Article
Reproductive Biology
Amellia Redfearn, Estelle Janodet, Jody McNally, Heather Brewer, Emma Doyle, Rebecca Doyle, Sabine Schmoelzl
Summary: Dystocia is a major cause of lamb mortality, leading to newborn hypoxia, CNS damage, increased risk of starvation, exposure, mismothering and death. This study found that dystocic ewes exhibited lower expression of maternal behaviors and higher expression of avoidance behaviors, as well as performing fewer behaviors overall compared to eutocic ewes. Dystocia significantly affects the quality and quantity of ewe maternal behavior, increasing the risk of lamb avoidance, maternal disinterest, and lamb death.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Emma E. Hart, Julian Fennessy, Emma Wells, Simone Ciuti
Summary: A study on Angolan giraffe in the hyper-arid northern Namib Desert found that more calves were born during the wet season, with higher survival rates, suggesting an adaptive advantage to timing births during this period. The research also showed a decrease in sexual segregation during the hot-dry season, indicating a possible conception pulse. The strongest correlation between birth patterns and decreased sexual segregation was found to be lagged by 15 months, corresponding to the gestation period in giraffe, suggesting a seasonal reduction in sexual segregation explains the birth pulse.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Teresa Militao, Nathalie Kurten, Sandra Bouwhuis
Summary: Sex-specific foraging behavior was observed in common terns, with females resting less and foraging closer to the colony in more coastal waters compared to males. Males showed higher variability in their foraging distribution throughout the tide cycle and foraged more outside of protected areas. This study highlights the importance of considering sex-specific foraging distributions when assessing the impact of at-sea threats on seabirds.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kristin H. Westdal, Jeremy Davies, Steven H. Ferguson
Summary: This study examined the spatial distribution of beluga whales in two main estuaries in Western Hudson Bay during the summer season using aerial survey imagery. The results showed no segregation of age classes in both estuaries and suggested that Seal River may be preferred for calf rearing. The findings provide valuable information for the conservation and management of beluga whale habitat in the area.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
C. E. Pritchard, A. P. Williams, P. Davies, D. Jones, A. R. Smith
Summary: Providing additional artificial shelters for pregnant ewes in outdoor lambing systems in upland farms in the UK can significantly reduce shepherding problems caused by adverse weather conditions. Highlander ewes are more likely to seek shelter and require fewer interventions when facing issues compared to Aberfield ewes. This highlights the substantial benefits to animal welfare and productivity that can be achieved through shelter provision in UK upland outdoor lambing systems.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Edna Correia, Paulo Catry, Frazer Sinclair, Yodiney dos Santos, Joana Robalo, Cristina S. Lima, Jose Pedro Granadeiro
Summary: The study focused on the foraging ecology of Brown boobies in Tinhosa Grande, SAo Tome and Principe, showing that they predominantly feed on juvenile fish and squid which inhabit pelagic environments and migrate to coastal waters as adults. The conservation of Brown boobies not only depends on managing their foraging areas and breeding sites, but also on preserving coastal areas that support their prey. The study suggests that the closest areas to the colony lack resources for feeding, and Brown boobies may rely on subsurface marine predators or sargassum patches for foraging.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Mariel Regueiro, Carlos Lopez-Mazz, Ezequiel Jorge-Smeding, Fernando Baldi, Georgget Banchero
Summary: Under extensive rearing conditions, the duration of labor phase II has a negative impact on lamb survival and maternal behavior in primiparous ewes, leading to the need for more delivery assistance and lighter birth weight in lambs from primiparous ewes, potentially resulting in higher mortality rates.
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Social
Vincent Egan
Summary: Human sexuality is crucial for species' survival and well-being, influenced by individual differences, biological dynamics, and personality traits. Research shows a link between sexual behavior and issues such as risk of reconviction and relapse, disturbed attachments, and the role of intelligence in decision-making in this area. Studying sexual behavior, personality, and intelligence helps in fostering interest in differential psychology and its applications.
PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Victoria G. Carter, Md Jahir Rizvi
Summary: This study compared the structural behavior of a flight deck designed following guidelines from three classification societies and found that only the calculated deck thickness values based on LR regulations would meet the requirement for the class.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Jazel Ouled-Cheikh, Francisco Ramirez, Moises Sanchez-Fortun, Augusto Cortejana, Carola Sanpera, Josep Lluis Carrasco
Summary: Human activities can influence the feeding behavior and movement patterns of opportunistic species in marine ecosystems. This study used GPS tracking data to analyze the flight behavior of Audouin's gulls in relation to fishing activities. The results showed that gulls adjusted their flight behavior when fishing vessels were present, flying faster and more directly. This research enhances our understanding of seabird-fishery interactions and has implications for monitoring fisheries and combating illegal fishing.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
J. Mourier, J. Claudet, S. Planes
Summary: The study found that provisioning activities can affect the spatial use and residency levels of blacktip reef sharks, leading to significant behavioral changes, especially impacting their nocturnal habitat use. This highlights the need for further research to understand the impact of these behavioral modifications on the species' fitness.
ANIMAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Kevin Kantono, Nazimah Hamid, Qianli Ma, Diksha Chadha, Indrawati Oey
Summary: China's economic growth has led to an increase in meat consumption, with Australian and New Zealand meat perceived as having positive quality characteristics. Chinese consumers are influenced by factors such as seasonality, purchase location, and cooking methods, consuming less meat in summer and more in winter. Purchase drivers include meat safety certification and the perceived health benefits of meat.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Clara Lago, Elisa Garzo, Aranzazu Moreno, Laura Barrios, Antonio Marti-Campoy, Francisco Rodriguez-Ballester, Alberto Fereres
Summary: The study found that the flight potential of Philaenus spumarius is influenced by season, with females having higher flight potential in spring and autumn, and males reaching the highest in autumn. Philaenus spumarius demonstrated higher flight potential in the morning and at night. Additionally, the research revealed that Philaenus spumarius may disperse further than the designated infected and buffer zones established by the EU.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
J. Rodriguez-Algaba, M. S. Hovmoller, D. Villegas, C. Cantero-Martinez, Y. Jin, A. F. Justesen
Summary: This study shows that the indigenous barberry subspecies B. vulgaris subsp. seroi and B. vulgaris subsp. australis in Spain can serve as alternate hosts for P. striiformis f. sp. tritici, potentially leading to novel virulence combinations that can negatively impact wheat production. Although the presence of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici has not been confirmed on these barberry species in nature, this research emphasizes the importance of monitoring rust in areas where suitable conditions for the completion of the sexual life cycle may exist.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nouman Javed, Prasad N. Paradkar, Asim Bhatti
Summary: Mosquito-borne diseases pose a significant threat to public health globally. Understanding mosquito behavioral traits is crucial for developing better epidemiological models and effective mosquito traps. This research introduces a detection and trajectory estimation method using the Mask RCNN algorithm and spline interpolation, which proves to be accurate in detecting and tracking flying and resting mosquitoes.
Article
Zoology
Rudy Brogi, Enrico Merli, Stefano Grignolio, Roberta Chirichella, Elisa Bottero, Marco Apollonio
Summary: Plasticity in reproductive phenology can affect the average reproductive timing in populations. While photoperiodism constraints plastic responses in temperate populations, the regulation of breeding season length may provide a tool for populations facing changing environments. Our study on wild boars in temperate regions showed that breeding seasons can be regulated depending on favorable or poor conditions, indicating a high resilience of the population reproductive patterns against environmental changes.
Article
Zoology
Lorenzo Gordigiani, Andrea Viviano, Francesca Brivio, Stefano Grignolio, Lorenzo Lazzeri, Andrea Marcon, Emiliano Mori
Summary: The increase in nocturnal activity of ungulate species may be a compensatory response to disturbances during the day, influenced by moon phases and environmental lighting conditions. Wild boar, despite poor visibility, reduced activity on bright nights and peaked in mid-Autumn when hunting pressure is high. In the study area, they face pressures from hunters, poachers, and grey wolves.
Article
Ecology
Francesca Brivio, Simone Ciuti, Anna Pipia, Stefano Grignolio, Marco Apollonio
Summary: The presence of free-ranging livestock can negatively impact the habitat selection and population dynamics of wild herbivores, as shown in this study on European mouflon in Sardinia. Livestock proximity displaces mouflon from preferred feeding sites and leads to sub-optimal habitat selection. Managing livestock grazing within natural areas is crucial for wildlife conservation.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Zoology
S. Grignolio, F. Brivio, R. Chirichella, M. Apollonio
Summary: The study found that in Alpine chamois living in a poor environment, male horns grow more quickly and are influenced by ecological factors such as snow and forage availability, but no compensatory growth was detected.
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kilian J. Murphy, Laura L. Griffin, Grace Nolan, Amy Haigh, Tamara Hochstrasser, Simone Ciuti, Adam Kane
Summary: Applied research involves interactions between different organizations, which can be affected by communication breakdowns. Autoethnography provides a structured reflection using personal experiences to understand collaborative processes. The applied autoethnography protocol ensures adequate description of biases and context, and reflection on encountered problems and lessons learned.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Andrew W. Byrne, Damien Barrett, Philip Breslin, James O'Keeffe, Kilian J. Murphy, Kimberly Conteddu, Virginia Morera-Pujol, Eoin Ryan, Simone Ciuti
Summary: Disturbance ecology studies the impact of processes that disrupt the structure and dynamics of an ecosystem on wildlife and pathogen hosts. This study found an association between forest clearfelling and bovine tuberculosis risk.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fabio Weiss, Frank Uwe Michler, Benjamin Gillich, Joerg Tillmann, Simone Ciuti, Marco Heurich, Siegfried Rieger
Summary: This study investigates the influence of herded sheep and goats on red deer spatial behavior. The findings show that red deer use grazed areas less during conservation grazing, and this effect persists up to 21 days after conservation grazing ends. Habitat selection of red deer is also affected up to 3000 meters away from the conservation grazing sites, with no signs of habituation or adaption.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Deirdre McLaughlin, Laura L. Griffin, Simone Ciuti, Gavin Stewart
Summary: Wildlife feeding activities have been increasing in recent years, leading to wild ruminants, such as deer in urban parks, having a more unnatural diet due to public attention. This study aims to examine the effects of human-wildlife feeding interactions on the rumen papillae of a population of fallow deer in Phoenix Park, Dublin. The findings reveal that deer who consistently accept food from humans have higher papillae density, indicating a shift in the internal rumen environment. Further research is required to fully understand the impact of feeding on the gastrointestinal integrity of these wild deer, as well as other human-wildlife feeding interactions in human-dominated landscapes.
Correction
Zoology
Deirdre McLaughlin, Laura L. Griffin, Simone Ciuti, Gavin Stewart
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bawan Amin, Laura Verbeek, Amy Haigh, Laura L. L. Griffin, Simone Ciuti
Summary: Recent debate has looked into whether individual personality mainly reflects differences in resource allocation or resource acquisition. This study on fallow deer juveniles found that bolder individuals do not seem to have a survival cost and that physiological response at capture is linked to early-life survival.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Rudy Brogi, Marco Apollonio, Francesca Brivio, Enrico Merli, Stefano Grignolio
Summary: The theory of behavioural syndromes predicts that animals will exhibit a set of correlated risk-taking behaviours, and this phenomenon has been confirmed in wild animals. Despite exhibiting different behaviours in different environmental conditions, similar risk-taking strategies were observed. Contrary to traditional expectations, individuals exhibited compensatory relationships between different risk-taking behaviours.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Virginia Morera-Pujol, Philip S. Mostert, Kilian J. Murphy, Tim Burkitt, Barry Coad, Barry J. McMahon, Maarten Nieuwenhuis, Kevin Morelle, Alastair I. Ward, Simone Ciuti
Summary: Using geospatial data to predict species distribution is a common tool in management and conservation. However, high-quality data is expensive, so integrated species distribution models (ISDMs) have been developed to combine high-quality presence-absence data with low-quality presence-only data. This study demonstrates the applicability of spatially explicit ISDMs to empirical data in a Bayesian context.
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
Zoology
R. Brogi, M. Apollonio, S. Grignolio, A. Cossu, S. Luccarini, F. Brivio
Summary: Human-dominated environments are expanding worldwide, and animals are having to adapt to these new conditions. In this study, we focused on the behavior of wild boars in a tourist area in Italy and found that they prefer locations near infrastructures and away from beaches. These findings suggest that wild boars have a certain degree of behavioral flexibility, allowing them to thrive in human-dominated environments.
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2023)
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.