with gonadal hormones present (tubal-ligated females (n = 70), vasectomized males (n = 73)) versus absent (spayed females (n = 22), neutered males (n = 14)). The absence of gonadal hormones did not influence annual home-range size and home-range overlap, territory fidelity, and annual survival rates. Additionally, no differences were detected across sexes and hormonal treatments in annual home-range size, percent home-range overlap, annual home-range residency rates, and annual survival rates. Methods of fertility control that do not keep gonadal organs intact may prove useful for management without concern for changes in behavior, mainly territoriality, space use, and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M. Gese
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
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10
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Haidt A, Gawryś R, Szewczyk M. Human Decision-Making as a Key Factor in the Risk of Wolf-Dog Interactions during Outdoor Activities. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11092497. [PMID: 34573463 PMCID: PMC8470882 DOI: 10.3390/ani11092497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The aim of the study was to determine the nature and causes of direct contact between a wolf and domestic dog during different forms of human recreation. The results are crucial for reducing human–nature conflicts and for education. Thanks to this study, we conclude that humans are responsible for reducing the risk of direct contact between these two canine species. The risk of interaction between wolves and a dog that is with a human depends on the distance between the dog and its owner, the number of wolves, and the size of the dog. Hunting with a dog poses a seven times greater risk of interaction with wolves compared to recreational walking. Abstract As a result of species protection in Poland, wolves now appear in places that are attractive for human recreation, increasing their exposure to dogs. This creates a risk of spontaneous direct interactions between these two canine species. Aggressive interactions between the gray wolf and the domestic dog lead to human–large predator conflicts. This study examined wolf–dog interactions using data collected in an online questionnaire and included questions related to factors that might influence the likelihood of interactions between these canines. One of the most important factors affecting the likelihood of interaction between a dog and a wolf was the distance between the dog and the human. The number of wolves was also important—the more wolves, the more likely they were to interact with dogs. The risk of interaction also significantly increases with decreasing distance to human settlements. There were also statistical differences in terms of the type of outdoor activity being engaged in. Hunting was seven times more likely to result in a wolf–dog interaction than normal walk. We postulate that the choices made by the human (dog control and type of recreation) caring for the dog are an important factor that can reduce the risk of direct contact between dogs and wolves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andżelika Haidt
- Department of Forest Ecology, Forest Research Institute, Sękocin Stary, 05-090 Raszyn, Poland;
- Correspondence:
| | - Radosław Gawryś
- Department of Forest Ecology, Forest Research Institute, Sękocin Stary, 05-090 Raszyn, Poland;
| | - Maciej Szewczyk
- Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland;
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Carroll C, Rohlf DJ, vonHoldt BM, Treves A, Hendricks SA. Wolf Delisting Challenges Demonstrate Need for an Improved Framework for Conserving Intraspecific Variation under the Endangered Species Act. Bioscience 2021; 71:73-84. [PMID: 33442329 PMCID: PMC7791361 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in genomics have increased our understanding of geographic patterns of intraspecific variation and the importance of this variation in enhancing species’ potential to adapt to novel threats. However, as part of an effort to limit the scope of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the US government has proposed the removal of the gray wolf from the list of protected species on the basis of a claim that the statute permits a species to be declared recovered given the existence of a single presently secure population. We rebut this interpretation and propose a framework for the conservation of adaptive potential that builds on current agency practice in delineating subspecific recovery units and reconciles the definition of significance in the statute's “distinct population segment” and “significant portion of range” clauses. Such a coordinated policy would enhance the ESA's effectiveness in stemming loss of biodiversity in the face of climate change and other factors altering Earth's ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Carroll
- Klamath Center for Conservation Research, Orleans, California
| | - Daniel J Rohlf
- Earthrise Law Center, in the Lewis and Clark Law School, Portland, Oregon
| | - Bridgett M vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
| | - Adrian Treves
- Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Sarah A Hendricks
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho
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Bauduin S, Grente O, Santostasi NL, Ciucci P, Duchamp C, Gimenez O. An individual-based model to explore the impacts of lesser-known social dynamics on wolf populations. Ecol Modell 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2020.109209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Barry T, Gurarie E, Cheraghi F, Kojola I, Fagan WF. Does dispersal make the heart grow bolder? Avoidance of anthropogenic habitat elements across wolf life history. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- L. David Mech
- U.S. Geological Survey Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Jamestown ND 58401USA
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Roder S, Biollaz F, Mettaz S, Zimmermann F, Manz R, Kéry M, Vignali S, Fumagalli L, Arlettaz R, Braunisch V. Deer density drives habitat use of establishing wolves in the Western European Alps. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Roder
- Division of Conservation Biology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - François Biollaz
- Division of Conservation Biology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Stéphane Mettaz
- Division of Conservation Biology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | | | - Ralph Manz
- KORACarnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management Muri Switzerland
| | - Marc Kéry
- Swiss Ornithological Institute Sempach Switzerland
| | - Sergio Vignali
- Division of Conservation Biology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Luca Fumagalli
- Laboratory for Conservation Biology Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Raphaël Arlettaz
- Division of Conservation Biology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Bern Switzerland
- Swiss Ornithological Institute Sempach Switzerland
| | - Veronika Braunisch
- Division of Conservation Biology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Bern Switzerland
- Forest Research Institute Baden-Württemberg Freiburg Germany
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Clendenin HR, Adams JR, Ausband DE, Hayden JA, Hohenlohe PA, Waits LP. Combining Harvest and Genetics to Estimate Reproduction in Wolves. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Heather R. Clendenin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary StudiesUniversity of Idaho 875 Perimeter Drive MS3051 Moscow ID 83844‐3051 USA
| | - Jennifer R. Adams
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, Laboratory for Ecological, Evolutionary and Conservation GeneticsUniversity of Idaho 875 Perimeter Drive MS1136 Moscow ID 83844‐1136 USA
| | | | - James A. Hayden
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game, P.O. Box 25Boise ID 83814 USA
| | - Paul A. Hohenlohe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary StudiesUniversity of Idaho 875 Perimeter Drive MS3051 Moscow ID 83844‐3051 USA
| | - Lisette P. Waits
- Department of Fish and Wildlife SciencesUniversity of Idaho 875 Perimeter Drive MS1136 Moscow ID 83844‐1136 USA
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Stricker HK, Gehring TM, Donner D, Petroelje T. Multi-scale habitat selection model assessing potential gray wolf den habitat and dispersal corridors in Michigan, USA. Ecol Modell 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2018.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Byrne ME, Webster SC, Lance SL, Love CN, Hinton TG, Shamovich D, Beasley JC. Evidence of long-distance dispersal of a gray wolf from the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-018-1201-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Hulva P, Černá Bolfíková B, Woznicová V, Jindřichová M, Benešová M, Mysłajek RW, Nowak S, Szewczyk M, Niedźwiecka N, Figura M, Hájková A, Sándor AD, Zyka V, Romportl D, Kutal M, Finďo S, Antal V. Wolves at the crossroad: Fission-fusion range biogeography in the Western Carpathians and Central Europe. DIVERS DISTRIB 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Hulva
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science; Charles University; Prague Czech Republic
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science; University of Ostrava; Ostrava Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Černá Bolfíková
- Department of Animal Science and Food Processing, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences; Czech University of Life Sciences Prague; Prague Czech Republic
| | - Vendula Woznicová
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science; University of Ostrava; Ostrava Czech Republic
| | - Milena Jindřichová
- Department of Animal Science and Food Processing, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences; Czech University of Life Sciences Prague; Prague Czech Republic
| | - Markéta Benešová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science; Charles University; Prague Czech Republic
| | - Robert W. Mysłajek
- Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology; University of Warsaw; Warszaw Poland
| | | | - Maciej Szewczyk
- Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology; University of Warsaw; Warszaw Poland
| | - Natalia Niedźwiecka
- Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology; University of Warsaw; Warszaw Poland
- Association for Nature “Wolf”; Lipowa Poland
| | | | - Andrea Hájková
- State Nature Conservancy of Slovak Republic; Banská Bystrica Slovakia
| | - Atilla D. Sándor
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca; Cluj-Napoca Romania
| | - Vladimír Zyka
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science; Charles University; Prague Czech Republic
| | - Dušan Romportl
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science; Charles University; Prague Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Kutal
- Friends of the Earth Czech Republic; Olomouc Branch; Olomouc Czech Republic
- Institute of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology; Mendel University in Brno; Brno Czech Republic
| | - Slavomír Finďo
- Forest Protection and Wildlife Management; National Forest Centre; Zvolen Slovakia
| | - Vladimír Antal
- State Nature Conservancy of Slovak Republic; Banská Bystrica Slovakia
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21
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O'Neil ST, Bump JK, Beyer DE. Spatially varying density dependence drives a shifting mosaic of survival in a recovering apex predator ( Canis lupus). Ecol Evol 2017; 7:9518-9530. [PMID: 29187986 PMCID: PMC5696399 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding landscape patterns in mortality risk is crucial for promoting recovery of threatened and endangered species. Humans affect mortality risk in large carnivores such as wolves (Canis lupus), but spatiotemporally varying density dependence can significantly influence the landscape of survival. This potentially occurs when density varies spatially and risk is unevenly distributed. We quantified spatiotemporal sources of variation in survival rates of gray wolves (C. lupus) during a 21‐year period of population recovery in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA. We focused on mapping risk across time using Cox Proportional Hazards (CPH) models with time‐dependent covariates, thus exploring a shifting mosaic of survival. Extended CPH models and time‐dependent covariates revealed influences of seasonality, density dependence and experience, as well as individual‐level factors and landscape predictors of risk. We used results to predict the shifting landscape of risk at the beginning, middle, and end of the wolf recovery time series. Survival rates varied spatially and declined over time. Long‐term change was density‐dependent, with landscape predictors such as agricultural land cover and edge densities contributing negatively to survival. Survival also varied seasonally and depended on individual experience, sex, and resident versus transient status. The shifting landscape of survival suggested that increasing density contributed to greater potential for human conflict and wolf mortality risk. Long‐term spatial variation in key population vital rates is largely unquantified in many threatened, endangered, and recovering species. Variation in risk may indicate potential for source‐sink population dynamics, especially where individuals preemptively occupy suitable territories, which forces new individuals into riskier habitat types as density increases. We encourage managers to explore relationships between adult survival and localized changes in population density. Density‐dependent risk maps can identify increasing conflict areas or potential habitat sinks which may persist due to high recruitment in adjacent habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn T O'Neil
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Michigan Technological University Houghton MI USA.,Present address: U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center 800 Business Park Dr. Suite D Dixon CA, 95620
| | - Joseph K Bump
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology University of Minnesota St. Paul MN USA
| | - Dean E Beyer
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Michigan Technological University Houghton MI USA.,Wildlife Division Michigan Department of Natural Resources Marquette MI USA
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22
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Schmidt JH, Burch JW, MacCluskie MC. Effects of control on the dynamics of an adjacent protected wolf population in interior Alaska. WILDLIFE MONOGRAPHS 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/wmon.1026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua H. Schmidt
- Central Alaska Network; U.S. National Park Service; 4175 Geist Road Fairbanks AK 99709 USA
| | - John W. Burch
- Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve; U.S. National Park Service; 4175 Geist Road Fairbanks AK 99709 USA
| | - Margaret C. MacCluskie
- Central Alaska Network; U.S. National Park Service; 4175 Geist Road Fairbanks AK 99709 USA
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23
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Behr DM, Ozgul A, Cozzi G. Combining human acceptance and habitat suitability in a unified socio-ecological suitability model: a case study of the wolf in Switzerland. J Appl Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dominik M. Behr
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; Zurich University; Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Arpat Ozgul
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; Zurich University; Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Gabriele Cozzi
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; Zurich University; Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zürich Switzerland
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24
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Kutal M, Váňa M, Suchomel J, Chapron G, López-Bao JV. Trans-Boundary Edge Effects in the Western Carpathians: The Influence of Hunting on Large Carnivore Occupancy. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0168292. [PMID: 28002475 PMCID: PMC5176292 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The conservation and management of wolves Canis lupus in the periphery of their distribution is challenging. Edges of wolf distribution are characterized by very few and intermittent occurrences of individuals, which are modulated by multiple factors affecting the overall population such as human-caused mortality, management targets and food availability. The knowledge of population dynamics in the edges becomes crucial when hunting takes place nearby the edges, which may preclude population expansion. Here, using as example the occurrence of wolves in the Beskydy Mountains (Czech-Slovak border), which are the edge distribution of the wolf and Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx populations in the West Carpathians, we explored how food availability and hunting in the Slovakian core area affected the dynamics of wolves in the edges of this population. During 2003–2012, we monitored large carnivore occurrence by snow-tracking surveys and tested potential differences in the occurrence of these species in Beskydy Mountains and potential mechanisms behind detected patterns. Despite the proximity to the core area, with several wolf reproductions being confirmed at least in recent years, the wolf was a very rare species in Beskydy and was recorded 14 times less often than the lynx. The expected abundance of wolves in the Beskydy Mountains was inversely related to prey availability in the Slovakian core area. Wolf hunting the year before influenced the expected abundance of wolves in Beskydy area. We discuss how different life histories and legal status of both species probably account for most of the observed difference of occurrence at range margins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miroslav Kutal
- Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
- Friends of the Earth Czech Republic, Olomouc branch, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- * E-mail:
| | - Martin Váňa
- Friends of the Earth Czech Republic, Olomouc branch, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Suchomel
- Department of Zoology, Fisheries and Apiculture, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Guillaume Chapron
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Riddarhyttan, Sweden
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25
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Stansbury CR, Ausband DE, Zager P, Mack CM, Waits LP. Identifying gray wolf packs and dispersers using noninvasive genetic samples. J Wildl Manage 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carisa R. Stansbury
- University of Idaho; Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences; P.O. Box 441136 Moscow ID 83844 USA
| | - David E. Ausband
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit; University of Montana; 205 Natural Sciences Building Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Peter Zager
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game; 3316 16th St. Lewiston ID 83501 USA
| | - Curt M. Mack
- Nez Perce Tribe; Gray Wolf Recovery Project; P.O. Box 1922 McCall ID 83638 USA
| | - Lisette P. Waits
- University of Idaho; Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences; P.O. Box 441136 Moscow ID 83844 USA
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26
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Bohling JH, Dellinger J, McVey JM, Cobb DT, Moorman CE, Waits LP. Describing a developing hybrid zone between red wolves and coyotes in eastern North Carolina, USA. Evol Appl 2016; 9:791-804. [PMID: 27330555 PMCID: PMC4908465 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
When hybridizing species come into contact, understanding the processes that regulate their interactions can help predict the future outcome of the system. This is especially relevant in conservation situations where human activities can influence hybridization dynamics. We investigated a developing hybrid zone between red wolves and coyotes in North Carolina, USA to elucidate patterns of hybridization in a system heavily managed for preservation of the red wolf genome. Using noninvasive genetic sampling of scat, we surveyed a 2880 km2 region adjacent to the Red Wolf Experimental Population Area (RWEPA). We combined microsatellite genotypes collected from this survey with those from companion studies conducted both within and outside the RWEPA to describe the gradient of red wolf ancestry. A total of 311 individuals were genotyped at 17 loci and red wolf ancestry decreased along an east–west gradient across the RWEPA. No red wolves were found outside the RWEPA, yet half of individuals found within this area were coyotes. Hybrids composed only 4% of individuals within this landscape despite co‐occurrence of the two species throughout the RWEPA. The low proportion of hybrids suggests that a combination of active management and natural isolating mechanisms may be limiting intermixing within this hybrid system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin H Bohling
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources University of Idaho Moscow ID USA
| | - Justin Dellinger
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle WA USA
| | - Justin M McVey
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources North Carolina State University Raleigh NC USA
| | - David T Cobb
- North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Raleigh NC USA
| | - Christopher E Moorman
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources North Carolina State University Raleigh NC USA
| | - Lisette P Waits
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources University of Idaho Moscow ID USA
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27
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Cullingham CI, Thiessen CD, Derocher AE, Paquet PC, Miller JM, Hamilton JA, Coltman DW. Population structure and dispersal of wolves in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. J Mammal 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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28
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Votsi NEP, Zomeni MS, Pantis JD. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Natura 2000 Network for Wolf Conservation: A Case-Study in Greece. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2016; 57:257-270. [PMID: 26411554 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-015-0621-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The wolf (Canis lupus) is used as a case study to rate Natura 2000 sites in Greece based on preferred wolf habitat characteristics and test whether the network is suitable for their conservation. Road density, agricultural area, site area, connectivity, food availability (i.e., presence of natural prey), and elevation in 237 sites are combined in a logistic regression model. The occurrence of the wolf's natural prey was the most prevalent factor determining wolf presence, followed by agricultural cover. Considering the current status of these features at N2K site level, most sites currently hosting wolves (85.7%) have good or excellent prospects for the long-term presence of the wolf. On the contrary, 11 sites which now have wolves are predicted to be ineffective in keeping them in the future due to the absence of wild ungulates and their high agricultural coverage. Four sites with no wolf presence currently have excellent prospects to host wolves in the future. Roadless sites are a priority for protection and retaining their current condition is strongly suggested. The proposed approach aims to detect gaps in protection for the wolf and identify priority sites in need of mitigation actions. It can also assist the assessment of conservation policies in Greece and elsewhere toward accomplishing set goals in protected areas. By focusing on wolf protection, we hope to increase agencies' attention to deal with conservation effectiveness, especially in cases like Greece, where a number of sites are insufficiently known and protected and management measures are not properly implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nefta-Eleftheria P Votsi
- Department of Ecology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Maria S Zomeni
- Environmental Conservation and Management Programme, School of Pure and Applied Sciences, Open University of Cyprus, Giannou Kranidioti 33, 1st Floor, Latsia, 2220, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - J D Pantis
- Department of Ecology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
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29
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Maletzke BT, Wielgus RB, Pierce DJ, Martorello DA, Stinson DW. A meta‐population model to predict occurrence and recovery of wolves. J Wildl Manage 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.1008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin T. Maletzke
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife600 Capitol Way NorthOlympiaWA98501USA
| | - Robert B. Wielgus
- Large Carnivore Conservation LabSchool of the Environment, Washington State UniversityPullmanWA99164USA
| | - D. John Pierce
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife600 Capitol Way NorthOlympiaWA98501USA
| | - Donald A. Martorello
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife600 Capitol Way NorthOlympiaWA98501USA
| | - Derek W. Stinson
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife600 Capitol Way NorthOlympiaWA98501USA
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30
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Carroll C, McRae BH, Brookes A. Use of linkage mapping and centrality analysis across habitat gradients to conserve connectivity of gray wolf populations in western North America. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2012; 26:78-87. [PMID: 22010832 DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01753.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Centrality metrics evaluate paths between all possible pairwise combinations of sites on a landscape to rank the contribution of each site to facilitating ecological flows across the network of sites. Computational advances now allow application of centrality metrics to landscapes represented as continuous gradients of habitat quality. This avoids the binary classification of landscapes into patch and matrix required by patch-based graph analyses of connectivity. It also avoids the focus on delineating paths between individual pairs of core areas characteristic of most corridor- or linkage-mapping methods of connectivity analysis. Conservation of regional habitat connectivity has the potential to facilitate recovery of the gray wolf (Canis lupus), a species currently recolonizing portions of its historic range in the western United States. We applied 3 contrasting linkage-mapping methods (shortest path, current flow, and minimum-cost-maximum-flow) to spatial data representing wolf habitat to analyze connectivity between wolf populations in central Idaho and Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming). We then applied 3 analogous betweenness centrality metrics to analyze connectivity of wolf habitat throughout the northwestern United States and southwestern Canada to determine where it might be possible to facilitate range expansion and interpopulation dispersal. We developed software to facilitate application of centrality metrics. Shortest-path betweenness centrality identified a minimal network of linkages analogous to those identified by least-cost-path corridor mapping. Current flow and minimum-cost-maximum-flow betweenness centrality identified diffuse networks that included alternative linkages, which will allow greater flexibility in planning. Minimum-cost-maximum-flow betweenness centrality, by integrating both land cost and habitat capacity, allows connectivity to be considered within planning processes that seek to maximize species protection at minimum cost. Centrality analysis is relevant to conservation and landscape genetics at a range of spatial extents, but it may be most broadly applicable within single- and multispecies planning efforts to conserve regional habitat connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Carroll
- Klamath Center for Conservation Research, P.O. Box 104, Orleans, CA 95556, USA.
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31
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Marquard-Petersen U. Invasion of eastern Greenland by the high arctic wolfCanis lupus arctos. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2011. [DOI: 10.2981/11-032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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32
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Karlin M, Chadwick J. Red wolf natal dispersal characteristics: comparing periods of population increase and stability. J Zool (1987) 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2011.00876.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Karlin
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences; University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Charlotte; NC; USA
| | - J. Chadwick
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences; University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Charlotte; NC; USA
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33
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Caniglia R, Fabbri E, Cubaynes S, Gimenez O, Lebreton JD, Randi E. An improved procedure to estimate wolf abundance using non-invasive genetic sampling and capture–recapture mixture models. CONSERV GENET 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-011-0266-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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34
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Gude JA, Mitchell MS, Russell RE, Sime CA, Bangs EE, Mech LD, Ream RR. Wolf population dynamics in the U.S. Northern Rocky Mountains are affected by recruitment and human-caused mortality. J Wildl Manage 2011. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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35
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Webb N, Allen J, Merrill E. Demography of a harvested population of wolves (Canis lupus) in west-central Alberta, Canada. CAN J ZOOL 2011. [DOI: 10.1139/z11-043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Wolves ( Canis lupus L., 1758) are subject to liberal public harvests throughout most of their range in North America, yet detailed information on populations where sport harvest is the primary source of mortality are limited. We studied a harvested wolf population in west-central Alberta from 2003 to 2008. Demographic data were collected from visits to den sites, 84 collared wolves from 19 packs, and a harvest monitoring program that augmented mandatory reporting for registered traplines. Annual harvest rate of wolves was 0.34, with harvest on registered traplines (0.22 ± 0.03) being twice that of hunters (0.12 ± 0.04). Most wolves harvested (71%) were pre-reproductive. Probability of a pack breeding was 0.83 ± 0.01, litter size averaged 5.6 ±1.4, and these rates and stability of home ranges were unaffected by the number of wolves harvested. Natural mortality (0.04 ± 0.03) and dispersal rates (0.25 ± 0.04) were lower than reported for wolf populations in protected areas. Reproductive rates balanced total wolf mortality, indicating harvest was likely sustainable. We suggest that a high proportion of juveniles harvested and the spatial structure of the registered trapline system contributed to the sustainability of harvests.
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Affiliation(s)
- N.F. Webb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - J.R. Allen
- Fish and Wildlife Division, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Edmonton, AB T5K 2M4, Canada
| | - E.H. Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
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36
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Population Dynamics and Harvest Characteristics of Wolves in the Central Brooks Range, Alaska. WILDLIFE MONOGRAPHS 2010. [DOI: 10.2193/2008-012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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37
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Almberg ES, Cross PC, Smith DW. Persistence of canine distemper virus in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem's carnivore community. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2010; 20:2058-2074. [PMID: 21049890 DOI: 10.1890/09-1225.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Canine distemper virus (CDV) is an acute, highly immunizing pathogen that should require high densities and large populations of hosts for long-term persistence, yet CDV persists among terrestrial carnivores with small, patchily distributed groups. We used CDV in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem's (GYE) wolves (Canis lupus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) as a case study for exploring how metapopulation structure, host demographics, and multi-host transmission affect the critical community size and spatial scale required for CDV persistence. We illustrate how host spatial connectivity and demographic turnover interact to affect both local epidemic dynamics, such as the length and variation in inter-epidemic periods, and pathogen persistence using stochastic, spatially explicit susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered simulation models. Given the apparent absence of other known persistence mechanisms (e.g., a carrier or environmental state, densely populated host, chronic infection, or a vector), we suggest that CDV requires either large spatial scales or multi-host transmission for persistence. Current GYE wolf populations are probably too small to support endemic CDV. Coyotes are a plausible reservoir host, but CDV would still require 50000-100000 individuals for moderate persistence (> 50% over 10 years), which would equate to an area of 1-3 times the size of the GYE (60000-200000 km2). Coyotes, and carnivores in general, are not uniformly distributed; therefore, this is probably a gross underestimate of the spatial scale of CDV persistence. However, the presence of a second competent host species can greatly increase the probability of long-term CDV persistence at much smaller spatial scales. Although no management of CDV is currently recommended for the GYE, wolf managers in the region should expect periodic but unpredictable CDV-related population declines as often as every 2-5 years. Awareness and monitoring of such outbreaks will allow corresponding adjustments in management activities such as regulated public harvest, creating a smooth transition to state wolf management and conservation after > 30 years of being protected by the Endangered Species Act.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S Almberg
- Department of Natural Resources, Science, and Management, University of Minnesota, 1980 Folwell Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA.
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38
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vonHoldt BM, Stahler DR, Bangs EE, Smith DW, Jimenez MD, Mack CM, Niemeyer CC, Pollinger JP, Wayne RK. A novel assessment of population structure and gene flow in grey wolf populations of the Northern Rocky Mountains of the United States. Mol Ecol 2010; 19:4412-27. [PMID: 20723068 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2010.04769.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The successful re-introduction of grey wolves to the western United States is an impressive accomplishment for conservation science. However, the degree to which subpopulations are genetically structured and connected, along with the preservation of genetic variation, is an important concern for the continued viability of the metapopulation. We analysed DNA samples from 555 Northern Rocky Mountain wolves from the three recovery areas (Greater Yellowstone Area, Montana, and Idaho), including all 66 re-introduced founders, for variation in 26 microsatellite loci over the initial 10-year recovery period (1995-2004). The population maintained high levels of variation (H(O) = 0.64-0.72; allelic diversity k=7.0-10.3) with low levels of inbreeding (F(IS) < 0.03) and throughout this period, the population expanded rapidly (n(1995) =101; n(2004) =846). Individual-based Bayesian analyses revealed significant population genetic structure and identified three subpopulations coinciding with designated recovery areas. Population assignment and migrant detection were difficult because of the presence of related founders among different recovery areas and required a novel approach to determine genetically effective migration and admixture. However, by combining assignment tests, private alleles, sibship reconstruction, and field observations, we detected genetically effective dispersal among the three recovery areas. Successful conservation of Northern Rocky Mountain wolves will rely on management decisions that promote natural dispersal dynamics and minimize anthropogenic factors that reduce genetic connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridgett M vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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39
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Marucco F, McIntire EJB. Predicting spatio-temporal recolonization of large carnivore populations and livestock depredation risk: wolves in the Italian Alps. J Appl Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01831.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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40
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Marucco F, Pletscher DH, Boitani L, Schwartz MK, Pilgrim KL, Lebreton JD. Wolf survival and population trend using non-invasive capture-recapture techniques in the Western Alps. J Appl Ecol 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2009.01696.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Gachot-Neveu H, Lefevre P, Roeder JJ, Henry C, Poulle ML. Genetic detection of sex-biased and age-biased dispersal in a population of wild carnivore, the red fox, Vulpes vulpes. Zoolog Sci 2009; 26:145-52. [PMID: 19341332 DOI: 10.2108/zsj.26.145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Field studies conducted on rural red fox (Vulpes vulpes) populations suggest that the majority of males tend to disperse while the majority of females tend to be philopatric, that males disperse farther than females, and that most of the foxes disperse during their first year of life. However, the quantification of dispersal parameters is poorly documented in the red fox, because this carnivore is notoriously difficult to follow from birth to maturity. The aim of this study was to test hypotheses from field data with the help of a molecular analysis using six random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. The study was conducted on samples collected from 85 foxes in a French rural population. Genetic and geographical distances between pairs of individuals were calculated for the 3570 potential pairs originating from this population to determine whether the foxes had dispersed. High genetic diversity and an absence of genetic clusters among studied individuals support the occurrence of intense and constant gene flow in the study population, probably induced by dispersion. At least 16.2% of the potential pairs we studied were subject to dispersal. Sex-biased dispersion was not observed, apart from a sex bias in favor of females towards long-distance dispersal. A predominance of males that ultimately dispersed a long distance could not thus be confirmed. Furthermore, it seems that dispersal did not occur primarily in the subadult age class in our rural study area, but that some pairs of juveniles may also have been involved in dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helene Gachot-Neveu
- Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, IPHC-DEPE, UDS, CNRS, 67087 Strasbourg, France.
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Importance of dispersal for the expansion of a Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx population in a fragmented landscape. ORYX 2007. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605307000712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractDispersal allows recolonization of previous areas of habitat following severe depression of a population but the significance of this is not clear in felids. There is little evidence to support the general belief that subadult felids will colonize new areas, although this is a crucial assumption in reintroduction or recovery projects. Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx were reintroduced into the Swiss Alps and have subsequently spread over part of their potential range but the expansion halted in the mid 1980s. We postulated that high lynx densities would lead to an expansion of the population, and to assess the potential of this population to expand we compared the dispersal characteristics of 22 subadults from the north-west Swiss Alps, where an increase in lynx abundance occurred from 1995 onwards, to 17 individuals from the Jura Mountains, an area with a lower lynx density. Dispersal data came mainly from radio-telemetry. Dispersal rates and distances for subadults that completed dispersal were lower in the north-west Swiss Alps than in the Jura Mountains. In general, subadults exhibited little ability to cross major barriers such as highways. The hypothesis that high density alone will foster the expansion of the population was therefore not confirmed. This has consequences for the reintroduction and recovery of carnivores in fragmented landscapes. To establish only one strong source population may not be an optimal strategy, and population nuclei should therefore be founded in several neighbouring patches.
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Blanco JC, Cortés Y. Dispersal patterns, social structure and mortality of wolves living in agricultural habitats in Spain. J Zool (1987) 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2007.00305.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Genetic structure of American black bears in the desert southwest of North America: conservation implications for recolonization. CONSERV GENET 2006. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-006-9192-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Hurford A, Hebblewhite M, Lewis MA. A spatially explicit model for an Allee effect: why wolves recolonize so slowly in Greater Yellowstone. Theor Popul Biol 2006; 70:244-54. [PMID: 16916526 DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2006.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2005] [Revised: 03/14/2006] [Accepted: 06/20/2006] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
A reduced probability of finding mates at low densities is a frequently hypothesized mechanism for a component Allee effect. At low densities dispersers are less likely to find mates and establish new breeding units. However, many mathematical models for an Allee effect do not make a distinction between breeding group establishment and subsequent population growth. Our objective is to derive a spatially explicit mathematical model, where dispersers have a reduced probability of finding mates at low densities, and parameterize the model for wolf recolonization in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). In this model, only the probability of establishing new breeding units is influenced by the reduced probability of finding mates at low densities. We analytically and numerically solve the model to determine the effect of a decreased probability in finding mates at low densities on population spread rate and density. Our results suggest that a reduced probability of finding mates at low densities may slow recolonization rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Hurford
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta., Canada T6G 2E9.
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Kojola I, Aspi J, Hakala A, Heikkinen S, Ilmoni C, Ronkainen S. DISPERSAL IN AN EXPANDING WOLF POPULATION IN FINLAND. J Mammal 2006. [DOI: 10.1644/05-mamm-a-061r2.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Blanco JC, Cortés Y, Virgós E. Wolf response to two kinds of barriers in an agricultural habitat in Spain. CAN J ZOOL 2005. [DOI: 10.1139/z05-016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
We examined the effect of two kinds of barriers on an expanding gray wolf, Canis lupus L., 1758, population in an agricultural habitat in north-central Spain. The barriers were (i) a four-lane fenced highway along a flat area without wildlife-crossing facilities, and (ii) the River Duero Artery (RDA), comprising the river itself (50–100 m wide) and several small infrastructures along it. From March 1997 to October 2001, all 4 radio-collared wolves living <15 km from the highway (1 adult territorial male, 1 territorial breeder female, 1 dispersing male, and 1 female in 3 periods of her life (territorial immature, disperser, and territorial breeder) crossed it on between 4% and 33% of 45–163 monitoring days via vehicle bridges. Moreover, 4 more highways that we monitored in areas without radio-collared wolves have not delayed expansion of the increasing wolf population, suggesting that these highways are not an important barrier for wolves in our study area. In contrast, only 3 of 8 wolves radio-collared <5 km from the RDA were detected crossing it, and 2 of those 3 started to cross it only after severe habitat disturbance; in addition, the RDA seems to have delayed wolf expansion for some 15 years, which suggests that it is a semipermeable barrier for wolves. We discuss the likely consequences of the RDA on the recovery of the Iberian wolf population.
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