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Gaynor KM, McInturff A, Abrahms BL, Smith AM, Brashares JS. Hunting mode and habitat selection mediate the success of human hunters. Mov Ecol 2024; 12:29. [PMID: 38627867 PMCID: PMC11021010 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00471-z] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As a globally widespread apex predator, humans have unprecedented lethal and non-lethal effects on prey populations and ecosystems. Yet compared to non-human predators, little is known about the movement ecology of human hunters, including how hunting behavior interacts with the environment. METHODS We characterized the hunting modes, habitat selection, and harvest success of 483 rifle hunters in California using high-resolution GPS data. We used Hidden Markov Models to characterize fine-scale movement behavior, and k-means clustering to group hunters by hunting mode, on the basis of their time spent in each behavioral state. Finally, we used Resource Selection Functions to quantify patterns of habitat selection for successful and unsuccessful hunters of each hunting mode. RESULTS Hunters exhibited three distinct and successful hunting modes ("coursing", "stalking", and "sit-and-wait"), with coursings as the most successful strategy. Across hunting modes, there was variation in patterns of selection for roads, topography, and habitat cover, with differences in habitat use of successful and unsuccessful hunters across modes. CONCLUSIONS Our study indicates that hunters can successfully employ a diversity of harvest strategies, and that hunting success is mediated by the interacting effects of hunting mode and landscape features. Such results highlight the breadth of human hunting modes, even within a single hunting technique, and lend insight into the varied ways that humans exert predation pressure on wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn M Gaynor
- Departments of Zoology and Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Alex McInturff
- U.S. Geological Survey Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Briana L Abrahms
- Center for Ecosystem Sentinels, Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alison M Smith
- Hopland Research and Extension Center, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hopland, CA, USA
| | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California - Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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2
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Wilkinson CE, Xu W, Luneng Solli A, Brashares JS, Chepkisich C, Osuka G, Kelly M. Social-ecological predictors of spotted hyena navigation through a shared landscape. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11293. [PMID: 38709888 PMCID: PMC11045923 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11293] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Human-wildlife interactions are increasing in severity due to climate change and proliferating urbanization. Regions where human infrastructure and activity are rapidly densifying or newly appearing constitute novel environments in which wildlife must learn to coexist with people, thereby serving as ideal case studies with which to infer future human-wildlife interactions in shared landscapes. As a widely reviled and behaviorally plastic apex predator, the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) is a model species for understanding how large carnivores navigate these human-caused 'landscapes of fear' in a changing world. Using high-resolution GPS collar data, we applied resource selection functions and step selection functions to assess spotted hyena landscape navigation and fine-scale movement decisions in relation to social-ecological features in a rapidly developing region comprising two protected areas: Lake Nakuru National Park and Soysambu Conservancy, Kenya. We then used camera trap imagery and Barrier Behavior Analysis (BaBA) to further examine hyena interactions with barriers. Our results show that environmental factors, linear infrastructure, human-carnivore conflict hotspots, and human tolerance were all important predictors for landscape-scale resource selection by hyenas, while human experience elements were less important for fine-scale hyena movement decisions. Hyena selection for these characteristics also changed seasonally and across land management types. Camera traps documented an exceptionally high number of individual spotted hyenas (234) approaching the national park fence at 16 sites during the study period, and BaBA results suggested that hyenas perceive protected area boundaries' semi-permeable electric fences as risky but may cross them out of necessity. Our findings highlight that the ability of carnivores to flexibly respond within human-caused landscapes of fear may be expressed differently depending on context, scale, and climatic factors. These results also point to the need to incorporate societal factors into multiscale analyses of wildlife movement to effectively plan for human-wildlife coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine E. Wilkinson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
- California Academy of SciencesSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Wenjing Xu
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Amalie Luneng Solli
- School of Veterinary ScienceUniversity of California, DavisDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | - Justin S. Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Gerald Osuka
- Department of Natural ResourcesEgerton UniversityNakuruKenya
| | - Maggi Kelly
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
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3
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Chapman M, Goldstein BR, Schell CJ, Brashares JS, Carter NH, Ellis-Soto D, Faxon HO, Goldstein JE, Halpern BS, Longdon J, Norman KEA, O'Rourke D, Scoville C, Xu L, Boettiger C. Biodiversity monitoring for a just planetary future. Science 2024; 383:34-36. [PMID: 38175872 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh8874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Data that influence policy and major investment decisions risk entrenching social and political inequities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Chapman
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Department of Environment Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin R Goldstein
- Department of Environment Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Christopher J Schell
- Department of Environment Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environment Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Neil H Carter
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Diego Ellis-Soto
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Hilary Oliva Faxon
- Department of Society and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Jenny E Goldstein
- Department of Global Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin S Halpern
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Joycelyn Longdon
- Department of Computer Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kari E A Norman
- Département de sciences biologiques, Universite de Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Dara O'Rourke
- Department of Environment Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Caleb Scoville
- Department of Sociology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Lily Xu
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Carl Boettiger
- Department of Environment Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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4
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Chapman M, Boettiger C, Brashares JS. Leveraging private lands to meet 2030 biodiversity targets in the United States. Conservat Sci and Prac 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Chapman
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
| | - Carl Boettiger
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
| | - Justin S. Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
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5
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Van Scoyoc A, Smith JA, Gaynor KM, Barker K, Brashares JS. The influence of human activity on predator-prey spatiotemporal overlap. J Anim Ecol 2023. [PMID: 36710603 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13892] [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: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Despite growing evidence of widespread impacts of humans on animal behaviour, our understanding of how humans reshape species interactions remains limited. Here, we present a framework that draws on key concepts from behavioural and community ecology to outline four primary pathways by which humans can alter predator-prey spatiotemporal overlap. We suggest that predator-prey dyads can exhibit similar or opposite responses to human activity with distinct outcomes for predator diet, predation rates, population demography and trophic cascades. We demonstrate how to assess these behavioural response pathways with hypothesis testing, using temporal activity data for 178 predator-prey dyads from published camera trap studies on terrestrial mammals. We found evidence for each of the proposed pathways, revealing multiple patterns of human influence on predator-prey activity and overlap. Our framework and case study highlight current challenges, gaps, and advances in linking human activity to animal behaviour change and predator-prey dynamics. By using a hypothesis-driven approach to estimate the potential for altered species interactions, researchers can anticipate the ecological consequences of human activities on whole communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Van Scoyoc
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Justine A Smith
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Kaitlyn M Gaynor
- Departments of Zoology & Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kristin Barker
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
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6
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Parker‐Shames P, Choi C, Butsic V, Green D, Barry B, Moriarty K, Levi T, Brashares JS. The spatial overlap of small‐scale cannabis farms with aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. Conservat Sci and Prac 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe Parker‐Shames
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
- Cannabis Research Center at Berkeley University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
| | - Christopher Choi
- NASA DEVELOP National Program NASA Langley Research Center Hampton Virginia USA
| | - Van Butsic
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
- Cannabis Research Center at Berkeley University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
| | - David Green
- Institute for Natural Resources Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon USA
| | - Brent Barry
- Confederated Tribes of the Grande Ronde Grande Ronde Oregon USA
| | - Katie Moriarty
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc (NCASI) Cary North Carolina USA
| | - Taal Levi
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon USA
| | - Justin S. Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
- Cannabis Research Center at Berkeley University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
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7
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Kreling SE, Gaynor KM, McInturff A, Calhoun KL, Brashares JS. Site fidelity and behavioral plasticity regulate an ungulate's response to extreme disturbance. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:15683-15694. [PMID: 34824782 PMCID: PMC8601917 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8221] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
With rapid global change, the frequency and severity of extreme disturbance events are increasing worldwide. The ability of animal populations to survive these stochastic events depends on how individual animals respond to their altered environments, yet our understanding of the immediate and short-term behavioral responses of animals to acute disturbances remains poor. We focused on animal behavioral responses to the environmental disturbance created by megafire. Specifically, we explored the effects of the 2018 Mendocino Complex Fire in northern California, USA, on the behavior and body condition of black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus). We predicted that deer would be displaced by the disturbance or experience high mortality post-fire if they stayed in the burn area. We used data from GPS collars on 18 individual deer to quantify patterns of home range use, movement, and habitat selection before and after the fire. We assessed changes in body condition using images from a camera trap grid. The fire burned through half of the study area, facilitating a comparison between deer in burned and unburned areas. Despite a dramatic reduction in vegetation in burned areas, deer showed high site fidelity to pre-fire home ranges, returning within hours of the fire. However, mean home range size doubled after the fire and corresponded to increased daily activity in a severely resource-depleted environment. Within their home ranges, deer also selected strongly for patches of surviving vegetation and woodland habitat, as these areas provided forage and cover in an otherwise desolate landscape. Deer body condition significantly decreased after the fire, likely as a result of a reduction in forage within their home ranges, but all collared deer survived for the duration of the study. Understanding the ways in which large mammals respond to disturbances such as wildfire is increasingly important as the extent and severity of such events increases across the world. While many animals are adapted to disturbance regimes, species that exhibit high site fidelity or otherwise fixed behavioral strategies may struggle to cope with increased climate instability and associated extreme disturbance events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha E.S. Kreling
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & ManagementUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
- School of Environmental and Forest ScienceUniversity of Washington SeattleSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Kaitlyn M. Gaynor
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & ManagementUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and SynthesisUniversity of California Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Alex McInturff
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & ManagementUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
- Bren School of Environmental Science & ManagementUniversity of California Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Kendall L. Calhoun
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & ManagementUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Justin S. Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & ManagementUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
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8
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Gaynor KM, McInturff A, Brashares JS. Contrasting patterns of risk from human and non-human predators shape temporal activity of prey. J Anim Ecol 2021; 91:46-60. [PMID: 34689337 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13621] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Spatiotemporal variation in predation risk arises from interactions between landscape heterogeneity, predator densities and predator hunting mode, generating landscapes of fear for prey species that can have important effects on prey behaviour and ecosystem dynamics. As widespread apex predators, humans present a significant source of risk for hunted animal populations. Spatiotemporal patterns of risk from hunters can overlap or contrast with patterns of risk from other predators. Human infrastructure can also reshape spatial patterns of risk by facilitating or impeding hunter or predator movement, or deterring predators that are themselves wary of humans. We examined how anthropogenic and natural landscape features interact with hunting modes of rifle hunters and mountain lions Puma concolor to generate spatiotemporal patterns of risk for their primary prey. We explored the implications of human-modified landscapes of fear for Columbian black-tailed deer Odocoileus hemionus columbianus in Mendocino County, California. We used historical harvest records, hunter GPS trackers and camera trap records of mountain lions to model patterns of risk for deer. We then used camera traps to examine deer spatial and temporal activity patterns in response to this variation in risk. Hunters and mountain lions exhibited distinct, contrasting patterns of spatiotemporal activity. Risk from rifle hunters, who rely on long lines of sight, was highest in open grasslands and near roads and was confined to the daytime. Risk from mountain lions, an ambush predator, was highest in dense shrubland habitat, farther from developed areas, and during the night and crepuscular periods. Areas of human settlement provided a refuge from both hunters and mountain lions. We found no evidence that deer avoided risk in space at the scale of our observations, but deer adjusted their temporal activity patterns to reduce the risk of encounters with humans and mountain lions in areas of higher risk. Our study demonstrates that interactions between human infrastructure, habitat cover and predator hunting mode can result in distinct spatial patterns of predation risk from hunters and other predators that may lead to trade-offs for prey species. However, distinct diel activity patterns of predators may create vacant hunting domains that reduce costly trade-offs for prey. Our study highlights the importance of temporal partitioning as a mechanism of predation risk avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn M Gaynor
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.,National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Alex McInturff
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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9
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Kurz DJ, Saikim FH, Justine VT, Bloem J, Libassi M, Luskin MS, Withey LS, Goossens B, Brashares JS, Potts MD. Transformation and endurance of Indigenous hunting: Kadazandusun‐Murut bearded pig hunting practices amidst oil palm expansion and urbanization in Sabah, Malaysia. People and Nature 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- David J. Kurz
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
| | - Fiffy Hanisdah Saikim
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation Universiti Malaysia SabahJalan UMS Sabah Malaysia
| | | | - Jordan Bloem
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
| | - Matthew Libassi
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
| | | | - Lauren S. Withey
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
| | - Benoît Goossens
- Organisms and Environment Division School of Biosciences Cardiff University Cardiff UK
- Danau Girang Field Centre, c/o Sabah Wildlife Department Wisma Muis Sabah Malaysia
- Sabah Wildlife Department Wisma Muis Sabah Malaysia
- Sustainable Places Research InstituteCardiff University Cardiff UK
| | - Justin S. Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
| | - Matthew D. Potts
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
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10
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Volski L, McInturff A, Gaynor KM, Yovovich V, Brashares JS. Social Effectiveness and Human-Wildlife Conflict: Linking the Ecological Effectiveness and Social Acceptability of Livestock Protection Tools. Front Conserv Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2021.682210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-wildlife interactions are embedded within socio-ecological systems (SES), in which animal behavior and human decision-making reciprocally interact. While a growing body of research addresses specific social and ecological elements of human-wildlife interactions, including conflicts, integrating these approaches is essential for identifying practical and effective solutions. Carnivore predation on livestock can threaten human livelihoods, weaken relationships among stakeholders, and precipitate carnivore declines. As carnivores have received greater protection in recent decades, researchers and managers have sought non-lethal tools to reduce predation and promote coexistence between livestock producers and carnivores. For these tools to be successful, they must effectively deter carnivores, and they must also be adopted by producers. Relatively few studies examine the practical and context-specific effectiveness of non-lethal tools, and even fewer simultaneously consider their social acceptability among producers. To address this gap, we suggest that a tool's ecological effectiveness and social acceptability be analyzed concurrently to determine its social effectiveness. We thus paired an experimental study of a carnivore predation deterrent called Foxlights® with qualitative interviews of livestock producers in Northern California. We placed camera traps in sheep pastures to measure the response of coyotes (Canis latrans) to experimentally deployed Foxlights and interviewed livestock producers before and after the experiment. Our experiment revealed weak evidence for reducing coyote activity with Foxlights, but interviews revealed that the potential adoption of tools had as much to do with their social acceptability and implementation feasibility as with evidence-based measurements of tool effectiveness. Interviewees viewed Foxlights as potentially effective components of husbandry systems, despite the data suggesting otherwise, demonstrating that scientific reductionism may lag behind producer practices of systems-thinking and that isolated demonstrations of a tool's ecological effectiveness do not drive tool adoption. Future empirical tests of non-lethal tools should better consider producers' perspectives and acknowledge that data-based tests of ecological effectiveness alone have a limited place in producer decision-making. Iteratively working with producers can build trust in scientific outputs through the research process itself.
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11
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Suraci JP, Gaynor KM, Allen ML, Alexander P, Brashares JS, Cendejas-Zarelli S, Crooks K, Elbroch LM, Forrester T, Green AM, Haight J, Harris NC, Hebblewhite M, Isbell F, Johnston B, Kays R, Lendrum PE, Lewis JS, McInturff A, McShea W, Murphy TW, Palmer MS, Parsons A, Parsons MA, Pendergast ME, Pekins C, Prugh LR, Sager-Fradkin KA, Schuttler S, Şekercioğlu ÇH, Shepherd B, Whipple L, Whittington J, Wittemyer G, Wilmers CC. Disturbance type and species life history predict mammal responses to humans. Glob Chang Biol 2021; 27:3718-3731. [PMID: 33887083 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Human activity and land use change impact every landscape on Earth, driving declines in many animal species while benefiting others. Species ecological and life history traits may predict success in human-dominated landscapes such that only species with "winning" combinations of traits will persist in disturbed environments. However, this link between species traits and successful coexistence with humans remains obscured by the complexity of anthropogenic disturbances and variability among study systems. We compiled detection data for 24 mammal species from 61 populations across North America to quantify the effects of (1) the direct presence of people and (2) the human footprint (landscape modification) on mammal occurrence and activity levels. Thirty-three percent of mammal species exhibited a net negative response (i.e., reduced occurrence or activity) to increasing human presence and/or footprint across populations, whereas 58% of species were positively associated with increasing disturbance. However, apparent benefits of human presence and footprint tended to decrease or disappear at higher disturbance levels, indicative of thresholds in mammal species' capacity to tolerate disturbance or exploit human-dominated landscapes. Species ecological and life history traits were strong predictors of their responses to human footprint, with increasing footprint favoring smaller, less carnivorous, faster-reproducing species. The positive and negative effects of human presence were distributed more randomly with respect to species trait values, with apparent winners and losers across a range of body sizes and dietary guilds. Differential responses by some species to human presence and human footprint highlight the importance of considering these two forms of human disturbance separately when estimating anthropogenic impacts on wildlife. Our approach provides insights into the complex mechanisms through which human activities shape mammal communities globally, revealing the drivers of the loss of larger predators in human-modified landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin P Suraci
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Kaitlyn M Gaynor
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Maximilian L Allen
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, USA
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | | | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Kevin Crooks
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | | | - Austin M Green
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Jeffrey Haight
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Nyeema C Harris
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Science, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Forest Isbell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | | | - Roland Kays
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Patrick E Lendrum
- World Wildlife Fund, Northern Great Plains Program, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Jesse S Lewis
- College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ, USA
| | | | - William McShea
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | | | - Meredith S Palmer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Arielle Parsons
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Charles Pekins
- Fort Hood Natural Resources Management Branch, United States Army Garrison, Fort Hood, TX, USA
| | - Laura R Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Çağan H Şekercioğlu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | - Laura Whipple
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | | | - George Wittemyer
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Christopher C Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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12
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Wilkinson CE, Brashares JS, Bett AC, Kelly M. Examining Drivers of Divergence in Recorded and Perceived Human-Carnivore Conflict Hotspots by Integrating Participatory and Ecological Data. Front Conserv Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2021.681769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-carnivore conflict is a global challenge with complex and context-specific causes and consequences. While spatial analyses can use ecological principles to predict patterns of conflict, solutions to mitigate conflict must also be locally adaptable, sustainable, and culturally-sensitive. In Nakuru County, Kenya, rapid development and land subdivision have exacerbated conflict by isolating wildlife in protected areas that are increasingly adjacent to human settlements. In an effort to understand local perspectives on carnivore conflict, and to apply this information toward locally-based conservations actions, we conducted gender-stratified interviews and participatory mapping sessions with 378 people in 16 villages near two ecologically isolated protected areas in Kenya: Lake Nakuru National Park and Soysambu Conservancy. Specifically, we developed a method for associating interview responses and demographic information with spatial participatory data to examine how local perceptions of conflict compared to spatially-explicit records of livestock depredation in the region from 2010 to 2018. We mapped kernel densities of recorded and perceived risk of human-carnivore conflict and then tested for potential social and ecological predictors of divergences found between the two datasets. Mismatched hotspots of observed and perceived risk of conflict were correlated with several ecological and socioeconomic factors. Regions with higher NDVI exhibited more perceived conflict, while the opposite held true for verified conflict. Road density was positively correlated with both types of conflict, and both types of conflict increased closer to protected areas. Livestock ownership, visitation to Lake Nakuru National Park, if the participant's child walked to school, and male gender identity were associated with more perceived conflict reports. Education level and national park visitation were associated with more positive attitudes toward carnivores. Our results show that while observed and perceived conflict may ultimately be equally important for understanding and managing human-carnivore conflict, they may be driven by markedly different social and ecological processes. We suggest that integrating the spatially explicit experiences and perspectives of local communities with more traditional ecological methods is critical to identifying lasting and socially just forms of conflict mitigation.
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McInturff A, Miller JRB, Gaynor KM, Brashares JS. Patterns of coyote predation on sheep in California: A socio‐ecological approach to mapping risk of livestock–predator conflict. Conservat Sci and Prac 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alex McInturff
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley California
| | - Jennifer R. B. Miller
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley California
- Center for Conservation Innovation, Defenders of Wildlife Washington District of Columbia
| | - Kaitlyn M. Gaynor
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley California
| | - Justin S. Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley California
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Gaynor KM, Brashares JS, Gregory GH, Kurz DJ, Seto KL, Withey LS, Fiorella KJ. Anticipating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on wildlife. Front Ecol Environ 2020; 18:542-543. [PMID: 33362436 PMCID: PMC7753333 DOI: 10.1002/fee.2275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn M Gaynor
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and SynthesisUniversity of California (UC)–Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCA
| | - Justin S Brashares
- Deparment of Environmental SciencePolicy, and Management, UC–BerkeleyBerkeleyCA
| | | | - David J Kurz
- Deparment of Environmental SciencePolicy, and Management, UC–BerkeleyBerkeleyCA
| | | | - Lauren S Withey
- Deparment of Environmental SciencePolicy, and Management, UC–BerkeleyBerkeleyCA
| | - Kathryn J Fiorella
- Department of Population Medicine & Diagnostic Sciences & MPH ProgramCornell UniversityIthacaNY
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Abstract
Abstract
Investigations of the links between human infrastructure and ecological change have provided eye-opening insights into humanity's environmental impacts and contributed to global environmental policies. Fences are globally ubiquitous, yet they are often omitted from discussions of anthropogenic impacts. In the present article, we address this gap through a systematic literature review on the ecological effects of fences. Our overview provides five major takeaways: 1) an operational definition of fencing to structure future research, 2) an estimate of fence densities in the western United States to emphasize the challenges of accounting for fences in human-footprint mapping, 3) a framework exhibiting the ecological winners and losers that fences produce, 4) a typology of fence effects across ecological scales to guide research, and 5) a summary of research trends and biases that suggest that fence effects have been underestimated. Through highlighting past research and offering frameworks for the future, we aim with this work to formalize the nascent field of fence ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley
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16
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Wilkinson CE, McInturff A, Miller JRB, Yovovich V, Gaynor KM, Calhoun K, Karandikar H, Martin JV, Parker-Shames P, Shawler A, Van Scoyoc A, Brashares JS. An ecological framework for contextualizing carnivore-livestock conflict. Conserv Biol 2020; 34:854-867. [PMID: 32406970 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Carnivore predation on livestock is a complex management and policy challenge, yet it is also intrinsically an ecological interaction between predators and prey. Human-wildlife interactions occur in socioecological systems in which human and environmental processes are closely linked. However, underlying human-wildlife conflict and key to unpacking its complexity are concrete and identifiable ecological mechanisms that lead to predation events. To better understand how ecological theory accords with interactions between wild predators and domestic prey, we developed a framework to describe ecological drivers of predation on livestock. We based this framework on foundational ecological theory and current research on interactions between predators and domestic prey. We used this framework to examine ecological mechanisms (e.g., density-mediated effects, behaviorally mediated effects, and optimal foraging theory) through which specific management interventions operate, and we analyzed the ecological determinants of failure and success of management interventions in 3 case studies: snow leopards (Panthera uncia), wolves (Canis lupus), and cougars (Puma concolor). The varied, context-dependent successes and failures of the management interventions in these case studies demonstrated the utility of using an ecological framework to ground research and management of carnivore-livestock conflict. Mitigation of human-wildlife conflict appears to require an understanding of how fundamental ecological theories work within domestic predator-prey systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine E Wilkinson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Alex McInturff
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Jennifer R B Miller
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
- Defenders of Wildlife, 1130 17th St. NW, Washington DC, 20036, U.S.A
| | - Veronica Yovovich
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Kaitlyn M Gaynor
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Kendall Calhoun
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Harshad Karandikar
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Jeff Vance Martin
- Department of Geography, University of California, 505 McCone Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Phoebe Parker-Shames
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Avery Shawler
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Amy Van Scoyoc
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
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17
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Chung EO, Mattah B, Hickey MD, Salmen CR, Milner EM, Bukusi EA, Brashares JS, Young SL, Fernald LCH, Fiorella KJ. Characteristics of Pica Behavior among Mothers around Lake Victoria, Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019; 16:E2510. [PMID: 31337101 PMCID: PMC6679355 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16142510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: Pica, the craving and purposeful consumption of nonfoods, is poorly understood. We described the prevalence of pica among women on Mfangano Island, Kenya, and examined sociodemographic and health correlates. Methods: Our cross-sectional study included 299 pregnant or postpartum women in 2012. We used a 24-h recall to assess pica, defined as consumption of earth (geophagy), charcoal/ash, or raw starches (amylophagy) and built multivariable logistic regression models to examine sociodemographic and health correlates of pica. Results: Eighty-one women (27.1%) engaged in pica in the previous 24 h, with 59.3% reporting amylophagy and 56.8% reporting geophagy, charcoal, and/or ash consumption. The most common substances consumed were raw cassava (n = 30, 36.6%), odowa, a chalky, soft rock-like earth (n = 21, 25.6%), and soil (n = 17, 20.7%). Geophagy, charcoal, and/or ash consumption was negatively associated with breastfeeding (OR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.18-0.81), and amylophagy was associated with pregnancy (OR = 4.31, 95% CI: 1.24-14.96). Pica was more common within one of six study regions (OR = 3.64, 95% CI: 1.39-9.51). We found no evidence of an association between food insecurity and pica. Conclusion: Pica was a common behavior among women, and the prevalence underscores the need to uncover its dietary, environmental, and cultural etiologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther O Chung
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, McGavran-Greenberg Hall, CB #7435, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7435, USA.
| | - Brian Mattah
- Ekialo Kiona Research Dept, Organic Health Response, Mbita, P.O. Box 224-40305, Kenya
| | - Matthew D Hickey
- Division of HIV, Infectious Disease, and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, UCSF, 1001 Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
| | - Charles R Salmen
- Ekialo Kiona Research Dept, Organic Health Response, Mbita, P.O. Box 224-40305, Kenya
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota, 5516 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Erin M Milner
- Bureau for Global Health, USAID, Washington, DC 20001, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Bukusi
- Centre for Microbiology Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Hospital Road, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
| | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Sera L Young
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, 1810 Hinman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Lia C H Fernald
- Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, 2121 Berkeley Way, Room 5302, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360, USA
| | - Kathryn J Fiorella
- Master of Public Health Program, Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, S2-004 Shurman Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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18
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Rich LN, Furnas BJ, Newton DS, Brashares JS. Acoustic and camera surveys inform models of current and future vertebrate distributions in a changing desert ecosystem. DIVERS DISTRIB 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey N. Rich
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California‐Berkeley Berkeley California
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife Wildlife Branch Sacramento California
| | - Brett J. Furnas
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife Wildlife Investigations Laboratory Rancho Cordova California
| | - D. Scott Newton
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife Wildlife Branch Sacramento California
| | - Justin S. Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California‐Berkeley Berkeley California
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19
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey N. Rich
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUniversity of California‐ Berkeley130 Mulford Hall 3114BerkeleyCA94720USA
| | - Steven R. Beissinger
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUniversity of California‐ Berkeley130 Mulford Hall 3114BerkeleyCA94720USA
| | - Justin S. Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUniversity of California‐ Berkeley130 Mulford Hall 3114BerkeleyCA94720USA
| | - Brett J. Furnas
- Wildlife Investigations LaboratoryCalifornia Department of Fish and WildlifeRancho CordovaCA95670USA
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20
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua B. Grinath
- Inst. of Arctic and Alpine Research, Univ. of Colorado Boulder Boulder CO USA
- Dept of Biology, Middle Tennessee State Univ PO Box 60 Murfreesboro, TN 37132 USA
| | - Loralee Larios
- Dept of Botany and Plant Sciences, Univ. of California Riverside Riverside CA USA
| | - Laura R. Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Univ. of Washington Seattle WA USA
| | - Justin S. Brashares
- Dept of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, Univ. of California Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
| | - Katharine N. Suding
- Inst. of Arctic and Alpine Research, Univ. of Colorado Boulder Boulder CO USA
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Univ. of Colorado Boulder Boulder CO USA
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21
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Gaynor KM, Brown JS, Middleton AD, Power ME, Brashares JS. Landscapes of Fear: Spatial Patterns of Risk Perception and Response. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:355-368. [PMID: 30745252 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 218] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Animals experience varying levels of predation risk as they navigate heterogeneous landscapes, and behavioral responses to perceived risk can structure ecosystems. The concept of the landscape of fear has recently become central to describing this spatial variation in risk, perception, and response. We present a framework linking the landscape of fear, defined as spatial variation in prey perception of risk, to the underlying physical landscape and predation risk, and to resulting patterns of prey distribution and antipredator behavior. By disambiguating the mechanisms through which prey perceive risk and incorporate fear into decision making, we can better quantify the nonlinear relationship between risk and response and evaluate the relative importance of the landscape of fear across taxa and ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn M Gaynor
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. https://twitter.com/@kaitlyngaynor%20
| | - Joel S Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 West Taylor Street (MC 066), Chicago, IL 60607, USA; Department of Integrated Mathematical Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Dr., Tampa, FL 33612, USA; These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Arthur D Middleton
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Mary E Power
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, 3060 Valley Life Sciences Building #3140, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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22
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Gaynor KM, Hojnowski CE, Carter NH, Brashares JS. The influence of human disturbance on wildlife nocturnality. Science 2018; 360:1232-1235. [PMID: 29903973 DOI: 10.1126/science.aar7121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 441] [Impact Index Per Article: 73.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Rapid expansion of human activity has driven well-documented shifts in the spatial distribution of wildlife, but the cumulative effect of human disturbance on the temporal dynamics of animals has not been quantified. We examined anthropogenic effects on mammal diel activity patterns, conducting a meta-analysis of 76 studies of 62 species from six continents. Our global study revealed a strong effect of humans on daily patterns of wildlife activity. Animals increased their nocturnality by an average factor of 1.36 in response to human disturbance. This finding was consistent across continents, habitats, taxa, and human activities. As the global human footprint expands, temporal avoidance of humans may facilitate human-wildlife coexistence. However, such responses can result in marked shifts away from natural patterns of activity, with consequences for fitness, population persistence, community interactions, and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn M Gaynor
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Cheryl E Hojnowski
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Neil H Carter
- Human-Environment Systems Research Center, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA
| | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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23
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Stears K, McCauley DJ, Finlay JC, Mpemba J, Warrington IT, Mutayoba BM, Power ME, Dawson TE, Brashares JS. Effects of the hippopotamus on the chemistry and ecology of a changing watershed. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E5028-E5037. [PMID: 29760056 PMCID: PMC5984519 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1800407115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cross-boundary transfers of nutrients can profoundly shape the ecology of recipient systems. The common hippopotamus, Hippopotamus amphibius, is a significant vector of such subsidies from terrestrial to river ecosystems. We compared river pools with high and low densities of H. amphibius to determine how H. amphibius subsidies shape the chemistry and ecology of aquatic communities. Our study watershed, like many in sub-Saharan Africa, has been severely impacted by anthropogenic water abstraction reducing dry-season flow to zero. We conducted observations for multiple years over wet and dry seasons to identify how hydrological variability influences the impacts of H. amphibius During the wet season, when the river was flowing, we detected no differences in water chemistry and nutrient parameters between pools with high and low densities of H. amphibius Likewise, the diversity and abundance of fish and aquatic insect communities were indistinguishable. During the dry season, however, high-density H. amphibius pools differed drastically in almost all measured attributes of water chemistry and exhibited depressed fish and insect diversity and fish abundance compared with low-density H. amphibius pools. Scaled up to the entire watershed, we estimate that H. amphibius in this hydrologically altered watershed reduces dry-season fish abundance and indices of gamma-level diversity by 41% and 16%, respectively, but appears to promote aquatic invertebrate diversity. Widespread human-driven shifts in hydrology appear to redefine the role of H. amphibius, altering their influence on ecosystem diversity and functioning in a fashion that may be more severe than presently appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keenan Stears
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106;
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
| | - Douglas J McCauley
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
| | - Jacques C Finlay
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108
| | - James Mpemba
- Department of Biochemistry, St. Francis University College of Health and Allied Sciences, Ifakara, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Ian T Warrington
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Benezeth M Mutayoba
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, Biochemistry, and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Mary E Power
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Todd E Dawson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
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24
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Abrahms B, Hazen EL, Bograd SJ, Brashares JS, Robinson PW, Scales KL, Crocker DE, Costa DP. Climate mediates the success of migration strategies in a marine predator. Ecol Lett 2017; 21:63-71. [PMID: 29096419 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [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: 05/18/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Individual behavioural specialisation has far-reaching effects on fitness and population persistence. Theory predicts that unconditional site fidelity, that is fidelity to a site independent of past outcome, provides a fitness advantage in unpredictable environments. However, the benefits of alternative site fidelity strategies driving intraspecific variation remain poorly understood and have not been evaluated in different environmental contexts. We show that contrary to expectation, strong and weak site fidelity strategies in migratory northern elephant seals performed similarly over 10 years, but the success of each strategy varied interannually and was strongly mediated by climate conditions. Strong fidelity facilitated stable energetic rewards and low risk, while weak fidelity facilitated high rewards and high risk. Weak fidelity outperformed strong fidelity in anomalous climate conditions, suggesting that the evolutionary benefits of site fidelity may be upended by increasing environmental variability. We highlight how individual behavioural specialisation may modulate the adaptive capacity of species to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana Abrahms
- NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Environmental Research Division, 99 Pacific St. #255A, Monterey, CA, 93940, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 115 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Elliott L Hazen
- NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Environmental Research Division, 99 Pacific St. #255A, Monterey, CA, 93940, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 115 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Steven J Bograd
- NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Environmental Research Division, 99 Pacific St. #255A, Monterey, CA, 93940, USA
| | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Patrick W Robinson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 115 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Kylie L Scales
- University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Qld, Australia
| | - Daniel E Crocker
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, 1801 East Cotati Avenue, Rohnert Park, CA, 94928, USA
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 115 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
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25
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Kaitlyn M Gaynor
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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26
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Abrahms B, Seidel DP, Dougherty E, Hazen EL, Bograd SJ, Wilson AM, Weldon McNutt J, Costa DP, Blake S, Brashares JS, Getz WM. Suite of simple metrics reveals common movement syndromes across vertebrate taxa. Mov Ecol 2017; 5:12. [PMID: 28580149 PMCID: PMC5452391 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-017-0104-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Because empirical studies of animal movement are most-often site- and species-specific, we lack understanding of the level of consistency in movement patterns across diverse taxa, as well as a framework for quantitatively classifying movement patterns. We aim to address this gap by determining the extent to which statistical signatures of animal movement patterns recur across ecological systems. We assessed a suite of movement metrics derived from GPS trajectories of thirteen marine and terrestrial vertebrate species spanning three taxonomic classes, orders of magnitude in body size, and modes of movement (swimming, flying, walking). Using these metrics, we performed a principal components analysis and cluster analysis to determine if individuals organized into statistically distinct clusters. Finally, to identify and interpret commonalities within clusters, we compared them to computer-simulated idealized movement syndromes representing suites of correlated movement traits observed across taxa (migration, nomadism, territoriality, and central place foraging). RESULTS Two principal components explained 70% of the variance among the movement metrics we evaluated across the thirteen species, and were used for the cluster analysis. The resulting analysis revealed four statistically distinct clusters. All simulated individuals of each idealized movement syndrome organized into separate clusters, suggesting that the four clusters are explained by common movement syndrome. CONCLUSIONS Our results offer early indication of widespread recurrent patterns in movement ecology that have consistent statistical signatures, regardless of taxon, body size, mode of movement, or environment. We further show that a simple set of metrics can be used to classify broad-scale movement patterns in disparate vertebrate taxa. Our comparative approach provides a general framework for quantifying and classifying animal movements, and facilitates new inquiries into relationships between movement syndromes and other ecological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana Abrahms
- NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Environmental Research Division, 99 Pacific Street, Monterey, CA 93940 USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA
| | - Dana P. Seidel
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Eric Dougherty
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Elliott L. Hazen
- NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Environmental Research Division, 99 Pacific Street, Monterey, CA 93940 USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA
| | - Steven J. Bograd
- NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Environmental Research Division, 99 Pacific Street, Monterey, CA 93940 USA
| | - Alan M. Wilson
- Structure & Motion Lab, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK
| | | | - Daniel P. Costa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA
| | - Stephen Blake
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Justin S. Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Wayne M. Getz
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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Fiorella KJ, Milner EM, Salmen CR, Hickey MD, Omollo DO, Odhiambo A, Mattah B, Bukusi EA, Fernald LCH, Brashares JS. Human health alters the sustainability of fishing practices in East Africa. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:4171-4176. [PMID: 28377522 PMCID: PMC5402454 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1613260114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding feedbacks between human and environmental health is critical for the millions who cope with recurrent illness and rely directly on natural resources for sustenance. Although studies have examined how environmental degradation exacerbates infectious disease, the effects of human health on our use of the environment remains unexplored. Human illness is often tacitly assumed to reduce human impacts on the environment. By this logic, ill people reduce the time and effort that they put into extractive livelihoods and, thereby, their impact on natural resources. We followed 303 households living on Lake Victoria, Kenya over four time points to examine how illness influenced fishing. Using fixed effect conditional logit models to control for individual-level and time-invariant factors, we analyzed the effect of illness on fishing effort and methods. Illness among individuals who listed fishing as their primary occupation affected their participation in fishing. However, among active fishers, we found limited evidence that illness reduced fishing effort. Instead, ill fishers shifted their fishing methods. When ill, fishers were more likely to use methods that were illegal, destructive, and concentrated in inshore areas but required less travel and energy. Ill fishers were also less likely to fish using legal methods that are physically demanding, require travel to deep waters, and are considered more sustainable. By altering the physical capacity and outlook of fishers, human illness shifted their effort, their engagement with natural resources, and the sustainability of their actions. These findings show a previously unexplored pathway through which poor human health may negatively impact the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn J Fiorella
- Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853;
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Erin M Milner
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Charles R Salmen
- North Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55411
| | - Matthew D Hickey
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94110
| | - Dan O Omollo
- Research Department, Organic Health Response, Mfangano Island, Kenya
| | - Abdi Odhiambo
- Research Department, Organic Health Response, Mfangano Island, Kenya
| | - Brian Mattah
- Research Department, Organic Health Response, Mfangano Island, Kenya
| | - Elizabeth A Bukusi
- Centre for Microbiology Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Lia C H Fernald
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
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28
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Deguines N, Brashares JS, Prugh LR. Precipitation alters interactions in a grassland ecological community. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:262-272. [PMID: 27889916 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [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: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is transforming precipitation regimes world-wide. Changes in precipitation regimes are known to have powerful effects on plant productivity, but the consequences of these shifts for the dynamics of ecological communities are poorly understood. This knowledge gap hinders our ability to anticipate and mitigate the impacts of climate change on biodiversity. Precipitation may affect fauna through direct effects on physiology, behaviour or demography, through plant-mediated indirect effects, or by modifying interactions among species. In this paper, we examined the response of a semi-arid ecological community to a fivefold change in precipitation over 7 years. We examined the effects of precipitation on the dynamics of a grassland ecosystem in central California from 2007 to 2013. We conducted vegetation surveys, pitfall trapping of invertebrates, visual surveys of lizards and capture-mark-recapture surveys of rodents on 30 plots each year. We used structural equation modelling to evaluate the direct, indirect and modifying effects of precipitation on plants, ants, beetles, orthopterans, kangaroo rats, ground squirrels and lizards. We found pervasive effects of precipitation on the ecological community. Although precipitation increased plant biomass, direct effects on fauna were often stronger than plant-mediated effects. In addition, precipitation altered the sign or strength of consumer-resource and facilitative interactions among the faunal community such that negative or neutral interactions became positive or vice versa with increasing precipitation. These findings indicate that precipitation influences ecological communities in multiple ways beyond its recognized effects on primary productivity. Stochastic variation in precipitation may weaken the average strength of biotic interactions over time, thereby increasing ecosystem stability and resilience to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Deguines
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Winkenwerder Hall, W Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.,Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, Mulford Hall, Hilgard Way, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, Mulford Hall, Hilgard Way, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Laura R Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Winkenwerder Hall, W Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
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29
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Abrahms B, Seidel DP, Dougherty E, Hazen EL, Bograd SJ, Wilson AM, Weldon McNutt J, Costa DP, Blake S, Brashares JS, Getz WM. Suite of simple metrics reveals common movement syndromes across vertebrate taxa. Mov Ecol 2017. [PMID: 28580149 DOI: 10.5441/001/1.hm5nk220] [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] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Because empirical studies of animal movement are most-often site- and species-specific, we lack understanding of the level of consistency in movement patterns across diverse taxa, as well as a framework for quantitatively classifying movement patterns. We aim to address this gap by determining the extent to which statistical signatures of animal movement patterns recur across ecological systems. We assessed a suite of movement metrics derived from GPS trajectories of thirteen marine and terrestrial vertebrate species spanning three taxonomic classes, orders of magnitude in body size, and modes of movement (swimming, flying, walking). Using these metrics, we performed a principal components analysis and cluster analysis to determine if individuals organized into statistically distinct clusters. Finally, to identify and interpret commonalities within clusters, we compared them to computer-simulated idealized movement syndromes representing suites of correlated movement traits observed across taxa (migration, nomadism, territoriality, and central place foraging). RESULTS Two principal components explained 70% of the variance among the movement metrics we evaluated across the thirteen species, and were used for the cluster analysis. The resulting analysis revealed four statistically distinct clusters. All simulated individuals of each idealized movement syndrome organized into separate clusters, suggesting that the four clusters are explained by common movement syndrome. CONCLUSIONS Our results offer early indication of widespread recurrent patterns in movement ecology that have consistent statistical signatures, regardless of taxon, body size, mode of movement, or environment. We further show that a simple set of metrics can be used to classify broad-scale movement patterns in disparate vertebrate taxa. Our comparative approach provides a general framework for quantifying and classifying animal movements, and facilitates new inquiries into relationships between movement syndromes and other ecological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana Abrahms
- NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Environmental Research Division, 99 Pacific Street, Monterey, CA 93940 USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA
| | - Dana P Seidel
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Eric Dougherty
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Elliott L Hazen
- NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Environmental Research Division, 99 Pacific Street, Monterey, CA 93940 USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA
| | - Steven J Bograd
- NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Environmental Research Division, 99 Pacific Street, Monterey, CA 93940 USA
| | - Alan M Wilson
- Structure & Motion Lab, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK
| | | | - Daniel P Costa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA
| | - Stephen Blake
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Wayne M Getz
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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30
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Abrahms B, Sawyer SC, Jordan NR, McNutt JW, Wilson AM, Brashares JS. Does wildlife resource selection accurately inform corridor conservation? J Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Briana Abrahms
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California‐Berkeley 130 Mulford Hall #3114 Berkeley CA 94720 USA
| | - Sarah C. Sawyer
- USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region 1323 Club Drive Vallejo CA 94592 USA
| | - Neil R. Jordan
- Centre for Ecosystem Science School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney NSW 2052 Australia
- Taronga Conservation Society Australia Taronga Western Plains Zoo Wildlife Reproduction Centre Obley Road Dubbo NSW 2830 Australia
- Botswana Predator Conservation Trust Private Bag 13 Maun Botswana
| | - J. Weldon McNutt
- Botswana Predator Conservation Trust Private Bag 13 Maun Botswana
| | - Alan M. Wilson
- Structure & Motion Lab Royal Veterinary College University of London Hatfield AL97TA UK
| | - Justin S. Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California‐Berkeley 130 Mulford Hall #3114 Berkeley CA 94720 USA
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31
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Taylor RA, Ryan SJ, Brashares JS, Johnson LR. Hunting, food subsidies, and mesopredator release: the dynamics of crop‐raiding baboons in a managed landscape. Ecology 2016; 97:951-60. [DOI: 10.1890/15-0885.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A. Taylor
- Integrative Biology University of South Florida Tampa Florida 33620 USA
| | - Sadie J. Ryan
- Geography and Emerging Pathogens Institute University of Florida Gainesville Florida 32611 USA
| | - Justin S. Brashares
- Environmental Science, Policy and Management UC Berkeley Berkeley California 94720 USA
| | - Leah R. Johnson
- Integrative Biology University of South Florida Tampa Florida 33620 USA
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32
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McCauley DJ, Dawson TE, Power ME, Finlay JC, Ogada M, Gower DB, Caylor K, Nyingi WD, Githaiga JM, Nyunja J, Joyce FH, Lewison RL, Brashares JS. Carbon stable isotopes suggest that hippopotamus‐vectored nutrients subsidize aquatic consumers in an East African river. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es14-00514.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas J. McCauley
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 USA
| | - Todd E. Dawson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 USA
| | - Mary E. Power
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 USA
| | - Jacques C. Finlay
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108 USA
| | - Mordecai Ogada
- Conservation Solutions Afrika, P.O. Box 880, Nanyuki 10400 Kenya
| | - Drew B. Gower
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 USA
| | - Kelly Caylor
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 USA
| | - Wanja D. Nyingi
- National Museums of Kenya, Ichthyology Section, P.O. Box 40658-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - John M. Githaiga
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Judith Nyunja
- Kenya Wildlife Service, Wetlands Program, P.O. Box 40241-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Francis H. Joyce
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 USA
| | - Rebecca L. Lewison
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182-4614 USA
| | - Justin S. Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 USA
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33
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Withey L, Seto K, McCauley DJ, Fiorella KJ, Marsh RA, Abrahms B, Nuñez TA, Golden CD, Brashares JS. Fauna in decline--response. Science 2014; 346:819-20. [PMID: 25395527 DOI: 10.1126/science.346.6211.819-c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Withey
- ESPM, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | | | | | | | - Ryan A Marsh
- ESPM, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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34
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Fiorella KJ, Hickey MD, Salmen CR, Nagata JM, Mattah B, Magerenge R, Cohen CR, Bukusi EA, Brashares JS, Fernald LH. Fishing for Food? Analyzing links between fishing livelihoods and food security around Lake Victoria, Kenya. Food Secur 2014; 6:851-860. [PMID: 33897914 DOI: 10.1007/s12571-014-0393-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Food-producing livelihoods have the potential to improve food security and nutrition through direct consumption or indirectly through income. To better understand these pathways, we examined if fishing households ate more fish and had higher food security than non-fishing households around Lake Victoria, Kenya. In 2010, we randomly sampled 111 households containing 583 individuals for a cross-sectional household survey in a rural fishing community. We modeled the associations between fish consumption and food security and fishing household status, as well as socio-economic variables (asset index, monthly income, household size) for all households and also for a subset of households with adult male household members (76% of households). Participating in fishing as a livelihood was not associated with household fish consumption or food security. Higher household fish consumption was associated with higher household income and food security, and was weakly associated with lower household morbidity. Household food security was associated with higher incomes and asset index scores. Our results suggest socioeconomic factors may be more important than participation in food-producing livelihoods for predicting household consumption of high quality foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn J Fiorella
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California-Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, California, USA, 94720
- The Ekialo Kiona Research Department, Organic Health Response, PO Box 224-40305, Mbita, Kenya
| | - Matthew D Hickey
- The Ekialo Kiona Research Department, Organic Health Response, PO Box 224-40305, Mbita, Kenya
- Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 50 Beale Street, San Francisco, California, USA, 94105
| | - Charles R Salmen
- The Ekialo Kiona Research Department, Organic Health Response, PO Box 224-40305, Mbita, Kenya
- Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 50 Beale Street, San Francisco, California, USA, 94105
| | - Jason M Nagata
- The Ekialo Kiona Research Department, Organic Health Response, PO Box 224-40305, Mbita, Kenya
- Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 50 Beale Street, San Francisco, California, USA, 94105
| | - Brian Mattah
- The Ekialo Kiona Research Department, Organic Health Response, PO Box 224-40305, Mbita, Kenya
| | - Richard Magerenge
- The Ekialo Kiona Research Department, Organic Health Response, PO Box 224-40305, Mbita, Kenya
| | - Craig R Cohen
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California-San Francisco, 50 Beale Street, San Francisco, California, USA, 94105
- Family AIDS Care & Education Services (FACES), Center for Microbiology Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Box 19464, Nairobi, Kenya, 00202
| | - Elizabeth A Bukusi
- Family AIDS Care & Education Services (FACES), Center for Microbiology Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Box 19464, Nairobi, Kenya, 00202
| | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California-Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, California, USA, 94720
| | - Lia H Fernald
- School of Public Health, University of California-Berkeley, 50 University Hall, Berkeley, California, USA, 94720
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35
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Bean WT, Stafford R, Butterfield HS, Brashares JS. A multi-scale distribution model for non-equilibrium populations suggests resource limitation in an endangered rodent. PLoS One 2014; 9:e106638. [PMID: 25237807 PMCID: PMC4169526 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 08/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Species distributions are known to be limited by biotic and abiotic factors at multiple temporal and spatial scales. Species distribution models, however, frequently assume a population at equilibrium in both time and space. Studies of habitat selection have repeatedly shown the difficulty of estimating resource selection if the scale or extent of analysis is incorrect. Here, we present a multi-step approach to estimate the realized and potential distribution of the endangered giant kangaroo rat. First, we estimate the potential distribution by modeling suitability at a range-wide scale using static bioclimatic variables. We then examine annual changes in extent at a population-level. We define "available" habitat based on the total suitable potential distribution at the range-wide scale. Then, within the available habitat, model changes in population extent driven by multiple measures of resource availability. By modeling distributions for a population with robust estimates of population extent through time, and ecologically relevant predictor variables, we improved the predictive ability of SDMs, as well as revealed an unanticipated relationship between population extent and precipitation at multiple scales. At a range-wide scale, the best model indicated the giant kangaroo rat was limited to areas that received little to no precipitation in the summer months. In contrast, the best model for shorter time scales showed a positive relation with resource abundance, driven by precipitation, in the current and previous year. These results suggest that the distribution of the giant kangaroo rat was limited to the wettest parts of the drier areas within the study region. This multi-step approach reinforces the differing relationship species may have with environmental variables at different scales, provides a novel method for defining "available" habitat in habitat selection studies, and suggests a way to create distribution models at spatial and temporal scales relevant to theoretical and applied ecologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- William T. Bean
- Humboldt State University, Arcata, California, United States of America
| | - Robert Stafford
- California Department of Fish and Game, Los Osos, California, United States of America
| | | | - Justin S. Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
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36
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Brashares JS, Abrahms B, Fiorella KJ, Golden CD, Hojnowski CE, Marsh RA, McCauley DJ, Nuñez TA, Seto K, Withey L. Wildlife decline and social conflict. Science 2014; 345:376-8. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1256734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Justin S. Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Briana Abrahms
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kathryn J. Fiorella
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Christopher D. Golden
- Wildlife Health & Health Policy, Health and Ecosystems: Analysis of Linkages (HEAL) Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
| | - Cheryl E. Hojnowski
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ryan A. Marsh
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Douglas J. McCauley
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Tristan A. Nuñez
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Katherine Seto
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Lauren Withey
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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37
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Bean WT, Prugh LR, Stafford R, Butterfield HS, Westphal M, Brashares JS. Species distribution models of an endangered rodent offer conflicting measures of habitat quality at multiple scales. J Appl Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura R. Prugh
- Biology and Wildlife Department; University of Alaska - Fairbanks; Fairbanks AK 99775 USA
| | | | | | - Michael Westphal
- Bureau of Land Management; Hollister Field Office; 20 Hamilton Court Hollister CA 95023 USA
| | - Justin S. Brashares
- Environmental Science, Policy, and Management; University of California; 130 Mulford Hall Berkeley CA 94720 USA
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38
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Endicott RL, Prugh LR, Brashares JS. Surplus-killing by endangered San Joaquin kit foxes ( Vulpes macrotis mutica) is linked to a local population decline of endangered giant kangaroo rats ( Dipodomys ingens). SOUTHWEST NAT 2014. [DOI: 10.1894/n01-jkf-39.1] [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: 11/20/2022]
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39
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Danielsen F, Jensen PM, Burgess ND, Altamirano R, Alviola PA, Andrianandrasana H, Brashares JS, Burton AC, Coronado I, Corpuz N, Enghoff M, Fjeldså J, Funder M, Holt S, Hübertz H, Jensen AE, Lewis R, Massao J, Mendoza MM, Ngaga Y, Pipper CB, Poulsen MK, Rueda RM, Sam MK, Skielboe T, Sørensen M, Young R. A Multicountry Assessment of Tropical Resource Monitoring by Local Communities. Bioscience 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biu001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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40
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Golden CD, Bonds MH, Brashares JS, Rasolofoniaina BJR, Kremen C. Economic valuation of subsistence harvest of wildlife in Madagascar. Conserv Biol 2014; 28:234-243. [PMID: 24405165 PMCID: PMC4151980 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2012] [Accepted: 05/27/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife consumption can be viewed as an ecosystem provisioning service (the production of a material good through ecological functioning) because of wildlife's ability to persist under sustainable levels of harvest. We used the case of wildlife harvest and consumption in northeastern Madagascar to identify the distribution of these services to local households and communities to further our understanding of local reliance on natural resources. We inferred these benefits from demand curves built with data on wildlife sales transactions. On average, the value of wildlife provisioning represented 57% of annual household cash income in local communities from the Makira Natural Park and Masoala National Park, and harvested areas produced an economic return of U.S.$0.42 ha(-1) · year(-1). Variability in value of harvested wildlife was high among communities and households with an approximate 2 orders of magnitude difference in the proportional value of wildlife to household income. The imputed price of harvested wildlife and its consumption were strongly associated (p< 0.001), and increases in price led to reduced harvest for consumption. Heightened monitoring and enforcement of hunting could increase the costs of harvesting and thus elevate the price and reduce consumption of wildlife. Increased enforcement would therefore be beneficial to biodiversity conservation but could limit local people's food supply. Specifically, our results provide an estimate of the cost of offsetting economic losses to local populations from the enforcement of conservation policies. By explicitly estimating the welfare effects of consumed wildlife, our results may inform targeted interventions by public health and development specialists as they allocate sparse funds to support regions, households, or individuals most vulnerable to changes in access to wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Golden
- Department of Environmental Science, University of California, Berkeley, Policy and Management, 130 Mulford Hall #3114 Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A.; MAHERY (Madagascar Health and Environmental Research), Lot Z1-056 Ankiakandrefana, Maroantsetra, 512, Madagascar.
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41
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Estes JA, Brashares JS, Power ME. Predicting and Detecting Reciprocity between Indirect Ecological Interactions and Evolution. Am Nat 2013; 181 Suppl 1:S76-99. [DOI: 10.1086/668120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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42
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Sawyer SC, Brashares JS. Applying resource selection functions at multiple scales to prioritize habitat use by the endangered Cross River gorilla. DIVERS DISTRIB 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C. Sawyer
- USDA Forest Service; Pacific Southwest Region; Vallejo; CA; 94592; USA
| | - Justin S. Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management; University of California; Berkeley; CA; 94720; USA
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43
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Epps CW, Wasser SK, Keim JL, Mutayoba BM, Brashares JS. Quantifying past and present connectivity illuminates a rapidly changing landscape for the African elephant. Mol Ecol 2013; 22:1574-88. [PMID: 23398457 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2012] [Revised: 11/16/2012] [Accepted: 12/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
There is widespread concern about impacts of land-use change on connectivity among animal and plant populations, but those impacts are difficult to quantify. Moreover, lack of knowledge regarding ecosystems before fragmentation may obscure appropriate conservation targets. We use occurrence and population genetic data to contrast connectivity for a long-lived mega-herbivore over historical and contemporary time frames. We test whether (i) historical gene flow is predicted by persistent landscape features rather than human settlement, (ii) contemporary connectivity is most affected by human settlement and (iii) recent gene flow estimates show the effects of both factors. We used 16 microsatellite loci to estimate historical and recent gene flow among African elephant (Loxodonta africana) populations in seven protected areas in Tanzania, East Africa. We used historical gene flow (FST and G'ST ) to test and optimize models of historical landscape resistance to movement. We inferred contemporary landscape resistance from elephant resource selection, assessed via walking surveys across ~15 400 km(2) of protected and unprotected lands. We used assignment-based recent gene flow estimates to optimize and test the contemporary resistance model, and to test a combined historical and contemporary model. We detected striking changes in connectivity. Historical connectivity among elephant populations was strongly influenced by slope but not human settlement, whereas contemporary connectivity was influenced most by human settlement. Recent gene flow was strongly influenced by slope but was also correlated with contemporary resistance. Inferences across multiple timescales can better inform conservation efforts on large and complex landscapes, while mitigating the fundamental problem of shifting baselines in conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clinton W Epps
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Nash Hall Room 104, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA.
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44
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Weinbaum KZ, Brashares JS, Golden CD, Getz WM. Searching for sustainability: are assessments of wildlife harvests behind the times? Ecol Lett 2013; 16:99-111. [PMID: 23062121 PMCID: PMC3521087 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2012] [Revised: 05/15/2012] [Accepted: 08/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The unsustainable harvest of wildlife is a major threat to global biodiversity and to the millions of people who depend on wildlife for food and income. Past research has called attention to the fact that commonly used methods to evaluate the sustainability of wildlife hunting perform poorly, yet these methods remain in popular use today. Here, we conduct a systematic review of empirical sustainability assessments to quantify the use of sustainability indicators in the scientific literature and highlight associations between analytical methods and their outcomes. We find that indicator type, continent of study, species body mass, taxonomic group and socio-economic status of study site are important predictors of the probability of reported sustainability. The most common measures of sustainability include population growth models, the Robinson & Redford (1991) model and population trends through time. Indicators relying on population-specific biological data are most often used in North America and Europe, while cruder estimates are more often used in Africa, Latin America and Oceania. Our results highlight both the uncertainty and lack of uniformity in sustainability science. Given our urgent need to conserve both wildlife and the food security of rural peoples around the world, improvements in sustainability indicators are of utmost importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Z. Weinbaum
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-3112, USA
| | - Justin S. Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-3112, USA
| | - Christopher D. Golden
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-3112, USA
| | - Wayne M. Getz
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-3112, USA
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000, South Africa
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45
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Bean WT, Stafford R, Prugh LR, Scott Butterfield H, Brashares JS. An evaluation of monitoring methods for the endangered giant kangaroo rat. WILDLIFE SOC B 2012. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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46
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Burton AC, Sam MK, Balangtaa C, Brashares JS. Hierarchical multi-species modeling of carnivore responses to hunting, habitat and prey in a West African protected area. PLoS One 2012; 7:e38007. [PMID: 22666433 PMCID: PMC3364199 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0038007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2011] [Accepted: 05/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Protected areas (PAs) are a cornerstone of global efforts to shield wildlife from anthropogenic impacts, yet their effectiveness at protecting wide-ranging species prone to human conflict--notably mammalian carnivores--is increasingly in question. An understanding of carnivore responses to human-induced and natural changes in and around PAs is critical not only to the conservation of threatened carnivore populations, but also to the effective protection of ecosystems in which they play key functional roles. However, an important challenge to assessing carnivore communities is the often infrequent and imperfect nature of survey detections. We applied a novel hierarchical multi-species occupancy model that accounted for detectability and spatial autocorrelation to data from 224 camera trap stations (sampled between October 2006 and January 2009) in order to test hypotheses about extrinsic influences on carnivore community dynamics in a West African protected area (Mole National Park, Ghana). We developed spatially explicit indices of illegal hunting activity, law enforcement patrol effort, prey biomass, and habitat productivity across the park, and used a Bayesian model selection framework to identify predictors of site occurrence for individual species and the entire carnivore community. Contrary to our expectation, hunting pressure and edge proximity did not have consistent, negative effects on occurrence across the nine carnivore species detected. Occurrence patterns for most species were positively associated with small prey biomass, and several species had either positive or negative associations with riverine forest (but not with other habitat descriptors). Influences of sampling design on carnivore detectability were also identified and addressed within our modeling framework (e.g., road and observer effects), and the multi-species approach facilitated inference on even the rarest carnivore species in the park. Our study provides insight for the conservation of these regionally significant carnivore populations, and our approach is broadly applicable to the robust assessment of communities of rare and elusive species subject to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Cole Burton
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
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Ryan SJ, Brashares JS, Walsh C, Milbers K, Kilroy C, Chapman CA. A survey of gastrointestinal parasites of olive baboons (Papio anubis) in human settlement areas of Mole National Park, Ghana. J Parasitol 2012; 98:885-8. [PMID: 22300265 DOI: 10.1645/ge-2976.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Fecal samples from 55 free-ranging olive baboons (Papio anubis) in Mole National Park, Ghana, were collected 22 June-7 July 2008 and analyzed for gastrointestinal parasites. This is the first survey of baboon gastrointestinal parasites in Ghana and provides baseline data for this area. Ninety-three percent of samples were infected, leaving 7% with no parasites observed. Of those infected, there was a 76% prevalence of strongyles, 53% Strongyloides spp., 11% Abbreviata caucasica , 62% prevalence of Balantidium coli (trophozoites and cysts identified), 4% Entomeba hystolytica/dispar, and 47% unidentified protozoan parasites. Of the strongyle infections, 9% were identified as Oesophagostamum sp. One sample contained an unidentified spirurid nematode that resembled Gongylonema sp. Mole has a mixed forest-savanna habitat, and baboons frequently range into human areas, which makes them subject to parasites from each habitat and multiple sources of exposure. We found a high prevalence of nematode parasites, consistent with a wet or cooler forest environment, or high rates of fecal contamination. The presence of Strongyloides sp., E. hystolitica/dispar, and B. coli suggest potential public health risk from baboons, but molecular identification of these parasites, and documentation of their presence in local human populations, would be necessary to confirm zoonotic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadie J Ryan
- Department ofEnvironmental and Forest Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
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Prugh LR, Brashares JS. Partitioning the effects of an ecosystem engineer: kangaroo rats control community structure via multiple pathways. J Anim Ecol 2011; 81:667-78. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01930.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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49
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Estes JA, Terborgh J, Brashares JS, Power ME, Berger J, Bond WJ, Carpenter SR, Essington TE, Holt RD, Jackson JBC, Marquis RJ, Oksanen L, Oksanen T, Paine RT, Pikitch EK, Ripple WJ, Sandin SA, Scheffer M, Schoener TW, Shurin JB, Sinclair ARE, Soulé ME, Virtanen R, Wardle DA. Trophic downgrading of planet Earth. Science 2011; 333:301-6. [PMID: 21764740 DOI: 10.1126/science.1205106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1832] [Impact Index Per Article: 140.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Until recently, large apex consumers were ubiquitous across the globe and had been for millions of years. The loss of these animals may be humankind's most pervasive influence on nature. Although such losses are widely viewed as an ethical and aesthetic problem, recent research reveals extensive cascading effects of their disappearance in marine, terrestrial, and freshwater ecosystems worldwide. This empirical work supports long-standing theory about the role of top-down forcing in ecosystems but also highlights the unanticipated impacts of trophic cascades on processes as diverse as the dynamics of disease, wildfire, carbon sequestration, invasive species, and biogeochemical cycles. These findings emphasize the urgent need for interdisciplinary research to forecast the effects of trophic downgrading on process, function, and resilience in global ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Estes
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA.
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Epps CW, Mutayoba BM, Gwin L, Brashares JS. An empirical evaluation of the African elephant as a focal species for connectivity planning in East Africa. DIVERS DISTRIB 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-4642.2011.00773.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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