1
|
Bollen M, Casaer J, Neyens T, Beenaerts N. When and where? Day-night alterations in wild boar space use captured by a generalized additive mixed model. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17390. [PMID: 38881858 PMCID: PMC11179635 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Wild boar (Sus scrofa), an abundant species across Europe, is often subjected to management in agro-ecosystems in order to control population size, or to scare them away from agricultural fields to safeguard crop yields. Wild boar management can benefit from a better understanding on changes in its space use across the diel cycle (i.e., diel space use) in relation to variable hunting pressures or other factors. Here, we estimate wild boar diel space use in an agro-ecosystem in central Belgium during four consecutive "growing seasons" (i.e., April-September). To achieve this, we fit generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) to camera trap data of wild boar aggregated over 1-h periods. Our results reveal that wild boar are predominantly nocturnal in all of the hunting management zones in Meerdaal, with activity peaks around sunrise and sunset. Hunting events in our study area tend to take place around sunrise and sunset, while non-lethal human activities occur during sunlight hours. Our GAMM reveals that wild boar use different areas throughout the diel cycle. During the day, wild boar utilized areas in the centre of the forest, possibly to avoid human activities during daytime. During the night, they foraged near (or in) agricultural fields. A post hoc comparison of space use maps of wild boar in Meerdaal revealed that their diurnal and nocturnal space use were uncorrelated. We did not find sufficient evidence to prove that wild boar spatiotemporally avoid hunters. Finally, our work reveals the potential of GAMMs to model variation in space across 24-h periods from camera trap data, an application that will be useful to address a range of ecological questions. However, to test the robustness of this approach we advise that it should be compared against telemetry-based methods to derive diel space use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martijn Bollen
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Flanders, Belgium
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
- Data Science Institute, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Flanders, Belgium
| | - Jim Casaer
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thomas Neyens
- Data Science Institute, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Flanders, Belgium
- Leuven Biostatistics and statistical Bioinformatics Centre, University of Leuven, Leuven, Flanders, Belgium
| | - Natalie Beenaerts
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Flanders, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mas-Carrió E, Churski M, Kuijper D, Fumagalli L. Niche overlap across landscape variability in summer between two large herbivores using eDNA metabarcoding. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0279672. [PMID: 38349911 PMCID: PMC10863879 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the relationship between a species feeding strategy and its environment (trophic ecology) is critical to assess environmental requirements and improve management policies. However, measuring trophic interactions remains challenging. Among the available methods, quantifying the plant composition of a species' diet indicates how species use their environment and their associated niche overlap. Nevertheless, most studies focusing on herbivore trophic ecology ignore the influence that landscape variability may have. Here, we explored how landscape variability influences diet composition through niche overlap. We used eDNA metabarcoding to quantify the diet composition of two large herbivores of the Bialowieza Forest, red deer (Cervus elaphus) and European bison (Bison bonasus) to investigate how increasing habitat quality (i.e. higher abundance of deciduous forage species) and predation risk (i.e. density of wolf in the area) influence their diet composition and niche partitioning. Our findings indicate diet composition is non-homogeneous across the landscape, both within and between species. Red deer showed greater diet variability and lower niche overlap within species compared to bison. We detected a reduction of niche overlap for red deer with increasing predation risk, leading to more dissimilar diets, suggesting their feeding behaviour is affected by wolf presence. This correlation was not found for bison, which are rarely predated by wolf. Higher habitat quality was associated with higher niche overlap only within bison, probably due to their suboptimal feeding strategy as browsers. These results show the importance of integrating environment-induced diet variation in studies aimed at determining the landscape usage or niche overlap of a species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eduard Mas-Carrió
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Laboratory for Conservation Biology, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marcin Churski
- Mammal Research institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Dries Kuijper
- Mammal Research institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Luca Fumagalli
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Laboratory for Conservation Biology, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Human Institute of Forensic Taphonomy, University Centre of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Martijn B, Thomas N, Natalie B, Jim C. Impacts of zoning and landscape structure on the relative abundance of wild boar assessed through a Bayesian N-mixture model. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 911:168546. [PMID: 37979862 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168546] [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: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Increasing human-wild boar interactions have led to damage to agricultural crops, traffic collisions and disease transmissions. Dividing natural areas in zones with differential hunting pressure is one of the currently adopted management strategies. However, the effectiveness of this approach is under debate. Hence, there is a need to better understand how to mitigate negative human-wild boar interactions effectively. Camera traps are cost-efficient, and non-invasive tools to monitor animal populations. N-mixture models can reliably estimate spatial variation in relative abundances when animals are imperfectly detected and/or cannot be individually identified. Thus, they are useful tools to infer the impacts of several factors on the land-use intensity of wild boar, based on camera trap data. In a nature area in central Belgium, we compare "summer" (April-September) land-use intensity of wild boar from 2018 until 2021 between three zones: a hunting free core zone, a winter hunting zone where hunting only takes place between November and March, and a year-round hunting zone. The latter is also close to the forest edge, agricultural crops and settlements. We compare spatial abundance models that capture these zone effects, or attractive effects of croplands, repulsive effects of hunting and repulsive effects of non-lethal human disturbances. We reveal between zone differences in wild boar land-use intensities across all summers. Additionally, we find that non-lethal human disturbance and croplands also explain variation in wild boar land-use intensity, but do not find negative associations with hunting locations. Our results suggest that the effects of zoning on wild boar land-use patterns are relevant in medium-sized natural areas. Moreover, we identify the need to install additional cameras outside of the managed area in order to assess the impacts of hunting in combination with non-lethal human activities on wild boar to mitigate negative human-wild boar interactions in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bollen Martijn
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, UHasselt - Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Data Science Institute, UHasselt -Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Neyens Thomas
- Data Science Institute, UHasselt -Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Leuven Biostatistics and statistical Bioinformatics Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Beenaerts Natalie
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, UHasselt - Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Casaer Jim
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Brussels, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Diserens TA, Churski M, Bubnicki JW, Zalewski A, Brzeziński M, Kuijper DPJ. Badgers remain fearless in the face of simulated wolf presence near their setts. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10654. [PMID: 38187920 PMCID: PMC10767146 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Many mesocarnivores are fossorial and use burrow systems to avoid predators. But fossorial animals cannot stay safely underground forever; they must also risk emerging overground to forage and find mates. To make this trade-off effectively and maximise their own fitness, it is imperative they assess how risk varies in space and time and adapt their denning behaviour accordingly. We used the badger in Białowieża Forest, Poland, as a model for investigating how the denning behaviour of a fossorial mesocarnivore varies in response to short-term large carnivore risk. To this end, we experimentally simulated perceived wolf presence outside 10 badger setts using audio playbacks of wolves (their howls). We assayed two behavioural measures of fear: badger emergence time from setts on the day playbacks were broadcast and their presence in setts on the day after. We found that neither badger emergence time nor next-day sett use varied in response to wolf playbacks. The results of the present study contrast with a previous study of ours that found badgers used setts in areas with high landscape level perceived wolf risk less often than those in lower-risk areas. Together, these papers' findings suggest that different spatiotemporal scales of perceived risk can have differential effects on badger behaviour. We conclude that rather than take risk avoidance measures at all risky times and places, badgers likely display a diversity of reactions to large carnivore presence that depend on the context and spatiotemporal scale of the risk being perceived.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tom A. Diserens
- Mammal Research InstitutePolish Academy of SciencesBiałowieżaPoland
- Faculty of BiologyUniversity of WarsawWarsawPoland
| | - Marcin Churski
- Mammal Research InstitutePolish Academy of SciencesBiałowieżaPoland
| | | | - Andrzej Zalewski
- Mammal Research InstitutePolish Academy of SciencesBiałowieżaPoland
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Esattore B, Rossi AC, Bazzoni F, Riggio C, Oliveira R, Leggiero I, Ferretti F. Same place, different time, head up: Multiple antipredator responses to a recolonizing apex predator. Curr Zool 2023; 69:703-717. [PMID: 37876645 PMCID: PMC10591180 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Prey adjust their antipredator behavioral tactics to minimize the risk of an encounter with predators. Spatiotemporal responses of prey to predators have been reported, but the nature of antipredator response is not ubiquitous and it is the object of increasing interest, especially considering the recent recovery of large carnivores in Europe, and the potential for behavioral antipredator responses to elicit consequences at the ecosystem level. We have tested multiple antipredator responses by fallow deer Dama dama to wolf Canis lupus in a Mediterranean protected area recently recolonized by this apex predator. Through intensive camera trapping, we tested for temporal and spatial association between predator and prey, and we have also studied deer vigilance in forest habitats where focal observations are usually impossible. Wolf detection rates were spatially associated with those of fallow deer. Accordingly, no evidence was found for fallow deer avoiding sites with higher predator detection rates. Temporal activity patterns were significantly different between the 2 species, with the wolf being mainly nocturnal whereas fallow deer was active especially during daylight. A comparison with a preliminary study strongly suggests an increase in the diurnal activity of fallow deer along with the stabilization of wolf presence in the area. Both the rate and the duration of vigilance of female fallow deer increased with the local frequency of wolf activity. We suggest an antipredator response based on temporal-rather than spatial-avoidance, as well as increased vigilance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Esattore
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Přátelství 815,104 00, Uhříněves, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 00, Suchdol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Agnese Carlotta Rossi
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioral Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via Pier Andrea Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Francesco Bazzoni
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioral Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via Pier Andrea Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Chiara Riggio
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioral Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via Pier Andrea Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Raquel Oliveira
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioral Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via Pier Andrea Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Ivan Leggiero
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioral Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via Pier Andrea Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Francesco Ferretti
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioral Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via Pier Andrea Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo 90133, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Martijn B, Jim C, Natalie B, Thomas N. Simulation-based assessment of the performance of hierarchical abundance estimators for camera trap surveys of unmarked species. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16169. [PMID: 37758779 PMCID: PMC10533874 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43184-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Knowledge on animal abundances is essential in ecology, but is complicated by low detectability of many species. This has led to a widespread use of hierarchical models (HMs) for species abundance, which are also commonly applied in the context of nature areas studied by camera traps (CTs). However, the best choice among these models is unclear, particularly based on how they perform in the face of complicating features of realistic populations, including: movements relative to sites, multiple detections of unmarked individuals within a single survey, and low detectability. We conducted a simulation-based comparison of three HMs (Royle-Nichols, binomial N-mixture and Poisson N-mixture model) by generating groups of unmarked individuals moving according to a bivariate Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, monitored by CTs. Under a range of simulated scenarios, none of the HMs consistently yielded accurate abundances. Yet, the Poisson N-mixture model performed well when animals did move across sites, despite accidental double counting of individuals. Absolute abundances were better captured by Royle-Nichols and Poisson N-mixture models, while a binomial N-mixture model better estimated the actual number of individuals that used a site. The best performance of all HMs was observed when estimating relative trends in abundance, which were captured with similar accuracy across these models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bollen Martijn
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, UHasselt, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
- Research Institute Nature and Forest, Brussels, Belgium.
- Data Science Institute, UHasselt, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
| | - Casaer Jim
- Research Institute Nature and Forest, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Neyens Thomas
- Data Science Institute, UHasselt, Diepenbeek, Belgium
- Leuven Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ramirez JI, Poorter L, Jansen PA, den Ouden J, Siewert M, Olofsson J. Top-down and bottom-up forces explain patch utilization by two deer species and forest recruitment. Oecologia 2023; 201:229-240. [PMID: 36424509 PMCID: PMC9813088 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05292-8] [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: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Ungulates play an important role in temperate systems. Through their feeding behaviour, they can respond to vegetation by selecting patches or modify vegetation composition by herbivory. The degree in which they interact with vegetation can either reinforce landscape heterogeneity by creating disturbance or reduce heterogeneity in case of overbrowsing. This study evaluates how bottom-up (patch quality, structure), top-down forces (hunting, distance to village, forest edge) and deer features (feeding type, abundance) mediate patch utilization in a temperate forest and assess the implications of patch utilization and light on forest recruitment. Theory predicts that animals seek to maximize their energetic gains by food intake while minimizing the costs associated to foraging, such as the energy required for avoiding predators and exploiting resources. We focused on two deer species with contrasting feeding type: a browser (C. capreolus) and a mixed feeder (C. elaphus). We paired camera traps to vegetation sub-plots in ten forest sites in the Netherlands that widely ranged in deer abundance and landscape heterogeneity. Results showed that patch utilization is simultaneously explained by bottom-up, top-down forces and by deer abundance, as predicted by the safety-in-numbers hypothesis. Yet, forces best explaining patch utilization differed between deer species. Overall, higher patch utilization came with higher browsing, lower tree diversity and a large difference in forest composition: from a mix of broadleaves and conifers towards only conifers. We conclude that these two deer species, although living in the same area and belonging to the same guild, differentially perceive, interact with and shape their surrounding landscape.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J. Ignacio Ramirez
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lourens Poorter
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Patrick A. Jansen
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands ,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancon, Panama
| | - Jan den Ouden
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Matthias Siewert
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Johan Olofsson
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Diserens TA, Churski M, Bubnicki JW, Zalewski A, Brzeziński M, Kuijper DPJ. Wolf risk fails to inspire fear in two mesocarnivores suggesting facilitation prevails. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16469. [PMID: 36183040 PMCID: PMC9526698 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20725-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Large carnivores not only supress mesocarnivores via killing and instilling fear, but also facilitate them through carrion provisioning. Hence, mesocarnivores frequently face a trade-off between risk avoidance and food acquisition. Here we used the raccoon dog and red fox in Białowieża Forest, Poland as models for investigating how large carnivores shape mesocarnivore foraging behaviour in an area with widespread large carnivore carrion provisioning. Using a giving up density experiment we quantified mesocarnivore foraging responses to wolf body odour across a landscape-scale gradient in wolf encounter rates. At locations with higher wolf encounter rates, raccoon dogs depleted feeding trays more than at plots with lower wolf encounter rates. Simulating wolf presence by adding wolf body odour caused raccoon dogs to deplete feeding trays more at locations with low wolf encounter rates, but less at locations with high wolf encounter rates. Fox foraging costs did not vary with the application of wolf body odour or wolf encounter rates. The frequency that the mesocarnivores visited experimental foraging patches was unaffected by wolf body odour or landscape level encounter rates. These results provide further evidence that large carnivore suppression can play a subordinate role to facilitation in determining mesocarnivore behaviour. The varying raccoon dog response to wolf odour across the landscape-scale gradient in wolf encounter rates shows how mesocarnivore-large carnivore interactions can be context-dependent. We suggest that rather than testing the effects of single risk cues on prey behaviour, future studies should focus on understanding how context modifies the ecological impacts of large carnivores.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tom A Diserens
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Stoczek 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland. .,Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Ul. Miecznikowa 1, 02‑097, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Marcin Churski
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Stoczek 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Jakub W Bubnicki
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Stoczek 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Andrzej Zalewski
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Stoczek 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Marcin Brzeziński
- Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Ul. Miecznikowa 1, 02‑097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dries P J Kuijper
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Stoczek 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Mols B, Churchill JE, Cromsigt JPGM, Kuijper DPJ, Smit C. Recreation reduces tick density through fine-scale risk effects on deer space-use. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 839:156222. [PMID: 35623530 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156222] [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: 01/16/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Altered interactions between pathogens, their hosts and vectors have potential consequences for human disease risk. Notably, tick-borne pathogens, many of which are associated with growing deer abundance, show global increasing prevalence and pose increasing challenges for disease prevention. Human activities can largely affect the patterns of deer space-use and can therefore be potential management tools to alleviate human-wildlife conflicts. Here, we tested how deer space-use patterns are influenced by human recreational activities, and how this in turn affects the spatial distribution of the sheep tick (Ixodes ricinus), a relevant disease vector of zoonoses such as Lyme borrelioses. We compared deer dropping and questing tick density on transects near (20 m) and further away from (100 m) forest trails that were either frequently used (open for recreation) or infrequently used (closed for recreation, but used by park managers). In contrast to infrequently used trails, deer dropping density was 31% lower near (20 m) than further away from (100 m) frequently used trails. Similarly, ticks were 62% less abundant near (20 m) frequently used trails compared to further away from (100 m) these trails, while this decline in tick numbers was only 14% near infrequently used trails. The avoidance by deer of areas close to human-used trails was thus associated with a similar reduction in questing tick density near these trails. As tick abundance generally correlates to pathogen prevalence, the use of trails for recreation may reduce tick-borne disease risk for humans on and near these trails. Our study reveals an unexplored effect of human activities on ecosystems and how this knowledge could be potentially used to mitigate zoonotic disease risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B Mols
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - J E Churchill
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - J P G M Cromsigt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83 Umeå, Sweden; Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, 6031 Gqeberha, South Africa
| | - D P J Kuijper
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Stoczek 1, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland
| | - C Smit
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Coetsee C, Wigley BJ, Sankaran M, Ratnam J, Augustine DJ. Contrasting Effects of Grazing vs Browsing Herbivores Determine Changes in Soil Fertility in an East African Savanna. Ecosystems 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-022-00748-7] [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]
|
11
|
Bogdziewicz M, Kuijper D, Zwolak R, Churski M, Jędrzejewska B, Wysocka-Fijorek E, Gazda A, Miścicki S, Podgórski T. Emerging infectious disease triggered a trophic cascade and enhanced recruitment of a masting tree. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212636. [PMID: 35232238 PMCID: PMC8889186 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
There are several mechanisms that allow plants to temporarily escape from top-down control. One of them is trophic cascades triggered by top predators or pathogens. Another is satiation of consumers by mast seeding. These two mechanisms have traditionally been studied in separation. However, their combined action may have a greater effect on plant release than either process alone. In 2015, an outbreak of a disease (African swine fever, ASF) caused a crash in wild boar (Sus scrofa) abundance in Białowieża Primeval Forest. Wild boar are important consumers of acorns and are difficult to satiate relative to less mobile granivores. We hypothesized that the joint action of the ASF outbreak and masting would enhance regeneration of oaks (Quercus robur). Data from ungulate exclosures demonstrated that ASF led to reduction in acorn predation. Tree seedling data indicated that oak recruitment increased twofold relative to pre-epidemic period. Our results showed that perturbations caused by wildlife disease travel through food webs and influence forest dynamics. The outbreak of ASF acted synergistically with masting and removed herbivore top-down control of oaks by mobile consumers. This illustrates that the ASF epidemic that currently occurs across Europe can have broad effects on forest dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michał Bogdziewicz
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Ulica Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, Poznań 61-614, Poland.,INRAE, LESSEM, University Grenoble Alpes, 2 rue de la Papeterie, BP 76, Saint-Martin-d'Hères 38400, France
| | - Dries Kuijper
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Stoczek 1, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland
| | - Rafał Zwolak
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Ulica Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, Poznań 61-614, Poland
| | - Marcin Churski
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Stoczek 1, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland
| | - Bogumiła Jędrzejewska
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Stoczek 1, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland
| | - Emilia Wysocka-Fijorek
- Department of Forest Resources Management, Forest Research Institute-Sękocin Stary, ul. Braci Leśnej 3, 05-090 Raszyn, Poland
| | - Anna Gazda
- Department of Forest Biodiversity, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture, al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Kraków, Poland
| | - Stanisław Miścicki
- Department of Forest Management Planning, Dendrometry and Forest Economics, Institute of Forests Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Nowoursynowska Str. 159, Warszawa 02-776, Poland
| | - Tomasz Podgórski
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Stoczek 1, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland.,Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
van Beeck Calkoen STS, Deis MH, Oeser J, Kuijper DPJ, Heurich M. Humans rather than Eurasian lynx (
Lynx lynx
) shape ungulate browsing patterns in a temperate forest. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne T. S. van Beeck Calkoen
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring Bavarian Forest National Park Grafenau Germany
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Management Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Michele H. Deis
- Forest Research Institute of Baden‐Württemberg Freiburg Germany
| | - Julian Oeser
- Geography Department Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin Berlin Germany
| | | | - Marco Heurich
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring Bavarian Forest National Park Grafenau Germany
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Management Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg Freiburg Germany
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences Koppang Norway
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Bollen M, Neyens T, Fajgenblat M, De Waele V, Licoppe A, Manet B, Casaer J, Beenaerts N. Managing African Swine Fever: Assessing the Potential of Camera Traps in Monitoring Wild Boar Occupancy Trends in Infected and Non-infected Zones, Using Spatio-Temporal Statistical Models. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:726117. [PMID: 34712721 PMCID: PMC8546189 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.726117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent spreading of African swine fever (ASF) over the Eurasian continent has been acknowledged as a serious economic threat for the pork industry. Consequently, an extensive body of research focuses on the epidemiology and control of ASF. Nevertheless, little information is available on the combined effect of ASF and ASF-related control measures on wild boar (Sus scrofa) population abundances. This is crucial information given the role of the remaining wild boar that act as an important reservoir of the disease. Given the high potential of camera traps as a non-invasive method for ungulate trend estimation, we assess the effectiveness of ASF control measures using a camera trap network. In this study, we focus on a major ASF outbreak in 2018-2020 in the South of Belgium. This outbreak elicited a strong management response, both in terms of fencing off a large infected zone as well as an intensive culling regime. We apply a Bayesian multi-season site-occupancy model to wild boar detection/non-detection data. Our results show that (1) occupancy rates at the onset of our monitoring period reflect the ASF infection status; (2) ASF-induced mortality and culling efforts jointly lead to decreased occupancy over time; and (3) the estimated mean total extinction rate ranges between 22.44 and 91.35%, depending on the ASF infection status. Together, these results confirm the effectiveness of ASF control measures implemented in Wallonia (Belgium), which has regained its disease-free status in December 2020, as well as the usefulness of a camera trap network to monitor these effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martijn Bollen
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, UHasselt – Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
- Data Science Institute, UHasselt – Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
- Research Institute Nature and Forest, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thomas Neyens
- Data Science Institute, UHasselt – Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Maxime Fajgenblat
- Data Science Institute, UHasselt – Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven – Leuven University, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Valérie De Waele
- Department of Natural and Agricultural Environment Studies, Public Service of Wallonia, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Alain Licoppe
- Department of Natural and Agricultural Environment Studies, Public Service of Wallonia, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Benoît Manet
- Department of Natural and Agricultural Environment Studies, Public Service of Wallonia, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Jim Casaer
- Research Institute Nature and Forest, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Natalie Beenaerts
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, UHasselt – Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
van Beeck Calkoen STS, Kreikenbohm R, Kuijper DPJ, Heurich M. Olfactory cues of large carnivores modify red deer behavior and browsing intensity. Behav Ecol 2021; 32:982-992. [PMID: 34690549 PMCID: PMC8528536 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examined the effect of perceived predation risk imposed by lynx (Lynx lynx) and wolf (Canis lupus) on red deer (Cervus elaphus) foraging behavior under experimental conditions. We hypothesized that in response to large carnivore scent red deer would increase their vigilance, although reducing the frequency and duration of visits to foraging sites. Consequently, browsing intensity on tree saplings was expected to decrease, whereas a higher proportion of more preferred species was expected to be browsed to compensate for higher foraging costs. We expected stronger responses towards the ambush predator lynx, compared with the cursorial predator wolf. These hypotheses were tested in a cafeteria experiment conducted within three red deer enclosures, each containing four experimental plots with olfactory cues of wolf, lynx, cow, and water as control. On each plot, a camera trap was placed and browsing intensity was measured for one consecutive week, repeated three times. Red deer reduced their visitation duration and browsing intensity on plots with large carnivore scent. Despite red deer showing a clear preference for certain tree species, the presence of large carnivore scent did not change selectivity towards different tree species. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found more pronounced effects of wolf (cursorial) compared with lynx (ambush). This study is the first to experimentally assess the perceived risk effects on the red deer foraging behavior of large carnivores differing in hunting modes. Our findings provide insights into the role of olfactory cues in predator-prey interactions and how they can modify fine-scale herbivore-plant interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne T S van Beeck Calkoen
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Straβe 2, Grafenau, Germany
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg, Tennenbacher Straβe 4, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Rebekka Kreikenbohm
- Department of wildlife sciences, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Georg-August University Göttingen, Buesgenweg 3, Göttingen, Germany
- Faculty of Geoscience and Geography, Georg-August University Göttingen, Goldschmidtstr. 3, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dries P J Kuijper
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, 17–230, Białowieza, Poland
| | - Marco Heurich
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Straβe 2, Grafenau, Germany
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg, Tennenbacher Straβe 4, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Koppang, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Species Identity of Large Trees Affects the Composition and the Spatial Structure of Adjacent Trees. FORESTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/f12091162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Large trees are keystone structures for the functioning and maintenance of the biological diversity of wooded landscapes. Thus, we need a better understanding of large-tree–other-tree interactions and their effects on the diversity and spatial structure of the surrounding trees. We studied these interactions in the core of the Białowieża Primeval Forest—Europe’s best-preserved temperate forest ecosystem, characterized by high abundance of ancient trees. We measured diameter and bark thickness of the monumental trees of Acer platanoides L., Carpinus betulus L., Picea abies L. H. Karst, Quercus robur L., and Tilia cordata Mill., as well as the diameter and distance to the monumental tree of five nearest neighbor trees. The effects of the monumental tree on arrangements of the surrounding trees were studied with the help of linear models. We revealed that the species identity of a large tree had, in the case of C. betulus and T. cordata, a significant impact on the diversity of adjacent tree groupings, their distance to the central tree, and frequency of the neighboring trees. The distance between the neighbor and the large trees increased with the increasing diameter of the central tree. Our findings reinforce the call for the protection of large old trees, regardless of their species and where they grow from the geographical or ecosystem point of view.
Collapse
|
16
|
Proudman NJ, Churski M, Bubnicki JW, Nilsson JÅ, Kuijper DPJ. Red deer allocate vigilance differently in response to spatio-temporal patterns of risk from human hunters and wolves. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/wr20059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
ContextUngulate prey can use increased vigilance to reduce their risk of predation, but little is known of the combined and interactive risk effects from humans and wolves in determining ungulate behaviour across time and space. Understanding the interplay between these risk effects is increasingly important, considering the recolonisation of several large carnivores to more human-dominated landscapes in Europe.
AimThe aim of the present study was to assess the vigilance behaviour expressed by red deer (Cervus elaphus) in response to both humans and wolves in the Polish Białowieża Forest.
MethodsUsing a camera-trap transect, the effect of distance to human settlements, hunting season, patterns of space use by wolves (Canis lupus), canopy openness, canopy height, time of day, as well as sex/age of individuals, on the vigilance behaviour observed in red deer was studied using a model-selection approach.
Key resultsWe did not find a clear effect of patterns of space use by wolves or distance to human settlements on red deer vigilance behaviour at the landscape scale. However, red deer showed increased vigilance during the hunting season and during the day outside of protected areas and reserves, because disturbance from human hunters is highest. Conversely, we also found that red deer were more vigilant at night within more protected areas, which is likely to be explained by the increased activity of wolves because human activity is strictly limited.
ConclusionsOur study showed that vigilance behaviour of red deer in Białowieża Primeval Forest is more driven by human hunting than by the frequency of wolf presence at a landscape scale. This could be explained by the higher temporal and spatial predictability of human hunting activities than wolf risk. We found that patterns of wolf space use, as opposed to the omnipresent fear effects from humans, had only localised effects by increasing vigilance levels during night hours in non-hunting areas of the forest. The reverse was observed outside of protected reserves. Understanding how prey species respond to this new combination of risk from natural predators and humans, is increasingly important in a landscape where human risk is becoming ever more potent and carnivores recolonise.
Collapse
|
17
|
Jaroszewicz B, Borysowicz J, Cholewińska O. Forest floor plant diversity drives the use of mature spruce forests by European bison. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:636-647. [PMID: 33437457 PMCID: PMC7790634 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7094] [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: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The distribution of large ungulates in space is in large extent driven by the availability of forage, which in temperate forests depends on light availability, and associated plant diversity and cover. We hypothesized that the increased number of GPS fixes of European bison (Bison bonasus L.) in usually avoided spruce forests was an effect of higher plant species richness and cover of the forest floor, which developed owing to increased light availability enhanced by spruce mortality. We carried out 80 forest floor plant surveys combined with tree measurement on plots chosen according to the number of GPS locations of GPS-collared European bison. The mean plant species richness per plot was higher on intensively visited plots (IV) than rarely visited (RV) plots (30 ± 5.75 (SD) versus. 26 ± 6.19 (SD)). The frequency of 34 plant species was higher on IV plots, and they were mainly herbaceous species (32 species), while a significant part of 13 species with higher frequency on RV plots was woody plants (5 species). The species richness of forbs was higher on IV plots, while other functional groups of plants did not differ. Tree stem density on the IV plots was lower than on the RV plots (17.94 ± 6.73 (SD) versus 22.9 ± 7.67 (SD)), and the mean value of Ellenberg's ecological indicator for light availability for all forest floor plant species was higher on IV plots. European bison visiting mature spruce forests was driven by higher forest floor plant cover and species richness, and high share and species richness of forbs. The two latter features may be translated into higher quality and diversity of forage. In spite of morphological characteristics suggesting that European bison is a species of mixed (mosaic) habitats, it seems to be well adapted to thrive in diverse forests.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bogdan Jaroszewicz
- Białowieża Geobotanical StationFaculty of BiologyUniversity of WarsawBiałowieżaPoland
| | - Joanna Borysowicz
- Białowieża Geobotanical StationFaculty of BiologyUniversity of WarsawBiałowieżaPoland
| | - Olga Cholewińska
- Białowieża Geobotanical StationFaculty of BiologyUniversity of WarsawBiałowieżaPoland
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Diserens TA, Bubnicki JW, Schutgens E, Rokx K, Kowalczyk R, Kuijper DPJ, Churski M. Fossoriality in a risky landscape: badger sett use varies with perceived wolf risk. J Zool (1987) 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. A. Diserens
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences Białowieża Poland
- Faculty of Biology University of Warsaw Warsaw Poland
| | - J. W. Bubnicki
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences Białowieża Poland
| | - E. Schutgens
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences Białowieża Poland
| | - K. Rokx
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences Białowieża Poland
| | - R. Kowalczyk
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences Białowieża Poland
| | - D. P. J. Kuijper
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences Białowieża Poland
| | - M. Churski
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences Białowieża Poland
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Multi-scale settlement patterns of a migratory songbird in a European primaeval forest. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02906-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
20
|
A dispersing bear in Białowieża Forest raises important ecological and conservation management questions for the central European lowlands. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
|
21
|
Morelle K, Bubnicki J, Churski M, Gryz J, Podgórski T, Kuijper DPJ. Disease-Induced Mortality Outweighs Hunting in Causing Wild Boar Population Crash After African Swine Fever Outbreak. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:378. [PMID: 32850993 PMCID: PMC7399055 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) has been spreading in the Eurasian continent for more than 10 years now. Although the course of ASF in domestic pigs and its negative economic impact on the pork industry are well-known, we still lack a quantitative assessment of the impact of ASF on wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations under natural conditions. Wild boar is not only a reservoir for ASF; it is also one of the key wildlife species affecting structure and functioning of ecosystems. Therefore, knowledge on how ASF affects wild boar populations is crucial to better predict ecosystem response and for the design of scientific-based wild boar management to control ASF. We used a long-term camera trap survey (2012-2017) from the Białowieza Primeval Forest (BPF, Poland), where an ASF outbreak occurred in 2015, to investigate the impact of the disease on wild boar population dynamics under two contrasting management regimes (hunted vs. non-hunted). In the hunted part of BPF ("managed area"), hunting was drastically increased prior and after the first ASF case occurred (March 2015), whereas inside the National Park, hunting was not permitted ("unmanaged area," first detected case in June 2015). Using a random encounter model (REM), we showed that the density and abundance of wild boar dropped by 84 and 95% within 1 year following ASF outbreak in the unmanaged and managed area, respectively. In the managed area, we showed that 11-22% additional mortality could be attributed to hunting. Our study suggests that ASF-induced mortality, by far, outweighs hunting-induced mortality in causing wild boar population decline and shows that intensified hunting in newly ASF-infected areas does not achieve much greater reduction of population size than what is already caused by the ASF virus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Morelle
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieza, Poland.,Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jakub Bubnicki
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieza, Poland
| | - Marcin Churski
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieza, Poland
| | - Jakub Gryz
- Department of Forest Ecology, Forest Research Institute (IBL), Raszyn, Poland
| | - Tomasz Podgórski
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieza, Poland.,Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Dries P J Kuijper
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieza, Poland
| |
Collapse
|