1
|
Cheng H, Jin BC, Luo K, Zhang XL, Pei JY, Zhang YH, Han LQ, Tang JQ, Li FM, Sun GJ, Ben Wu X. Seasonal resource selection of free-ranging Zhongwei goats in the semi-arid grassland. Animal 2023; 17:100972. [PMID: 37757525 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2023.100972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Goats rarely move and forage randomly. They tend to move in ways generally influenced by biotic and abiotic factors, respectively. However, few studies have explored the foraging behaviour of goats in the absence of predation and human disturbance. Based on step selection function modelling framework, Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, vegetation surveys, and Global Positioning System tracking of 124 free-ranging domestic adult male Zhongwei goats over one year (2016-2017) were used to assess how biotic and abiotic environmental factors affected their spatiotemporal distribution, and developed a conceptual model to represent the goats' trade-off between forage quantity and preference at different seasons, in the semi-arid grassland of Loess Plateau of 1 178 hectare. The results showed that spatial distributions of goats responded to spatiotemporal variation of biotic factors rather than abiotic factors of elevation, slope and solar radiation, which indicated that biotic factors were of priority to abiotic factors in the foraging process for the goats. According to the season changing, the goats positively used areas with higher forage quantity in the spring and winter, areas of higher forage quantity and preferred species in summer, and areas of abundance of preferred species in autumn. We developed a model to describe the phenomenon that the goats selected areas with higher preferred species only when the forage quantity was plentiful, otherwise they selected areas with higher forage quantity. Better understanding of the patterns and drivers of spatiotemporal distribution of the goats can improve our ability to predict foraging behaviour of livestock in heterogeneous environment and lead to better management practices and policies for the sustainability of these semi-arid landscapes and associated ecosystem services.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hua Cheng
- School of Tourism, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; Institute of Arid Agroecology, State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, and School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Bao-Cheng Jin
- College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025 China
| | - Kai Luo
- Institute of Arid Agroecology, State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, and School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xue-Li Zhang
- College of Water Conservancy Science & Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Jiu-Ying Pei
- Institute of Arid Agroecology, State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, and School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yong-Hong Zhang
- Institute of Arid Agroecology, State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, and School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Li-Qin Han
- School of Tourism, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Jia-Qi Tang
- Institute of Arid Agroecology, State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, and School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Feng-Min Li
- Institute of Arid Agroecology, State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, and School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Guo-Jun Sun
- Institute of Arid Agroecology, State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, and School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - X Ben Wu
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Huon M, Planque Y, Jessopp MJ, Cronin M, Caurant F, Vincent C. Fine-scale foraging habitat selection by two diving central place foragers in the Northeast Atlantic. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:12349-12363. [PMID: 34594504 PMCID: PMC8462179 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat selection and spatial usage are important components of animal behavior influencing fitness and population dynamic. Understanding the animal-habitat relationship is crucial in ecology, particularly in developing strategies for wildlife management and conservation. As this relationship is governed by environmental features and intra- and interspecific interactions, habitat selection of a population may vary locally between its core and edges. This is particularly true for central place foragers such as gray and harbor seals, where, in the Northeast Atlantic, the availability of habitat and prey around colonies vary at local scale. Here, we study how foraging habitat selection may vary locally under the influence of physical habitat features. Using GPS/GSM tags deployed at different gray and harbor seals' colonies, we investigated spatial patterns and foraging habitat selection by comparing trip characteristics and home-range similarities and fitting GAMMs to seal foraging locations and environmental data. To highlight the importance of modeling habitat selection at local scale, we fitted individual models to colonies as well as a global model. The global model suffered from issues of homogenization, while colony models showed that foraging habitat selection differed markedly between regions for both species. Despite being capable of undertaking far-ranging trips, both gray and harbor seals selected their foraging habitat depending on local availability, mainly based on distance from the last haul-out and bathymetry. Distance from shore and tidal current also influenced habitat preferences. Results suggest that local conditions have a strong influence on population spatial ecology, highlighting the relevance of processes occurring at fine geographical scale consistent with management within regional units.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Huon
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de ChizéUMR 7372 CNRS –La Rochelle UniversitéLa RochelleFrance
- Observatoire PelagisUMS 3462 CNRS ‐ La Rochelle Université, Pôle analytiqueLa RochelleFrance
| | - Yann Planque
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de ChizéUMR 7372 CNRS –La Rochelle UniversitéLa RochelleFrance
| | - Mark John Jessopp
- MaREI CentreEnvironmental Research InstituteUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental SciencesUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
| | - Michelle Cronin
- MaREI CentreEnvironmental Research InstituteUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
| | - Florence Caurant
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de ChizéUMR 7372 CNRS –La Rochelle UniversitéLa RochelleFrance
- Observatoire PelagisUMS 3462 CNRS ‐ La Rochelle Université, Pôle analytiqueLa RochelleFrance
| | - Cécile Vincent
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de ChizéUMR 7372 CNRS –La Rochelle UniversitéLa RochelleFrance
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Payne JC, Buuveibaatar B, Bowler DE, Olson KA, Walzer C, Kaczensky P. Hidden treasure of the Gobi: understanding how water limits range use of khulan in the Mongolian Gobi. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2989. [PMID: 32076090 PMCID: PMC7031417 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59969-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Most large herbivores in arid landscapes need to drink which constrains their movements and makes them vulnerable to disturbance. Asiatic wild ass or khulan (Equus hemionus) were widespread and abundant throughout the arid landscapes of Central Asia and Mongolia, but have undergone dramatic population declines and range constrictions; denying khulan access to water is believed to have played a major role. Mongolia's South Gobi Region now houses the world largest remaining khulan population, but is undergoing rapid land use changes. Khulan water use is poorly understood, largely due to the difficulty of mapping waterpoints used by khulan throughout their exceptionally large ranges, prone to high variations in precipitation. We used the special movement path characteristics of GPS tagged khulan to show us where water is located. We identified 367 waterpoints, 53 of which were of population importance, characterized the seasonal and circadian use, and identified snow cover as the most important variable predicting khulan visits during the non-growing season, and vegetation greenness during the growing season. Our results provide a data layer to help guide a regional khulan conservation strategy, allow predictions for other part of the global khulan range, and illustrates the overall importance of waterpoints for dryland herbivores.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John C Payne
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia & New York, USA
| | | | - Diana E Bowler
- Norwegian Institute of Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leibzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Ecosystem Services, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kirk A Olson
- Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia & New York, USA
| | - Chris Walzer
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia & New York, USA
| | - Petra Kaczensky
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Norwegian Institute of Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Bleicher SS, Ylönen H, Käpylä T, Haapakoski M. Olfactory cues and the value of information: voles interpret cues based on recent predator encounters. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018; 72:187. [PMID: 30573941 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2600-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 11/04/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Prey strategically respond to the risk of predation by varying their behavior while balancing the tradeoffs of food and safety. We present here an experiment that tests the way the same indirect cues of predation risk are interpreted by bank voles, Myodes glareolus, as the game changes through exposure to a caged weasel. Using optimal patch use, we asked wild-caught voles to rank the risk they perceived. We measured their response to olfactory cues in the form of weasel bedding, a sham control in the form of rabbit bedding, and an odor-free control. We repeated the interviews in a chronological order to test the change in response, i.e., the changes in the value of the information. We found that the voles did not differentiate strongly between treatments pre-exposure to the weasel. During the exposure, vole foraging activity was reduced in all treatments, but proportionally increased in the vicinity to the rabbit odor. Post-exposure, the voles focused their foraging in the control, while the value of exposure to the predator explained the majority of variation in response. Our data also suggested a sex bias in interpretation of the cues. Given how the foragers changed their interpretation of the same cues based on external information, we suggest that applying predator olfactory cues as a simulation of predation risk needs further testing. For instance, what are the possible effective compounds and how they change “fear” response over time. The major conclusion is that however effective olfactory cues may be, the presence of live predators overwhelmingly affects the information voles gained from these cues. Significance statement In ecology, “fear” is the strategic response to cues of risk an animal senses in its environment. The cues suggesting the existence of a predator in the vicinity are weighed by an individual against the probability of encounter with the predator and the perceived lethality of an encounter with the predator. The best documented such response is variation in foraging tenacity as measured by a giving-up density. In this paper, we show that an olfactory predator cue and the smell of an interspecific competitor result in different responses based on experience with a live-caged predator. This work provides a cautionary example of the risk in making assumptions regarding olfactory cues devoid of environmental context. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00265-018-2600-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
|
5
|
Hartley A, Shrader AM, Chamaillé-Jammes S. Can intrinsic foraging efficiency explain dominance status? A test with functional response experiments. Oecologia 2018; 189:105-110. [PMID: 30443677 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4302-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The functional response describes how food abundance affects the intake rate of foraging individuals, and as such, it can influence a wide range of ecological processes. In social species, dominance status can affect the functional response of competing individuals, but studies conducted in an interference-free context have provided contrasting results on the extent of between-individual variability in functional response. We tested the prediction that individuals intrinsically differ in their functional response, and that these differences could predict body weight and dominance status in social species. We used goats as a model species and performed foraging experiments to assess the functional response of these goats in an interference-free context. Our results show that some individuals are consistently better foragers than others, and these individuals were more likely to be heavier and dominant. Parameters of the functional response are, however, more strongly associated with dominance status than with body weight. We conclude that interference while foraging is not needed to explain body weight differences between dominant and subordinate individuals. We suggest that these differences can emerge from intrinsic differences in foraging efficiency between individuals, which could also allow better foragers to demonstrate greater tenacity during agonistic interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Hartley
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scotsville, 3209, South Africa
| | - Adrian M Shrader
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scotsville, 3209, South Africa.,Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X28, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Simon Chamaillé-Jammes
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X28, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa. .,CEFE, CNRS, Univ Montpellier, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Weterings MJA, Moonen S, Prins HHT, van Wieren SE, van Langevelde F. Food quality and quantity are more important in explaining foraging of an intermediate-sized mammalian herbivore than predation risk or competition. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:8419-8432. [PMID: 30250712 PMCID: PMC6144975 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2017] [Revised: 04/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
During times of high activity by predators and competitors, herbivores may be forced to forage in patches of low-quality food. However, the relative importance in determining where and what herbivores forage still remains unclear, especially for small- and intermediate-sized herbivores. Our objective was to test the relative importance of predator and competitor activity, and forage quality and quantity on the proportion of time spent in a vegetation type and the proportion of time spent foraging by the intermediate-sized herbivore European hare (Lepus europaeus). We studied red fox (Vulpes vulpes) as a predator species and European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) as a competitor. We investigated the time spent at a location and foraging time of hare using GPS with accelerometers. Forage quality and quantity were analyzed based on hand-plucked samples of a selection of the locally most important plant species in the diet of hare. Predator activity and competitor activity were investigated using a network of camera traps. Hares spent a higher proportion of time in vegetation types that contained a higher percentage of fibers (i.e., NDF). Besides, hares spent a higher proportion of time in vegetation types that contained relatively low food quantity and quality of forage (i.e., high percentage of fibers) during days that foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were more active. Also during days that rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were more active, hares spent a higher proportion of time foraging in vegetation types that contained a relatively low quality of forage. Although predation risk affected space use and foraging behavior, and competition affected foraging behavior, our study shows that food quality and quantity more strongly affected space use and foraging behavior than predation risk or competition. It seems that we need to reconsider the relative importance of the landscape of food in a world of fear and competition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martijn J. A. Weterings
- Resource Ecology GroupWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
- Wildlife ManagementDepartment of Animal ManagementVan Hall Larenstein University of Applied SciencesLeeuwardenThe Netherlands
| | - Sander Moonen
- Resource Ecology GroupWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
- Institute of Avian ResearchWilhelmshavenGermany
| | | | | | - Frank van Langevelde
- Resource Ecology GroupWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalDurbanSouth Africa
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Haswell PM, Jones KA, Kusak J, Hayward MW. Fear, foraging and olfaction: how mesopredators avoid costly interactions with apex predators. Oecologia 2018; 187:573-583. [PMID: 29654482 PMCID: PMC6018578 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4133-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Where direct killing is rare and niche overlap low, sympatric carnivores may appear to coexist without conflict. Interference interactions, harassment and injury from larger carnivores may still pose a risk to smaller mesopredators. Foraging theory suggests that animals should adjust their behaviour accordingly to optimise foraging efficiency and overall fitness, trading off harvest rate with costs to fitness. The foraging behaviour of red foxes, Vulpes vulpes, was studied with automated cameras and a repeated measures giving-up density (GUD) experiment where olfactory risk cues were manipulated. In Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia, red foxes increased GUDs by 34% and quitting harvest rates by 29% in response to wolf urine. In addition to leaving more food behind, foxes also responded to wolf urine by spending less time visiting food patches each day and altering their behaviour in order to compensate for the increased risk when foraging from patches. Thus, red foxes utilised olfaction to assess risk and experienced foraging costs due to the presence of a cue from gray wolves, Canis lupus. This study identifies behavioural mechanisms which may enable competing predators to coexist, and highlights the potential for additional ecosystem service pathways arising from the behaviour of large carnivores. Given the vulnerability of large carnivores to anthropogenic disturbance, a growing human population and intensifying resource consumption, it becomes increasingly important to understand ecological processes so that land can be managed appropriately.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Haswell
- School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK.
- UK Wolf Conservation Trust, Butlers Farm, Beenham, Berkshire, RG7 5NT, UK.
| | - Katherine A Jones
- School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Josip Kusak
- Department of Biology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Zagreb, Heinzelova 55, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Matt W Hayward
- School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK
- School of Environment Natural Resources and Geography, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- Centre for Wildlife Management, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Makin DF, Chamaillé-Jammes S, Shrader AM. Changes in feeding behavior and patch use by herbivores in response to the introduction of a new predator. J Mammal 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyx177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas F Makin
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Simon Chamaillé-Jammes
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, France
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Adrian M Shrader
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
|
10
|
Alma AM, Farji-Brener AG, Elizalde L. A Breath of Fresh Air in Foraging Theory: The Importance of Wind for Food Size Selection in a Central-Place Forager. Am Nat 2017; 190:410-419. [PMID: 28829633 DOI: 10.1086/692707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Empirical data about food size carried by central-place foragers do not often fit with the optimum predicted by classical foraging theory. Traditionally, biotic constraints such as predation risk and competition have been proposed to explain this inconsistency, leaving aside the possible role of abiotic factors. Here we documented how wind affects the load size of a central-place forager (leaf-cutting ants) through a mathematical model including the whole foraging process. The model showed that as wind speed at ground level increased from 0 to 2 km/h, load size decreased from 91 to 30 mm2, a prediction that agreed with empirical data from windy zones, highlighting the relevance of considering abiotic factors to predict foraging behavior. Furthermore, wind reduced the range of load sizes that workers should select to maintain a similar rate of food intake and decreased the foraging rate by ∼70% when wind speed increased 1 km/h. These results suggest that wind could reduce the fitness of colonies and limit the geographic distribution of leaf-cutting ants. The developed model offers a complementary explanation for why load size in central-place foragers may not fit theoretical predictions and could serve as a basis to study the effects of other abiotic factors that influence foraging.
Collapse
|
11
|
Robinson S, Kerven C, Behnke R, Kushenov K, Milner-Gulland EJ. Pastoralists as Optimal Foragers? Reoccupation and Site Selection in the Deserts of Post-Soviet Kazakhstan. Hum Ecol Interdiscip J 2016; 45:5-21. [PMID: 28286357 PMCID: PMC5323497 DOI: 10.1007/s10745-016-9870-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This study explores the drivers of site selection amongst livestock owners under conditions of increasing animal numbers following a low point in the 1990s. Our major goal was to understand whether livestock owners are acting as 'optimal foragers,' targeting areas of highest forage availability as they colonise previously empty areas. The results presented here suggest that they do not. Initially, distance from home settlement was the dominant determinant of site occupancy, with closer sites occupied earlier regardless of other characteristics. Some owners remained on depleted vegetation for longer than would be predicted under conditions of optimal foraging, indicating that distance-related costs constrained resource matching. In the latter period, increases in livestock wealth encouraged the occupation of distant sites exhibiting higher vegetation density and water quality, but some owners still occupied highly depleted sites. Improved transport and water supply infrastructure are needed if pastoralists are to optimise resource use across the landscape.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S. Robinson
- Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berks, SL5 7PY UK
- La Cousteille, 09400 Saurat, France
| | - C. Kerven
- Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berks, SL5 7PY UK
| | - R. Behnke
- Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berks, SL5 7PY UK
| | - K. Kushenov
- Centre for Livestock and Veterinary Research, Dzhandosov Str. 31, Almaty, Kazakhstan 480035
| | - E. J. Milner-Gulland
- Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berks, SL5 7PY UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Troxell-Smith SM, Tutka MJ, Albergo JM, Balu D, Brown JS, Leonard JP. Foraging decisions in wild versus domestic Mus musculus: What does life in the lab select for? Behav Processes 2015; 122:43-50. [PMID: 26548716 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2015.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Revised: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
What does domestication select for in terms of foraging and anti-predator behaviors? We applied principles of patch use and foraging theory to test foraging strategies and fear responses of three strains of Mus musculus: wild-caught, control laboratory, and genetically modified strains. Foraging choices were quantified using giving-up densities (GUDs) under three foraging scenarios: (1) patches varying in microhabitat (covered versus open), and initial resource density (low versus high); (2) daily variation in auditory cues (aerial predators and control calls); (3) patches with varying seed aggregations. Overall, both domestic strains harvested significantly more food than wild mice. Each strain revealed a significant preference for foraging under cover compared to the open, and predator calls had no detectable effects on foraging. Both domestic strains biased their harvest toward high quality patches; wild mice did not. In terms of exploiting favorable and avoiding unfavorable distributions of seeds within patches, the lab strain performed best, the wild strain worst, and the mutant strain in between. Our study provides support for hypothesis that domestic animals have more energy-efficient foraging strategies than their wild counterparts, but retain residual fear responses. Furthermore, patch-use studies can reveal the aptitudes and priorities of both domestic and wild animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra M Troxell-Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA.
| | - Michal J Tutka
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Jessica M Albergo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Deebika Balu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Joel S Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - John P Leonard
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Rozen-Rechels D, van Beest FM, Richard E, Uzal A, Medill SA, McLoughlin PD. Density-dependent, central-place foraging in a grazing herbivore: competition and tradeoffs in time allocation near water. OIKOS 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.02207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Rozen-Rechels
- Dept of Biology; Univ. of Saskatchewan; 112 Science Place Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2 Canada
- École Normale Supérieure, Formation Interuniversitaire de Biologie; 46 rue d'Ulm FR-75230 Paris cedex 05 France
| | - Floris M. van Beest
- Dept of Bioscience; Aarhus Univ.; Frederiksborgvej 399 DK-4000 Roskilde Denmark
| | - Emmanuelle Richard
- Dept of Biology; Univ. of Saskatchewan; 112 Science Place Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2 Canada
| | - Antonio Uzal
- School of Animal Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent Univ.; Southwell NG25 0QF UK
| | - Sarah A. Medill
- Dept of Biology; Univ. of Saskatchewan; 112 Science Place Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2 Canada
| | - Philip D. McLoughlin
- Dept of Biology; Univ. of Saskatchewan; 112 Science Place Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Menezes JFS, Kotler BP, Mourão GM. Uniform predation risk in nature: common, inconspicuous, and a source of error to predation risk experiments. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1790-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
|
15
|
Bøe KE, Ehrlenbruch R, Jørgensen GHM, Andersen IL. Individual distance during resting and feeding in age homogeneous vs. age heterogeneous groups of goats. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2013.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
|