Article
Ecology
J. Signer, J. Fieberg, B. Reineking, U. Schlaegel, B. Smith, N. Balkenhol, T. Avgar
Summary: One of the challenges in animal movement ecology is predicting where and when animals will occur on the landscape. This article presents a method using integrated Step-Selection Analyses (iSSAs) to predict utilisation distribution based on observed animal movement data.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Alice M. Trevail, Jonathan A. Green, Mark Bolton, Francis Daunt, Stephanie M. Harris, Peter Miller, Stephen Newton, Ellie Owen, Jeff A. Polton, Gail Robertson, Jonathan Sharples, Samantha C. Patrick
Summary: This study suggests that individual specialisations in habitat selection while foraging are more prevalent in heterogeneous environments. This trend is significant across multiple dynamic habitat variables and does not arise through site fidelity, highlighting the importance of environmental processes in facilitating behavioral adaptation by predators. Individual differences may drive evolutionary processes, indicating that environmental heterogeneity plays a crucial role in determining current and future population, species, and community dynamics.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Arik Dorfman, Aziz Subach, Inon Scharf
Summary: Tracking technologies have revolutionized zoological research, but simple methods of tracking spoor remain valuable. Tracking, a key skill in human evolution, involves finding and categorizing footprints and other animal-related signs. It is used in animal behavior studies and conservation efforts. This paper reviews the history of tracking, discusses its uses and methods, and encourages researchers to use it as a reliable, easy and cost-effective tool.
Article
Ecology
Juan Manuel Morales, Teresa Moran Lopez
Summary: Modeling seed dispersal by animals involves complex mathematical models and agent-based models, which help us better understand the key mechanisms of seed dispersal. However, current models suffer from overparameterization and poor predictive capacity, requiring the establishment of more complex hierarchical model structures to enhance the ability to understand and predict seed dispersal.
Article
Ecology
Natasha J. Klappstein, Jonathan R. Potts, Theo Michelot, Luca Borger, Nicholas W. Pilfold, Mark A. Lewis, Andrew E. Derocher
Summary: The energy selection function (ESF) is introduced as a novel parameterization of step selection functions (SSFs) to evaluate how animals choose habitat based on energetic considerations. The ESF framework combines the energetic consequences of movement and resource selection, providing a key mechanism for habitat selection analysis.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mirjam Barrueto, Anne Forshner, Jesse Whittington, Anthony P. Clevenger, Marco Musiani
Summary: Protected areas are crucial for species conservation, but human-caused mortality and recreational activities can have negative impacts on wildlife populations. A study conducted in southwestern Canada revealed that wolverine density within protected areas was three times higher than outside, but it declined over a ten-year period. Wolverine density and detection probability were positively associated with snow cover and negatively influenced by human recreational activity and development. The annual harvest rate exceeded the maximum sustainable rate. The study emphasizes the importance of monitoring population trends and addressing key conservation concerns to prevent unnoticed declines.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Rebecca Wheatley, Jessie C. Buettel, Barry W. Brook, Christopher N. Johnson, Rory P. Wilson
Summary: Animals adjust their habitat use based on the energy demands of movement and the risk of predation, but recent research suggests they also take into account the risk of accidents in their movement decisions. The study proposes a theoretical framework describing how physical landscape features interact with animal characteristics to affect the risk of accidents, emphasizing the need for future research to test these hypotheses in different real-world systems.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Matthew A. A. Wuensch, Alexander M. M. Pratt, David Ward
Summary: This study designed a feeder that measured activity densities and excluded non-target species to accurately measure ungulate habitat preference and space use. The experiments showed that the feeder could discern habitat preference and found that white-tailed deer preferred the old-field habitat. Non-target species accessed the traditional feeding bin more frequently than the modified feeder design. The feeder design offers an alternative method to measure activity densities and restrict access to non-target species.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Tara J. Pirie, Rebecca L. Thomas, Mark D. E. Fellowes
Summary: This study investigates the movement and prey of domestic cats in inner suburban areas and areas adjacent to natural habitats. The results show that cats in boundary areas have larger home ranges and return more prey. Although non-boundary cats have little access to natural habitats, more than 25% of the home range of boundary cats is within natural habitats.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2022)
Article
Ecology
David C. McNitt, Emily M. Latta, Jordan D. McMahon, Matthew C. Rustand
Summary: This study found that the relative abundance of snowshoe hares is influenced by vegetation and topography. The abundance at Birdseye Gulch is affected by vegetation, while at Three Peaks it is affected by topography. The results suggest that snowshoe hares can persist in isolated habitats at the southern range periphery, but vegetation management may be less effective in conserving habitat due to weaker associations with vegetation structure.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kate Twynham, Andres Ordiz, Ole-Gunnar Stoen, Geir-Rune Rauset, Jonas Kindberg, Peter Segerstrom, Jens Frank, Antonio Uzal
Summary: In this study in northern Sweden, researchers investigated the habitat selection of brown bears following resource pulses and how these selections varied based on different degrees of predatory behavior. Through GPS collars on bears and UHF transmitters on reindeer, they found that habitat selection differed across periods and between bears with high and low predatory behavior, providing evidence that specialization in foraging behavior influences individual variation in bear habitat selection.
Article
Ecology
Hakan Sand, Mark Jamieson, Henrik Andren, Camilla Wikenros, Joris Cromsigt, Johan Mansson
Summary: The study explored the impact of wolf recolonization on moose habitat selection using long-term data. Results showed that moose reduced their use of one type of open habitat after wolf establishment, but there was no change in the use of other habitat types. The study also found that the effect of wolves varied among different habitat types, and there was no consistent support for a behavioral effect of wolves' establishment on moose habitat use.
Article
Ecology
Ceeanna J. J. Zulla, Gavin M. M. Jones, H. Anu Kramer, John J. J. Keane, Kevin N. N. Roberts, Brian P. P. Dotters, Sarah C. C. Sawyer, Sheila A. A. Whitmore, William J. J. Berigan, Kevin G. G. Kelly, R. J. Gutierrez, M. Zachariah Peery
Summary: This study tested the effects of forest stand types on hunting and breeding success of California spotted owls in a mixed-ownership landscape in the Sierra Nevada, California. Results showed that spotted owls made shorter nocturnal movements in homogeneous territories with large areas of medium-aged forest, but delivered prey at a higher rate to nest sites in territories with more forest edge. The study highlights the importance of considering species-specific trade-offs and individual life history activities when studying the effects of landscape heterogeneity.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Inon Scharf
Summary: The study found that the spatial overlap between predators and prey affects their behavioral strategies, while the different ambush locations also impact plant aggregation. Herbivores adopt different movement strategies when encountering different types of predators, indicating a complex interaction between predators and prey.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Masao Amano, Kagari Aoki, Hayao Kobayashi, Shingo Minamikawa, Katsufumi Sato, Tsunemi Kubodera
Summary: This study investigated the movement patterns of male sperm whales in Nemuro Strait, Japan, and found that they dive deeper at night compared to during the day. The whales also change their north-south movement direction every 4-6 hours, independent of the current direction. These tactics help the whales efficiently search for prey in the narrow submarine canyon. The results highlight the whales' ability to adapt their foraging strategies based on the prey environment and suggest the importance of social cohesion among foraging male sperm whales.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)