Catherine Pouchet, C. Fernández-Prada, Christian Dussault, Martin Leclerc, J. Tremblay, S. Côté
Wild animals are infected with a large diversity and abundance of parasites that can affect their behavior, growth, body condition, and ultimately their survival. Although the adverse effects of parasites and the mechanisms involved in the interactions between a host and its parasites are generally well studied, much less is known about the additive or synergistic effects of multiple parasite species on a host. Moose populations in eastern Canada are infected by several species of endoparasites. In the last decades, the intensity of infestations by winter ticks, an ectoparasite, on moose have increased as a result of increased moose densities and favorable weather conditions that benefit winter tick survival. We aimed to document the diversity, intensity, prevalence, and distribution of different parasite species of moose in southern Quebec, Canada. We then evaluated the potential interaction between winter tick and endoparasites of moose, and we evaluated the effect of the simultaneous presence of ticks and endoparasites on moose body condition. To do so, we collected organs to identify and count endoparasite species, estimate winter tick abundance, and measure subcutaneous fat thickness from 174 hunted moose in fall 2019 in 8 regions of Quebec. Our results showed that the prevalence and intensity of winter tick and gastrointestinal parasites differed among regions, as well as the prevalence of the heart parasite Taenia krabbei and the intensity of lung parasite Echinoccocus granulosus. Moose body condition, however, was not influenced by the simultaneous presence of winter tick and endoparasites. The documentation of the interactive effects of multiple parasite species on a host is fundamental given that future environmental conditions in temperate climate will favor the reproduction, development, and survival of several parasite species, which could affect parasite diversity and abundance in the environment and modify host–parasite dynamics.
{"title":"Variation in prevalence and intensity of macroparasites in moose and their interactions with winter tick load in eastern Canada","authors":"Catherine Pouchet, C. Fernández-Prada, Christian Dussault, Martin Leclerc, J. Tremblay, S. Côté","doi":"10.1002/wlb3.01205","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01205","url":null,"abstract":"Wild animals are infected with a large diversity and abundance of parasites that can affect their behavior, growth, body condition, and ultimately their survival. Although the adverse effects of parasites and the mechanisms involved in the interactions between a host and its parasites are generally well studied, much less is known about the additive or synergistic effects of multiple parasite species on a host. Moose populations in eastern Canada are infected by several species of endoparasites. In the last decades, the intensity of infestations by winter ticks, an ectoparasite, on moose have increased as a result of increased moose densities and favorable weather conditions that benefit winter tick survival. We aimed to document the diversity, intensity, prevalence, and distribution of different parasite species of moose in southern Quebec, Canada. We then evaluated the potential interaction between winter tick and endoparasites of moose, and we evaluated the effect of the simultaneous presence of ticks and endoparasites on moose body condition. To do so, we collected organs to identify and count endoparasite species, estimate winter tick abundance, and measure subcutaneous fat thickness from 174 hunted moose in fall 2019 in 8 regions of Quebec. Our results showed that the prevalence and intensity of winter tick and gastrointestinal parasites differed among regions, as well as the prevalence of the heart parasite Taenia krabbei and the intensity of lung parasite Echinoccocus granulosus. Moose body condition, however, was not influenced by the simultaneous presence of winter tick and endoparasites. The documentation of the interactive effects of multiple parasite species on a host is fundamental given that future environmental conditions in temperate climate will favor the reproduction, development, and survival of several parasite species, which could affect parasite diversity and abundance in the environment and modify host–parasite dynamics.","PeriodicalId":54405,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141015736","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The population dynamics of animals involve a complex interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic regulation, characterized as population self‐regulation, encompasses mechanisms that moderate growth rates before reaching maximum food‐dependent densities. Conversely, extrinsically regulated populations are constrained by environmental variables such as food availability, predation, and disease. What regulates wolf populations has been debated for decades, with most publications concluding that wolves are extrinsically regulated, despite evidence of intrinsic mechanisms. This paper summarizes one perspective from a debate at the 'Wolves Across Borders' conference in Stockholm, Sweden in May 2023. Since this paper is a summary of a public debate, the paper is neither a review nor research paper, rather a research history and a recommendation on how the long‐term disagreement might be resolved. Wolf population regulation is likely an interplay between both intrinsic and extrinsic factors which is best studied longitudinally by monitoring one population through time.
{"title":"Do wolves control their own numbers? Understanding and updating the long debate","authors":"Douglas W. Smith, Brenna J. Cassidy","doi":"10.1002/wlb3.01299","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01299","url":null,"abstract":"The population dynamics of animals involve a complex interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic regulation, characterized as population self‐regulation, encompasses mechanisms that moderate growth rates before reaching maximum food‐dependent densities. Conversely, extrinsically regulated populations are constrained by environmental variables such as food availability, predation, and disease. What regulates wolf populations has been debated for decades, with most publications concluding that wolves are extrinsically regulated, despite evidence of intrinsic mechanisms. This paper summarizes one perspective from a debate at the 'Wolves Across Borders' conference in Stockholm, Sweden in May 2023. Since this paper is a summary of a public debate, the paper is neither a review nor research paper, rather a research history and a recommendation on how the long‐term disagreement might be resolved. Wolf population regulation is likely an interplay between both intrinsic and extrinsic factors which is best studied longitudinally by monitoring one population through time.","PeriodicalId":54405,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141016513","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michelle J. C. Kral, Pablo Rios Tubio, F. Broekhuis, I. Heitkönig, Christopher Mbisana, Lucas Motlhabane, Rebecca Klein, F. van Langevelde
Animal activity patterns vary on a daily, circalunar and seasonal scale in response to abiotic (e.g. light availability and temperature) and biotic factors (e.g. predation and competition). In the presence of humans and their livestock, carnivores, for example, have been found to become more nocturnal. The aim of this paper is to compare daily, circalunar and seasonal activity patterns of cheetah Acinonyx jubatus in the western Kalahari of Botswana between areas where there is no livestock present (i.e. game farms with a relatively low risk of cheetah mortality) and areas where livestock is present (i.e. cattle farms with a higher risk of cheetah mortality). Using two years of camera trap data, we recorded 88% of cheetah observations on game farms and 12% on cattle farms. Our results showed that cheetahs were more nocturnal in the absence of cattle and more crepuscular on cattle farms compared to game farms. Overall, cheetah activity on cattle farms showed a peak in activity after inferred cattle activity and before human activity during the day, specifically during the dry season. We recommend management strategies on a local scale such as temporal zoning of grazing activities during the different seasons or keeping cattle in an enclosure at night. This study sheds new light on our understanding of the impact of land use on free‐ranging carnivores in the face of livestock expansion on the African continent.
{"title":"Comparing daily, circalunar and seasonal activity patterns of cheetah Acinonyx jubatus in response to livestock presence in Botswana","authors":"Michelle J. C. Kral, Pablo Rios Tubio, F. Broekhuis, I. Heitkönig, Christopher Mbisana, Lucas Motlhabane, Rebecca Klein, F. van Langevelde","doi":"10.1002/wlb3.01240","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01240","url":null,"abstract":"Animal activity patterns vary on a daily, circalunar and seasonal scale in response to abiotic (e.g. light availability and temperature) and biotic factors (e.g. predation and competition). In the presence of humans and their livestock, carnivores, for example, have been found to become more nocturnal. The aim of this paper is to compare daily, circalunar and seasonal activity patterns of cheetah Acinonyx jubatus in the western Kalahari of Botswana between areas where there is no livestock present (i.e. game farms with a relatively low risk of cheetah mortality) and areas where livestock is present (i.e. cattle farms with a higher risk of cheetah mortality). Using two years of camera trap data, we recorded 88% of cheetah observations on game farms and 12% on cattle farms. Our results showed that cheetahs were more nocturnal in the absence of cattle and more crepuscular on cattle farms compared to game farms. Overall, cheetah activity on cattle farms showed a peak in activity after inferred cattle activity and before human activity during the day, specifically during the dry season. We recommend management strategies on a local scale such as temporal zoning of grazing activities during the different seasons or keeping cattle in an enclosure at night. This study sheds new light on our understanding of the impact of land use on free‐ranging carnivores in the face of livestock expansion on the African continent.","PeriodicalId":54405,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140670790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Natasha Ellison, Jonathan R. Potts, Melanie R. Boudreau, Luca Börger, B. Strickland, Garrett M. Street
Untangling the abiotic and biotic feedback mechanisms driving animal movements and ranges is a core question in ecology, yet progress is hampered by inadequate modelling procedures. Here we show how a recently developed process‐based modelling approach, combining step‐selection functions and individual‐based models, enables a flexible method to infer movement drivers and multi‐scale emergent space use patterns. As a case study, we examine the movement behaviours of a highly invasive social generalist (wild pigs, Sus scrofa) in relation to conspecific space use and multiple land cover types in a complex agricultural landscape, showing that social interactions are predominantly more important to this species than selection for land cover. Thus, animal movement studies should not neglect the effects of sociality when inferring resource driven movements and, crucially, use multi‐scale techniques that incorporate movement processes to untangle drivers of animal space use.
{"title":"Social interactions and habitat structure in understanding the dynamic space use of invasive wild pigs","authors":"Natasha Ellison, Jonathan R. Potts, Melanie R. Boudreau, Luca Börger, B. Strickland, Garrett M. Street","doi":"10.1002/wlb3.01247","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01247","url":null,"abstract":"Untangling the abiotic and biotic feedback mechanisms driving animal movements and ranges is a core question in ecology, yet progress is hampered by inadequate modelling procedures. Here we show how a recently developed process‐based modelling approach, combining step‐selection functions and individual‐based models, enables a flexible method to infer movement drivers and multi‐scale emergent space use patterns. As a case study, we examine the movement behaviours of a highly invasive social generalist (wild pigs, Sus scrofa) in relation to conspecific space use and multiple land cover types in a complex agricultural landscape, showing that social interactions are predominantly more important to this species than selection for land cover. Thus, animal movement studies should not neglect the effects of sociality when inferring resource driven movements and, crucially, use multi‐scale techniques that incorporate movement processes to untangle drivers of animal space use.","PeriodicalId":54405,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140685873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. Hatfield, Allison G. Davis, Ralph Buij, John J. Cox, Shiv Kapila, Lemein Parmuntoro, S. Thomsett, M. Virani, Peter Njoroge, F. van Langevelde
Raptors exert top‐down influences on ecosystems via their effects on prey population dynamics and community composition. Most raptors are sympatric with other predators, thus complicating our understanding of their relative influence in these systems. Estimates of kill rates and prey biomass recycling have been used as predation metrics that allow quantitative comparison among species and assessment of the relative role of single species within complex food webs. Few studies have produced findings of kill rates or prey biomass recycling for raptors. We used a supervised machine learning algorithm to behaviourally classify high resolution accelerometer informed GPS locations of tagged adult non‐breeding martial eagles Polemaetus bellicosus in the Maasai Mara region of Kenya to estimate kill rates and prey biomass recycling. Eagle locations classified as feeding were clustered using distance and time thresholds to identify kills and calculate kill rates. Identified kill sites were quickly ground‐truthed to confirm kills and identify prey species. We estimated kill rates for martial eagles at 0.59 kills day‐1 for males and 0.38 kills day‐1 for females, and we estimated biomass recycling per ground‐truthed kill at 1796 g for males and 3860 g for females. From our sample of identified ground‐truthed kills, ‘gamebirds' was the most frequently recorded prey category for male eagles and ‘small ungulates' was the most frequently recorded prey category for female eagles. These results position martial eagles close to sympatric mammalian top predators in trophic pyramids and provide evidence for their classification as a top predator.
{"title":"Africa's overlooked top predator: Towards a better understanding of martial eagle feeding ecology in the Maasai Mara, Kenya","authors":"R. Hatfield, Allison G. Davis, Ralph Buij, John J. Cox, Shiv Kapila, Lemein Parmuntoro, S. Thomsett, M. Virani, Peter Njoroge, F. van Langevelde","doi":"10.1002/wlb3.01223","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01223","url":null,"abstract":"Raptors exert top‐down influences on ecosystems via their effects on prey population dynamics and community composition. Most raptors are sympatric with other predators, thus complicating our understanding of their relative influence in these systems. Estimates of kill rates and prey biomass recycling have been used as predation metrics that allow quantitative comparison among species and assessment of the relative role of single species within complex food webs. Few studies have produced findings of kill rates or prey biomass recycling for raptors. We used a supervised machine learning algorithm to behaviourally classify high resolution accelerometer informed GPS locations of tagged adult non‐breeding martial eagles Polemaetus bellicosus in the Maasai Mara region of Kenya to estimate kill rates and prey biomass recycling. Eagle locations classified as feeding were clustered using distance and time thresholds to identify kills and calculate kill rates. Identified kill sites were quickly ground‐truthed to confirm kills and identify prey species. We estimated kill rates for martial eagles at 0.59 kills day‐1 for males and 0.38 kills day‐1 for females, and we estimated biomass recycling per ground‐truthed kill at 1796 g for males and 3860 g for females. From our sample of identified ground‐truthed kills, ‘gamebirds' was the most frequently recorded prey category for male eagles and ‘small ungulates' was the most frequently recorded prey category for female eagles. These results position martial eagles close to sympatric mammalian top predators in trophic pyramids and provide evidence for their classification as a top predator.","PeriodicalId":54405,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140693124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sarah J. McGrath, Nicholas Malone, Alison M. Behie
Wild animals are increasingly subjected to noisier environments as the scale and scope of human activities, such as development and resource extraction, encroach into their habitats. Anthropogenic noise alters the behaviour and vocalisations of wild animals including primates, yet our understanding of how noise affects small apes is limited. The large population of endangered northern yellow‐cheeked crested gibbons (Nomascus annamensis) inhabiting Veun Sai‐Siem Pang National Park (VSSP), in northeastern Cambodia, is frequently exposed to noise produced from illegal selective logging activities within the park. To determine the impacts of chainsaw noise on the gibbons' activity budgets and calling probability, we collected behavioural data on the only habituated gibbon group in VSSP during two consecutive dry seasons between 2017 and 2019. Our analyses of scan and focal‐animal samples revealed that when chainsaws were active, the group rested more and scanned less. The gibbons called more on mornings when there was no chainsaw activity; however, the trend was non‐significant. These findings suggest that despite long‐term exposure, chainsaw noise variably impacts important aspects of gibbon behaviour.
{"title":"Effects of chainsaw noise on the activity budgets and calling behaviour of the northern yellow‐cheeked crested gibbon (Nomascus annamensis)","authors":"Sarah J. McGrath, Nicholas Malone, Alison M. Behie","doi":"10.1002/wlb3.01196","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01196","url":null,"abstract":"Wild animals are increasingly subjected to noisier environments as the scale and scope of human activities, such as development and resource extraction, encroach into their habitats. Anthropogenic noise alters the behaviour and vocalisations of wild animals including primates, yet our understanding of how noise affects small apes is limited. The large population of endangered northern yellow‐cheeked crested gibbons (Nomascus annamensis) inhabiting Veun Sai‐Siem Pang National Park (VSSP), in northeastern Cambodia, is frequently exposed to noise produced from illegal selective logging activities within the park. To determine the impacts of chainsaw noise on the gibbons' activity budgets and calling probability, we collected behavioural data on the only habituated gibbon group in VSSP during two consecutive dry seasons between 2017 and 2019. Our analyses of scan and focal‐animal samples revealed that when chainsaws were active, the group rested more and scanned less. The gibbons called more on mornings when there was no chainsaw activity; however, the trend was non‐significant. These findings suggest that despite long‐term exposure, chainsaw noise variably impacts important aspects of gibbon behaviour.","PeriodicalId":54405,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140712452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In Germany, the high risk of wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVC) is further increasing due to increasing traffic volumes and road densities as well as the growing population densities of common ungulate species. As a result, threats to human health and property as well as wildlife mortality of widely spread and rare species increase. Currently, three basic types of wildlife fences are used in Germany: type A, a conventional galvanized‐high tensile deer fence (made of knot braid); type B, a chain wire (mesh wire) fence; type C, a rigid welded wire mesh fence panels. Since fencing needs to restrict access of many different species with different behaviours (e.g. jumping, climbing, digging), fencing needs to be multifaceted to be effectively. Furthermore, the occurrence of wildlife species with habits such as jumping, climbing or digging determines the optimal (functional) fence design per location. We surveyed road managers in combination with a personal assessment of road sections in Germany and derived the following recommendations for optimal fencing to reduce WVC: 1) To deter digging, use plates made of recycled synthetic materials or a concrete foundation, instead of barbed wire. 2) Fencing should be made of chain wire (mesh wire, type B) fence or rigid welded wire mesh fence panels (type C) instead of knot braid mesh (type A). 3) To restrict climbing, use angled chain wire fence or rigid welded wire mesh fence panels at the top of the fences. 4) Maintain fences so that they are kept free from ingrown vegetation/woods. Maintenance conditions should be considered while planning and building the fence, especially to ensure sufficient space on both sides for accessibility. 5) Fencing should be established preferably near the roadside and moved away from property lines. In conclusion, wildlife fencing could be a very effective mitigation measure to prevent WVC with common as well as protected species, when proper designed and recommendations of the survey will be consequently considered. Currently many wildlife fences lack functionality due to an inappropriate design and maintenance issues in Germany.
{"title":"Wildlife fencing at German highways and federal roads – requirements and management implications","authors":"Falko Brieger, Martin Strein","doi":"10.1002/wlb3.01161","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01161","url":null,"abstract":"In Germany, the high risk of wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVC) is further increasing due to increasing traffic volumes and road densities as well as the growing population densities of common ungulate species. As a result, threats to human health and property as well as wildlife mortality of widely spread and rare species increase. Currently, three basic types of wildlife fences are used in Germany: type A, a conventional galvanized‐high tensile deer fence (made of knot braid); type B, a chain wire (mesh wire) fence; type C, a rigid welded wire mesh fence panels. Since fencing needs to restrict access of many different species with different behaviours (e.g. jumping, climbing, digging), fencing needs to be multifaceted to be effectively. Furthermore, the occurrence of wildlife species with habits such as jumping, climbing or digging determines the optimal (functional) fence design per location. We surveyed road managers in combination with a personal assessment of road sections in Germany and derived the following recommendations for optimal fencing to reduce WVC: 1) To deter digging, use plates made of recycled synthetic materials or a concrete foundation, instead of barbed wire. 2) Fencing should be made of chain wire (mesh wire, type B) fence or rigid welded wire mesh fence panels (type C) instead of knot braid mesh (type A). 3) To restrict climbing, use angled chain wire fence or rigid welded wire mesh fence panels at the top of the fences. 4) Maintain fences so that they are kept free from ingrown vegetation/woods. Maintenance conditions should be considered while planning and building the fence, especially to ensure sufficient space on both sides for accessibility. 5) Fencing should be established preferably near the roadside and moved away from property lines. In conclusion, wildlife fencing could be a very effective mitigation measure to prevent WVC with common as well as protected species, when proper designed and recommendations of the survey will be consequently considered. Currently many wildlife fences lack functionality due to an inappropriate design and maintenance issues in Germany.","PeriodicalId":54405,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140723026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Caryl Buton, Nicolas Kaldonski, François Nowicki, Christine Saint‐Andrieux
Practical gaps in knowledge of fence ecology or its specific requirements still exist despite numerous recommendations scattered throughout various articles. We recently carried out two different studies on fences in a French context whose results corroborate this observation, and highlight the need to synthetise and prioritise scientific and technical research. The first study was an exploratory research project on escape devices used to allow ungulates to exit fenced transport infrastructure right‐of‐way. The second study entailed drafting a guide on the mitigation of the fence's ecological impacts, using solar energy plants as a case study. Both were based on different types of information gathering, ranging from bibliographical research to interviews with governments officials, operating companies, engineering offices, naturalists and hunters' associations.Based on the similarities between these two studies, the urgency of certain needs, and the clear potential for these approaches to extend beyond France's borders, we have identified two key categories for future actions. The first category is a series of six research priorities: Diversifying monitoring of exclusion fencing; Developing practice‐oriented fence mapping tools; Further studying the impact of fencing on animal vehicle collisions; Considering animal behaviour in monitoring protocol; Ex‐situ testing of devices' effectiveness; and Studying large‐scale effects of fencing. The second category comprises six method recommendations: Accurately documenting fences; Early planning of scientific monitoring; Contextualising fencing requirements; Defining effectiveness goals and criteria; Taking advantage of opportunistic Animal‐Fence Event observations; and Developing artificial intelligence and computer vision to map fences. All these items are supported by examples drawn from one study or the other.Our conclusions indicate that, in the context of major expansion of fences, such recommendations must be integrated at all stages of development work. If this is not implemented, the free movement of animal species will not be adequately protected and the erosion of biodiversity will be further exacerbated.
{"title":"What next? Some practical suggestions for future studies on fence ecology","authors":"Caryl Buton, Nicolas Kaldonski, François Nowicki, Christine Saint‐Andrieux","doi":"10.1002/wlb3.01152","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01152","url":null,"abstract":"Practical gaps in knowledge of fence ecology or its specific requirements still exist despite numerous recommendations scattered throughout various articles. We recently carried out two different studies on fences in a French context whose results corroborate this observation, and highlight the need to synthetise and prioritise scientific and technical research. The first study was an exploratory research project on escape devices used to allow ungulates to exit fenced transport infrastructure right‐of‐way. The second study entailed drafting a guide on the mitigation of the fence's ecological impacts, using solar energy plants as a case study. Both were based on different types of information gathering, ranging from bibliographical research to interviews with governments officials, operating companies, engineering offices, naturalists and hunters' associations.Based on the similarities between these two studies, the urgency of certain needs, and the clear potential for these approaches to extend beyond France's borders, we have identified two key categories for future actions. The first category is a series of six research priorities: Diversifying monitoring of exclusion fencing; Developing practice‐oriented fence mapping tools; Further studying the impact of fencing on animal vehicle collisions; Considering animal behaviour in monitoring protocol; Ex‐situ testing of devices' effectiveness; and Studying large‐scale effects of fencing. The second category comprises six method recommendations: Accurately documenting fences; Early planning of scientific monitoring; Contextualising fencing requirements; Defining effectiveness goals and criteria; Taking advantage of opportunistic Animal‐Fence Event observations; and Developing artificial intelligence and computer vision to map fences. All these items are supported by examples drawn from one study or the other.Our conclusions indicate that, in the context of major expansion of fences, such recommendations must be integrated at all stages of development work. If this is not implemented, the free movement of animal species will not be adequately protected and the erosion of biodiversity will be further exacerbated.","PeriodicalId":54405,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140740428","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Christian A. Hagen, John M. Goodell, B. Millsap, Guthrie S. Zimmerman
As the human footprint expands to meet societal energy needs, as do the impacts to wildlife. Raptors in particular are highly susceptible to anthropogenic caused mortality. Industry sectors are encouraged to offset these causes of mortality. Several options to mitigate these losses have been proposed, including raptor rehabilitation. However, its role as a conservation tool is untested. Currently no peer‐reviewed demographic analyses exist using post‐release data from rehabilitated raptors to evaluate its effectiveness at continental scales. Our objectives were to estimate annual survival of rehabilitated and wild raptors, and then use those estimates in demographic models to assess potential effects at individual and population levels. We hypothesized that rehabilitated raptors would survive similarly to their wild counterparts after an acclimation period, and that longer‐lived species (K‐selected) would benefit most from these releases. We used US Geological Survey Bird Banding Lab band‐recovery data (1974–2018) from 20 raptor species for modeling survival of rehabilitated individuals (n = 125 740) in comparison to wild birds (n = 1 913 352). Results from 17 species with adequate recovery data indicated that five species rehabilitated ≠ wild survival, two species had uncertain estimates, and 10 species rehabilitated ≈ wild survival by years two and three post‐release. We acquired admission (n = 69 707) and release (n = 25 740) data from 24 rehabilitation centers across the US (2012–2021). We integrated survival, fecundity and numbers of releases into demographic models. These models quantified the extent to which rehabilitated raptors may contribute to broader conservation efforts, especially in the context of individual take. All but two species, had measurable numbers of individuals added to the population regardless of the number of releases. The general pattern was for K‐selected species to yield larger benefits from rehabilitated supplementation to the population. These results provide evidence that rehabilitation may serve as mitigation tool to offset incidental take.
{"title":"‘Dead birds flying': can north American rehabilitated raptors released into the wild mitigate anthropogenic mortality?","authors":"Christian A. Hagen, John M. Goodell, B. Millsap, Guthrie S. Zimmerman","doi":"10.1002/wlb3.01283","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01283","url":null,"abstract":"As the human footprint expands to meet societal energy needs, as do the impacts to wildlife. Raptors in particular are highly susceptible to anthropogenic caused mortality. Industry sectors are encouraged to offset these causes of mortality. Several options to mitigate these losses have been proposed, including raptor rehabilitation. However, its role as a conservation tool is untested. Currently no peer‐reviewed demographic analyses exist using post‐release data from rehabilitated raptors to evaluate its effectiveness at continental scales. Our objectives were to estimate annual survival of rehabilitated and wild raptors, and then use those estimates in demographic models to assess potential effects at individual and population levels. We hypothesized that rehabilitated raptors would survive similarly to their wild counterparts after an acclimation period, and that longer‐lived species (K‐selected) would benefit most from these releases. We used US Geological Survey Bird Banding Lab band‐recovery data (1974–2018) from 20 raptor species for modeling survival of rehabilitated individuals (n = 125 740) in comparison to wild birds (n = 1 913 352). Results from 17 species with adequate recovery data indicated that five species rehabilitated ≠ wild survival, two species had uncertain estimates, and 10 species rehabilitated ≈ wild survival by years two and three post‐release. We acquired admission (n = 69 707) and release (n = 25 740) data from 24 rehabilitation centers across the US (2012–2021). We integrated survival, fecundity and numbers of releases into demographic models. These models quantified the extent to which rehabilitated raptors may contribute to broader conservation efforts, especially in the context of individual take. All but two species, had measurable numbers of individuals added to the population regardless of the number of releases. The general pattern was for K‐selected species to yield larger benefits from rehabilitated supplementation to the population. These results provide evidence that rehabilitation may serve as mitigation tool to offset incidental take.","PeriodicalId":54405,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140741345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
N. Gerber, F. Riesch, Katarzyna Bojarska, M. Zetsche, Nina‐K. Rohwer, J. Signer, Johannes Isselstein, Sven Herzog, Henryk Okarma, D. Kuijper, N. Balkenhol
Predators can affect ecosystems through non‐consumptive effects (NCE) on their prey, which can lead to cascading effects on the vegetation. In mammalian communities, such cascading effects on whole ecosystems have mainly been demonstrated in protected areas, but the extent to which such effects may occur in more human‐dominated landscapes remains disputable. With the recolonisation of wolves Canis lupus in Europe, understanding the potential for such cascading processes becomes crucial for understanding the ecological consequences of wolf recovery and making appropriate management recommendations. Here, we investigate the evidence for non‐consumptive effects of wolves on their wild ungulate prey and cascading effects on the vegetation in European landscapes. We reviewed empirical studies reporting wild ungulate responses to wolves involving spatio‐temporal behaviour at large and fine spatial scales, activity patterns, vigilance, grouping, physiological effects, and effects on the vegetation. We reveal that non‐consumptive effects of wolves in Europe have been studied in few regions and with focus on regions with low human impact, are highly context‐dependent, and might often be overruled by human‐related factors. Hence, we highlight the need for a description of human influence in NCE studies. We discuss challenges in NCE research and the potential for advances in future research on NCE of wolves in a human‐dominated landscape. We emphasise the need for wildlife management to restore ecosystem complexity and processes, to allow non‐consumptive predator effects to occur.
捕食者可以通过对猎物的非消耗性影响（NCE）来影响生态系统，从而对植被产生连带效应。在哺乳动物群落中，这种对整个生态系统的级联效应主要在保护区中得到证实，但在人类占主导地位的景观中，这种效应的发生程度仍有争议。随着狼群在欧洲的重新定居，了解这种级联过程的可能性对于理解狼群恢复的生态后果和提出适当的管理建议至关重要。在此，我们调查了狼对其野生蹄类动物猎物的非消耗性影响以及对欧洲景观植被的连带影响的证据。我们回顾了有关野生蹄类动物对狼的反应的实证研究，这些反应涉及大空间尺度和小空间尺度的时空行为、活动模式、警惕性、集群、生理效应以及对植被的影响。我们发现，在欧洲，狼的非消耗性影响只在少数地区进行过研究，而且主要集中在人类影响较小的地区，这些影响高度依赖于具体情况，而且可能经常被与人类有关的因素所取代。因此，我们强调有必要在 NCE 研究中描述人类的影响。我们讨论了在人类占主导地位的景观中进行狼的野性教育研究面临的挑战以及未来研究取得进展的潜力。我们强调野生动物管理需要恢复生态系统的复杂性和过程，以允许非消耗性捕食者效应的发生。
{"title":"Do recolonising wolves trigger non‐consumptive effects in European ecosystems? A review of evidence","authors":"N. Gerber, F. Riesch, Katarzyna Bojarska, M. Zetsche, Nina‐K. Rohwer, J. Signer, Johannes Isselstein, Sven Herzog, Henryk Okarma, D. Kuijper, N. Balkenhol","doi":"10.1002/wlb3.01229","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01229","url":null,"abstract":"Predators can affect ecosystems through non‐consumptive effects (NCE) on their prey, which can lead to cascading effects on the vegetation. In mammalian communities, such cascading effects on whole ecosystems have mainly been demonstrated in protected areas, but the extent to which such effects may occur in more human‐dominated landscapes remains disputable. With the recolonisation of wolves Canis lupus in Europe, understanding the potential for such cascading processes becomes crucial for understanding the ecological consequences of wolf recovery and making appropriate management recommendations. Here, we investigate the evidence for non‐consumptive effects of wolves on their wild ungulate prey and cascading effects on the vegetation in European landscapes. We reviewed empirical studies reporting wild ungulate responses to wolves involving spatio‐temporal behaviour at large and fine spatial scales, activity patterns, vigilance, grouping, physiological effects, and effects on the vegetation. We reveal that non‐consumptive effects of wolves in Europe have been studied in few regions and with focus on regions with low human impact, are highly context‐dependent, and might often be overruled by human‐related factors. Hence, we highlight the need for a description of human influence in NCE studies. We discuss challenges in NCE research and the potential for advances in future research on NCE of wolves in a human‐dominated landscape. We emphasise the need for wildlife management to restore ecosystem complexity and processes, to allow non‐consumptive predator effects to occur.","PeriodicalId":54405,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140740495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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