Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Petra Quillfeldt, Andreas Bange, Aude Boutet, Rachael A. Orben, Alastair M. M. Baylis
Summary: It has been found that Thin-billed Prions travel long distances during incubation to forage in the Patagonian Shelf or Polar Front waters, while during chick-rearing, they undertake variable duration trips and forage locally and inshore. They show a high flexibility in foraging areas, habitats, and trip durations.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
M. G. Gantchoff, J. D. Erb, D. M. MacFarland, D. C. Norton, J. L. Price Tack, B. J. Roell, J. L. Belant
Summary: Cougars have the potential for re-establishment in certain regions, with a need for greater understanding of potential distribution and connectivity to inform management and policy decisions. The Great Lakes region of the USA is projected to be an important area for cougar range expansion into the Midwestern and Eastern USA. Conservation efforts for large carnivores like cougars should focus on protecting habitat patches, linkages, and promoting long-term coexistence.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
M. Teague O'Mara, Dina K. N. Dechmann
Summary: Greater spear-nosed bats forage on patchily distributed balsa flowers, but do not commute together with group members. Close proximity among bats is more important during resting rather than foraging.
Article
Biology
Thor Elley, Thomas Mattern, Ursula Ellenberg, Melanie J. Young, Rachel P. Hickcox, Yolanda van Heezik, Philip J. Seddon
Summary: The yellow-eyed penguin population in New Zealand has declined by 72% within its mainland range, primarily due to fisheries-related bycatch. A study on penguins breeding on Stewart Island showed that they exhibit some adaptability in foraging behavior, but also display individual and site-specific consistency. Therefore, implementing marine protection measures can help reduce the mortality risk caused by fishing activities.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Rosario Vercellini, Paula G. Blanco, Analia Arizmendi, Marisa Diez, Raul Rodriguez, Cristina Gobello
Summary: This study evaluated the two-dimensional and Doppler ultrasonographic changes of the ovary and uterus during estrus and the early post-estrus period in domestic cats. The results showed that follicular number and diameter, as well as ovarian and uterine blood flow, changed significantly during and immediately after estrus. The Doppler ultrasound was proven suitable for assessing the hemodynamic changes involved in the cyclic remodeling of ovarian and uterine tissues in domestic cats.
JOURNAL OF FELINE MEDICINE AND SURGERY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Katya Egert-Berg, Michal Handel, Aya Goldshtein, Ofri Eitan, Ivailo Borissov, Yossi Yovel
Summary: The study found that bats foraging in urban environments were more exploratory, visited more sites per hour, and switched foraging sites more often compared to rural bats, resulting in a more diversified diet. The location of the roost did not determine the foraging ground, with many bats roosting in the countryside but commuting nightly to urban environments for foraging. Bats, unique among small mammals in their ability to move far rapidly, demonstrated how they adapt to environmental changes and exploit the new urban fragmented environment.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Min-Seung Yang, Seongho Yun, Mi-Jin Hong, Young-Min Moon, Jeong-Chil Yoo, Who-Seung Lee
Summary: This study quantitatively demonstrates the exposure of breeding colonies of Black-tailed gulls to marine litter pollution during the breeding period, and further shows that these birds mainly forage in fishing areas close to their breeding colonies during this period.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Ginger A. Rebstock, Briana Abrahms, P. Dee Boersma
Summary: Using movement and breeding data for Magellanic penguins, this study shows that returning to familiar foraging sites increases efficiency and breeding success. Penguins with higher site fidelity can make more frequent trips and feed chicks more frequently, resulting in higher chick survival rates. The study also found that higher ocean productivity is associated with higher foraging-site fidelity.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Maria Alho, Paulo Catry, Monica C. Silva, Vera L. Nunes, Jose P. Granadeiro
Summary: The White-faced Storm Petrel primarily forages in deep oceanic waters up to 400 km from the colony, without concentrating in specific foraging hotspots. Their diet consists mainly of fish and cephalopods, with a preference for mesopelagic fish. The high concentrations of mercury found in the body feathers of their chicks suggest that they primarily feed on mesopelagic prey from deep pelagic areas.
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Orjan Johansson, Shannon Kachel, Byron Weckworth
Summary: Satellite collars and other tracking devices provide valuable insights for the conservation and management of wild animals, but their deployment also entails risks and ethical considerations. This study aims to help researchers and managers understand and plan telemetry studies, particularly for snow leopards.
Article
Parasitology
Barbara Moroni, Francesco Albanese, Anna Rita Molinar Min, Mario Pasquetti, Jacques Guillot, Simone Roberto Rolando Pisano, Marie-Pierre Ryser-Degiorgis, Silvia Ruefenacht, Dominique Gauthier, David Cano-Terriza, Dino Scaravelli, Luca Rossi, Andrea Peano
Summary: This study aimed to characterize the genetic structure of Sarcoptes scabiei mites from domestic cats and Eurasian lynx, comparing them with mites from sympatric domestic and wild carnivores. The results showed that the genetic structure of the mites exhibited a geographical distribution pattern, which may be due to interactions between different hosts living in the same ecological niche rather than simple infection among hosts belonging to the same taxon.
Article
Ecology
Shelemia Nyamuryekung'e, Andres F. Cibils, Richard E. Estell, Dawn VanLeeuwen, Sheri Spiegal, Caitriana Steele, Alfredo L. Gonzalez, Matthew M. McIntosh, Qixu Gong, Huiping Cao
Summary: This study compared the foraging behavior of mature Raramuri Criollo (RC) and Angus Hereford crossbred (AH) cows in the Chihuahuan Desert rangeland during summer and winter. The results showed that RC cows traveled farther, spent less time resting, and explored larger areas as individuals compared to AH cows. The RC herd also exhibited lower herd cohesion and explored more grazing patches overall. RC cows showed a preference for pixels with high shrub density in summer, and a stronger ability to select patches with differing surface temperature and greenness compared to AH cows. The study suggests that RC cattle may have a lighter environmental footprint on desert rangeland than commonly raised commercial beef cattle.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
R. Bastos, B. Martins, J. A. Ramos, V. H. Paiva, J. Pereira, F. R. Ceia, C. Gouveia, I Rodrigues, M. Santos, J. A. Cabral
Summary: This study investigated the nest attendance patterns of Cory's and Cape Verde shearwaters during the breeding season and their response to oceanographic and light conditions. The results showed that the birds adjusted their behavior in response to varying oceanographic conditions and moonlight, suggesting that nest attendance behavior is influenced by both natural and environmental factors.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
Vivian Pattison, Christopher Bone, Laura L. E. Cowen, Patrick D. O'Hara, Laurie Wilson
Summary: By tracking the at-sea distribution and movements of breeding Ancient Murrelets, researchers found that foraging trips occurred in distant areas from the colonies, while resting and transit behaviors mainly took place throughout the night and during the day, respectively. These findings are crucial for marine conservation and identifying critical foraging habitat.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Dominga Mancuso, Giulia Castagnolo, Monica C. M. Parlato, Francesca Valenti, Simona M. C. Porto
Summary: In recent years, wearable sensors have gained increasing interest in the use of monitoring and tracking animals, particularly in extensive livestock systems. The Internet of Things (IoT) technologies can overcome the difficulties in continuous long-distance monitoring, and this study aimed to prove the feasibility of an IoT-based low-power global positioning system (LP-GPS) for locating and tracking cows in extensive livestock systems through two case studies.
COMPUTERS AND ELECTRONICS IN AGRICULTURE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Maya A. Zomer, Paul M. Ramsay
Summary: Post-fire succession in paramo grasslands is characterized by clear shifts in plant growth form abundance, ultimately leading to (co-)dominance of upright shrubs. The long-term consequences of these changes for biodiversity and ecosystem function, especially with the widespread adoption of fire suppression policies, require careful consideration based on evidence.
APPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Beatriz C. Afonso, Lourens H. Swanepoel, Beatriz P. Rosa, Tiago A. Marques, Luis M. Rosalino, Margarida Santos-Reis, Goncalo Curveira-Santos
Summary: Wildlife ecological patterns are influenced by both environmental factors and landscape-management schemes. Small mammal communities in southern Africa are impacted by different management contexts, with smaller species showing higher relative abundance in game reserves. However, overall rodent abundance is negatively affected by ungulate presence and human disturbance, indicating that management priorities across land uses can impact wildlife communities differently.
Article
Ecology
Matthew S. Rogan, Greg Distiller, Guy A. Balme, Ross T. Pitman, Gareth K. H. Mann, Shannon M. Dubay, Gareth M. Whittington-Jones, Lisa H. Thomas, Joleen Broadfield, Thandiwe Knutson, M. Justin O'Riain
Summary: Effective conservation requires understanding the processes that determine population outcomes. The density of leopards is primarily limited by human impacts, but habitat suitability and management conditions also matter. Protected areas only play a role in large felid conservation when there is effective management of human-wildlife interface and protection from anthropogenic impacts.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Goncalo Curveira-Santos, Laura Gigliotti, Andre P. Silva, Chris Sutherland, Stefan Foord, Margarida Santos-Reis, Lourens H. Swanepoel
Summary: The study revisited existing theories on intraguild killing among African carnivores using online photographs, revealing a wider range of species and interactions than previously thought. It suggests that the current IGK theory underestimates the alternative competition pathways and the role of predatory and incidental killing, highlighting the potential for IGK-mediated cascades in species-rich assemblages and community-wide suppressive effects of large carnivores.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Laura C. Gigliotti, Goncalo Curveira-Santos, Rob Slotow, Craig Sholto-Douglas, Lourens H. Swanepoel, David S. Jachowski
Summary: This study focused on the impact of fires on carnivores in South Africa, revealing that fire did not promote all carnivores to increase the use of burned areas. While apex predators like lions responded positively to prey-rich burnt areas, other large carnivore species exhibited neutral responses, and medium- to small-sized carnivores had species-specific, both neutral and positive responses. Positive responses to fire by lions were short-lived, emphasizing the complexity of understanding carnivore responses to fire.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Declan R. Morris, Wayne S. J. Boardman, Lourens H. Swanepoel, Greg Simpson, Jannie Coetzee, Gerrie J. Camacho, Todd J. McWhorter
Summary: The African leopard has lost much of its historical range within South Africa and now mainly inhabits fragmented habitats. Research on leopard population density in Loskop Dam Nature Reserve found that the density is comparable to that of leopards in other protected areas in South Africa, emphasizing the importance of isolated protected natural areas for the management and conservation of the species.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
J. Philip B. Faure, Lourens H. Swanepoel, Deon Cilliers, Jan A. Venter, Russell A. Hill
Summary: The study estimated population densities of four sympatric carnivores in Platjan, South Africa using camera-trapping data and spatial capture-recapture models. The results showed coexistence of humans and predators in the unprotected agricultural matrix, suggesting increased conservation efforts should be focused in such areas to mitigate human-carnivore conflicts. The study provides valuable knowledge for carnivore populations on privately owned, unprotected land and may benefit conservation planning.
Article
Zoology
Lain E. Pardo, Lourens Swanepoel, Goncalo Curveira-Santos, Herve Fritz, Jan A. Venter
Summary: This study examines the impact of environmental variables on the occupancy patterns of black-backed jackals in protected areas in South Africa. The results indicate that tree cover is the main factor influencing jackal occupancy, regardless of the anthropogenic context and protected area landscape characteristics.
Article
Ecology
Goncalo Curveira-Santos, Laura Gigliotti, Chris Sutherland, Daniela Rato, Margarida Santos-Reis, Lourens H. Swanepoel
Summary: Carnivore intraguild dynamics are influenced by the complex interplay between environmental affinities and interspecific interactions. The management and conservation paradigms in South Africa have significantly altered the structure of local carnivore assemblages. Our study reveals that carnivores are generally distributed independently across space but existing spatial dependencies are context-specific. Furthermore, temporal overlap patterns mostly depend on species' endogenous clock rather than the local context.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Vusani Mphethe, Sina Weier, Catrin Westphal, Birthe Linden, Lourens Swanepoel, Daniel Parker, Peter Taylor
Summary: In the Limpopo Province of South Africa, fruit bats primarily feed on wild fruit trees, with commercial fruit only contributing 2% to their diet, even during the litchi harvest season. This highlights the important ecosystem services provided by fruit bats in orchards and surrounding natural vegetation, and their ability to mitigate crop damage.
AFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Charlotte Krag, Linnea Worsoe Havmoller, Lourens Swanepoel, Gigi Van Zyl, Peter Rask Moller, Rasmus Worsoe Havmoller
Summary: This study investigated the activity patterns of four carnivore species (spotted hyena, leopard, brown hyena, and African wild dog) at artificial waterholes and on roads/trails. It found temporal partitioning only between spotted hyena and African wild dog. Artificial waterholes may lead to conflict in carnivores.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Laura C. Gigliotti, Lia Keener, Lourens H. Swanepoel, Craig Sholto-Douglas, Axel Hunnicutt, Goncalo Curveira-Santos
Summary: Protected areas and wildlife reintroductions are effective conservation measures, but they can lead to unexpected species-specific responses. A study in South Africa found species-specific responses to reserve expansion, with generally positive but unsustained responses in occupancy and intensity of use. Managed herbivores and the apex predator exhibited sustained or delayed positive responses, while subordinate predators and unmanaged herbivores had short-lived or neutral responses. The interactive effects of top-down suppression, competitive pressure, and increased resources contributed to the variable responses. Monitoring the entire wildlife community is crucial for implementing successful conservation actions.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Daniel M. Parker, Vilis O. Nams, Guy A. Balme, Colleen Begg, Keith Begg, Laura Bidner, Dirk Bockmuehl, Gabriele Cozzi, Byron du Preez, Julien Fattebert, Krystyna Golabek, Tanith Grant, Matt W. Hayward, Ann-Marie Houser, Luke T. B. Hunter, Lynne A. Isbell, David Jenny, Andrew J. Loveridge, David W. Macdonald, Gareth K. H. Mann, Nakedi Maputla, Laurie Marker, Quinton E. Martins, Nkabeng Maruping-Mzileni, Joerg Melzheimer, Vera Menges, Phumuzile Nyoni, John O'Brien, Cailey Owen, Tim Parker, Ross Pitman, R. John Power, Rob Slotow, Andrew Stein, Villiers Steyn, Ken Stratford, Lourens H. Swanepoel, Abi Vanak, Rudi Van Vuuren, Bettine Wachter, Florian Weise, Chris C. Wilmers
Summary: The size of the home range of leopards in Africa is influenced by a combination of prey availability, competition with conspecifics, and reproductive factors. Leopards with larger home ranges tend to be more active and travel faster in straighter lines. However, maintaining a large home range is energetically costly and requires a trade-off between basic needs and avoiding potential dangers.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lourens H. Swanepoel, J. Philip B. Faure, Lauren Foden, Kevin W. Emslie
Summary: The Side-striped Jackal, Lupulella adusta, is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa, with limited distribution in eastern coastal regions of South Africa. Recent sightings indicate a broader geographical distribution in the north-central areas of the country. We report 5,130 confirmed captures of Side-striped Jackal, including 3,625 new locations not previously recorded in scientific literature, expanding their current geographical distribution. These new records were found in 33 vegetation types, including forests and grasslands where they are not commonly detected.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Balbina P. L. Ramsay, Nigel J. Marley, David T. Bilton, Simon D. Rundle, Paul M. Ramsay
Summary: Little is known about distribution patterns and mechanisms of micrometazoan organisms at different spatial scales across diverse environments. In a high-elevation Polylepis forest in northern Ecuador, fine-scale structure of tardigrades was explored, revealing differences in composition between host taxa related to host architecture or chemistry. Tardigrade occupancy, richness, and abundance varied considerably between samples, with over 50 samples estimated to assess tardigrade taxon richness in the forest habitat. Fine-scale environmental differences, rather than physical distance, were found to be more important in determining tardigrade composition, highlighting the need for standardized, comprehensive sampling of terrestrial tardigrades at fine scales before broader comparisons at coarser geographical scales can be made.
NEOTROPICAL BIODIVERSITY
(2021)