Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joel Ruprecht, Charlotte E. Eriksson, Tavis D. Forrester, Derek B. Spitz, Darren A. Clark, Michael J. Wisdom, Marcus Bianco, Mary M. Rowland, Joshua B. Smith, Bruce K. Johnson, Taal Levi
Summary: The Mesopredator release theory suggests that dominant predators suppress subordinate carnivores, but the study found that resource provisioning from competitively dominant cougars to coyotes through scavenging played a crucial role in shaping coyote behavior and space use. The interactions among carnivores were found to be multifaceted, with coyotes being both attracted to cougar kill sites but also frequently killed by cougars. The study also revealed that bobcats and black bears had different responses to cougar presence, with bobcats showing no influence and black bears avoiding them.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Geoff Castle, Malcolm S. Kennedy, Benjamin L. Allen
Summary: The current empirical studies examining the relationship between apex predators and mesopredators in terrestrial systems suffer from design flaws, resulting in weak and unreliable inference. Only a small number of studies were capable of assessing the potential role of dingoes in mesopredator release, and all of them consistently showed that dingoes do not suppress mesopredators or initiate trophic cascades.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Gavin T. Bonsen, Arian D. Wallach, Dror Ben-Ami, Oded Keynan, Anton Khalilieh, Uri Shanas, Eamonn I. F. Wooster, Daniel Ramp
Summary: This study assessed the cascading effects of acceptance of Arabian wolves on other canids in relation to human land-use and density. The findings showed that wolves were less recorded in pastoralist landscapes, leading to cascading effects. Additionally, wolves facilitated the increase of foxes by reducing pressure from jackals.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Deniz Secilmis, Thomas Hillerton, Sven Nelander, Erik L. L. Sonnhammer
Summary: The study introduces an algorithm called IDEMAX to infer effective perturbation design from gene expression data, improving the accuracy of GRN inference in real data where noise often hides much of the signal.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Ann Eklund, Asa Waldo, Maria Johansson, Jens Frank
Summary: The coexistence of humans and wildlife can have positive or negative interactions and can also lead to positive or negative interactions among human actors. The concept of Human Wildlife Conflicts (HWC) is criticized for being imprecise, and a distinction between wildlife impacts and social conflicts has been suggested. This review paper disentangles the concept of HWC using the Human-Environment Interaction Model and Appraisal Theory of Emotion. Understanding and empathy between actors are important for future coexistence and sustainable conservation of wildlife in multiuse landscapes.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Samantha Ball, Anthony Caravaggi, Fidelma Butler
Summary: Reported strike events between wildlife and aircraft are increasing globally and pose a hazard to aircraft and airfield operations. Understanding the relative hazard a species poses to aircraft and its life history is key in developing effective mitigation strategies. This study used motion-activated camera traps to collect activity data on a population of Irish hares inhabiting the airfield at Dublin International Airport. The study found a close association between hare activity and hare strikes, highlighting the importance of understanding activity patterns for targeted mitigation.
REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
V. Selonen, P. B. Banks, J. Tobajas, T. Laaksonen
Summary: Complicated conservation problems may arise when predator numbers exceed their natural boundaries due to human influence. A study in southern Finland found that non-lethal methods such as chemical camouflage and conditioned food aversion showed potential for reducing nest predation. However, these methods did not decrease predator activity but affected their foraging behavior and ability to find nests.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
David J. T. Douglas, Irena Tomankova, Philippa Gullett, Stephen G. Dodd, Daniel Brown, Martin Clift, Norrie Russell, Neal Warnock, Jennifer Smart, Sarah Sanders
Summary: Many ground-nesting bird species, including the globally Near-threatened Eurasian Curlew, are declining due to predation and habitat loss. A study was conducted to test the effectiveness of vegetation management and predator control in improving Curlew nesting success and breeding abundance in the UK. Results showed that vegetation management improved habitat condition, but predator abundances and Curlew reproductive outcomes did not differ between trial and reference sites.
JOURNAL FOR NATURE CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Shan L. Pan, Mingwei Li, L. G. Pee, M. S. Sandeep
Summary: This paper explores wildlife management through the lens of affordance and develops design principles for a class of wildlife management analytics system through action design research. The research contributes to design knowledge by abstracting design artefacts and principles, and generalizing new activities and principles for designing analytical models. The findings can be applied to similar problems and systems in practice.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mathias M. Pires, Mauro Galetti
Summary: Human activities have caused changes in the abundance and distribution of animals, resulting in altered and less diverse ecosystems. These changes have led to the emergence of three main defaunation syndromes: herbivore-dominated, seed predator-dominated, and mesopredator-dominated systems, depending on the prevalence of different human drivers. The extirpation of top predators promotes herbivore-dominated assemblages, while habitat loss and overhunting lead to the dominance of smaller-bodied seed predators and mesopredators. In fragmented landscapes without top predators, mesopredator-dominated systems emerge with support from agricultural subsidies. The prevalence of one guild over others has significant impacts on ecological processes, ecosystem services, and human health, making it a dominant scenario in the Anthropocene.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Statistics & Probability
Patrick Bajari, Brian Burdick, Guido W. Imbens, Lorenzo Masoero, James Mcqueen, Thomas S. Richardson, Ido M. Rosen
Summary: Classical Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) are designed to draw causal inferences, but modern experiments often involve complex interactions between units, making classical designs ineffective. In this manuscript, we review novel experimental designs, such as Multiple Randomization Designs (MRDs), that allow for the study of causal effects in the presence of interference.
STATISTICAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Sangwook Ahn, Cameron P. Goater
Summary: The dilution effect refers to the negative association between host biodiversity and infectious disease risk, with host species identity playing a key role. Understanding the relative roles of host species richness and exposure rates can help resolve ongoing debates on the importance and generality of dilution effects. Different host species can have complex and idiosyncratic effects on parasite infection rates within contemporary host communities.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biology
Goncalo Curveira-Santos, Chris Sutherland, Simone Tenan, Albert Fernandez-Chacon, Gareth K. H. Mann, Ross T. Pitman, Lourens H. Swanepoel
Summary: The reintroduction of apex predators in southern Africa has increased, but there is a lack of empirical evaluation on their ecological effects and the proposed umbrella benefits of associated management. A study found that lion reserves in South Africa had more mesocarnivore-rich communities, but lower mesocarnivore occupancy rates and diversity when lions were present. Additionally, human population density surrounding the reserves also negatively affected mesocarnivore occupancy.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Giovanna Massei
Summary: Current trends in Europe indicate that the impacts of wildlife will increase due to population growth and landscape development. Traditional methods like culling are ineffective, environmentally harmful and face opposition. Contraceptives could be an alternative. This review examines the effects, challenges, cost, and feasibility of using contraceptives for European wildlife. It also highlights the contexts and species in which contraceptives could be used to reduce wildlife impacts and provides eight reasons for Europe to invest in wildlife fertility control.
Article
Ecology
Dan Parker, Stanislav Roudavski, Theresa M. Jones, Nick Bradsworth, Bronwyn Isaac, Martin T. Lockett, Kylie Soanes
Summary: This article introduces a new design method to improve artificial habitat structures for cavity-dependent animals using computer-aided design and manufacturing techniques. By using generative and parametric modeling, 3D printing and augmented-reality assembly, as well as laser scanning and data-driven design, this approach can create geometrically innovative designs, select materials that match the performance of natural structures, and produce precise and easy-to-install designs.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Christopher Bobier, Benjamin Allen
Summary: Compassionate conservationists advocate against intentionally harming animals in conservation policies, but in practice they may face challenges related to ethical principles and virtues.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ganesh Pant, Tek Maraseni, Armando Apan, Benjamin L. Allen
Summary: Climate change poses a serious threat to global biodiversity, including the greater one-horned rhinoceros in Nepal. However, the impacts of climate change have not been well integrated into formal conservation planning for the rhinoceros. This study identified adaptation actions, such as identifying and protecting climate refugia and restoring existing habitats, which could help reduce the vulnerability of the rhinoceros to climate change.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Geoff Castle, Deane Smith, Lee R. Allen, John Carter, Peter Elsworth, Benjamin L. Allen
Summary: Increased demand for livestock products has led to conflicts with predators, prompting the implementation of predation management practices, such as the erection of exclusion fences in Australia. Concerns have been raised about the potential cascading effects on wildlife populations. However, experimental results show that the removal of apex predators does not routinely cause trophic cascades in Australian rangeland ecosystems. This suggests that there are opportunities to promote the recovery of threatened species in predator-free areas used for livestock production.
Article
Zoology
T. Henderson, B. A. Fancourt, R. Rajaratnam, K. Vernes, G. Ballard
Summary: The spotted-tailed quoll is an endangered mesopredator in Australia that is generally associated with large, intact forested habitats. However, recent research has shown that they can also thrive in fragmented agricultural landscapes, suggesting that their habitat preferences may be more flexible than previously assumed.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Linda Behrendorff, Rachel King, Benjamin L. Allen
Summary: This study collected and analyzed reports of human-dingo interactions on K'gari Island since 1990. The results showed that food influences dingo behavior and that nonlethal management actions can reduce food-related interactions. Further innovations are needed to reduce serious incidents involving dingoes and humans.
Article
Zoology
Michal Krzysztof Smielak, Guy Ballard, Peter John Sabine Fleming, Gerhard Kortner, Karl Vernes, Nick Reid
Summary: By analyzing a large dataset collected over 3 years from 133 camera traps, researchers found that common brushtail possums are primarily nocturnal and their terrestrial activity peaks in winter during the breeding season. Ambient temperature and moonlight intensity significantly influence their activity patterns, with lower temperatures and brighter moonlight promoting activity. Rain and higher temperatures, on the other hand, decrease possum activity. The findings also show that possums prefer higher moonlight intensity and adjust their activity accordingly.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Victoria Condon, Bethany Wilson, Peter J. S. Fleming, Brooke P. A. Kennedy, Tamara Keeley, Jamie Barwick, Paul McGreevy
Summary: Feral horses in Australia, also known as brumbies, are managed by human intervention. Rehoming of suitable feral horses following passive trapping is widely accepted, but their numbers in the horse market are minimal compared to other cohorts. Further research is needed to determine appropriate target markets and improve the sustainability of rehoming as a management tool.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Surendranie J. Cabral de Mel, Saman Seneweera, Ashoka Dangolla, Devaka K. Weerakoon, Tek Maraseni, Benjamin L. Allen
Summary: This study assessed the opinions of stakeholders on the potential use of aversive geofencing devices (AGDs) on Asian elephants. Most respondents expressed positive opinions on the effectiveness of AGDs in managing elephant movement and believed that shock collars could be a useful tool to mitigate human-elephant conflict.
Article
Ecology
David McKenzie Berman, Jill Pickering, Deane Smith, Benjamin L. Allen
Summary: Based on our study in two regions, we found that the impact of feral horses on the environment is directly related to their population density. However, further research is needed to determine the optimal level of control required to achieve conservation objectives.
Article
Ecology
G. Charlton, G. Falzon, A. Shepley, P. J. S. Fleming, G. Ballard, P. D. Meek
Summary: This study developed and tested a novel baiting technique called Sentinel Bait Station, which can automatically provide baits to target species and save resources. Field testing showed promising results, with high accuracy and precision of the image recognition algorithm.
Article
Zoology
Paul D. Meek, Guy Ballard, Darren Marshall, Lachlan Marshall, Deane Smith, Peter J. S. Fleming
Summary: GPS tracking collars were used on five free-ranging dogs in Arcadia Valley, Queensland to collect movement data in a unique topographical landscape. Three home range methods were employed to generate activity areas using seasonally constrained fixes. Activity areas (Brownian Bridge and Utilisation Distribution) ranged from 2.9 to 689 km(2) in this landscape, showing that previously perceived barriers to dog movement were not limiting habitat use.
AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
John P. Tracey, Peter J. S. Fleming
Summary: Investigated biases caused by animal movement during intensive helicopter surveys of feral goats. Found that goats did not move randomly in response to helicopters and that animals within the survey transects were more likely to move. It was also observed that a significant number of goats were available for recounting in adjacent transects, leading to potential overestimation.
Article
Zoology
Jessica Sparkes, Peter J. S. Fleming
Summary: Feral cats pose a significant threat to Australian native fauna. The use of camera traps for individual identification is important for evaluating management actions. However, observer bias and camera trap settings can affect identification rates. This study compared the individual identification of feral cats by two observers with different levels of experience. The results showed that the experienced observer attributed more events to known individuals and daytime events had higher identification rates and match success.
AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY
(2023)
