Article
Ecology
Henrik Andren, Olof Liberg
Summary: The study found that the numerical response of Eurasian lynx is influenced by both roe deer density and lynx density, indicating the importance of resources and intraspecific competition in understanding lynx population dynamics. Through modeling, cyclic dynamics or dampened cycles were observed in the lynx-roe deer population system.
ECOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Neri H. Thorsen, Richard Bischof, Jenny Mattisson, Tim R. Hofmeester, John D. C. Linnell, John Odden
Summary: Outdoor recreation has an impact on wildlife habitat use and selection. By using crowdsourced data and GPS tracking data, the study found that lynx avoided areas of recreational activity at the local scale but not at the home range scale. However, lynx frequently used areas associated with recreation, especially at night. Thus, scale-dependent responses and temporal adjustments in habitat use may facilitate coexistence between humans and large carnivores.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Igor Khorozyan, Marco Heurich
Summary: The Eurasian lynx is an adaptable predator that takes ungulates according to their availability, rather than specializing in hunting hares. The predation on large prey is influenced by the density of prey populations and the forest environment. In the wild, ungulates, particularly roe deer, are the main food source for Eurasian lynx.
Article
Ecology
E. Payne, O. Spiegel, D. L. Sinn, S. T. Leu, M. G. Gardner, S. S. Godfrey, C. Wohlfeil, A. Sih
Summary: Home ranges, the regions where animals interact with their environment, are influenced by various factors. This study used GPS tracking data of sleepy lizards to investigate home range size and fidelity, and found consistent differences among individuals. Individual traits, social conditions, and environmental characteristics all played a role in determining home range size and fidelity.
ECOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Sophie Baur, Wibke Peters, Tobias Oettenheym, Annette Menzel
Summary: Research shows that high temperatures and prolonged rain lead to fewer harvested animals, while sunshine duration in summer and snow height in winter partially favor harvests. The influence of wind speed varies by season, with harvest success during driven hunts being similarly affected by the weather.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ornithology
Jorge Garcia-Macia, Ernesto Alvarez, Manuel Galan, Juan Jose Iglesias-Lebrija, Marc Galvez, Gerard Plana, Nuria Vallverdu, Vicente Urios
Summary: This study investigated the spatial ecology of adult Cinereous Vultures in Iberia using GPS tracking. The results showed that there were seasonal differences in home range and core area, with larger movements and home range sizes during the chick-rearing period. The study also highlighted the philopatric behavior of the species, with vultures settling their breeding areas within a range of 9-138 km from their natal nest.
Article
Ecology
Simona Picardi, Briana Abrahms, Emily Gelzer, Thomas. A. A. Morrison, Tana Verzuh, Jerod. A. A. Merkle
Summary: Site fidelity, which refers to the tendency of individuals to return to previously visited locations, is influenced by various mechanisms such as memory, habitat selection, or chance. However, existing definitions often group different mechanisms under the same label of 'site fidelity', assuming memory as the main driver. In this study, we propose an operational definition of site fidelity that deviates from a null expectation derived from a memory-free movement model. We demonstrate through agent-based simulations that movement characteristics and landscape characteristics play important roles in generating return patterns, even in the absence of memory. We also provide a framework for establishing system-specific null expectations for site fidelity, allowing for hypothesis testing across different systems and scales.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Florent Bled, Michael J. Cherry, Elina P. Garrison, Karl Miller, L. Mike Conner, Heather N. Abernathy, W. Hunter Ellsworth, Lydia L. S. Margenau, Daniel A. Crawford, Kristin N. Engebretsen, Brian D. Kelly, David B. Shindle, Richard B. Chandler
Summary: Large carnivore restoration programs, like the Florida panther restoration program in South Florida, can have significant impacts on prey populations such as the white-tailed deer. Panther predation was found to be the primary cause of death for deer, with the predation rate being much higher after the restoration effort. Increasing water depth had a negative impact on female deer survival, but drowning was not a common cause of mortality. It will be challenging to balance the competing demands of predator restoration and sustainable deer harvest.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Economics
Katarina Elofsson, Tobias Haggmark
Summary: The study aimed to determine the impact and value of lynx and wolf on roe deer hunting in Sweden. The results showed that lynx and wolf have a significant impact on roe deer hunting, with wolves having a greater impact; if hunters could exercise private property rights, the marginal cost would be about 20% lower compared to open access.
ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS AND POLICY STUDIES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Christen H. Fleming, Iman Deznabi, Shauhin Alavi, Margaret C. Crofoot, Ben T. Hirsch, E. Patricia Medici, Michael J. Noonan, Roland Kays, William F. Fagan, Daniel Sheldon, Justin M. Calabrese
Summary: This paper introduces a statistically and computationally efficient method for population-level analysis of home-range areas, based on autocorrelated kernel density estimation (AKDE). The method can account for variable temporal autocorrelation and estimation uncertainty. By applying the method to empirical examples, the study quantifies differences between species, environments, and sexes. The approach allows researchers to accurately compare different populations while maintaining statistical precision and power.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Yasaman N. Shakeri, Kevin S. White, Jason N. Waite
Summary: Understanding the spatial use patterns and range fidelity of mountain goats in coastal Alaska revealed distinct seasonal and sex-specific variations. Females had larger home ranges than males during summer, but this relationship switched during the mating season. The high degree of range fidelity among individual animals, with 99% of them returning to their previous year's seasonal range, has important conservation implications in landscapes increasingly altered by human activities.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Lucas P. Griffin, Jacob W. Brownscombe, Tyler O. Gagne, Christopher R. Haak, Roxann Cormier, Sarah L. Becker, Steven J. Cooke, John T. Finn, Andy J. Danylchuk
Summary: Bonefish, with ecological, economic, and cultural importance, exhibit high site fidelity and small home ranges when inhabiting small fringing reef flats.
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY OF FISHES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
John D. C. Linnell, Jenny Mattisson, John Odden
Summary: The Eurasian lynx in the northern region of Norway have relatively large home range sizes, primarily occupying treeless alpine tundra with minimal forest cover. This has significant implications for spatial planning in lynx management in the far north.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Paul Griesberger, Florian Kunz, Friedrich Reimoser, Klaus Hacklaender, Leopold Obermair
Summary: Increasing numbers of wild ungulates in human-dominated landscapes in Europe could lead to negative effects such as damages to forests through browsing. To prevent those effects and ensure viable ungulate populations, sustainable management is required. The spatial distribution of hunting locations for roe deer was found to influence game impact on forest vegetation, with avoidance of forests in regions with low forest cover and intolerable browsing impact. Careful consideration of hunting locations can be an additional approach to reduce browsing intensity by roe deer in regions with low forest cover.
Article
Ecology
Anna M. Knochel, Nigel E. Hussey, Steven T. Kessel, Camrin D. Braun, Jesse E. M. Cochran, Graham Hill, Rebecca Klaus, Tarik Checkchak, Nasereldin M. Elamin El Hassen, Mohammed Younnis, Michael L. Berumen
Summary: This study provides new insights into the habitat use and residency patterns of the reef manta ray in northeastern African coastlines. The results show that the species displays high site fidelity to coastal bays and lagoons, with seasonal shifts in habitat use likely driven by resource availability. These findings have important implications for managing and supporting sustainable ecotourism in the study area.
Correction
Zoology
Deirdre McLaughlin, Laura L. Griffin, Simone Ciuti, Gavin Stewart
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Hendrik Bluhm, Tom A. A. Diserens, Thomas Engleder, Kaja Heising, Marco Heurich, Tomas Janik, Miloslav Jirku, Daniel Klich, Hannes J. J. Koenig, Rafal Kowalczyk, Dries Kuijper, Weronika Maslanko, Frank-Uwe Michler, Wiebke Neumann, Julian Oeser, Wanda Olech, Kajetan Perzanowski, Miroslaw Ratkiewicz, Dusan Romportl, Martin Salek, Tobias Kuemmerle
Summary: This study aimed to assess the opportunities and limitations for range expansions of European bison and moose in Central Europe. It found widespread suitable habitats for these two species, but also identified human pressure and natural barriers that restrict their recolonization. Conservation measures restoring connectivity are needed to allow these large herbivores to expand their historical ranges.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Francesca Cagnacci
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Simon Koenig, Frank Thonfeld, Michael Foerster, Olena Dubovyk, Marco Heurich
Summary: Bark beetle infestations are a significant forest disturbance agent that has been increasing in frequency and affected areas due to global climate change. This study demonstrates the potential of using multi-sensor time series data from Landsat and Sentinel satellites to detect and monitor bark beetle infestations, with Sentinel-2 providing the best overall results.
GISCIENCE & REMOTE SENSING
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andrea Corradini, Mark A. Haroldson, Francesca Cagnacci, Cecily M. Costello, Daniel D. Bjornlie, Daniel J. Thompson, Jeremy M. Nicholson, Kerry A. Gunther, Katharine R. Wilmot, Frank T. van Manen
Summary: Understanding the density-dependent processes that drive population demography in a changing world is critical in ecology. This study examined the performance-density relationships of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem over two decades. The results showed that individual lean body mass was negatively related to population density, while body fat levels remained unaffected.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Johannes De Groeve, Nico van de Weghe, Nathan Ranc, Nicolas Morellet, Nadege C. Bonnot, Benedikt Gehr, Marco Heurich, A. J. Mark Hewison, Max Kroeschel, John D. C. Linnell, Atle Mysterud, Robin Sandfort, Francesca Cagnacci
Summary: The study confirms the Complementary Habitat Hypothesis by showing that European roe deer cope with human-altered landscapes by alternating between open food-rich and closed refuge habitats during day and night. This behavior is observed across different regions and seasons, and is influenced by vegetation phenology.
Review
Ecology
Igor Khorozyan, Marco Heurich
Summary: The Eurasian lynx is an adaptable predator that takes ungulates according to their availability, rather than specializing in hunting hares. The predation on large prey is influenced by the density of prey populations and the forest environment. In the wild, ungulates, particularly roe deer, are the main food source for Eurasian lynx.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Giulia Ferrari, Dino Scaravelli, Andrea Mustoni, Marco Armanini, Filippo Zibordi, Olivier Devineau, Francesca Cagnacci, Donato A. Grasso, Federico Ossi
Summary: The Alps are experiencing important environmental changes, which can lead to the reshuffling of local wildlife species. A study on alpine small rodents shows that the bank vole has expanded its range in high-alpine habitats, while the snow vole has restricted its range. The modifications in local assemblages may be related to climate change and demographic processes, highlighting the need for long-term studies.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Emma E. Hart, Amy Haigh, Simone Ciuti
Summary: Restoring functional ecosystems is crucial for protecting global biodiversity and addressing climate crises. Rewilding, as a proactive tool for ecosystem restoration, has gained attention, although it has been criticized for lacking evidence-based research. A scoping review reveals significant growth in European rewilding projects, with evidence supporting the restoration of biodiversity, ecosystem services, and nature-based economies. To advance the field, country-specific networks of monitored rewilding projects should be established, and caution should be taken when standardizing the assessment of rewilding success. Careful management of large herbivore refaunation efforts is also emphasized to mitigate welfare concerns, overgrazing, and reputational risks.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Gioele Passoni, Tim Coulson, Francesca Cagnacci, Peter Hudson, Daniel R. Stahler, Douglas W. Smith, Shelly Lachish
Summary: A central debate in ecology has been the long-running discussion on the role of apex predators in affecting the abundance and dynamics of their prey. This study presents a bioenergetic mechanistic model of a tritrophic system and investigates the impact of wolf reintroduction on the system. The model reveals the important role of wolves in shifting the elk population from being food-limited to being predator-limited and stabilizing elk numbers.
Review
Ecology
Sarah Keenan, Dagmara Niedziela, Virginia Morera-Pujol, Danny Franklin, Kilian J. Murphy, Simone Ciuti, Barry J. Mcmahon
Summary: Classification systems are useful tools for aggregating and studying diseases in detail. However, the current systems mainly designed for healthcare fail to capture many details of zoonotic diseases. This study aims to develop a framework for the classification of zoonotic diseases that generates data useful for their study and assists policy-makers and wildlife managers. Using six wild deer species as an example, the framework is applied to examine the worldwide occurrence and prevalence of zoonoses in these species. A total of 120 zoonotic pathogens were found, with bacteria being the most prevalent pathogen type.
Review
Ecology
Stefano Palmero, Joe Premier, Stephanie Kramer-Schadt, Pedro Monterroso, Marco Heurich
Summary: Robust monitoring is crucial for successful conservation planning, especially for elusive and low-density species like felids. This study examined the impact of sampling designs on the precision of population density estimates for territorial felids. Analysis of 137 camera-trapping and spatial capture-recapture studies revealed that the number of individuals captured, recapture frequency, and capture probability are the most important variables affecting precision. Guidelines for future studies and a reporting protocol were provided to improve the reproducibility and comparability of spatial capture-recapture research.
Article
Ecology
Diego Ellis-Soto, Ruth Y. Oliver, Vanessa Brum-Bastos, Urska Demsar, Brett Jesmer, Jed A. Long, Francesca Cagnacci, Federico Ossi, Nuno Queiroz, Mark Hindell, Roland Kays, Matthias-Claudio Loretto, Thomas Mueller, Robert Patchett, David W. Sims, Marlee A. Tucker, Yan Ropert-Coudert, Christian Rutz, Walter Jetz
Summary: Wildlife are affected by human movement and static human infrastructure. The authors propose a 'dynamic human footprint' that incorporates metrics accounting for time-varying human activities. Understanding human-wildlife interactions is crucial for preserving biodiversity as human activities shape landscapes, and capturing more dynamic processes in ecological studies is challenging.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Rascha J. M. Nuijten, Todd E. Katzner, Andrew M. Allen, Allert Bijleveld, Tjalle Boorsma, Luca Borger, Francesca Cagnacci, Tom Hart, Michelle A. Henley, Richard M. Herren, Eva M. A. Kok, Bronwyn Maree, Bruno Nebe, David Shohami, Susanne Marieke Vogel, Paul Walker, Ignas M. A. Heitkonig, E. J. Milner-Gulland
Summary: Collaboration between conservation scientists and practitioners is necessary to address biodiversity loss, but it has proven to be challenging. Both groups are motivated to collaborate, but differences in motivations and external factors hinder effective collaboration. Solutions include improving communication, acknowledging each other's motivations, and adjusting funder priorities.
CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Suzanne T. S. van Beeck Calkoen, Dries P. J. Kuijper, Marco Apollonio, Lena Blondel, Carsten F. Dormann, Ilse Storch, Marco Heurich
Summary: This study provides evidence for the dominant role played by humans (i.e. hunting, land-use activities) relative to large carnivores in reducing red deer density across European human-dominated landscapes. These findings suggest that when we would like large carnivores to exert numeric effects, we should focus on minimizing human impacts to allow the ecological impacts of large carnivores on ecosystem functioning.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
