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Jones JD, Proffitt KM, Ramsey JM, Almberg ES, Anderson NJ. Reproductive Fate of Brucellosis-Seropositive Elk (Cervus canadensis): Implications for Disease Transmission Risk. J Wildl Dis 2024; 60:52-63. [PMID: 37889938 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-22-00123] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Brucellosis is a disease caused by the bacterium Brucella abortus that infects elk (Cervus canadensis) and cattle (Bos taurus). There is the potential for transmission from wildlife to livestock through contact with infected material shed during abortions or live births. To understand the impact of exposure on pregnancy rates we captured 30-100 elk per year from 2011 through 2020, testing their blood for serologic exposure to B. abortus. Predicted pregnancy rates for seropositive animals were 9.6% lower in prime-age (2.5-15.5 yr; 85%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 74-91%) and 37.7% lower in old (>15.5 yr; 43%, 95% CI: 19-71%) elk as compared with seronegative animals. To understand the risk of seropositive elk shedding B. abortus bacteria and the effects of exposure on elk reproductive performance, we conducted a 5-yr longitudinal study monitoring 30 seropositive elk. We estimated the annual probability of a seropositive elk having an abortion as 0.06 (95% CI: 0.02-0.15). We detected B. abortus at three abortions and two live births, using a combination of culture and PCR testing. The predicted probability of a pregnant seropositive elk shedding B. abortus during an abortion or live birth was 0.08 (95% CI: 0.04-0.19). To understand what proportion of seropositive elk harbored live B. abortus bacteria in their tissues, we euthanized seropositive elk at the end of 5 yr of monitoring and sampled tissues for B. abortus. Assuming perfect detection, the predicted probability of a seropositive elk having B. abortus in at least one tissue was 0.18 (95% CI: 0.06-0.43). The transmission risk seropositive elk pose is mitigated by decreased pregnancy rates, low probability of abortion events, low probability of shedding at live birth events, and reasonably low probability of B. abortus in tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer D Jones
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, 1400 South 19th Avenue, Bozeman, Montana 59718, USA
| | - Kelly M Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, 1400 South 19th Avenue, Bozeman, Montana 59718, USA
| | - Jennifer M Ramsey
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, 1400 South 19th Avenue, Bozeman, Montana 59718, USA
| | - Emily S Almberg
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, 1400 South 19th Avenue, Bozeman, Montana 59718, USA
| | - Neil J Anderson
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, 490 North Meridian Road, Kalispell, Montana 59901, USA
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2
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DeVoe JD, Proffitt KM, Millspaugh JJ. Fence types influence pronghorn movement responses. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4285] [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: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse D. DeVoe
- Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula Montana USA
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3
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Ranglack DH, Proffitt KM, Canfield JE, Gude JA, Rotella J, Garrott RA. Modeling broad‐scale patterns of elk summer resource selection in Montana using regional and population‐specific models. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4311] [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: 12/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dustin H. Ranglack
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana USA
| | | | - Jodie E. Canfield
- Custer Gallatin National Forest, USDA Forest Service Bozeman Montana USA
| | | | - Jay Rotella
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana USA
| | - Robert A. Garrott
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana USA
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4
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Gude JA, DeCesare NJ, Proffitt KM, Sells SN, Garrott RA, Rangwala I, Biel M, Coltrane J, Cunningham J, Fletcher T, Loveless K, Mowry R, O'Reilly M, Rauscher R, Thompson M. Demographic uncertainty and disease risk influence climate‐informed management of an alpine species. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22300] [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: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Justin A. Gude
- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks 1420 East 6th Avenue Helena MT 59620 USA
| | | | - Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks 1400 South 19th Street Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Sarah N. Sells
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Wildlife Biology Program, 205 Natural Sciences Building, University of Montana Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Robert A. Garrott
- Department of Ecology Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Montana State University, 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Imtiaz Rangwala
- North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center & Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado‐Boulder 4001 Discovery Drive, Suite S340 Boulder CO 80303 USA
| | - Mark Biel
- Glacier National Park P.O. Box 128 West Glacier MT 59936 USA
| | - Jessica Coltrane
- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks 490 North Meridian Road Kalispell MT 59920 USA
| | - Julie Cunningham
- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks 1400 South 19th Street Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Tammy Fletcher
- U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region Missoula MT 59804 USA
| | - Karen Loveless
- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks 538 Orea Creek Livingston MT 59047 USA
| | - Rebecca Mowry
- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks 3201 Spurgin Road Missoula MT 59804 USA
| | - Megan O'Reilly
- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks 2300 Lake Elmo Drive Billings MT 59105 USA
| | - Ryan Rauscher
- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks 514 South Front Street, Suite C Conrad MT 59425 USA
| | - Michael Thompson
- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks 3201 Spurgin Road Missoula MT 59804 USA
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Paterson JT, Proffitt KM, DeCesare NJ, Gude JA, Hebblewhite M. Evaluating the summer landscapes of predation risk and forage quality for elk ( Cervus canadensis). Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9201. [PMID: 35979523 PMCID: PMC9366754 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9201] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The recovery of carnivore populations in North American has consequences for trophic interactions and population dynamics of prey. In addition to direct effects on prey populations through killing, predators can influence prey behavior by imposing the risk of predation. The mechanisms through which patterns of space use by predators are linked to behavioral response by prey and nonconsumptive effects on prey population dynamics are poorly understood. Our goal was to characterize population‐ and individual‐level patterns of resource selection by elk (Cervus canadensis) in response to risk of wolves (Canis lupus) and mountain lions (Puma concolor) and evaluate potential nonconsumptive effects of these behavioral patterns. We tested the hypothesis that individual elk risk‐avoidance behavior during summer would result in exposure to lower‐quality forage and reduced body fat and pregnancy rates. First, we evaluated individuals' second‐order and third‐order resource selection with a used‐available sampling design. At the population level, we found evidence for a positive relationship between second‐ and third‐order selection and forage, and an interaction between forage quality and mountain lion risk such that the relative probability of use at low mountain lion risk increased with forage quality but decreased at high risk at both orders of selection. We found no evidence of a population‐level trade‐off between forage quality and wolf risk. However, we found substantial among‐individual heterogeneity in resource selection patterns such that population‐level patterns were potentially misleading. We found no evidence that the diversity of individual resource selection patterns varied predictably with available resources, or that patterns of individual risk‐related resource selection translated into biologically meaningful changes in body fat or pregnancy rates. Our work highlights the importance of evaluating individual responses to predation risk and predator hunting technique when assessing responses to predators and suggests nonconsumptive effects are not operating at a population scale in this system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences University of Montana Missoula Montana USA
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6
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Snobl LA, Proffitt KM, Millspaugh JJ. Wildfire extends the shelf life of elk nutritional resources regardless of fire severity. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4178] [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: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A. Snobl
- Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula Montana USA
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7
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Paterson JT, Proffitt KM, Rotella JJ. Incorporating vital rates and harvest into stochastic population models to forecast elk population dynamics. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22189] [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: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Bozeman 59718 MT USA
| | - Jay J. Rotella
- Montana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman MT 59718 USA
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Pannoni SB, Proffitt KM, Holben WE. Non-invasive monitoring of multiple wildlife health factors by fecal microbiome analysis. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8564. [PMID: 35154651 PMCID: PMC8826075 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Fecal microbial biomarkers represent a less invasive alternative for acquiring information on wildlife populations than many traditional sampling methodologies. Our goal was to evaluate linkages between fecal microbiome communities in Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis) and four host factors including sex, age, population, and physical condition (body-fat). We paired a feature-selection algorithm with an LDA-classifier trained on elk differential bacterial abundance (16S-rRNA amplicon survey) to predict host health factors from 104 elk microbiomes across four elk populations. We validated the accuracy of the various classifier predictions with leave-one-out cross-validation using known measurements. We demonstrate that the elk fecal microbiome can predict the four host factors tested. Our results show that elk microbiomes respond to both the strong extrinsic factor of biogeography and simultaneously occurring, but more subtle, intrinsic forces of individual body-fat, sex, and age-class. Thus, we have developed and described herein a generalizable approach to disentangle microbiome responses attributed to multiple host factors of varying strength from the same bacterial sequence data set. Wildlife conservation and management presents many challenges, but we demonstrate that non-invasive microbiome surveys from scat samples can provide alternative options for wildlife population monitoring. We believe that, with further validation, this method could be broadly applicable in other species and potentially predict other measurements. Our study can help guide the future development of microbiome-based monitoring of wildlife populations and supports hypothetical expectations found in host-microbiome theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel B. Pannoni
- Franke College of Forestry and ConservationUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMontanaUSA
| | | | - William E. Holben
- Cellular, Molecular and Microbial Biology ProgramUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMontanaUSA
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9
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Proffitt KM, Courtemanch AB, Dewey SR, Lowrey B, McWhirter DE, Monteith K, Paterson JT, Rotella J, White PJ, Garrott RA. Regional variability in pregnancy and survival rates of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish Wildlife, and Parks 1400 South 19th Avenue Bozeman Montana59718USA
| | | | - Sarah R. Dewey
- Grand Teton National Park P.O. Box 170 Moose Wyoming83012USA
| | - Blake Lowrey
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program Department of Ecology Montana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman Montana59717USA
| | | | - Kevin.L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming 804 East Fremont Street Laramie Wyoming82072USA
| | - J. Terrill Paterson
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program Department of Ecology Montana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman Montana59717USA
| | - Jay Rotella
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program Department of Ecology Montana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman Montana59717USA
| | - Patrick J. White
- Yellowstone Center for Resources Yellowstone National Park National Park Service Mammoth Wyoming82190USA
| | - Robert A. Garrott
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program Department of Ecology Montana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman Montana59717USA
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Rayl ND, Merkle JA, Proffitt KM, Almberg ES, Jones JD, Gude JA, Cross PC. Elk migration influences the risk of disease spillover in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1264-1275. [PMID: 33630313 PMCID: PMC8251637 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Wildlife migrations provide important ecosystem services, but they are declining. Within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), some elk Cervus canadensis herds are losing migratory tendencies, which may increase spatiotemporal overlap between elk and livestock (domestic bison Bison bison and cattle Bos taurus), potentially exacerbating pathogen transmission risk. We combined disease, movement, demographic and environmental data from eight elk herds in the GYE to examine the differential risk of brucellosis transmission (through aborted foetuses) from migrant and resident elk to livestock. For both migrants and residents, we found that transmission risk from elk to livestock occurred almost exclusively on private ranchlands as opposed to state or federal grazing allotments. Weather variability affected the estimated distribution of spillover risk from migrant elk to livestock, with a 7%–12% increase in migrant abortions on private ranchlands during years with heavier snowfall. In contrast, weather variability did not affect spillover risk from resident elk. Migrant elk were responsible for the majority (68%) of disease spillover risk to livestock because they occurred in greater numbers than resident elk. On a per‐capita basis, however, our analyses suggested that resident elk disproportionately contributed to spillover risk. In five of seven herds, we estimated that the per‐capita spillover risk was greater from residents than from migrants. Averaged across herds, an individual resident elk was 23% more likely than an individual migrant elk to abort on private ranchlands. Our results demonstrate links between migration behaviour, spillover risk and environmental variability, and highlight the utility of integrating models of pathogen transmission and host movement to generate new insights about the role of migration in disease spillover risk. Furthermore, they add to the accumulating body of evidence across taxa that suggests that migrants and residents should be considered separately during investigations of wildlife disease ecology. Finally, our findings have applied implications for elk and brucellosis in the GYE. They suggest that managers should prioritize actions that maintain spatial separation of elk and livestock on private ranchlands during years when snowpack persists into the risk period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel D Rayl
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Grand Junction, CO, USA.,U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Jerod A Merkle
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Paul C Cross
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, MT, USA
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11
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Flesch EP, Graves TA, Thomson JM, Proffitt KM, White PJ, Stephenson TR, Garrott RA. Evaluating wildlife translocations using genomics: A bighorn sheep case study. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:13687-13704. [PMID: 33391673 PMCID: PMC7771163 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Wildlife restoration often involves translocation efforts to reintroduce species and supplement small, fragmented populations. We examined the genomic consequences of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) translocations and population isolation to enhance understanding of evolutionary processes that affect population genetics and inform future restoration strategies. We conducted a population genomic analysis of 511 bighorn sheep from 17 areas, including native and reintroduced populations that received 0-10 translocations. Using the Illumina High Density Ovine array, we generated datasets of 6,155 to 33,289 single nucleotide polymorphisms and completed clustering, population tree, and kinship analyses. Our analyses determined that natural gene flow did not occur between most populations, including two pairs of native herds that had past connectivity. We synthesized genomic evidence across analyses to evaluate 24 different translocation events and detected eight successful reintroductions (i.e., lack of signal for recolonization from nearby populations) and five successful augmentations (i.e., reproductive success of translocated individuals) based on genetic similarity with the source populations. A single native population founded six of the reintroduced herds, suggesting that environmental conditions did not need to match for populations to persist following reintroduction. Augmentations consisting of 18-57 animals including males and females succeeded, whereas augmentations of two males did not result in a detectable genetic signature. Our results provide insight on genomic distinctiveness of native and reintroduced herds, information on the relative success of reintroduction and augmentation efforts and their associated attributes, and guidance to enhance genetic contribution of augmentations and reintroductions to aid in bighorn sheep restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth P. Flesch
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management ProgramEcology DepartmentMontana State UniversityBozemanMTUSA
| | - Tabitha A. Graves
- Northern Rocky Mountain Science CenterU.S. Geological SurveyWest GlacierMTUSA
| | | | | | - P. J. White
- Yellowstone Center for ResourcesNational Park ServiceMammothWYUSA
| | - Thomas R. Stephenson
- Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery ProgramCalifornia Department of Fish and WildlifeBishopCAUSA
| | - Robert A. Garrott
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management ProgramEcology DepartmentMontana State UniversityBozemanMTUSA
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12
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Proffitt KM, Garrott R, Gude JA, Hebblewhite M, Jimenez B, Paterson JT, Rotella J. Integrated Carnivore‐Ungulate Management: A Case Study in West‐Central Montana. Wild Mon 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/wmon.1056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks 1400 South 19th Street Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Robert Garrott
- Department of Ecology, Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program Montana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Justin A. Gude
- Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks 1420 E 6th Ave Helena MT 59620 USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation University of Montana Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Benjamin Jimenez
- Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks 3201 Spurgin Road Missoula MT 59804 USA
| | - J. Terrill Paterson
- Department of Ecology Montana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Jay Rotella
- Department of Ecology Montana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman MT 59718 USA
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13
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Abstract
Anthrax, caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis, is a zoonosis affecting animals and humans globally. In the United States, anthrax outbreaks occur in wildlife and livestock, with frequent outbreaks in native and exotic wildlife species in Texas, livestock outbreaks in the Dakotas, and sporadic mixed outbreaks in Montana. Understanding where pathogen and host habitat selection overlap is essential for anthrax management. Resource selection and habitat use of ungulates may be sex-specific and lead to differential anthrax exposure risks across the landscape for males and females. We evaluated female elk (Cervus canadensis) resource selection in the same study areas as male elk in a previous anthrax risk study to identify risk of anthrax transmission to females and compare transmission risk between females and males. We developed a generalized linear mixed-effect model to estimate resource selection for female elk in southwest Montana during the June to August anthrax transmission risk period. We then predicted habitat selection of female and male elk across the study area and compared selection with the distribution of anthrax risk to identify spatial distributions of potential anthrax exposure for the male and female elk. Female and male elk selected different resources during the anthrax risk period, which resulted in different anthrax exposure areas for females and males. The sex-specific resource selection and habitat use could infer different areas of risk for anthrax transmission, which can improve anthrax and wildlife management and have important public health and economic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anni Yang
- Spatial Epidemiology and Ecology Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | | | - Valpa Asher
- Turner Enterprises, 1123 Research Drive, Bozeman, MT 59718, USA
| | - Sadie J Ryan
- Quantitative Disease Ecology and Conservation Laboratory, Department of Geography, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Jason K Blackburn
- Spatial Epidemiology and Ecology Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse D. Devoe
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of EcologyMontana State University Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Blake Lowrey
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of EcologyMontana State University Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Department of FishWildlife and Parks 1400 South 19th Street Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Robert A. Garrott
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of EcologyMontana State University Bozeman MT 59718 USA
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15
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Lowrey B, McWhirter DE, Proffitt KM, Monteith KL, Courtemanch AB, White PJ, Paterson JT, Dewey SR, Garrott RA. Individual variation creates diverse migratory portfolios in native populations of a mountain ungulate. Ecol Appl 2020; 30:e2106. [PMID: 32091631 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Ecological theory and empirical studies have demonstrated population-level demographic benefits resulting from a diversity of migratory behaviors with important implications for ecology, conservation, and evolution of migratory organisms. Nevertheless, evaluation of migratory portfolios (i.e., the variation in migratory behaviors across space and time among individuals within populations) has received relatively little attention in migratory ungulates, where research has focused largely on the dichotomous behaviors (e.g., resident and migrant) of partially migratory populations. Using GPS data from 361 female bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) across 17 (4 restored, 6 augmented, 7 native) populations in Montana and Wyoming, USA, we (1) characterized migratory portfolios based on behavioral and spatial migratory characteristics and (2) evaluated the relative influence of landscape attributes and management histories on migratory diversity. Native populations, which had been extant on the landscape for many generations, had more diverse migratory portfolios, higher behavioral switching rates, reduced seasonal range fidelity, and broad dispersion of individuals across summer and winter ranges. In contrast, restored populations with an abbreviated history on the landscape were largely non-migratory with a narrow portfolio of migratory behaviors, less behavioral switching, higher fidelity to seasonal ranges, and less dispersion on summer and winter ranges. Augmented populations were more variable and contained characteristics of both native and restored populations. Differences in migratory diversity among populations were associated with management histories (e.g., restored, augmented, or native). Landscape characteristics such as the duration and regularity of green-up, human landscape alterations, topography, and snow gradients were not strongly associated with migratory diversity. We suggest a two-pronged approach to restoring migratory portfolios in ungulates that first develops behavior-specific habitat models and then places individuals with known migratory behaviors into unoccupied areas in an effort to bolster migratory portfolios in restored populations, potentially with synergistic benefits associated with variation among individuals and resulting portfolio effects. Management efforts to restore diverse migratory portfolios may increase the abundance, resilience, and long-term viability of ungulate populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Lowrey
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
| | - D E McWhirter
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Jackson, Wyoming, 83001, USA
| | - K M Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Bozeman, Montana, 59718, USA
| | - K L Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, 82072, USA
| | - A B Courtemanch
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Jackson, Wyoming, 83001, USA
| | - P J White
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, National Park Service, Mammoth, Wyoming, 82190, USA
| | - J T Paterson
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
| | - S R Dewey
- Grand Teton National Park, National Park Service, PO Box 170, Moose, Wyoming, 83012, USA
| | - R A Garrott
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
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16
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Wisdom MJ, Nielson RM, Rowland MM, Proffitt KM. Modeling Landscape Use for Ungulates: Forgotten Tenets of Ecology, Management, and Inference. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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17
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Lula ES, Lowrey B, Proffitt KM, Litt AR, Cunningham JA, Butler CJ, Garrott RA. Is Habitat Constraining Bighorn Sheep Restoration? A Case Study. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ethan S. Lula
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management ProgramMontana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman MT 59717 USA
| | - Blake Lowrey
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management ProgramMontana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman MT 59717 USA
| | - Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana FishWildlife and Parks 1400 S 19th Avenue Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Andrea R. Litt
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management ProgramMontana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman MT 59717 USA
| | | | | | - Robert A. Garrott
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management ProgramMontana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman MT 59717 USA
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18
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake Lowrey
- Montana Department of FishWildlife and Parks 1400 South 19th Street Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Jesse Devoe
- Montana Department of FishWildlife and Parks 1400 South 19th Street Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Department of FishWildlife and Parks 1400 South 19th Street Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Robert A. Garrott
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of EcologyMontana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman MT 59717 USA
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Lowrey B, Proffitt KM, McWhirter DE, White PJ, Courtemanch AB, Dewey SR, Miyasaki HM, Monteith KL, Mao JS, Grigg JL, Butler CJ, Lula ES, Garrott RA. Characterizing population and individual migration patterns among native and restored bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis). Ecol Evol 2019; 9:8829-8839. [PMID: 31410283 PMCID: PMC6686647 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 05/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Migration evolved as a behavior to enhance fitness through exploiting spatially and temporally variable resources and avoiding predation or other threats. Globally, landscape alterations have resulted in declines to migratory populations across taxa. Given the long time periods over which migrations evolved in native systems, it is unlikely that restored populations embody the same migratory complexity that existed before population reductions or regional extirpation.We used GPS location data collected from 209 female bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) to characterize population and individual migration patterns along elevation and geographic continuums for 18 populations of bighorn sheep with different management histories (i.e., restored, augmented, and native) across the western United States.Individuals with resident behaviors were present in all management histories. Elevational migrations were the most common population-level migratory behavior. There were notable differences in the degree of individual variation within a population across the three management histories. Relative to native populations, restored and augmented populations had less variation among individuals with respect to elevation and geographic migration distances. Differences in migratory behavior were most pronounced for geographic distances, where the majority of native populations had a range of variation that was 2-4 times greater than restored or augmented populations. Synthesis and applications. Migrations within native populations include a variety of patterns that translocation efforts have not been able to fully recreate within restored and augmented populations. Theoretical and empirical research has highlighted the benefits of migratory diversity in promoting resilience and population stability. Limited migratory diversity may serve as an additional factor limiting demographic performance and range expansion. We suggest preserving native systems with intact migratory portfolios and a more nuanced approach to restoration and augmentation in which source populations are identified based on a suite of criteria that includes matching migratory patterns of source populations with local landscape attributes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake Lowrey
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of EcologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMTUSA
| | | | | | - Patrick J. White
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National ParkNational Park ServiceMammothWYUSA
| | | | | | | | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
| | - Julie S. Mao
- Colorado Parks and WildlifeGlenwood SpringsCOUSA
| | | | | | - Ethan S. Lula
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of EcologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMTUSA
| | - Robert A. Garrott
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of EcologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMTUSA
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20
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Barker KJ, Mitchell MS, Proffitt KM. Native forage mediates influence of irrigated agriculture on migratory behaviour of elk. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:1100-1110. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12991] [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] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin J. Barker
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula Montana
| | - Michael S. Mitchell
- U.S. Geological Survey Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula Montana
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21
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Rayl ND, Proffitt KM, Almberg ES, Jones JD, Merkle JA, Gude JA, Cross PC. Modeling elk‐to‐livestock transmission risk to predict hotspots of brucellosis spillover. J Wildl Manage 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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]
Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel D. Rayl
- U.S. Geological SurveyNorthern Rocky Mountain Science CenterBozemanMT59715USA
| | | | | | | | - Jerod A. Merkle
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitDepartment of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWY82071USA
| | | | - Paul C. Cross
- U.S. Geological SurveyNorthern Rocky Mountain Science CenterBozemanMT59715USA
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22
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse D. DeVoe
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit205 Natural Sciences BuildingWildlife Biology ProgramUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMT59812USA
| | - Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks1400 South 19th StreetBozemanMT59718USA
| | - Michael S. Mitchell
- U.S. Geological SurveyMontana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit 205 Natural Sciences BuildingWildlife Biology ProgramUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMT59812USA
| | | | - Kristin J. Barker
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit205 Natural Sciences BuildingWildlife Biology ProgramUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMT59812USA
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23
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin J. Barker
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit; University of Montana; 205 Natural Sciences Building Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Michael S. Mitchell
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit; University of Montana; 205 Natural Sciences Building Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Fish; Wildlife and Parks; 1400 South 19th Street Bozeman MT 59715 USA
| | - Jesse D. DeVoe
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit; University of Montana; 205 Natural Sciences Building Missoula MT 59812 USA
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24
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Mitchell MS, Cooley H, Gude JA, Kolbe J, Nowak JJ, Proffitt KM, Sells SN, Thompson M. Distinguishing values from science in decision making: Setting harvest quotas for mountain lions in Montana. WILDLIFE SOC B 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [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: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael S. Mitchell
- U.S. Geological Survey; Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit; 205 Natural Sciences Building; University of Montana; Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Hilary Cooley
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; University Hall; University of Montana; Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Justin A. Gude
- Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks; 1420 E 6th Avenue Helena MT 59620 USA
| | - Jay Kolbe
- Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks; P.O. Box 527 White Sulphur Springs MT 59645 USA
| | - J. Joshua Nowak
- Wildlife Biology Program; Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences; W. A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation; University of Montana; Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks; 1400 S 19th Avenue Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Sarah N. Sells
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit; 205 Natural Sciences Building; University of Montana; Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Mike Thompson
- Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks; 3201 Spurgin Road Missoula MT 59804 USA
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Lukacs PM, Mitchell MS, Hebblewhite M, Johnson BK, Johnson H, Kauffman M, Proffitt KM, Zager P, Brodie J, Hersey K, Holland AA, Hurley M, McCorquodale S, Middleton A, Nordhagen M, Nowak JJ, Walsh DP, White PJ. Factors influencing elk recruitment across ecotypes in the Western United States. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul M. Lukacs
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W. A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation; University of Montana; Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Michael S. Mitchell
- U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Wildlife Biology Program, 205 Natural Resource Building; University of Montana; Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W. A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation; University of Montana; Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Bruce K. Johnson
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Heather Johnson
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife; 415 Turner Drive Durango CO 81303 USA
| | - Matthew Kauffman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology; University of Wyoming; Laramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks; 1400 South 19th Street Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Peter Zager
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game; 3316 16th St Lewiston ID 83501 USA
| | - Jedediah Brodie
- Departments of Zoology and Botany; University of British Columbia; Vancouver BC Canada
| | - Kent Hersey
- Utah Division of Wildlife Resources; Salt Lake City UT 84114 USA
| | - A. Andrew Holland
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife; 317 W. Prospect Rd. Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
| | - Mark Hurley
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game; P.O. Box 25 Boise ID 83707 USA
| | - Scott McCorquodale
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; 1701 S 24th Ave Yakima WA 98902 USA
| | - Arthur Middleton
- Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies; 370 Prospect Street New Haven CT 06511 USA
| | - Matthew Nordhagen
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit; University of Montana; 205 Natural Science Building Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - J. Joshua Nowak
- Wildlife Biology Program; University of Montana; Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Daniel P. Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey; National Wildlife Health Lab; Madison WI 53711 USA
| | - P. J. White
- Yellowstone National Park; Mammoth, P.O. Box 168 WY 82190 USA
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26
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Butler CJ, Edwards WH, Jennings-Gaines JE, Killion HJ, Wood ME, McWhirter DE, Paterson JT, Proffitt KM, Almberg ES, White PJ, Rotella JJ, Garrott RA. Assessing respiratory pathogen communities in bighorn sheep populations: Sampling realities, challenges, and improvements. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180689. [PMID: 28708832 PMCID: PMC5510838 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Respiratory disease has been a persistent problem for the recovery of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), but has uncertain etiology. The disease has been attributed to several bacterial pathogens including Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae and Pasteurellaceae pathogens belonging to the Mannheimia, Bibersteinia, and Pasteurella genera. We estimated detection probability for these pathogens using protocols with diagnostic tests offered by a fee-for-service laboratory and not offered by a fee-for-service laboratory. We conducted 2861 diagnostic tests on swab samples collected from 476 bighorn sheep captured across Montana and Wyoming to gain inferences regarding detection probability, pathogen prevalence, and the power of different sampling methodologies to detect pathogens in bighorn sheep populations. Estimated detection probability using fee-for-service protocols was less than 0.50 for all Pasteurellaceae and 0.73 for Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae. Non-fee-for-service Pasteurellaceae protocols had higher detection probabilities, but no single protocol increased detection probability of all Pasteurellaceae pathogens to greater than 0.50. At least one protocol resulted in an estimated detection probability of 0.80 for each pathogen except Mannheimia haemolytica, for which the highest detection probability was 0.45. In general, the power to detect Pasteurellaceae pathogens at low prevalence in populations was low unless many animals were sampled or replicate samples were collected per animal. Imperfect detection also resulted in low precision when estimating prevalence for any pathogen. Low and variable detection probabilities for respiratory pathogens using live-sampling protocols may lead to inaccurate conclusions regarding pathogen community dynamics and causes of bighorn sheep respiratory disease epizootics. We recommend that agencies collect multiples samples per animal for Pasteurellaceae detection, and one sample for Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae detection from at least 30 individuals to reliably detect both Pasteurellaceae and Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae at the population-level. Availability of PCR diagnostic tests to wildlife management agencies would improve the ability to reliably detect Pasteurellaceae in bighorn sheep populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carson J. Butler
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - William H. Edwards
- Wildlife Health Laboratory, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Jessica E. Jennings-Gaines
- Wildlife Health Laboratory, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Halcyon J. Killion
- Wildlife Health Laboratory, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Mary E. Wood
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Cody, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Douglas E. McWhirter
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
| | - J. Terrill Paterson
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
| | - Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
| | - Emily S. Almberg
- Wildlife Health Laboratory, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
| | - P. J. White
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, National Park Service, Mammoth, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Jay J. Rotella
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
| | - Robert A. Garrott
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
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27
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Eacker DR, Lukacs PM, Proffitt KM, Hebblewhite M. Assessing the importance of demographic parameters for population dynamics using Bayesian integrated population modeling. Ecol Appl 2017; 27:1280-1293. [PMID: 28188660 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [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: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
To successfully respond to changing habitat, climate or harvest, managers need to identify the most effective strategies to reverse population trends of declining species and/or manage harvest of game species. A classic approach in conservation biology for the last two decades has been the use of matrix population models to determine the most important vital rates affecting population growth rate (λ), that is, sensitivity. Ecologists quickly realized the critical role of environmental variability in vital rates affecting λ by developing approaches such as life-stage simulation analysis (LSA) that account for both sensitivity and variability of a vital rate. These LSA methods used matrix-population modeling and Monte Carlo simulation methods, but faced challenges in integrating data from different sources, disentangling process and sampling variation, and in their flexibility. Here, we developed a Bayesian integrated population model (IPM) for two populations of a large herbivore, elk (Cervus canadensis) in Montana, USA. We then extended the IPM to evaluate sensitivity in a Bayesian framework. We integrated known-fate survival data from radio-marked adults and juveniles, fecundity data, and population counts in a hierarchical population model that explicitly accounted for process and sampling variance. Next, we tested the prevailing paradigm in large herbivore population ecology that juvenile survival of neonates <90 d old drives λ using our Bayesian LSA approach. In contrast to the prevailing paradigm in large herbivore ecology, we found that adult female survival explained more of the variation in λ than elk calf survival, and that summer and winter elk calf survival periods were nearly equivalent in importance for λ. Our Bayesian IPM improved precision of our vital rate estimates and highlighted discrepancies between count and vital rate data that could refine population monitoring, demonstrating that combining sensitivity analysis with population modeling in a Bayesian framework can provide multiple advantages. Our Bayesian LSA framework will provide a useful approach to addressing conservation challenges across a variety of species and data types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Eacker
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W. A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Paul M Lukacs
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W. A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Kelly M Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 1400 South 19th Street, Bozeman, Montana, 59718, USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W. A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
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28
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Ranglack DH, Proffitt KM, Canfield JE, Gude JA, Rotella J, Garrott RA. Security areas for elk during archery and rifle hunting seasons. J Wildl Manage 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dustin H. Ranglack
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management ProgramDepartment of EcologyMontana State University310 Lewis HallBozemanMT59717USA
| | - Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks1400 South 19th StreetBozemanMT59718USA
| | - Jodie E. Canfield
- Custer Gallatin National ForestUSDA Forest Service10 E Babcock Ave.BozemanMT59771USA
| | - Justin A. Gude
- Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks1420 East Sixth Ave.HelenaMT59620USA
| | - Jay Rotella
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management ProgramDepartment of EcologyMontana State University310 Lewis HallBozemanMT59717USA
| | - Robert A. Garrott
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management ProgramDepartment of EcologyMontana State University310 Lewis HallBozemanMT59717USA
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Abstract
Predicting the spatial distribution of animals is an important and widely used tool with applications in wildlife management, conservation, and population health. Wildlife telemetry technology coupled with the availability of spatial data and GIS software have facilitated advancements in species distribution modeling. There are also challenges related to these advancements including the accurate and appropriate implementation of species distribution modeling methodology. Resource Selection Function (RSF) modeling is a commonly used approach for understanding species distributions and habitat usage, and mapping the RSF results can enhance study findings and make them more accessible to researchers and wildlife managers. Currently, there is no consensus in the literature on the most appropriate method for mapping RSF results, methods are frequently not described, and mapping approaches are not always related to accuracy metrics. We conducted a systematic review of the RSF literature to summarize the methods used to map RSF outputs, discuss the relationship between mapping approaches and accuracy metrics, performed a case study on the implications of employing different mapping methods, and provide recommendations as to appropriate mapping techniques for RSF studies. We found extensive variability in methodology for mapping RSF results. Our case study revealed that the most commonly used approaches for mapping RSF results led to notable differences in the visual interpretation of RSF results, and there is a concerning disconnect between accuracy metrics and mapping methods. We make 5 recommendations for researchers mapping the results of RSF studies, which are focused on carefully selecting and describing the method used to map RSF studies, and relating mapping approaches to accuracy metrics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lillian R. Morris
- Spatial Epidemiology and Ecology Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, 3141 Turlington Hall, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, 2055 Mowry Road, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, 1400 South 19th Avenue, Bozeman, MT 59718
| | - Jason K. Blackburn
- Spatial Epidemiology and Ecology Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, 3141 Turlington Hall, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, 2055 Mowry Road, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
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Proffitt KM, Hebblewhite M, Peters W, Hupp N, Shamhart J. Linking landscape-scale differences in forage to ungulate nutritional ecology. Ecol Appl 2016; 26:2156-2174. [PMID: 27755722 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Revised: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how habitat and nutritional condition affect ungulate populations is necessary for informing management, particularly in areas experiencing carnivore recovery and declining ungulate population trends. Variations in forage species availability, plant phenological stage, and the abundance of forage make it challenging to understand landscape-level effects of nutrition on ungulates. We developed an integrated spatial modeling approach to estimate landscape-level elk (Cervus elaphus) nutritional resources in two adjacent study areas that differed in coarse measures of habitat quality and related the consequences of differences in nutritional resources to elk body condition and pregnancy rates. We found no support for differences in dry matter digestibility between plant samples or in phenological stage based on ground sampling plots in the two study areas. Our index of nutritional resources, measured as digestible forage biomass, varied among land cover types and between study areas. We found that altered plant composition following fires was the biggest driver of differences in nutritional resources, suggesting that maintaining a mosaic of fire history and distribution will likely benefit ungulate populations. Study area, lactation status, and year affected fall body fat of adult female elk. Elk in the study area exposed to lower summer range nutritional resources had lower nutritional condition entering winter. These differences in nutritional condition resulted in differences in pregnancy rate, with average pregnancy rates of 89% for elk exposed to higher nutritional resources and 72% for elk exposed to lower nutritional resources. Summer range nutritional resources have the potential to limit elk pregnancy rate and calf production, and these nutritional limitations may predispose elk to be more sensitive to the effects of harvest or predation. Wildlife managers should identify ungulate populations that are nutritionally limited and recognize that these populations may be more impacted by recovering carnivores or harvest than populations inhabiting more productive summer habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M Proffitt
- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 1400 South 19th Street, Bozeman, Montana, 59715, USA.
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem Sciences, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Wibke Peters
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem Sciences, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Nicole Hupp
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem Sciences, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
- Wildlife Biology Program, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Julee Shamhart
- Wildlife Biology Program, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 3201 Spurgin Road, Missoula, Montana, 59804, USA
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31
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R. Eacker
- Wildlife Biology Program; College of Forestry and Conservation; University of Montana; Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program; Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences; College of Forestry and Conservation; University of Montana; Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks; 1400 South 19th Street Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Benjamin S. Jimenez
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks; 3201 Spurgin Road Missoula MT 59804 USA
| | - Michael S. Mitchell
- US Geological Survey; Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit; University of Montana; 205 Natural Science Building Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Hugh S. Robinson
- Director, Landscape Analysis Lab, Panthera; New York NY 10018 USA
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32
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish; Wildlife and Parks; 1400 South 19th Street Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Scott Thompson
- Montana Department of Fish; Wildlife and Parks; 1 Airport Road Glasgow MT 59230 USA
| | - Drew Henry
- Montana Department of Fish; Wildlife and Parks; 1 Airport Road Glasgow MT 59230 USA
| | - Benjamin Jimenez
- Montana Department of Fish; Wildlife and Parks; 3201 Spurgin Road Missoula MT 59804 USA
| | - Justin A. Gude
- Montana Department of Fish; Wildlife and Parks; 1420 East 6th Avenue Helena MT 59620 USA
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Abstract
Anthrax, caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis, is a zoonotic disease that affects humans and animals throughout the world. In North America, anthrax outbreaks occur in livestock and wildlife species. Vaccine administration in wildlife is untenable; the most effective form of management is surveillance and decontamination of carcasses. Successful management is critical because untreated carcasses can create infectious zones increasing risk for other susceptible hosts. We studied the bacterium in a re-emerging anthrax zone in southwest Montana. In 2008, a large anthraxepizootic primarily affected a domestic bison (Bison bison) herd and the male segment of a free-ranging elk (Cervus elaphus) herd in southwestern Montana. Following the outbreak, we initiated a telemetry study on elk to evaluate resource selection during the anthrax season to assist with anthrax management. We used a mixed effects generalized linear model (GLM) to estimate resource selection by male elk, and we mapped habitat preferences across the landscape. We overlaid preferred habitats on ecological niche model-based estimates of B. anthracis presence. We observed significant overlap between areas with a high predicted probability of male elk selection and B. anthracis potential. These potentially risky areas of elk and B. anthracis overlap were broadly spread over public and private lands. Future outbreaks in the region are probable, and this analysis identified the spatial extent of the risk area in the region, which can be used to prioritize anthrax surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lillian R Morris
- Department of Geography, Spatial Epidemiology and Ecology Research Laboratory, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Kelly M Proffitt
- Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, 1400 South 19th Avenue, Bozeman, MT 59718, USA
| | - Valpa Asher
- Turner Enterprises, 1123 Research Drive, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Jason K Blackburn
- Department of Geography, Spatial Epidemiology and Ecology Research Laboratory, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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34
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Proffitt KM, Anderson N, Lukacs P, Riordan MM, Gude JA, Shamhart J. Effects of elk density on elk aggregation patterns and exposure to brucellosis. J Wildl Manage 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish; Wildlife and Parks; Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Neil Anderson
- Montana Department of Fish; Wildlife and Parks; Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Paul Lukacs
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences; Wildlife Biology Program; College of Forestry and Conservation; University of Montana; Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Margaret M. Riordan
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit; University of Montana; Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | | | - Julee Shamhart
- Montana Department of Fish; Wildlife and Parks; Bozeman MT 59718 USA
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Proffitt KM, Cunningham JA, Hamlin KL, Garrott RA. Bottom-up and top-down influences on pregnancy rates and recruitment of northern Yellowstone elk. J Wildl Manage 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [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]
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish; Wildlife and Parks; 1400 South 19th Street Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Julie A. Cunningham
- Montana Department of Fish; Wildlife and Parks; 1400 South 19th Street Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Kenneth L. Hamlin
- Montana Department of Fish; Wildlife and Parks (Retired); 1400 South 19th Street Bozeman MT 59718 USA
| | - Robert A. Garrott
- Ecology Department; Montana State University; 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman MT 59718 USA
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Middleton AD, Morrison TA, Fortin JK, Robbins CT, Proffitt KM, White PJ, McWhirter DE, Koel TM, Brimeyer DG, Fairbanks WS, Kauffman MJ. Grizzly bear predation links the loss of native trout to the demography of migratory elk in Yellowstone. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20130870. [PMID: 23677350 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.0870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The loss of aquatic subsidies such as spawning salmonids is known to threaten a number of terrestrial predators, but the effects on alternative prey species are poorly understood. At the heart of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, an invasion of lake trout has driven a dramatic decline of native cutthroat trout that migrate up the shallow tributaries of Yellowstone Lake to spawn each spring. We explore whether this decline has amplified the effect of a generalist consumer, the grizzly bear, on populations of migratory elk that summer inside Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Recent studies of bear diets and elk populations indicate that the decline in cutthroat trout has contributed to increased predation by grizzly bears on the calves of migratory elk. Additionally, a demographic model that incorporates the increase in predation suggests that the magnitude of this diet shift has been sufficient to reduce elk calf recruitment (4-16%) and population growth (2-11%). The disruption of this aquatic-terrestrial linkage could permanently alter native species interactions in YNP. Although many recent ecological changes in YNP have been attributed to the recovery of large carnivores--particularly wolves--our work highlights a growing role of human impacts on the foraging behaviour of grizzly bears.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur D Middleton
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA.
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Proffitt KM, Gude JA, Hamlin KL, Messer MA. Effects of hunter access and habitat security on elk habitat selection in landscapes with a public and private land matrix. J Wildl Manage 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [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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Proffitt KM, Gude JA, Shamhart J, King F. Variations in elk aggregation patterns across a range of elk population sizes at Wall Creek, Montana. J Wildl Manage 2011. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Proffitt KM, Gude JA, Hamlin KL, Garrott RA, Cunningham JA, Grigg JL. Elk distribution and spatial overlap with livestock during the brucellosis transmission risk period. J Appl Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01928.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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White PJ, Proffitt KM, Mech LD, Evans SB, Cunningham JA, Hamlin KL. Migration of northern Yellowstone elk: implications of spatial structuring. J Mammal 2010. [DOI: 10.1644/08-mamm-a-252.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Proffitt KM, White PJ, Garrott RA. Spatio-temporal overlap between Yellowstone bison and elk - implications of wolf restoration and other factors for brucellosis transmission risk. J Appl Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01770.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [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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Proffitt KM, Rotella JJ, Garrott RA. Effects of pup age, maternal age, and birth date on pre-weaning survival rates of Weddell seals in Erebus Bay, Antarctica. OIKOS 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2009.18098.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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Rotella JJ, Link WA, Nichols JD, Hadley GL, Garrott RA, Proffitt KM. An evaluation of density-dependent and density-independent influences on population growth rates in Weddell seals. Ecology 2009; 90:975-84. [PMID: 19449692 DOI: 10.1890/08-0971.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Much of the existing literature that evaluates the roles of density-dependent and density-independent factors on population dynamics has been called into question in recent years because measurement errors were not properly dealt with in analyses. Using state-space models to account for measurement errors, we evaluated a set of competing models for a 22-year time series of mark-resight estimates of abundance for a breeding population of female Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) studied in Erebus Bay, Antarctica. We tested for evidence of direct density dependence in growth rates and evaluated whether equilibrium population size was related to seasonal sea-ice extent and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). We found strong evidence of negative density dependence in annual growth rates for a population whose estimated size ranged from 438 to 623 females during the study. Based on Bayes factors, a density-dependence-only model was favored over models that also included environmental covariates. According to the favored model, the population had a stationary distribution with a mean of 497 females (SD = 60.5), an expected growth rate of 1.10 (95% credible interval = 1.08-1.15) when population size was 441 females, and a rate of 0.90 (95% credible interval = 0.87-.93) for a population of 553 females. A model including effects of SOI did receive some support and indicated a positive relationship between SOI and population size. However, effects of SOI were not large, and including the effect did not greatly reduce our estimate of process variation. We speculate that direct density dependence occurred because rates of adult survival, breeding, and temporary emigration were affected by limitations on per capita food resources and space for parturition and pup-rearing. To improve understanding of the relative roles of various demographic components and their associated vital rates to population growth rate, mark-recapture methods can be applied that incorporate both environmental covariates and the seal abundance estimates that were developed here. An improved understanding of why vital rates change with changing population abundance will only come as we develop a better understanding of the processes affecting marine food resources in the Southern Ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay J Rotella
- Ecology Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, USA.
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Proffitt KM, Garrott RA, Rotella JJ, Wheatley KE. Environmental and senescent related variations in Weddell seal body mass: implications for age-specific reproductive performance. OIKOS 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.2007.0030-1299.16139.x] [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: 12/31/2022]
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Proffitt KM, Garrott RA, Rotella JJ, Wheatley KE. Environmental and senescent related variations in Weddell seal body mass: implications for age-specific reproductive performance. OIKOS 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.0030-1299.2007.16139.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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